Chapter 9 The White Lotus Comes to Deliver Her Head
The sun was high in the sky, and the sunlight was just right.
After enjoying a "spicy feast" last night and getting a good night's sleep, Jiang Mianmian is now energetic enough to run a marathon.
At this moment, she was sitting on a rosewood chair in the main hall, holding a cup of hot tea in her hands. She seemed to be leisurely sipping her tea, but in reality, she was conducting an intense pre-battle mobilization in her mind.
[Here she comes! The legendary white lotus has arrived, albeit late! Lin Wan'er, the vicious female supporting character in the original novel, is skilled at feigning weakness, shedding tears, and using others to do her dirty work. While her skills aren't particularly high, her thick skin is her greatest asset; she's like a piece of chewing gum that you can't shake off.]
[That bastard Shen Jin just went to court. Perfect, I'll have a private meeting with this little vixen today. Let's see if her "eloquent words" are more effective, or if my "apocalyptic trolling" skills prevail!]
Just then, a maid's voice came from outside the door announcing:
"Your Highness, Miss Lin Wan'er has arrived."
As soon as the words were spoken, a figure in pure white gracefully walked in.
It must be said that Lin Wan'er really put a lot of effort into this outfit.
She wore a simple white dress, with a few delicate orchids embroidered on the hem. Her waist was so slender that it seemed as if a gust of wind could break it. She wore only a simple white jade hairpin in her hair, and her face was lightly made up. Her eyes and brows exuded a pitiful charm that said, "I don't compete or fight, I live a peaceful life."
If you didn't know better, you would think she came to attend a funeral, not to visit relatives.
As soon as Lin Wan'er entered, her gaze quickly swept around the room. Not seeing Chen Jin, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. But she quickly composed herself, bowed gracefully to Jiang Mianmian, her voice so soft it could melt water:
"Wan'er greets her elder sister. I heard that she was not feeling well, so I specially went to Huguo Temple to get a peace charm and rushed over to deliver it. Elder sister... is she feeling much better?"
She looked up, her large, watery eyes filled with concern, as if Jiang Mianmian were her long-lost mother.
Jiang Mianmian sat in the main seat without moving an inch, just looking at her with a half-smile.
【Oh my god, this smell! It's so strong! This isn't ordinary green tea, it's aged Pu'er-level green tea! Are you cursing my health the moment you walk in? And asking for a peace charm? I think you went to ask for a death charm!】
[This acting is slightly more refined than Liu Yifei's, but compared to me, an Oscar-winning actress who has seemingly fled the scene, it's still too green.]
"Thank you for your concern, sister."
Jiang Mianmian put down her teacup, her tone indifferent, even somewhat languid, "This princess is in very good health, I can eat and sleep well, and last night I even sparred with the prince... I was a little tired, but my spirits are still good."
To spar in martial arts?
Lin Wan'er's expression stiffened slightly.
She was an unmarried girl and naturally couldn't understand such "wild and lewd words," but her intuition told her that this was definitely showing off!
"Sister... Sister is joking." Lin Wan'er forced a smile and walked forward to take Jiang Mianmian's hand. "Since you've married into the Prince's mansion, you're like a caged canary. You're rich, but lonely. I was thinking that you have no one to talk to in the mansion, so why don't I come and keep you company often? Or... if I could come into the mansion and help you out, that would be good."
The true intentions have been revealed.
This isn't someone who's here to chat; this is clearly someone applying to be a "second wife"!
Jiang Mianmian subtly avoided her hand, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and concealed the cold smile on her lips.
[Help me out? You want to help me share the burden of my husband, don't you? I heard everything about this scheme all over the west side of the city! Want to enter the manor? Sure, the Prince's manor happens to need someone to empty the chamber pots, want to give it a try?]
"My sister is so thoughtful."
Jiang Mianmian put down her teacup, sighed, and looked troubled. "But the rules of the Prince's mansion are very strict, and the Prince prefers quiet and hates idle people loitering around. Even I, the Princess Consort, am disliked if I say an extra word. If you come, I'm afraid... you'll be thrown out by the Prince."
"How could that be?" Lin Wan'er hurriedly defended herself, "His Highness is a peerless hero, and he cherishes women the most. Besides, Wan'er is proficient in all the arts, and will surely be able to add fragrance to His Highness's life..."
"A beautiful woman adding fragrance to one's sleeves?"
Before Jiang Mianmian could speak, a deep, cold voice suddenly came from the doorway, carrying a chilling sense of oppression.
"My study needs no beautiful women, only the fragrance of ink."
Lin Wan'er was startled and turned around abruptly.
Shen Jin, dressed in a black court robe, strode in. Behind him followed Ying Yi, who moved like a ghost, carrying a beautifully wrapped gift box.
"Your Highness!"
Lin Wan'er's eyes lit up instantly. The arrogance she had shown when facing Jiang Mianmian vanished without a trace, replaced by an even more vulnerable and helpless demeanor.
