Chapter 685 Testing the Fourth Princess

Some people said, "Since it's the Lantern Festival, what's the point of choosing a topic? Let's use 'Celebrating the Lantern Festival' as the topic. The Fourth Princess is so talented, let's take a look at her charm back then."

"The Fourth Princess Consort will compose a poem to add to the merriment," someone started to jeer.

Zhang Yurou wanted to memorize an ancient poem first, but after searching her mind, she couldn't recall any poems praising the Lantern Festival.

Before she could figure it out, just then, the Fourth Prince, who was already drunk and lying unconscious on the table, suddenly looked up and vomited violently. After he finished vomiting, the table was covered with his filth, and everyone pinched their noses and looked at him with disgust.

The Fourth Prince was drunk, but he didn't feel ashamed at all. It was the people present who felt ashamed of him.

Zhang Yurou happened to be sitting at the same table as him. She had suffered an undeserved misfortune and her body was covered in filth. This incident, however, actually helped her out of her predicament.

A hint of disdain flashed in her eyes, but she quickly added with concern, "Your Highness, you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk. If you drink again, I want to drink more." The Fourth Prince leaned against Zhang Yurou. "I'll drink with the Princess."

Zhang Yurou looked embarrassed and bowed towards Jiang Fenghua, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I may need to take you to change your clothes first, he's drunk." His drunkenness certainly came at the right time!

Seeing the vomit, no one was in the mood to listen to her poetry anymore; they just wanted her to take the Fourth Prince away as soon as possible.

Immediately, a palace steward sent someone over to clear the table.

Jiang Fenghua also instantly lost her appetite and felt nauseous. The Fourth Prince vomited at just the right time. She looked deeply in the direction of the Fourth Prince and saw that after he finished vomiting, he looked like a paralyzed person.

She quickly said, "Your Highness, please help the Fourth Prince to the side hall to rest! The Lantern Festival banquet has only just begun. The Fourth Prince should sober up before coming back."

Just as the Fourth Princess was helping the Fourth Prince leave the banquet hall and walk to the entrance, a cold wind blew, and all the lanterns under the corridor suddenly went out. The surroundings immediately fell into the quiet night. The sky was covered by thick black clouds, and the wind rustled slowly in the treetops.

Zhang Yurou looked up and saw a dim palace lantern lit up in the corridor ahead. A graceful and noble woman was being helped by a palace maid as she slowly walked towards her.

Zhang Yurou stared intently, and she was startled. The person looked exactly like Consort Su. The dim light shone on Consort Su's delicate and cold face, making her look sinister and terrifying.

Zhang Yurou shuddered, because she had already learned that Su Qingqing was dead. Her people either died or fled that day, so how could she be in the palace? Unless...

The closer Su Qingqing got to her, the more frightened she became. She suddenly dropped the Fourth Prince, who was pressing his weight on her, and screamed in fright.

The Fourth Prince was thrown heavily to the ground, and upon hearing her scream, he opened his eyes and asked, "What happened? What's wrong? Why did you throw me to the ground?"

Zhang Yurou crouched down behind Xie Yang, tugging at his clothes, her face pale with fright. "Your Highness, look over there! Is there someone there?"

"Where is anyone?" Xie Yang looked in the direction Zhang Yurou pointed. "It's pitch black. There's not even a ghost, let alone a person."

Xie Yang had actually been awake for a while but had been pretending to be drunk. He vomited only to help Zhang Yurou out of a predicament. He knew very well what level she was at; she couldn't possibly write poetry.

Zhang Yurou rubbed her eyes. Indeed, there was nothing there. Even the palace maids and palace lanterns seemed to have never appeared, let alone Consort Su. She thought to herself: I clearly saw Consort Su.

What could disappear in an instant? Could it really be the ghost of Consort Su returning?

Before she could figure it out, the people in the banquet hall were drawn out by her scream.

Jiang Fenghua walked up to them and said with concern, "Fourth Prince, why are you both squatting on the ground? It's all my fault for not thinking things through. We should have had someone help you to the side hall. Your Highness is so thin and weak. Someone, please help the prince and princess up and take them to the side hall to rest."

Meanwhile, seeing that everyone had gathered around, Xie Yang closed his eyes and leaned against Zhang Yurou, pretending to be asleep.

Zhang Yurou said, "Your Majesty, I'd better escort you back to your residence. We won't stay in the palace any longer, as you are drunk."

“The maid is taking Princess Yi to rest in the side hall. The Fourth Prince is drunk again, so it’s not convenient for him to leave the palace now. Your Highness, please don’t be so polite. There are guest rooms everywhere in the side hall. At least let the Fourth Prince sober up before leaving the palace!” Jiang Fenghua said gently.

Thinking of what she had just witnessed, Zhang Yurou was terrified. "No..."

“The Fourth Prince is so drunk, he’ll probably throw up again if he’s jostled around in the carriage,” Gao Qingtong echoed Jiang Fenghua’s words.

Everyone chimed in, "Let's send it to the side hall first; the princess isn't in a hurry."

In the end, the Fourth Princess Consort could not resist everyone's insistence, and Jiang Fenghua asked Wuxin to find a eunuch to help the Fourth Prince leave.

The Fourth Princess Consort naturally went along to take care of her daughter. Her daughter fell asleep halfway through the trip. The banquet hall was too noisy, so she asked the maids and wet nurses from the Prince's Mansion to take her to a side hall to sleep for a while.

To get to the side hall, they had to pass through the same corridor they had just seen, heading in the same direction Su Qingqing had walked. Zhang Yurou followed closely behind the group, still feeling scared.

Unwilling to be helped, the Fourth Prince quickened his pace. Because the road was too dark, Zhang Yurou fell quite a distance behind. At this moment, a palace maid came towards her. The next moment, the palace maid accidentally bumped into Zhang Yurou and almost knocked her down.

Zhang Yurou was already scared, and being bumped into made her even more upset. Her brows furrowed into a deep frown as she scolded, "How can you be so careless when you walk?"

The palace maid said in a flustered manner, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, there's something over there..."

The palace maid looked frightened, and Zhang Yurou asked in confusion, "What is it?"

"There's a flying lantern, but I don't know why there's no one there. It's so scary!" The palace maid said and ran away.

Zhang Yurou's heart tightened, and she was so scared that her legs trembled. At this moment, Wuxin suddenly turned back with a lantern. "Your Majesty, please leave quickly. The wind may have blown out all the lanterns. After I see you and the Prince off, I will have someone come and light all the lanterns under the eaves."

With light and Wuxin by her side, Zhang Yurou was less afraid. She kept repeating to herself, "The grievance has its source, and the debtor has its debtor. I didn't kill you. If you want to find someone, find Jiang Fenghua. She's the one who killed you."

Seeing her frightened expression, Wuxin smiled gently and said, "The side hall is just a few steps away, Your Highness, please be careful as it's a bit dark."

"Where is the Prince?" Zhang Yurou asked.

"He's already inside. This servant has sent people to serve the Prince, so Your Highness can rest assured!" Wuxin added, "Fourth Princess, please."

Wuxin did not take her to the side hall, but to an open space.