Caiyu stood there, looking a bit dazed.
Perhaps it was because she had endured torture and stayed up all night, or maybe she was shocked by Sheng Jiangli's performance just now. She didn't even notice Song Yinghuai's anger.
She stood there blankly, thinking to herself:
Where was the high - spirited Brother A Li she remembered?
The man who had just flattered and groveled before a eunuch was nothing like the Brother A Li in her memory.
What had changed him so much?
After Song Yinghuai finished speaking, he was surprised to find that Caiyu had actually dared to ignore him!
Not only did she ignore him, but she also didn't even try to hide the longing in her eyes as she stared at Sheng Jiangli's back!
It had only been eight days since he left! Just eight days!
Had she already set her sights on someone else?
Song Yinghuai glared at her coldly. His usually cold and handsome face was now tinged with anger. He tightened his grip on the Buddhist beads around his wrist, almost breaking them again. He gritted his teeth and said in a cold voice,
"Lan Caiyu!"
The icy voice hit Caiyu's ears like ice hitting jade, jolting her awake.
Caiyu quickly looked up and met Song Yinghuai's cold, bottomless eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Your Highness? This servant..."
She murmured, then lowered her head in fear, feeling that she was in big trouble.
What had Song Yinghuai just asked her?
Song Yinghuai caught his breath sharply!
She really hadn't heard what he was saying!
This was the first time since she entered the mansion that this girl had ignored his words!
She... really was daring!
An indescribable feeling of suffocation clogged Song Yinghuai's chest.
Before he could even figure out his own emotions, a strange sense of bitterness welled up inside him, like a seed that had been buried deep in his heart for a long time, suddenly breaking through the soil and growing rapidly. It spread like wild vines, covering his heart in a dense web.
Then, like a flood breaking through a dam, the bitterness welled up in his eyes, almost overwhelming him.
Caiyu hung her head for a long time. Feeling the air pressure around her drop, she had no choice but to look up again.
She knew that Song Yinghuai was always domineering, and she had just ignored his words. He must be very angry.
Helplessly, she quickly adjusted her mindset.
Suddenly, she swayed on her feet. Her eyes were full of exhaustion. She raised her head, and her delicate skin, as smooth as mutton - fat jade, looked even paler in the morning sunlight. Her lips were bloodless, and her voice was as soft as a spring breeze.
"Your Highness, please forgive this servant. I felt dizzy and my body ached just now, so I was distracted..."
She bit her almost bloodless lips. Her eyes quickly filled with mist. She looked both pitiful and stubborn. She didn't say a word about the grievances she had suffered from Jiang Jinyue yesterday, but at the same time, she was constantly reminding Song Yinghuai -
She was injured now.
All because of his cousin!
All because he had left Yanjing!
Here she goes again.
Song Yinghuai's eyebrows twitched.
Even though he knew she was pretending, he always couldn't help but be touched and softened.
He stood in front of Caiyu, silent. He just tightened his grip on the Buddhist beads, his face showing a cold and aloof restraint.
After a moment, his turbulent emotions subsided, and he finally said calmly,
"Go back. You don't need to serve in the dining hall."
Caiyu quickly responded and quickly retreated.
She wasn't deliberately pretending to be weak. After all, which woman could withstand being beaten all night and then having to stand?
Even if Jiang Jinyue didn't have much strength, and even if Caiyu was usually in good health, the whip had been dipped in salt water after all.
She really couldn't hold on.
As soon as Caiyu relaxed, she suddenly felt a dull pain and dizziness in her forehead.
She might have a fever.
The last time she had a high fever, Xiangye had taken care of her. This time, Xiangye had fainted, and Han Fen had gone to take care of her.
There were Suier and the others in the outer courtyard, but Caiyu had returned to the side hall of the inner courtyard. Everyone was busy preparing food at this moment. Calling someone to take care of her would just be a bother.
Caiyu simply wrung out a handkerchief and placed it on her forehead, then lay down on the bed.
She had planned to change the handkerchief every once in a while, but as soon as she lay down, she was so exhausted that she fell into a drowsy sleep without knowing how.
Some time later, it started to rain outside.
The crabapple flowers in the courtyard swayed weakly in the long - lasting wind, their petals trembling under the onslaught of the wind and rain.
