The Prince Consort's Beloved

In the early morning, the sky was tinged with a gorgeous orange-red.

Li Yuanrou had her breakfast and lay on a recliner under a tree, covering her red and swollen eyes with a silk handkerchief and humming a melody that no one else had heard.

Da Ya and Er Ya communicated with each other through eye contact about how to celebrate Li Yuanrou's birthday, but they could not come to a conclusion after several rounds of discussion.

Daya looked at Qingluan, and Qingluan shook her head at her.

Qingluan felt that Li Yuanrou probably didn't want to celebrate her birthday, after all, Xiao Luobai was included in the original birthday plan.

The housekeeper came in quietly to report that someone had come from the palace and presented a lot of gorgeous clothes and gold, silver and jade ornaments. He also conveyed an oral message that today was the princess' birthday and she could leave the house and return before the evening hour.

Daya was full of indignation and thought that this little emperor was a piece of shit. You said he was good, but he locked you up. You said he was bad, but he still gave you things.

Especially the act of allowing their princess to leave the house made her feel like it was like giving a sweet date after a slap in the face.

The dates were not sweet at all. Daya said "Pah" viciously at the pile of gold, silver and jade ornaments that the maid behind her was holding.

Li Yuanrou looked at Daya who looked down upon money and began to teach her earnestly: "Daya, this is not right. These are real gold and silver. Don't waste them..."

The expression on her face suddenly froze, and her voice suddenly became weaker: "If you don't take advantage of the opportunity, you are a fool..."

After she finished speaking, she regained her smile, her voice light and cheerful: "Don't look so bitter and resentful, I forgot that today is my birthday. I finally have the chance to go out, don't waste this rare opportunity."

Daya and Erya accompanied Li Yuanrou out of the house silently.

Three people were walking aimlessly on the street. The two girls were listless, while Li Yuanrou looked very interested, and it was hard to tell whether the smile on her face was real or fake.

She stopped in front of a silk shop, and the shop owner's voice popped up in her mind: "That's our boss's wife. What's the one hundred or fifty taels? She's just joking with me. It's okay to give it away for free or even give it away..."

A smiling voice said with pampering: "Take whichever you like... Once you have chosen, have the waiter deliver them all to your house."

Li Yuanrou turned to the two girls and said with a smile, "Let's go and collect money."

The two men followed Li Yuanrou into the shop without knowing why, and the clerk came forward to ask them attentively.

Li Yuanrou put on airs and said in a haughty manner: "Call your shopkeeper out."

The shopkeeper came out with a smile on his face. Li Yuanrou looked at the unfamiliar face in front of her and frowned in confusion: "Are you the shopkeeper?"

The shopkeeper was also puzzled: "Yes, I am the shopkeeper."

Li Yuanrou: "Weren't you the original shopkeeper?"

The shopkeeper understood that this was an old customer. He immediately said with a smile, "Yes, the shopkeeper has changed. Not only the shopkeeper has changed, but also the owner has changed. But don't worry, our goods have not changed... This shop is newly acquired by our owner. I heard that the original owner..."

Li Yuanrou's brain buzzed. She didn't hear a word the shopkeeper said and walked out of the shop with a blank face.

The two listless men became three.

Daya and Erya deliberately led Li Yuanrou to the bun stall that she loved to eat.

Erya said, "Master, do you want to eat some buns? I'll go buy some."

Li Yuanrou glanced at the familiar bun stand and said, "Okay, let's buy some."

The three of them sat at the bun stall and looked at the meat buns in front of them, feeling a little emotional.

Li Yuanrou took the lead in picking up a bun and took a bite. She frowned slightly, took another bite, and her expression was subtle.

Daya asked, "What's wrong, Master?"

Li Yuanrou silently put down the bun in her hand: "It tastes wrong."

Erya picked up a bun and took a bite: "It's still the same, very delicious."

Li Yuanrou stood up, walked to the boss selling buns and asked, "Brother, has the recipe of the buns changed? Why do they taste different from before?"

The young man selling buns was startled when he heard this, and tears welled up in his eyes immediately: "My father used to make the meat filling, but now he's dead, and I can't make it taste like his recipe no matter what I do..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanrou instantly became depressed, with a desolate feeling as if no one had come to see her. Her nose felt sore, and with red eyes she whispered "sorry" and left.

The young stall owner shouted at her from afar: "Girl, my father is dead, why are you crying? Do you miss the buns my father made too much? Don't worry, I will try my best to make the original taste..."

Li Yuanrou did not sit back, but turned and went to the teahouse opposite.

Once a thought arises, a thousand obsessions arise. Since Xiao Luobai can't be erased from her mind, she will just let it go. She will go against the wind, she will face it bravely, and she will revisit the old place.

The storyteller was still the same person. Li Yuanrou found a seat and sat down, and listened to the storyteller's story: "Who could have imagined that the consort of our second princess of Daiyue is actually from Beiluo, and is also the crown prince of Beiluo. It's really hard to judge a person by his appearance. This has caused great trouble to our second princess..."

As he was speaking, several guards suddenly rushed out and surrounded the storyteller. The teahouse was immediately thrown into chaos and the people sitting down fled in all directions.

Qingluan appeared from the darkness and escorted Li Yuanrou out of the teahouse. Li Yuanrou's originally depressed spirit suddenly lifted. She stared at Qingluan with burning eyes: "If we escape now and go to Shanyang City..."

Before she finished speaking, Qing Luan shook her head at her: "We have been followed since we left the house. The guards in the teahouse just now are..."

Li Yuanrou was deflated and lost the desire to go shopping. She walked aimlessly on the street, not wanting to go anywhere.

She stopped in front of the Prince Consort's Mansion, which was the shabby mansion given to Xiao Luobai by Li Yuanqi. Now the gate was sealed.

Li Yuanrou stopped and looked, and saw two guards coming out from somewhere, stepping forward to tear off the seal, and respectfully gestured to Li Yuanrou to come in.

Li Yuanrou just took a quick glance and turned back. She had no desire to shop anymore and went straight back to the princess's mansion which was like a cage.

The princess's mansion is a cage, and the area outside the mansion is also a cage.

She lay back down on the lounge chair under the tree.

Seeing that it was past noon, Daya asked cautiously: "Princess, how are you going to celebrate your birthday today?"

Li Yuanrou closed her eyes: "Just have some wine."

Daya and Erya went downstairs to prepare.

After the two of them left, He Lin, who hadn't been seen for a long time, came. He handed a stack of banknotes to Li Yuanrou and said, "This is the profit for this month. Brother Xiao asked me to sell part of his shop earlier. The rest has been transferred to your name. I will take care of it temporarily. I will come here every month in the future. Brother Xiao repeatedly asked me to ask you if you have enough money. If not, you must tell me..."

When Daya came back, she saw Li Yuanrou lying on a recliner, holding a thick stack of banknotes in her hand, her eyes red, as if she had just cried.

Daya walked forward cautiously and opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Li Yuanrou suddenly spoke in a very soft voice, and asked, "Daya, do you miss Qingfeng?"

Daya's voice was a little hoarse: "I don't want to."

Li Yuanrou wiped the tears that slipped out of her eyes with the hand holding the banknote. She choked and said, "I miss him, I miss him..."