Chapter 20: Let the Third Princess calm down.
Li Yuanshu reacted the most to the sound.
She looked in the direction of the sound almost instantly, her gaze locking onto Li Yuanzhao precisely, and the arrogance on her face froze instantly.
Li Yuanzhao sat upright on a golden palanquin carried by eight men, followed by a group of palace maids and servants carrying various gilded incense burners, peacock feather fans and other ceremonial items.
It was so grand and impressive that it stood out starkly against the backdrop of springtime beauty.
Today she wore a red round-necked robe with subtle gold embroidery, which made her stand out sharply and flamboyantly compared to the noble ladies around her who were dressed in colorful children's skirts.
Su Qingci was delighted, not expecting the Eldest Princess to come.
A fleeting, almost imperceptible light flashed in Du Cong's eyes as he stood in front of her.
"Her Highness the Eldest Princess has arrived!"
As the announcement ended, the already quiet garden became even quieter.
Everyone stood up and bowed, forming a large, densely packed kneeling mass on the ground.
Li Yuanshu had no choice but to bow and pay his respects.
When Liu Jinzhang saw Li Yuanzhao arrive, he knew that today's spring banquet would be anything but peaceful.
He didn't want to get involved, so after bowing, he helped Old Madam Wei to take his leave.
Although Li Yuanshu was afraid, he forced himself to perform a respectful curtsy.
Li Yuanzhao's imperial carriage stopped beside the white jade platform in the center of the garden, and his attendants brought over brocade benches.
She walked slowly down, passing by everyone without looking to the side, and finally sat down in the seat previously occupied by the Imperial Concubine.
She glanced indifferently at the kneeling crowd, her gaze finally settling on Li Yuanshu, a faint smile playing on her lips.
That look made Li Yuanshu's heart tighten, and she subconsciously shrank back.
Chen Yanqing followed behind Li Yuanzhao, looking at the scene of everyone kneeling on the ground, and then at Li Yuanzhao's nonchalant demeanor, and felt a deeper understanding of the power and intimidation of this princess.
This is power—it can make all living beings bow down and make the world lose its color.
Li Yuanzhao leaned against the soft couch, and a maidservant quickly poured her tea.
She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and her gaze swept across the room. Her voice, though not loud, carried clearly to everyone's ears: "Get up, everyone."
Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon and got up to return to their seats.
However, the atmosphere at the table was no longer as relaxed and comfortable as before.
Su Qingci stood there, gazing at the red figure in the main seat, her eyes filled with barely concealed excitement.
Over the past two months, she has been making steady progress in the Prime Minister's residence, from initially struggling to gain a foothold to now doing so, all thanks to the Eldest Princess.
She wanted to express her gratitude countless times, but due to the vast difference in their social status, she couldn't even get a glimpse of the princess.
She hadn't panicked when Li Yuanshu had cornered her, but now, overwhelmed with excitement at this unexpected reunion, she couldn't contain her emotions.
Li Yuanshu composed herself, forced a smile, and walked up to Li Yuanzhao. "Royal elder sister, you've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you for so long."
Even if she hated him in her heart, she had to pretend to be more respectful in front of so many people.
Otherwise, if Li Yuanzhao finds fault with her and makes her lose face in front of everyone, she'll be finished.
Li Yuanzhao glanced at her and said calmly, "Wait for me?"
Li Yuanshu quickly forced a smile, "Of course I've been waiting for you. Why didn't you send someone to inform me beforehand, so I could have come to greet you?"
Li Yuanzhao put down his teacup, glanced at her, and said, "Having been informed, are we still able to see such an interesting scene?"
Li Yuanshu's face flushed red instantly. His arrogance in ordering Su Qingci to be thrown into the river just now turned into panic.
"Royal sister...I..."
"Third Sister is getting better and better at upholding justice." Li Yuanzhao's gaze swept casually over Su Qingci.
The latter was looking at her with an excited expression, his eyes shining brightly.
Li Yuanshu hadn't expected Li Yuanzhao to see everything so clearly, so he could only bite the bullet and explain, "I was just angry for a moment..."
Li Yuanzhao's lips curled into a smile, "Then it seems... Third Sister's temper is even stronger than Miss Su's."
Li Yuanshu immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly said, "I know I was wrong, I won't do it again next time."
Li Yuanzhao ignored her and said, "Someone, help the Third Princess cool down her temper. Don't let her get so hot-tempered before summer even arrives."
Ru Mo immediately accepted the order and strode towards Li Yuanshu.
