Chapter 2 The Banquet of the Eastern Palace

On July 16th, near noon, the sun was in full bloom, and the cicadas kept singing in the Hou's mansion.

Today is the birthday of the Crown Prince of the East Palace, the Queen held a banquet in the palace, and invited courtiers of third rank and above to go.

The Marquis of Huai'an ordered people to load the congratulatory gifts into the carriage early, and when the time came, he took his wife and set off into the palace, only the eldest son remained in the mansion.

The wife of the eldest son, Wen Shiben, was enjoying the scenery and feeding the fish at the lake court of the Hou Mansion, but she fainted without any warning and almost fell into the lake.

The doctor hurriedly stepped through the door of the moon cave, and heard an anxious voice, "Doctor Lin, you are here."

Nanny Song hurried forward to carry the slightly heavy medicine box for him.

A chubby nanny stood in the shade of the eaves, raised her chin when she saw this, and snorted disdainfully, "As a close person of Mrs. Shizi, I even fawn on a doctor."

Nanny Song glanced at her coldly. If she hadn't seen that Mrs. Hou personally appointed this Pang, and she was the nanny who took care of the uncle, she would have scratched her face and taught her a lesson.

She ignored her, stretched out her hand as a gesture of invitation, and said in a gentle tone, "My girl is weak and suffers from minor illnesses and disasters, but she never faints suddenly. Please trouble Dr. Lin."

Doctor Lin is a new doctor in the government, but he is aware of the silent undercurrents among the high-ranking families, so he wisely kept silent and followed the guidance to enter the door.

Passing around the silk and green bamboo screen in front of the moon gate, the maid A Yao was guarding in front of the weeping moon wooden gate, when she saw the government doctor quickly lifted the green gauze curtain, revealing the inner room.

The woman on the couch had gentle and beautiful eyebrows and fell into a deep sleep with her eyes closed.

And the young man sitting by the bed was wearing a tea-white robe with gilded edges, his handsome face was light, and his slender fingers easily encircled the thin white wrist of the woman on the couch.He wiped the dirt on the woman's wrist carefully.

Sensing the approaching person, the young man raised his phoenix eyes, and there was an inexplicable sense of intimidation in his plain eyes. Dr. Lin lowered his eyes subconsciously, "Master."

Yao Xuanci casually hummed, A Yao had already set up the tables and stools for pulse diagnosis, Dr. Lin hurriedly opened the medicine box, and put the wrist that was trapped by the young man on the pulse pillow.

There were still faint red marks on the white cream, which were wiped, and a thin silk handkerchief covered the marks.

Dr. Lin straightened his mind and began to feel his pulse. His expression gradually became a little strange. He frowned and carefully checked his pulse, his expression a little dignified.

With his face changing, Nanny Song and A Yao both raised their hearts.

There was no trace of emotion in the cold voice, "How?"

Doctor Lin wanted to open his mouth, but he swallowed the words inexplicably when he met the young man's calm and beautiful eyes.

Seeing that he hesitated to speak, Yao Xuanci's eyes moved slightly, "You all step back."

Nanny Song took a deep look at the sleeping woman on the couch, concealed her worries, and pulled the reluctant A Yao away.

The door was closed softly, A Yao's eyes were slightly red, "Nurse, will the girl be okay?"

"Of course, don't think about it."

Nanny Song also felt heavy in her heart, she didn't show it on her face, "My uncle has been taking care of the girl's body, and now the girl's body is much better than before, how could something happen."

Nurse Pang let out a barely perceptible snort.

At noon the sun was already under the porch, she didn't want to be with her, so she twisted her fat buttocks and hid under the wisteria porch to enjoy the coolness.

The young man in a blue blouse hurriedly stepped across the moon gate, his facial features were very similar to A Yao's, and when he saw Nanny Song, he trotted a few steps, "Mama, is the girl awake?"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, "My son came to give the girl flowers and trees. He didn't leave when he heard that the girl had an accident. He stayed in the main hall and waited."

"The doctor is in the room." Seeing her younger brother running profusely, A Yao handed over the handkerchief, "Don't you want to wait for the announcement to find flowers and plants for the girl, and the announcement is in advance?"

Ah Shen rubbed it a few times indiscriminately, "Young master said that he has gone to the imperial examination after all, if he can't get the top three, being a Jinshi is enough, waiting at the mansion will be a torment instead."

