Caiyu was startled. Then, seeing the familiar attire, she calmed down.
"Your Highness, the Prince of Qi!" Caiyu was overjoyed to see the innocent prince who had been missing for several days. "How are your injuries and His Highness the Prince of Zhou's?"
That night, she had caused the two princes to be severely beaten by Song Yinghuai on purpose. The guilt in her heart lingered.
Song Yongzhen plopped down on the opposite soft couch, threw off his mask, and said, "It's no fun. I didn't even scare you."
He pushed the grapes in front of her, indicating for her to taste them, and said, "Nine and I are men. Fights are quite common for us. Brother Four didn't really beat us seriously. We'll be as lively as ever after just a couple of days of rest. You don't need to worry."
Seeing that he was as lively as usual, Caiyu was sure that he was fine. The uneasiness in her heart finally faded away.
Her gaze fell on the big and plump grapes.
Grapes were not yet in large supply on the market. Especially those of such excellent varieties were even rarer.
Only the noble families and the royal family could enjoy them at this time.
Caiyu had been in the carriage for half a day. The dry autumn weather had made her almost suffer from heatstroke. If it weren't for her quarrel with Song Yinghuai, she wouldn't have been stuck in this stuffy carriage.
Now seeing the grapes, her mouth watered. Without hesitation, she picked up one and popped it into her mouth.
The sweet and sour juice burst in her mouth. Caiyu squinted her eyes in comfort and asked, "Why did you come to see me and bring this rare fruit? You're so thoughtful."
Song Yongzhen let out a couple of chuckles.
After being beaten by Brother Four, he didn't dare to show his affection even if he wanted to! If Brother Four hadn't allowed him to enter the carriage, he wouldn't have dared to come and visit.
Brother Four was such a person. He knew that Caiyu felt guilty towards them, but instead of coming to explain himself, he sent Song Yongzhen to prove that his injury had healed.
Look, now that Caiyu was in a good mood, she was popping grapes into her mouth one after another.
Song Yongzhen finally understood.
Brother Four was finding ways to please Miss Caiyu!
Song Yongzhen propped his palm on one side of his cheek and said with a smile, "These grapes are rare items tribute from the Western Regions. Not only are they not available among the common people, but even the noble families outside haven't had the chance to taste them. Only some were sent to the Queen. Brother Four is really something. He managed to get this rare fruit and gave it to you, a little maid."
Caiyu had a grape in her mouth. It was inconvenient to spit it out, and she was reluctant to swallow it.
So there was a bulge in her mouth, making her look like a little squirrel with a chestnut hidden in its mouth.
These were sent by Song Yinghuai...
Caiyu lowered her head sullenly and pushed the grape plate away. "I'm full. You can eat them."
Song Yongzhen quickly shook his head. "Brother Four said that it's hot and stuffy in the carriage, and you're prone to heatstroke. These grapes were specially found for you. If I dared to steal even one, he'd knock out my front teeth!"
Caiyu curled her lips. "He's always so overbearing. I really hate it."
Song Yongzhen clicked his tongue twice and shook his head. "Brother Four has been in the army since he was young. He's used to giving orders and everyone has to follow them. Besides, he's a prince. He's really been overbearing for a long time... But he's not overbearing to you at all, okay?"
"Look at how Brother Four beat Nine and me that night, and then look at how he couldn't bear to beat you..." Song Yongzhen sighed. "You're really blind to your own situation."
"Brother Four isn't being overbearing to you. He's just too jealous, too concerned about you, and has too strong a possessive desire... Miss Caiyu, think it over carefully. Don't let a Sheng Jiangli cause so many conflicts between you two."
It had to be said that although Song Yongzhen usually looked silly, he really knew a thing or two about dealing with girls and matters of the heart.
What he said made a lot of sense.
It was a pity that he didn't know what Caiyu had experienced after he and Song Boming left that night.
The mental humiliation was so painful that even thinking about it now made her tremble with fear.
Moreover, the smell of ink on her lower back, which was sometimes carried by the autumn wind, always reminded her of the humiliation of being stripped naked and forced to write on the table that day.
Song Yongzhen wanted to persuade her some more, but suddenly met Caiyu's gradually cold eyes. The hair on his body stood on end.
Why did his persuasion make her angry instead?
This was an unprecedented experience.
Forced by the situation, Song Yongzhen had no choice but to slink out of the carriage.
There were a large number of people in the convoy, and Wen Zilong was among them.
