Scheming Through the Palace 009 Blocked from Entering the Palace

  The Great Hall of the Front Temple

  Duke Wei saw from afar the three masters and servants walking towards him from the long corridor, their faces looking stiff and unnatural.

  "Master, is this little princess really going to enter the Hall of Lost Souls and play the piano in front of those madwomen?"

  Fu Gonggong still couldn't quite believe it, yesterday when his father came back he was frowning and worried, only then did he know that Wu You Gong actually wanted to enter the Lost Heart Palace to play the zither. At that time, his first thought was that Wu You Gongzi might not be normal after all, just like those crazy women locked up in the Lost Heart Palace for five years?

  Otherwise, why would she want to enter the Lost Heart Palace? Inside is a madwoman that all normal people would avoid at all costs.

  Wei Zhong glared at him and said irritably, "You ask me, how would I know? Who knows if this Princess Worry-Free has gone mad?"

  Fu Gonggong's face tensed up: "Won't be, right? Princess Wuyou really went mad? What to do then? Dry dad, should we report this to Shi Gonggong?"

  Wei Zhong felt his teeth starting to ache, and with a loud crack, he slapped Fu Gonggong's head: "Why did I take in this brainless fool?"

  Who does he think he is? Does he think he can see Lord Shi just because he wants to? Does he think he can report to the Emperor just because he wants to?

  Besides, how can he go and report such a baseless and absurd thing? He can't possibly tell Lord Shi that Princess Worry-free wants to play the zither but because she has no teacher, her playing sounds like the screams of pigs being slaughtered, and then she wants to play for those madwomen, and say that Princess Worry-free is mad... Even if he had a hundred times more courage, he wouldn't dare report such a thing.

  Fu Gonggong, who had been beaten, dared not speak out in anger, but smiled wryly on his face and cursed inwardly. If he hadn't fawned upon this old man, hoping to become the manager of this desolate palace, would he have endured it?

  The two little eunuchs standing behind Fu Gonggong were Xiaohua and Xiaogao, who looked at the master and servant trio getting closer and closer with a mix of tension and worry in their hearts.

  The tense thing is whether the carefree princess still remembers them?

  What's worrying is that Princess Worry-Free actually wants to enter the Lost Heart Palace. In their opinion, how can a princess who seems like an immortal descending to the mortal world possibly enter this place where a group of madwomen are locked up?

  Most of the women in Zisheng Palace are the concubines of the previous emperor, and one or two are the concubines of the emperor before that. They have been mad for dozens of years and do not recognize people at all. What if they harm the princess?

  Since they entered this cold palace, except for seeing Wei Gonggong send some mad women in and opening the door once a year for cleaning, no one has seen the Lost Heart Palace open again. These eunuchs did not dare to enter, and when delivering food, they would pass it through a hole in the corner of the wall, letting them grab the food like pigs.

  "Lord Wei." Yuan Wuyou looked at Lord Wei, who was standing in the courtyard with several eunuchs waiting for her, and greeted him before they could even pay their respects.

  Duke Wei swallowed hard and stuttered: "P... Princess really wants to enter the Lost Heart Palace?"

  He originally thought that the princess was just scaring him and would say so, but unexpectedly, today early in the morning, Yu Zhu came over to greet him, saying that the princess would come soon, and asked him to prepare to open the door of the Lost Heart Palace. At that time, he almost went crazy when he heard it.

  "Could it be that Master Wei thinks that being carefree is just idle chatter?"

  Wei Zhongyi's old face turned pale with worry: "But... what if something happens to the princess, I really can't bear the responsibility."

  Yu Wuyou smiled faintly: "Governor Wei is joking, I'm no different from them!"

  Wei Zhong's heart sank. This princess wouldn't really think that just because she was injured by these madwomen, she could memorialize the Emperor and stir up his sympathy?

  Should he let him enter the Lost Heart Palace or stop him? What would be the outcome of these two choices? He really didn't dare to gamble!

  Although he acknowledged that the carefree princess might be an exception, it was only a possibility. Who could fathom the emperor's will? If the emperor were to blame him later on, he couldn't bear the crime of dereliction of duty.

  "Princess, I think it's better if you don't go in. Otherwise, the consequences will be too much for me to bear, and also too much for you to bear." He was afraid that if the princess didn't come out, he would be the one to take the blame. He was getting old and didn't want to take any more risks, and this risk was just too great.

  Yu Wu smiled and said: "Is Lord Wei speaking to me in his capacity as the manager of this deserted Cold Palace?"

  Wei Zhong's eyelids twitched, and he felt a chill creeping up his neck and spine, like a snake slithering slowly across his back. He cursed silently to himself, wondering if he was just being paranoid or if the Princess of Worry was really putting pressure on him.

