Lin Xulian spent the first three days of being the empress holed up inside her courtyard while Yin Mei is teaching her the etiquette and rituals needed for her introduction banquet a week after the wedding. It means she only have four days left. But she is Lin Xulian, and as expected she already memorized everything. Right now she is being measured by a seamstress for the clothes she had to wear during the banquet while thinking what she should do to spend the rest of the week.
Lin Xulian went to her clinic and checked her inventory of herbs. Seeing that her herbs are almost gone, she decided to visit the Caoyao Pavilion tomorrow. She could ask Hao Yuwen to deliver it to her palace but decided against it. She had nothing to do so she might as well go herself. She could also check if they have new medicinal ingredients available.
The next morning, Lin Xulian wore a white robe paired with white veil to cover her countenance. Feng Jun Yi said she will only reveal her face during the banquet. She can't wear her favorite red color since it became her trademark before her wedding and would give out her identity. She took the black clothed Rui together with her acting as her guard.
Being the empress, she can't leave the palace anytime as she pleases. But as a capable subordinate, Xiao Tianshi already scouted the whole palace and draw possible escape routes that pleased Lin Xulian so much and thus she asked the palace kitchen to make delicious pastries for Tianshi. Using the "escape route" closest to the Phoenix Palace, Xulian and Rui leaped over the wall.
Xiao Tian and Xiao Tianshi remain inside the palace to fool their Mei jiejie. Xiao Tianshi is tasked to guard outside Xulian's clinic and make sure no one enters. While Xiao Tian is dressed in red robes pretending to be Lin Xulian while making medicine. She made sure that her back always faced the entrance so that even if Yin Mei insist to peek, she would still see that "Xulian" is really inside the clinic. No one could really tell since Xiao Tian is actually making medicine. It is her task as Xulian's apprentice to make common medicine to supply the Caoyao Pavilion. She may not be that dedicated in being an apothecary but Xulian insists that she should at least be able to make simple and common ones.
On the other hand, Lin Xulian and Rui first went to Caoyao Pavilion to buy herbs. The servants, seeing that a white robed and white veil covered woman entered the pavilion, welcomed her warmly but didn't recognize her. But after they saw the imposing black robed and black masked Rui, they recognized them as one of the Pavilion's business partners. They are curious as to why Xulian wore white instead of red. They totally neglect the idea of her being the famous red clad empress roaming around the capital for the past few months.
After they bought enough herbs, Xulian and Rui, carrying a few boxes of herbs, entered a restaurant to have some lunch.
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Inside a private room in a famous restaurant in the capital, the purple robed fifth prince Feng Jun Yun is leisurely sipping his tea. He is done with his lunch but he liked staying outside his manor and be around the crowd. Earlier this morning, his mother the Imperial Noble Concubine Li and now the Empress Dowager sent a letter from the temple she is currently at to pray for her deceased husband. She is pressuring him to get his own wangfei. She suggested Han Yimei so that they could rope the Han family to their side after the old Right Prime Minister die and help his brother the second prince take over the throne.
This angered Feng Jun Yun very much. He can't understand why his mother constantly supports his stupid and lecherous big brother instead of him. Feng Jun Yun have both the looks and brain. He also looked seductive. A perfect description of devilishly handsome man. But instead of the cruel and lecherous eyes of his brother, he had a seductive but gentle looking eyes. He also looked like he is constantly smiling and commonly known as the gentleman. He is the total opposite of the second prince.
The fifth prince is intelligent. He is actually on par with Feng Jun Yi in terms of intellect. He is also talented in martial arts. Feng Jun Yi is just luckier than him since he had an accidental encounter with an expert and became his disciple. While the second prince is a total failure. The third prince never had an interest in battles. The fourth prince is also good at martial arts but is a little air headed.
No matter how he looks at himself, he knows he is a better option than the second prince. His only setback is because he is the youngest capable prince, since their sixth brother is sickly and is just ten. Whatever happens to Feng Jun Yi, the next in line for the throne should be him, Feng Jun Yun.
He is drowning in his thoughts until his eyes swept towards the first floor's entrance. He saw a white robed and white veil covered woman entering the restaurant. He didn't mind the black robed man following her and just regarded him as her guard. She is different from other women who acted docile and sweet all the time. The woman is valiant. She held her head high and walks in a steady pace, unlike other woman who would lower their heads acting pitiful and walking with tiny steps that looked like they were floating. This woman is not that elegant but also doesn't look boorish. She is confident.
His heart rate increased. This feeling is so foreign for him but he knows he wanted to meet and know who the woman is. Seeing that she is about to arrive at the second floor and enter a private room, without thinking straight he went out to meet her up close.
The sudden appearance of the fifth prince in front of Lin Xulian startled her and caused her to step back. She didn't feel any evil intent so she didn't expect Feng Jun Yun to suddenly pop out. She bumped into Rui who is behind her causing the knot of her veil to loosen and finally fell down her face.
Seeing her bare and unveiled face, Feng Jun Yun felt like he was struck with lightning. With wide eyes, he stood rooted like a statue and just looked at Xulian's face. He can't utter a word. He didn't even notice the deathly glare Rui is giving him. Right then he admitted to himself that he experienced love at first sight.
Xulian on the other hand just rearranged her veil and stepped around Feng Jun Yun seeing that he didn't have any intention of saying anything. She Just pulled Rui towards their private room. She is too hungry to care about her playmate.