Palace maid Shuoning

(One)

Jiang Shuo Ning finished speaking.

The vast hall was deathly silent.

The candlelight flickered quietly, illuminating the lavishly dressed nobles in the room, whose faces were filled with mixed emotions, and no one dared to utter a sound.

The Crown Prince looked intently at Jiang Shuoning, who was standing in the hall, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Although she and Ye Wan were sisters, their personalities were completely different.

The Crown Princess stared blankly at that slender and solitary figure, and for some reason, her nose suddenly stung with tears.

The mocking and sarcastic expressions on the faces of the Fifth Prince Zhou Jin and the Sixth Prince Zhou Xiao froze completely, their faces turning awkward and embarrassed, no longer displaying the arrogance they had shown earlier in stirring up trouble.

Zhou Heng, sitting at the end of the table, lowered his head in shame, filled with guilt, and dared not look directly at anyone.

Xiaodie gripped her sleeves tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly, her throat tightening, and she finally couldn't help but let out a soft sob.

Bao Zhong stared intently at Jiang Shuo's stubborn and resolute appearance, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily.

Her words were simple and plain, yet they were like a dull knife, slowly stabbing at his heart.

Only at this moment did he realize that he had acted like a complete scoundrel tonight.

Relying on his meager past kindness, he publicly trampled on her life's blood and tears, humiliating her and disgracing Zhou Zhengyin, which was utterly despicable.

Huo Xiao sat upright at the table, his hands, which were resting on his knees, were already clenched tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, and his eyes were filled with suppressed tenderness and anger.

He wished he could rush forward immediately to protect this woman who had suffered so much.

In the dead silence, Zhou Zhengyin slowly stood up, raised his hand and firmly embraced Jiang Shuoning, whose shoulders were trembling slightly and who was suppressing all her grievances, protecting her in his arms.

Immediately, his cold gaze swept across the entire hall, a chilling sneer curling at the corner of his lips. His words, each resounding and forceful, echoed throughout the hall:

"That's right. I, Zhou Zhengyin, owe my success today to Lord Xie's help and to Consort Xie's life-risking protection. I am grateful for the help I received from those benefactors and will never forget their kindness."

But life is unpredictable, and everyone has their own ambitions. Lord Xie chose a better tree to perch on, joining the Crown Prince's ranks. It is because I am incompetent that I cannot give Lord Xie the future and glory he desires. I have never stopped him, nor have I held any resentment.

but!"

The tone suddenly shifted, and a chill ran through the air.

"My royal brothers, tonight you used the pretext of a private banquet to press and humiliate my concubine in public, making fun of her suffering in the deep palace. Is this the behavior of a gentleman?"

From the seating arrangement to the sharp exchanges and elaborate schemes, I knew from the moment I stepped into the Eastern Palace that this was not a private reunion dinner, but a trap!

Now that things have come to this, everyone is well aware of the situation, both overt and covert.

Lord Xie, all past favors are now wiped clean.

I will remember this incident tonight, in which I was publicly humiliated and my concubine was insulted.

From this day forward, we are like strangers, and all our past feelings are gone!

The words landed firmly, and the atmosphere inside the hall turned icy cold.

After a moment of silence, Huo Xiao slowly rose, his posture upright, and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute to the Crown Prince, his expression calm and resolute, showing no sign of backing down.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

I have seen through this banquet tonight. If Your Highness intends to use this situation to force me to understand the circumstances and choose sides, then I understand.

Since everyone has laid out their cards and made their positions clear tonight, I, your humble servant, may also speak frankly.

From beginning to end, I, your humble servant, swear to stand by Your Highness's side to the death!

Zhou Zhengyin was slightly taken aback, turned to look at Huo Xiao, a complex and suspicious look flashing in his eyes.

The Crown Princess immediately composed herself, spoke softly and gently, her clear voice breaking the icy silence of the hall:

"Tonight was just a small gathering of brothers, a few casual words and jokes, why take it so seriously?"

I have spoken inappropriately and too harshly under the candlelight. I hope my Ninth Brother and Consort will forgive me, and that Lord Huo will not take it to heart and need not take a few words of jest to heart.

"Let's put aside the disturbances for now and continue the banquet, so as not to disappoint His Highness's good intentions in hosting this feast."

