"Did you tell her?" Situ Yao asked with a frown.
Su Mengyan shook her head, "I declined."
"It's a shame to give up such a great opportunity to show off," Situ Yao said sarcastically. "Noble Concubine Bai has absolute power in the harem, and the previous dynasty was controlled by the Bai family. If you caught her eye, you wouldn't be as unknown as before."
Situ Yao had long suspected that Concubine Bai had planted someone around her, but Su Mengyan's behavior during his trip outside the palace had made him relax his vigilance. But as soon as he entered the palace, she was eager to go to the Luanfeng Palace.
When the shadow guard told him this, the first thought that came to Situ Yao's mind was to kill her. As long as Su Mengyan was no longer alive, no one could control him.
However, when she burst into the study under the warm sunshine outside, Situ Yao no longer had the thought of killing her. When Su Mengyan confessed, he actually believed her without even a shred of doubt. This was totally unlike him!
Su Mengyan was unaware of Situ Yao's inner struggle and kept on talking about what happened in Luanfeng Palace.
Finally, with a serious expression, he said, "Your Highness, Concubine Bai must be trying to trick the princess into doing something unsuccessful. She's going to do it at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet."
Because the wedding date agreed upon with the Northern Liang prince was three days after the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. On that day, the emperor would hold a grand banquet for all his ministers in the palace, and with many people watching, it would be convenient for the operation.
If Princess Yunfu was found missing, Concubine Bai could deny it. After all, she was favored by the emperor and had the support of the Bai family, so no one would dare to do anything to her.
Even Situ Yao couldn't do anything. In just three days, Princess Yunfu and the Northern Liang delegation would leave the capital.
Concubine Bai had a good plan, but what she never expected was that Su Mengyan, who was previously under her control, had long since become someone else and was no longer on the same front with her.
Situ Yao listened to her speculation quietly, and finally said, "Why should I believe you?"
"What if this is a scheme you and Concubine Bai used together?" Situ Yao still doubted her.
"On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, Your Highness can send someone to follow me. If I tell even a lie, Your Highness can kill me. I will have no complaints." Su Mengyan used her own life to prove her innocence.
Situ Yao stared at her for a while, clenching his hands tightly, "Okay, if there is even a single falsehood in what you said, I will not show any mercy."
Su Mengyan thought that her previous heartbeats were all fake, and Situ Yao was still the ruthless and decisive Crown Prince. As Su Mengyan left the study, she once again suppressed her rapidly beating heart.
The people in the Eastern Palace noticed Situ Yao's change in attitude towards Su Mengyan. They were used to treating people differently according to their situation, and in just one day, the Eastern Palace was full of rumors that Concubine Su had fallen out of favor.
When she first returned to the palace, Situ Yao would often come to visit Su Mengyan, so she always had hot tea and the latest snacks from the palace. However, now even the food that was delivered to her was coarse and bland, difficult to swallow.
Chun He was dissatisfied and took the cold food to the kitchen to argue. Before she could say anything, she was mocked, "You still think you are favored? Why don't you go and ask around, all the concubines in the Eastern Palace eat the same food, has anyone ever complained?"
Cui Mixue's maid happened to come to pick up the food box. The people in the kitchen smiled brightly when they saw her. "Miss Biwu, here are yours. Today, we have all Miss Cui's favorite dishes."
When Biwu passed by Chunhe with the food box, a smug look appeared on her face.
After she left, the people in the kitchen were still talking.
"I think Miss Cui will most likely be the Crown Princess in the future,"
"Who says it's not true? His Highness summoned her into the palace, but didn't give her any position. He must have reserved the position of Crown Princess for her."
"You'd better serve carefully in the future, so as not to accidentally offend the future Crown Princess."
After the cooks finished speaking, they saw Chun He still there and said with disdain, "What are you still standing here for? If you have the ability, your young lady should become a crown princess too."
Chunhe left angrily. She just wanted to ask on behalf of Su Mengyan why the food was cold, but she ended up being ridiculed like this.
"She has only been favored for a few days, but she has become so arrogant. It is true that the kind of master will raise the kind of maid." Chunhe had walked far away, but she could still hear their voices.
After returning, Su Mengyan saw her slightly red eyes and asked hurriedly, "What happened?"
Chun He sniffed and said, "My lady, I failed to change the food for you."
"It's okay, just a few dishes." Su Mengyan had no appetite and didn't really want to eat.
"Tell me what happened? Did they bully you?" Su Mengyan asked. She was out of favor now, and there were many people in the East Palace who could bully her.
Chun He didn't want to add to anyone else's troubles by saying it, so she quickly shook her head and said, "No one bullies me."
"My lady, is His Highness really not going to come visit you again?" Chun He saw that she was calm and composed, as if not anxious at all, and couldn't help but worry for her. "The Eastern Palace is like the harem. Only by gaining His Highness's favor can my lady live a better life."
"I understand what you mean." Su Mengyan nodded, "But the matter between His Highness and I cannot be explained in a few words."
Besides, when it comes to pampering, she has never had it. Even if Situ Yao dispels his suspicion of her, there will be no pampering.
Who made the male protagonist Situ Yao not interested in women, and gave his body and heart to the female protagonist? Therefore, Su Mengyan never expected to rely on favor to get to the top, she just had to hold on tightly to the thigh and not lose her life.
Chunhe was just a palace maid after all, and she could only remind her master of her affairs. Seeing that Su Mengyan was unwilling to say anything, she did not say anything more.
Later that evening, Yun Fu also wandered into her small courtyard and asked mysteriously, "Did you have a fight with the Crown Prince?"
"Why do you ask this, Princess?" Su Mengyan asked curiously. It was just that Situ Yao hadn't come to see her for a few days, so how come everyone noticed it so quickly?
Yun Fu anxiously grabbed her hand and said, "Cui Mixue tries every possible way to stay with the Crown Prince every day. You can't quarrel with her at this time and let her take advantage of you."
"Princess, we haven't had any arguments, and we've never had any feelings for each other." Su Mengyan said helplessly, "In fact, Your Highness and Miss Cui are a perfect match."
As she said this, Su Mengyan felt a faint discomfort in her heart. She knew it was the throbbing that shouldn't be there. She suppressed the discomfort and said with a smile, "Why does the princess hate her so much?"
"She is not good enough. That woman is always hypocritical, and her eyes are full of calculations. You can tell at a glance that she doesn't really like the Crown Prince." Yun Fu grew up in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace. Even though Situ Yao protected her very well, she had seen a lot of dirty things in the palace and still had some judgment on people.
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