Dantai Ye heard this, glanced at the man in black robes on the main seat, and licked his lips slightly without chiming in.
This Hongmen Banquet was their best opportunity to kill those people, but they feared they wouldn't be able to leave Northern Qi.
"I heard Xie Beihan has returned from the border?"
Xiao Nan nodded, "Just returned, but he seems to have something to guard against. He has been heavily guarded all the way and his movements are very confidential. It was only after entering the palace that I learned he was back."
"That grandson must be trying to kill us this time. Send people to watch him."
"Naturally."
The wind outside the window swept past the heavily guarded bamboo garden, and the lights in the room burned all night without rest.
Today, the battlefield was in constant turmoil, with various countries vying for supremacy. The borders of Northern Qi's Jiuchuan were in constant conflict. The Emperor of Da Qi was critically ill. For the sake of border stability, Crown Prince Xie Beihan was holding a banquet tonight in the East Palace to entertain distinguished guests from various countries. The entire East Palace was in a state of busyness.
Ye Luan had been living in the East Palace for several days, staying in the Crown Prince's residence and had hardly gone anywhere.
The East Palace was very large, and Xie Beihan seemed to intentionally conceal her existence. Apart from a few close confidantes, almost no one knew about her. Even her entry was through a secret passage, so naturally, no women came to cause her trouble.
She also feared that if the many women in the East Palace knew that a woman was living in the Crown Prince's residence, they would come to trouble her, so she tried to hide and not go out.
Counting the days, there were less than five days left.
Her injuries had almost healed.
"Miss, it's time to drink your medicine."
Ye Luan was sitting on a soft couch reading when she heard the sound of the palace maid Yu Zhu pushing the door open. She slightly raised her eyelids to look.
Seeing the medicine bowl in her hand, she couldn't help but twitch her lips.
This medicine was extremely bitter, but it would speed up her recovery significantly. She had been enduring the discomfort and drinking it for several days.
"The Crown Prince asked this servant to watch you drink it. Please drink it while it's warm."
This was medicine brewed with Tian Dong, a royal ingredient from the palace, which would greatly speed up your recovery and prevent you from suffering from pain constantly.
Ye Luan took the medicine bowl, pinched her nose, and gulped it down in one go.
Seeing her puckered little face, Yu Zhu quickly offered her preserved fruits.
After eating the preserved fruits, the bitterness in her mouth slowly dissipated.
Ye Luan let out a sigh and leaned back against the green jade fragrant pillow. A maid immediately came with a cloth to wipe her hands clean.
"I'll do it myself."
After wiping her hands, as all the maids withdrew, she picked up the book from the table and began to read.
This was a book about commerce in various countries, and the stories within were very interesting.
She didn't know how long she had been reading. When her eyes felt a bit tired, she closed the book and looked around, letting her eyes rest.
In the hall, a bronze censer shaped like a dragon's head was burning a fragrant batch of agarwood, with smoke curling around.
When Xie Beihan pushed the door open, he saw her half-reclining on the soft couch, with her head bowed.
Her slender, fair hands were slowly stroking the twin rings on her fingers. Her long, slightly curled eyelashes hid her beautiful eyes, making it impossible to discern her expression.
His gaze darkened slightly, and he smiled playfully, "What are you thinking about?"
Ye Luan was startled and immediately came back to her senses, raising her eyes.
Seeing the person who came, she subtly withdrew her hand and sat up straighter.
"Nothing much, just thinking."
"Shall I take you out for a walk?"
He walked over slowly and sat beside her.
Ye Luan was unaccustomed to him being so close and shifted to the right.
"You've been here for several days now and haven't seen much of the East Palace. Shall I accompany you?"
"Aren't you afraid, Crown Prince? I'm afraid of your many women in the East Palace attacking me."
Her injuries were almost healed, and after a few more days, she could leave. She didn't want to attract trouble. She couldn't match the scheming of the women in the palace and didn't want to be tricked.
Xie Beihan smiled, his narrow eyes flashing with a knowing depth.
