东宫 Eastern Palace: Chapter 11

Exactly! Crown Princess was born with this beauty, it wouldn't make sense if she didn't gain the Crown Prince's favour! "Did you not see Crown Princess's red face when she saw the mandarin duck sash, it was as if she was shy..."

          Aiya, if it was me, I'd also be embarassed, the Crown Prince really is bold.... Actually sending servants in broad daylight to give this to the Crown Princess... "He actually went one step further.... Didn't you see when the Crown Princess came back, she looked so disheveled, even her clothes were torn.... Seems like the Crown Prince really was eager... hehe..."

       ......... Hearing the palace maids whispering about it makes me want to shout at them and tell them that this isn't what had happened! My face was red because I was angry! My clothes were torn because we were having a fight! Anyways it wasn't what they were thinking!

        Li Cheng Yin really doesn't like me, he deliberately made me a scapegoat.
　
        I didn't expect Li Cheng Yin to not only make me a scapegoat, but he also shifted the blame to me.
   
On the third day, the Empress called me into the inner palace, after I bowed to her, she wasn’t like the others who would support me, she did not even tell me to take a seat. The Empress was sitting on her seat, and spoke a few words while not paying me any attention. Although the words were spoken very politely, I could tell that she was scolding me.
   
I could only kneel down and get scolded.

This also wasn't something that has never happened before, even before this, she would scold me occasionally, it was usually because I went overboard with the things I did. For example, forgetting about the palace rules in the ceremony, or saying inauspicious words during the ancestor worship. However, it was still the first time where I was to kneel down and get scolded.

        At the beginning, she would use these phrases from this book. Anyways, she would say it in one breath and listening to her recite the book makes me feel so bored. Kneeling on the floor for so long made my knees hurt, but I didn't dare to move one bit. Actually she knows that I don't understand the underlying message of phrases from the book. When she finished reciting the book, she finally let out a sigh and said: "You are a Crown Princess, the first wife of the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince is still young and he would cause trouble. You should advise him, how can you let him cause trouble? Not just us from the royal family, but the wife of a common family understands that they must act in a reserved manner........"

        I finally understood what she meant, I couldn't help but to say: "It wasn't me, it was him........."
　　
        The Empress stared at me to interrupt me: "I know it was him that caused trouble, but he was still sick, you still do not understand? What if his sickness becomes a serious illness, then what can be done? You are going to become an Empress in the future, being responsible for the harem. If you act this way, how is it acceptable?"

       I felt angry and ashamed, I felt like I should dug a hole in the ground and hide in there. The Empress was simply scolding me for being shameless, knowing that Li Cheng Yin was sick and.....and......this........this..........Heaven knows! We never did that.......No!

        I felt wrongly accused, I felt I would die from injustice!

         Seeing that I was about to cry, the Empress stopped lecturing me and said: "You may rise!" I am doing this for your own good. The words that were spread around were even more unpleasant to hear. A young married couple should be intimate, however you should do so at the right moment and place. The Central Plains is not like Western Liang, rumors spread around especially in the palace are like a knife that could kill someone."

        My eyes were red: "I cannot be a good Crown Princess, I don't want to be anymore."

        The Empress pretended she didn't hear what I had just said, just telling Yong Niang: "Take good care of the Crown Princess. Also the Crown Prince is still sick, but the Crown Princess is still young and have many matters to deal with so don't let her serve the Crown Prince medicine. Let the Crown Princess copy the book ten times."
　　
        I was so angry that my lungs were about to explode, they are treating me like a fox demon! I finally understood, Li Cheng Yin set this trap to make me feel like I should hide in a hole.

       What mandarin duck? It is even more frightening than a white silk. Copying the book ten times is just telling me to die!
　
       When we returned to the Eastern Palace, I really want to grab a knife and fight with Li Cheng Yin, using this trap on me! However, Yong Niang was watching very closely, arranging a palace maid to help me grind the inkstick. I can only keep my anger and start copying the book. The words were really hard to write, each time I wrote a word, in my heart I would be cursing at Li Cheng Yin. After copying the book for some time, I had already cursed Li Cheng Yin a hundred times.

        At night, I slowly put on my clothes. A'Du heard I was getting out of bed, she sat up, I lowered my voice: "A'Du, give me your knife."

