Chapter 25 He then discovered that her birthday banquet…

As dusk fell and night quietly descended, the scene of the prince being transferred to a prison cart attracted considerable attention, drawing crowds of onlookers who lingered for a long time.

Several noble ladies, who should have returned to their residences, waited patiently for a long time, hoping to have a romantic encounter with Shen Jizhao, like He Rushuang, where he rescues a damsel in distress.

They were the culprits who pushed Jiang Shuifu into the lake and then plotted to frame her for seducing the Fifth Prince. These noble ladies were led by Cao Lanzi.

These people waited until dark, but they hadn't seen a single figure of Shen Jizhao, so they gave up and prepared to head home.

Unable to meet by chance, they began to shift their attention. The capital had been quite lively these past few days, with Jiang Shuifu's birthday banquet and the He family's visit to the capital, all related to Shen Jizhao, this coveted prize.

One of the noble ladies was the first to make a sarcastic remark:

"This He Rushuang is truly capable. She managed to get His Highness the Crown Prince to come and welcome her back to the capital, and even get him to save her. Her methods are remarkable!"

Cao Lanzi then scoffed lightly:

"She used to be the Crown Princess, and if it weren't for that Jiang woman, she would have entered the Eastern Palace long ago! But it doesn't matter now. Having won a man's heart, why worry about a title? Crown Princess? It's just an empty title. Once her old flame comes back, she can't even attend the birthday banquet of the legal wife! She's a laughing stock, and people will drag her out and spit on her every now and then!"

The other noble ladies felt somewhat relieved after realizing this, and instead turned to mock Jiang Shuifu:

"Yes! She couldn't warm a man's heart even after three years, she's really pitiful! I'm suddenly looking forward to He Rushuang entering the Eastern Palace, it's bound to be exciting! I'd like to know who really makes the decisions in the Eastern Palace!"

These people were laughing so unrestrainedly that they couldn't straighten their backs.

Cao Lanzi's legs suddenly gave way, and she fell flat on her face. Before she could get up, the person behind her couldn't stop and also fell.

Her bones creaked from the weight, tears welled in her eyes, and she cried out for her parents, wishing she could call out to her entire family.

The remaining noble ladies went forward to pull them up, but were tripped by Cao Lanzi, who was writhing in pain.

In an instant, the noble ladies who had been planning to make a fool of Jiang Shuifu fell into a heap, like a human pyramid.

The noblewoman below was in great pain from being pressed down, and viciously scratched and clawed at the body and face of the noblewoman above. The noblewoman above got angry and used her advantageous position to retaliate with curses.

In an instant, the scene became quite lively. Because the noble ladies' residences were far from the homes of ordinary people, and this place was deep in the alley, no one came for a while. They fought fiercely, their faces red with anger.

"Ha! I knew you were jealous of me. I came to save you out of kindness, and you dared to gang up on me and ruin my face!"

"If you hadn't deliberately tripped me, I wouldn't have fallen for no reason! Stop pretending!"

"Let go!"

"Get up first!"

······

They fought a battle where they killed a thousand enemies but lost eight hundred of their own.

At this moment, a figure slowly enveloped them, obscuring the silver full moon and extinguishing their last glimmer of light.

Cao Lanzi and the others stared wide-eyed at the newcomer as if they had seen a ghost.

They instinctively felt a gust of cold wind, which made the clothes of the person who came flutter. The person was beautiful and had a faint smile on her lips as always.

But that smile had an eerie quality to it in this setting, not to mention the thing she was holding in her hand, which sent chills down their spines.

Sure enough, the next second, they let out a piercing scream as sticks rained down on them, and they were powerless to resist.

"You crazy woman! I'm going to complain to the Crown Prince! I'm going to complain to the Empress!"

"Aaaaah! You hit them, so you can't hit me!"

"Waaaaah, I know I was wrong, please forgive me!"

"It's all Cao Lanzi and Wang Hanxi's fault. They're the ones trying to harm you. I'll help you lure her out so you can go and beat her up, okay?"

No matter how these people fought like dogs, shifting blame to each other, the beatings never stopped.

The way these sticks landed was very deliberate; they were never aimed at the face or hands, but specifically at the buttocks. This was a method used to discipline children who misbehaved.

