Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 830: Li Xingsheng & Ling Yuezi Extra (02): He Is Not a Good Man!
After Ling Yuezi changed her clothes, she arranged for eight maids to guard the bedroom while she took Ah Qing, Ah Lan, and two other maids to the Long’an Hall where her brother stayed.
As for the other palace maids and eunuchs, she ignored them.
But two people still followed her like tails.
Ah Qing glanced back and softly said to Ling Yuezi, "Princess, two hangers-on are following us."
Ling Yuezi had already heard the footsteps.
She didn’t look back and sneered, "If they want to follow, let them follow. Ignore them."
Ah Lan smirked, "Princess, the people the Regent King arranged for you are either martial artists or large and burly. They’re not here to serve you, are they? They’re here to monitor and threaten you, right?"
"Am I so easy to monitor?" Ling Yuezi was indifferent.
Ah Qing glanced at Ah Lan, "Ah Lan, when we were at Feihu Village, the Princess even managed the second-in-command, let alone these palace maids?"
Ah Lan sighed, "But at that time Mr. Li helped us. Now the Princess faces villains alone."
Ling Yuezi’s back suddenly stiffened.
But soon, she resumed walking as if nothing had happened.
Ah Qing looked at her, quietly pinched Ah Lan, and softly warned, "Are you crazy, mentioning Mr. Li again!"
"I... I blurted it out." Ah Lan was also very regretful.
"Remember, don’t mention Mr. Li. He’s the Princess’s sore spot!" Ah Qing whispered.
"Got it, won’t happen again." Ah Lan glanced at Ling Yuezi and sighed inwardly.
Thinking of past events, both maids felt uneasy.
Initially, they just wanted to deceive a handsome young man, fake a marriage with Ling Yuezi, trick the second-in-command, seize control of the village, and send him away.
Unexpectedly, Ling Yuezi actually fell for that Mr. Li.
Then again, Mr. Li was indeed outstanding. Whether in appearance, ability, courage, or knowledge, he was more remarkable than any man they had ever seen.
No wonder their Princess never forgot him.
Even though it was a fake marriage and they had gone their separate ways, Ling Yuezi refused to let her hair down and still styled it as a married woman.
Ling Yuezi had an excellent memory. Though she had left the Imperial Palace for seven years, she remembered every palace alley and house path here.
She led the way herself, not needing anyone to guide her.
After passing through several entrance doors, Ling Yuezi arrived at the Long’an Hall.
As the residence of past emperors, the layout of Long’an Hall was more magnificent than Bright Moon Palace, with taller and more numerous rooms.
In front of the main hall’s door, two eunuchs stood guard.
The two were stunned when they saw Ling Yuezi approaching.
Ah Qing glanced at them and said to the two palace maids who followed, "Aren’t you going to announce her arrival quickly? Does the Eldest Princess have to announce herself?"
The two palace maids, lost in thought, came forward upon hearing Ah Qing’s reprimand and said to the two gate-keeping eunuchs, "Go announce quickly, say that Princess Yue has arrived."
The two eunuchs snapped back to their senses, realizing no wonder she looked familiar—it was the Emperor’s sister, Princess Yue, who had returned. The siblings were truly alike.
One of them immediately responded, "Yes, Princess Yue!"
He lifted his robe and dashed into the hall.
In a moment, a boy of eleven or twelve, wearing a yellow Dragon Robe and looking very frail, joyfully ran out.
His face was very pale, and his cheeks were so thin that his eyes seemed overly large.
"Is... that elder sister?" The boy stood at the door, tears in his eyes looking at Ling Yuezi.
His lips trembled, and tears streamed down like water from his eyes.
"Little brother!" Ling Yuezi went over and hugged Ling Xingyun, "It’s me, elder sister! You still remember me?"
"I remember, I’ve always remembered sister, I’ve never forgotten your face!" Ling Xingyun, hugging Ling Yuezi, burst into tears, "Why did you come only now? I thought I would never see you again. I thought you didn’t want me—"
"How could I not want you? Nonsense! Have you forgotten the words we said when we played as children?" Ling Yuezi patted his back, "I said, unless I die, I would never abandon you."
Ling Xingyun lifted his head, "But sister, why did you come only now?"
"I..." Ling Yuezi hesitated, stopping herself from saying more.
This was not the place for heart-to-heart revelations.
Because the Regent King was approaching.
A man in his early thirties, not particularly tall, and with gentle features. Although his face was smiling, his smile sent a chill down one’s spine.
Even Ah Qing and Ah Lan, who had practiced martial arts for years, couldn’t help but feel a shiver in their hearts.
"Princess Yue has returned? I was just discussing state affairs with the Emperor and couldn’t break away to greet Princess Yue personally. I hope Princess Yue will forgive me." He smiled and bowed to Ling Yuezi.
As he leaned forward, his eyes, seemingly smiling yet not, kept staring at Ling Yuezi’s face.
