Chapter 67: Hidden Meaning?!

  Gu Qingjin, stripped of her red attire, lost that air of brilliance and arrogance, but gained a few degrees of clarity and purity. At this moment, Gu Qingjin in her green dress seemed to have emerged from the story she had just told and the qinghua ci melody she had played, ethereal as if she had stepped out of the misty Jiangnan water ink painting in the story and music she had spoken of. A fiery light flashed across Prince Long Chengyu's eyes, but thinking of something, the fiery light in his eyes disappeared.

  "The story and the song of Miss Gu are both excellent, I have never heard such a story and song before. However, Miss Gu telling such a story and playing such a song in this kind of occasion, is it somewhat..." Crown Prince Long Chengyu frowned and opened his mouth.

  Upon hearing Taizi Long Chengyu's words, Qing Jin didn't hesitate either and nodded her head in admission: "I shall report back to Your Highness, your subject knows..."

  "Your Highness, although the story and song that my second sister told and played may not be suitable for this occasion, Qingyao believes that my second sister did not do it on purpose. Please forgive her!" Before Qingjin could finish speaking, Qingyao stepped forward with a sense of justice, finished speaking, and bowed her head respectfully. After a moment, she raised her head again: "If Your Highness must punish my second sister, I am willing to accept the punishment together with her. It is my fault for not stopping her in time..." As soon as she finished speaking, a bright light flashed in her beautiful eyes, and she bit her lip tightly, showing a determined expression that she would share weal and woe with Qingjin, revealing their deep sisterly love!

  After Qing Yao finished speaking, the noble ladies around her looked at her with undisguised admiration.

  Qing Jin also felt the admiring gaze of the people around her towards Qing Yao. She lowered her head, and the corners of her mouth slightly curled up as she thought to herself: at this moment, should she follow the script, with tears welling up in her eyes, and say a line like: "Sister, you leave quickly, this is a mistake that sister has committed alone, sister will bear it alone." Then Qing Yao would refuse to leave. She was deeply moved, and finally the two sisters hugged each other and cried bitterly!

  With that thought, Qing Jin's eyes were filled with emotion, and she gazed at Qing Yao with tears shining in her eyes. Silently, she pinched herself hard, and with a sorrowful expression, she opened her mouth: "Fourth sister, I didn't expect you to have such deep sisterly feelings towards me. As for the Crown Prince, my sister and I are willing to accept punishment together... so please, punish us without holding back!"

  As soon as Qingjin finished speaking, there were not a few people in the scene whose mouths twitched slightly. The eyes looking at Gu Qingyao were filled with infinite sympathy, and even Qingyao's expression of deep affection for Qingjin, expressing sisterly love, was momentarily stifled.

  It was still our prince who reacted first. He shifted his gaze to a white-clad, saintly beautiful Gu Qingyao and asked: "Are you Gu Qingyao, the eldest daughter of Gu Huaiyi?" Unexpectedly, both daughters of the Anji Hou Mansion were so stunningly beautiful, and this Gu Qingyao seemed even more in line with his aesthetic taste. Her skin was as white as jade, delicate and weak, and there was an inexplicable aura behind her, making his voice unintentionally softer.

  Qing Jin was the first to notice this change. She quickly looked up at the prince's expression, and after seeing the prince's gaze far away looking at Gu Qing Yao, she felt a little aware in her heart. She glanced sideways at the white-clad, holy and beautiful Gu Qing Yao, then looked at her own green clothes, was this really the difference between the heroine and the supporting actress?

  "My lady is Gu Qingyao." At this moment, Qingyao replied to the prince, slightly bowing her head. In that instant, her gentle and beautiful posture made Prince Long Chengyan involuntarily lose his composure.

  "Your Highness, I think that neither Qingyao nor Gu Erniang should be punished. If it weren't for Your Highness and my arrival, Gu Erniang's story and song would have been nothing more than a private conversation among women in the inner chambers. As for Qingyao, she only stood up for her own sister. Therefore, I think that neither Qingyao nor Gu Erniang has done anything seriously wrong. What does General Jun think of my words?" A gentle male voice spoke up in a timely manner and threw the question back at another person.

  Upon hearing this gentle voice, Qing Jin knew without lifting her head that it was the Sixth Prince Long Shuyuan's voice. Listening carefully to how Long Shuyuan cleared Gu Qingyao and her of their charges, she had thought he would risk offending the Crown Prince to plead for Gu Qingyao, but unexpectedly, he shifted the blame onto someone called Jun Xiao Jiangjun instead - could this Jun Xiao Jiangjun be her cousin Jun Muxi?

  Just as he was thinking this way, he heard that familiar elegant voice ring out: "The Sixth Prince's words are quite right, it's a strange thing to say about the common people."

  "Oh, how did it end up on Mu Xi's body? Mu Xi, tell me the reason behind this." Prince Long Cheng Yu heard what Long Shu Yuan and Jun Mu Xi said, glanced at Long Shu Yuan, and looked deeply into Jun Mu Xi's eyes.

  He had no idea what special relationship Sixth Brother and Junmu Xue had, but as soon as Sixth Brother finished speaking, Junmu Xue followed up. The Jun family was someone he definitely needed to win over. If Junmu Xue dared to get entangled with his sixth brother, then don't blame him for being ruthless and merciless. A sinister glint flashed across his eyes.

