Chapter 91
Chapter 91 To Lure the Princess
Of course, Huangfu Xuan didn’t know that it was the feeling of falling love with someone.
Once falling love with a girl, he would be willing to see her but he also was afraid to see her, and his mind was filled with complicated contradictions which couldn’t even be explained by deities.
In the mortal world, love was could ruin the world and overturn countries. But some loves were unworthy of being mentioned, as humble as mud.
At the same time, Princess Huiya was also very distressed. She wanted to go out of the palace but was stopped by her mother, and also because Yun Shimo was indifferent to her.
Right now, a palace maid came to report that the Queen had invited all the princesses to the back hill and enjoy the beautiful sight of the moon.
It was July 18th this day. Although the moon wasn’t as round as that on the 15th or the 16th, the bright moon was still shining in the sky, as silvery as waves in the sea.
"The osmanthus fragrans planted at the back hill should have bloomed, since they bloomed this time last year. Somehow, they bloom earlier and earlier; does it mean that our Changjing Kingdom will soon be surrounded by flowers?" Princess Huiya laughed and said to the palace maid Zhu’er.
Zhu’er knitted a lily-shaped braid for Princess Huiya, and dressed her up with headwear such as gold Buyao (a kind of ornament in ancient China), which was neither vulgar nor make her a presumptuous guest.
"Yes, the Queen invites the princesses, infantas and other imperial concubines to enjoy the beautiful sight of the moon every month. Her Highness is really easy-going and decent. What’s more, she never puts on airs." Zhu’er smiled, and Princess Huiya nodded to express her agreement.
The poor and innocent Princess Huiya was completely unaware that a black evil claw was stretching toward her secretly…
At the end of the Youshi period (late afternoon), Princess Huiya and Zhu’er had already arrived at the front of the Lotus Pavilion which was located at the back hill of the palace.
At the foot of the back hill, there was a Lotus Pond beside which a pavilion stood, named Lotus Pavilion. Usually, imperial concubines were also allowed to be there and enjoy the beautiful sight of the moon, as well as other natural sights.
The palace was extremely large, wrapping the whole back hill within it, and every fortress was under watch by secret guards. It would be definitely impossible for anyone attempting to infiltrate the palace through the back hill.
Because once an unfamiliar breath entered the palace, Qi Artists would be alerted.
Queen Liu had already sat with Princess Huiling and others in the pavilion, and they had desserts while enjoying the moon. The moonlight, as bright as jades, tenderly dispersed into the pavilion under which the beauties’ faces looked like smooth jade beads, with smooth skin.
"Oh, sister Huiya is here!" A little infanta, who was born of a junior imperial concubine, smiled and said. Queen Liu raised her beautiful eyes which always shined with soft and kind light.
"Huiya, I’ve heard that your mother was sick, does she feel better now?"
Princess Huiya smiled gratefully when she heard that the Queen asked with concern, bowing and standing to the side. She said, "Thanks for Your Highness’ care. My mother has almost recovered, and soon she will be able to enjoy the moon with Your Highness."
"That would be great! Huiya, have a seat. Please be casual with me," Queen Liu smiled and said tenderly. She pointed at an empty seat nearby, which was quite close to the Queen. Princess Huiya felt flattered and took the seat after an immediate word of thanks.
"Sister Huiya, I’ve heard that you get along very well with Hua Qiyue, is it true?" Princess Mingzhu smiled coldly and asked. She disliked Hua Qiyue very much and it was the last person she wanted to see.
Princess Huiya paused and she observed the cold light in Princess Mingzhu’s eyes, replying, "Sister Mingzhu, you’ve misunderstood me. Princess Jinghua and I just met a few times; we’re just acquaintances. But Princess Jinghua is a talented and beautiful woman, I’m sure that many people like her."
Hearing this, Princess Mingzhu’s face became severe, while Queen Liu slightly smiled and said, "Princess Huiya is right. Princess Jinghua is a rare talent, is also a gifted Qi Artist, who would dislike her?"
After the matter of Huizhen, Princess Huiling had grown up a lot and she was keeping silence now, attentively looking at Princess Mingzhu and Princess Huiya with cold eyes.
Princess Huiling had long wanted to make trouble for Hua Qiyue, but she was warned by Queen Liu several times. Previously, she had been
"That’s true, haha!" Princess Mingzhu faked a smile immediately, when she noticed that Queen Liu also stood for Hua Qiyue.
"Everyone, please be casual. Come on, have a taste of this wine fermented with lotus which is very suitable for women. It’s not very strong, but mild and nutritious!" Queen Liu smiled and said. Her two maids served the surrounding imperial concubines and princesses with this kind of wine.
The wine fermented with lotus tasted sweet and smelled fragrant. Princesses who had never drunk wine all nodded and praised the wine. Princess Huiya was a little hesitant when she had a look at the cup of wine in front of her, because she had never drunk a drop of wine.
However, when she saw that Queen Liu enthusiastically invited the guests to drink her wine, the innocent Princess Huiya was embarrassed to refuse her kindness; so, she lifted her cup and took a small sip of the wine.
The wine was sweet and spicy, but acceptable. After that taste, Princess Huiya felt very good and she took another sip.
The surroundings were filled with mirth and laughter. The nearby osmanthus fragrans had already bloomed and a breeze brought their scent to them. The fragrance of the wine fermented with lotus and the osmanthus fragrans mixed with each other, making people feel pleasant and extremely happy.
Princess Huiya finished that small cup of wine and chatted with Princess Mingzhu who sat near her. Suddenly, she felt faint and when she opened eyes again, she saw that under the osmanthus fragrans tree at a short distance, her mother, Consort Mei was limping toward the hill!