Immediately, Zhou Xiao forced a smile and tried to smooth things over:

"Yes, the Crown Prince specially prepared the finest wine today, specifically to entertain Ninth Brother."

As he spoke, he quickly gave Zhou Zhengyin a wink, implying a desire for reconciliation.

Seeing this, Zhou Jin quickly chimed in, trying to smooth over the sharp conflict:

"Exactly. It was just a casual family chat, and things got a little out of hand. Ninth Brother, please don't take it to heart."

Zhou Zhengyin's chest was filled with rage, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, his arm still firmly protecting Jiang Shuoning beside him.

He remained silent for a moment, and ultimately did not continue to make trouble, and slowly led Jiang Shuoning to sit down.

Seeing this, Huo Xiao also composed himself and sat down with him.

The standoff between the two sides, marked by flashing swords, temporarily subsided, and the banquet barely continued.

(two)

The banquet ended hastily.

The crowd rose in turn to bow and take their leave. Although the candlelight in the hall remained bright, it could not conceal the lingering chill left by the confrontation.

Zhou Zhengyin turned around to look for Jiang Shuoning beside him, but when his gaze swept across the seats, he realized that the seat next to him was already empty.

During the latter part of the banquet, Jiang Shuoning whispered that he felt tightness in his chest and wanted to go to the corridor outside the hall for some fresh air.

He was preoccupied with the crowd and didn't notice that she hadn't returned for a long time.

My heart tightened suddenly, and the unease I had just suppressed surged up again.

Zhou Zhengyin turned to look at Huo Xiao beside him and said in a low voice, "Shuoning went out for some fresh air and hasn't returned for a long time."

Huo Xiao's expression hardened: "Let's go find them quickly."

at the same time.

As snow fell heavily, Jiang Shuoning and Bailing walked quietly down the long street.

While everyone in the hall was busy making small talk and exchanging pleasantries, she quietly slipped out through a side door and silently left the East Palace.

The long, deserted street stretched for miles, and the wind and snow fell softly on her hair and shoulders, making her figure appear lonely and frail.

The bitterness she had been holding back in the main hall finally dissipated. She didn't shed a tear, only her eyes reddened, her brows filled with deep weariness and desolation.

She publicly confessed her life of blood and tears in the deep palace, enduring countless hardships, only to have it all lightly dismissed by a casual remark from the crowd.

The lark, standing beside her, felt a pang of sorrow as she gazed at her mistress, covered in snow and silent. She gently brushed the snow from her shoulders and softly offered words of comfort:

"My lord, the snow is too heavy. If you can't handle it, perhaps we should return to the palace as soon as possible?"

Jiang Shuoning continued walking, gazing at the vast expanse of snow, his voice soft and hoarse:

"It's alright. This snow is cleaner than people's hearts. Let's take a walk."

Meanwhile, outside the Eastern Palace, a fierce snowstorm raged.

Zhou Zhengyin and Huo Xiao searched everywhere in the heavy snow without success, and were extremely anxious.

Huo Xiao immediately made a plan and calmly said, "Your Highness, you should return to your residence immediately and wait to see if the concubine has returned first. I will lead men to search along the streets and check both ends to ensure that no one is missed."

The situation is urgent and cannot be delayed.

Zhou Zhengyin immediately boarded the carriage and ordered Shan Hengzhe to ride back to the palace at full speed.

Meanwhile, Huo Xiao and Zhan Qing rode in another car and plunged into the vast snowstorm, searching for Jiang Shuoning's whereabouts along the streets.

I don't know how long we walked, but the snowstorm still hadn't stopped.

Jiang Shuoning and Bai Ling were walking down the long street when they suddenly heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves and wheels behind them.

The two stopped in their tracks and turned to look at each other.

At the end of the snowstorm, a horse-drawn carriage sped by.

Zhan Qing sat upright on the carriage shaft, gripping the reins tightly. His gaze pierced through the swirling snow, locking onto the slender figure. He immediately called out urgently into the carriage, "My lord! It's the concubine!"

Before he finished speaking, and before the carriage had come to a complete stop, Huo Xiao had already abruptly lifted the curtain.

The moment he caught sight of the figure in the snow, all the anxiety and panic in his eyes vanished instantly.

Without waiting for the carriage to stop, he leaped up and landed steadily in front of Jiang Shuoning.

He frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Where are you going?"