Chenyou Palace.
Jiufu slammed the blue-white jade fan-shaped box containing the imperial swallows onto the table, his cheeks puffed with anger. "That first-class attendant in Fuyao Palace, Zhiqi, is as hypocritical as his master. He even talked about sending a few attendants who understand pharmacology to help the master get pregnant. In my opinion, they are openly planting spies in our Chenyou Palace."
Lu Jinshu's expression wasn't very good either. He stared at the blue-white jade box for a while, then sneered, "Her Royal Highness couldn't see that he was just pretending, and she thought the newly married Princess was a virtuous woman. He allowed me to ride in a sedan chair to pay my respects, and he also gave me all kinds of supplements, and I had no reason to refuse. After I accepted his things, he praised him in front of Her Royal Highness. He really took advantage of me."
Jiufu saw that Lu Jinshu seemed angry, so he quickly poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Lu Jinshu, "It's all because of this new princess who has come in too insidious and cunning. Your Highness is a woman, how could she understand the twists and turns of the harem?"
Jiufu raised his eyes and motioned for the attendants standing around him to leave. He then lowered his voice and said, "Master, an idea has suddenly occurred to me. Doesn't the Crown Princess want to be a good person? Then, Master, just use the things he sends you. You can just find something good or bad in them and accuse him of harming the crown prince. By then, the Crown Princess will only feel disgust towards him, and you won't have to bear his hypocritical face anymore."
Lu Jinshu's left hand rested on his lower abdomen. He admitted that Jiufu's words moved him a little, but in the end, he shook his head. "Since Fu Yijing dared to blatantly put his people and things here, it means he has no intention of harming my child. The most important thing for me now is to give birth to the child in my belly safely. Some grudges can be avoided. Just consider it as accumulating blessings for the child in my belly."
Jiufu quickly smiled and said, "The master will definitely give birth to Her Royal Highness's eldest daughter safely."
Lu Jinshu pressed harder on his abdomen, his eyes softening. The princess's affection for him could weaken or even vanish at any moment. If this baby in his belly was truly a daughter, then he would have someone to rely on for the rest of his life.
Ever since Fu Yijing married into the Eastern Palace, he had begun to feel uneasy. Good looks, a good background, and resourcefulness—when these three qualities converge in one person, it's bound to easily squeeze out the living space of others.
With Fu Yijing holding such a grudge against him, Shangguan Xu would probably be in big trouble soon.
That night.
Ling Shumo favored a young man named Chang Ning. Because he was promoted by the Grand Princess, Xie Chang Ning was directly appointed a fifth-rank official, bypassing the junior attendant. Furthermore, Fu Yijing even consulted ancient texts and, based on the poem "As if light clouds obscure the moon, drifting like snow on a gust of wind," chose the title "Cloud" for Xie Chang Ning.
Qi Hezhang and Bishui, who were chosen together with Xie Changning, were not so lucky. They were only given the rank of junior servant and moved into the South Courtyard with Bohe. However, Xie Changning was granted special permission by Fu Yijing to continue living in Deyang Palace, west of Fuyao Palace.
It is true that comparison makes one feel thief angry. Bishui was so angry that he felt chest tightness and shortness of breath. He suffered from insomnia for several nights in a row and still couldn't recover.
In the afternoon.
It started snowing lightly again.
Ling Shumo was wearing a white fox fur cloak and walking leisurely towards the Bi Bo Lake without an umbrella.
Xue Wu said that he had rehearsed a new dance. Coincidentally, the weather had turned cold two days ago and the surface of the Bi Bo Lake had frozen. Xue Wu planned to perform the dance for Ling Shumo on the ice.
When Ling Shumo arrived at the shore of Bi Bo Lake.
Xue Wu had been waiting there for a long time.
The first thing Ling Shumo saw was Xue Wu's beautiful face, like a lotus emerging from the water. Then, her gaze moved all the way down, finally settling on Xue Wu's bare feet, which were simply wrapped with a few circles of bandages. "Aren't you afraid of freezing to death?"
Xue Wu folded his arms and rubbed his palms vigorously a few times on his exposed arms. Although he was so cold that even his heart was trembling, a very beautiful smile bloomed on his face. "Your Highness, don't you think it is more meaningful to watch the ministers dance outdoors?"
As he spoke, a few snowflakes fell on Xue Wu's fair and smooth shoulders and neck, and in an instant they turned into crystal water droplets. Under the sunlight, the water droplets reflected dazzling brilliance, like clear and bright gems.
Ling Shumo looked at Xue Wu, who looked like a fairy in the snow, and couldn't help but smile, "It's indeed very artistic." After all, there was no exhibition stand as vast and beautiful as the blue lake indoors.
Xue Wu stepped onto the cool blue lake in a few steps. He was wearing a moon-white gauze dance dress. His long sleeves fluttered like clear flowing water. Small silver bells were dotted between the hems of his skirt. As he danced gracefully, the ethereal and crisp sound of the bells filled the air.
Ling Shumo watched Xue Wu's figure gradually move toward the center of the lake. The dance reached its climax at this moment. Xue Wu's slender waist moved nimbly, and her speed of rotation became faster and faster. As her skirt fluttered, Xue Wu turned back and smiled at Ling Shumo on the shore.
Ling Shumo was watching intently, but the next moment, there was a "crack" sound of ice breaking in front of him. Xue Wu only had time to let out a brief scream before he fell into the ice hole, with water and ice chips splashing out.
Only then did Ling Shumo take a serious look at the frozen lake. Since the lake had only been frozen over the past two days, the ice on the entire surface of the lake was thin in the middle and thick on both sides.
The ice should not collapse if a normal person walks on it, but Xue Wu dances mostly on tiptoe and jumps on the ice continuously, so it is highly likely that the thin layer of ice will collapse.
Ling Shumo didn't know what Xue Wu was thinking. Perhaps Xue Wu hadn't even considered this, or perhaps he was trying to please her, so he was willing to risk falling into the icy water just to dance for her.
Ling Shumo personally leaned towards the latter. She frowned and scolded, "Is there any servant who can swim? Hurry and rescue Madam Xue!"
There was a period of chaos and disorder on the shores of Bi Bo Lake.
Xue Wu was finally rescued.
He no longer had the beauty of the ice fairy he had just now, and he looked like a drowned chicken.
Suddenly, the servant who rescued Xue Wu screamed, "Oh my God! Why is there so much blood? How could there be so much blood on your master?"
Only then did Ling Shumo notice that Xue Wu's skirt was stained with reddish-brown blood. She took off her fox fur cloak and wrapped it around Xue Wu, then lifted him up and carried him to the pavilion closest to the lake. "Quickly, get Doctor Zhang. His leg might have been scratched by gravel or ice beneath the surface."
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