Chapter 173 - Concubine Des Past
Lin Mengya was grounded, but sooner or later, she would be set free.
Imperial guards outside her room had been drawn back. The Empress and the Crown Prince seemed to have done nothing to her.
Or maybe they were secretly planning something else.
In Prince Yu’s Mansion, Lin Mengya was allowed to go anywhere.
Even the study room, which no one other than Long Tianhao, was allowed to go into, was not a forbidden zone for Lin Mengya.
“Where is the Prince?”
Long Tianhao was absent. Lin Mengya felt that a little unexpected.
Long Tianhao would often address affairs in his study room every afternoon.
“Your Highness, the seventh prince asked the Prince out. He said they had something to deal with.”
Steward Deng, who was following behind Lin Mengya, responded that.
“Okay, I see.”
Long Qinghan had not gone there in recent days. He must have been affected by that event.
Lin Mengya stopped thinking further. She carefully examined every part of the study room.
“Did the Prince say that, there was something missing in recent days?”
Lin Mengya asked. Steward Deng thought seriously, and then, he shook his head, replying,
“The Prince’s things are all fixed. Besides, no one was allowed to move any item without the Prince’s consent.”
Hearing Steward Deng’s answer, Lin Mengya nodded.
The desk and books here were all consistent with Long Tianhao’s style.
In addition, Long Tianhao was very attentive, it impossible to find anything amiss.
Lin Mengya scanned over the study room; even the rat hole in the corner wasn’t left out.
Nothing was found.
If it were Lin Mengya, where would she hide the thing?
Lin Mengya lifted her head, and looked at the beams.
‘As a civil official, Wang Hanlin wouldn’t know martial arts, would he?’
Long Tianhao must have had the same opinion. Therefore, he wouldn’t have checked that position.
“Baisu, fly up and have a check whether there is something wrong around the corner of the roof.”
Baisu nodded. Then, she flew up to the beam, as if her body was as light as a feather.
All the people in the study room lifted their heads, and looked at Baisu flying about like a monkey.
“Baisu has a good flying skill.”
Outsiders often felt curious about those weird people of Lin Mengya, who they didn’t know well.
Hearing Steward Deng’s praise, Lin Mengya was proud.
“Not that good. There are still two people who have better skills than her.”
Qinghu was indeed the top one in the Liuxin Courtyard.
Although Night didn’t show up, Lin Mengya still knew that he must have been hiding somewhere.
Night would appear to protect her, once Lin Mengya’s life was threatened.
Under their strict training, Xiaoyu had made great progress.
Sooner or later, her yard would become an impregnable fortress.
“Master, I found something!”
Baisu took a small box from the beam.
“Master, I found this.”
Lin Mengya took the box over, opened it and saw a small wax pill.
“Let’s go back first. Remember, don’t tell anyone else about this box.”
“Yes.”
The quietness was broken soon.
The banquet at the Mid-Autumn Festival came as scheduled.
As the real Princess Yu, Lin Mengya had to go to the Palace with Concubine De for the royal banquet on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
After lunch time, Concubine De sent Jinyue to check whether Lin Mengya had prepared well.
“Aunt, it’s been a long time since you came to see me.”
Baiji gave a very warm welcome to her instantly, when Jinyue arrived at the Liuxin Courtyard.
But, that day, Jinyue looked a bit haggard, with a reluctant smile.
“No. Many things needed to be dealt with back there. Oh, has the Princess prepared herself well?”
Baiji nodded, but a silver of bewilderment appeared on her face.
“Aunt, it’s the right time. We all come from the countryside. We don’t know what taboos to be careful of in the royal banquet. We feel confused.”
Baiji was right. As the wife of Prince Yu, Lin Mengya would be attending the royal family banquet for the first time.
There were too many things to be careful of, even it was a family banquet.
Besides, after that thing the other day, many people were attempting to get Princess Yu in trouble.
Lin Mengya’s maids were all exhausted.
‘It was just a banquet. Why must it be so complicated?’
“The Qingluan headwear is not suitable. Baizhi’s hair clasp with peony looks good.”
A familiar voice came from outside.
Lin Mengya saw Jinyue’s familiar smile in the bronze mirror.
“Aunt, you’re finally here. I would die from their torture if you had come later.”
Long Tianhao and Lin Mengya both had a relationship beyond master-servant with Jinyue.
“Leave it to me. It is my fault, as you say. “They all have no idea about the royal manners. I will tell you later.”
Jinyue expertly pulled Lin Mengya’s hair up, and then, carefully drew her eyebrow in front of a mirror.
Lin Mengya sensed that, Jinyue was different from before for no reason.