When Song Yinghuai entered the dining hall, a fine drizzle happened to fall on his back.
The cold raindrops seeped through his black - gold robe and into his back.
A gust of wind blew, and he entered the hall with a chill around him.
Huang Shan's hands were wandering over Jiang Jinyue's body inappropriately.
After all, Jiang Jinyue was the niece of Concubine Yao, so Huang Shan didn't dare to be too presumptuous. When Jiang Jinyue whimpered and resisted, his face darkened, and he pushed her to the side.
Zhu Xiao and Fang Kuan, who were sitting at the table as guests, were already impatient. They just drank their tea in silence and ignored Huang Shan and Sheng Jiangli.
When they saw Song Yinghuai come in, Huang Shan's face turned even colder. He said in a sarcastic tone,
"Oh? This servant has never seen a host who arrives later than the guests. Your Highness is truly a precious person. This servant can't afford to offend you!"
Facing Huang Shan's accusation, Song Yinghuai remained calm. He sat down directly and then said with a gentle smile,
"Your Excellency is joking. You are already sitting in the host's seat, so you are the master of this banquet. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
It turned out that Huang Shan had deliberately sat in the host's seat to embarrass Song Yinghuai, but he didn't expect Song Yinghuai to turn the tables on him with a few words.
Huang Shan was taken aback for a moment, then snorted and fell silent.
The atmosphere seemed a bit cold.
Song Yinghuai seemed to be in a bad mood and didn't plan to indulge Huang Shan. He just nodded and told the cooks and servants to serve the food, then fell into a strange silence again.
Sheng Jiangli propped his chin on his right hand. Listening to Jiang Jinyue's sobbing, he remembered the scene of Caiyu making a funny face just now. He found Jiang Jinyue really annoying.
"Have you cried enough?" Sheng Jiangli asked Jiang Jinyue rudely.
His other hand was resting on the table, tapping gently. He was extremely impatient.
He had thought that Caiyu would come with Song Yinghuai, but his hope had been dashed, so his mood wasn't very good either.
Jiang Jinyue was stunned by his straightforward question and replied blankly,
"E - enough..."
"If you've had enough, serve Lord Huang his meal!" Sheng Jiangli snapped impatiently.
At this time, the servants had already served the dishes on the table.
Without Caiyu's help, the table full of vegetarian dishes looked dull and unappetizing. The vegetables were just vegetables, and the soup was just soup.
Huang Shan, who was used to eating rich and greasy food, looked at these tasteless and unappetizing dishes and felt nauseous. He flew into a rage.
"Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, this servant has traveled two thousand miles from the capital to here. Is this how you treat me? Cold soup and cold rice, without a single bit of fat?"
Song Yinghuai finally spoke. There was still a calm smile on his lips.
"Your Excellency is overreacting."
"Your Excellency was ordered to set off from the capital and head north. Did the Emperor and the Crown Prince give you any instructions?"
Sheng Jiangli frowned. He had a feeling that Huang Shan was going to be in trouble.
Huang Shan was stunned for a moment. He instinctively bowed towards the sky and blurted out, "Naturally. The Emperor and the Crown Prince instructed this servant to inspect the people's livelihood on behalf of the Emperor along the way and to experience the people's hardships."
"Exactly." Song Yinghuai nodded and pointed at the vegetarian dishes on the table. "Our Yan region is a harsh and cold place. The common people save every bit they can, and the soldiers often go hungry. But they still guard the border to defend against the enemy and serve the country loyally."
"I've been a vegetarian for seven years. Besides mourning the thirty - thousand soldiers who died in the Battle of Nawuerhai, I also want to show the people and soldiers of the Yan region that I, Song Yinghuai, can lead by example and save every bit I can. All I want is for our army to be strong and powerful one day so that we can recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun!"
"Your Excellency, please experience this so - called real people's livelihood and take my words back to the capital."
Song Yinghuai's voice wasn't very loud, but it was like the sound of a sharp sword being drawn from its scabbard, echoing in everyone's ears!
It made everyone look serious.
Even Sheng Jiangli put away his careless look and became solemn.
Although Huang Shan remained unmoved, he had to take this shabby banquet seriously.
He squinted his eyes slightly, and no one knew what he was thinking.