This method doesn't cause much physical harm; a stick of this strength won't break their buttocks, at most it will cause some bleeding. But it hurts their self-esteem, so they grit their teeth and refuse to cry out in pain.

Only when the owner of the stick felt satisfied did he throw it to thug number two, who caught it and then kicked it a few more times.

Jiang Shuifu was sweating a little, and she patted the dust off her hands:

“I’m not like you petty thieves. If I want to get revenge on someone, I will do it openly and honestly. Well, I’m a person who can distinguish right from wrong. Let’s just wipe the slate clean.”

Cao Lanzi and the others cried uncontrollably, feeling extremely wronged. They were very puzzled and surprised as to why Jiang Shuifu dared to be so rude, not at all like a Crown Princess.

She has been the Crown Princess for three years, and has always been mindful of her status. This is the first time she has acted like this.

The noble ladies each had their own thoughts, but they all unanimously came up with a sinister plan: they were determined to seize this handle and beat the noble lady so badly that she would be kicked out of the Eastern Palace.

Jiang Shuifu found it amusing to look at the noble ladies whose hair was disheveled, whose hairpins and ornaments were in disarray, whose faces were pale and who were extremely embarrassed, yet still acted like petty people, as if they wanted to kill her.

She approached step by step, scoffing brightly, "It seems I've been the Crown Princess for too long, making you all think I'm gentle and virtuous, a pushover with no temper!"

When the noble ladies saw her coming again, they trembled and pushed each other, trying their best to hide themselves. Pan Tao also stepped forward and used a stick in each hand to intimidate them.

Jiang Shuifu warned, "You dare to complain even though you're not as skilled as me? How shameful! You think you can frame me? I'll just spank you a few times. Go ahead and complain, if you're not afraid of my revenge! I'm also a bit bored today, and my skills aren't great, so I'm a little rusty!"

The noble ladies dared not utter a sound, each shrinking back and behaving themselves completely; they were truly intimidated.

Because Jiang Shuifu was right again; she was never a gentle, virtuous, or easily bullied person.

She used to be someone who clearly distinguished between love and hate, and she would never swallow a loss. Anyone who went against her would be retaliated against tenfold, and her sharp claws would be used to their fullest extent to inflict damage.

Not to mention, she also had a powerful father, so the other party often ended up not getting any advantage and even being forced by their family to apologize. Over time, few people in the capital dared to provoke her.

In recent years, after becoming the Crown Princess, she gradually restrained herself and became a seemingly docile cat. Unbeknownst to them, they really thought she was toothless.

Having avenged herself, it was time to return to her residence and rest. After destroying the tools of her crime with the peaches, Jiang Shuifu leisurely returned to the East Palace.

As she turned around, the night wind blew towards her, damp and cool, lifting the strands of hair on her shoulders and briefly blurring her vision.

In the dim light, she seemed to see a familiar figure, broad and solid-looking, but giving her only a feeling of coldness.

At this moment, she was in a good mood, her face was flushed, and her hair fell down, sticking to her neck and behind her ears, adding a touch of gentleness to her vibrant appearance.

It was a beauty that had never appeared in the Eastern Palace before.

·

The Eastern Palace.

It was very late when Jiang Shuifu returned to Bihua Palace. As soon as she stepped into the palace, she asked someone to prepare water so she could quickly bathe and go to bed.

To be honest, that stretching exercise had really exhausted her. She was changing clothes almost as she walked, and just as she took off her undergarments, her inner garments were about to be revealed, a deep, masculine voice suddenly rang out from the main hall:

"Where did you go?"

Since there was only one candle lit in the hall, and Jiang Shuifu was focused on bathing, she didn't notice anyone else in the hall.

Upon hearing the voice, she frowned, immediately buttoned up her inner garment to cover herself completely, and then glanced at him, thinking, "They must have come to the wrong place."

Shen Jizhao sat in the seat of honor, exuding an aura of indifference; he was interrogating her.

For a moment, Jiang Shuifu wondered if he knew what she had been doing. But that was impossible. He was such a rule-abiding person; if he found out, his first words would definitely be to punish her.

