bookrandom Chapter 195 Sisters Meet
Chapter 195 Sisters Meet
When Li Mao entered Jiang Caiyue's courtyard, Jiang Caiyue was sitting on a stone bench, gazing blankly ahead. Her eyes held both joy and worry, as if she was trying to process the news she had just learned about her sister.
Li Mao sat down beside her and asked softly, "You must be quite happy to hear what Eunuch Gao said, right? After all, your sister is now living a good life in the palace and hasn't encountered the hardships and setbacks you've faced."
Jiang Caiyue nodded and said softly, "Yes... I always thought that we sisters would never see each other again. But I never imagined that she would become a concubine, and that I would go from being an orphan to becoming Consort Mei's sister. It all seems like it didn't really happen."
"Fate plays tricks on people, and no one can do anything about it. But this is also a good thing. Otherwise, you two sisters wouldn't have been able to reunite so smoothly and meet so often."
Jiang Caiyue raised her head, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes: "Thank you, Your Highness, for giving us sisters this opportunity."
She did not blame Li Mao for not telling her about it immediately.
At the time, she was in Lingzhou, and in many situations, she had no choice but to act against her will, and she also had many things to do. If she had known about her sister's situation then, she probably wouldn't have been able to concentrate on doing what she was supposed to do.
A few days later, on the night of the fifteenth of that month.
The Zhuque Avenue in Chang'an was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
The lanterns at the temple fair were dazzling, with all sorts of lanterns that were a feast for the eyes.
Li Mao took Jiang Caiyue, Li Guangbi, and Guo Ziyi to stroll through the lantern festival. Although they each had their own thoughts, they were all infected by the atmosphere of the lantern festival and had smiles on their faces.
Li Guangbi, in particular, had been captivated by Jiang Caiyue's figure ever since arriving at the lantern festival. Seeing that Jiang Caiyue liked a palace lantern at a stall, he went up to inquire about the price.
The stall owner smiled and said, "Young master, this rabbit palace lantern is a finely handmade piece, ten taels of silver apiece."
"How much?" Li Guangbi's eyes widened, and he clicked his tongue repeatedly: "Ten taels of silver? That's too expensive!"
This street vendor looked quite honest, but I never expected him to be a shrewd businessman.
Ten taels of silver, why doesn't he just rob someone?
Are all the people in Chang'an this rich?
Nevertheless, Li Guangbi gritted his teeth and bought the palace lantern, intending to give it to Jiang Caiyue. —Anyway, he had won quite a bit of money from Li Mao's carriage recently, so ten taels of silver wasn't unaffordable for him, it just didn't align with his spending habits.
However... just as he was about to present the palace lantern he had purchased at great expense to Jiang Caiyue, he saw that Jiang Caiyue was already holding an equally exquisite palace lantern in her hand, with a bright smile on her face.
Li Guangbi froze on the spot, wanting to step forward and ask what was going on.
Just then, a handsome young man appeared behind her and said with a smile, "If you like this palace lantern, I will give it to you. The white rabbit-shaped palace lantern perfectly complements your elegant demeanor."
"I would like to invite you to sit at the Cuiyun Teahouse next door. Would you do me the honor?" After presenting the palace lantern, the handsome young man immediately revealed his true intentions and asked Jiang Caiyue to go to the teahouse for a chat.
This person has taken a liking to Jiang Caiyue and wants to abduct her.
Upon seeing this, Li Guangbi was filled with resentment.
but……
He thought that with Caiyue's personality, she couldn't possibly be bought off by a palace lantern. This young man was mistaken; Jiang Caiyue would never go to a teahouse with him—she wouldn't even look at him!
To Li Guangbi's surprise, Jiang Caiyue agreed to his request without hesitation.
"Let's go." The young man smiled slightly and led Jiang Caiyue away.
Watching the two figures depart, Li Guangbi felt a strange unease rise in his heart and couldn't help but want to step forward and stop them. But Li Mao grabbed his arm and whispered, "Don't be impulsive!"
As Li Guangbi watched the two figures leave, the anger and unease in his heart almost burst forth. He suddenly turned around and looked at Li Mao.
For a moment, he forgot about the difference in rank and said anxiously, "Your Highness, that pretty boy doesn't look like a good person at all. What if he kidnaps Caiyue? Why don't you stop him, and why won't you let me stop him?"
"Guangbi, calm down first." Li Mao gently patted Li Guangbi's shoulder and whispered, "This person was actually arranged by Gao Lishi. Consort Mei is going to meet Caiyue at Cuiyun Tea House tonight. Consort Mei's departure from the palace is a secret, so we can't make it public."
Li Guangbi's eyes widened, his face filled with confusion: "Consort Mei? Why does she want to see Caiyue?"
"The reason for this is a long story, but you know it now." Li Mao smiled slightly, indicating to Li Guangbi not to be too nervous. "Don't worry, it's good for both you and Caiyue that Consort Mei and Caiyue are meeting. Even if you look down on eunuchs, you should understand that Gao Lishi wouldn't tamper with such matters."
Upon hearing this, Li Guangbi felt somewhat relieved.
He couldn't help but scratch his head, and said embarrassedly, "In a moment of panic, I acted rashly. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
"It's alright, I understand your concern for Caiyue," Li Mao said with a light laugh. "Let's go for a walk ahead first, and then go back to check on the situation later."
Meanwhile, inside the top-tier private room of Cuiyun Teahouse.
Jiang Caiyue followed the handsome young man to a lavishly decorated private room, her heart filled with trepidation.
After respectfully gesturing for me to leave, I quietly withdrew.
Jiang Caiyue slowly pushed open the door, and what came into view was a familiar yet unfamiliar figure—her older sister, Jiang Caiping!
My sister's appearance has changed a lot since she was a child, but it's also as if she has never changed. Even in the middle of a crowd of millions, she can recognize her sister at a glance.
The moment the two sisters locked eyes, Jiang Caiyue felt a surge of intense bittersweet emotion welling up inside her, and tears immediately blurred her vision.
"Picking the moon!"
Consort Mei's voice trembled as she quickly stepped forward and embraced Jiang Caiyue tightly.
Jiang Caiyue could no longer control herself, tears streaming down her face. She hugged her sister and cried, "Sister...it really is you! I've really found you! How have you been all these years? Eunuch Gao said your treatment in the palace was quite good, but how could you endure such loneliness in the palace!"
“Sister, I’m so sorry that I couldn’t find you all these years and you’ve suffered so much…” Consort Mei also sobbed uncontrollably. “Fortunately, we can finally meet again.”
The two sisters embraced and wept.
After a long while, they gradually calmed down and let go of each other.
Consort Mei wiped away her tears, pulled Jiang Caiyue to sit down, and said softly, "Tell your sister quickly what you have experienced over the years, and how you met Prince Shou?"