        A'Du didn't know what I was using the knife for, but she still gave me her golden knife. I placed the knife under my clothes and wore a silk clothing over my clothes. If A'Du wasn't here, I could not avoid the Yu Lin army who were guarding the Eastern Palace, so I brought A'Du with me, walking quietly, pushing open the palace hall side doors, crossing the bridge and then going to Li Cheng Yin's place. When we were on the bridge, A'Du suddenly stopped.

        It turns out Yong Niang was holding a fragrant stove and bumped to us.
　　
        This was too unlucky, I forgot today was the fifteenth, Yong Niang would always pray to the moon god at this time. I was thinking if I should let A'Du knock her unconcious or would Yong Niang shout and the Yu Lin army would come and take us back?
　　
        Who would have known that when Yong Niang saw us, she would first stare blankly, and then look at the direction we were going which was to Li Cheng Yin's place?
　　
        I was giving this look to A'Du as a signal to turn around and grab Yong Niang. Who would know Yong Niang would only just sigh, and walked past us quietly?

        I was surprised, Yong Niang walked away a few steps, suddenly turned around and said: " The wind is cold at night, once the Crown Princess finish taking care of the Crown Prince, be careful not to get a cold."

        I held my breath, she must've thought I was meeting Li Cheng Yin personally!
　　
        .......This.....this.......whatever!
　　
        When we arrived outside the palace hall, A'Du pulled me and we jumped softly to the top of the wall. We didn't arrive to the top of the wall yet and suddenly we heard a loud shout: "There's an assassin!" I was startled, all of a sudden there were numerous arrows coming towards us like rain hiding the sky. There were numerous of lanterns and torches lit up all around brightening the place. A'Du stood in front of me to hit the arrows away from us. Not long after I turned around to jumped down from the wall, but I accidentally slipped and fell from the top of the wall.
　
        The wall is so tall!
　　
        I could hear the sound of the wind swept past........This time......This time I could turn into a meat paste.

        I was facing upwards when I fell down, I could see A'Du's panicked face. She flew down to reach me, behind her was a pitch black sky. The stars slowly became white sesame seeds as it became further away and the moon slowly being covered by the palace hall. A'Du wasn't able to reach me because I was falling too fast. When I felt there was no hope left, all of a sudden someone grabbed my waist, caught me while spinning around and around, my hairpin got blown away by the wind leaving my hair messy and in front of my face. I could only see his silver armor reflecting the red flame of the torch. The sparks of the flames were reflected in his eyes while his eyes were looking at me.
　　
        This dream was repeated numerous times.......a hero saving a beauty, him saving me in mid air spinning......spinning.....slowly spinning......The sky was filled with stars that fell like rain.....Between heaven and earth, his two eyes were just gazing at me.....his gaze only had me.....I wanted to faint, I wanted to faint, being held in his embrace, this person is the person in my dreams......My legs reached to the ground. This person had a full body armor, double edged eyebrows, star eyes, impressive looks. Is he that person? That person that always appears in my dreams, the hero that saved me everytime from danger?

        The arrows flying from all four sides had stopped already. Pei Zhao bowed to me, he placed me to the ground. I just realized that I was still grabbing his arm.  A'Du pulled my hand, carefully examining my body to see if there were any injuries, I felt so embarrassed. The hero in my dream was Pei Zhao? How come I don't know that myself? However Pei Zhao was indeed very handsome, very good at martial arts, but why would it be him? My ears were red, I looked at him again.
　
        This night I am very unlucky, first I bumped into Yong Niang, then I bumped into Pei Zhao.
　　
        Pei Zhao commanded the Yu Lin army and in a flash the army had disappeared without a trace. I don't know what to say at this moment, only saying something without meaning it: "Pei general was indeed impressive with using the army....." "Crown Princess, please forgive us for frightening you." Pei Zhao used polite hand gestures, "We didn't expect the Crown Princess would be on top of the wall, please forgive us Crown Princess."
　　
        I don't blame you, who would've expect it would be A'Du and I climbing over the wall, you thought we were assassins was not very strange. "What is the Crown Princess doing late at night?"

        I wasn't that foolish to tell him that I am here at Li Cheng Yin's place to get even with him. I laughed: "I am not going to tell you what I am doing here."
　　
        Pei Zhao's expression was the same, he lowered his head and said: "Yes."
　　
        A'Du and I walked forward, Pei Zhao suddenly called me: "Crown Princess."
　　
        "What?" "The Crown Prince's palace hall is not that way, but this way."
　　
        I felt so angry from the embarrassment, glared at him furiously, however he was standing there but didn't see the look I was giving him. I only turned around and walked to the way he was pointing.

