Chapter 223: Crazy
Liangpin's tent was not far from the emperor's. When Shen Anan entered, she was looking at herself in the bronze mirror.
"Look, how about I wear this dress to accompany the emperor on a hunting trip tomorrow? Unfortunately, the waist is not slim enough and the color does not match my skin tone."
Shen Anan listened to her and said nothing.
"Hey, wait a minute, I'll change into a few more sets, and you can see which one fits you best."
"I don't understand horse clothing, so I really can't appreciate it. Madam Liangpin might have asked the wrong person." Shen Anan said with a smile.
"It's okay. I believe in your vision. If you have bad taste, how could the Fourth Prince have a special liking for you? Don't be so modest. Stay here and wait for me."
After saying that, he went behind the screen.
"Princess Four, please take a seat first." The palace maid asked her to sit down and served her tea.
Shen Anan took it but didn't drink it. When she went out, she was always cautious, especially around people like Liangpin who had bad intentions.
She also couldn't figure out why Concubine Liang called her over. After all, she wasn't really here to appreciate and look at the clothes.
"How about this one? Peach pink. The emperor likes me to wear bright colors the most."
"It looks good." Shen Anan took a glance and said in a proper manner.
"Which one is better, this one or the one just now? This one makes your skin look whiter, while that one makes you look more heroic when riding a horse."
“…”
"Why don't you say anything? Don't you like it?"
"No, it's just that my clothes are all made by the maids, and I rarely spend time on these things, so I'm not good at it and can't give Madam Liangpin any advice."
Liangpin lowered her eyes and looked at Shen Anan's clothes, then smiled, "The Fourth Prince's wife is a beautiful woman, so she naturally doesn't need to dress up to be more beautiful than the others, which makes the Fourth Prince deeply in love with her."
"But for a plain-looking concubine like me, I have to rely on my clothes to win favor."
“…”
Shen Anan: She didn’t mean that! !
However, she had no relationship with Concubine Liang, so she was too lazy to explain.
"So I can't give any opinions on a mediocre-looking girl like you. After all, I was born with a beautiful face and don't need any embellishment from the outside."
“……”Liangpin saw for the first time what it meant to be thick-skinned and climbed up the pole.
She took off the hairpin on her head and threw it to the palace maid beside her, then sat down next to Shen Anan with a lack of interest.
"I didn't want to come at first. I don't know why, but I've been feeling dizzy and have a poor appetite these days. But the emperor wouldn't allow me to come and he insisted that I accompany him."
She took a sip of tea slowly, seeming to be in distress. "Fortunately, I learned how to ride a horse when I was at home, otherwise I would have spoiled the emperor's mood tomorrow."
"Your Majesty is going to accompany the Emperor?" Shen Anan was a little surprised.
No matter how favored a concubine was, there was no precedent for her to enter the hunting ground, which was not in line with royal rules and women's moral character.
"Yes, the emperor insisted that I go, and I had no choice. When I go back, I'm afraid I'll have to listen to those imperial censors nagging again, which is really annoying."
Shen Anan knew that her complaints were actually showing off, so she smiled faintly and did not respond.
"The Fourth Prince is not here, so you will have nothing to do in the tent tomorrow. Why don't you stay with me? Otherwise, I am a woman alone and will be bored."
Shen Anan's eyes flashed, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam, but my husband specifically told me when he left Beijing not to do dangerous things or play with dangerous people, including beasts, so I would have failed Madam's kindness."
As for who this remark was directed at, it depends on the person's own imagination.
No matter how good-tempered Liangpin was, her face would have been gloomy at this moment, but Shen Anan looked innocent, without any awareness of insinuating and scolding others.
"The Fourth Prince is truly considerate."
"Of course, my husband never does those fancy things, but he really has nothing to say to me."
Liangpin's handkerchief was twisted into a knot in her hand, with a perfunctory smile on her face, "Yes, the Fourth Prince's wife is really lucky."
Shen Anan smiled and said, "It's fate that makes people happy. If it was at the beginning... maybe Lady Liangpin could also enjoy the consideration of her husband. Who knows."
"Fourth Prince's Concubine." Liangpin's voice was fierce, "Now is different from the past. It is better not to say things that should not be said, so as to avoid causing trouble."
"What Lady Liangpin said is right." Shen Anan followed suit.
Liangpin glanced at her coldly and continued, "I will be alone tomorrow and it will be boring. You can come with me. If you are timid, don't go in. Just stay outside and talk to me."