‘Was it because Concubine De would encounter something terrible tonight?’
“I want to chat with Jinyue for a while. You can go to prepare now.”
Her four maids all left. Only Jinyue and Lin Mengya were left in her room.
“Aunt, something terrible seems to be concerning you. Why not tell me? Maybe I can do you a favor.”
Jinyue slightly paused for a second as she was drawing the eyebrow. Then, she put the eyebrow pencil down on the dressing table.
Jinyue awkwardly watched Lin Mengya. ‘The Princess is so clever, nothing can be kept from her.’
“It’s better for Your Highness not to know something. If you know it, you will only be concerned about it.”
Lin Mengya just smiled. The beautiful lady in the mirror, with rosy lips and pretty white teeth, grinned.
“If you don’t want to tell me, you are not to show a worried expression. Aunt, you are sophisticated enough. You would never show your worries like my maids if you didn’t want to.”
Although Lin Mengya had treated Jinyue as her own people,
Jinyue still had to think twice before she told her that thing.
A flicker of excitement flashed in Jinyue’s eyes while the sorrow on her face disappeared.
She inserted her last hair comb into Lin Mengya’s hair.
historical
The pretty lady, with pearls and jades on her head, looked marvelously beautiful.
“Your Highness, you were born in the Lin family. Have you ever heard about Prince Lingnan?”
‘Prince Lingnan?’ After a moment of thought, Lin Mengya remembered that her father might have mentioned the name.
The prince was ever the late emperor’s favorite son.
But, his father’s love caused the prince to lose his right to inherit the throne.
Fortunately, Prince Lingnan had a good relationship with the Emperor.
So the Emperor, who had ascended the throne, still loved his elder brother, Prince Lingnan.
“Prince Lingnan’s casual and elegant bearing, and his extraordinary appearance, attracted many noble ladies in the Capital City who fell for him. Among them, there was one lady, who met and fell in love with Prince Lingnan. But unfortunately, they didn’t get together in the end for some reason.”
Although Jinyue didn’t mention that lady’s name, Lin Mengya had known who she was.
That lady might be the Mrs. in the Art Courtyard.
However, even though she had a connection with Prince Lingnan, she was chosen for the Palace, and was loved by the Emperor.
Her mother-in-law must have been an excellent and dangerous beauty at that time.
“Aunt, what are you concerned about? Tell me. I am still young and naive, but I know how to behave properly.”
Jinyue fell silent for a while, looking slightly bewildered.
“Prince Lingnan will also attend the banquet. You know, the Empress hates us. In the past, someone ever stirred up trouble by using Prince Lingnan and Concubine De’s relationship. I have nothing else to ask Your Highness but hope you would prepare yourself in advance.”
No matter what, the thing involving Concubine De and Prince Lingnan, must be a scandal of illicit love in the Palace.
It would be okay in daily life. But, at the banquet of the Mid-Autumn Festival, princes and princesses of the royal family would all be present.
They would definitely go over the scandal discussed before.
“It doesn’t matter. I have my own ways. Don’t worry. Thanks for your warning. No one can treat us with contempt if I don’t allow it.”
It seemed to be the Empress’ style to make use of that thing.
No one would easily forget it, as long as Prince Lingnan and Concubine De still walked on Earth.
It was beyond her expectation for so many troubles to happen.
Her own trouble hadn’t been solved yet, and troubles assailed Concubine De.
It was impossible to defend effectively.
Dusk was coming. Carriages one by one stopped at the southwest corner of the Imperial Palace’s gate.
Princes rode their horses into the gate, till they arrived at the Chonghua Gate. They had to walk to the Chunen Hall where the banquet was held.
Princesses and concubines of the deceased emperor were carried in a small vermillion sedan chair, after getting out of their carriages, to the gate of Chunen Hall.
The common relatives had to walk into the Palace, after getting out of their carriages.
Upon arriving at the southwest corner, Concubine De and Lin Mengya attracted many guests’ attention.
Concubine De took Jinyue and Jingyue with her, as well as four maids of first class behind her.
It was very striking among these ladies.
Concubine De was tall and slim. She wore a deep purple cotton-padded jacket with its collar and cuff being purple fox’s fur.
Besides, the jade hat and the necklace strung by thumb-sized pearls, made her look more honorable.
Concubine De, with a noble face, still wore gentle smiles. What an elegant and graceful lady she was.
“Oh, greetings, Sister De. She must be Princess Yu. Look at her, what an excellent lady! Sister, you are indeed more fortunate than me.”
A lady wearing formal costumes particular to women with a title, greeted them with smiles, shortly after Concubine De and Lin Mengya had just arrived.