In that gaze, there was a flicker of surprise.
Ling Yuezi gently patted Ling Xingyun’s shoulder, consoled him a bit, and then looked towards the Regent King.
"Your Highness, the Regent King, thank you for arranging the carriage to bring me back to the palace."
The smile in the Regent King’s eyes deepened, "As the Regent King, it is my duty to care for everything concerning the Emperor. Finding his elder sister is my inherent responsibility. Princess Yue, there is no need to be polite."
"I want to speak privately with the Emperor. Your Highness, the Regent King, you have no objections, right?" Ling Yuezi’s gaze met the Regent King’s without any hint of fear.
"You siblings have been apart for many years and surely have much to talk about. Of course, I will not interfere." The Regent King nodded to Ling Yuezi, and then said to the people around him, "Princess Yue and the Emperor have matters to discuss; do not disturb them. Everyone retreat."
"Yes, Your Highness, the Regent King." A group of palace maids and eunuchs left the hall.
The Regent King gave a meaningful glance at Ling Yuezi, then flicked his sleeves and left.
Ling Xingyun, overjoyed, took Ling Yuezi’s hand and led her into the hall, "Elder sister, come, let’s talk here."
Ah Qing and Ah Lan stood guarding the doorway. The two palace maids who had accompanied Ling Yuezi wanted to enter the hall but didn’t dare to, as the Regent King had instructed earlier. They only stood outside, trying to listen in secret.
But, as they were too far away, they couldn’t hear anything.
After leaving Long’an Hall, the Regent King returned to his Longrui Palace and had just sat down when someone reported on Ling Yuezi’s situation.
It was a eunuch assigned to Ling Yuezi’s Moonlight Palace, "Your Highness, Princess Yue doesn’t allow anyone else into her bedroom."
"The bedroom is her private dwelling. Let her be. As for other places, keep a close watch for me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Once this person left, the one who had brought Ling Yuezi back from Nanyue hurriedly approached.
"Lv Yilang, why does Princess Yue wear a married woman’s hairstyle?" The Regent King’s sinister gaze fixed straight on Lv Yilang.
Lv Yilang quickly lowered his head in fear, "To answer your Highness, the Regent King’s question, it’s because Princess Yue is already married."
"Married? When did this happen?" Anger flared in the Regent King’s eyes.
"This summer."
"And the man?" The wine cup in the Regent King’s hand nearly shattered under his grip.
"Uncertain. I inquired among the villagers, and they all said they didn’t know his whereabouts, only that... he went about his business but never returned."
"What’s his name, where is he from, what does he look like?" The Regent King ground his teeth silently.
"They said his surname is Li, but they don’t know where he’s from. As for his appearance..." Lv Yilang glanced at the Regent King, carefully saying, "He is very handsome, the villagers said he was the most beautiful man they had ever seen."
"Ha!" The Regent King laughed, "What have the people of that little mountain village seen to dare say that the Li lad is the most beautiful man they’ve ever met, without fearing their tongues would slip from exaggeration!"
Lv Langyi joined in the sardonic laughter, "Indeed, they spend all their days in the village and don’t have the chance to go down the mountain. They’ve only seen the nearby mountain people. How many could they have met?"
"Someone of unknown origin, how could he match the Princess of our Nanyue Country? That marriage is invalid! I will arrange another marriage for Princess Yue myself. Choose a suitable day, and I will personally select a husband for her."
"Yes, Your Highness, the Regent King." Lv Langyi bowed and retreated.
.
In Long’an Hall, the Little Emperor Ling Xingyun held Ling Yuezi’s hand as they sat side by side on the couch.
"Elder sister, why have you only come now? Where have you been these years?" Ling Xingyun looked at Ling Yuezi’s face, both aggrieved and excited.
Ling Yuezi held his hand, "After we became separated, I lived with Luo Yifu in a dense forest on the border, where there was a large village. I thought... I thought you were no longer in the world, because Luo Yifu and I searched for you for a long time but couldn’t find you." Ling Yuezi sighed, looking very apologetic towards Ling Xingyun, "Don’t worry, younger brother, now that I’ve found you, I will never leave you again. I will protect you."
Ling Xingyun, however, patted his chest and said, "I’m the man, right? I should be the one protecting you, elder sister! I’m the Emperor!"
Ling Yuezi glanced towards the doorway, then softly asked, "Younger brother, how does the Regent King typically treat you?"
Ling Xingyun said, "Very well, just like a father would."
Ling Yuezi’s eyes turned cold, and in a low voice, she said, "Do you think he is a good person or a bad person?"
"A good person, I’d say. He brought me back to the palace, defeated the bad people chasing after me, and supported me to become Emperor." Ling Xingyun replied without hesitation.
Ling Yuezi, however, shook her head, "No, younger brother, he is the enemy who killed our father! Moreover, it’s possible he also killed our mother! He is not a good person!"
