The group arrived at a small cottage in the middle of the lake, where the gentle breeze made them feel cozy and comfortable.
The Queen Mother nodded slightly with a relaxed look, looked at the flowers on both sides of the lake, squinted her eyes and sighed: "Why don't I see any butterflies flying around? Such a good time for flowers is wasted in vain."
"Empress Dowager, what's so difficult about watching butterflies flying?" The daughter of the head of the Hanlin Academy stood up with a smile and bowed.
The Queen Mother looked at her with a smile. "Why? Do you have a way to attract butterflies?"
"That... can't be helped. But I know that Princess An Ning's dancing is very charming. If she could dance in the center of the lake, she would be a thousand times more beautiful than that butterfly."
Shangguan Wanning was a little confused when she was suddenly called out.
She paused her hand movements, feeling secretly annoyed.
"How dare I show off my meager skills in front of the Queen Mother and the Empress..."
"That's true." The Queen Mother glanced at Shangguan Wan Ning, "After all, Princess An Ning is the daughter of the Prime Minister. I'm afraid an old woman like me is not worthy of her admiration."
Shangguan Wanning could sense the empress dowager's sarcasm and dissatisfaction, and even though she was unwilling in her heart, she had to put on a smile.
"Your Majesty, you misunderstood." Shangguan Wanning stood up and explained, "It is my honor to dance for you. But... there is neither music nor dance costumes here, I am worried that it will spoil your fun."
"This is not difficult. We can prepare it at any time."
Several women sitting nearby also joined in the fun, as if they were all waiting to see a good show.
Shangguan Wanning suppressed her anger and heard the Queen instruct the eunuchs to call a small boat to take her back to the Queen Mother's bedroom to change into her dance costume.
She was unwilling to accept it, but she could only endure it.
When Shangguan Wanning boarded the boat again, there were four more musicians on board.
The sound of stringed instruments rang out, and Shangguan Wanning walked to the bow of the boat and began to dance gracefully.
The boat passed through the bright and brilliant flowers on both sides of the river. She was like a fairy who had strayed into the mortal world, pure and elegant, so beautiful that she could overwhelm the whole country.
The Queen Mother looked at Shangguan Wanning and couldn't help but feel regretful.
Suddenly, Shangguan Wanning felt a sharp pain in her foot, as if something had pierced the sole of her foot.
She gritted her teeth and tried to endure it, but she felt her legs go numb, her body tilted, and she fell headfirst.
Shangguan Wanning couldn't swim, and she thought to herself that something was wrong. Before she could finish her thought, a strong arm gently grasped her waist.
She felt as light as a swallow, and in the blink of an eye, she was safely back in bed.
Shangguan Wanning was still in shock and looked up to see a strange young man.
She hurriedly pushed the man away, and before the numbness in her feet had worn off, she fell directly onto the bow of the boat.
"Your servant Ling Yuwen pays respects to the Queen Mother and Her Majesty the Empress."
Ling Yuwen?
Shangguan Wanning's heart was slightly startled.
Is he Ling Ruiying's solo Ling Yuwen?
In Shangguan Wanning's memories of her previous life, she did not have a very deep impression of Ling Yuwen.
She only remembered that Xiao Zhenting successfully ascended the throne, but was counterattacked by Mu Jingrui and his troops. During this process, Xiao Zhenting wrote a letter to Ling Ruiying, hoping that he could send troops for support.
Ling Ruiying also agreed, and the general responsible for leading the reinforcements was Ling Yuwen.
"Wen'er is here?"
When the Queen Mother saw her nephew, her wrinkled face was stretched out with a smile. "Quick, quick, come forward and let me take a look."
"Empress Dowager, there are only girls who have not yet married in your place. It would be inconvenient for me to go over there now, so I will pay my respects to you across the lake. I will come to the palace tomorrow and spend time with you."
"Yes, I wasn't careful enough."
The Queen Mother looked at her nephew in the distance with admiration and even satisfaction.
"Your Majesty, this girl is also injured. Please let me take her back to the shore to see the imperial physician for treatment."
The Queen Mother didn't really want to see Shangguan Wanning, so she nodded in agreement.
The boat slowly moved towards the shore. Shangguan Wanning felt the numbness in her legs becoming more and more intense, until she lost consciousness.
She couldn't help but feel anxious.
"Miss Shangguan, don't be afraid. The imperial physicians in the palace are highly skilled and will definitely be able to help you." Ling Yuwen squatted down, stared into Shangguan Wanning's eyes and comforted her.
His smile was genuine, completely devoid of his father's overbearing aura.
The boat docked and Ling Yuwen called over a few elderly maids.
"Miss Shangguan, I'll take you to the Imperial Hospital."
"Mr. Ling's kindness... "
"Huh? Yuwen is back?"
Xiao Yujue walked over with Mu Jingyan. He glanced at the injured Shangguan Wanning calmly.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince." Ling Yuwen bowed politely, "I just returned to the capital and was on my way to pay my respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"That's perfect. It's been years since we last met, right? Let's go find a gazebo and sit down for a drink."
"But..." Ling Yuwen turned his gaze to Shangguan Wanning.
"Is Princess An Ning feeling unwell? Then let my concubine accompany her to the Imperial Hospital."
"All right."
Ling Yuwen couldn't refuse the kindness, so after bowing to Mu Jingyan and Shangguan Wanning, he followed Xiao Yujue away.
"How are you?"
Mu Jingyan was still angry with Shangguan Wanning, so his tone was very unfriendly.
"I'm fine. I don't need to go to the Imperial Hospital. I want to return to the Prime Minister's Mansion as soon as possible. My master will help me."
"Okay, as you wish."
Shangguan Wanning originally thought that Mu Jingyan would leave, but she didn't expect that she would accompany her all the way to the carriage and sit in it herself.
"Jing Yan, do you... have something to tell me?"
Mu Jingyan lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside. Theirs was the only carriage on the bluestone road of the palace, and besides them, there were only Lu Tong and the coachman.
"Has my brother contacted you in the past few days?"
Shangguan Wanning's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly had a bad feeling.
She shook her head slightly and nervously held Mu Jingyan's hand. "Did something happen?"
"There has been no news from my brother for three days. And according to the spies' reports, he has not mobilized any troops. I am worried..."
Shangguan Wanning's expression changed slightly, and an idea flashed through her mind.
"What mission is Jing Rui going to carry out?"
"He went..." Mu Jingyan swallowed the words back, "I can't tell you."
Shangguan Wanning took a deep breath and asked, "Is he going to hunt down Xiao Zhenting?"
Mu Jingyan's whole body stiffened, and he avoided Shangguan Wanning's gaze somewhat uncomfortably.
"I...I didn't say anything. Don't make random guesses. This is not a joke."
As soon as Shangguan Wanning saw Mu Jingyan's expression, she knew she had guessed right.
It is understandable that Xiao Yujue wanted to wipe out the roots and kill Xiao Zhenting to prevent future troubles.
but……
Mu Jingrui has lost contact with them. Did something really happen?
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