TLDPCRM 57: Forbidden Love (Patreon)
Content
Chapter 57: Forbidden Love
"Do you always call A Zhao when you need something?"
Rong Zhen raised his eyebrows, seeming a bit displeased.
"...I have no other choice." Gu Yunru pouted, looking at Rong Zhen with a look of grievance.
"Well, this matter is simple to say, but difficult to do. The foreign envoy wants to come for a marriage alliance, they just want to see Da Qi's sincerity. If Da Qi's sincerity is enough, they won't push for more."
"It seems like you had a plan from the beginning!" Gu Yunru looked at him with bright eyes, realizing that he wasn't as cold and heartless as she had previously thought, but rather had a cold exterior and a warm interior.
"Alright, I can't keep this from my brother, I'll discuss it with him."
"Okay."
Rong Zhen's image in Gu Yunru's mind had risen a bit, and this guy was finally not as annoying as before.
The day of the foreign envoy's arrival at the palace was getting closer and closer. The emperor held a banquet in the Yangxin Palace, inviting them to dine together, with only a few palace concubines and trusted ministers present.
The envoy brought many gifts, all of them natural carvings and rare treasures.
Gu Yunru obediently sat by Rong Zhen's side, staring straight ahead. The princess had not yet made her appearance, and she noticed that Concubine Ying, who was sitting not far away, kept looking at Rong Zhen with an affectionate gaze, as if she were looking at an old lover.
For some reason, seeing this look from Concubine Ying made Gu Yunru feel uncomfortable. This was her future husband, how dare she look at him so recklessly?
But Gu Yunru was not one to be trifled with. She picked a grape and fed it to Rong Zhen's mouth, deceiving him with her gentle and virtuous appearance.
"I didn't expect you to be so unreserved." Rong Zhen lowered his voice, his eyes filled with a smile as he looked at Gu Yunru. Had she been so eager to marry him all along?
"Don't talk nonsense, just eat." Gu Yunru's eyes were smiling, her eyebrows showing affection, but her voice was somewhat oppressive and rude. Concubine Ying watched their actions and saw how well they understood each other, filled with a sense of emptiness.
"......" Rongzhen seemed like an emotionless eating machine, obediently eats whatever she fed him, even though he didn't know what crazy things the girl was up to today.
"I'm feeling a bit unwell, Qingxing, accompany me for a walk outside."
"Yes."
Before leaving, Green Qingxing at Gu Yunru, who had successfully repelled the enemy. Gu Yunru nonchalantly put down her banana and noticed that the table was already covered with a layer of grape and banana peels, as well as some fruit pits and other debris.
Rong zhen's face had turned ugly, and Gu Yunru casually watched the dance performance brought by the envoy from the border. A group of seductive dancers barefootedly danced on the hall, with their eyes full of exotic charm, every gesture and smile exuding an enchanting posture.
Looking at the Emperor's expression, he looked appreciative, but looking at Rongzhen's expression, where did he go?
Gu Yunru looked around the hall, and Rongzhen's figure was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, the Concubine Shu has been whispering to her attendant Ziluo, and the two of them seemed to be conspiring something, with their cunning expressions, as if they had seen it somewhere before.
At this time, a small eunuch whispered something in the Emperor's ear, and the Emperor quickly left the Hall. Gu Yunru felt that something big was happening, so she followed suit.
In another pavilion, Rong zhen had been vomiting for a while, finally getting rid of all the miscellaneous fruits. After a while of relaxation, his face looked much better, and he was worrying about not having anything to wipe his mouth with when someone handed him a handkerchief.
"My lady?"
Rong Zhen was surprised to see Concubine Ying appear. She had been observing him for a while, and shyly asked if he was feeling uncomfortable after eating so much food.
"It's nothing... Thank you for your concern, Your Highness," he replied.
"Why are you leaving after just one sentence? We still have so much to talk about," Concubine Ying said, reluctant to part with him. She was happy to have the opportunity to talk to him since he rarely visited the palace.
Lü Yun was nearby, keeping watch, and seeing the two of them engrossed in conversation, decided to leave.
"Why did you come out, Your Highness? Did you find the performances in the main hall unappealing?" Rong Zhen asked casually. He had never entertained any inappropriate thoughts about Concubine Ying, despite the fact that she fell in love with him after he saved her from the desert a few years ago. She had ended up becoming a concubine in the palace due to some twist of fate and had never forgotten about him.
"Don't you remember? I'm also from the desert. These performances don't mean much to me, and watching them for too long can get boring," Concubine Ying replied, smiling warmly, especially when looking at him.
"I almost forgot," Rong Zhen said, sitting by the lake and admiring the moon's reflection. It looked so unreal, as if it could be touched but never really grasped.
Concubine Ying's eyes lit up with hope and joy as she gazed at his back. "I remember when you saved me in the desert. You carried me on the back of a camel for days and nights. At that time, you were fearless and didn't seem to care about your own life. But after that, I never heard from you again, and I felt disappointed," she said.
"Your Highness, please do not misunderstand. I would have saved anyone in that situation, especially a powerless woman stranded in the desert. It would have been very dangerous for her."
Years had passed, and Rong zhen had long forgotten about the incident. However, Concubine Ying had remembered it all this time and took out a delicate embroidered sachet from her belongings.
"But before you left, you gave me this..." Concubine Ying's voice trailed off as she presented the sachet to Rong zhen.
"That was mine," Rongzhen replied, turning his head away and furrowing his eyebrows.
Concubine Ying's heart twisted painfully at his words. "Do you know that I kept this sachet close to me at all times, even when I was traveling? I prayed that you would come back someday, and now you're finally here. But you won't acknowledge what we have between us..."
Concubine Ying's face, usually fair and beautiful, was now contorted with sorrow. Her eyes had turned red, and tears streamed down her face. The Emperor had approached the pavilion, but neither of them noticed.
Gu Yunru stood beside the Emperor, watching the scene unfold. She felt a mix of emotions.
"Your Highness, please show some restraint. You are now the Emperor wife, and you should not indulge in unrealistic desires. It will not benefit you or me," Rong zhen said firmly, trying to leave. But Concubine Ying held onto his hand tightly, refusing to let go.
"Please don't leave me. Even if you just stay and talk with me for a little while, it would make me happy. You have no idea how I have survived in the palace all these years," Concubine Ying sobbed like a helpless child. Anyone witnessing this scene would be moved to pity.