But she doesn't care anymore, and she's not afraid of what he might do.

Seeing that she didn't reply, Shen Jizhao's expression turned even colder: "Is the Crown Princess surprised that I've come to see you?"

Jiang Shuifu didn't want to communicate with him and asked instead, "Didn't my husband come by just a few days ago? Don't worry, I'm not greedy."

He used to come only once a month, but now he seems to have forgotten his rules.

Shen Jizhao also thought of this. It meant that he had come too many times. Thinking back to the past, it was no wonder that she was surprised.

He then recalled that he had come a few days ago, or more precisely, the day before yesterday, which was the night before his birthday banquet.

She was expressing her dissatisfaction; it was a wife's affectionate gesture towards her husband.

Shen Jizhao's mood suddenly brightened a bit, his icy expression melted away, and his coldness dissipated by more than half. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back so late? I could have sent someone to pick you up."

Jiang Shuifu almost laughed. Had he ever told her about coming home late once? Even if she waited until dawn, he wouldn't have sent anyone to tell her.

But she didn't want to get entangled with him, so she gave a perfunctory and direct apology.

Shen Jizhao paused for a moment. That wasn't what he meant, but his pride wouldn't allow him to speak, so he acquiesced.

After a while, he lowered his eyes, lifted his robe, and his crimson and gold-embroidered court boots fell down the jade steps, making a clanging sound as he approached her.

Why didn't you take them off?

Jiang Shuifu looked at him as expected, wrapped her clothes tighter, and a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes.

He really came here to amuse himself; he certainly knows how to make the most of things.

Shen Jizhao was dissatisfied with her distant and avoidance behavior. When he came, she would close her clothes, and now she closed them even more tightly. Was she cold?

He was somewhat displeased, but his thoughts inexplicably drifted back to the last time he asked her for help, and she kept complaining about being exhausted. So, was she afraid?

Thinking about it this way, his displeasure lessened considerably, and his gaze began to linger on her, a hint of teasing in his voice:

"I've seen every face of you, my woman. I won't allow her to hide from me."

He's like a walking, bottom-driven beast—controlling, constantly in heat, and utterly oblivious to his own limitations.

Jiang Shuifu had no intention of playing along with his act. There would be no more of that between them. They should just live their lives as before, keeping to themselves.

She casually said, "I'm tired, my husband can go..."

Go find someone else.

Before she could even utter those words, Shen Jizhao grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms.

Seeing that she was genuinely shy and about to run away, Shen Jizhao took pity on her and let her go, changing the subject:

"Why did you pretend not to see me this afternoon? There were so many people around, were you hurt?"

Jiang Shuifu was a little annoyed. She asked, "What does it have to do with him?" She didn't even feel like taking a bath anymore.

He kept getting close to her, and she struggled to break free, vehemently denying it:

"Your Majesty, I have not gone out. Who did you encounter?"

Shen Jizhao finally found a reason for her unusual behavior. He approached her, placed his large hand behind her ear, and tried to move her hair away.

But Jiang Shuifu had already created some distance, like a tender peach covered in thorns.

It aroused his desire, and without warning, he moved closer to her face, with only half a finger's width between them.

Shen Jizhao's eyes were deep and dark as he stared straight at her, observing her every blink and frown.

Tonight, her skin was rosy and delicate, with a thin layer of sweat on her face. Her loose black hair clung casually to her skin, giving her a carefree air after playing around. Her eyes were bright and clear, quite different from usual.

At this moment, Shen Jizhao did not realize that the reason her eyes were clear was because she didn't care anymore; she only vaguely sensed that she was extremely impatient.

No, how could she be impatient with him? In fact, she was quite vivid in his presence. In recent days, they had become more entangled and had more interaction. She was no longer afraid of him.

He used to think there was always a hint of caution in her eyes, and he attributed it all to them getting closer.

He asked with certainty, "Are you angry?"

Angry? This wasn't Jiang Shuifu's emotion; she wouldn't torture herself for him anymore.

"My lord is too kind. I am the Crown Princess, whom you married through proper channels."

The Crown Princess must be reasonable and manage the harem, putting the Crown Prince first in everything. How could she possibly get angry?

