His black robe was as dark as ink, not a speck of dust on it. His skin was cold and pale, but his lips were naturally bright red. A tiny cinnabar mole was on the outer corner of his left eye. Even when he didn't smile, it looked as if he was smiling, which was rather eerie.
With his hands behind his back, he slowly walked closer.
His fair and slender fingers landed on the railing. With a gentle shake, the harsh cracking sound rang out again.
Cui Jintang complained, "Why are you like a ghost?"
It's really scary.
"Miss Cui," his gaze was scrutinizing, "you just said 'as expected'."
"You knew the stage would collapse."
Cui Jintang remained calm, "You forgot. I have good eyesight. I saw from afar that the railing was a bit skewed."
"So many people have passed through the Yanqiu Gate, yet no one noticed. It seems Miss Cui does have excellent eyesight."
Cui Jintang took a step closer to him and looked him straight in the eye, "Are you interrogating me?"
Pei Zhaolin frowned and took a step back, "Miss Cui, please behave yourself."
Just as the atmosphere turned tense, Luo Xiang suddenly appeared with two cups of wine, "Zhaolin!"
The two of them instinctively looked over.
After seeing Luo Xiang's outfit today, Cui Jintang showed a bit of confusion.
She was wearing a moon - white long gown. The collar and cuffs were edged with a very pale lilac. There were no water sleeves, just a layer of soft gauze at the cuffs, which looked like a mist when she walked.
She had a silver - gray silk sash around her waist with a small jade plum blossom pendant hanging from it, swaying with every movement.
If Cui Jintang remembered correctly, this should be the costume of the female character in "Mao Zipei Breaks into the Palace", right?
A pair of childhood sweethearts were separated by the emperor. After many twists and turns, they almost ended up in different worlds, but finally got back together.
Cui Jintang was irritated and laughed.
Was she being compared to that emperor who stole someone's love?
"No wonder Lord Pei was so eager to question me just now. So you were worried that I would do something to your sweetheart?"
She gave Pei Zhaolin a fierce look.
Pei Zhaolin: "?"
Luo Xiang gently handed the wine cup to Pei Zhaolin. Whether it was intentional or not, there was the swaying and dangerous railing behind her.
"Zhaolin, would you like to drink this cup of wine with me?"
Luo Xiang's head was bowed and her shoulders were slightly trembling. She really looked delicate and pitiful.
But for a long time, Pei Zhaolin didn't respond.
In front of Cui Jintang, Luo Xiang was a bit impatient.
She wiped her neck with a handkerchief and subtly showed a faint pink old scar to Pei Zhaolin.
As she expected, Pei Zhaolin first frowned and then reached out to take the wine cup.
He said, "You've just recovered from your illness. You shouldn't drink."
Luo Xiang looked at the wine in the cup reluctantly and gently agreed.
She put the wine aside, stood next to Pei Zhaolin, and naturally and affectionately wrapped her arm around his.
Then she turned to look at Cui Jintang.
"I really like the gift Miss Cui sent me a few days ago. Thank you, Miss Cui."
Luo Xiang said with a smile, but then her tone suddenly changed, "I wonder if the words I sent someone to thank you with were delivered?"
"Since we've met today, I'll give you one more piece of advice. Don't deceive yourself anymore. That fake infatuation of yours is too stinky even for a dog to eat."
Pei Zhaolin scolded, "Xiang'er, that's enough."
Luo Xiang looked aggrieved, "We're childhood sweethearts, a perfect match. It makes me jealous when Miss Cui shamelessly pesters you like this!"
Suddenly, the sound of a gong rang out in the distance, a sign that the play was about to start.
The shrill voice of the eunuch also rang out, "Her Royal Highness the Noble Consort is coming — Her Royal Highness the Imperial Concubine is coming —"
Sister Rou is here!
Cui Jintang looked at the two of them, her breathing getting heavier.
Her good mood was completely gone, "Since Miss Luo loves to act so much, how can this small stage be enough?"
Just as she was about to get off the stage, halfway through, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't kicked the wobbly railing yet, so she turned back.
She kicked the skewed crossbeam. With a "boom", it all collapsed.
The movement was so smooth that before Luo Xiang could even utter her accusing words, she was thrown off the stage by the quick - reacting Pei Zhaolin.
Looking at Cui Jintang again, she had already walked to the palace maid and saluted with the crowd.
When everyone was happily ready to watch the play but saw the crooked stage: "..."
The beautiful face of the Imperial Concubine instantly contorted, "Where's my stage?!"
Xie Rou folded her hands on her abdomen. Hearing this, she just smiled slightly, "Imperial Concubine, rushing to build the stage in half a month was a waste of manpower and money. Since it's fallen, just think of it as spending money to ward off bad luck. You don't need to blame yourself."
The Imperial Concubine's face immediately looked as ugly as if she had swallowed a fly.
She urgently needed an outlet to vent her anger and shouted, "Where are the people in charge of the stage? The stage has collapsed, and no one knows about it?!"
Luo Xiang thought it was bad. She was suddenly pushed hard from behind.
Dressed in a stage costume, she crashed into the Imperial Concubine's sight.
The Imperial Concubine, who was about to scold: "..."
She couldn't scold at all.
She gritted her teeth and whispered angrily, "Why are you here?!"
Luo Xiang didn't understand why she was so unlucky today. Not only did Pei Zhaolin not drink the drugged wine, but she also happened to run into the collapsed stage!
"I heard the noise and rushed here in a hurry. This is what I saw when I arrived."
Luo Xiang knocked her head on the ground, "I'm derelict in my duty. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
The Noble Consort was kind - hearted and would surely not blame her for this.
The next second, Xie Rou nodded and said, "In that case, take her to the Punishment Department for a detailed investigation."
"We must find out the reason for the stage's collapse."
The Imperial Concubine thought it was bad: not only did she specifically order someone to sabotage the railing, but she also used a lot of inferior wood to embezzle money!
If this was found out —
"Your Royal Highness! I just remembered. Before I came, I saw..."
Before Luo Xiang could say Cui Jintang's name, she was interrupted by the Imperial Concubine's urgent scolding.
"Dereliction of duty is dereliction of duty. Where are all these excuses?"
The two looked at each other, both shocked and suspicious.
What were they up to!
"Your Royal Highness."
Pei Zhaolin, who had picked up a broken piece of wood from a corner, raised his hand to salute, showing a pale wrist bone.
As he moved, the token hanging from his waist was particularly eye - catching.
It was the unique token of the Left Censor - in - Chief of the Censorate.
"When Miss Luo first arrived, the person she saw was me."
Xie Rou looked at him with an unfathomable expression, "Oh? What were you doing here, Lord Pei?"
Pei Zhaolin presented the broken piece of wood, "I got lost for a moment and accidentally barged in here. I happened to hear the sound of insects and rats gnawing."
"I thought I needed solid evidence to report to Your Highness, so I accidentally caused this big problem."
Xie Rou smiled faintly, her eyes casually glancing at Luo Xiang beside her. She raised her hand and signaled, "Come to think of it, I should thank Lord Pei."
"If it weren't for Lord Pei's attentiveness, my unborn child and I might have lost our lives here."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone immediately knelt down and shouted, "Your Highness, please calm your anger."
Luo Xiang really knocked her head on the ground this time. She instantly understood and secretly cursed the Imperial Concubine for being a fool.
Greed got the better of her. She even wanted to achieve two things in one banquet!
If something really happened to the Noble Consort, the first one to pay with her life would be Luo Xiang!