"They are all just pawns, incapable of causing any great disturbance."
Listening to his indifferent words, Ye Luan lowered her eyebrows and did not respond.
The women in this deep palace were the most pitiable.
Xie Beihan, this fellow, was cold, ruthless, and had no weaknesses, making him most suitable to be an emperor.
Seeing her silence, Xie Beihan leaned forward slightly, his sinister face adorned with an inscrutable smile.
"If you marry me, I will establish no other empresses for your sake."
She believed his nonsense.
Ye Luan scoffed inwardly, but her expression was calm. "We've only met a few times. If the Crown Prince has any intentions, why not state them directly?"
What other intentions could he have? She knew his sinister thoughts with her toes.
"Little girl, I am your savior, and I've been serving you for so long. How can you not appreciate my kindness at all?"
He shook the teacup on the low table in front of him with dissatisfaction, his voice carrying a hint of grievance.
Ye Luan thought about how she had been eating and drinking his food and how he had procured so many valuable medicinal ingredients for her injuries. She coughed lightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"It was just a slip of the tongue, I didn't mean it like that."
Xie Beihan chuckled, propped his head with one hand, and shamelessly moved closer to her.
"Kiss me."
Ye Luan immediately retreated warily, her eyes fixing on him sharply.
Seeing her like this, Xie Beihan burst into laughter, revealing his pearly white teeth. He was no longer the cold, emotionless smile from before, but one filled with amusement.
"Am I a monster? You look so frightened."
"Crown Prince, please don't say such strange things. It affects our relationship."
Xie Beihan said, "How does it affect it? Won't it make us closer?"
Ye Luan didn't want to ramble with him about trivial matters and was about to change the subject when she heard him speak again.
"Every time, you guard me as if I'm some sort of threat. Even when I lived in the outer palace, you wished you could bolt the door shut every day."
The Crown Prince's residence was vast, being the largest palace in the East Palace, with an inner and outer court, situated very close to each other.
After Ye Luan arrived, she had always resided in the inner court of the Crown Prince's residence.
"Doesn't the Crown Prince fear assassination? I learned from you, and I'm afraid too."
Hearing this, Xie Beihan chuckled, his eyes glinting with emotion. "This is the East Palace, there are no assassins." He paused, and then clicked his tongue, "However, tonight, this East Palace is about to be in turmoil."
Ye Luan's hand paused as she reached for the teacup, and she did not speak.
Seeing her composure, Xie Beihan leaned back lazily, his deep voice resonating carelessly as if he were watching a play.
"Tonight, the East Palace is hosting a banquet for distinguished guests from all countries, each with their own ulterior motives. My East Palace will be quite lively again. Tsk, I wonder if the King of Dingbei from Da Liang will die in the East Palace."
As he spoke, he kept observing Ye Luan's expression. Seeing that she remained unmoved, with a cold demeanor, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.
"Have you heard of Xiao Chizhan? He's a madman." Seeing her silence, he continued, "This madman lost a woman and became even crazier, causing turmoil throughout the Nine Provinces and frequent border conflicts--"
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Luan interrupted him, "Why are you telling me this, Crown Prince? I don't understand."
"You don't understand? You'll understand if you listen a few more times."
Ye Luan said coldly, "The border is in turmoil because the Nine Provinces are vying for supremacy, and all want to plunder. How can the blame be placed on one person?"
"The Crown Prince sent troops to Xingzhou in Da Liang, causing suffering to the people. Isn't it also to expand territory and compete for supremacy in the Nine Provinces? It's a duty to fight for one's own interests and stabilize the territory."
As she finished speaking, Xie Beihan chuckled softly, straightened up, and looked at her. "Ye Luan, you haven't forgotten him, have you?"
Ye Luan said indifferently, "I am merely stating facts, I don't understand what the Crown Prince is talking about."
"Your thoughts, I understand them perfectly. Since you choose not to recognize this person, then I will give you a false identity. How about you marry me as my concubine?"
"What do you say? Marry me, and as repayment for the humiliation you suffered back then? Angering him to death! How about it?!"