Chapter 17: Murder by the Sword
When the two arrived at the gate of the imperial garden, Yu Ning ordered his subordinates to wait outside, and Shen Qingyun also followed behind Yu Ning alone.
The two walked for a while, Yu Ning saw that no one stopped and looked at Shen Qingyun with a serious face, "Miss Shen, although this princess doesn't know when the prime minister had another daughter, but your prime minister's mansion has always supported the eldest emperor's brother, how can you also know my Yuanzhi brother from the prime minister's mansion?" ”
"The princess doesn't have to worry too much, my relationship with the Third Highness is just a simple partnership. I think the princess doesn't know my life experience, so she has a lot of suspicions about me, it doesn't matter if the princess doesn't believe me, but the princess wants to believe in His Royal Highness.
Your Highness is not a person who can be easily deceived, and if I threaten His Highness, the princess thinks that His Highness will still be close to me. Shen Qingyun's explanation was unhurried.
"My brother Yuanzhi has always disliked being close to outsiders, if you hadn't confused him, how could he look at you differently, you are just an unfavored young lady in the prime minister's mansion." Princess Yuning insisted that it was Shen Qingyun who seduced Xia Hou Yuanzhi.
"If the princess doesn't believe me, I can personally ask the Third Highness whether I seduced him first or whether he came to me first." Shen Qingyun looked at Princess Yu Ning with a sincere face.
"This princess will naturally ask, but warn you in advance not to beat my Yuanzhi brother's idea, if you dare to do anything unfavorable to him, this princess will definitely not let you go." Princess Yu Ning had actually believed Shen Qingyun's words, but she still bluffed to scare Shen Qingyun.
Shen Qingyun smiled and looked at Princess Yu Ning's cute appearance. She knew that Princess Yuning was just a little afraid of losing Xiahou Yuanzhi's brother. In a small prime minister's mansion, brothers and sisters have to calculate each other, not to mention how rare it is to have an elder brother who loves him in this huge palace.
"The princess actually doesn't have to worry at all, in His Royal Highness's heart, the princess must be his most beloved sister in this world, no matter what happens in the future, the princess is irreplaceable in His Highness's heart." Shen Qingyun looked at Yu Ning, and her tone was like coaxing a child.
"Princess Ben isn't worried." Princess Yu Ning was talked to by Shen Qingyun about her heart, although she still refused to admit it on the surface, but Shen Qingyun's words gave her great comfort.
In this palace, where all the organs are calculated, she has seen her brothers kill each other in order to compete for the throne, but fortunately, she has a brother who is good to her, and she is naturally afraid of being robbed by others.
At this time, at the gate of the palace, everyone was still immersed in the appearance of Xiahou Yuanzhi just now.
"Qing Wu, who is that person by the side of the Third Highness just now, I haven't seen it before." A pleasant voice came, breaking the embarrassing situation, and everyone's attention was attracted to the person who came.
The woman who spoke was good-looking, and her gestures were all beautiful in the demeanor of everyone, and this person was Song Zixuan, the eldest lady of Shangshu Mansion.
"Sister Zixuan, why are you here now?" Shen Qingwen looked at the person opposite and had a plan, pulling Song Zixuan aside.
Song Zixuan didn't like Shen Qingwen very much, but in order to inquire about the news of the Third Highness, she followed Shen Qingwen to the side and spoke gently, "There are some things in the house today, so it was delayed." ”
"Sister Zixuan, the one who followed the Third Highness just now is his sweetheart. I don't think my sister has hope, and His Royal Highness just said that she can do whatever she wants, and His Royal Highness will be responsible for something. All of us heard it, didn't you see that His Highness looked at her with a doting look. Shen Qingwen looked at Song Zixuan's opening with oil and vinegar.
Song Zixuan has always been obsessed with Xiahou Yuanzhi, but Xiahou Yuanzhi has never been close to women, and many women who took the initiative to approach him were rejected by him mercilessly, and many palace banquets did not attend. So she has never had the opportunity to contact Xiahou Yuanzhi, and on the way she came, she was very happy to learn that His Royal Highness would come today, but who wanted to see Xiahou Yuanzhi enter the palace with a woman as soon as she got out of the car.
