Chapter 129
**Chapter 129: The Cooked Duck Flies Away**
Liu Ruyan's eyes were red-rimmed, her gaze numbly fixed on the white bed curtains, her beautiful face etched with sorrow. "Lan yin xu guo, xian ye shui shen..."
Once a loving couple, they could not withstand the relentless passage of time. Now, the Yan Wang had sought new affections, leaving her, a heartbroken soul, to linger in place, pitying her own shadow. All because of a few pieces of cake, the prince had abandoned her.
"Xue Mei, throw the cakes away," Liu Ruyan instructed in a muffled voice, burying herself deep under the covers.
Xue Mei silently approached the table, took the few lonely plum blossom cakes, and carried them outside to enjoy them herself.
As Xue Mei savored the fragrant plum blossom cakes, she gazed at the swirling snowflakes, helplessly wiping away the tears that streamed down her face.
Deep down, Xue Mei knew she had tried her best to create opportunities for Liu Ruyan and the Yan Wang to be together. Today, when Liu Ruyan fainted from the cold, Xue Mei had sent a maid to fetch the family doctor while she rushed to the Liuli Pavilion to summon the Yan Wang. If only Liu Ruyan would soften her stance and act a little coy, the Yan Wang would surely rekindle their past affections out of nostalgia.
But alas, her mistress was disappointing; the cooked duck had flown away, and the Yan Wang's patience with Liu Ruyan was wearing thin.
Wiping her tears, Xue Mei looked up at the dark sky, wondering when these sorrowful days would finally come to an end.
...
A young eunuch held an umbrella as the Yan Wang, filled with pent-up anger, turned and walked toward the Liuli Pavilion.
Halfway there, he suddenly heard the soft sobs of a little girl.
On the stone path, covered in snowflakes, the gentle glow of a lantern dispelled the darkness. Li Yao, clutching a bright little lantern and dressed in a pink cloak, walked along, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Beside her, an old nanny kept comforting her, "Little princess, don’t be sad. The princess doesn’t truly want to abandon you; she just spoke a bit harshly."
Li Yao sniffled, "Mother scolded me for being a white-eyed wolf... Wuwuwu, Nanny, I’m not a wolf, wuwuwu..."
Seeing Li Yao's tear-streaked face, the old nanny's heart ached. She bent down to wipe Li Yao's tears. "Little princess, please don’t cry. It’s cold outside; let me carry you back to the courtyard—"
Before she could finish, a cold voice interrupted from behind, "Yao'er, why are you crying?"
Li Yao froze for a moment, then looked up, her little head tilted in confusion.
Under the eaves of the courtyard, lanterns hung brightly, casting a warm glow. The tall and imposing figure of the Yan Wang came into view.
Li Yao, feeling wronged, burst into tears and threw herself into the Yan Wang's embrace. "Father, I’m not a wolf..."
It turned out that Li Yao felt sympathy for the concubines in the southwestern courtyard who had frozen to death. Tonight, she had mustered the courage to approach the princess, hoping to ask her to provide some charcoal for the concubines to survive the winter.
The princess had flown into a rage, harshly scolding Li Yao. After being reprimanded, Li Yao was driven out of the princess's courtyard, and on her way back, she cried in grievance.
With a quivering voice, Li Yao said, "Father, those concubines have no charcoal in winter; they’re so pitiful..."
The Yan Wang's expression grew colder.
He had always adhered to the belief that "men handle external affairs, while women manage the household." He took on the responsibilities of a prince, strategizing for the court and working tirelessly for the nation's welfare. The Yan Wang had no time to worry about the trivial matters of the inner court, leaving that to the princess to manage.
Distributing charcoal and warm clothing to the concubines in winter was the princess's duty.
Yet, he never expected that she would forget her responsibilities yet again; this was not the first time she had been derelict in her duties.
If the Censorate found out, the petitions to impeach the Yan Wang would likely pile up on the emperor's desk like snowflakes.
"Yao'er, you should go back and rest. I will discuss the matter of the charcoal with your mother," the Yan Wang said, brushing the snow off Li Yao's small shoulders.
Li Yao nodded obediently, looking up at the Yan Wang with hopeful eyes. "Then I’ll go back first. Father, make sure to get some rest after you’re done."
The old nanny led Li Yao away.
As night deepened, the snow continued to fall.
The Yan Wang rubbed his weary brow, feeling exhausted and longing to return to bed for a good sleep. But alas, matters in the inner court kept piling up, disturbing his peace.
He instructed the young eunuch beside him, "Go tell the princess to ensure the concubines in the back courtyard receive their charcoal in a timely manner this winter."
Just as the eunuch was about to leave, the Yan Wang suddenly added, "Forget it; I’ll go myself."
...
In the dead of night, the snow fell silently, while the study was brightly lit, warm and cozy.
The princess had not yet gone to bed.
She was accompanying her two sons for a late-night study session. With the important winter examination at the Guozijian approaching, the princess hoped her sons would excel among their peers.
"Mother, I’m worried about my sister," the eldest son, Li Chengke, said, gripping his brush with concern.
Earlier, the princess had scolded Li Yao harshly, and she had run off in tears. With the fierce wind and heavy snow outside, Li Chengke feared for Li Yao's safety.
The princess replied, her tone displeased, "Yao'er has the nanny to take care of her. What are you worried about? Finish this essay first; you need to submit it to Dr. Sun for review tomorrow."
Li Chengke bit his lip, fighting against the drowsiness that threatened to overwhelm him, forcing himself to continue writing.
Liu Nanny hurried into the room and whispered in the princess's ear, "Your Highness, the Wang Ye has arrived."
The princess was puzzled.
With winter upon them, the Wang Ye rarely visited her. When he did come, it was usually to discuss mundane official matters, and he seldom stayed overnight.
Why had the Yan Wang come tonight? Was he concerned about the children’s winter examination as well?
Suppressing her curiosity, the princess hurriedly led Liu Nanny to the courtyard entrance to greet him. Snowflakes fell around them as the Yan Wang, exuding an aura of coldness, stepped into the courtyard. He saw the brightly lit study and the two children buried in their books.
Three old nannies sent by the Empress to care for the children stood at the study door, their eyes filled with worry. The nannies often clashed with the princess, wanting to teach the children properly, but they were frequently thwarted by her.
The Yan Wang closed his eyes briefly and said coldly, "Someone, take Chengke and Chengzhen back to their rooms to rest."
The nannies gladly accepted the order, happily leading Li Chengke and Li Chengzhen away from the study.
The two children timidly greeted the Yan Wang, heads bowed, leaving without a word. They had always feared him more than they respected him.
The princess frowned. "Wang Ye, there’s an important winter examination at the Guozijian."
The Yan Wang had no desire to reason with her.
Over the years, he had repeatedly reprimanded the princess for her negligence, but she had never truly listened.
There was no point in saying more.
The princess was incapable of hearing anyone else's words; she believed her own views were always correct.
The Yan Wang's icy gaze fell upon the princess as he delivered a harsh warning: "If any concubine in the southwestern courtyard freezes to death again, you can forget about being the mistress."
Table of Contents
