the truth
Shen Qianqian was wearing a pale yellow floor-length dress embroidered with various small flowers.
Moreover, it's the kind of style that exposes the shoulders and leaves the chest exposed.
Zhang Qin glanced at her from afar and then went to report to Shangguan Zeyu.
"Your Highness, Madam Shen has arrived."
Shangguan Zeyu was arranging his calligraphy and paintings when he heard this. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly.
"not see."
But to everyone's surprise, in the blink of an eye, she had already reached the door.
"Your Highness, Qianqian has come to see you. Qianqian has personally made some snacks for you, Your Highness, please have a taste."
Shangguan Zeyu looked at Zhang Qin impatiently.
Zhang Qin lowered his eyes guiltily.
"Let her in!"
Zhang Qin opened the door.
"Where is the prince?"
Shen Qianqian had no eyes for anyone. As soon as the door opened, she peered inside through the narrow crack.
"Your Highness, please invite Madam Shen inside."
Shen Qianqian hurriedly took the bamboo basket that Iris handed her and went inside with a smile.
Zhang Qin left, closing the door behind him.
"Qianmei, it's so hot outside. Why aren't you staying indoors? What are you doing out here?" Shangguan Zeyu smiled, his previous coldness and impatience gone.
"Qianqian isn't afraid of the heat. As long as I can see Your Highness, Qianqian isn't afraid of anything." As Shen Qianqian spoke, she lowered her eyes shyly.
Shangguan Zeyu glanced at her indifferently.
"What is Qianmei carrying?"
"Oh, this is a mung bean cake that Qianqian specially made for the prince. It's different from the usual mung bean cake. The filling is made of roses."
"Oh?" Shangguan Zeyu pretended to be interested.
Shen Qianqian placed the bamboo basket on the desk, gracefully selected the most perfect piece from it for Shangguan Zeyu, and fed it to him.
Shangguan Zeyu glanced down at it, opened his mouth slightly, took a small bite, and pretended to savor it with relish.
"Hmm~ It does indeed have a floral fragrance and a faint sweetness, which I quite like."
Shen Qianqian suddenly looked sad.
Shangguan Zeyu asked the question as he went along with it.
"Why is Qianmei suddenly unhappy? Did you think of something sad?"
"Your Highness, Qianqian is thinking about our child! If that child were still alive, he would soon be calling me 'Father.' Qianqian is heartbroken, so bitter!" As Shen Qianqian spoke, large tears slid down her cheeks.
Shangguan Zeyu sighed impatiently.
Shen Qianqian didn't see it.
"Qianmei, I have been worried about this matter as well! That child is my first child!"
"Your Highness, you must severely punish the murderer! Only in this way can we avenge that poor child!!"
Looking at her tearful appearance, Shangguan Zeyu felt no pity whatsoever, only pretense.
"Qianmei, how do you intend to punish that criminal?"
"Of course, it's a life for a life!!"
Shangguan Zeyu gave her a meaningful look.
Shen Qianqian remained immersed in hatred.
"Consort Liu has committed evil, and she must bear the consequences! If she remains unpunished, the poor child who died will suffer even more!!! Your Highness, your child cannot die so innocently!!!"
Shangguan Zeyu looked at her expressionlessly.
But because he often looked emotionless when he wasn't smiling, Shen Qianqian didn't realize that he was actually very, very annoyed with her.
"Qianmei, I have heard that the person who poisoned you is someone else."
"Who?" Shen Qianqian's eyes were like those of a wild beast that had suddenly spotted its prey, radiating a bloodthirsty cruelty.
Shangguan Zeyu gave her a deep look.
"I heard it was the princess who had it done. Qianmei, who do you think it could be?"
"princess?"
"Qianmei doesn't believe me?"
Shen Qianqian was truly incredulous: "No, how... how could this be?"
“Qianmei and the Princess must have a very deep sisterly bond, otherwise she wouldn’t have had no doubts.” Shangguan Zeyu was tired of standing, so she simply sat down.
Shen Qianqian was still immersed in the shocking news and couldn't come back to her senses for a long time.
Shangguan Zeyu gazed at her thoughtfully.
"...Your Highness, the Princess sent Qianqian a lot of tonics this morning, as well as baby clothes, shoes, and a sachet she embroidered herself. Qianqian doesn't believe that the Princess would have someone harm her."
Shen Qianqian spoke with absolute certainty, and Shangguan Zeyu actually admired her somewhat.
"Yes, Qianmei, I'm sure I'm easily swayed by what you say. However, after thinking it over, I don't believe it was Consort Liu who did it alone. After all, there are many people in the harem who are envious of my favor towards you, Qianmei."
Suddenly, it dawned on Shen Qianqian, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be them?"
