frightfiction Chapter 1222 Encountering the Scholar
Chapter 1222 Encountering the Scholar
The magnificent palaces, the exquisite incense, the past dignity and glory... everything is rapidly fading and fading away.
Finally, Nangong Manxia's violently twitching body suddenly stiffened, and she collapsed completely to the ground, without a sound.
Those eyes that were once filled with brightness and calculation, now only held deep hatred, stared blankly at the rooftops with carved beams and painted buildings, and died with their eyes open.
There was dead silence in the hall.
Only the overturned jade cup was left, spinning on the ground.
The few remaining drops of poisoned wine seeped into the Persian carpet, leaving an ominous mark.
Li Changde glanced at the corpse on the ground expressionlessly, as if he was looking at a piece of discarded waste.
He straightened his sleeves, his voice still calm: "Clean it up and bury it hastily according to commoner rites."
After saying this, he turned around and left the mansion, which had been completely overturned, without looking back, with the eunuchs.
……
The cold wind in the twelfth lunar month seemed to be tainted with the bloody smell of the imperial city, and it was particularly biting when blowing on the face.
The news that Nangong Manxia was sentenced to death caused a silent uproar in the capital, but no one dared to discuss it publicly.
Princess Yun'an's bedroom was scorching hot, yet she felt a chill welling up inside her. Angrily, she tossed a fine red coral bracelet onto the rosewood table.
The beads rolled down, making crisp and messy sounds.
"idiot!"
Princess Yun'an cursed softly, her delicate face showing undisguised disgust. "How dare she collaborate with the enemy and invite a wolf into the house?! She simply... deserves death!"
She hated Nangong Manxia's stupidity and madness, and hated her even more for tarnishing the title of the eldest princess of the royal family and bringing shame to her sisters.
But after the scolding, the hall fell into silence.
Princess Yun'an stared at a coral bead that had fallen onto the carpet, her eyes gradually becoming dazed...
Those images that had long been deliberately forgotten surged up uncontrollably.
When she was a child, Nangong Manxia followed her timidly, calling her "Third Princess" in a baby voice.
In spring, she held Nangong Manxia's hand and chased colorful butterflies in the imperial garden.
She shared her favorite snack with Nangong Manxia, watching her smile as she ate...
"I have loved her for so many years..."
Princess Yun'an muttered to herself, her voice so low that only she could hear it, with a hint of bitterness that even she herself was not aware of.
No matter how much she dislikes her or despises her, she is still her sister whom she has watched grow up.
Now, a cup of poisoned wine is gone in an instant...
Under the oppression of imperial power, the so-called blood ties are so fragile.
So fragile... chilling.
Princess Yun'an took a deep breath, suppressed the inappropriate sigh in her heart, and waved her hand irritably: "Put it all away! I'm getting upset just looking at it!"
"Yes!"
The palace maids were silent as a mouse and hurried forward to pick up the scattered beads.
At the same time, in Princess Wenshu's mansion, the atmosphere was as depressing as frozen ice.
The light in the hall was dim.
Princess Wenshu sat alone in front of the embroidery frame by the window, but she didn't sew a stitch for a long time.
She was wearing a beautiful palace dress, and her figure was so thin that it seemed as if a gust of wind could blow her down. Her pretty face was pale, and there was only an inextricable sadness and fear in her eyes.
Manxia...just disappeared like that.
Her mother had long passed away, and Princess Wenshu was like a rootless duckweed in the deep palace.
She knew better than anyone how dangerous it was to walk on thin ice under the honor of being a royal family.
Is Manxia wrong?
Yes, totally wrong!
Collaboration with the enemy and treason is a crime that cannot be forgiven!
But... doesn't the power in the deep palace also push people into desperate situations step by step?
Today it’s Manxia, tomorrow... who will it be?
A huge chill spread from the bottom of my heart to every part of my body.
Princess Wen Shu hugged herself subconsciously, her fingertips were cold.
All she wanted was a safe and secure place to live in peace.
But under such tremendous power, even this tiny wish seems so luxurious.
"Your Highness the Princess..."
Seeing Princess Wenshu's pale face and dazed expression, the personal maid worriedly said, "The snow has stopped outside, and the red plum blossoms outside the capital are in full bloom. Can I accompany you for a walk? It would be nice to get some fresh air."
Princess Wenshu was stunned for a moment, and her empty eyes slowly turned to the window.
The sky was bright after the snow had cleared, reflecting the thick snow on the glazed tiles, a dazzling white.
She seemed to be burned by the light and closed her eyes slightly. After a long while, she nodded very lightly, her voice vague: "...Okay."
Wrapped in the thickest satin cloak and wearing a light gauze veil to keep out the wind and cold, Princess Wenshu slowly stepped into the carriage with the help of her maid.
The cold wind was still blowing, making the curtains of the car rustle.
The accumulated snow covered the rockery and pavilions, and the plum garden in the suburbs of Beijing was covered in a blanket of silver.
Only a few old plum trees stretched out their twisted branches, blooming red dots amidst the white snow, stubborn and lonely, like beads of solidified blood, or like faint flames in the dark night.
Princess Wenshu stopped under a plum tree in full bloom, looked up at the flowers blooming in the cold, and remained silent for a long time.
The cold wind blew the veil of her hat, revealing half of her pale and thin face, with an expression that was almost numb and sad.
No matter how gorgeously the red plum blossoms bloom, they cannot warm the bone-chilling coldness of the deep palace...
"The snow and plum blossoms are fighting for spring and are unwilling to give in. The poets put down their pens and stop commenting."1
A clear and gentle voice, with just the right amount of warmth, suddenly sounded not far behind him.
Princess Wenshu was startled and subconsciously turned sideways, and the veil of her hood was blown slightly by the wind.
A few steps away, under the corridor, stood a young man in a blue Hanlin official robe.
He was as tall and straight as a bamboo, with clear eyebrows and handsome eyes, and a warm smile on his face that made people feel like spring breeze. He was the new top scholar, Bai Mufeng.
He was holding a book in his hand, as if he was just reading here casually while enjoying the scenery.
Bai Mufeng's gaze fell on Princess Wenshu, with pure appreciation and admiration for the red plum blossom, without any presumptuousness.
He cupped his hands, his gesture calm and polite. "Your Highness, I, Bai Mufeng, the editor of the Hanlin Academy, apologize for disturbing Princess Wenshu's enjoyment of the plum blossoms. I beg your forgiveness!"
Princess Wenshu's voice, beneath her veil, was soft yet tinged with a barely perceptible nervousness: "Editor Bai, you're too kind."
"I was just taking a casual walk."
She didn't expect to meet a foreign official here, especially this third place winner who was famous for his talent and affinity at the Qionglin Banquet.
The poem he recited perfectly echoed the scene before him.
Bai Mufeng's smile was warm, like a rare ray of sunshine in winter: "Your Highness also loves plum blossoms?"
"This old plum tree, with its twisted branches, blooms alone in the cold, its elegance and character are outstanding."
"When I saw the red plum blossoms in the snow a while ago, I was so lost in thought that I couldn't help but recite a couple of lines from ancient poetry. I'm sorry to have caused Your Highness to laugh."
His words flowed naturally and fluently, with the sincerity of a scholar, without the slightest hint of deliberate flattery.
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Note: 1 Quoted from "Snow Plum" by Lu Meipo of the Song Dynasty.