Chapter 6: Righteous Indignation
Li Qinghe lowered her eyes. “It is merely a suspicion of mine.” Lin Yue was, after all, one of Li Xuanyue’s men. Li Qinghe would never trust him completely, so she kept her words ambiguous. “After all… my sister has always been good to me. If this was truly her doing, I have no cause for complaint. I owe my current position to her. Three years ago, if she hadn’t suddenly suggested to the Mother Empress that my Royal Father and I be moved out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, we might have died there long ago. For such a great kindness, I would willingly give my life.”
Li Qinghe’s heartfelt words filled Lin Yue with indignation.
“How can you think that way, Second Princess?” he argued. “The only reason you and the Noble Lord were in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the first place was because of the Prince Consort’s schemes! The Great Princess was simply righting a wrong, giving you and the Noble Lord back your innocence and dignity. It was what you deserved. How can you be so self-deprecating?”
In Lin Yue’s eyes, the current Prince Consort was a venomous snake. Only someone as blind as the Phoenix Empress would see him as a virtuous, magnanimous, and understanding person.
“Rest assured, Second Princess, I will make the Great Princess plead with the Phoenix Empress on your behalf to have your confinement lifted,” Lin Yue declared, his voice filled with righteous anger.
This was exactly the reaction Li Qinghe had hoped for.
Li Xuanyue, you care about Lin Yue more than anyone. I wonder how you’ll feel when the person you care about most betrays you.
Once Lin Yue had left Chaoren Hall and was out of sight, Ruyue turned to Li Qinghe, her voice laced with doubt. “Second Princess, do you think Consort Lin will succeed?” It wasn’t that she doubted his abilities, but they both knew how serious the situation was. Unless the Great Princess was a fool, she would never go to the Phoenix Empress to plead for Li Qinghe based on a few words from Lin Yue.
Li Qinghe lowered her gaze and waved her hand dismissively. “Who cares?” She wasn’t concerned with the outcome. “Let him try. I’m curious to see what my dear sister will choose to do. We’ll see if my suspicions are correct… that she is already on her guard against me.”
Back in the Hall of Phoenix Harmony, Li Xuanyue had just returned with her five consorts after seeing off the envoys. No sooner had they arrived than her personal maid, Yin Xin, entered the hall.
“Great Princess, Consort Lin is here,” Yin Xin whispered in her ear.
Li Xuanyue was taken aback. She had been so busy that she hadn’t had time to deal with him, and now he had delivered himself to her doorstep.
She glanced at the five consorts by her side. “Please, be seated.”
The five men exchanged glances, wondering what she had in store for Consort Lin. But based on her actions the previous night and that morning, they already knew that the supposedly mad princess was not as reckless and uncalculating as the rumors suggested.
The five consorts obediently took their seats in the wooden chairs nearby.
A moment later, Lin Yue strode into the hall, his head held high. “Lin Yue greets the Great Princess,” he said, performing a deep bow.
In the past, Li Xuanyue would have rushed to help him up. This time, however, she did not move. A maid poured her a cup of hot tea, and she took it, blowing on it gently before taking a sip, acting as if she hadn’t even noticed his presence.
An unsettling feeling crept over Lin Yue, and he frowned in displeasure. Just as he was about to speak, Li Xuanyue cut him off. She placed her teacup down slowly on the table beside her and looked up at him.
“Consort Lin, you seem to be in a great hurry. Is there an urgent matter?” Her voice, neither warm nor cold, echoed through the hall, her dark eyes fixed on him. She had not forgotten that in her past life, this very consort had been her dear sister’s loyal accomplice. If he hadn’t been the one to run to the Hall of Xihe and tell her Royal Father that she had been imprisoned, her father would never have sacrificed his own life to save hers.
A chill ran down Lin Yue’s spine under her intense gaze. From the moment he had entered the hall and bowed to her, he was certain he had done nothing wrong. What was the meaning of this look?
“This servant heard that the Second Princess has been ordered by the Mother Empress to be confined to Chaoren Hall for three months.” The thought of Li Qinghe’s confinement pushed aside the strange feeling in his heart. “I wonder if the Great Princess would, for the sake of your sisterly bond, go to the Mother Empress and plead for her, to have the punishment lifted.”
Li Xuanyue’s elegant eyebrows rose slightly. “And in what capacity are you making this request of me?” What if I refuse? What will you do then?
Lin Yue’s face stiffened. He had never expected the usually cheerful and agreeable Li Xuanyue to ask such a sharp question in front of so many people. Had his long-standing resistance finally angered her? Was this her way of reminding him that he belonged to her, a way to get his attention?
Li Xuanyue paid no mind to his thoughts and continued, “Have you forgotten your place, Consort Lin? You are my consort.” Is every stray cat and dog worthy of your pity? Are you so sentimental?
Lin Yue stood rigid.
“My sister is perfectly fine in Chaoren Hall. If she wanted to get out, she would send her own maid to speak with me. What business is it of yours? Do you speak for her? Or do you perhaps think that she is your wife, and I am a stranger? Is that why you can’t help but crawl to her side?”
Li Xuanyue’s words were as harsh as they could be, showing no regard for his feelings. In her past life, she had treated him well, giving him her heart and soul. And what had she gotten in return? He had conspired with Li Qinghe and ended up in her bed. Reborn, she would not be fooled by his words again.
Lin Yue’s face went deathly pale, and he dropped to his knees. “Great Princess, forgive me! That is not what I meant…” He had been so worried about Li Qinghe’s situation that he had forgotten his own status and rushed to plead for her. If he had taken a moment to think, he would never have been so impulsive. He would have found another way to persuade Li Xuanyue to intervene.
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