Now that she heard Shen Qingwen say this, a layer of anger was dyed in her eyes, but she still told herself that according to the character of the Third Highness, it was impossible for such a thing to happen, "How do I know that what you said is true, in case Your Highness is just a friend of her, then wouldn't I have misunderstood others." ”
"Sister Zixuan, I have the most say in this matter. Because the woman who followed the Third Highness was the elder sister. In the past few days, His Royal Highness has often run to our house, and you also know that for so many years, the Prime Minister's Mansion has only brought me one daughter, if it weren't for her close relationship with His Royal Highness, how could she be here. Shen Qingwen looked at Song Zixuan and spoke.
"What do you say, that person is the woman who was rumored to be involved with the owner of the gambling house a few days ago." Song Zixuan was shocked, how could her Third Highness fall in love with such a shameless woman, how could she be worthy.
"Sister Zixuan, don't worry, I have a way to let His Highness recognize her true colors." Shen Qingwen saw that Song Zixuan completely believed her words, so she started her next plan.
"What's the solution, say it quickly." Song Zixuan was overjoyed, looked at Shen Qingwen and asked.
Shen Qingwen chuckled, whispered a few words in Song Zixuan's ear, and saw Song Zixuan's brows gradually stretch to reveal a smile.
"But she's your own sister, how could you be so kind and willing to help me?" Song Zixuan looked at Shen Qingwen suspiciously.
"Sister Zixuan, she is not my own sister. She's just an unfavored, dispensable person in the Prime Minister's Mansion, even if she dies one day, my father may not know about it, not to mention that we just let everyone see her true colors. Shen Qingwen spoke, with disdain in her eyes.
"Okay, just do as you say." Song Zixuan nodded, a fierce light flashed in her eyes, and the palace banquet will definitely be wonderful in a while.
…………
In the imperial garden, Princess Yu Ning looked Shen Qingyun up and down, today Shen Qingyun was wearing a light cyan long skirt, with only a simple sachet tied around her waist, and the decoration on her head was just a tassel and swaying, and the whole person looked plain and elegant, revealing some alienation.
"Why are you dressed so elegantly when you come to the palace banquet today, and the nobles who come to the palace banquet will dress up themselves and show off their flowers, so that they can be more eye-catching, isn't it?" Yu Ning asked.
Shen Qingyun looked at the color and style of his clothes, which were indeed lighter, but they were decent. "It's good to wear the clothes properly, it doesn't matter if the color is bright and attractive, and really attractive people don't rely on the color of the clothes to attract others. Isn't it the same with princesses? ”
Princess Yu Ning was very satisfied with such an answer, she didn't like to contact with the nobles before, because she felt that those people were flattering to the superiors and bullying and arrogant. She disdains intercourse with such people, but Shen Qingyun is different from them.
Yu Ning smiled and liked Shen Qingyun's temperament more and more, "Why have I never heard of you before, Brother Yuanzhi said that you are Miss Xiangfu, but isn't Miss Xiangfu Shen Qingyun?" After dispelling her suspicions about Shen Qingyun, Princess Yu Ning asked the doubts in her heart.
Shen Qingyun told Yu Ning all her things, and Princess Yu Ning believed and liked Shen Qingyun even more after hearing it, and even waved her little fist and said that from now on, if anyone dares to bully Shen Qingyun again, tell her, and she will teach that person a lesson for Shen Qingyun. The relationship between girls is sometimes so wonderful, maybe one second they are still competing against each other, and the next second they can become friends.
The two walked out of the imperial garden together and walked to the main hall where the palace banquet was held. When the two arrived at the main hall, the ministers and family members began to enter the hall one after another, Princess Yu Ning led Shen Qingyun to the seat, and she turned around and left to find the queen.
As soon as Shen Qingwen entered the door, she saw Shen Qingyun sitting alone, and hurriedly walked over and sat beside her, so as to facilitate the implementation of the plan for a while.
"My sister is really blessed, having the Third Highness is so good to you, which makes my sister envious." Although Shen Qingyun said that she was envious, she thought in her heart that after a while, Shen Qingyun would make a fool of herself in public and lose her reputation.
Shen Qingyun ignored her, but secretly felt that there must be some reason for Shen Qingyun's abnormality.
After all the ministers were seated, the prince and princess began to enter, this was the first time Shen Qingyun had seen these princes, although everyone was handsome, but Xiahou Yuanzhi was indeed the most outstanding one in it, he was dressed in a lilac palace costume full of luxury. When Princess Yu Ning came in, she winked playfully at Shen Qingyun.
