Chapter 223: The Invitation from Crown Prince
Chapter 223: The Invitation from Crown Prince
"We are all set to depart." Zhang Xuan informed once he was checking through the trunks they had packed to take along with them. They brought little with them and were taking back as little as possible since the journey was going to be long and tough.
If not for Wei Guang, Xiang Ling would have loved to buy more things and would have just stuffed them in her space and took them back to Dongzhi City, but that wasn’t an option with the presence of a very mortal Night Immortal. Hence, there were only three trunks filled with famous delicacies, jewelry, silks, books, rare and expensive decorative pieces, and other such stuff that she bought for her family members.
"Let’s get moving." Xiang Ling said as she took a look at the clear sky above. The coming storm was going to make their return journey lengthy and hard.
The four of them were ready to climb into the carriage when a sudden commotion stopped them in their tracks. Xiang Ling noticed a group of Imperial guards making their way toward the Inn and much to her surprise, Xin Cheng immeditely moved in front of he to shield her. Zhang Xuan and Wei Guang also moved closer, almost making her disappear from the sight as their large frames covered her completely from prying eyes.
Among the group of guards, an eunuch stepped forward, capturing the attention of everyone who was nearby to witness the bizarre situation.
"Is Young Miss Chen here?" The eunuch asked while looking around, his aged eyes searching for the said person.
Surprised and confused, Xiang Ling’s husbands turned their heads to look at her in question, but she was just as lost as them. Stepping in front, she greeted the royal eunuch properly before asking, "May I ask which Young Miss Chen you are looking for?"
The eunuch replied just as politely - "The daughter of County Magistrate Chen of Nanxia, Chen Xiang Ling."
Xiang Ling didn’t like hearing her name coming out of the eunuch’s mouth because it meant trouble for her. She wasn’t sure why somone from the Imperial Palace was looking for her, but if she had to guess, only one person came to her mind.
"I am Chen Xiang Ling. I’m wondering why you are looking for me." She enquired just as politely and watched as a satisfactory smile appeared on the eunuch’s lips.
"Young Miss Chen-"
"My apologies to intervene, but please address me properly as I’m already married." Xiang Ling quickly corrected the eunuch when he continued to address her as Young Miss.
"Oh! My apologies then. Young Lady Chen, His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess have invited you to enter the Crown Prince’s Palace. Considering your close friendship with Her Highness, it’s understandable that you are angry at the Crown Princess for not inviting you at her wedding. That’s why the Crown Prince wants to invite you to share a meal with them at their residence." The eunuch informed, surprising everyone who heard him, including Xiang Ling.
What sort of nonsense had that woman told the Crown Prince? Xiang Ling found herself wondering as she contemplated on her options.
"It’s a great honor for me to be invited by the Crown Prince and his consort to have a meal with them. But as you can see, I was about to depart from the Capital for Dongzhi City. Considering the uncertain weather, it’s not suitable for us to delay our departure. I will make sure to visit the Crown Prince’s Palace during my next visit to Capital City-"
"Young Lady Chen..." The eunuch spoke before Xiang Ling could finish speaking, and by the tone of his voice and his words, it was pretty clear that he didn’t agree with her plan at all. "... please don’t make things hard for us. We are ordered to return to the palace with you."
Xiang Ling felt her husbands stiffening behind her and she knew that two of the three were ready to step forward and get rid of the royal guards. She quickly turned her head to look at them from over her shoulder and gave a little shake of her head.
Once she was assured that neither the men would do anything stupid, she returned her attention to the eunuch, who was studying her closely, and spoke, "If that’s the case, I will comply. Please give me a moment."
When the eunuch gave her a small nod in approval, she turned fully to face her husbands. "Don’t worry too much. It’s nothing serious. I will visit the Crown Prince’s Palace and try to return as quickly as possible. Wait for me here. If I return before noon, we will depart. If not, we will make a new plan."
"Why is this Crown Prince suddenly asking to meet you?" Zhang Xuan questioned and Xiang Ling let out a deep sigh in response before shaking her head. "I have no idea. I must go there to find out exactly what is going on."
"Will you be alright by yourself? Should we accompany you?" Wei Guang asked and the worry was evident in his expression.
"Stop worrying. He has invited me in front of so many people, he wouldn’t dare to do anything to me. Besides, have some faith in me. I can handle this situation." Xiang Ling quickly dismissed the worry of her first husband.
"Be wary of this Crown Prince. We still don’t know about his intentions. Make sure to send us a signal if you are in any trouble. We will be immeditely there to help you out." This time, it was Xin Cheng who spoke these words.
Xiang Ling let out a small sigh as she spoke, "You all are worrying about the wrong person here. It’s not the Crown Prince we need to worry about... it’s the Crown Princess."
"The Crown Princess?"
All three men seemed confused, but Xiang Ling just nodded her head in confirmation that they didn’t hear wrong. "Yes, the Crown Princess. I wonder what she’s up to this time."