  Jun Mu suddenly discovered the gloomy color in the prince's eyes, although he didn't know why. However, he still stood out calmly and leisurely, with a gentle breeze and light clouds, facing Prince Long Chengyuan: "The story that my cousin told is actually something that I casually mentioned to her a few days ago. At that time, I was just teasing her, but who knew that this little girl would love to show off and tell the story I told her to all the noble ladies..." The elegant young master with a refined demeanor, carrying an air of elegance, continued to say to his cousin with a mixture of helplessness and pampering: "Ji'niang, why are you so mischievous? How could you possibly share the stories that your older cousin privately told you in front of all these noble ladies?"

  Although it was an extremely private matter, he spoke of it with a hint of helplessness and pampering tone, yet it seemed as pure as the clear wind and bright moon, untainted by any impurities. In that instant, Jun Mu Xi looked at Qing Jin with a helpless expression, his entire being radiating a soft glow, his elegant and refined figure causing many noble ladies in the pavilion to blush uncontrollably.

  When she heard Junmu's words, Qingjin gave him a deep glance. This older cousin of hers was really... She had originally wanted to continue playing along, but when she saw the look in Junmu's eyes, she couldn't help but follow his lead. So, pouting, she opened her mouth and said: "Older cousin, younger cousin knows she was wrong. Younger cousin just thought older cousin's story was too good, so she took it out to share with all the sisters... Before the crown prince and older cousin arrived, everyone clearly liked this story very much. Who knew that once you two came, everyone suddenly didn't like it anymore..." The last half sentence was spoken very softly, but the people who were supposed to hear it did.

  "What a mischievous little girl, why don't you hurry up and apologize to the noble ladies." Although it was a scolding tone, it carried an inexplicable affection.

  Upon hearing Junmu's words, Qingjin immediately cooperated and bowed to the noble ladies in the pavilion: "Ladies, I, Qingjin, have just been rude. I apologize to all of you!"

  After seeing Qingjin bow to the noble ladies in the pavilion, Junmu Xi looked at Prince Longhan and bowed again, saying: "Your Highness, you see..."

  "Haha... I know about the marriage between Mu Xi and Gu Er's daughter. Since it was just a small joke played by Gu Er's daughter and everyone, I won't punish Gu Er's daughter." Long Chengyuan looked at Jun Mu Xi's calm and quiet figure, as long as Jun Mu Xi wasn't involved with his sixth brother, he was willing to give Jun Mu Xi face. However, he really didn't expect that this Jun Mu Xi, who seemed so elegant and carefree, would secretly tell such small stories to deceive little girls. He gave Jun Mu Xi a knowing glance.

  "Thank you, Your Highness, for not blaming me!" Junmu Xi replied with a clear and elegant smile, seeing the distant gaze of Prince Long Han.

  Looking at Junmu's unchanged smile, Prince Long Cheng couldn't help but want to tease her a few more times. However, considering the occasion, he cleared his throat and said, "Junmu doesn't need to be too polite. Since you've explained the reason, I'm not an unreasonable person, and I believe the other noble ladies won't blame Gu Erniang either."

  Upon hearing Taizi Long Chengyu and Junmu Xue's words, a gentle male voice couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness, what about Miss Qingyao?"

  Upon hearing Long Shuyuan's voice, Crown Prince Long Chengyuan turned around and asked with a hint of probing: "Sixth Brother seems to be quite concerned about Qingyao?"

  "Reporting to Your Highness, the Crown Prince, Qingyao's father saved the Emperor and my three elder brothers, so my younger brother..." Long Shuyuan said, leaving the rest unspoken.

  "Why didn't the three princes plead for the two ladies of the Anji Marquis's household?" Upon hearing Long Shuyuan's words, Crown Prince Long Chengyuan shifted his gaze to Long Hanyuan, who had been silent beside him, and asked.

  "My younger brother believes in Your Highness's wisdom!" Long Han replied calmly to the Crown Prince's distant question.

  Long Chengyu nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Long Hanyuan's words, but his eyes involuntarily took on a hint of wariness. He turned around to face the noblewomen and said, "Then I won't disturb your banquet anymore..."

  "We, your subjects, humbly bid farewell to Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"

  The Crown Prince, Long Chengyu, departed with the farewell of many noble ladies, and was followed closely by the crowd. Jun Mu Xie brought up the rear, and as he left, he turned to Qing Yin with a gentle and elegant smile. Qing Yin returned his smile from afar, and Jun Mu Xie turned around to follow the departing crowd. Qing Yin gazed at his receding back, her mouth curving into a warm and gentle arc.

  Suddenly at this moment, someone turned around and gave her a mysterious look. That glance was as cold as ice, with a hint of sharpness, and the smile in Qingjin's eyes froze as she met that person's gaze unpreparedly. The smile on her face stiffened uncontrollably, but that person had already quickly turned around before Qingjin could react.

  It seemed like just a glimpse, but Qingjin knew it wasn't an illusion. She had clearly seen the face of the person who turned back, and to her surprise, it was Long Han yuan, who had somehow fallen behind the crowd without anyone noticing.

  Thank you very much, Bing Xue Ming, yyyjean, Kai Shui Kai Shui Kai Shui, Rong Shu Cheng, Die Die Zhi Qiu's pink votes, thank you ansons for the 2 peace symbols reward, thank you Qian Qing Zhong Shi for the update votes...