The Eighth Princess noticed Luo Lingyue's gaze, stood up, walked over to Luo Lingyue, and said in a gentle voice, "Xiao Qi, I want to go to the lake to pick lotus seeds. Would you like to come with me?"
Luo Lingyue smiled slightly, a sly look flashing in her eyes. She deliberately asked loudly, "Sisters, is anyone willing to come with us? Why don't we secretly bring a few pots of fine wine and go to the center of the lake to admire the blooming lotus flowers. The lotus flowers in the center of the lake are numerous and beautiful, which will surely make people feel relaxed and happy."
As soon as the words fell, many young ladies from aristocratic families expressed their willingness to go along. They stood up excitedly, boarded the prepared boats in twos and threes, and slowly rowed towards the center of the lake.
The lake shimmered, a gentle breeze caressed the lotus leaves, creating a lush green ocean. The girls on the boats laughed and chatted, brimming with youthful energy. Luo Lingyue stood at the bow, a jug of fine wine in hand, feeling incredibly happy. As she gazed at the beautiful scenery before her, a surge of poetry welled up in her heart.
Deep in the lotus pond, the man in black respectfully reported to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness! Many young ladies from aristocratic families have come here, including the Eighth Princess and Luo Lingyue."
There was a cold glint in the prince's deep dark eyes, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a sneer: "You came just in time, this way more people can witness all this!" As soon as he finished speaking, he threw the unconscious Chen Manping into the lake without hesitation.
The moment Chen Manping fell into the lake, the freezing cold water jolted her awake. Since she couldn't swim at all, she could only struggle desperately and scream in fear, "Help! Someone save me!"
Seeing Chen Manping struggling in the water, the prince raised his lips again, and then jumped into the lake. At the same time, he deliberately shouted loudly: "Miss Chen Er! Don't be afraid! This prince is here to save you!"
Luo Lingyue saw all this not far away. The corners of her mouth curled up and she immediately shouted loudly: "The prince fell into the water! Save the prince!" Her voice was sharp and urgent, breaking the tranquility of the lake.
However, the prince, in the lake, was seething with rage. What? Luo Lingyue actually said he fell into the water? He was clearly risking his life to save Chen Manping! The prince was filled with anger and grievance, but he didn't bother to explain and continued searching for Chen Manping in the lake.
Luo Lingyue's boat was heading towards the spot where the prince had fallen into the water. But just as it was approaching, it suddenly flipped over! Luo Lingyue, the Eighth Princess, and some young ladies from aristocratic families fell into the icy lake.
The prince was still busy searching for Chen Manping, completely oblivious to his surroundings. At that moment, someone behind him yanked hard, grabbing the prince's hair. The sudden force caught the prince off guard, and he was dragged to the bottom of the lake.
The lake water instantly submerged the prince's body, and he felt a powerful pressure coming upon him. Everything went dark, and breathing became difficult. The prince struggled desperately, but the hand pulling him would not let go.
Suddenly, a pair of soft, delicate hands grasped his tightly. The prince felt his breathing become incredibly labored, as if his lungs were running out of air. Instinctively, he grasped the hands that held them, and as his head swam, he kissed them. At that moment, a fresh, sweet air rushed into his lungs, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
However, the hand that gripped his hair still did not loosen, and the prince realized that he was on the verge of life and death. In his hazy consciousness, he felt that a beautiful fairy appeared again. She struggled to drag the prince's body and swam towards the surface of the lake.
At this moment, the prince was almost suffocating. He hugged the fairy with all his strength and greedily sucked the air from her lips... The prince felt that he and the fairy were sinking continuously...
He no longer knew anything, his mind was blank! It was as if the whole world had drifted away from him, leaving only endless darkness and nothingness.
At this moment, at the bottom of the mirror-like lake, a tense and thrilling rescue operation was underway. The guards from the palace and the general's residence worked together and finally succeeded in pulling the prince out of the lake.
However, to everyone's astonishment, two stunningly beautiful young ladies were also rescued along with the prince. The unconscious prince was seen wrapped tightly around the two young ladies like an octopus, creating a truly horrific scene.
What was even worse was that the two ladies' clothes were almost completely stripped off, their bodies almost exposed. This scene made everyone present blush and secretly marvel at the prince's absurd behavior.
Seeing this, Chu Qingrui hurriedly took a cloak from the maid and quickly covered the two young ladies. Her eyes were filled with concern and pity, but also revealed a hint of helplessness. Then, she called over several strong maids and carefully carried the three women into the house.
The general's doctor hurried over and used his medical skills on the three people lying on the bed. After a busy period, he finally succeeded in waking them up from their coma.
The prince slowly opened his eyes and was stunned by the sight of two beautiful, charming faces. He wondered to himself, "Where is Chen Manping? Who are these two strange women?"
At this moment, Emperor Wen was sitting in the front hall, angrily asking the prince's guards, "How on earth are you doing things? Why don't you follow the prince and protect his safety?"
The guards, trembling with fear, bowed their heads and replied, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince said he wanted to go to the center of the lake alone to admire the beautiful lotus flowers, so he ordered his subordinates to wait on the shore!"
At this moment, the Queen also hurried over. She asked anxiously, "Who is so bold as to plot to murder the Crown Prince?"
Emperor Wen replied impatiently: "Who dares to murder him? It was obviously he who jumped into the lake to save people!" After saying this, Emperor Wen couldn't help but sigh heavily, expressing his helplessness and dissatisfaction with the prince's behavior.
A surge of intense emotion surged within the Queen, but she remained calm on the surface and asked softly, "Did you save a woman?"
Chu Qingrui's expression changed slightly, and she looked a little embarrassed and awkward. She lowered her head and replied, "My Queen Mother, it is indeed a woman."
The queen said righteously: "The person the prince saved is a woman, and they have had physical intimacy. According to etiquette, she should be canonized as the prince's concubine!" As soon as she finished speaking, she caught a glimpse of Luo Lingsong and Chen Manping walking into the hall together.
The Queen couldn't help but show a look of astonishment, but in just a moment, she quickly regained her composure. Chen Manping before her didn't look at all like she had drowned. What on earth was going on? The Queen's heart was suddenly in a panic!
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