The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go Chapter 468 - 466: Princess Zhaoning, You Have to Help Me!

A remote side hall far from Chengxi Palace.

When Guan Songyuan entered, he saw Huo Mingyan leaning against the window, her shoulders trembling lightly as she emitted low sobs from ti to ti.

His eyes filled with heartache: "Empress..."

Huo Mingyan said hoarsely, "Han Sang, didn’t I warn you not to let outsiders in?!"

"Empress, am I an outsider?" Guan Songyuan’s tone was firm as he walked step by step to Huo Mingyan’s side, "I believe that with the Empress, we are already close friends."

Huo Mingyan turned and looked at him through her blurred, teary eyes.

The man reached out, gently wiping away her tears, his handso face revealing undeniable heartache: "Is it that in your heart, I am not even worthy of being called a ’confidant’?"

Their eyes t.

Huo Mingyan clearly captured a trace of complex, unspoken emotion in his gaze.

This gaze was similar to the complicated looks she received from young generals outside the border in the past.

Admiration, timidity, passion, repression...

Through the blurry veil of tears, her eyes suddenly reddened even more, and she choked as she threw herself into Guan Songyuan’s embrace, "Lord Guan!"

Her slender hands tightly clutched Guan Songyuan’s sleeve, her knuckles turning white and red, as if she was exerting all her strength.

She cried, broken and unable to speak, "Lord Guan, these words are truly heart-wrenching! How could I not regard Lord Guan as a confidant?! In the vast Capital, only Lord Guan cared for and shared heartfelt conversations with ! Lord Guan... is my only friend in the Central Plains!"

"Empress!"

Guan Songyuan’s eyes also reddened, and he tightly embraced her waist.

The man’s hands were hot and broad, a warmth Huo Mingyan had long not felt from a man, unconsciously making her feel hotter, and she nestled even closer into Guan Songyuan’s embrace.

She did not feel that what she was doing was improper according to etiquette.

On the contrary, she was quite observant of the rules.

Because nothing happened between her and Guan Songyuan; she rely needed comfort in her loneliness, and Guan Songyuan happened to be the person who could console her. They were not shaful lovers but empathic confidants.

She and Guan Songyuan were different from Lu Ying and Shen Yinning, after all!

She closed her eyes and said hoarsely: "You’re so warm, I like your aura. My attachnt to you is not born from romantic feelings, but from cherishing this hard-won friendship. I wish to be lifelong friends with you."

"I feel the sa towards the Empress!" Guan Songyuan caressed her lower back, his palm lightly brushing downwards as he leaned in to savor the warmth and fragrance in his embrace. "My wife is impure, a worn shoe used by others. I pitied her, so I didn’t divorce her. Yet, I’ve never felt a shred of respect from her. Only with the Empress... with you, do I understand what it ans to have a confidant, soone who truly understands ..."

The two seed to lant not eting sooner.

In this secluded hall, they shared their deepest feelings, wishing they could reveal their hearts to one another.

Han Sang sighed, "The friendship between you and Lord Guan is pure and honorable, transcending re romantic love, truly admirable! If only all n and won in the world could maintain such decorum like you two?"

"You silly girl!"

Huo Mingyan laughed through her tears, playfully glancing at Han Sang, yet still nestling in Guan Songyuan’s embrace.

Guan Songyuan laughed along, holding her even tighter.

...

"Husband is missing..."

Inside Chengxi Palace, Xue Mianmian looked around but couldn’t find Guan Songyuan.

Shen Yinning remained silent, thinking it was good he was missing, better if he were dead.

A nimble and gloomy-faced eunuch entered, whispering at Lu Ying’s ear for a while and then added, "I dare not speak recklessly, but my people hid on the rafters and saw clearly that the Empress and Lord Guan were embracing inappropriately."

After Lu Ying gained control of the Imperial Palace, he specially set up the Forbidden Guard Supervision, where the eunuchs and servants were experts at gathering information, responsible for monitoring the palace and court officials’ movents. Almost nothing escaped Lu Ying’s notice.

Upon learning of Huo Mingyan and Guan Songyuan, Lu Ying’s expression remained indifferent.

After all, he and Huo Mingyan were bound by a family marriage.

