Chapter 14
In any case, this was all her business and had nothing to do with him.
Even if the poison wasn’t administered by her this time, but by Princess Qinghe, the role she played in the matter was likely not a good one.
It was better to keep her distance.
Li Xuanyue had no idea how poor an impression she had made on this Jun Shijun.
As soon as they left Junhe Hall, Yinxin quickly stepped forward and recounted everything she had learned the night before.
It turned out that when the clan elders and influential figures learned she had dismissed many of her shijun and xiaoshi, they all prepared to defy public opinion and rush to Li Feng to advise and object. However, the issue of heirs was a major affair for the royal family. If it were to be made public, it would truly be a great humiliation for the royal family. Therefore, Li Feng opted for a solution that served both purposes. She simply shut herself away, pretending to be deaf no matter who spoke themselves hoarse outside the Deliberation Hall.
“Mother Emperor’s method… is really quite something,” Li Xuanyue teased with a playful expression.
That group of clan elders wasn’t easy to deal with. It certainly took some devious methods beyond the imagination of a normal person to handle them.
“Yinxin, you should also let everyone know that I’ve been feeling unwell lately and need to rest behind closed doors. It’s not appropriate for me to see anyone.”
To prevent those old geezers from eventually giving up on waiting for Li Feng and coming to her instead, Li Xuanyue adopted the same shameless tactic as Li Feng.
“Princess, what should be done about the remaining shijun?”
For this dismissal of the shijun, Li Xuanyue had given them three days to consider. In just one night, five shijun and three xiaoshi had already left. They had left without a moment’s hesitation or a single regret. As for the remaining seven, Yinxin truly didn’t know how to proceed. Five of them had only recently arrived at Li Xuanyue’s palace, while the other two had been taken by Li Xuanyue from outside a while back. Having no family or connections, they had decided to stay in the palace.
Li Xuanyue thought for a moment. “Let’s leave things as they are for now.”
Since they were unwilling to leave, she really didn’t have any better options.
“Just let them reside in their former quarters, and everything will proceed as usual. Don’t worry about the rest for now.”
Li Xuanyue’s palace soon felt much emptier due to the departure of the shijun and xiaoshi. Some of the maids who had previously served the shijun and xiaoshi were left behind, now only able to work as cleaners or as gardeners who trimmed the flowers.
“Princess, everyone in Fenghe Hall is now saying that the First Princess is unwell and unable to receive visitors,” Ruyue said excitedly. “It looks like we’ll be closing the net soon.”
“It’s no wonder the Soul-Devouring Potion is a forbidden drug of the hundred clans. Just one dose, and the First Princess’s body couldn’t handle it. If she were to take it two or three more times, wouldn’t the First Princess’s health be completely ruined? At that point, they wouldn’t even need to step forward to compete; the clan elders would surely recommend Li Qinghe to become the Phoenix Clan’s Crown Princess on their own.”
Li Qinghe, however, did not seem as excited as Ruyue. She was very calm. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“Even if Li Xuanyue has fallen for her trap, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. My rationale tells me that I need to see things for myself before acting. Mother Emperor has shut herself away, and now Li Xuanyue is immediately claiming to be unwell and also refusing visitors. Don’t you think this is all a little too coincidental? No matter how potent the Soul-Devouring Potion is, it’s impossible for it to cause such a reaction on the very first day. As far as I’m concerned, my dear older sister isn’t unwell at all. She was simply worried that the old geezers of the clan would come looking for her after failing to see Li Feng. That’s why she chose to avoid them by shutting herself away, just like Mother Emperor.”
Ruyue was taken aback. She really hadn’t considered so many possibilities.
“Forget it, there’s no point in explaining it all to you.” Li Qinghe waved her hand dismissively. “You should just focus on what we’ll do once we’re out of here.”
The three months of closed-door reflection passed in the blink of an eye. On the day Li Qinghe finally stepped out of Chaoren Hall, the sky was filled with a sense of warmth. Golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, and as it fell upon her, she felt a sense of warmth. It was the first ray of sunlight since mid-spring, and the first clear day since. The feeling filled her with an inexplicable sense of joy.
“Princess, Shijun Lin is here.”
A figure in a simple blue-green robe slowly approached from a distance, and Ruyue quickly whispered a warning to Li Qinghe. Throughout the three months of confinement, Lin Yue had made regular visits to Chaoren Hall to see Li Qinghe. But each time, Li Qinghe had refused to see him, citing her ongoing confinement. Today was the first day her punishment ended, so Lin Yue had woken up early and rushed over, not even stopping for his morning meal.
“This subject greets the Princess.”
The moment Lin Yue saw Li Qinghe, a smile filled his eyes that he couldn’t hide. Unfortunately, Li Qinghe’s expression towards him was extremely cold. She looked at him as if he were a complete stranger.
“Is there something you need, Shijun Lin?”
The brief question was filled with a sense of distance and indifference, and it made Lin Yue’s heart go cold for no reason.
To her now, Lin Yue was nothing more than a useless pawn. Allowing him to remain by her side was already a great favor, so naturally, her tone and attitude had changed accordingly. Lin Yue’s rigid smile stiffened even further, a flash of panic he had never felt before crossing his face.
“This subject heard that today was the day the Princess’s confinement ended, so I have come specifically to offer my congratulations. I wish the Princess success in all her endeavors and good health.” He spoke with a respectful and polite manner, befitting a subject’s duty to Li Qinghe.
Although he couldn’t understand why Li Qinghe was so cold and distant towards him, he figured her cold attitude was inevitable after her three months of punishment. Her unhappiness over the matter made her cold attitude towards him unavoidable. This line of thought caused the prior humiliation and chill in his heart to completely vanish.
“Shijun Lin, the Princess has me here to serve her.” Ruyue noticed Li Qinghe’s impatience and stepped forward, speaking for her. “You are still Princess Xuanyue’s person. While Princess Xuanyue angrily sent you here to attend to the Princess, there’s no telling if one day she might recall the matter and regret her decision. Shijun Lin, you should consider your position and have some self-respect.”
“Ruyue.”
Li Qinghe saw that Ruyue had perfectly vocalized her thoughts but still feigned a scolding expression. Ruyue pursed her lips and reluctantly fell silent.
“Ruyue has always been a little too blunt, Shijun Lin, please don’t take it to heart.” Once Ruyue fell silent, Li Qinghe finally turned her attention to Lin Yue and spoke slowly.
“However, Ruyue did have a point. Shijun Lin, it was my mistake before. I failed to understand my own position and, by acting like a sister and taking your side, I caused my older sister to misunderstand the nature of our relationship.”
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