Yan Chaoxi lowered her eyes, looking pitiful and innocent. "Two dolls were also dug up in the Crown Princess's courtyard. I thought the Crown Princess also suspected me."
"How could that be?" the Crown Princess hurriedly said. "If I suspected you, why would I come here to say these things to you? I am straightforward and always speak my mind. I had many misunderstandings about you in the past, but I did not mean to target you."
Thinking of the contents of the letter, the Crown Princess suppressed her disgust and followed the method taught to her by the nanny: first, she lowered her head and softened her stance to gain the nanny's trust.
"Now, two of the three concubines in this mansion have died, and the third one is under house arrest. Only you and I are left with high rank. My father has been guarding the northern frontier for many years, and your family is thousands of miles away. We should support each other even more."
Yan Chaoxi smiled gently and nodded in agreement, "You're right."
When she smiled, her bright complexion took on a gentle warmth, and her slightly curved eyebrows and eyes seemed to hold a sky full of stars, shining brightly.
Faced with such stunning beauty, the Crown Princess had no heart to appreciate it; instead, a deep jealousy arose within her.
No wonder this little slut is so favored by His Highness. His Highness loves beautiful women. If her face were in a brothel, who knows how many men would fight over her!
General Fan must also like this one.
She thought she had concealed her jealousy well, but little did she know that Yan Chaoxi had seen every expression on her face.
"Why is the Crown Princess looking at me like that?"
"Ah, no, no, I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I'm not feeling well and tend to get distracted."
Yan Chaoxi agreed, "No wonder your complexion is so pale. It seems you'll need a long time to recover."
Princess, "..."
She changed the subject, "I brought several bolts of fine fabric with me this time. They were all gifts from the Empress Dowager. I haven't used them yet, so I'll give you two or three bolts today."
The first step to gaining trust is to offer benefits, a point the Crown Princess was well aware of.
A palace maid brought up three bolts of fabric, all of the finest quality: brocade, water-cloud satin, and soft silk gauze.
Yan Chaoxi waved her hand, gesturing for Bichun to accept the gift, and softly thanked her, "Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty."
"Alright, since you're not frightened, I'll head back now."
"Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty."
After seeing the Crown Princess off, Yan Chaoxi's eyes flickered slightly. She knew that the Crown Princess was plotting something. As the saying goes, "If someone is being overly solicitous, they must have ulterior motives."
It seems the Crown Princess can no longer resist getting rid of her.
The Crown Princess meticulously planned, thinking herself a hunter, but little did she know that sometimes the best hunter appears as the prey.
She's just waiting for her prey to fall into the trap without realizing it.
"Rabbit, is everything arranged?"
"Host! It's all arranged! I used a rumor-spreading talisman to spread the news that Fahua Temple is effective in granting children. Fan Yuanxin's wife has decided to go to Fahua Temple to pray for a child in half a month."
"The Crown Princess and the others should have received the news by now."
Yan Chaoxi nodded.
In her previous life, the Crown Princess invited Fan Yuanxin to the Crown Prince's residence as a guest during a banquet. Fan Yuanxin took a liking to the original owner of the body and, with Yan Huainan's tacit approval, made advances towards her. Later, he even openly asked the Crown Prince for her.
Now that Yan Wu has taken Yan Huainan's place, it's impossible for him to agree to Fan Yuanxin's absurd request. Therefore, Yan Chaoxi offered the Crown Princess another opportunity.
Fan Yuanxin's wife lost her son six years ago. After having no son, Madam Fan had always wanted to have another son. However, whether it was because of her advanced age or because she was not destined to have children, she had not been able to conceive. This was no secret in the capital.
Taking advantage of this, Yan Chaoxi had the system promote the efficacy of Fahua Temple in granting children a month ago. She claimed that as long as the couple went there together and prayed sincerely, they would receive the blessing of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, and become pregnant.
As expected, upon hearing the news, Madam Fan immediately decided to go to Fahua Temple with Fan Yuanxin half a month later to pray for a child.
She has presented such a good opportunity; if the Crown Princess fails to seize it, she will truly be a Chunzhu (a character from a Chinese folktale known for her folly).
A sly smile slowly appeared on Yan Chaoxi's face.
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist, encircling her still-flat waist, and a lazy voice sounded from above her head, "What's going on in your little princess's head? Why are you smiling so maliciously?"
Yan Chaoxi denied it, "How could I have smiled with ill intent? The Crown Princess gave me a few bolts of fine fabric, is it wrong for me to be happy?"
Yan Wu followed her finger and saw three bolts of fabric neatly arranged on the table. He suddenly remembered that the clothes they had bought together last time were still with him.
That day, she ran back from the restaurant alone, so he took the bundle back to his room and never brought it to her. After assuming Yan Huainan's identity, he never returned to those two small rooms, and naturally forgot about those clothes.
So after dinner, while Yan Chaoxi was taking a bath, Yan Wu returned to his two small huts and brought over his bundle.
When I returned, Yan Chaoxi had not yet come out.
He casually opened the bundle and put the clothes inside into the wardrobe one by one. When he put the last piece of clothing in, he suddenly stopped.
What came into view were several small garments, about the size of a small coat, made of fabric as thin as a cicada's wing, placed at the bottom of the bundle.
It was crumpled up and crammed into the corner of the bundle, as if the owner was too shy when they bought it and hurriedly stuffed it in.
Yan Wu's eyes darkened slightly as he imagined the little princess wearing these outfits.
We should have gone there earlier to get the bundle.
Just then, Yan Chaoxi finished washing up and slowly walked in, wearing only a snow-white undergarment and an outer robe. She glanced up and saw Yan Wu holding a few pieces of cloth in his hand, paused for a moment, and then realized what was happening.
"What...what are you holding in your hand?"
She hurriedly ran over, snatched the meagerly made-up clothes from Yan Wu's hands, and slung them behind her back. Her face flushed red, and she angrily accused him, "How dare you touch other people's things without their permission?!"
Yan Wuyong used one finger to pick out a light pink gauze dress from the bundle. The delicate ties hung from her fingertip, the thin fabric swaying gently in the air. She twirled the soft fabric between her fingers, her gaze shifting from the dress to her, feigning ignorance, "Who is 'other,' hmm?"
Yan Chaoxi felt her heart tremble under his gaze, as if he were holding not a piece of fabric, but her skin.
"I..." Normally quick-witted, he couldn't utter a single word in his defense.
How could she explain that she bought these clothes to seduce him into having a child, but later found that she didn't need them and he was still keen on sex, so she forgot about them?
Before he could think of an excuse, Yan Wu had already picked him up and placed him on the bed.
"My little princess, I'm not just anyone. Show me what I'm wearing."
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