        I finally arrived outside of Li Cheng Yin's palace hall, I ordered A'Du: "You guard the entrance, do not let anyone come in."
　
        A'Du nodded, she did a hand gesture to tell me to not worry.
　　
        I entered the palace hall, the palace maids on night duty were not asleep, they were playing a riddle game. I walked quietly behind them and went to the inner palace hall.

        I held my breath and quietly walked towards, making no noise at all, suddenly I heard a "hu" sound, the gush of cold wind blew inside faintly making my cheeks hurt. Not before I made a sound, I was spinning around and around and landed on top of the bed, an ice cold knife was placed near my throat, I was afraid if I moved a bit the knife would cut open my throat, I was frightened to the point my whole body was filled with goosebumps.

        I looked at Li Cheng Yin, in the darkness his face seemed as if it was another person, simply a completely different person. He was looking into my eyes very closely. Even in my dreams I would never have thought Li Cheng Yin would carry a knife and being this alert when he was sleeping on his bed.
　
       "It's you?" Li Cheng Yin took away the knife, he lazily asked me: "Why did you come here so late at night, to do what?" "Eh........nothing."  I could not tell him that I wanted to tie him up and vent my anger.
　
         He slightly smiled and glanced once at me: "Oh, I know, you miss me so you came here to see me right?"

        At this moment I finally remembered how he used the mandarin duck to set a trap to frame me and caused me to be scolded by the Empress. I had to copy the book, copy the book! The thing I disliked the most was copying books! I "shua" all of a sudden taking the knife that was underneath my clothes, fuming with anger: "You were right, I was thinking about you!"
　
        He wasn't even scared at all, but laughed: "Apparently women from Western Liang uses knifes to think about people!"
　　
        "Stop with the nonsense!" I placed the knife next to his neck. "Give the knife to me." He moved forward: "You think I would give the knife to you if you tell me to?" "Don't come close......" He suddenly seized my shoulder, I wasn't able to respond and he suddenly nibbled my mouth again!

        That's too much!
     
        He nibbled my mouth very slowly as if he was eating a crab. I have seen Li Cheng Yin eat crab before and can be said to be simply number one at eating crabs. After he finishes eating a crab, the broken pieces of the crab can be pieced together to form a new crab. Compared to a Central Plain lady's embroidery skills, his crab eating skills are way better. I was about to stab him in the back, but I couldn't get myself to stab him. I was afraid that this would cause a war, my father is old and if the Western Liang had to fight with the Central Plains, then my father would lose, the Western Liang would lose. I'll endure....I'll endure.....he nibbled my mouth but my mouth was finally let go. Not before I let out my breath, he started to nibble my neck. Oh no he must be planning to nibble me as if I was a crab slowly eating me up. My neck was itchy and painful, I was unable to describe that difficult feeling. He was nibbling my ears, I hate that itchy feeling. He was breathing under my ears, my whole body became weak, even the knife I was holding was taken away by him. He threw the knife to the side and started to nibble my mouth again.

        I felt something was wrong because his hands were suddenly under my clothes and grasping onto me above my waist. He was grasping onto me to the point I couldn't move a single step. In a moment of desperation, I shouted: "You! You!"

        "Let go of my hand! If you don't let go, I'm going to call A'Du!"
　
        Li Cheng Yin was laughing while saying: "You call her then! I don't mind even if you call all the people in the Eastern Palace to come here, it was you who came to my bed in the middle of the night."

        I was so angry that I almost passed out, that was simply too too too hateful! Any spoken words that came from his mouth was very unpleasant to hear. What did he mean I ran to his bed, I.........I........If I don't jump into the Yellow River then how can I wash away all my troubles?

        As I was about to stab him, a gush of wind rushed inside and in a flash, all of a sudden Li Cheng Yin pushed me by the foot of the bed. Apparently, he pushed me away to avoid an attack, but he couldn't avoid it and was stabbed in the chest by a long sword. I shouted and A'Du rushed inside. The assassin pulled out the sword from Li Cheng Yin's chest. I grabbed the candlelight from the table to scare the assassin and the assassin tried to dodge it. I was already shouting: "Someone come! There's an assassin!"

        The Yu Lin army that were on night duty broke open the doors and entered. A'Du continued to fight with the assassin. Outside the palace hall, you could hear people shouting everywhere. More people rushed in to take on the assassin. At a disadvantage, the assassin went through the window to leave, A'Du followed the assassin out.

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