Chapter 438: Never Learning Their Lesson
"Tianyuan, Youyou remembered to find Jade Flowers for me even while she was out." Xiao Huayong lowered his head, gently inhaling the cool fragrance of the Jade Flowers.
The pristine white flowers, like jade, complemented his face with closed eyes. His long lashes resembled a sheer curtain, his countenance as flawless as polished jade, creating a picturesque scene too beautiful to behold directly.
"The County Princess naturally holds Your Highness in her thoughts," Tianyuan said, choosing words that would please Xiao Huayong.
Sui Axi, standing nearby, kept his eyes fixed on his own nose, not daring to make a sound. These flowers had actually been delivered to him for treating the Crown Prince's illness. However, the Crown Prince happened to come looking for the County Princess and, upon learning that she had gone to town with Worldly Son Bu without even notifying him, his face turned as dark as thunder.
If someone hadn't delivered the Jade Flowers, who knew what the Crown Prince might have done? Sui Axi didn't dare remind him to use the flowers for medicine, so he could only shoot meaningful glances at Tianyuan.
Tianyuan abruptly averted his gaze, ignoring him completely.
Sui Axi was frantic—this was a task assigned by the County Princess! If he didn't speak up, how would he explain himself when she returned? But if he did speak, the Crown Prince would likely demand an explanation from him right then and there...
After weighing his options, he decided it was better to prolong his survival a little longer.
Thus, Sui Axi could only watch helplessly as the Crown Prince walked away holding two Jade Flowers, beaming with joy along the way, his eyes fixed on the flowers rather than the path. Passersby were utterly bewildered by the sight.
Though Jade Flowers were rare, how could they possibly captivate the esteemed Crown Prince to such an extent?
Upon inquiring, they learned that these were gifts from Zhaoning County Princess. Recalling how the Crown Prince had seemed ready to bury his eyes in the flowers, everyone felt their teeth ache with secondhand embarrassment.
The Crown Prince selected two specially commissioned Eucommia Leaf long-necked vases for the Jade Flowers, placing them on his desk. He lit the cool incense that Shen Xihe had specially blended for him—refreshing and invigorating in the summer heat—then gently touched the Five-Colored Thread on his wrist before finally opening his official documents to begin working.
This series of actions made even Tianyuan's lips twitch. He thought he had grown accustomed to such behavior, but it turned out he simply hadn't witnessed greater spectacles. He desperately wanted to remind His Highness that these flowers were meant for treating his illness, but after opening his mouth, he still lacked the courage.
His Highness had probably forgotten that Jade Flowers could alleviate the Unique Poison in his system, choosing instead to remember only that the County Princess had been thinking of him when she found these flowers.
While it was common to hear of men giving flowers to women, this was the first time anyone had heard of a woman giving flowers to a man. And to make matters worse, it was the Crown Prince who had brought this upon himself and accepted it happily. Tianyuan didn't know what expression to wear.
After nearly three hours of distracted thoughts, as evening approached and it was time for dinner, the Crown Prince finally finished handling the tall stack of affairs assigned by His Majesty.
"Your Highness, what would you like for the evening meal? The kitchen has sent today's menu—"
"No time to eat! Quickly fetch me a change of clothes. I'm going down to town to find Youyou..." Xiao Huayong interrupted Tianyuan's rambling, his long legs carrying him out of sight in just a few steps.
Tianyuan:...
He could only steel himself and hurriedly chase after him to the bedchamber, where he found Xiao Huayong already rummaging through his clothes. After looking for a while, it seemed nothing satisfied him—even though all these garments had been approved by the Crown Prince himself before the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau made them.
"Your Highness, yesterday the County Princess wore a moon-white ruqun when she went out," Tianyuan whispered.
This immediately helped Xiao Huayong make a choice. He quickly picked out several moon-white outfits: "Did you notice the floral pattern?"
Floral pattern...