  Since Shigong brought the emperor's reward, Princess Worry-free was like a poisonous snake that had been hibernating in winter and woke up with the arrival of spring. She was no longer as quiet and silent as she was during her hibernation. He could understand that nobody would give up on their desire to go out until they were about to die, let alone Princess Worry-free who was only twelve years old! Life was really too long for her!

  But no matter what, he had to insist on it. He slightly raised his head and looked straight at her with a respectful expression but his eyes were firm and cold: "I hope Your Highness won't make things difficult for my family!"

  Yu Wuyou was just about to say something when his eyes suddenly lit up and he looked past him: "Huh, is that you? Xiao Huazi, Xiao Gaizi."

  Wei Zhongyi was taken aback, slowly turning his head back. Fu Gonggong, who had been quietly following behind him with his head down, also turned around in surprise to look at the two small eunuchs following closely behind him.

  Xiao Huazi and Xiao Gaizi's hearts skipped a beat as Yuan Wuyou called out their names in a warm tone, and under the astonished and stern gaze of Wei Gonggong and Fu Gonggong, they trembled and rushed forward to kneel down on the snowy ground to pay their respects.

  "I... I have never seen the princess before."

  Wei Zhong's face was expressionless, but Fu Gonggong frowned in displeasure. Such a grand and humble gesture towards a princess who had been relegated to the Cold Palace for life was truly unbefitting.

  Yu Wu not only personally helped them up, but also personally brushed off the snow on their knees and said softly: "In the future, you don't need to be so polite. In this cold palace, I am not Princess Yu Wu, just Yu Wu."

  Fu Gonggong listened to these words, the displeasure in his eyes had not dissipated, the corners of his eyes twitched, and he felt very guilty in his heart.

  In his heart, although he listened to his adoptive father's words and did not bully the carefree princess, he also could not bring himself to show respect. Those who entered this cold palace were all prisoners without a chance of release, and he firmly believed this. Even if the emperor still had some paternal affection for the carefree princess, it was only to make her days more comfortable, and would never pardon her or restore her royal status!

  The imperial edict has been issued, Yuan Wuyou is forbidden for life and will not be pardoned. The Emperor would never go back on his own words.

  "Thank... thank you, Princess." Xiaohua and Xiaogao didn't know where to put their hands and feet, they didn't dare hide and could only stiffen their bodies, allowing the warm and gentle princess to softly brush off the snow for them, feeling deeply moved in their hearts.

  "How did you get to know these two little eunuchs?" Wei Zhong asked her intently.

  "The other day they were on patrol and I ran into them while taking a walk."

  Wei Zhong nodded: "So that's how it is." He was getting more and more unable to understand this carefree young princess, who was like a pool of water, clear and transparent, yet also like an abyss, unfathomably deep.

  Yu Wuyou's eyes were fixed on hers, as if deep in thought, yet also as if guarding against something. He looked up at the little eunuchs who didn't dare to look directly at her and asked seriously: "Xiao Huazhi, Xiao Gaizi, are you willing to listen to me play the piano?"

  Xiao Huazi and Xiao Gaozi stared at her in a daze, unable to react for a moment.

  Wei Zhong's eyes lit up, and he hastily stepped forward, saying: "Since they have entered the princess's noble eyes, how could they be unwilling? Xiao Huazhi, Xiao Gaizi, why don't you quickly respond to the princess?" As long as the princess didn't insist on entering the Lost Heart Palace to make things difficult for him, he wouldn't foolishly make things difficult for her either. After all, whether it was the princess's identity or the person herself, both made him instinctively wary!

  Xiao Huazi and Xiao Gaizi, facing Wei Gonggong's stern command and intimidating gaze, hastily replied: "Your humble servant is willing!"

  Listening to their answers, Yuan Wuyou smiled happily and was very pleased.

  This smile is like a hundred flowers blooming, and also like a gentle breeze laughing, it can sweep across the peach blossom face.

  Wei Zhongyi was stunned, and Fu Gonggong was also stunned. Xiaohua Zi and Xiaogao Zi had seen her smile before, but they were still amazed and stunned.

  After they entered this cold palace as servants, most of the time was spent in the cold palace, and over time, they naturally became isolated from the outside world.

  Moreover, the majority of those imprisoned in this cold palace were imperial consorts, regardless of whether they were dead or alive, normal or abnormal. In fact, they all had extraordinary beauty, but they were eunuchs and did not care much about women's beauty.

  What's beautiful or not has nothing to do with them.

  But now, looking at the carefree princess's smile, even Wei Zhong felt that his heart suddenly cleared up, and some neglected and ignored perceptions suddenly became clear and bright!

  This beauty has nothing to do with them, but they have eyes and brains, can see clearly and think.

  And they finally realized: it turned out that the carefree princess at a young age actually had a stunning beauty that could overthrow cities and countries.