Shen Anan wanted to refuse, but she immediately said, "If I ask the emperor, I think he will agree, but we are all family, and it would be awkward for the emperor to issue an order."
This means you have to go even if you don't want to.
Shen Anan's eyes darkened, stared at Liangpin for a moment, and finally nodded and agreed.
Since it's coming towards me, there's no point in hiding.
"That's right. There aren't many officials and their families here for hunting today, so we should stay together as a family. Don't you think so?"
Shen Anan smiled.
"Liangpin, you are joking. Although my mother-in-law is no longer with us, she was at least one of the Four Consorts when she was alive. We can't really be called a family."
Although Xiao Yuan was not the legitimate prince, he was not someone that a concubine like her could take care of.
Such blatant contempt made Concubine Liang change her expression immediately.
"Your Majesty, the kitchen has just made osmanthus cake. Please try it and see how it tastes." The palace maid brought a tray and placed it on a small table, then served one portion to each of them.
Liangpin's anger slowly subsided under the calm and cold gazes in the palace.
She picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and put it in her mouth to chew, as if she was biting Shen Anan's flesh and blood.
The latter was calm and without any emotional ups and downs.
“I heard that the Fourth Prince’s wife went to visit Master Shen in prison the day before yesterday?”
"Um."
“I also heard that Mr. Shen’s injuries were very serious and he was disfigured.”
Shen Anan raised her eyes and stared at Concubine Liang, "Who did you hear that from, Your Majesty?"
This matter was a game between her and the emperor. Logically speaking, no one else should know about it except the servants in the Imperial Study and the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple.
"Of course I heard it from my father. The Fourth Prince's wife doesn't know. The emperor handed this matter over to my father for trial. Even the injuries to Mr. Shen were personally supervised by my father, so he naturally knows about it."
After saying this, her face was full of satisfaction.
"Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War." Shen Anan's eyes narrowed into a slit, and the sharp cold light stared at Liangpin, "So it was the Queen's father who did it."
"The emperor values me, so I just follow his orders." Liangpin finally let out the anger in her heart.
"I also heard that Master Shen's wrists and ankles were chained. Tsk, tsk, tsk, so pitiful. My father is the same. After all, he is a child of a noble family. How can he be humiliated like this?"
"Don't worry, Princess Fourth. When I get back, I will definitely send someone to give my father a message, asking him to take it easy and show some mercy for my sake."
"That's not necessary." Shen Anan's voice was as cold as ice. "I will handle my elder brother's affairs myself. If the queen has nothing else to do, I will take my leave first."
"Okay then. I'll send someone to invite you tomorrow. Don't oversleep."
Shen Anan bowed and turned to leave Liangpin's tent.
"My lady, you just went too far. You shouldn't have done that. If I hadn't reminded you, you would have lost control."
The palace maid who brought the cakes earlier said in a deep voice.
"Can you blame me for this? You were there just now, didn't you hear what she said? She called me a beast and said I was not worthy of being her family!!"
The maid frowned, "A little impatience can ruin a great plan. Have you forgotten the emperor's instructions? Besides, what the Fourth Prince's wife said is also true. The prince's mother is indeed not someone you, a concubine, can trust."
Liangpin felt a lump in her chest and glared at the palace maid, but dared not say anything.
The maid looked calm and fearless, "She even dared to offend the emperor and talk back, so naturally she wouldn't take you, a concubine, seriously."
What this means is that you take yourself too seriously! ! !
Liangpin had an unpleasant look on her face. She sat in the chair and did not say a word in rebuttal. She seemed to be very afraid of this palace maid.
"I have done everything the emperor asked me to do. Didn't she agree to go tomorrow?"
The maid snorted coldly, "Don't let your anger cloud your mind and forget the important things. Nothing else matters. If you can't do what the emperor has asked, neither you nor I will have a good life."
"I understand." Liangpin said through gritted teeth.
After the palace maid walked away, she spat fiercely, "You bastard, you are just pretending to be powerful. Wait until I make the emperor happy and I will beat you to death with sticks."
——
Shen Anan had just returned to the tent when Qingfeng reported outside, "Princess Princess, Prince Ling is waiting for you in the back mountain."
Shen Anan could only get up again and go to the back mountain.
It is called the back mountain, but in fact it is just behind the tent. It is not far from the tent, but it is remote and full of trees and bushes, so no one gets close to it.
Ling Chenyi was standing in a hidden place. If he hadn't been led by Qingfeng, he would never have been discovered.
"But what did you find?"
Ling Chenyi nodded, "In previous years, for the sake of the emperor's safety, the accompanying teams were carefully selected and very rigorous. But this year, the accompanying people are all his trusted followers. Even the guards except the leader are not brought along."