Foreign men are not allowed to step into the backyard at will, and Nanny Song is worried about keeping A Yao and her brother here, so she can only let Ah Shen pass on a message to tell her son to be safe and not to be impatient.

As soon as Ah Shen left, the door opened.

Dr. Lin walked out with the medicine box on his shoulders. Before Nanny Song could ask, he said with low eyebrows, "Mrs. Shizi is fine, it's just that the weather is so hot that the nourishment is too much."

"Write down a few suitable prescriptions below, and show it to the crown prince when the time comes."

Nanny Song felt relieved immediately, A Yao couldn't wait to enter the wing room, and when she reached the wooden door of the hanging moon, she saw a young man in white with an expressionless face.

His eyes were dark, and when he looked down at his girl from above, it seemed to be a cold scrutiny. She was a little frightened, "Master?"

Yao Xuanci looked over casually, his expression was flat, not as indifferent as he had seen just now.

A Yao breathed a sigh of relief, it turned out to be her illusion.

Then he boldly said, "My lord, my young master just came to the house, and I am very anxious to hear that the girl is not awake, can you let the young master come to visit?"

"Go." The young man nodded calmly.

A Yao happily agreed to leave, Yao Xuanci looked back, unexpectedly met a pair of watery amber eyes.

His eyes paused slightly, he sat down on the side of the bed naturally and said, "You're finally awake."

Yao Xuanci wanted to hold her hand, but he didn't expect that the other party raised his arm to avoid it instantly, and bowed vigilantly into the bed.

The young man's well-knit hands stopped in the air, and a gloomy look flashed across his phoenix eyes, "Ah Qiong just woke up?"

I don't know if she heard what the family doctor said just now.

Wen Qiong's head was in a daze as if someone had hit her hard. She remembered that she was dead, but when she opened her eyes, she saw a familiar face.

She had a splitting headache, and when she saw that person approaching her, she subconsciously avoided it in disgust, bit her lips tightly, and wanted to gain a moment of clarity.

Why did Yao Xuanci, who hadn't seen her for nearly half a month, appear in front of her?

At this moment, the young man pinched her chin, and gently wiped away the teardrops falling from the corner of her eyes, "Why are you crying?"

Wen Qiong realized in a daze that she didn't know when she shed tears. She dug her fingernails into her palm and licked her lips to taste a fishy sweetness.

The woman's eyes were red, which was very pitiful.

Yao Xuanci bent his knuckles and gently wiped off the drop of blood on her red lips, "When did Ah Qiong wake up?"

The young man got a little closer, the faint scent of green bamboo and wood lingered on the tip of his nose, but Wen Qiong was staring closely at the brocade and jade belt tied on his forehead.

I couldn't help reaching out my hand, and stroked it with trembling fingertips.

On the second summer of her marriage to the Hou's Mansion, Yao Xuanci once wore this white jade forehead belt at the birthday banquet of the crown prince in the East Palace. She had never seen him dressed like this, so she remembered it deeply.

He said it was a gift from the prince when he was young.

But later the new empress called her into the palace, and she saw that the second girl of the Zheng family was also wearing a white brocade to wipe her forehead, even the dark pattern on the brocade was exactly the same.

"Husband...it's so pretty."

The young man held her cold fingertips in his palm, casually, "When the crown was weak, it was given by the crown prince."

Hearing the same answer as before, Wen Qiong's heart trembled, and her confused head cleared up a little.

Those extra memories seem to be her previous life.

She died two years later in the Qingyu Temple where the snow was falling heavily.

The woman lowered her eyebrows and looked very obedient, Yao Xuanci played with her thin white fingers, "Today, if Arjun sleeps on the prince's birthday banquet, he will miss it."

"Did you know that when you passed out, Nanny Song and the others were terrified. Aqiong hasn't answered me when you woke up?"

Wen Qiong pursed her lips, her shallow pupils showed a hint of obedience, "I just woke up, when I woke up, I heard someone said that my concubine's elder brother is here."

"Oh, what a coincidence."

She caught a look of deep thought and scrutiny in the young man's eyes, and felt a little dazed in her heart. Was he... doubting her?

Why doubt her?