Chen Yanqing was still staring blankly at everything in front of her, not yet able to react.
How do I calm down? What is Ru Mo trying to do? Is he going too?
He followed instinctively, only to see Li Yuanzhao glance at him sideways.
He immediately and obediently retreated, standing behind Li Yuanzhao again.
Seeing Ru Mo approaching, Li Yuanshu suddenly took a few steps back, trying to escape.
But Ru Mo grabbed his wrist, pulled it through his knee, and picked him up.
"Let go of me! How dare you touch me?"
Li Yuanshu screamed in terror and struggled repeatedly.
"Royal sister, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong."
Ru Mo carried her expressionlessly toward Qujiang Pool. Li Yuanshu struggled in vain, even kicking off one of her embroidered shoes.
Seeing that pleading was useless, her tone suddenly turned sharp, "Li Yuanzhao, how dare you! Father will not let you get away with this!"
"ah……"
A piercing scream rang out, and everyone watched helplessly as the Third Princess was thrown into the pool by the Eldest Princess's guards.
With a loud splash, water sprayed three feet high, soaking the brocade robes of several young men on the shore.
Li Yuanshu was splashing around in the water, her hair disheveled, peony petals scattered all over the pond. Her usual delicate appearance was gone, and she looked like a drowned rat.
"Help...cough cough...help me..."
She choked on several mouthfuls of pool water and looked like she was about to drown.
The people on the shore were so frightened that they dared not breathe, and some of the more timid young ladies even covered their eyes.
Pei Huaijin frowned, instinctively wanting to step forward to save the person, but was held back tightly by his colleagues.
That was the Princess's order; who would dare disobey it?
Li Yuanzhao sipped her tea slowly, and only after the teacup was empty did she say softly, "Let's fish it out, lest it drown."
Ru Mo then jumped into the water and pulled the person out.
Li Yuanshu lay sprawled on the ground in a disheveled state, her soaked clothes clinging tightly to her body, her hair scattered haphazardly on the floor.
She coughed repeatedly and vomited large amounts of water, completely losing any semblance of princess decorum.
Cui Jiulang was terrified when he saw this scene.
He was no longer the arrogant man he had been moments before; his legs were trembling, and he even took advantage of the fact that everyone's attention was still on the Third Princess to back away, trying to escape.
Just as I reached the garden gate, I heard that calm and indifferent voice.
"Jiulang, where are we going?"
Cui Jiulang froze, as if he had been frozen in place, unable to take another step.
He slowly turned around, forcing a smile that looked worse than a grimace, his voice trembling.
"Your Highness... I... I just felt a bit stuffy here and wanted to get some fresh air."
Li Yuanzhao looked up at him. "It's so hot? Looks like you need to cool down too?"
Cui Jiulang was so frightened that his robes were instantly soaked with cold sweat. He suddenly knelt down and kowtowed, begging for mercy, "It's not hot anymore! I suddenly feel refreshed and not stuffy at all!"
But Li Yuanzhao didn't speak, only gently tapping the armrest of the soft couch with his fingertips.
The rhythmic "thump-thump" sound was like a death knell. Cui Jiulang watched Ru Mo approach step by step, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.
He swallowed hard, then suddenly looked up as if he had nothing to lose.
"No need to trouble the princess's guards, I can do it myself."
After saying that, without waiting for anyone to react, he turned around and rushed towards Qujiang Pool, plunging into the water with a splash.
A string of bubbles instantly rose to the surface of the pool, followed by his disheveled splashing sounds.
Li Yuanzhao then withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.
She didn't even look at Su Qinglin, who was huddled in the corner of the women's section, trembling all over. She simply said, "People who disrespect their elder sisters don't need to come to the palace anymore. They're just an eyesore."
Su Qinglin was so frightened that her face turned as white as paper.
The princess's words not only cut off her path to the palace, but also effectively sentenced her to death within the noble ladies' circle of the capital.
She opened her mouth, wanting to beg for mercy, but the guards who stepped forward covered her mouth and dragged her away, leaving only a series of indistinct sobs.
Su Qingci stood there, looking at Cui Jiulang struggling in the pool, then at Li Yuanzhao who was calm on the soft couch, and felt as if something had burned her heart.
It turns out that this seemingly aloof princess had protected her twice without making a sound.
Li Yuanzhao's gaze swept over the silent crowd, his voice calm and even, "Let's continue, don't let this little thing spoil the fun."
But who has the heart to appreciate flowers?
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