12dz Chapter 457: Garden Tour (2)
Chapter 457: Garden Tour (2)
The three of them came to the garden and saw flowers blooming everywhere. It was hard to imagine that it was winter now.
Tang Yi calmed down a bit, and seemed to see the amazement in Yu Qingli's eyes, and explained: "My Dong Tang is blessed by God, and it is spring all year round."
"Then Your Highness certainly doesn't know how beautiful the changing seasons are. Spring is warm, summer is vibrant, autumn is bleak, and winter is crystal clear. Only by experiencing these four seasons can one appreciate the beauty of life."
Tang Yi was speechless after hearing what Yu Qingli said. He decided not to argue with this woman. Thinking of the news he had received before, he couldn't help but feel in a good mood. Naturally, he didn't bother with Yu Qingli anymore.
Soon, they arrived at a lotus pond in the garden. The lotus flowers in the pond were enchanting and the golden koi were playing around, looking so happy!
There are plates of elegant orchids placed by the pool, which complement the lotus leaves in the pool, making it look like a fairyland.
"The lotus leaves reaching the sky are endless and green, and the lotus flowers reflecting the sun are particularly red! Brother Yi, are you asking us to come and see the orchids or to admire the lotus flowers?" Princess Xingluo asked with a smile.
"It's a matter of personal preference when it comes to flower appreciation. Those who like orchids will naturally come for this elegant orchid, while those who like lotus will naturally stop for the lotus leaves that reach the sky."
"Then I wonder if you like this orchid or the white lotus in the water, Brother Yi?"
The Xingluo County Lord hinted at something. Tang Yi glanced at her thoughtfully, then turned his head to focus his gaze on Yu Qingli's face. "Qingli, what do you think?"
"Your Highness, this is truly asking too much. How can we possibly guess what's in your mind? However, whether you like orchids or lotus flowers is none of other people's business. Your Highness, please don't let your sincerity go to waste!"
There was something more to Yu Qingli's words, and Princess Xingluo had obviously heard it. She couldn't help but feel extremely grateful, but also a little guilty. Yu Qingli helped her in every way, but she was still so wary of her. She was really mean-spirited. The look she gave Yu Qingli was full of tenderness and gratitude.
Tang Yi snorted coldly but didn't answer.
"Oh, isn't this His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? His Royal Highness is always busy with official duties, how could he have time to come here to visit the garden? It's really strange!"
Yu Qingli looked up when she heard that, and was met by a very charming woman. Her slender eyes were slightly raised, and her eyes and eyebrows were full of charm, but the words that came out of her red lips were not pleasant.
Tang Yi's expression suddenly relaxed. He saluted the visitor respectfully and said, "Your Highness, Empress Zhen is so polite. Why are you strolling around the garden instead of accompanying your father?"
Zhen Fei's face was a little grim, probably because she was thinking of something unpleasant. She wanted to accompany the emperor, but she didn't know what had happened to the emperor in recent years. He actually fell in love with the old and faded queen again. How abominable!
And there is Tang Yi in front of him. If it weren’t for him, how could his son have tried so hard for so many years but still failed to get the position of crown prince?
The more Zhen Fei thought about it, the angrier she became, and the way she looked at Princess Xingluo and Yu Qingli became different.
There are never any secrets in the palace, no matter which country it is in. So, after the news that Yu Qingli refused Tang Yi's treasure spread, almost everyone in the palace believed that this unidentified woman should be Tang Yi's new favorite.
As the saying goes, if you love a house, you will love everyone in it, and naturally you will hate everyone in it. The way Zhenfei looked at Yu Qingli at this time was no different from the way she looked at Tang Yi, full of disdain and resentment.
If she couldn't attack the prince directly, could she not attack the women around him? This harem had always been a woman's world, so Zhen Fei's eyes turned and a plan quickly came to her mind.
Zhen Fei gave a wink to the palace maid beside her, and the palace maid took a step back with understanding. All this fell into Xiluo's eyes. Judging from the appearance of the palace maid, she should be a martial artist, so Xiluo became secretly alert.
Concubine Zhen stepped forward and enthusiastically pulled Tang Yi over. "Your Highness is right. Isn't His Majesty in Feifeng Palace? Naturally, I have nothing to do with him. But my Hong'er has been talking about wanting to spar with Your Highness. Since Your Highness is free today, why don't you go to Hong'er's place?"
"My Lady, I'm afraid this won't work. I have to accompany you today..."
"Your Highness, this garden tour is a girl's leisurely activity. How can the princess and this beauty be at ease with you, a man, in it? I am a woman myself, so I naturally understand."
Tang Yi frowned. Although he knew in his heart that Concubine Zhen had no good intentions, he couldn't reject her directly. Besides, he had always had a good relationship with his half-brother, and he knew that the other party had ambitions. Even for the sake of his brother, it was not easy to refuse directly. What's more, Yu Qingli and Princess Xingluo didn't seem to want him to be here.
After thinking about it, Tang Yi nodded slightly and said, "Okay, I'll go find Brother Hong."
"Your Highness!"