Shen Jizhao found these words rather grating. They kept calling her the Crown Princess, but wasn't she doing just fine as one?

He married the Crown Prince, but wasn't he marrying the same person?

It must be said that Shen Jizhao is forgetful. He was the one who reminded her of her status time and time again, telling her not to overstep her bounds. Now she is simply doing as he wishes.

Jiang Shuifu didn't want to waste any more time and directly asked them to leave:

"My husband is busy with official duties, so why don't you go back to your study to handle them first?"

Shen Jizhao knew what she was angry about; it was his fault that she hadn't attended the birthday banquet. Therefore, for the first time, he set aside his pride and explained to her:

"I was originally on my way here, but a serious criminal of the court suddenly appeared, so I had no choice but to turn back and capture him."

Jiang Shuifu understood immediately; she had indeed guessed correctly. It was a trap. The traces didn't appear suddenly; they were a setup, which was in line with Shen Jizhao's personality and methods.

Knowing that he had once again prioritized her identity, she remained unmoved, as always. To be honest, in matters of state, he was a competent crown prince.

"My husband, there's no need to explain. You are the crown prince of the court and the crown prince of the people. No one can question you."

Seeing Jiang Shuifu's indifferent expression, Shen Jizhao's heart skipped a beat for some reason. His thoughts suddenly drifted to the He family, and a voice within him urged him to mention something to her:

“When I was arresting prisoners, I ran into the He family, so I picked them up. I will deal with those who gossip.”

It turned out he knew about the gossip circulating in the neighborhood. She was once again thrust into the spotlight, and she didn't even have to think about how others would laugh at her.

He could make her willingly swallow everyone's criticism with just a casual remark, she thought, and she felt a little disgusted by him.

This feeling wasn't because he still had hope for her, but because he valued rules and always pretended to be respectable in front of others for the sake of face. But he never thought that she also had face to save.

Her lips twitched downwards slightly. Three years of marriage, a meager bond, and in the end, they parted amicably.

The atmosphere gradually froze, but then Shen Jizhao suddenly remembered something: "Did you have a good time at your birthday banquet yesterday?"

Jiang Shuifu hadn't expected him to ask that question. Her gaze was no longer on him; she was busy tidying her disheveled hair, thinking about how she'd need to use more egg whites to nourish herself later, and casually replied to him:

"My husband probably doesn't know, but yesterday I watched a play, played the arrow-throwing game, received gifts, and my father even came to see me. I like this birthday celebration."

She was shocked by the bravery of the Queen Mother who abandoned her so easily. She made up with her confidante and had fun with her. She also saw her father whom she hadn't seen for a long time. As for the Empress's etiquette, it also freed her from the shackles that had been binding her.

He's just a man; if you don't want him, you don't have to.

If your heart isn't with her, constantly compromising and begging for her to change her mind is just trampling on your own self-respect, and it's not worth it.

Even if you like someone a lot, you must like yourself first. You can live a good life on your own.

Her father once said he hoped someone would protect her, but now she wants to change that and protect herself.

From now on, the sky's the limit, the sea's the limit, and there's no need to be bound by countless rules, no need to comfort or convince yourself after each disappointment, and no need to exhaust yourself waiting for someone.

From that day forward, she hated the word "wait".

So she liked this birthday gift.

Shen Jizhao's heart skipped a beat again. Of course, he hoped that she could be happy on her birthday.

However, she really is different from before.

In the past, she always wanted him to be with her on her birthday, even though he didn't care. Afterwards, she would use this opportunity to subtly or overtly ask him to treat her better.

She said she was happy on her birthday, but this happiness was separate from him and had nothing to do with him. She didn't even complain or whine for him to make it up to her.

He then realized that she didn't need him at her birthday banquet.

He blinked a few times for no apparent reason, his hand constantly touching his sleeve, and solemnly said, "I also have a gift. I will not be absent from your birthday banquet."

Jiang Shuifu was a little sleepy and didn't know if she had heard him or if she had but pretended not to. She took a step forward and made a move to get up.

Shen Jizhao grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving, his gaze fixed on her, and asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to take a look?"

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Author's note: Egg white is the same as chicken egg white.