si-mexico Chapter 345: Searching for the Cold Palace
Chapter 345: Searching for the Cold Palace
Chapter 345: Searching for the Cold Palace
However, unable to bring himself to do it, he could only feign anger and look at Shen Bin, saying, "Shen Bin, what do you mean by this? How can the princess's marriage to you be low-key? I only have one daughter." He didn't say much more, but his words clearly showed his insistence on his wishes. Shen Bin, on the other hand, knelt on the ground, head bowed, remaining silent.
He wouldn't get up; he wouldn't get up unless the Emperor agreed. Thus, the atmosphere remained tense, with neither side willing to yield. The Emperor also intended to drag things out with him; he was simply trying to make things difficult for Shen Bin if Shen Bin complied with the Emperor's wishes.
If he were to betray Princess Xiangping one day, he would be despised by everyone; if he were to disobey the Emperor's orders, the Emperor would make a big fuss about it. Looking at Shen Bin's bowed head, he suddenly realized that Shen Bin was neither humble nor arrogant, and was quite shrewd. If he were a wise official, he would be a pillar of the country.
If it were a treacherous villain, the consequences would be unimaginable. He just wanted to see how Shen Bin, at such a young age, would handle this mess. "Oh dear, Father, since I'm married to Young Master Shen, I have to listen to him in everything." Princess Xiangping said something inappropriate, but she directly helped Shen Bin, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet.
Shen Bin, who had been kneeling on the ground, did not refuse and slowly stood up, leaning on Princess Xiangping. When the Emperor saw this, his face stiffened, but he did not react because of Princess Xiangping. After a while, he said, "Since Xiangping has said so, then you can handle this matter. If you encounter any difficulties, tell me."
Princess Xiangping smiled sweetly at the Emperor, but the Emperor sat upright, frowning and remaining silent. He watched Princess Xiangping's happy smile, but wondered how long it would last. His gaze shifted to Shen Bin, a pair of devoted lovers separated by Princess Xiangping. The Emperor felt somewhat ashamed towards Shen Bin.
"Your Majesty, everything is almost ready. The nanny and matchmaker will be here shortly." From afar, one could hear Eunuch Feng's high-pitched voice, his voice preceding his arrival. Eunuch Feng, holding a whisk in his hand, head bowed, took small, quick steps as he passed Princess Xiangping and Shen Bin.
The Emperor picked up his teacup, took a sip, nodded, and dismissed Princess Xiangping and Shen Bin. Just as they stepped out of the Qingyi Palace, they saw several people approaching in the distance. Shen Bin didn't know what was going on, but remained silent. He felt nothing but intense dislike for Princess Xiangping beside him.
"This servant greets the Princess and the Prince Consort." Among these people were several matrons and maids. One of the matrons stepped forward and curtsied slightly, her eyes frequently glancing at Princess Xiangping and Shen Bin. The maids behind her also kept glancing at the two newlyweds, and the maids whispered among themselves. Princess Xiangping frowned.
In her heart, she wished she could drag those servants out and beat them to death. Their eyes were darting around, scrutinizing Shen Bin, while they looked at her with disdain, as if she and Shen Bin were completely mismatched. However, she couldn't do anything about it because it was such a joyous occasion.
"Princess, please don't be angry. These maids are all unruly." One of the nannies, who had sharp eyes, saw Princess Xiangping frowning and heard the maids behind her saying things that offended a noble lady, so she smiled obsequiously and said.
"Granny, we know we were wrong," the maids behind her said in unison upon hearing the nanny's reprimand. The nanny turned around, looked at the maids, and smiled proudly.
"If you miss the auspicious time, I'll show you what it means to have your head on your feet." Princess Xiangping looked at this group of people, who didn't take her seriously at all, and said with a dark face. Bloodshed is not advisable on such a joyous day, and it's considered an ominous sign, so she spoke very tactfully.
The maids and servants immediately lowered their heads and dared not speak. Seeing Princess Xiangping's angry expression, they still couldn't believe the rumors. Princess Xiangping was said to be kind, beautiful, and graceful. Now it seemed that some blind people had made up stories and said things against their conscience.
"This servant knows, this servant knows. The princess and the prince consort are separated. The princess is going to Xiangping Palace, and the prince consort is going to Xuanhong Palace in the opposite direction." The nanny immediately replied to Princess Xiangping's words, fearing that if she delayed any longer, she would be punished by Princess Xiangping and suffer a terrible death.
"Xuanhong..." Princess Xiangping murmured these two words upon hearing the old woman's words, but her heart inexplicably ached. She stood there, watching as Shen Bin was led by an old woman to a place in the opposite direction from Xiangping Palace—Xuanhong Palace. Looking at Xuanhong Palace not far away, she could only see one leg standing upright.
Thinking of how the main hall had been empty for over a decade, she felt a deep sense of loss and sorrow, speechless at what she had lost. She simply couldn't bring herself to face it.
Bringing her thoughts back to reality, thinking about how she was going to marry the man she loved today, a beautiful smile curved her lips as she followed the nanny to Xiangping Palace.
After separating from Shen Bin, Lu Yu wandered around the palace for a while but still couldn't find the Cold Palace. He didn't even know what the Cold Palace looked like, and he was just running around aimlessly like a headless fly.
Concerned that asking the people in the palace might cause trouble, he decided to search for it himself. After searching for a long time without success, he used his light-footed skill to jump onto a tree and take in the whole scene, but he did not see anything that resembled the Cold Palace.
After a while, he slapped his head and said, "Oh dear, how could I be so stupid?" Then he jumped down from the tree and went to the place where he had met Shen Bin, but the place was so big that he didn't know where to go.
After walking for a long time, Shen Bin's eyes lit up when he saw a scene in the distance. He went forward to take a closer look and saw that it was covered in footprints. He couldn't help but praise Shen Bin's exceptional intelligence and thoughtfulness.
Lu Yu noticed that the path, covered in footprints, was winding and meandering, showing that Shen Bin had put a lot of effort into it. The path became increasingly remote, and the further in he went, the fewer footprints there were, which worried Lu Yu. He only knew that the path was getting narrower and narrower, and the surrounding trees, for some reason, looked sickly, with many nearly eaten away by insects.
The scene was desolate, yet there was still no trace of Zhao Ning'er. He was filled with anxiety for her, but didn't know what to do. When he met Shen Bin, Shen Bin calmly replied that he was going to marry Princess Xiangping. He and Zhao Ning'er were clearly so in love. Although he didn't know why Shen Bin would suddenly agree to Princess Xiangping's request, he had a gut feeling that something must have happened to Zhao Ning'er.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Lu Yu came upon a grand hall standing before him. It was pitch black inside, and a chilling wind occasionally swept over him, causing him to shiver. There were sounds coming from within; upon closer listening, Lu Yu heard a woman crying, maniacal laughter, and curses. Hearing these sounds, Lu Yu knew that this must be the Cold Palace.