Wen Qiong didn't want to think too much, just wanted to sort out the messy memories. She tried her best to recall the current situation, and said in a low voice, "The banquet in the East Palace...should it start?"

"Father and the others have set off, I'm waiting for you." Yao Xuanci pinched a silk handkerchief and wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

"Why did Arjun cry just now?"

"... When I fainted, I hit my body." Wen Qiong covered her left arm and elbow, lowered her eyebrows and eyes to hide her guilt.

"Did you break your arm?" He frowned and reached out, "Let me see."

"It's nothing serious." Wen Qiong couldn't help avoiding his touch again, "It's just a little painful."

She had never fainted when she married into the Hou's Mansion. This time, she didn't know where she fell and whether she was caught.

Lying about this matter can still be solved, but the death in the previous life made her just want to stay away from Yao Xuanci.

Banquet in the East Palace... She also didn't want to step into the palace.

You have to find a way to get over it.

After thinking for a while, Wen Qiong hesitated, and finally stood up.

She grabbed the young man by the collar, pulled him down with some strength, and went up to him herself, and planted a kiss on his deadly throat.

The youth's dark phoenix eyes fell on her ruddy lips.

That light kiss was gone as soon as it was touched, and the touch that seemed to touch but not touched caused a ripple in the lake of heart, which made people itch and yearn for more.

The girl raised her beautiful light amber eyes and looked at him imploringly, "I'm so tired, I don't want to go to the palace banquet, can I not go?"

"Arjun, you must be sincere when asking for help."

He raised his hand to pinch her chin and leaned over, clasped the back of her fragile neck with his big palm, and forcefully hooked her tongue.

A embarrassing moan overflowed from Wen Qiong's lips and teeth, the bitten wound was painful, her only rationality was devoted to holding the man's hand rubbing against her waist, which was about to move.

Until the waist of the woman in his arms became weak, the noble young man pinched the slender waist, rubbed the tip of her nose with his tall nose, kissed her lightly, and the tip of his tongue rolled away the blood from her lips.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Then I'll let your elder brother stay with you in the mansion."

Wen Qiong breathed a sigh of relief immediately, rubbing her flushed cheeks in response, Yao Xuanci called Nanny Song to give some advice, and then left with long legs.

And the woman on the couch clutched the handkerchief, frowned and wiped her mouth again and again, until the plain white handkerchief was stained with blood again, and then she refused to stop.

Nanny Song came in with a glass of warm water, naturally ignoring Wen Qiong's red and swollen lips, "Miss, is there any pain in your body? Your fall really hurts this old slave."

"Don't worry, Mammy, I'm fine." She took the teacup comfortingly, took a sip to moisten her throat.

"The government doctor just came to check your pulse, and said that you are too nourishing, and those nourishing soups and medicines need to be changed. My uncle was kind at first, but now you are almost scared to death..."

Nanny Song's intimate and caring thoughts made Wen Qiong's uneasy heart seem to have found an anchor, and gradually calmed down.

After her body relaxed completely, she realized that her ankle was really aching, and the touched left elbow also hurt.

Nanny Song brought medicated oil for bruises, and carefully and gently pressed her slightly red and swollen ankle.

Wen Qiong stared at the nanny's shiny black temples, and cleared out the messy and intertwined memories in her mind one by one.

She clearly remembered the agony of being on the verge of death in her last life, and the despair of falling straight into purgatory.

She is a pawn randomly set aside by the emperor to weaken the faction behind the current prince and to check and balance the struggle for succession. Before the first New Year's Eve after the new emperor ascended the throne, she was forced to death by her husband in this Qingyu courtyard.

She returned to the East Palace Banquet the year after her wedding.

The chaotic memories were sorted out slowly, Wen Qiong thought silently in her heart, if she wanted to survive, she had to leave the Hou Mansion and escape from the imperial city.

It's just... the young man's scrutinizing glance once again inexplicably appeared in his mind.

She was very concerned - at that moment, what was he doubting?

Wen Qiong thought about it, but suddenly sat up straight. She and Yao Xuanci got married in the spring of March in the eighteenth year of Tong'an.

The East Palace banquet in my memory should have been in July of the nineteenth year of Tong'an.

The thin white hands trembled slightly, caressing the flat belly in disbelief.

Is it the end of summer the year after the wedding?