Like a puppy seeing its owner, she lifted her skirt and tried to pounce on Shen Jin: "Your Highness... Wan'er greets Your Highness... Wan'er was just worried that my sister was lonely..."
Chen Jin paused in his steps, then nimbly dodged to the side.
Lin Wan'er missed her target, stumbled a few steps, and almost fell flat on her face.
"Your Highness..." she bit her lip in grievance, tears welling up in her eyes, "Did Wan'er do something wrong? Why is Your Highness avoiding me like this? Wan'er only admires Your Highness..."
Shen Jin stood three meters away from her, took out a handkerchief and disgustedly wiped the sleeve of her clothes that hadn't actually touched her.
His face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
Because, the moment Lin Wan'er opened her mouth, the "mind-reading channel" in his mind exploded.
This time, however, it wasn't Jiang Mianmian's complaint, but rather the heartfelt words of the woman before her—
[Hmph, this Regent is indeed as handsome as rumored! A hundred times better than that sickly Jiang Mianmian! As long as I can seduce him, even as a concubine, this palace will be mine!]
[That idiot Jiang Mianmian is hogging the job. The first thing I'll do when I get into the manor is kill her, and then I'll put some aphrodisiac on Shen Jin. I refuse to believe there's any cat in this world that won't steal fish!]
[Why pretend to be so aloof? Aren't men all driven by their lower instincts? Look at this outfit I'm wearing today, I specifically chose it to show off my figure, I don't believe he won't be tempted!]
A wave of nausea surged through Chen Jin's stomach.
nausea.
That's disgusting.
The woman's inner thoughts were filled with greed, lust, and malice, as murky as stagnant sewer water, giving him a splitting headache.
In comparison, Jiang Mianmian's innermost thoughts were simply heavenly music!
At this moment, Jiang Mianmian was sitting in a chair, leisurely watching this scene, mentally commenting on it in real time:
[Tsk tsk tsk, he pounced right there? Too stiff, bad review! Too exaggerated expression, bad review! Shen Jin dodged well! That positioning, that agility, it's a shame he's not playing football!]
[Oh dear, Lin Daiyu's eyes are filled with such hatred, she practically wants to devour Shen Jin alive! Shen Jin, you must hold on! Even though you're the villain, your chastity is still precious! Don't let this innocent-looking woman corrupt you!]
As Shen Jin listened to the crisp and pleasant retort, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
He turned around, not looking at Lin Wan'er, but walked straight to Jiang Mianmian's side and sat down in the main seat very naturally.
"Your Highness looks quite well today," Shen Jin said calmly.
Jiang Mianmian was flattered: 【Oh? Has this jerk taken the wrong medicine today? He's actually praising me? Is he trying to show off his love in front of this scheming woman? Okay, I get it, playing along, I'm good at this!】
She immediately smiled shyly: "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness. It's all because Your Highness was so good to me last night."
Shen Jin: "..."
This woman, she blossoms with the slightest bit of sunshine.
Lin Wan'er was left standing to the side, watching the two of them flirting with each other as if no one else was around, her face contorted with jealousy.
She spoke again, unwilling to give up: "Your Highness, although my sister is favored, she is still frail and unable to serve you wholeheartedly. Wan'er does not ask for any title, she only asks to stay in the palace and share her sister's burdens..."
"Share the burden?" Shen Jin sneered, finally giving her a proper look.
That look in his eyes was as if he were looking at an ant.
"You just said you are skilled in the four arts: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?"
Lin Wan'er was overjoyed, thinking she had a chance, and quickly nodded: "Yes! Wan'er has practiced the zither diligently since childhood, and is willing to play 'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate' for Your Highness..."
"No need."
Shen Jin interrupted her impatiently, "My manor has no shortage of people who can play the zither, but it does need someone to empty the chamber pot. What the princess said earlier is correct. If you really want to share the burden, then go and empty the chamber pot."
Jiang Mianmian: [Pfft—! Pouring out night soil? Shen Jin, are you a devil? Hahahaha! Look at Lin Wan'er's face, it's turned green! Really green!]
Lin Wan'er's face turned green. She froze on the spot, looking at Shen Jin in disbelief: "Your Highness...you must be joking?"
"I never joke."
Shen Jin waved his hand, "Shadow One."
"Your subordinate is here."
"Give what you have in your hand to Miss Lin."
With a stoic expression, Ying Yi stepped forward and handed the beautifully packaged gift box to Lin Wan'er.
Lin Wan'er was a little confused.
Is this... a gift?
Was the prince testing her? Were his words just a test of her sincerity? Or was he actually interested in her?
Overjoyed, she accepted the gift box with trembling hands: "Your Highness... is this for Wan'er? Wan'er... Wan'er is so happy..."
