Who says sleep is not spiritual practice?

Chapter 269 I want to go out of the palace, go to the north gate, and pick up the prince
The woman in the red dress is none other than Jing Li, Princess of Chu State.

It is also Lichun, the eldest maid of Ziyanyuan.

And the middle-aged woman who was bound by chains was her biological mother, the jewel in the palm of the Murong family, Murong Yao.

She is the younger sister of the present Empress Murong Jin.

It was also the stupid woman who had worshiped a remnant of the former dynasty as her teacher when she was ten years old, and then seduced the emperor Jing Hong with her beauty when she entered the palace to meet her sister and intended to assassinate her.

On that day, Murong Yao's assassination failed, but the seduction was successful, and she became pregnant with Lichun afterwards.

Assassinating the emperor is a capital crime. The elders of the Jing family wanted to kill Murong Yao as a warning to others, but they were obstructed by the empress Murong Jin and the emperor Jing Hong, so they were just thrown into the cold palace and locked up.

There are no maids and eunuchs in the cold palace, but an old lady will bring food and water for the day every day, and a set of clean clothes every three or five days. Empress Murong Jin will also visit once a month. So I can't die.

From the time Jing Li could remember, until she was 11 years old, she stayed in the Bingfeng Palace and never took a step outside.

Because the old nanny who delivered food always warned her that after she went out, she would leave her mother and never come back.

but……

At the age of 11, Empress Murongjin took her away on her own initiative. Not only did she leave this cold palace, but she also left the capital city. She took a carriage for half a month to the Jubei Palace to work as a maid for a seven-year-old sick son. .

When leaving, Jing Li didn't cry.

She was already tired of the days in the cold palace, and also tired of this crazy and poor woman in the cold palace.

In the Jubei Palace, in the Ziyan Courtyard, the sick man gave himself a new name, Lichun.

She loves it.

Not just the name.

The 12 years in Ziyanyuan were Jingli's favorite years, except that the monthly salary was not enough and her son's reputation was notorious, she had no other worries.

Sometimes she thinks, if she stays by the sick man's side all the time, marrying a wife and having children with him, it seems not bad to be an idle rich man for the rest of her life. Be a big maid for a lifetime.

But not long ago, the great eunuch Yan Songyu came to the palace and took her back to the capital by the emperor's order.

It was only then that Jing Li remembered that she actually did not belong to the palace.

She belongs to the cold palace.

Returning to this deserted palace again, Jing Li didn't have a smile on her face.

She hadn't seen her biological mother Murong Yao for 12 years. She thought that this reunion would make her burst into tears. The mother and daughter cried and complained to each other about their grievances.

But unfortunately, no.

Facing the woman in front of her who has been chained for more than 20 years, Jing Li felt affectionate, grateful, unable to let go, but also puzzled, disappointed, and resentful...

"Are you... Ali?"

"Is it Ali?"

At this time, when Murong Yao saw Jing Li, a gleam of light suddenly appeared in her eyes, as if she had found a ray of light in the endless darkness.

But soon, this ray of light dimmed again:
"You, why did you come back?"

"No, you shouldn't have come back!"

"It's dangerous here! The old dogs of the Jing clan will kill you!"

Jing Li walked up to Murong Yao with the pot in her hands, squatted down, put the pot aside first, and then cupped the other's cheeks with both hands:
"Mom, you've lost weight."

"Also old."

Murong Yao broke down in sobs, tears streaming down her face.

Jing Li took out rouge, gouache, and dressing tools from her sleeve, first gently wiped off the already smeared makeup on the other party's face with a handkerchief, and then whispered softly as if coaxing a child:

"Mom, stop crying."

"You keep crying, how can I make up for you?"

Murong Yao nodded vigorously, but she still couldn't control her tears, and it took a long time to calm down.

Jing Li held her cheek all the time, and waited until she stopped crying, then began to wipe away the tears and apply rouge and gouache for the other party.

"Mother, 12 years ago, I was taken to the north by my aunt and became the servant girl of the fourth prince who rejected the king of the north. Do you know about this?"

Murong Yao's eyes were loving, she kept staring at Jing Li, without moving away for a moment:

"I know, my sister talked with me about this matter, if I hadn't agreed, how could I have behaved so calmly when you left that day?"

"calm?"

Jing Li chuckled lightly:
"I clearly remember that my mother was crying heartbreakingly at that time, but I didn't shed a single tear. Instead, I felt that it was a blessing to get out of this prison."

Murong Yao blamed herself all over her face:
"Ah Li, mother is sorry for you."

"Mother, there are only two people who can't forgive me in my life, one is you, the other is the teacher..."

"Don't mention that person!"

Jing Li paused, and interrupted coldly:
"Mom, do you know what I hate about you the most?"