Clearly, she had already made the connection between Wang Qianqian and Wu Lanyu.
Shangguan Zeyu glanced at her indifferently, sighed, and stood up.
"Qianmei, you can't see into someone's heart! Words may sound nice, but actions may not be. I have other matters to attend to, Qianmei, you may go back on your own." With that, he gave her another inscrutable look before leaving.
It must be Wang Qianqian and Wu Lanyu!!!
Last night, when Wang Qianqian saw the shimmering brocade that the prince had bestowed upon her, she was so angry that her face turned pale, and her words were full of sourness.
There's also Wu Lanyu, the daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites. She's skilled in dancing and writing, but the Prince has never favored her even once!
She must hate her to death behind her back!!!
They must have conspired together to harm her!
Shen Qianqian was so angry that her face turned ashen and her chest heaved. She went to find Wang Qianqian.
Coincidentally, Wu Lanyu was also there, but she was about to leave.
"Sister Chen, who upset you? Why are you so angry?" Wu Lanyu asked in surprise.
Shen Qianqian walked up to the two of them and glanced at them with a cold smile.
Wang Qianqian saw the hatred in her eyes and asked urgently.
"Did someone say something to you? Don't believe them!!"
"Hmph, if I don't believe him, am I supposed to believe you? I even considered you sisters, and what have you done? How could you be so heartless, harming my child!!!"
Wu Lanyu looked at Wang Qianqian in surprise: "What's going on, sister?"
Wang Qianqian's face immediately darkened, her brows furrowed, and she looked back at her, as if to say, "What do you mean by saying that now?"
"Look at those faces! I told you so!"
Wang Qianqian: "Madam Shen, do you even have a brain? Don't believe everything anyone says!"
"Hmph! Saying anything is useless! You killed my child with the prince, and I will make sure the prince punishes you severely!!!"
Wang Qianqian stopped arguing with her, went inside, and closed the door.
"Feeling guilty? Speechless? You're a two-faced person! You'll definitely die a horrible death!!" Shen Qianqian pointed at the tightly closed door, saying the most vicious things she could say.
Wu Lanyu watched intently from the side, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
When Shen Qianqian got tired of scolding and glared at her, she quickly tried to comfort her.
"Little sister, don't get so worked up! We can talk this out, we can talk this out." She pulled Shen Qianqian along, gesturing for her to follow her.
Shen Qianqian followed her out of the Begonia Garden with a haughty air.
"Say what you have to say."
Wu Lanyu smiled gently.
"How did you learn, sister, that I and Madam Wang harmed you?"
"You don't need to worry about that!"
Wu Lanyu smiled gently again, without asking any further questions, and said...
"Let's talk as we walk."
Shen Qianqian stepped out first.
Wu Lanyu paused for a moment, rolled her eyes, and followed her.
"Back then, the act that the three of us—Madam Wang, myself, and you—put on in front of Consort Liu was truly genuine, but who would have thought... that you would actually fall ill? Later, Madam Wang told me that she knew a Taoist priest with profound spiritual power who said that you had been frightened and that to stabilize the baby in your womb, you needed to find the person who frightened you and an object to suppress it."
"The one who frightened you, sister, was Consort Liu, so I shamelessly asked her for something. Sister, I have no idea if it was poisoned. But... halfway through, Princess Xiao's personal maid, Chunhua, touched it... I'll give it to you; put it by your pillow, and then..."
Shen Qianqian suddenly raised her voice in surprise, exclaiming, "Is it the Princess?"
"My dear sister, all of this is just speculation, there's no evidence. If the Princess says it's Consort Liu, then it's Consort Liu. But now, if she says it's the Princess... I'm afraid that's not a good thing."
"Hmph! The princess is such a vicious person! All those things she gave me were just empty words!! She said if I listened to her, she would help me rise to the throne, but now it seems it was all just empty talk to make me work for her!!!"
Wu Lanyu pretended to sympathize with her and said.
"Don't even mention my sister, me, and Madam Wang, aren't we all acting on her orders? She's the rightful mistress of the Wang family! She won't be easily threatened!!"
"So what if she's powerful? She still listens to the prince, doesn't she? Humph!" Shen Qianqian was extremely arrogant, clearly not taking Wu Lanyu seriously at all. After saying that, she turned and left without looking back.
Wu Lanyu watched her walk away with a cold smile, a look of smug satisfaction on her face.
Qingmei whispered, "Master, this servant doesn't understand. Aren't you and the Princess...?"
"A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on. The princess can no longer win the prince's heart. It's better to rely on yourself than on her. Also, don't get too close to Liuying in the future, and don't say certain things to her anymore."
"Yes, this servant will remember."
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