Tianyuan lowered his head and said, "Jade Flowers."As luck would have it, Shen Xihe had indeed worn a moon-white ruqun embroidered with Jade Flower patterns yesterday. However, Tianyuan had never seen the princess wear the same outfit two days in a row, so today’s attire was certainly different. He didn’t dare say this aloud, though, for if the Crown Prince continued deliberating, they might well be at it until nightfall.
Xiao Huayong had no garments with Jade Flower motifs, so he settled on a plain moon-white round-collar robe. He then instructed Tianyuan, "Have the Imperial Garments Bureau make me a moon-white robe with Jade Flower patterns."
Tianyuan: "..."
Very well, he understood. From now on, he would need to memorize what the princess wore each time he saw her, so he could prepare accordingly for His Highness.
Once fully dressed, Xiao Huayong informed the Youning Emperor and openly descended the mountain with Tianyuan.
By then, the sun was setting, and Gu Qingshu was preparing to depart. Their carriage had left the town and entered the broad official road. They had to reach the palace gates by 8 p.m. sharp to gain entry that night.
Shen Xihe followed as well. Her carriage moved at a leisurely pace, taking an hour until dusk fell and the official road grew deserted. The closer they got to the palace, the quieter and more isolated it became.
It was then that Shen Xihe’s carriage sped up. Soon, though separated by some distance, the two parties could see each other. At that moment, one of the wheels on Gu Qingshu’s carriage suddenly split, causing the vehicle to jolt violently. Simultaneously, a blunt-headed arrow shot from the roadside struck the horse heavily. Though it didn’t pierce the skin, the pain made the horse whinny and bolt.
The guards reacted with trained efficiency: some spurred their horses to chase the carriage, while others charged into the undergrowth.
Shen Xihe’s carriage accelerated in pursuit. Zhenzhu and Biyu, without masking their faces, directly confronted Gu Qingshu’s guards. Moyu urged her horse forward, racing to catch up with the carriage. When someone tried to intercept her, Bu Shulin leaped into action, grappling with the assailant.
The panicked horse galloped wildly, colliding with rocks along the roadside. Missing a wheel, the carriage lost balance and tipped toward the cliff. Fortunately, Moyu arrived just in time, hurling an iron hook that cleared the carriage and caught the side tilting over the abyss. Her cloth-wrapped hands gripped tightly, hauling the carriage back.
Dragged a considerable distance by the carriage’s weight, she managed to halt the half-overturned vehicle. The driver of Shen Xihe’s carriage stopped and rushed to assist Moyu.
Together, they stabilized the carriage but couldn’t pull it fully back onto the road.
With Ziyu’s support, Shen Xihe stepped down from her carriage, ignoring the ongoing skirmish, and walked unhurriedly to the roadside.
Half the carriage hung precariously over the edge, above a deep, dense forest. Only Gu Qingshu and Yu Sangning remained inside, each accompanied by a single maid who had jumped out during the chaos, sustaining injuries of varying severity.
Clutching the carriage sides, both women were pale with fear. When the curtain was drawn back, revealing Shen Xihe’s face illuminated by a lantern, Gu Qingshu urgently pleaded, "Princess, save us!""
Yu Sangning, equally tense, finally showed her pallor. Even in this crisis, her first instinct was to scrutinize Shen Xihe.
"Reach out your hand," Shen Xihe said calmly.
Gu Qingshu cautiously extended a hand. Ziyu grasped her wrist and pulled her out briskly, without any particular gentleness, though she ensured Gu Qingshu didn’t fall. Staggering a few steps, Gu Qingshu steadied herself, heart still pounding with residual fear.Only Yu Sangning remained in the carriage. When she met Shen Xihe's calm gaze fixed upon her, her heart sank uncontrollably.
Sure enough, carried by the night breeze came Shen Xihe's voice—gentle and measured, yet chillingly cold: "Second Miss Yu, it seems the warning I gave you during Consort Ding's birthday banquet was too mild, for you have failed to remember it."
Two to three more chapters will be updated later.
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel