章 4: A Married Woman
"Ha! So your coachman actually knows the direction to the palace? This princess had thought the horses of Lu manor's carriage don't walk the way leading to the palace," glared Princess Li Ling at Bai Yu Yan who had taken a seat across from her.
They were currently in the room of Princess Li Ling inside her own courtyard in the palace. Li Ling had been waiting for Bai Yu Yan's arrival since the morning. She had sent a maid to wait for her at the inner gate so that the girl would not lose her way, causing her to become late.
Bai Yu Yan remembered how the princess who was craning her neck outside the courtyard had hurriedly run inside as soon as she saw her coming. Now she was trying to act nonchalant while pretending that she was not waiting for Bai Yu Yan's arrival.
"Princess, it seems I have unnecessarily made this visit. From the look of how energetic you are, it seems like you have completely recovered," remarked Bai Yu Yan looking at the girl in front of her. She looked mighty fine if not for a veil covering the face under her eyes.
Hearing that, Li Ling's eyes instantly became round like a saucer. "Who said I have already recovered? Look here, does this look like I have healed?" snapped Li Ling while yanking down the veil with force as if to prove her words.
With the veil uncovered, a swollen red nose immediately came in view. The red nose was twice the original size and looked like a round ball in her small framed face.
Dumbfounded by the unexpected sight, Bai Yu Yan tried to stone her face to prevent the laughter trying to burst from her stiff lips. She grabbed the teacup in front of her and drank a mouthful of the liquid inside and acted as if she was just clearing her throat.
Unfortunately, Xiao Fan at the back couldn't control the snort while trying to control her laughter.
This made Li Ling even more furious. However, Bai Yu Yan didn't blame her maid. After all, a red nose in the centre of Li Ling's angry face looked extremely hilarious. And her milky white skin on her face that starkly contrasted the colour of her nose made it look like a clown.
"Look, even your maid is laughing at me. I was almost disfigured and you didn't even have the conscience to visit me? Or did Prime Minister Lu tie you to the bed so you couldn't come?" Li Ling pointed her finger at Bai Yu Yan while scolding her excitedly. Her furious little face was scrunched up in anger.
Bai Yu Yan had no idea that the little girl's nose was nearly broken by the impact of the fall. Else, she would have definitely come to visit her no matter how much she didn't want to come to the palace. In order to calm down the girl, Bai Yu Yan personally poured tea in a new cup and put it in front of Li Ling.
"Princess, I had thought of visiting you many times but since His Excellency was departing to Jin, there were some preparations to be done. So I got busy with it. Otherwise, I would have surely come to see you even if I had to push other important matters," said Bai Yu Yan in an effort to pacify Li Ling. A small part of her felt guilty for lying but she promised herself to compensate the girl some other time in the future.
"I knew it. Prime Minister Lu didn't let you leave his sight. No wonder you only visited me after he left. Ai, this couple…" sighed Li Ling with a shake of her head, "We all are adults here. So no need to be embarrassed," her small hand waved at Bai Yu Yan as if she understood her problem.
Hearing her, Bai Yu Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She pinched the area between her brows and said, "Princess, it's nothing like that. I was just busy with the preparations."
Lu Tong Xiao and I are still innocent, ah, thought Bai Yu Yan to herself.
"Alright..alright, there is no need to be shy. I understand," assured Li Ling.
Helpless, Bai Yu Yan decided to act dumb. She understood that people of this time learn many things at a very young age since they mature sooner than the people of modern times. But hearing the girl who looked like a middle schooler tells her that she understood the matters of husband and wife, Bai Yu Yan thought it was quite funny. Changing the topic of their conversation, she asked, "Princess, what did Consort Shu say about the injury?"
"Mother is constantly asking me where I got this injury. She has interrogated all of my maids to know the truth about the matter."
���And?" asked Bai Yu Yan curiously. She wanted to know how Consort Shu reacted knowing what really happened. A royal princess acting out of propriety would not be easily excusable.
Li Ling looked at Bai Yu Yan and proudly said, "Do you think this princess is a child to complain to her parents when she falls? Don't worry, I didn't tell Mother that I got this when I was out playing with you. I made up a story that I fell in the restaurant's bathroom."
Bai Yu Yan raised her brow in question. Why did it sound like the princess was doing her a favour? If she remembered correctly, Li Ling got that injury from snooping around a stranger's door. If the emperor and Consort Shu are to know about it, the girl would probably be grounded for a good amount of time.
As if she was about to ask something important, Li Ling straightened her posture and leaned towards Bai Yu Yan. "Tell me, how did you know His Highness, Prince Li Wei? Did you know him from before?"
Bai Yu Yan shook her head in denial, "I ran into him at the spring banquet. That was the first time I saw him."
From a distance, Li Ling narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "Then why were you listening to his conversation that day in the restaurant?...Don't tell me you like him."
Standing at the back, Xiao Fan's eyes briefly widened. She looked around to see if anyone else heard it. How could the princess ask such a question to her Miss, ah?
Bai Yu Yan was stunned for a moment before she laughed at her question, "Princess, there is no such thing. Don't forget, I am already married." There was no way she could tell her the real reason.
Believing her words, Li Ling silently sighed in relief and nodded her head, "It's good you know that you cannot like him. Let me tell you, if a married woman likes a man other than her husband, she will be shunned by the entire society. Anyway, with a husband like His Excellency, it would be a miracle if a woman looked at any other man. I am sure you are not blind."
What Li Ling said was not entirely false. If a survey was to be taken in the kingdom for the most desirable man, Lu Tong Xiao would win it with a large margin.
"Princess, I can promise you that I have no such feelings towards him. But I can't say the same for the others. It seems there is someone else who likes him," said Bai Yu Yan. Her chin propped on her palm as she carefully studied Li Ling's expression.
"Who?!" exclaimed Li Ling. She intently looked at Bai Yu Yan, waiting for her to answer.
Bai Yu Yan smiled at her flustered reaction. Leaning on the back of the sofa, she took her sweet time to drink the tea, unlike Li Ling who seemed like an ant on a hot pan.
Seeing the girl's impatient expression, Bai Yu Yan shook her head in amusement and said, "You!"
"What? Nonsense!" Li Ling's eyes briefly widened in shock before she waved her hand at Bai Yu Yan with a laugh as if the other was just joking. But unlike her casual expression, there was deep blush spreading through her cheeks. "I heard he is returning to Fan in a few days."
Returning to Fan? With her eyes lowered, Bai Yu Yan's finger ran through the smooth surface of the cup as she fell into deep thought. In the past few days, she was caught up in her own problems and completely forgot about Fan Li Wei. The man was carrying the poison in his body ever since he was a child. If this goes on any longer, he would not be able to live many years just like in the story.
Although she would not be able to do much for him regarding his fate, she still wanted to let him know about the antidote that can save his life. As long as he is alive, there would be hope for him.
That was the least she could do for having known his life full of injustice, she thought to herself.
"How did Princess know that His Highness would be returning? Has the Princess placed a spy in His Highness's place?" inquired Bai Yu Yan. There was a very apparent teasing smile on her face.
Seeing the Bai Yu Yan expression, Li Ling hurriedly explained, "What are you saying? The palace's guest wing is right across the garden outside. I just heard the servants talking about it. You think this Princess would spy on a man?"
Perfect!
Placing the cup down on the table, Bai Yu Yan glanced at Li Ling and asked, "Princess, have you been staying inside your room all day? Don't you go around for fresh air once in a while?"
"You think I should go outside with this face?" deadpanned Li Ling.
"No one can see your face if you wear the veil. Even I was unable to notice anything from this close," assured Bai Yu Yan. "This is the first time I've been in the palace other than the time at the banquet. Doesn't Princess want to show me around the place you live?"
Li Ling actually wanted to show Bai Yu Yan around the palace for no reason other than to have her witness the beauty of the place so that she would visit her often. Moreover, she was getting bored from sitting in the room for so long. So she readily agreed with the idea of walking around and led Bai Yu Yan outside.
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