Bab 5: I don't want to marry yet
Jia Li brought the scroll to her chamber and carefully placed it inside the cupboard. She knew she had to act swiftly and prevent her father from falling victim to a treacherous plan of their enemies. The poison would be administered at the time of the grand feast. But the question was who was behind it? And how would she stop that?
Seated on the mattress of her bed, Jia Li tried to connect the dots. She wondered if there was someone who could help her to identify the person who would put poison into the Emperor's food.
After brainstorming for a while, the face of a mysterious bodyguard appointed for her mother, the Empress, emerged in her mind. However, she had never seen him before despite his reputed service to the Empress of the Tang Empire. He might be working in the shadows, not wanting anyone to know about him.
"Will Mother tell me about him if I ask her?" Jia Li murmured as a glint of hope reflected in her eyes. Except for this enigmatic and mysterious bodyguard, no one could help her to stop the mishap from happening.
Jia Li rose to her feet and slid open the doors of the bedchamber. Court Lady Xuan gazed at her and told her breakfast would soon arrive.
"I want to see my mother," Jia Li declared. "I will have breakfast later," she proclaimed.
"But Her Majesty may scold the Crown Princess for not taking a rest," Court Lady Xuan cautioned and advised Jia Li she should take some rest.
"It's not time to rest," Jia Li murmured resolutely. "It's an important matter. Also, I assure you, my feet do not ache," she affirmed.
Court Lady Xuan acknowledged the firmness of the Crown Princess's order and followed her to the Empress's manor along with the other maidservants.
Jia Li soon arrived at her mother's manor, where the servants greeted her, who were graced by her presence. Through one of the servants, Jia Li learned that the Empress was currently in the courtyard, so she headed in that direction.
Empress Mingxia received the news of the Crown Princess's unexpected visit, which left her puzzled. Earlier, she had asked her daughter not to roam around and rest until the evening in her chamber.
"Greetings to Mother," Jia Li's voice fell into Mingxia's ears and she turned around to face her daughter. Jia Li resided her head and met her mother's eyes.
"The Crown Princess should have rested in her chamber. Why is she here?" Mingxia inquired with concern and walked up to Jia Li. She shot an angry glance at Court Lady Xuan. Before she could get angry at her, Jia Li asked her mother if she could converse with her in private.
"What is the matter?" Mingxia asked, confusedly glancing at Jia Li. When Jia Li didn't reply, Mingxia dismissed everyone from the courtyard.
After Jia Li got certain that no one was around, she broached the question, "Does Mother possess a bodyguard?"
Mingxia was astonished by this sudden question. Her eyelids fluttered and she gazed at Jia Li in bewilderment.
"Mother, I want to meet him. It is necessary. Please allow me to see him," Jia Li requested her mother.
She recalled the two bodyguards appointed in her service could not be trusted. Someone had clearly bribed them as they were the ones, who forcefully dragged her into the chamber and locked her inside.
The Empress fell silent for a minute before she opened her mouth to speak, "How did the Crown Princess find out about the bodyguard, who is in my service? Why did the Crown Princess suddenly demand to see him? Is something going on?"
"It is tough to explain, Mother," Jia Li replied. "Mother, do you think we are safe?" Her question made Mingxia conclude that something terrible was going on around them.
Mingxia did not ask more questions from Jia Li and assured her she would send the bodyguard to her manor soon. Jia Li thanked her mother. She could not stop herself from hugging her mother. Jia Li experienced the pain of her parents' loss. She did not want it to happen this way and would do her best to protect them.
Mingxia caressed her daughter's hair. "Jia Li has been acting strange since the early morning. She never acted this way," Mingxia said.
Jia Li remained quiet. She did not have the words to explain to her mother what she experienced and how scary it was! "I love you both. More than my life. You both are my everything. People around us are not as good as they all pretend, Mother," Jia Li finally said and closed her eyes to feel the warmth of her mother's embrace.
Mingxia was perplexed to hear her daughter's words. She realized Jia Li found out someone was scheming against them. She was ready to give entire assistance to Jia Li in this.
The mother-daughter duo withdrew from the hug after a while. Mingxia placed a soft kiss in the middle of her daughter's forehead.
"You don't listen to us. You should have been resting," Mingxia said.
Jia Li smiled at her mother and apologized to her. She took her leave and told her mother she would be waiting for the bodyguard. Mingxia hummed in response and watched her daughter leave.
"I wonder what she has found," Mingxia mumbled.
Jia Li crossed the corridor to reach her pavilion when she halted to see Grand Empress Dowager coming from the front. Behind her Court Lady Xuan and the other maidservants also stopped.
Jia Li humbly greeted her grandmother and her first uncle. She raised her head and looked at both of them.
"Did the Crown Princess think of the marriage proposal? It has already been the third day," Grand Empress Dowager asked.
Jia Li forgot about it. Her silence gave the answer to Grand Empress Dowager. "The Crown Princess is already twenty-two. Is she going to marry after she turns thirty?" Her cold voice clearly showed her displeasure.
"Forgive me, Grandmother," Jia Li apologized. "I have decided. I don't want to marry yet," she pronounced with a smile, infuriating the Grand Empress Dowager.
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