Princess Huiya was greatly surprised. Her mother wasn’t feeling well and rested in the bed of her palace. How did she suddenly appear under the osmanthus fragrans tree?
More so, her mother rushed to the hill in such a great panic, what did she see?
"Mother!" Princess Huiya stood up recklessly and rushed out.
"Princess Huiya, come back, it’s dangerous!" Queen Liu’s maidservant Xiaohuan screamed and all the people were shocked with their mouths opened, watching Princess Huiya rushing to the hill all alone.
"Go and catch up with Princess Huiya!" Queen Liu became serious and had to give the order in a cold voice. The two maidservants who stood aside hurriedly ran after Princess Huiya.
"What happened to sister Huiya?"
"Yeah, she was fine just now!"
"Your Highness, we’re also worried about Huiya. How about we all go to see what happened?" An infanta suggested, and Queen Liu nodded, saying, "Right. Since Princess Huiya suddenly behaved in such a strange manner, I’m also worried about her, let’s follow her!"
Actually, the Queen could have asked the secret guards to find Princess Huiya because of her dignified identity, but no one felt it improper when she said this. Because these people had already gotten used to the Queen’s amiable and magnanimous attitude.
So, they hurriedly rushed to the direction where Princess Huiya disappeared. And Queen Liu also asked her own secret guards to find her…
——————
Princess Huiya ran along the stone pathway going up to the hill. The lanterns were hung on the fragrans trees every ten steps along this pathway. Moreover, the moonlight was so bright that could light the road ahead of her.
Princess Huiya saw her mother’s vague back ahead of her, sometimes looking like a real person, but sometimes like an illusory shadow.
Either way, because of the endearment between them, how could Princess Huiya give up following her mother just because it was nighttime? After all, her mother behaved so strangely!
"Mother… please stop, I’m Huiya, I’m your Huiya!" Princess Huiya chased and screamed, and she quickly started to sweat and feel out of breath.
Huiya was a noble princess and she was usually disinclined to do exercises. So, after running for a while, she was exhausted and leaned on a fragrans tree. Suddenly, under the moonlight, a black shadow skimmed over her silently and immediately showed up beside her.
Princess Huiya screamed. That man was veiled and his lifeless eyes frightened her very much! But she had no time to fight against him and call out because a special fragrance was released from that man’s body, which only made Princess Huiya feel faint and weak all over her body, then she softly laying in his arms…
That man held Princess Huiya and flew away without any sound or any breath…
When Princess Huiya woke up, she found herself in a cave. It was decorated with luminous pearls on both sides, and Princess Huiya wasn’t properly dressed, lying on a stone.
Princess Huiya only felt pain on her lower parts when she moved slightly, which greatly surprised her. All of a sudden, she found that someone was staring at her in silence beside the stone.
Princess Huiya looked at that man in shock. This was a skinny and bony man whose face was white and pale. Although he was well-featured, he still had a sense of gloom.
However, Princess Huiya saw that this man, who was also improperly dressed and flushed profusely. Princess Huiya’s voice was full of panic and sweetness, "Shui… I… I’m yours!"
The man who stood there was Shui Qianruo. He and the Queen schemed to lure Princess Huiya to the cave. And the wine fermented with lotus that Princess Huiya drunk just now had been poisoned with a kind of drug named Tears of Silly and Illusion by the Queen.
As long as one had the drug, people would begin to hallucinate and unbelievable things. Even after he or she had the drug, the first person that he or she made love with would become their beloved, completely forgetting previous gratitude and resentments.
The Queen, with great effort, begged the Liu’s to get the drug.
Although Shui Qianruo was a poisoner, he was just good at making poisons, not hallucinating drugs.
A Hallucinating Drug Maker, was another mysterious existence.
Compared to Spirit Summoners, Hallucinating Drug Makers had a lower position, but due to the lack of Spirit Summoners, there was no big difference between Hallucinating Drug Makers and Qi Artists.
‘It seemes that the drug was effective,’ Shui Qianruo thought. And then, he tenderly reached out and held Princess Huiya in his arms, "Your Highness, please don’t be worried. I, Shui Qianruo, will definitely take full resposibility. After a while, if others come, you just do whatever I tell you."
Princess Huiya nodded cleverly, then closing her eyes shyly and happily.
Shui Qianruo was very satisfied with Queen Liu’s ability. It seemed that Hua Qiyue had to be killed. As a poisoner, he was quite reluctant to kill a beautiful woman himself.
However, the woman in his arms was what he had pursued his whole life. He would definitely spare no efforts to kill, no matter who it was! As long as Princess Huiya would always stay with him, then everything would be all right.
When others came to the front of the cave, Shui Qianruo was holding Princess Huiya’s hands and came out of the cave. Princess Huiya cried and ran to Queen Liu as soon as she saw her, "My Queen Mother, I was dragged away by a mysterious man just now and almost lost my virginity… But luckily, Master Shui saved me…"
Seeing this, Queen Liu immediately held Princess Huiya and asked with concern, "Someone, check all the entrances at once. Huiya, don’t worry, I’ll give you an explanation!"
The others saw Princess Huiya’s messy hair and were inwardly curious about the reason why Princess Huiya suddenly left the pavilion, but no one dared to ask.
The next day, Queen Liu mentioned what happened last night to the Changlong Emperor and said that Princess Huiya was willing to marry Shui Qianruo. The Changlong Emperor immediately gave his consent and chose a lucky day for their wedding. When the news went public, Consort Mei was extremely shocked but it was too late.
The marriage of Princess Huiya and poisoner Shui Qianruo was settled. When Hua Qiyue heard this news, she slightly frowned.
—————