in2ebook Chapter 151 Some seats are not for you to sit in.
Chapter 151 Some seats are not for you to sit in.
Seeing that Xu Qingran didn't press for details, Xu Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief.
After a moment's thought, she said, "The Shadow Guards are always reliable. I expect His Highness Prince Chen or Princess Jiarong will come to our rescue soon. Let's go back to the vicinity of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and wait there."
Even so, Xu Jiaojiao still did not completely let her guard down, because many times, it is better to rely on yourself than on others.
If Prince Chen and Jia Rong are both held back, she will have to find a way to resolve the predicament herself.
Hearing this, Xu Qingran nodded, her expression much more relieved: "Okay!"
……
The two walked slowly along the path in the Imperial Garden toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
As dusk approached, the palace lanterns were lit, and the Imperial Garden was quiet, with only the sound of snowflakes gently falling.
Holding Xu Qingran's hand, Xu Jiaojiao walked slowly, but her mind was racing, trying to figure out a solution for the absence of Ruochen Wang and Jiarong.
As they approached the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the sound of string and wind instruments drifted over, and suddenly, hurried footsteps came from around the corner in front of them.
Xu Jiaojiao's heart tightened, and she immediately pulled Xu Qingran to hide behind a nearby artificial hill, holding her breath and listening quietly to the sounds outside.
"Where is he? Why haven't we found him yet?" A man's voice, deliberately lowered and slightly anxious, came through, his tone tinged with impatience.
Xu Jiaojiao frowned, sensing something was wrong.
She looked at Xu Qingran, signaling her to be quiet. Seeing her so serious, the latter couldn't help but feel a little flustered, so she pursed her lips and obediently listened.
Another voice came from the other side of the artificial hill: "Your Excellency, Miss Xu just took her sister to the Imperial Garden. This servant wanted to follow them, but was afraid of attracting attention, so..."
The man hesitated, his voice trembling with fear, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Xu Jiaojiao and Xu Qingran immediately recognized who he was.
That distinctive, duck-like voice belonged to the little eunuch who had just led them to their seats!
"Useless trash!" the man hissed, his voice filled with rage. "If she gets away and ruins the Empress's plans, none of you will escape unscathed!"
Hearing this, Xu Jiaojiao's heart sank. Although she didn't know the man's identity, it was clear that he was after her, and his intentions were not friendly.
She gently squeezed Xu Qingran's hand, feeling a pang of regret.
She shouldn't have brought Xu Qingran along; if anything unexpected happens, she'll be held responsible!
Fortunately, although Xu Qingran looked flustered, she did not panic, which saved Xu Jiaojiao a lot of trouble.
"Sir, there are footprints here!"
Outside the artificial hill, the sound of two people's footsteps gradually approached.
Guided by the young eunuch, the man walked towards the area behind the artificial hill.
There was no way to retreat behind the artificial hill; once the two people came over, they would surely discover their tracks.
Xu Jiaojiao frowned, knowing she couldn't hide any longer. She gently patted Xu Qingran's hand, signaling her to stay where she was, while she quietly peeked out from behind the artificial hill to observe the surroundings.
Just as the man was about to walk behind the artificial hill, Xu Jiaojiao suddenly emerged from behind it, her expression calm, as if nothing had just happened.
"What a coincidence, is this gentleman also here to see the koi behind the artificial hill?" Xu Jiaojiao smiled slightly, her tone gentle, but her eyes held a hint of coldness.
The man was clearly taken aback by Xu Jiaojiao's sudden appearance. He paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down.
After confirming that she was indeed Xu Jiaojiao, he chuckled in surprise: "There are plenty of ponds with koi in the Imperial Garden. Miss, you have quite the refined taste, choosing such a secluded place to look at koi."
He glanced at the artificial hill behind Xu Jiaojiao with a half-smile: "Miss, are you perhaps... having a secret rendezvous with someone here?"
Xu Jiaojiao didn't know this man, but he immediately started hurling insults at her, showing that he had a lot of malice towards her.
Xu Jiaojiao remained calm and said indifferently, "Why do you say that, sir? I'm just looking at koi fish. I can look at them wherever I want. What, is it bothering you?"
She paused, then smiled knowingly. "Ah, could it be that you're planning to meet someone here in secret, which is why you said that?"
The man was stunned, not expecting Xu Jiaojiao to turn the tables on him.
It seems the rumors were true; this woman is indeed sharp-tongued!
The man snorted coldly, no longer bothering with Xu Jiaojiao's pretense, and chose to get straight to the point.
His tone was laced with sarcasm: "Stop being so glib, Miss Xu. I've come to see you because someone asked me to deliver a message..."
Some positions are not for you to sit in, and some people are not for you to climb up to.
If you give up now, no one will bother you anymore. If you continue to be ungrateful, then be prepared to be harassed.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jiaojiao immediately understood.
It was indeed someone who deliberately arranged her seating today, with the aim of making her look bad at the palace banquet, and perhaps even using this opportunity to harm her.
It's just unknown who did this.
Xu Jiaojiao smiled slightly, her tone remaining calm: "Thank you for the reminder, sir. However, I also have a word for you..."
She paused, then her smile turned malicious.
The man subconsciously narrowed his eyes, instinctively feeling that Xu Jiaojiao wouldn't say anything nice.
As expected, Xu Jiaojiao chuckled, her tone tinged with provocation: "Sir, you really are...meddling in other people's business..."
"You!" The man's face darkened, his anger reaching its peak.
He raised his hand and pointed at Xu Jiaojiao, about to lash out, when he heard footsteps behind him.
The man was slightly taken aback, and immediately turned around to look behind him. He saw that Prince Chen had a cold expression and sharp eyes, and was leading Ying Yi toward him.
"Your Highness Prince Chen..." The man's expression changed, clearly not expecting Prince Chen to appear suddenly.
Prince Chen gave him a cold glance, his tone carrying a hint of authority: "Lord Xie, the banquet is about to begin, what are you doing here?"
Last name Xie?
Isn't Princess Consort Xie?
Xu Jiaojiao's pupils dilated; it seemed that the Princess Consort Chen already knew about her affairs at the Xu residence.
The man, feeling guilty, was speechless when questioned, stammering, "Your Highness, this official...this official was just passing by..."
"Just passing by?" Prince Chen chuckled. "I wonder how Lord Xie plans to pass by, avoiding all the main roads and side streets, and ending up behind this secluded rockery?"
In the cold winter, with snowflakes falling, a layer of cold sweat broke out on the man's forehead. He was so nervous that he stammered, "This humble official...this humble official...this humble official accidentally took the wrong path..."
"It's almost time for Xu Shi (7-9 PM), so I must take my leave now!" To avoid further questioning from the Prince, the man hurriedly bowed and left quickly with the eunuch.
Zhao Yunzheng watched the man walk away, then turned to Xu Jiaojiao, his gaze softening, and asked with concern, "Jiaojiao, are you alright?"
Xu Jiaojiao shook her head and smiled gratefully: "Fortunately, Your Highness arrived in time, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to escape..."