His heart was elsewhere, so he did not wish to interfere too much in Huo Mingyan’s personal affairs.

Having grown up in the deep palace, he understood how lonely and difficult life was for the won there.

As long as Huo Mingyan didn’t bring these private matters out into the open, he was willing to turn a blind eye.

He coldly instructed, "Cover for them a bit, don’t let anyone else catch them."

"Yes."

The young eunuch took the order to handle it.

Lu Ying then turned to Empress Dowager Li: "Imperial Grandmother, are you feeling fatigued?"

Empress Dowager Li was now the Grand Empress Dowager.

She understood Lu Ying’s aning.

Huo Mingyan was incompetent, often failing tasks and forcing the Grand Empress Dowager to handle many palace matters, like arranging a marriage between Pei Qing and Xue Ling today when Huo Mingyan abandoned her duties, making it necessary for her to step in.

The Grand Empress Dowager suddenly felt a wave of annoyance.

She even hoped deep down that Huo Mingyan would die soon, allowing for a more capable Empress to be chosen.

Sparing her, at her age, the need to help Lu Ying manage the harem.

She coughed lightly and said gently, "I do feel a bit tired. At my age, I most enjoy watching young and vibrant girls. With such lively company today, why not have the young ladies play so tunes and dance for ?"

Lu Ying smiled slightly: "As Your Majesty wishes, Grandson will do his best. Soone, prepare the musicians."

The Grand Empress Dowager suddenly pointed at Li Zhu: "Zhu’er, why don’t you start with the first dance?"

Li Zhu refused to beco one of Lu Ying’s concubines.

Then marrying Pei Qing or Xue Ling wouldn’t be bad.

Without surprise, those two were future power brokers, linking with the Li Family would be advantageous.

Li Zhu’s face turned difficult. Knowing her Imperial Grandmother was determined to use her for a marital alliance.

Under everyone’s gaze, she had to stand up and bow gracefully: "Your Majesty, Grandson begs leave to change clothes."

Before leaving, she couldn’t help but glance at Shen Yinning for help.

Shen Yinning: "..."

This girl seed to rely on her.

Without a word, Shen Yinning discreetly left her seat and followed Li Zhu to the changing room in the side hall.

"Princess Zhaoning!" Li Zhu pleaded helplessly, "You have to help !"

Shen Yinning: "How can I help you?"

"You said I wasn’t fit to be a favored concubine, and I heeded your words and left the palace. But now the Imperial Grandmother wants to marry into a noble family, Princess Zhaoning, you have to help !"

Shen Yinning held a small gilded fan, her gaze scrutinizing Li Zhu as if looking at a fool.

Li Zhu was quite smart; Shen Yinning couldn’t understand why she was confused about such matters.

She mocked, "If you can’t be a favored concubine, does that an you won’t marry? A good marriage opportunity is right in front of you. If you don’t seize it, what do you want to help with? Do you really wish to spend your life in quiet contemplation?"

Li Zhu, eager to excel, naturally wanted to marry.

She hesitated for a mont, then asked, "Do you an I should choose between Pei Qing and Xue Ling? But they are both slightly younger than ..."

Shen Yinning was baffled: "I heard you were carefully grood by the Empress Dowager; what exactly did she train you in? What’s wrong if they’re slightly younger? I heard Pei Qing is upright and ambitious; isn’t that countless tis better than those foppish dandies? Being a year older, can you not handle him? You know the Li Family is declining; if you don’t ask the Empress Dowager for a good marriage while she’s alive, do you expect your unreliable parents to find you any husband after her passing?"

The young woman’s words were crafted with a vision for the future.

Li Zhu listened, feeling enlightennt akin to divine music filling her ears: "You’re absolutely right, if I can marry Pei Qing and be the Young Madam of the Minister’s Mansion, isn’t that better than marrying just anyone!? Besides, Pei Qing seems clueless in such matters, likely easy to manage!"

While she changed her dance skirt, Shen Yinning stepped out of the side hall but in the outer corridor ran into a broad-shouldered, narrow-waist silhouette.

Jade hairpin and dark attire, Lu Ying’s face was cold: "Using my favored minister as a favor to give away, you sure play a cunning ga."