Chapter 15
The anticipation Li Qianqian had felt when she came vanished because Rong Yang had left the residence.
After Rong Yang married, Li Qianqian had not seen her again. During that time, Rong Yang had wanted to meet her several times, but Li Qianqian had refused each time. Later, Rong Yang sought her out less often, and Li Qianqian was happy for the peace and quiet.
She did not like Rong Yang, but she liked being pursued and held up by others.
Today, she had come to find her only because she had no choice.
“Let’s go in.”
Just as they reached the entrance, they were stopped by the guards.
“How dare you! You even dare stop our miss!” Qingluo scolded sharply.
It seemed she was treating this place as if it were the Minister’s residence.
Hearing the commotion, Mama Sun walked out and said respectfully, “Miss Li, the princess is not in the residence.”
“Can’t I go in and wait for her?” Li Qianqian asked.
“Then please wait at the entrance for a moment. This old servant will first go report to the princess consort.” After Mama Sun bowed slightly, she left.
Li Qianqian froze.
Report?
In the past, whenever she came here, she had never needed to report to anyone.
She keenly sensed something.
Princess consort?
Hadn’t Rong Yang said that woman was merely an object forced onto her by the palace?
Hadn’t she said she would make that woman live in the Princess’s residence worse than an ordinary servant?
Yet now, for Li Qianqian to enter this gate, she actually needed that woman’s permission!
Rong Yang, how capable of you.
Today, she was determined to wait until Rong Yang returned.
Before long, Mama Sun came back.
“The princess consort invites you to wait in the main hall.”
Li Qianqian furrowed her brows slightly. In the past, she had gone directly to Jinxiu Hall. Now, she was actually only allowed to stay in the guest hall.
The main hall was extremely quiet. There were only the footsteps of Li Qianqian and Qingluo.
The two sat for quite a while, and not even a cup of tea was served.
Outside the carriage window, rain began falling again. The summer here seemed especially fond of rain. The pattering raindrops fell onto the carriage roof, making dull sounds.
Rong Yang liked rain and liked watching it. For some reason, she became slightly lost in thought and looked out the window.
“Princess, Mingxuan Pavilion has arrived,” Chunxi’s voice sounded.
Rong Yang adjusted her veil. This time, she had come to Mingxuan Pavilion after learning that three pieces of blade- and spear-proof golden-thread soft armor would be auctioned.
The original book had mentioned that the empress died from an arrow wound. Rong Yang did not know why, but ever since parting with her last time, she felt a trace of regret toward that proud and solitary empress.
If that rebellion was destined to exist, then she could only do what little she could in places others could not see.
Now that the empress’s birthday banquet was approaching, this was also the birthday gift Rong Yang planned to present to her.
Mingxuan Pavilion had a plaque made of luminous pearls. Even during the day, it gave off a faint glow. There were three floors in total. The first floor was a pawnshop, but not an ordinary pawnshop. It did not accept common gold, silver, or ordinary objects. It only accepted special and rare treasures. As long as Mingxuan Pavilion took a liking to something, one could name any price.
The second floor was Baixiao Pavilion. As its name suggested, it knew a hundred matters. But the price of buying even one piece of information here was not something an ordinary person could afford.
The third floor displayed all kinds of collections, gathering novel, rare, and precious treasures from various countries for honored guests to choose from. Those who could enter the third floor were no ordinary people.
Rong Yang said to the approaching shopkeeper, “The Heavenly Garden on the third floor…”
The shopkeeper hurriedly lowered his head and bent at the waist to respectfully welcome Rong Yang, leading her up to the third floor through a quiet, spacious staircase.
Half an hour later, there was a light knock on the door. Chunxi opened it and saw that it was a young servant from the pavilion. The servant said softly, “Honored guest, the auction is about to begin. Please follow me to the venue.”
As the group stepped into the venue, the originally quiet hall instantly became noisy.
“Welcome, honored guests, to Mingxuan Pavilion.” Shopkeeper Chen spoke with a face full of smiles, neither humble nor arrogant.
Then he clapped his hands twice. Several dozen luminous pearls above the venue had their coverings removed, instantly making the venue as bright as day.
Rong Yang raised her brows. Who said luminous pearls were hard to find in ancient times?
In the Kingdom of Yong, they seemed like ordinary objects.
The hall was splendid and magnificent. Shopkeeper Chen clapped three more times, and twelve dancers in colorful clothes stepped lightly into the venue in dance.
“Honored guests, the ruby held by dancer number one comes from a western country closest to the sky.”
