Chapter 3
Shen Qingnian's fair and jade-like body was now covered with blue and red marks, especially the purplish-blue circles around her wrists, which were particularly shocking.
Xiaoju was a little startled: "Miss..."
His Highness the Crown Prince is so cruel; how much suffering must he endure?
Xiaoju was also quite young, and she had never seen anything like this before. She immediately felt that Shen Qingnian had suffered a great deal.
Shen Qingnian didn't react much. She soaked in the bathtub, took off the red jade earring from her right ear, and held it in her hand. The look in her eyes gradually became firm.
These red jade earrings were her most frequently worn pair before. She was determined to become the Crown Princess, and she would stop at nothing to achieve it!
Xiaoju's face was flushed as she carefully washed Shen Qingnian's body. She felt that although the marks on her young mistress's body were frightening, they also seemed somewhat ambiguous.
Even the red mole on the young lady's collarbone seemed much more alluring than other people's moles.
Inside the East Palace.
Song Xuan sat in the bathtub, his dark eyes slightly closed, his mind replaying the events that had occurred inside the temple.
Because he was under the influence of the drug, he couldn't see the other person's face clearly; everything about the other person was blurry.
The only clear thing was the scent of jasmine and the stimulating sensation.
The erotic memory caused Song Xuan's chest to heave uncontrollably a few times before he calmed down after taking a few deep breaths.
The water in the bathtub dampened the red jade earring he was holding between his fingers, and this touch of crimson seemed to be imprinted on his heart.
It seems that besides the red jade earrings, the woman also had a red mole on her collarbone, which, against her fair skin, was even more beautiful than the red jade earrings...
Her fair wrist was also very slender, but he hadn't quite controlled his strength and must have used too much force.
Song Xuan closed his eyes.
He has always been a man of few desires and has always focused his mind on politics. As the crown prince, he has never even had a concubine.
It wasn't that he wasn't interested in women, but rather that he felt he hadn't met anyone who moved him.
His father and mother were deeply in love, which was also what he desired. He did not pursue physical pleasure; what he wanted was a spiritual connection...
But what happened in the dilapidated temple today caught him completely off guard.
Regardless of who the woman in the temple is, he will find out. If it is a scheme by someone with ulterior motives, he will not hesitate to punish them.
However, those who are determined will eventually slip up.
Song Xuan got up from the bathtub, and his little eunuch brought him a blue purse.
"Your Highness, please take a look at this purse. It was embroidered by Her Majesty the Empress herself for you last time, and it even has a dragon pattern on it," Xiazi respectfully handed the purse to Song Xuan.
When His Highness returned, he asked him to find a purse. Seeing that His Highness was holding an object that looked quite valuable, he took out the purse embroidered by the Empress.
Song Xuan looked at the dark blue purse, his brows furrowed slightly, and he subconsciously felt that something was amiss.
The woman's purpose was still unknown; she might have deliberately appeared there to scheme against him.
Having spent his life in the deep palace, Song Xuan was very vigilant. He certainly didn't believe that the woman had entered the dilapidated temple by accident and bumped into him unintentionally...
Xia Zi was Song Xuan's personal attendant and had long since figured out his master's temperament. Seeing Song Xuan frown, he quickly said, "The Imperial Household Department has many purses. I'll go and get them right away."
"Alright, you may leave," Song Xuan waved his hand.
In the end, he simply put the red jade earring into the drawer.
After returning from the dilapidated temple, Shen Qingnian developed a fever. Coupled with the fact that she had knelt in the snow earlier, she fell ill.
Upon learning of this, Shen Zheng immediately requested the Emperor to send an imperial physician to the Shen residence.
The Prime Minister's reputation for loving his daughter spread.
Three more days passed before Shen Qingnian recovered. During the days she was ill, rumors about the Crown Prince and Lin Yue'er in the capital grew stronger and stronger.
Rumors also spread that Miss Shen had fallen ill from anger.
The story of the Crown Prince leaving halfway through the snow appreciation banquet hosted by Shen Qingnian to fetch Lin Yue'er has been widely circulated in the capital.
Everyone thought that Shen Qingnian's illness was caused by that incident, and rumors about the three of them were flying everywhere.
Spring is gradually deepening.
Many young men and women began to enjoy the spring scenery, and the temperature warmed up a bit after the snowfall.
Today, Shen Qingnian wore a light-colored dress with a light pink hem. She also wore a pink hairpin and a light pink bracelet on her wrist, making her look quite charming.
On her fair wrist, besides the pale pink bracelet, there was a ring of bluish-purple marks, not very obvious, but still visible.
"Miss is truly beautiful today," Xiaoju exclaimed as she looked at Shen Qingnian.
Shen Qingnian looked at herself in the mirror and asked calmly, "Has the carriage arrived?"
Today, Lin Yue'er and Song Xuan, along with other young masters and ladies, are going to the estate to admire the flowers. As a patient, she should also go and make an appearance.
Xiaoju replied, "The carriage is waiting outside the mansion; Miss, you may depart at any time."
After saying that, she added, "Miss, aren't you wearing earrings today? If you were to add a pair of scarlet earrings to this outfit, it would be the perfect finishing touch."
Shen Qingnian's small white jade ears were bare at the moment, looking rather out of place.
She didn't answer Xiaoju's question, but got up and walked out, and Xiaoju quickly followed.
Inside the manor in the capital city.
This estate was bestowed upon the Empress by the current Emperor. It was specifically for appreciating flowers and was filled with rare and exotic plants, making it a very beautiful place.
Today, with the Empress's approval, a banquet was held for all the nobles of the capital to enjoy the flowers at the estate. However, the Empress will not be attending; only His Highness the Crown Prince will attend on her behalf.
How much influence does the Empress have? With just a single command, all the nobles and hereditary officials in the capital will flock to her.
Shen Qingnian didn't arrive early; quite a few young men and women had already arrived before her.
Since it was a flower banquet, the venue was naturally set up among the flowers, with small tables set up inside, on which were placed exquisite pastries and wines for the young masters and ladies to eat and drink.
Surrounded by beautiful flowers, it's incredibly pleasant.
Lin Yue'er had taken the initiative to invite the Crown Prince to come together. Since returning to the capital, she would invite the Crown Prince to go out every few days.
Listening to music today, admiring flowers tomorrow, we are very close.
The Crown Prince was quite accommodating, accepting Lin Yue'er's invitations every time, which made Lin Yue'er feel much more at ease and proud.
That Miss Shen is nothing special; when she returned, the other party didn't even dare to see her, which shows they were afraid of her.
She and her brother, the Crown Prince, had a childhood friendship. Although she had been recuperating away from home for the past three years, her brother still cared for her.
Otherwise, how could he have remained unmarried for so long, without even a concubine?
The noble ladies and gentlemen of the capital saw that Lin Yue'er had become close to the Crown Prince as soon as she returned to the capital. Since she had gained the Crown Prince's favor, they naturally wanted to fawn over her as well.
Lin Yue'er and Song Xuan sat at the same table in the flower bushes, along with several other young men and women.
The social customs of this dynasty are relatively open, and it is common for young masters and ladies to sit at the same table.
These young men and women showered Lin Yue'er with compliments, as if they wanted to elevate her to the heavens.
Lin Yue'er's pretty face was tinged with pride; nothing could be more pleasing than the emperor's favor.
But Song Xuan, who was sitting next to her, seemed somewhat distracted.
When Shen Qing read it over, she happened to hear the noble ladies praising Lin Yue'er:
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