[I knew it! No man can resist me! Shen Jin must be being pressured by that old scoundrel Jiang Zhan to not take a concubine. This gift must be a token of his affection! What is it? Jewelry? Or a love token?]
As Shen Jin listened to her innermost thoughts, a cruel smile curled at the corner of his lips:
"Open it and take a look."
Lin Wan'er untied the ribbon with anticipation and opened the box.
The next second, her smile froze on her face.
Inside the box, there were no gold or silver jewelry, only a packet of tea wrapped in oiled paper, emitting a strong, grassy smell...
Moreover, the tea leaves looked extremely poor quality, like burnt, stale tea.
"This..." Lin Wan'er was dumbfounded, "This is..."
"This tea is called 'Top Grade Biluochun', also known as 'Large Green Tea'."
Shen Jin said slowly, his tone filled with undisguised sarcasm, "I heard from the Princess that you love tea and always smell of it. This packet of tea was specially retrieved from a corner of the storeroom by my own people. It has been fermented for ten years, and its flavor is mellow and perfectly suited to your temperament."
"Green tea with green tea is a perfect match."
The entire room fell silent.
Jiang Mianmian sat in the chair, pinching her thigh hard to keep herself from laughing out loud.
[Hahaha! What the hell is this "big green tea"?! What the hell is this "ten years of fermentation"?! Shen Jin, you're so mean! You're insulting a monk by pointing at a monk! "Rich tea flavor," that's an absolutely brilliant phrase! I declare Shen Jin the complete winner in this round!]
Even if Lin Wan'er was stupid, she would understand at this moment that Shen Jin was humiliating her.
Her face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, tears welling in her eyes. This time, she truly cried: "Your Highness... how could you humiliate Wan'er like this..."
"humiliation?"
Shen Jin's gaze instantly turned icy cold. "Do I need to spell out all the filthy things you're thinking? You want to use aphrodisiacs? You want to kill the Princess? Lin Wan'er, who gave you the audacity to have such thoughts in the Regent's Palace?"
boom!
Lin Wan'er was struck dumb, and collapsed to the ground.
How...how did he know?
She had only thought about the aphrodisiac in her mind; she hadn't even told her personal maid about it!
Fear, boundless fear, instantly enveloped her. The stoic figure before her was no longer the handsome prince, but a devil who could see right through people's hearts!
"Someone come here."
Shen Jin didn't bother to look at her again, waving his hand as if shooing away a fly, "Fork Miss Lin and her 'tea' out together. Tell that old woman from the Jiang family that if she dares to stuff this kind of garbage into the Prince's mansion again, I won't mind having the Dali Temple check the water meter at the Prime Minister's mansion."
"yes!"
Two burly old women rushed over immediately, grabbed Lin Wan'er from either side, and dragged her out like a dead dog.
"Let me go! I am the young lady of the Prime Minister's mansion! How dare you... mmm!"
Lin Wan'er's mouth was stuffed with a tattered rag, and she could only let out desperate sobs.
Soon, the world became quiet again.
Only Shen Jin and Jiang Mianmian remained in the room.
Jiang Mianmian looked in the direction where Lin Wan'er disappeared, then glanced at Shen Jin beside her, who still had a cold expression and seemed to have only done a trivial thing. Her eyes were filled with stars.
[Awesome! So awesome! This is what you call a master at spotting a gold digger! This is what you call a wife-protecting maniac! Even though this "wife" is just a shield, the feeling of being protected by a big shot is fucking awesome!]
[Shen Jin, to repay you for your heroic actions today, I've decided I won't steal your blanket tonight!]
Shen Jin picked up his teacup, concealing the smile on his lips.
Not fighting over the blanket?
She said it herself.
"Has Your Highness seen enough?" He put down his teacup and turned to look at Jiang Mianmian.
Jiang Mianmian immediately gave a thumbs up: "Your Highness is wise and mighty! Lin Wan'er's tea was indeed too strong, it gave me a headache. Your Highness's move of 'using tea to fight tea' is truly brilliant!"
Shen Jin felt inexplicably pleased as he looked at her fawning manner.
“Since your head hurts,” he stood up and straightened his robes, “then go back to your room and rest. Tonight… I have some official business to attend to, so I’ll be staying in my room for a while.”
Jiang Mianmian was taken aback.
What does that mean? Are you handling official business in your room? Not going to the study?
Shen Jin walked to the door, then suddenly stopped, turned back, and gave her a meaningful look:
"After all, the princess said she was 'well-nourished' last night, so I can't let you down."
After saying that, he strode away, leaving Jiang Mianmian, who was completely dumbfounded and then became incredibly popular, standing there bewildered in the wind.
[Chen Jin! You son of a bitch! You're eavesdropping on me again... no, you're twisting my words again! You scoundrel! You pervert! You dog of a man!]
Wait, he's coming back to sleep here again tonight? My two-meter-wide bed...
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