The Crown Prince, Song Chengyuan, had brought Lü Baiwei with him again. When Wen Zilong entered the carriage, Song Chengyuan was lying on the soft couch, and Lü Baiwei was kneeling in front of the couch to serve him.
Seeing Wen Zilong come in, Song Chengyuan kicked Lü Baiwei aside with his foot and said, "Now you have to reflect on yourself. Father is disappointed in you. If you don't find a way to change Father's opinion of you, your position as the Minister of War will be in danger."
Wen Zilong anxiously pleaded for advice. "I hope Your Highness can give me some pointers."
The Crown Prince sat up from the soft couch, hooked his finger to signal him to come closer, and whispered, "That sneaky Fourth Brother recommended an old monk named Master Guangzhi to Father. Father highly respects him now. That old monk said that there's a nine - colored deer in Mulan Mountain. If we can hunt it and offer it to Mother as a mascot for her ascension to immortality, Father will surely be overjoyed."
Wen Zilong suddenly understood. "I understand, Your Highness. I'll definitely hunt the nine - colored deer this time!"
After Wen Zilong left, Song Chengyuan grabbed Lü Baiwei, who was kneeling beside him, and scolded, "What were you eavesdropping on just now? When men are discussing matters, why don't you cover your ears as a woman?"
Lü Baiwei's scalp hurt badly from being grabbed. She let out a series of pitiful cries. "Your Highness, it's not that I wanted to listen. It's just that the carriage is too small. I accidentally heard it..."
"You think my carriage is too small?" Song Chengyuan was furious. "I'm the Crown Prince of the current dynasty, and you actually think I'm not grand enough? Do you think the carriages in my Fourth Brother's mansion are more spacious and imposing?"
"Your Highness, that's not what I meant..." Song Chengyuan was just nitpicking and looking for trouble.
Lü Baiwei knelt on the carpet and cried. "I was wrong. I didn't cover my ears tightly enough..."
Song Chengyuan kicked her out of the carriage. "Get out! Don't stay in my carriage. You're so annoying!"
Lü Baiwei was pushed and fell out of the carriage.
The carriage behind Song Chengyuan's was the one from the Prince of Yan's mansion, the one Caiyu was in.
After Lü Baiwei was thrown out, her back hit the bottom of Caiyu's carriage. She let out a miserable cry. The coachman panicked and tightened the reins.
Caiyu felt the unusual movement in the carriage and quickly lifted the curtain to check.
She saw Lü Baiwei lying in front of the carriage. Her face was pale, and her forehead was covered with beads of sweat. She was curled up like a shrimp and groaning.
"What's going on?" Caiyu frowned and asked.
The coachman replied with a pale face. "It wasn't my intention, Miss. Lady Lü suddenly rolled out of the carriage in front. I didn't have time to rein in the horses..."
Caiyu glanced at the long convoy behind and then at Lü Baiwei, who was lying on the ground half - dead.
She couldn't let one person hold up the whole group, could she?
Moreover, this person had indeed hit her carriage. Even though she didn't like her, she still had to revive her first.
"Help her up!" Caiyu said decisively.
The coachman responded, jumped out of the carriage, helped Lü Baiwei into the carriage, and then set off again.
This little incident didn't attract the attention of the carriages in front or behind.
The journey continued as usual.
Caiyu looked at Lü Baiwei, who was lying in the carriage and taking up half of her space. Her pupils were cold. After a long time, she said, "Lady Lü, there's no need to pretend to be asleep anymore. I saw your eyeballs moving."
When it came to pretending to be asleep, she was the master.
Back in Yanjing, when she pretended to be asleep, Song Yinghuai saw through her at a glance.
It was based on this very reason.
Lü Baiwei remained motionless and continued to pretend to be dead.
She had no choice but to pretend. Song Chengyuan had kicked her out of the carriage. Song Yinghuai and the others were riding in the front and were long out of sight.
The carriages behind were all occupied by the noble ladies from the aristocratic families. But the ones who came today were all of high status in their families, and each had her own carriage. Those noble ladies were so proud that none of them would be willing to share a carriage with a concubine like her.
The remaining carriages were for the servants. Lü Baiwei couldn't bring herself to climb into a servant's carriage.
So there was only Caiyu left.
Although she was a servant, her carriage was spacious, luxurious, and as stable as walking on flat ground.
It was the most suitable carriage for her to hitch a ride on!