"It's not that you insisted on giving birth to me to suffer with you in the cold palace, and it's not that you, as the queen's own sister, were plotted against and assassinated the emperor by the remnants of the previous dynasty! It's that after you were locked in the cold palace, you didn't want to think about how to get out, Take me to live a normal life, but keep talking about your useless teacher over and over again!"

"Ah Li, you are not allowed to say that about the teacher!"

Murong Yao lowered her face:

"Teacher, he... is not trash!"

Jing Li sneered:
"Not trash?"

"If it wasn't trash, why did he seduce you, a woman, to assassinate the emperor? Why didn't he go to Beijing to kill Jing Hong himself? Why did he hide behind the scenes and refuse to show up? to see you once?"

"You respect him as a teacher and never forget him, but what about him?"

"In his eyes, you are just a tool!"

"A tool that is thrown away after use!"

As soon as these words came out, Murong Yao pushed Jing Li away with force.

At the same time, the makeup brush drew a red mark on her face, like a bleeding wound, adding a bit of desolation to her.

"say no more!"

"Teacher, he has difficulties!"

"He bears the last sliver of luck of the Yue Kingdom. Once he enters Beijing and perishes, it means that the vigor of the former dynasty is exhausted, and millions of Yue people will lose hope and faith!"

"So, he can't show up, he can only hide behind the scenes, and he can't even let people know his name!"

Murong Yao looked at Jing Li, and there was a trace of strangeness in her eyes:
"A Li, you have changed!"

"You never asked about the teacher before!"

"Did Jing Hong tell you something? Did he ask you to interrogate me about the teacher?"

"No, I won't say it! I won't betray the teacher!"

"You go, you go!"

"Go back to the Jubei Palace, go back to your sick son, and be an obedient maid for the rest of your life, okay?"

"Mother, please!"

Jing Li laughed at herself:
"Go back? I want to go back too!"

"But do I have a choice?"

"Mother, from the moment I was in your belly, I was doomed to have an involuntary life in this life!"

Murong Yao was slightly taken aback:
"how come?"

"My sister promised me! She said she would settle you down, and she also brought Jing Hong's attitude. My business has nothing to do with you. After all, you are Jing Hong's biological daughter. He promised to make you comfortable and comfortable for the rest of your life." No worries!"

Jing Li glanced at her coldly:
"So I am really His Majesty's biological daughter?"

"Heh, since you were a child, the word 'teacher' appeared a hundred times more than 'Jing Hong'! So much so that I always thought that man was my biological father!"

"you……"

Murong Yao struggled angrily, the sound of the iron chain shaking echoed endlessly in the cold palace:
"How can you humiliate the teacher like this?"

"Teacher has great ambitions! He vowed that he would not marry a wife and have children unless he regained the Yue Kingdom in his life!"

Jing Li sighed softly, and looked at Murong Yao with pitiful eyes:
"Mom, I think you are crazy."

She took out a handkerchief to wipe off the red marks on the other person's face, and then added the rest of the makeup.

This time, Murong Yao didn't choose to be noisy, but acted very well-behaved.

Because she thinks what Jing Li said is right.

I am indeed crazy.

Any woman who has been locked in the cold palace for more than [-] years will go crazy.

If it weren't for the obsession in her heart, she would have already become a complete lunatic!

After finishing putting on Murong Yao's makeup, Jing Li put the makeup tools into her sleeves one by one, then took out the jade comb and hairpin, and began to comb the other's messy long hair.

After doing all this, she picked up the pot beside her and slowly stood up.

"All right."

"After so many years, my mother's beauty is still amazing. Even a woman like me is jealous. No wonder His Majesty was successfully seduced by you back then."

"..."

Murong Yao didn't understand what it meant:
"Ali, what are you going to do?"

"Do nothing."

Jing Li lowered her head and glanced at the koi in the clay pot, a trace of helplessness flashed in her eyes.

The next moment, she turned around and left.

"A Li! A Li!"

Seeing this, Murong Yao panicked.

Her intuition told her that something bad must have happened, that's why her daughter came to the cold palace to dress herself up.

"Could it be that sister and Jing Hong can't protect you anymore?"

"Is that group of old dogs from the Jing clan trying to take your life?"

"Don't be afraid, Ah Li! Go tell them, let them come to mother!"

"Mother, go and die for you!"

"All the crimes were committed by my mother, you are innocent!"

Murong Yao kept shaking the iron chain and at the same time let out a hoarse roar.

But Jing Li didn't look back.

Holding the clay pot, she walked out step by step, gritting her teeth, tears dripping from the corners of her eyes.

On the side, the little eunuch, who had lowered his head and made no sound from the beginning to the end, saw this scene, and a trace of distress flashed in his eyes.

After Jing Li walked out of the palace gate, he glanced coldly at Murong Yao, and said two words:

"Your Majesty has a decree that Princess Jingli will marry Mr. Fan Yu from Jixia Academy tomorrow!"

