Eight-year-old Princess: Phoenix Reborn Chapter 36

At the mention of Hunan embroidery, everyone knew the woman was implicating the Princess. Hua Jing rushed forward and grabbed the sachet. "This is mine! Why do you have it?"

"What?" Mo Jingran looked astonished and pale. "No, no... doesn't it belong to Princess Yun Shang?" mumbled Jingran.

"Mine? Of course not. I don't even know how to embroider." Yun Shang was surprised that Mo Jingran thought the sachet belonged to her. "I used to live in a Temple. I don't use sachets anymore."

"What's going on?" The Emperor frowned and asked.

Mo Jingran and Hua Jing knelt down simultaneously. "I lost my sachet a few days ago, and I had no idea where it was."

Mo Jingran kowtowed. "How could it... ..."

"How did you get it?" asked Emperor Ning.

"I found it by accident, " explained Jingran.

"Found?" repeated the Emperor cooly. "Jing'er mentioned you at the last banquet. I thought you're just acquainted with each other. But it seems that the truth is far more than that. What audacity!"

"Your Majesty, I'm telling the truth!" explained Hua Jing hurriedly.

"Enough! Go!" continued the Emperor. "No more parties. Stay at home and study the Four Arts." "And Mo Jingran, you deserve to be flogged, " added the Emperor. He was furious.

"My love, she may be telling the truth...don't punish her..." the Empress frowned as she spoke.

Hearing her, Emperor Ning got angrier. "You brought her up. Isn't her behavior also your fault?"

His word embarrassed the Empress. "As you see fit, " answered the Empress. Anger smoldered in her eyes. With little else left to say, the Empress left.

Hua Jing remained on the ground. She stared at the Emperor. Terror reflected in her eyes. After a while, she said, "Yes, Your Majesty." Then she stood up, and walked out.

The celebration took an awkward turn. Just then, sad music floated into the tower from the outside. The tone of the music conveyed feelings of love and guilt. The guests were instantly curious about where the music was coming from.

"Who is playing? It is so moving, " mumbled Yun Shang. She looked up to see her father's face, but there was no one on the chair.

"Forget it. The banquet is over now, " sighed Yun Shang. Then she stood up and left the tower with her servants.

"Where's my mother?" she asked after she walked out.

"She's there." Qin Yi pointed to a small pavilion in the distance. "She said that the spot was perfect since it is quiet and secluded."

Yun Shang nodded and walked towards the pavilion.

As she neared, she saw two figures standing in the pavilion. One was petite while the other one was big. "His Majesty..." exclaimed Qin Yi. As she realized who was in the pavilion, her hands flew to her mouth in surprise.

Yun Shang stood and looked. The lady in the pavilion looked up at the man. Neither of them moved nor made a sound until he raised his hand and wiped the tears off her face. "Don't cry, my darling, "

Said the Emperor consolingly. Then he pulled the woman to his chest. Their embrace seemed soft and natural.

Yun Shang smiled but her eyes filled with tears. "Reconciliation is hard to watch, " she mumbled.

"Your Highness..." Qin Yi said in an unsteady voice. Frowning, Yun Shang turned to see what had upset her maid. "Prince Jing..." She hesitated. "Eh...uncle?"

He looked at her and smiled. Then he began walking away. Yun Shang got the feeling that he wanted her to follow.

When she hesitated, the Prince turned and gave her another look. Now she was sure that she should go with him, she followed. "Qin Yi, you can go back Qingxin Palace now."

"But, your Highness..." Qin Yi hesitated. She looked at the Prince and then at the Princess.

"It's okay, just go." said Yun Shang. Then she continued following the Prince.

Prince Jing took Yun Shang to the Star Tower. It stood opposite to the Moon Tower. Being so high, it was the best place to enjoy the moon. But for some reason, only few people ever visited the Tower.

The Tower was indeed high. Standing at the top, Yun Shang felt it was possible to touch the stars. Despite the cold wind, everything was perfect.

"Why here?" She look at the Prince.

He glanced at her, but didn't answer. She waited in silence until he suddenly spoke up. "It's not easy to meet someone as interesting as you."

Yun Shang never expected to be called interesting. She stared at the sky blankly for a few seconds before chuckling and replying, "I'm flattered, dear uncle."

After another long silence, he spoke. "The day I returned to the Palace, I took my servant for a walk in the evening. And I witnessed something..." He gave her a meaningful look as he spoke. "Something interesting."

She didn't respond, but her eyes became sharper as she understood his implied message. "Do you think you can kill me?" laughed the Prince. "Aha, no, no...you are not strong enough."

She lowered her head and gnashed her teeth. "You've misunderstood. How could I possibly hurt you?" smiled Yun Shang.

"Your mother is wise. She knows how to stay safe in the Imperial Household. It may not be a wise decision to confront her in a fierce fight." Rather than continuing that topic, the Prince chose to speak of other topics.

"My mother?" asked Yun Shang uneasily. She felt overwhelmed, as though she was being seen through. It seemed that he knew everything about her, while she knew nothing about him.

After she calmed down, she spoke up. "It doesn't matter whether she is wise or not. What matters is that she has suffered countless unfair accusations during these years. Living in the Cold Palace for such a long time has been a harsh punishment. I want her to be loved, and to be happy."

Yun Shang looked at the pavilion, and smiled. "I just gave her the opportunity. It all comes down to what she will choose."

The Prince paused for a moment and turned to the young Princess. "It's too windy. Go home, and get some rest." He left the tower after saying that.

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Chapter end