The Emperor's birthday is just around the corner.
On this day, the weather was fine, with large white clouds floating in the blue sky, which seemed to be edged with a faint gold under the sunlight.
After breakfast, Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan left the Ling Prince's residence together and took a carriage to the palace to offer birthday greetings to the Emperor.
During the Emperor's birthday banquet, all officials of the fourth rank and above were required to bring their families to the palace to offer their congratulations. Even before their carriages reached the palace gates, they could feel the excitement of the birthday celebration.
The normally empty horse parking area was now filled with horse-drawn carriages and sedan chairs.
As Shen Wan stepped out of the sedan chair, she saw Yun Qi and Princess Qinghe. Princess Qinghe was wearing a light green brocade dress embroidered with begonias and clouds, her waist so slender it could be encircled by one hand. This was the first time Shen Wan had seen her since she married Yun Qi. Princess Qinghe blushed slightly under Shen Wan's scrutinizing gaze, blushing shyly.
This was Yun Qi's first time attending a banquet in the palace. Shen Wan was worried that he wouldn't be used to it, since the palace was different from other places. So Shen Wan let Yun Qi go with Xie Jingyan, while she went to the Imperial Garden with Princess Qinghe.
In the Imperial Garden, hundreds of flowers were in full bloom, a breathtaking sight, but the most eye-catching were the beautifully dressed young ladies from noble families, whose laughter, like the warbling of orioles in a secluded valley, carried far and wide.
The palace maids led them toward the pavilion, where Empress Song, Consort Zheng, and Consort Wang were, along with a group of noble ladies.
Shen Wan and Princess Qinghe stepped into the pavilion. Empress Song was chatting and laughing with Princess Huyang. When a palace maid reported that Princess Ling had arrived, the smile on Empress Song's face vanished instantly, but she quickly recovered. However, her gaze on Shen Wan remained cold.
She was punished by the emperor and confined to her quarters because of Shen Wan. Her daughter, Princess Shouchun, was arrested and imprisoned in the city patrol office. The dignified princess became a laughing stock in the capital because of her!
What Empress Song found even more intolerable was that during yesterday's morning court session, a group led by the Minister of Justice requested the Emperor to appoint Prince Ling as the Crown Prince!
If it weren't for Shen Wan and the Yun family helping Prince Ling find Doctor Tao and medicinal herbs, Prince Ling would probably still be sitting in a wheelchair right now.
She can barely protect herself, let alone compete with her son Xie Jingyin for the position of crown prince!
A chilling glint flashed in Empress Song's eyes.
However, this gaze no longer held any deterrent effect on Shen Wan. Xie Jingyin's power was no longer what it had been in his previous life, and even with the strong support of Prince Cheng, it was useless.
Despite Empress Song's cold stare, Shen Wan's mood remained unaffected; in fact, she even wore a slight smile, which only fueled Empress Song's anger.
Shen Wan curtsied gracefully, her demeanor impeccable. Empress Song was seething with rage, but in front of all the noble ladies and Consort Wang, she could not vent her anger. She forced a smile and said, "Princess Ling is more than six months pregnant, isn't she? Her belly doesn't look like it at all."
Shen Wan's belly wasn't actually that big, but Doctor Tao checked her pulse every few days and didn't say there was a problem.
Princess Huyang laughed and said, "It should be a back pregnancy, showing the waist but not the belly."
The Prime Minister's wife was also laughing, "It grows fast at the back, puffing up like an inflating balloon."
"It's better for the baby to be small, so that the birth will be less painful," one of the women said.
Empress Song could barely contain her smile.
She had barely uttered one disheartening remark when others chimed in, seemingly afraid that Shen Wan would worry because of her small belly.
Consort Wang smiled and said, "Princess Ling is pregnant, please sit down and talk."
Shen Wan found a seat and sat down, but she didn't stay for long. Listening to Empress Song and the other ladies talking was not interesting, so she might as well go and admire the flowers.