In the end, the eunuch screamed and announced that the emperor and queen had arrived, and the palace banquet officially began after everyone got up to pay respects. But Shen Qingyun couldn't understand that most of the palace banquets held in the palace were to celebrate some important events or festivals, and now there was nothing uncommon in this day, and the palace banquet was not clear.
Inviting the minister's family members to participate in the palace banquet will inevitably lead to an extra link and a talent show. All the noble ladies are scrambling to show themselves, the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting and dancing are all about it, Shen Qingyun just looked at it coldly and was not interested in it, fortunately, now everyone doesn't know her, so naturally there is no desire to provoke her, Shen Qingyun is happy.
As the palace banquet progressed, the palace maids gradually came to renew the wine and add dishes to each table. Shen Qingyun has always been greedy for cups, and the wine in the palace banquet is naturally good wine, so the pot in front of her was quickly drunk by her, but at this time, she didn't notice that Shen Qingyun glanced at Song Zixuan not far away.
Song Zixuan saw Shen Qing's hint and knew that the time was almost up, so she slowly came with the maidservant behind her with a wine jug.
"Qing's wife, didn't you say that you wanted to introduce your sister to me." Song Zixuan looks gentle and moving.
"Yes, Sister Zixuan, this is my sister Shen Qingyun. Sister, this is the eldest lady of Shangshu Mansion, Sister Song Zixuan, Sister Zixuan heard that you were here and always wanted to know you, but she didn't want you to enter the palace in advance today, so I didn't see you. Shen Qingwen got up, introduced each other to the two, and exchanged glances with Song Zixuan at the same time.
"Miss Song, hello." Although Shen Qingyun was not interested in knowing others, since people came to her door, there was a reason to hide.
"Since acquaintance is fate, I have never seen you before, and I rarely attend palace banquets, so today we really have a fate, so it is better for us to have a drink together." Song Zixuan quickly cut to the topic, and if she said a word to a woman like Shen Qingyun with low status and misbehaving, she would feel disgusted, but for the sake of His Royal Highness, she had to endure it. As long as Shen Qingyun drinks this cup of seductive wine, it will soon be revealed in its original form, and then the Third Highness will still be hers.
Song Zixuan poured three glasses of wine at the same time, took one for herself, and handed the rest to Shen Qingyun and Shen Qingwen respectively.
Shen Qingyun didn't think much about it, she only hoped that Song Zixuan would be able to leave here soon, so she drank the wine directly. Song Zixuan had been staring at Shen Qingyun nervously, and almost laughed out loud when she saw her drink it all, and then took a sip to show her respect.
Shen Qingwen was even more happy, it was not in vain that her mother tried her best to help her prepare this charm, this medicine is colorless and tasteless, and the person taking the medicine will not show symptoms immediately, but as long as there is a little activity, it will feel hot and uncomfortable. After a while, Shen Qingyun was going to perform on stage, and at that time, as soon as the effect of the medicine occurred, she would untie her clothes in front of everyone, and when she thought of such a scene, Shen Qingyun couldn't help but hook the corners of her mouth.
On the other side, Song Zixuan also returned to her seat satisfied, waiting to watch the play. Because things are going well, Shen Qingwen's heart that has been carried since the beginning of the palace banquet has also been put down, and she looks very comfortable drinking from time to time on the side.
But it didn't take long for Shen Qingyun next to him to make a move, and he began to drink tea non-stop, and his face turned red.
"Sister, what's wrong with you, this is a palace banquet, how can you brush up your sleeves, it's so rude." Shen Qingyun pretended to be kind and re-pulled Shen Qingyun's sleeves.
But Shen Qingyun seemed to be evil, pushed Shen Qingwen away and pulled up her sleeves again. He kept muttering that it was too hot in the hall, and even reached out to unbutton his clothes.
Shen Qingwen wondered in her heart, could it be that Song Zixuan's dosage was too large, which was why Shen Qingyun reacted so quickly, but it looked like the effect of the medicine had attacked, and a trace of happiness flashed on Shen Qingyun's face.
Xiahou Yuanzhi's eyes have been on Shen Qingyun, and at this time, he also discovered Shen Qingyun's inappropriateness, seeing that Shen Qingyun had unbuttoned a disc button on his neckline, Xiahou Yuanzhi immediately thought of something, and wanted to get up and take Shen Qingyun away, but he was afraid that he would fall into the hands of others so he had to observe first.
And Shen Qingyun had already broken free from Shen Qingyun, stood up, and walked straight to Song Ziyi, the son of Shangshufu, who was next to him, with his hand on the second button.