Jiang Wei wasn't in a hurry, after all, what they said was untenable if you examined it closely.
The Prince's mansion is heavily guarded, with patrols every half hour or so. With so many noble ladies present today, the guards are certainly more vigilant than usual.
Furthermore, everyone who came today had an invitation, so if what they said is true, there must be traces of it.
Gao Youlan nudged her, "How can I not be angry? I'm so angry, and you're still laughing."
Jiang smiled and replied, "Because it's nothing, why should I be angry? If I really lose my composure because of anger, they'll be overjoyed."
The woman's expression grew increasingly grim as she watched Princess Shen listening in.
She thought to herself that Jiang Wei was going to be in trouble this time, and went along with Hong Xinyue's words, adding fuel to the fire.
The words became increasingly harsh, and the punishments dictated for Jiang Wei grew more and more vicious.
Xiao Zhan's face visibly darkened, and finally looked as if it had been frozen solid.
"You just said that Miss Jiang wanted to kill you?" Xiao Zhan's cold voice came.
The woman felt there was nothing wrong with her words, but when that chilling voice came, she trembled slightly with fear.
The noble ladies had seen Xiao Zhan as soon as he entered.
Xiao Zhan had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, with a slightly sparse look between them. His chiseled face exuded masculine vigor. He wore a black, narrow-sleeved, belted robe with dark patterns embroidered on it, which accentuated his tall and slender figure, making him appear strong but not muscular.
He walked in, one hand clenched into a fist behind his back, the other hanging by his side.
The ladies who were nearby blushed when they glanced at him and lowered their heads shyly.
When they saw him speak, they couldn't help but turn their gaze to him.
The woman was stunned for a moment before replying, "Yes, she wanted to silence me."
"Then kill them!" Xiao Zhan said, making it sound as if he were talking about something trivial.
The woman panicked, "What right do you have to kill me?"
Xiao Qi smiled faintly and smoothed things over, "I understand everything you've said. I think there's a misunderstanding here. I don't think Miss Jiang is that kind of person."
He, a prince, spoke up for her; Jiang Wei would definitely develop feelings for him, right?
"Just let someone investigate the matter thoroughly, and don't let things get out of hand." Xiao Qi was clearly wise; he would cherish every citizen of the Great Xiao.
The woman was extremely aggrieved, clutching her handkerchief tightly. "Every word I said is true, not a single lie. Why do you all want to kill me? Are you trying to cover something up?"
Xiao Zhan sneered, his voice chillingly cold, "Are you saying that I can't punish you?"
The noble ladies stared wide-eyed, completely unable to believe it.
Is this the War King with huge eye sockets, a slovenly beard, and a body as strong as an ox?
He was clearly a dashing and imposing general.
The woman knew she had met her match, but there was no turning back. "Even if you are the King of War, you cannot just kill people at will. You do not punish those who have corrupted morality, but you want to kill me. Aren't you afraid of being condemned by the world?"
Xiao Zhan's expression remained unchanged. "What color clothes did you see?"
The woman thought Xiao Zhan had persuaded her and blurted out, "Black."
Xiao Zhan didn't speak, but leaned back a little.
Black, black, the noble ladies murmured to themselves.
A younger, quick-witted girl tugged at her older sister and secretly pointed at Xiao Zhan with her finger.
The girl's expression changed drastically, and she exclaimed in surprise.
The noble ladies all followed her gaze and understood.
The kneeling woman also realized what was happening, and her mouth moved faster than her brain, "It was Your Highness who was having a secret rendezvous with Jiang Wei."
"Guards! Take this woman, who is spouting lies and slandering me, out and give her thirty lashes to teach her a lesson. I was merely admiring the plum blossoms in the plum garden when I happened to meet Miss Jiang. I simply asked her if the plum blossom I picked was suitable to be placed in a dark porcelain vase, and you have made up such nonsense."
If you're not punished, next time you won't be able to spread rumors however you want. Xiao Zhan's ruthless aura, honed by years of battlefield experience, permeated the surroundings.
The woman was now afraid and knelt there, kowtowing and begging for mercy. Seeing that Xiao Zhan didn't even give her a glance, she hurriedly crawled to Princess Shen's side and begged for mercy.
Princess Shen ignored her as well. Since she had done something wrong, she had to bear the consequences herself.
Xiao Zhan walked to the opposite side of Jiang Wei and said, "It is my fault that you have been misunderstood. I hope Miss Jiang will forgive me."
After saying that, he moved his lips but no sound came out, and strode away.
The noble ladies returned home with their own thoughts. The bolder girls began to plot how to catch the eye of the War King, while the timid ones had already been frightened away by the War King's constant threats of violence.
At the Prince Zhan's residence, Xiao Zhan was fiddling with three plum blossoms he had brought back from the Prince Shen's residence. Two of them were picked by Jiang Wei and placed at the banquet, and the other was one that Jiang Wei had been playing with while sitting on the tree.
After Jiang Wei left, Xiao Zhan went back and picked it again.
Xiao Zhan placed them all over the study, but none of them were suitable, so he finally chose to put them on the desk.
Because if he is in the mansion, he spends most of his time in the study.
Xiao Zhan looked at the plum blossoms in the vase on the desk, which were blooming vividly, with two butterfly-shaped flowers that seemed to be about to fly together.
A smile unconsciously crept onto his lips; in this entire palace, this was the only place that made him feel a sense of color.
Jiang Wei returned to Breeze Courtyard and leaned against the chaise lounge. She really couldn't understand why Xiao Zhan was so good to her.
A prince would lie for her.
Since she was reborn, he has helped her several times, and he always appears immediately.
Are these all coincidences?
But are there really so many coincidences in the world?
Jiang Wei couldn't figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it.
She closed her eyes to rest for a while, then slowly opened them.
Upon seeing Chen Hui enter the inner room, he asked, "Has that steward been properly trained and released?"
Chen Hui handed Jiang Wei a cup of hot tea. "Replying to Miss, the steward has been released and will probably be arranged to meet with Aunt Liu in the next couple of days."
Jiang Wei nodded thoughtfully, "Have your brother keep a close eye on things."
Jiang Wei took a sip of hot tea. "Why is this room so hot? It makes me want to eat something cold."
She was already wearing only a spring nightgown, but she still felt hot.
A thought suddenly popped into Jiang Wei's mind: "How much charcoal would that take?"
This winter has been tough for ordinary people, so she tries to save every little bit she can; a little bit of charcoal might just save a few lives.
Chen Hui smiled and replied, "Don't worry, young lady. The room is hot only because of the fluid flowing through the underground pipes. It won't require many extra charcoal pieces. The heat lasts longer, and sometimes it even saves more charcoal than usual."
"That's good," Jiang Wei replied.
The next morning, Jiang Wei got up early, and a thin layer of snow had already begun to accumulate on the leaves of the trees in the yard.
Although there is no snow on the ground yet, snowflakes are still falling from the sky, and the weather is colder than yesterday.
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