Shen Wan wanted to quietly enjoy the flowers, but while she wanted peace and quiet, the young ladies from prominent families didn't want to miss such a good opportunity to show their faces in front of her. The Minister of Justice and others requested that Xie Jingyan be made the heir apparent, and the competition for the crown prince had changed from the first prince and the Prince of Jin to three people. Moreover, among the three, Xie Jingyan was the most powerful. A bunch of young ladies from prominent families came to pay their respects to Shen Wan. Even if each of them only said a couple of words, it would be enough for Shen Wan to handle.
I didn't get to admire the flowers much, and I talked a lot, but it was all for nothing compared to when I was in the pavilion.
A young lady from a respectable family came over to greet Shen Wan. Shen Wan smiled and nodded. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shen Ying, supported by her maid, walked over. When the young lady turned around and saw that it was Shen Ying, she thought of the family affairs of the Marquis of Pingyang's residence and did not dare to linger. She curtsied to Shen Wan and quickly left with her maid.
Shen Wan couldn't even remember how long it had been since she last saw Shen Ying. Ever since the old lady's plot to murder the late old lady was exposed and she was beheaded in public, Shen Wan had never seen Shen Ying again.
Before, with the old lady protecting her, Shen Wan never gave Shen Ying a hard time. Now that the old lady's grave is overgrown with weeds, Shen Ying still dares to approach her.
Do she and Shen Ying still have anything to talk about?
Shen Wan assumed Shen Ying was just passing by and turned back to continue admiring the flowers. However, Shen Ying's attitude of not taking Shen Ying seriously at all caused her to clench her fist tightly under her sleeves, but she quickly relaxed it. She stepped forward lightly, her face full of sarcasm, "So many young ladies from prominent families are rushing to get close to you, eldest sister is really enjoying herself."
Shen Wan glanced at Shen Ying, "You're being so sarcastic. Is nobody trying to get close to you anymore?"
Swish.
Shen Ying's smile vanished, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "I advise you, elder sister, not to be too happy too soon! Anyone could sit on the throne, but Prince Ling has no chance."
Shen Wan sneered, "The Prince of Jin's concubine thinks that the Minister of Justice and the Right Chancellor don't see things as clearly as you do."
Shen Wan enunciated the words "concubine" with exceptional clarity, and Shen Ying's face instantly contorted into a ferocious expression.
If Shen Wan hadn't feigned a miscarriage, why would the Emperor have demoted her to a concubine?!
Shen Ying said, "It's not up to the Minister of Justice and his men to decide who becomes the crown prince. As for the things Consort Chen did, the Emperor spared Prince Ling's life back then, which was already considered lenient. How dare she covet the position of crown prince?"
Hearing this, Shen Wan's brows furrowed tightly.
Shen Ying's words made it seem as if she knew what Consort Chen had done back then...
Shen Wan had always wanted to ask Xie Jingyan, but she was afraid of reopening his wounds, so she held back until now. In the end, Shen Ying knew everything. She, who had lived two lives, still didn't know anything. It was embarrassing to say it out loud.
Shen Wan looked at Shen Ying and said, "Prince Ling almost died of illness in the imperial mausoleum back then, and then fell off his horse and had an accident, spending two years in a wheelchair. The Emperor no longer holds a grudge against Prince Ling. In the past few months, the Emperor has been responsive to Prince Ling's every request. Can't you see that? Perhaps the Emperor has already let go of Consort Chen's matter in his heart."
Shen Ying laughed upon hearing this, "Put aside the matter of Consort Chen? Eldest sister, do you know what you're saying?"
"Consort Chen cheated on the Emperor, had an affair, and refused to reveal who her lover was. No man could tolerate that, let alone the Emperor."
Shen Ying's words were like a boulder crashing into a lake, creating a curtain of water several meters high, drenching Shen Wan from head to toe.
She had suspected Consort Chen of making mistakes, but she never imagined that Consort Chen would have an affair and cuckold the Emperor.
How is that possible?!
Only a madwoman like Consort Chen would do such a thing!
But the emperor had executed the entire Yan family and even demoted Xie Jingyan to guard the imperial tombs, which left Shen Wan with no choice but to believe it.
Furthermore, even if Shen Ying had a few more lives, she wouldn't dare fabricate such a thing to ruin the Emperor's reputation.
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