strictlysupreme Chapter 464 The Unfinished Apricot Blossoms
Chapter 464 The Unfinished Apricot Blossoms
A locust tree stood in the courtyard, its branches gnarled and twisted, but it had long since withered and died.
Meng Ze stood under the tree, looking up at the broken branches.
Gu Qing quietly stepped forward and whispered, "This was planted by His Highness himself the year the Princess Consort married into the household. She said that when the tree grew big, people could enjoy the shade under it in the summer. The Princess Consort liked this tree very much."
“It’s a pity it’s withered.” Meng Ze turned to look at him. “Tell me more about the Princess.”
Gu Qing nodded.
"When you married the Princess, it was a marriage arranged by His Majesty himself. The Princess's surname is Cheng, and her given name is Nianchu. She is the daughter of Grand Secretary Cheng. She has been intelligent and gentle since childhood and is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."
"The Princess and His Highness fell in love at first sight. After their marriage, she was quiet and reserved, but she did not avoid the world. She managed everything at home perfectly. When you were on your southern expedition, she stayed by the Buddha's side every day, never leaving his side. At that time, everyone said that the eldest prince and the princess were a perfect match, both in terms of talent and beauty."
The three of them went into the main house in the backyard.
Gu Qing raised her hand and pushed open a door on the left. "This room is the Princess's embroidery room."
Several women's belongings remained in the room. Behind the screen, on the embroidery frame, lay an unfinished embroidered silk. The thread had long since faded, but one could vaguely make out that it was an apricot blossom.
"The princess is gentle and loves painting and embroidery, as well as tea and porcelain."
Meng Ze stared blankly at the unfinished embroidery, feeling as if something was stuck in his throat.
“There are some old things.” Gu Qing took out a lacquer box from behind her. Inside were some letters, old seals, and a few strands of yellowed hair.
Meng Ze took it, his fingertips touching the ends of his hair.
After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "I still can't remember."
Gu Qing sighed softly and put the box away. "It's alright, Your Highness, we'll take our time."
Xie Yanli quietly observed everything in the room, took a few steps closer, stood in front of the screen, and looked down at the unfinished apricot blossom embroidery.
A strange sense of familiarity spread through my heart.
His fingertips brushed the edge of the embroidery frame, and an image appeared before his eyes: a woman dressed in plain clothes, sitting quietly behind a curtain, holding a needle and thread, her expression gentle.
He grew up in the Xie family, but he always felt a distance between himself and the Xie family.
Standing in this room, he felt a clear sense of belonging for the first time.
Gu Qing, standing beside her with slightly red eyes, said, "Before the princess passed away, she said that she only wished for the young prince to grow up safely, not for wealth or honor, but only for a carefree life."
Xie Yanli lowered his eyes, his fingers tightening.
Finally, he took the unfinished apricot blossom embroidery with him.
In the following days, Xie Yanli found many old items from that time, but none of them could restore Meng Ze's memory.
In the dead of night, the lights of the patrolling guards flickered by the city gate.
Chu Yi was dressed in black and his face was covered by a mask.
Close behind him was Li Yingcheng, who was tightly bound and had a cloth stuffed in his mouth.
They bypassed all the visible and hidden sentries and quietly left the city through a small path in the southeast corner.
That was an abandoned old road, now rarely used by anyone, and even the guards were much less vigilant.
Several of Chu Yi's men quickly cleaned up the traces along the way, leaving only a string of shallow hoofprints, making it extremely difficult to track.
Reaching the edge of a mountain forest, Chu Yi dismounted and turned his gaze back.
Looking towards the direction of the capital city they left.
"Xie Jingchun, I'm sorry, I lied to you again."
He thought silently in his mind.
As the night breeze blew, his gaze grew even calmer.
He turned around, climbed onto the horse, kicked Li Yingcheng's horse in the belly, and the two horses rode together into the depths of the mountains and forests, disappearing into the night.
A few days later.
Deep within the imperial city of Daliang, at the residence of the Third Prince.
As night falls, the fragrance of sandalwood wafts from the incense burner, and plum blossoms float in the jade cup.
The third prince sat on a couch and, after hearing the servant's announcement, said, "Let them in."
A moment later, Chu Yi pushed open the door and entered, with a middle-aged man looking panicked behind him, who was none other than Li Yingcheng.
"Your Highness," Chu Yi bowed respectfully.
The Third Prince stood up, his gaze falling on Li Yingcheng. "Is this the one you were talking about?"
"That's right, he's one of the witnesses."
The Third Prince's smile deepened. "You certainly haven't disappointed me."
Chu Yi briefly recounted the events in the capital.
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince burst into laughter, "Excellent! Absolutely! Meng Ze is actually a prince of the Great Jin! If Father Emperor knew, he would be furious!"
As he spoke, he looked Li Yingcheng up and down. “I will personally take you to see the Emperor. When that time comes, just tell me the truth.”
Li Yingcheng's face turned pale, but he dared not refute, "...Yes."
Chu Yi stood to the side, then suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, I wish to see my sister."
The Third Prince's eyes flickered.
After a moment, he said with a half-smile, "Alright, considering you've found out something good for me, I'll allow you to see her."
In the dungeon, the dim yellow light on the walls flickered, unable to illuminate the dampness and moss all around.
Chu Yi walked step by step to the iron cell in the innermost room.
He stopped in front of the door, his eyes turning extremely cold in an instant.
Inside the cell, a small, thin figure sat quietly in the corner.
"Niannian," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.
The girl in the cell looked up at the sound, and the lamplight illuminated her clear, bright eyes.
Her face was thin and her clothes were tattered, but that couldn't hide the delicate beauty in her eyes.
“Brother.” She stood up, her eyes glistening with tears, “I knew you would come.”
Chu Yi approached, gripped the bars tightly with both hands, looked her over, and asked in a low voice, "Did they bully you?"
Chu Nian shook her head. "No, I'm fine."
"I'm sorry I'm late," Chu Yi said softly.
“Brother, I don’t blame you.” She smiled, her eyes curving slightly. “You’ve already done so much, and you’ve endured so much for me. How could I possibly blame you?”
Chu Yi clenched his fists and lowered his eyes.
A sense of powerlessness swept over me.
Chu Nian gently reached out and grasped Chu Yi's tightly clenched fist.
"Brother, please don't be like this." Her voice was soft and gentle. "You've already done very well."
She looked up at him, her eyes clear and warm. "During my time at the Third Prince's residence, I didn't suffer too much. He was very busy, and basically no one cared about me. I was just locked up and couldn't go out."
As Chu Yi listened to her words, his knuckles slowly loosened, and he murmured, "But I don't want you to suffer any injustice."
He only had this one relative left in the world.