Chapter 206 Testing
After Shen Qingci finished speaking, he laughed again, his laughter filled with cold calculation: "Whether Liu Ruolan succeeds or not is not important."
“The important thing is,” a chilling glint flashed in her eyes, “that since she has such thoughts and has dressed up so extravagantly to enter the palace, then… we must let Consort Shu know what kind of ideas her good sister is up to.”
"This is the best opportunity to sow discord between the sisters."
Chu Jichen laughed, his deep phoenix eyes filled with undisguised praise and doting: "I understand, Your Highness is indeed very insightful."
Chu Jichen then led his men to the study to discuss important matters, while Shen Qingci leaned against the soft couch under the eaves for a short rest.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I suddenly heard faint, mournful cries coming from outside the courtyard.
"Please! Give us some food! We...we're starving!"
Immediately afterwards, someone else shouted, "It's all that sixth princess's fault! Why did she run away? Now we are suffering from war, being displaced, and even... we are about to die because of her!"
Shen Qingci's gaze turned icy cold in an instant!
He was almost starving, but his voice was still quite loud and full of energy.
She didn't know whether the refugees she had seen outside Yunmeng Tower were real or fake.
But right now, the people shouting outside the Regent's Palace are clearly someone trying to cause trouble by using the refugee issue as an excuse; it must be fake!
Judging from their shout, their purpose should be... to force Chu Yuening to show herself.
They must have known that Chu Yuening was in the capital, but they didn't know where she was hidden, which is why they deliberately made such a big commotion.
Shen Qingci frowned deeply. She turned around abruptly and called out coldly to the empty corner, "Ye Lan!"
Ye Lan's figure appeared silently in front of her.
"Go! Immediately go and keep an eye out for any refugees causing trouble or shouting around the Sixth Princess's courtyard!"
“Then…” She paused, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, “arrange for a woman of similar stature to the Sixth Princess to disguise herself as her, wear a veil, and in another courtyard not far from where she currently resides, pretend to be her coming out to investigate the situation.”
“It would be best,” her voice grew colder, “to feign mystery and inquire of those ‘refugees’ about the situation at the border.”
Ye Lan agreed, and with a flash, he leaped and disappeared beyond the courtyard wall.
He had barely stepped out of the courtyard when Yuanbao, who had appeared out of nowhere, stopped him.
Yuanbao had obviously heard Shen Qingci's instructions. He lowered his voice and said with some disapproval, "This matter concerns the Sixth Princess. Shouldn't we wait...shouldn't we ask the Prince before making a decision?"
Ye Lan's face showed no hesitation: "His Highness previously instructed that the Princess's words are his words, and there is no need to ask him again."
Yuanbao's brows furrowed tightly, and he muttered to himself: Wasn't that just something the prince said to Shen Qingci? Is he really going to do it?
Shen Qingci... is just a woman...
This matter concerns the Sixth Princess, and what if... what if something goes wrong...
Yuanbao frowned as he watched Ye Lan's hurried departure, then flipped over and jumped over the courtyard wall again.
But as soon as he climbed over the wall, before he even landed, his eyes met those of Shen Qingci, who had appeared at some point and was looking up at him.
Yuanbao's heart skipped a beat, his foot slipped, and with a shudder, he rolled straight off the wall!
He quickly got up and bowed to Shen Qingci, but he couldn't help but wonder: Could Shen Qingci have heard everything he said to Ye Lan just now?
Just as he was thinking this, he saw Shen Qingci slowly nod.
"I heard you."
"..." Yuanbao felt a darkness before his eyes, and he looked as if the sky had fallen.
Shen Qingci looked at Yuanbao's expression and secretly found it a little funny, but her face remained serious.
“I know,” she said calmly. “I was married before, and not for long. I find it… somewhat surprising that the prince’s men would actually listen to me.”
“In fact,” her voice lowered, tinged with a barely perceptible melancholy, “I’ve always felt that the Prince… has been a little too kind to me. I even feel… that I don’t deserve such kindness.”
Yuanbao's eyes darted around, but he dared not look at Shen Qingci.
Hearing her say that, he only said in a muffled voice, "Well... there's no need to say that, we are... well, we are a good match."
He thought to himself that every move the prince and princess made when they were together was like a painting.
He had never seen any other woman who could give him such feelings when she was with the prince.
He just felt...
Shen Qingci, however, seemed oblivious to his odd behavior, and continued talking to herself, "I feel like I haven't known the Prince for very long. I'm also very curious about... the Prince's attitude towards me."
Yuanbao nodded vaguely: "Yes...it's a bit too kind. I've never seen...Your Highness treat anyone else so well."
After he finished muttering to himself, he saw Shen Qingci looking at him with a smile in her eyes, and she asked softly, "How many years have you been serving the Prince?"
Yuanbao quickly lowered his head: "Your Highness, I have been serving Your Highness for eight years."
Shen Qingci nodded.
Eight years.
Then... he should know exactly when Chu Jichen met her, right?
Shen Qingci's thoughts stirred slightly, and her voice carried a hint of unintentional probing: "That's been quite a while. You're the prince's personal bodyguard, so you should... always be by the prince's side, right?"
Upon hearing this, Yuanbao immediately puffed out his chest, his face beaming with pride: "Of course!"
Shen Qingci smiled and said, "You know about the Prince's matter, right?"
Yuanbao became even more smug: "Of course!"
After he finished speaking, he seemed to remember something, and immediately looked at Shen Qingci warily, adding, "But... I might not say."
Shen Qingci lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, "It's nothing serious."
“Well…” she paused, then said casually, “Before, when I was with the Sixth Princess, she told me that the Prince had mentioned me to her before she got married, and that he had liked me for a long time.”
"But I really can't recall when... I ever met the Prince. Do you... know anything about this?"
Without a second thought, Yuanbao said bluntly, "Impossible!"
"I have always been by Your Highness's side and have never remembered that Your Highness has met you before or knows you?"
Yuanbao...don't know either?
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