Princess Xingluo was about to try to persuade him to stay, but Concubine Zhen stopped her and said, "Why? Xingluo, are you even going to control where the Crown Prince goes? He hasn't even entered the imperial palace yet!"
Xing Luo immediately shut up. Zhen Fei was right. Her current identity was extremely embarrassing and she really couldn't stop Tang Yi.
Tang Yi glanced at Princess Xingluo, and then ordered the palace servants to serve her well, and then left with Concubine Zhen.
As soon as Tang Yi left, Yu Qingli felt a lot more relaxed and was more interested in appreciating the beautiful scenery in the garden. However, Princess Xingluo looked melancholy and had no mood at all. She took a few steps towards the orchid and was about to reach the edge of the lotus pond.
Yu Qingli warned, "Princess, please be careful. There's bound to be moss around the lotus pond..."
Before she could finish her words, an accident happened. Yu Qingli felt a strong wind sweeping behind her, making her unable to stand steadily. Subconsciously, she reached out and grabbed the clothes of Princess Xingluo. As a result, Princess Xingluo suddenly fell into the lotus pond in a strange posture, and at the same time, a scream rang in her ears.
"Someone come, murder!"
Yu Qingli's expression suddenly changed. She immediately jumped into the lotus pond and grabbed Princess Xingluo's clothes tightly.
Xiluo's eyes turned red with anxiety. She had just clearly seen the maidservant next to Zhenfei taking action, but because she was not as skilled as the other one, she had no way to change the situation, so she jumped into the water immediately.
It was not until Yu Qingli and Xiluo jumped into the water to save people that the palace maids and guards on the shore reacted and ordered those who could swim to go into the water to save people.
Princess Xingluo couldn't swim. When she felt someone pulling her, she quickly grabbed the other person tightly. As a result, they both sank down together. Yu Qingli held her breath and tried hard to pull Princess Xingluo's hand away. She didn't want to die here inexplicably.
Later, Xiluo fell into the water and saw two figures entangled with each other. Without thinking too much, he quickly reached out and grabbed Yu Qingli's clothes, wanting to rescue her. As a result, Yu Qingli directly pushed Princess Xingluo up.
Because they were underwater, Xiluo couldn't see clearly who she was saving, so she could only try her best to swim upwards. After she dragged the person out of the water breathlessly, she realized that the person she had saved was actually Princess Xingluo.
Xiluo didn't have time to think and jumped into the water again. Before she started looking for Yu Qingli, she was pulled down by a huge force.
Xiluo was about to shake off the person's hand, but she found that the person holding her was Yu Qingli, and Yu Qingli seemed to want Xiluo to dive into the water with her.
Xiluo stopped struggling and swam towards the depths of the lotus pond with Yu Qingli. The stems and leaves of the lotus flowers densely covered the bottom of the water. Yu Qingli gestured to Xiluo to look at the bottom of the water.
In the depths of the lotus pond, there was actually some white light. The rest of the place was dark and gloomy, with only that one spot of light. The water in the pond flowed along that spot of light. I'm afraid this was a place of running water, and the place where the light spot existed should be a cave entrance.
Xiluo was about to move forward when she was stopped by Yu Qingli. Xiluo immediately understood what she meant. Now was not the best time. Everyone on the shore was staring at the lotus pond. Moreover, the news of them falling into the water should soon reach Tang Yi's ears. If they disappeared at this time, wouldn't it arouse suspicion?
However, they were both very excited to find a way out. When they all surfaced, they saw Tang Yi's nervous and gloomy face.
As soon as Yu Qingli and Xiluo got ashore, Tang Yi immediately left Princess Xingluo lying beside them and went forward to check on Yu Qingli's safety.
"How come you fell into the water in just a few moments?"
As soon as Tang Yi finished speaking, Concubine Zhen took over and said, "Let's ask these questions later. The water in the pool is cold, and Princess Xingluo and the others have been in it for quite a while. If they develop any underlying illnesses, it would be bad. We should send them back to the palace as soon as possible, change their clothes, and ask the imperial physician to see them."
"Empress Zhenfei is indeed very thoughtful. In that case, Xingluo will be handed over to you."
As Tang Yi spoke, he picked up Yu Qingli and carried her horizontally towards the side hall. Xiluo followed closely behind, not daring to be negligent at all.
Although Yu Qingli wanted to refuse, she had been underwater for too long and her hands and feet were weak, so she could only let Tang Yi hold her. But she knew that the rumors in the Dong Tang harem would be confirmed.
But it was a blessing in disguise, as they seemed to have found a way to escape.
After returning to the palace, Tang Yi hurriedly ordered the imperial physician to come and examine Yu Qingli and the others, and ordered the palace servants to fetch precious medicine from the secret storehouse of the imperial palace. He did not leave until Yu Qingli drank the medicine and fell asleep. His actions really looked like a man who was deeply in love with his beloved and took good care of her.
Unfortunately, only Tang Yi himself knew that everything he did was just a cover-up.
In the Pengxing Hall, the lights were brightly on. Princess Xingluo was leaning on the bed with her long hair loose, staring blankly at the door. Her pretty face was pale, and even her lips seemed to have lost some of their color due to water.