“Its color is vivid red, fine, and smooth. Under the illumination of the luminous pearls, its beauty is beyond compare.”
“The starting price is one hundred taels of gold!”
…
“In dancer number five’s hands is a piece of golden-thread soft armor that blades and spears cannot pierce. Honored guests, please look.”
After watching for so long, Rong Yang finally waited for this item to be auctioned.
Shopkeeper Chen called over a guard and had him put on the cloth armor. Then he ordered another guard to raise a blade and slash at the guard wearing it.
The blade struck the position covered by the cloth armor, and the guard was indeed unharmed. Several more slashes followed, all without any injury.
After the demonstration ended, Shopkeeper Chen had the guard remove his outer robe for everyone to inspect. There was not the slightest wound on the guard’s body.
“This soft armor is as thin as cicada wings. When worn, it is as light and convenient as ordinary clothing. There are three pieces in total. The overall starting price is one hundred taels of gold.”
Rong Yang signaled for Chunxi to bid.
“Three hundred taels of gold.”
“Four hundred taels of gold.”
“Six hundred taels of gold.”
Rong Yang glanced around. There were quite a few people bidding. She signaled for Chunxi to raise the price.
“One thousand taels of gold.”
“Two thousand taels of gold.”
There were twelve auction items in total, and this was only the fifth. There were still other treasures later. As the price grew higher and higher, upon hearing two thousand taels, some people who did not absolutely need the item stopped bidding.
Shopkeeper Chen cleared his throat. “Two thousand taels of gold once, two thousand taels twice…”
“Three thousand taels of gold,” Chunxi said.
In the end, Rong Yang won the three pieces of golden-thread soft armor and a fine inkstone. The inkstone would be useful to Su Yao. According to the plot, after the empress’s birthday banquet, Su Yao would find an opportunity to propose going to Donglin Academy.
Just after noon, the sun came out. The blue sky was clear after the rain, and the air faintly carried a bit of heat.
When Rong Yang stepped through the residence gates, she learned that Li Qianqian had been waiting in the main hall for the entire morning.
Rong Yang furrowed her brows slightly. Since Li Qianqian had come to the residence to request an audience, repeatedly refusing to meet her would not fit the persona. Then she would meet her. She wanted to see what was so different about the woman the original owner had foolishly liked.
“Summon her to Jinxiu Hall.”
“Yes.”
When Li Qianqian arrived at Jinxiu Hall, she ignored the guards blocking her at the door and walked straight into the inner hall.
From the looks of it, she was quite angry.
At a glance, Li Qianqian saw Rong Yang sitting in the main seat.
The woman leaned lazily against the high seat. A long black-and-white robe fell over her body, like a cold moon over a clear river.
Her gaze was incomparably calm. When she looked at Li Qianqian, it was like a cold blade being drawn from its sheath.
The instant she saw her, all the words Li Qianqian had wanted to shout were swallowed back down.
Rong Yang did not say a word and simply looked at her quietly.
Finally, Li Qianqian blinked. Tears filled her eyes as she looked toward Rong Yang. Unable to control them, large drops rolled down her face. Then she slowly lowered her head, putting on a pitiful appearance.
“Why are you being so cold to me?”
“Do you know I waited for you all morning?”
She was very clever. Within a short moment, seeing that the situation was not favorable, she changed her mood.
Her crying was very soft and did not irritate the listener.
“What is it?” Rong Yang looked at her lightly, her voice cool.
Just this short sentence was full of coldness. Li Qianqian’s heart could not help trembling. Rong Yang’s attitude toward her was very different.
Was Rong Yang angry that she had ignored her all these years?
Or was she playing hard to get?
“It’s only that I haven’t seen you for a long time, so I came to see you.”
She stopped her tears, helplessly twisting the handkerchief in her hands. As she said pleasant words, she silently observed Rong Yang’s expression.
“How rare,” Rong Yang said with light mockery.
Rong Yang examined the woman before her. Which part of this appearance could compare to the female lead?
Li Qianqian smiled bitterly through her tears. “I know you’re angry with me. It was my fault. Every time you came to find me, it wasn’t that I truly didn’t want to see you. It was only because of my father’s strict authority that I had no choice but to keep you at a distance.”
Rong Yang said, “I don’t remember so much of the past. If you came today to say these things, then there is really no need.”
Li Qianqian lightly bit her lips and lowered her eyes slightly, her voice full of tenderness.
“Do you now… not want to see me at all?”
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