Shen Anan has always known that the emperor is a person who cherishes his life very much and will never joke about his own safety, so the problem lies in tomorrow's hunting ground.
"Liangpin just called me over and asked me to accompany you tomorrow."
"No." Ling Chenyi's face was stern. "We still don't know the emperor's motives. Liangpin's intention might be the emperor's intention. If they go after you, Li Huaiyan and I will be outnumbered."
Shen Anan, "If they were just coming for me, they wouldn't have set up a hunt and made such a big fuss."
But it is certain that the emperor wants her life.
"wrong."
Shen Anan's expression suddenly darkened.
"What's wrong?"
"I have the emperor's weak spot in my hand. He won't attack me easily, unless... he also sends people to the Fourth Prince's Mansion to rescue Chen Tian!..."
"Ling Chenyi, find a reason and take your people back immediately. You must not hand Chen Tian over to him."
Even if we have to hand it over, we have to get our eldest brother back.
Ling Chenyi's face looked grim. "If that's the case, I'm afraid it's too late to go back now."
"Where did you lock Chen Tian up?"
"Dungeon."
Ling Chenyi breathed a sigh of relief. "That's not a big deal. That dungeon was built by Xiao Yuanxun, a master who is very good at mechanical devices. It will be discovered by the secret guards of the Prince's Mansion before the Emperor's men find it."
"Are you sure?" Shen Anan really didn't dare to gamble.
In fact, when she came, she had also imagined that the emperor might do so, but she had evidence in her hands that he had stolen her wife, so she thought he would take it into consideration.
"Your Majesty, by doing this, has he found a way to suppress all officials and acknowledge Chen Tian's identity?"
Ling Chenyi shook his head. "To acknowledge Chen Tian is to acknowledge what he did back then. He shouldn't be so crazy as to abandon his own reputation."
Shen Anan still couldn't let go, "You should go back to Beijing to take a look. I can only feel at ease with you guarding me."
Ling Chenyi frowned, "Tomorrow is the hunt. Xiao Yuan told me before he left that nothing is more important than your safety."
Shen Anan, "Since I have come to Lingshan and promised to go tomorrow, I have a solution. Don't worry, most of the secret guards of the Fourth Prince's Mansion have come to Lingshan with me. If we really confront them head-on, no one can predict the outcome."
"Take your people back. If you can't hold on, use Chen Tian to exchange my elder brother. Li Huaiyan is still in Lingshan, so you don't have to worry."
Ling Chenyi was still worried, but Shen Anan insisted that now that the general trend was irreversible, there was really no other way.
They couldn't afford to lose, and they couldn't sacrifice Chen Tian, leaving Shen Changhe, the fatal weakness, in the hands of the emperor.
"Okay, I'll go first, you have to be careful."
——
In the evening, the guards built several bonfires next to the tent and hosted a simple banquet with the emperor as the host.
The officials and their wives did not notice anything wrong with this spring hunt and they toasted each other with great joy.
Shen Anan was placed below Liangpin.
Ever since Concubine Liang said that Shen Changhe's injuries were caused by her father beating him, she has been paying attention to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Lord Li.
"It seems that the people accompanying the emperor this time are all his confidants. How come Concubine Liang's father, as the emperor's right-hand man, didn't come to Lingshan?"
"The Ministry of War is busy, and Dad has always put government affairs first. He volunteered to stay in the capital and never came."
Liangpin learned her lesson this time. No matter how unpleasant Shen Anan's words were, she remained calm and composed.
"Oh, I thought Lord Li had fallen out of favor, but it was only a matter of time. After all, Daliang has always severely cracked down on cruel officials. Don't become a target, end up with holes all over your body, no longer useful, and finally be abandoned."
Liangpin gritted her teeth.
She is the emperor's woman after all, and this Shen Anan really has no fear at all and dares to say anything.
"Then there's no need to worry about it, Fourth Prince's wife. You should worry about yourself when you have time." She snorted coldly and ignored her.
Shen Anan touched her nose and stopped talking. After three rounds of drinking, she found a reason to leave the banquet.
The emperor just looked at her and agreed readily.
"Hey, why can't I see Chen Yi? Where did he go?"
The chief eunuch on one side said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten that Prince Ling sent someone to deliver a message a few hours ago, saying that the eldest princess's illness has worsened again, so he returned first."
The emperor nodded.
At that time, Concubine Liang was in his tent. She seemed to have heard it but didn't take it to heart.
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