Prince Song couldn't stop trembling all over. But thinking of what Xiao Wang had said, he seemed to gain a bit more confidence. He said in a deep voice to Xie Jingchu, "Young Marquis Xie, why are you causing a ruckus in my Prince Song's Mansion in the middle of the night? Aren't you afraid that I'll report you to the Emperor?"
Xie Jingchu stared fixedly at Prince Song and said coldly, "Don't you know what I'm doing?"
This cold voice and menacing expression made Prince Song's scalp tingle. He nervously swallowed his saliva and stammered, "I... I don't... don't know..."
"Good for you not knowing!" A glint of cruelty flashed across Xie Jingchu's eyes. Then his eyes darkened. "Guards, surround Prince Song's Mansion. Not even an ant is allowed to get out until Prince Song knows!"
Hearing this, Prince Song shouted, "Xie Jingchu! You're crazy!"
A sneer curled up on Xie Jingchu's lips. "I've got even crazier things. Do you want to give it a try?"
-
In the Eastern Palace, after days of overcast weather, it finally cleared up. Ruan Jiu specifically asked Lanyu to move a chair into the courtyard and then lay on it to soak up the sun. Looking at the little birds flying back and forth in the sky, she suddenly felt a bit bored. She simply closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle sunshine.
Just then, a voice came from above her head. "My lady, it's time to take your medicine."
Ruan Jiu opened her eyes and saw Lanyu standing in front of her, holding a medicine bowl. She frowned and reluctantly took the bowl. "This medicine is so fishy and bitter. I don't want to take it anymore."
Every time she took the medicine, she had to eat several plums to suppress the nausea.
"My lady, you'll only get better if you take the medicine," Lanyu said.
After hearing this, Ruan Jiu glanced at the medicine bowl helplessly. "But I've been taking this medicine for more than half a month, and my memory hasn't recovered at all. Instead, it's getting more and more blurred."
Lanyu pursed her lips. Finally, she spoke up to persuade her, "My lady, please hold on a bit longer."
Ruan Jiu thought it made sense. She had already taken the medicine for more than half a month. If she gave up now, it would be like all the previous efforts were in vain. So, she gritted her teeth, picked up the medicine bowl, and drank it in one gulp.
Seeing that Ruan Jiu had finished the medicine, Lanyu quickly handed her a plum. Ruan Jiu took the plum and put it in her mouth. Only then did the sour and bitter taste in her heart ease.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door. Ruan Jiu turned to look. She saw the closed palace door was suddenly pushed open, and a charming young woman rushed in. The moment she saw Ruan Jiu, she immediately exclaimed, "It's really you!"
Ruan Jiu looked at the woman with surprise in her eyes. She kept searching her mind for memories of this woman, but she couldn't remember a thing. Since she woke up, this was the first time she had seen someone other than Xiao Wang and Lanyu. So she frowned and asked, "Do you know me?"
Seeing this, Lanyu immediately stepped forward to block Ruan Jiu's view. She respectfully raised her hand to the woman and said, "Princess, this is not a place you should come to."
Hearing this, the princess angrily rebuked, "Who do you think you are to judge whether I should come or not?!" Then she pushed Lanyu aside.
Looking into Ruan Jiu's blank eyes, a look of surprise flashed across the princess's eyes. "You've lost your memory?"
Ruan Jiu blinked her eyes and replied, "It seems so."
The princess looked solemn, her eyebrows knitted together. "Do you still remember who you are?"
Ruan Jiu nodded.
"Do you still remember Xie Jingchu?"
Hearing the name 'Xie Jingchu', Ruan Jiu couldn't help but hold her breath. It felt as if a big rock was pressing on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe. It was so uncomfortable! Why did she feel so uncomfortable when she heard this name!
Seeing Ruan Jiu's sudden change in expression, the princess immediately grabbed her shoulders and continued, "Think harder!"
Ruan Jiu frowned and shook her head. She couldn't remember. There was not a single memory of Xie Jingchu in her mind.
Just then, a voice of rebuke came from the door. "Yongning! What are you doing!"
Hearing this voice, the princess immediately let go of Ruan Jiu's shoulders. She turned around and saw Xiao Wang striding towards her quickly.
"Brother Crown Prince, she..." Before the princess could finish her question, Xiao Wang grabbed her wrist and walked towards the study, leaving Ruan Jiu standing there looking blank.
In the study, Xiao Wang stared at the princess with a fierce look in his eyes. The low pressure instantly enveloped the entire study. "Who allowed you to come here?!"
"Brother Crown Prince, why is she in the Eastern Palace? Why does it seem like she doesn't recognize me?"
"This is not something you should interfere with!"
"She's Ruan Jiu! Not A Yu! You shouldn't lock her up here!"
Hearing this, Xiao Wang squinted his eyes slightly and said coldly, "Did Xie Jingchu tell you this?"
"Yes. If he hadn't told me, I would never have known you'd do such a thing. You're simply crazy!"
Xie Jingchu had brought Prince Song to her and told her that in fact, Song Qingyu had always been impersonated by Ruan Jiu. And Ruan Jiu, who had originally planned to fake her death and escape, had been taken away by Xiao Wang.
Xiao Wang wasn't surprised to hear what the princess said. After all, when he did this, he never thought he could hide it from Xie Jingchu.
"So what if Xie Jingchu knows? In a short time, A Jiu will only belong to me."
"You're really crazy!" The princess looked at him in disbelief. "Brother Crown Prince, stop this. Father Emperor will punish you if he finds out!"
"Father Emperor won't find out!"
The princess was stunned.
Yes, now both inside and outside the court were under Xiao Wang's control. Xie Jingchu couldn't even get an audience with the Emperor. If it weren't for this, Xie Jingchu wouldn't have found her and told her these things.
The princess tightened her fingers and tried to persuade him, "Brother Crown Prince, A Yu is already dead! She's Ruan Jiu, not A Yu! Please wake up!"
"I know A Yu is dead! And I don't mistake her for A Yu!"
The princess covered her mouth in surprise. "Do you mean..."
"I love her so much that I'm going crazy!"
"But the person she loves isn't you!"
"Shut up!" Xiao Wang roared. His eyes were full of cruelty. "From now on, the only person she can love is me!"
The princess was so frightened by Xiao Wang's roar that she trembled all over. Even though there were countless words of persuasion in her heart, she didn't dare to say a single word at this moment.
"Yongning, stay in the palace quietly during this period. Don't see those shady people anymore."
He only needed to wait for another twenty days, and he could make Ruan Jiu completely forget her past memories. And just like he loved Ruan Jiu, she would fall in love with him crazily and passionately!
By then, he would hold a grand ceremony for Ruan Jiu and make her his Crown Princess. Before that, he would never allow anyone to disrupt his plan.
After Xiao Wang sent the princess back, he ordered the guards in the palace to be strengthened.
So what if Xie Jingchu knew that Ruan Jiu was in the Eastern Palace. In this vast imperial palace, Xie Jingchu couldn't get in, and Ruan Jiu couldn't get out.