Chapter 143 Meeting Zhen Huan

"Who is there?"

Under Yunli's dark expression, Yinzhen seemed quite curious about the gentle, pleading female voice. He had barely uttered a question when the woman fell silent. The faint candlelight behind the plum tree also disappeared, as if deliberately avoiding them.

"Who is it? If you don't speak, I will have the entire Yimei Garden turned upside down."

"This servant is a palace maid from Yimei Garden."

"You've been to school? What's your name?"

"My humble name would offend your ears."

Seeing that his elder brother seemed quite interested, Yunli remained silent with a sullen face. However, upon hearing the woman's reply, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Such pretense! How could the palace maids of Yimei Garden possibly be literate or know poetry? Although they weren't particularly proficient, this excuse was truly laughable.

Judging from her brother's continued walking, he clearly didn't believe her. This woman was far too naive to try and deceive her wise and powerful brother.

However, Yunli thought again that perhaps this was all on the woman's part, deliberately mispronouncing words and pretending to be a palace maid to arouse his brother's interest. What a cunning scheme!

Realizing he had unwittingly fallen into a trap set by two people and brought his elder brother to Yimei Garden, Yunli's face darkened even more. He thought to himself, "If this person has the guts, she should stay hidden forever, or I won't let her off the hook."

Footsteps echoed on the snow. The woman hiding behind the tree, perhaps flustered, said rather apologetically, "Don't come any closer, my shoes and socks are wet, I'm changing them..."

Yunli rolled his eyes in annoyance. She couldn't even pretend properly. What palace maid would dare to refer to herself as "I"? And her shoes and socks were wet. She must have been deliberately trying to seduce her brother.

Yunli's eyes sharpened, and under the moonlight, he caught sight of a figure trying to slip away quietly through the plum branches. So, now that the act is over, they're trying to play hard to get, aren't they?

Would he give this scheming woman the chance? Yunli's eyes sharpened, he pinched a small snowball, aimed it at the woman's leg, and flicked it hard.

"Hmm!"

A figure fell to the ground, the sound instantly drawing everyone's attention. Yinzhen walked over to the sound, seemingly unaware of Yunli's subtle actions, and reached out his hand to the woman who had fallen to the ground, wearing a plain white cloak.

Are you alright?

The moment she fell to the ground, Zhen Huan knew she couldn't escape. Hearing the gentle, magnetic voice from above, she bit her lip, timidly raised her head, looked at Yinzhen's cold and dignified face, blushed, and tentatively placed her hand in his.

With a little effort, Yinzhen helped Zhen Huan up.

Feeling the warmth of his hand and smelling the ambergris on the Emperor, Zhen Huan became even more embarrassed. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Please forgive me. I was flustered and did not mean to impersonate a palace maid."

"It's alright, but where did you fall?" Yinzhen showed no concern whatsoever, his concerned expression making Zhen Huan dizzy and her heart pounding.

"N-nothing."

"Your Majesty, which sister-in-law is this?" Yunli walked up from behind, his face full of curiosity. He had one hand behind his back, destroying a small red portrait, and his vigilance towards Zhen Huan was at its highest.

He wondered how this woman could be so bold, playing hard to get without revealing her face or name. Turns out she'd left something behind. What kind of respectable daughter would so openly hang her own portrait on a branch for blessings? He certainly didn't believe it; he wouldn't let such a thing offend his elder brother's eyes.

Yunli thought this to himself, but showed no sign of it on his face. As he drew closer, Zhen Huan's face came into his view. Yunli was somewhat confused. Wasn't this person just dancing? Why is she here praying for blessings again? So many tricks up her sleeve?

In an instant, Yunli understood. He had long heard that his elder brother's harem had two concubines with similar titles and appearances. Could this be the other one?

Sure enough, people who look alike are just as cunning.

"This is Consort Wan from Zhongcui Palace," Yinzhen explained to Yunli with a faint smile. Looking into Yunli's eyes, he noticed that besides the curiosity he showed, there was only a deep-seated disgust, not a trace of attraction. How interesting, the same encounter, different states of mind.

As for Zhen Huan, she was deeply moved after Yinzhen clearly revealed who she was. She had thought that since she hadn't served the emperor in bed, he probably wouldn't remember her. It turned out that the emperor had always known about her...

"Consort Wan? I've never met this young lady before," Yunli laughed heartily, as if mentioning it casually. "However, I just overheard Consort Wan making a wish, something about 'If the wind understands my heart, may it not easily destroy me.' But I seem to recall that Cui Daorong's poem 'Plum Blossom' is about the north wind?"

Zhen Huan's girlish sentiments were instantly shattered by Yunli's words. She froze, as if she had returned to the day of the palace selection, when the Empress pointed out that she had "a slender waist like that of a Chu palace maid." She felt the same embarrassment. She couldn't very well say that she did it on purpose.

"It was a mistake on my part," Zhen Huan bowed and apologized to Yinzhen with a hint of shame. But in her heart, she was very dissatisfied with this meddlesome prince.

"It was just a casual remark during a prayer, not a test of your knowledge, nothing serious." Yinzhen comforted the embarrassed Zhen Huan, then turned to Yunli, "It's getting late, let's go back, otherwise there will only be a bunch of drunkards left at the banquet."

"Your Majesty is right. Judging from the way Thirteenth Brother and the others are drinking, they must be quite drunk." Yunli nodded with a smile, glancing at Zhen Huan who had disturbed his time alone with his brother. He would rather go back to his brothers who were competing with him for the Emperor's favor than see this scheming woman again.

"Where are the people who always serve Wan Chang?"

"Your Highness, I came out to pray for blessings alone, without any other people with me."

"In that case, come with me. I will send someone to take you back later."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

So Yinzhen, with Zhen Huan in tow and Yunli following behind, walked back with a dark expression. He glared hatefully at Zhen Huan's retreating figure, thinking to himself, "She really is a scheming woman, one scheme after another. She doesn't even bring a maid with her when she goes out; she just wants to cling to her brother, the Emperor."

Regardless of who it was tonight, anyone who dared to climb over him to the top will face severe consequences once he uncovers the truth. As for Zhen Huan, she is absolutely innocent in his eyes.

...

"My lady, you're finally back."

At Zhongcui Palace, they finally saw Zhen Huan. Huanbi and Liuzhu rushed to greet her, their faces filled with worry.

"Alright, I'm perfectly fine," Zhen Huan reassured the two of them, then turned and smiled gently at the eunuch who had brought her back. "Thank you, sir."

"You're too kind, Miss Wan. Now that you've arrived, this servant will return to report to His Majesty."

"Take care, sir."

Zhen Huan gestured with her eyes, and although Liu Zhu didn't understand, she still went up to see the little eunuch off and handed him a purse containing a reward.

"Your Highness, you've run into the Emperor?" Huanbi reacted and excitedly tugged at Zhen Huan's sleeve.

Zhen Huan smiled shyly, glanced at Ningxiang Residence where the lights had been turned off, and said softly, "We'll talk about it when we get back."

"Yes, yes, Your Highness is right." Huanbi followed Zhen Huan's gaze, glanced disdainfully at An Lingrong's residence, and quickly put on a smiling face, helping Zhen Huan walk towards Xiaoyu Pavilion.

Inside Ningxiang Residence, An Lingrong, who was lying in bed and had not yet fallen asleep, heard the commotion outside and pondered silently, "Where did Sister Wan go? Did she just come back?"