"Her Royal Highness had been procrastinating and refusing to agree, but Her Majesty demanded the life of the owner of the Ice Phoenix Hall, so Her Highness had no choice but to agree!"

After saying a few words, the little eunuch hurriedly caught up with Jing Li with a lantern and led him along the way.

In the palace, Murong Yao's eyes were dull and she was at a loss.

Now she finally understood.

According to the customs of the Chu people, on the day a daughter gets married, her mother should dress her up, but she is currently tied up and cannot do all this.

So it was Jing Li who dressed her up.

"Mr. Fan Yu from Jixia Academy..."

"That should be a talented person who is well-known in the capital, right? It seems that Jing Hong and his sister have found a good match for Ah Li."

"But why is Ah Li unwilling to marry? Silly girl!"

Murong Yao lowered her head.

Her beautiful face was reflected on the mirror-like floor, just like when she first entered the palace more than [-] years ago, it was astonishing.

"Teacher, I remember that you personally put on my makeup on the day I entered the palace."

"You praised me for being good-looking at the time, saying that you couldn't get enough of it in a lifetime."

"If you haven't seen Xiaoyao in the past twenty years, you must be very sad and blame yourself?"

"Actually, there is no need, because Xiao Yao never blamed you!"

……

After walking out of Bingfeng Palace, Jing Li walked towards her palace under the guidance of the little eunuch.

After returning to the capital this time, Jing Hong gave her a "Yaoyun Palace".

It is said to be a reward, but it also has the intention of house arrest.

If she hadn't promised to marry Fan Yu, she might not be able to go to Bingfeng Palace to see Murong Yao tonight.

Speaking of Fan Yu, Jing Li has heard the name mentioned countless times by the maids and eunuchs beside him in the past month. He is the number one prince of the Chu Kingdom. It is unanimously believed that there is hope to become the next sacrificial wine of Jixia Academy!
In addition, this person is not only handsome, but also gentle and gentle, and treats others kindly. He has never been married so far, and there is no rumor that he has done anything degrading to the gentleman.

Do you want to say dirty...

That is, his teacher named Cheng Zhe barely counted as one.

There are rumors that Cheng Zhe was originally a down-and-out painter. His family was poor and he relied on his wife to weave and embroider for him to practice painting. However, after he had an epiphany, he abandoned his original wife and married a righteous daughter of Emperor Jinghong as his wife!

On the day of marriage, the original wife hanged herself wearing a jade bracelet that can be bought in the market!
However, Cheng Zhe's personal affairs had little to do with Fan Yu, and Fan Yu was studying in the capital and had always been alone without a wife.

So to be honest, marrying Fan Yu can be said to be the dream of countless women in the capital!Including the daughters of many dignitaries and even several prostitutes of Jing Hong, they secretly agree with him!
When they learned that the emperor intends to marry Jing Li to this person, they all gritted their teeth angrily, filled with jealousy.

But Jing Li didn't want to marry!
She will either not marry in this life, or if she wants to marry, she can only marry the man who has lived with her for 12 years!
But unfortunately, she had no choice.

Because Jing Hong threatened Murong Yao's life, but she couldn't just watch her biological mother Murong Yao die because of her!

"Yan Gao."

On the way, Jing Li suddenly stopped and called the little eunuch's name.

"Your Highness, the servant is here."

The little eunuch lowered his head with a submissive expression.

Jing Li looked to the north and asked:
"Do you know when the heir of the Prince of the North will enter Beijing?"

The young eunuch named Yan Gao said frankly:
"If there are no accidents, we should arrive at the North Gate by tomorrow evening."

Jing Li frowned:

"What if there is an accident?"

The little eunuch sighed:
"If there is an accident, it's uncertain. Maybe it will happen the day after tomorrow, maybe it will happen the day after tomorrow, maybe..."

"It will never arrive."

Jing Li was stunned for a moment:
"What do you mean by that? What do you mean never arrive?"

"That is His Majesty's heir of the Prince of Rejecting the North!"

"..."

The little eunuch was silent.

He believed that with Jing Li's intelligence, he would be able to sort out the complexity.

Sure enough, Jing Li didn't ask any more questions, but just stood there and thought quietly.

After a while, she suddenly said:
"Yan Gao."

"I want to leave the palace, go to the north gate, and pick up the son."

The little eunuch looked troubled:
"Your Highness, tomorrow is a big day for you and Mr. Fan Yu!"

Jing Li said coldly:
"Your Majesty only said that we will get married tomorrow, but he didn't say that it must be during the day! When we see the prince, it is not against the decree to marry at night!"

"Yan Gao, help me!"

"I know you have a way."

The little eunuch smiled wryly, but finally nodded:
"Okay, Your Highness."

"I try my best."

(End of this chapter)