When he remembered her again, things had already come to this pass.
Coming back to his senses, Murong Xiu stared at the plaque of the Princess Mansion, which glistened golden in the sunlight. Then he recalled what Li Xinyue had confessed to him a few days ago.
After learning that she was the little girl from back then, his heart was like a lake where the ice was melting. Droplets of water trickled down, rippling layer upon layer just like in the old days.
She was pure and spotless. Whether that absurd incident had happened or not, she remained so.
She was different from any other woman in the world in his heart. So, as long as it was her, he didn't mind the rest.
He came today to give her a definite answer.
Murong Xiu steadied his nerves. Looking at the grand gates of the Princess Mansion again, he felt excited, overjoyed, and also a bit of the audacity of a gambler.
However, as soon as he stepped into the Princess Mansion, he saw Lian'er, the head maid beside Li Xinyue, walking out.
Lian'er was surprised to see Murong Xiu appearing in the Princess Mansion, especially at this critical moment when rumors were flying everywhere. At a time like this, everyone wished to stay as far away as possible, yet he dared to come.
She even suspected that she was seeing things.
Lian'er instinctively slapped her own cheek with the back of her hand. It hurt. So, it was real.
Murong Xiu shifted his gaze and coughed awkwardly. He asked Lian'er if the princess was in.
"She..." Lian'er panicked, not knowing how to make up a story. "She, she went... to the manor... to escape the heat."
"Then I'll go to the manor to find her."
"My lord!"
"What's the matter?"
Lian'er was extremely flustered. If the young lord went to the manor, he would find out that the princess wasn't there. But she couldn't tell him the truth. So, what should she do?
The clattering of hooves came rushing towards them. In an instant, Jing Bai and Hongxiu had arrived. They dismounted their horses.
The two were surprised to see Murong Xiu there.
From their travel - worn appearance, worried expressions, and combined with Lian'er's hesitant words, Murong Xiu keenly sensed that Li Xinyue wasn't in the mansion, and it was very likely that she had been gone for several days.
"Where exactly has the princess gone?"
Murong Xiu frowned tightly and turned to question Lian'er.
Lian'er was so frightened by his sharp gaze that she took steps back. A thin layer of sweat oozed from her forehead.
Jing Bai and Hongxiu exchanged a look. After much hesitation about whether to tell or not, they finally decided to.
It would be better to tell. With the young lord's help, they could feel more at ease knowing the princess was in the south of the Yangtze River.
Murong Xiu tightened the silver bracelet in his hand. He rushed to the Duke's Mansion in a hurry and then headed for the south of the Yangtze River.
At this moment, just after they left, among the passers - by, a figure stopped. He took a long look in the direction of the Princess Mansion and then turned around to relay the news he had heard word - for - word to his master.
Bai Yiyi excitedly stood up from the armchair. She slapped the table with her palm, making a crisp sound, accompanied by crazy laughter. The grievances she had held in for several days were finally vented at this moment.
"Say I'm a nobody? Fine! Then this nobody will step on the princess! Not only will I step on her, but I'll also crush her!
I'll strip the princess of her dignity!"
Immediately, a person popped into her mind, Li Xinrong.
If Li Xinrong knew about this, it would be the same as the queen knowing.
The queen had lost the power to manage the harem because Li Xinyue had exposed Li Xinrong's poisoning incident. She must be more eager than anyone to settle this score.
Therefore, if she told the queen, the queen would deal with Li Xinyue, and she could reap the benefits.
However, how to approach Li Xinrong became a problem.
Last time, she happened to see Li Xinrong looking for Murong Jia. She just casually mentioned it, and the news of Li Xinyue confessing her love to Murong Xiu was passed on to her.
Now, she had been driven out of the Duke's Mansion, and Li Xinrong was punished to meditate on her mistakes for cheating in the exam. How could she pass on this news?
At this crucial moment, something went wrong. Bai Yiyi was so angry that her chest heaved up and down. Unwilling to give up like this, she thought of another round - about way.
She actually came up with an idea.
She decided to spread the news of Princess Yuanyang being in the south of the Yangtze River as a rumor.
If it was spread widely enough, the court officials would surely bring it up in the court for discussion.
After all the discussions, Emperor Mingde would definitely go to the Princess Mansion in person to verify if the princess was there. Once he went, the truth would come out.
This would be even more effective than the queen getting involved.
Thinking of this, Bai Yiyi smiled smugly again.
At this moment, Li Xinyue had already returned to the south of the Yangtze River. She rushed to the yamen anxiously. As expected, Chu Junyi was no longer in the yamen but had gone to the bandit lair.
When Li Xinyue heard the news, her chest ached with anxiety. But she had to force herself to calm down and think of a way.
Originally, she wanted to exchange the family members of several wealthy merchants for Chu Junyi's return. But these people were so cunning that they had already fled with their families and money on the way when the Fu family case was sent to the Supreme Court. They had even sold their mansions in the south of the Yangtze River.
In this case, she had no choice but to take a risky move - deception.
Chu Junyi had lied to them that the court intended to offer amnesty and enlistment, but they were still short of an imperial edict.
What she had to do was to present this imperial edict to make the lie sound more believable. In doing so, she would be guilty of deceiving the emperor, which might give those villains who wished to kill her an opportunity.
But what else could she do?
She was really out of options.
Moreover, this time, she had to take the initiative to draw in the Fu family to justify why she was in the south of the Yangtze River and why it was the princess who came to deliver the imperial edict. Only by relying on the connection with the Fu family could she explain it reasonably.
In this way, she would be involved with the Fu family, and all her previous efforts would be in vain.
Li Xinyue sighed helplessly.
Then she thought, since she had made this decision, she was already guilty of deceiving the emperor. If she could drag the Fu family down with her at this moment, it would be worth it.
That's it then.
Life was just like this. Everyone had to die sooner or later. She should face it calmly.
"Amnesty and enlistment?" Inside the mountain stronghold, the unscrupulous merchant Bai Hong chewed on these two words playfully. Finally, he glanced at the leader sitting in the main seat and then at Chu Junyi standing at the end of the long table. He laughed and said, "If it's amnesty and enlistment, you should at least give us some official positions or rewards.
We're not interested in this empty - handed offer.
Also, where's the imperial edict? Where's the edict for amnesty and enlistment? Without an imperial edict, we can't help but suspect that you, Lord Chu, are trying to play some dangerous games!"
As soon as Bai Hong finished speaking, the leader beside him immediately took out a dagger. He played with it in his hand for a while, unsheathed it, and stabbed it deeply into the long table.
With a clank, the dagger trembled slightly, and the blade reflected a cold and menacing light.
Chu Junyi shifted his gaze from the blade and looked at the people opposite him. He raised his hand and gently tapped his official seal on the table.
The golden light reflected by the official seal faced the silver light reflected by the dagger blade.
The atmosphere on the scene was eerie and unpredictable.
"This was a last - minute decision, so the imperial edict is still on the way. But I'll use my official seal as a guarantee that every word I say is true. Can you trust me now?"