To host this chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, Princess Qingping spent almost a whole month working on everything from the varieties, colors, and arrangements of the chrysanthemums to the alterations to every brick and stone in the princess's garden. This is how the breathtaking and delightful scenery of the princess's mansion came to be.
Unfortunately, the two people walking quickly one after the other amidst the golden chrysanthemums had no time to appreciate the beautiful scenery before them.
"Has she not arrived yet? Where is your young lady? What happened to her? Why is she crying so much for no reason? Did someone bully her, or what?"
Following behind the greenery, Wei Jing hurried along the road, his brows furrowed, and asked this question.
Yes, he was enjoying the flowers in the West Garden when Qianqian's personal maid, Lüyi, suddenly called him out with a worried look on her face. Then she looked like she was about to cry and said that the young lady was crying and wanted to see him.
Upon hearing this, Wei Jing could no longer sit still and immediately came out with Luyi.
At this moment, Luyi, who was walking ahead and still racking her brains for an excuse to separate from Prince Wei, was startled when she heard the question. She quickly composed herself and spoke in a particularly aggrieved and sad voice.
“This servant…this servant doesn’t know either. Earlier, Madam led Miss and Miss Tangning around, exchanging pleasantries with people. I stayed with the other maids and didn’t go up. Later, after Miss Tangning left, Madam led Miss and spoke a few words with a few other ladies. After that, Miss’s expression was already a bit off. As soon as she came out of the courtyard, Miss found a secluded place and started crying. No matter how I pressed her for answers, Miss just shook her head and refused to speak. She cried for a while before calling this servant to come and find the young master.”
"Young Master, please try to persuade Miss. Ever since you and Miss Tang Ning became so close, Miss has been crying all the time. Weren't you two very close before? No matter what Miss said or did, you would always support her. Why, why did you suddenly become estranged after Miss Tang Ning came back?"
Green subtly tried to elicit sympathy from Qin Qianqian, while also reminiscing about the past.
But the moment Wei Jing looked at her, she immediately lowered her head meekly and said, "It was...it was this servant who overstepped her bounds. I beg Your Highness to forgive me."
Seeing her like this, Wei Jing didn't say anything more, but he moved his feet even faster.
In order not to delay her young mistress's important matter, Lvyi almost ran the whole way, and finally managed to run back to the flower bushes where she and Qin Qianqian had been hiding in a quarter of an hour.
As expected, because of the delay, not only Tang Ning and He Lanruo, but even Qin Qianqian could no longer be seen.
Although the Princess's residence is large, it is not that large. Moreover, Tang Ning was just intimate with Young Master Helan here, so she probably won't go too far.
She should have been able to lead the young master here as instructed by her mistress.
Just as she thought of this, a glint of light flashed in the eyes of the young maid in green, who then began to pretend to search the vicinity.
Where is Qianqian?
Seeing her searching for someone, Wei Jing immediately frowned and asked this question.
Unexpectedly, the maid, Lüyi, suddenly raised her head, her eyes slightly red with anxiety, glistening with tears, and her voice trembling with helplessness and a sob, "I...I don't know either. Miss was just sitting here a moment ago, how could she suddenly disappear? Miss...I hope nothing has happened to her. I noticed she seemed distracted earlier. What will I do if something happens to her?"
Seeing that the little maid was completely flustered, Wei Jing felt a strange sense of irritation and worry rising in his heart.
Before he could say anything, the little maid, Luyi, raised her sleeve, wiped her eyes hard, and then looked at him with urgent and serious eyes. "Young Master, you didn't see the expression on Miss's face earlier. I'm really scared... This place isn't very big. How about we split up and search? You go that way, and I'll go this way. If I find her, I'll bring Miss back to you immediately. If you find her, please take good care of her, okay?"
Seeing that Luyi had already put it this way, how could Wei Jing still have any complaints?
Moreover, given how serious she sounded, he was worried that something might happen to Qianqian.
So Wei Jing immediately nodded and followed the direction Greenie's finger pointed.
Watching Wei Jing's figure quickly disappear around the corner, Lvyi's sad and aggrieved expression vanished instantly. After glancing around, she immediately took two steps back and hurriedly headed straight for the main courtyard.
Qiu Ling, is that right?
What a coincidence! She seemed to have heard the name Qiuling when she was with the other maids. She thought she would definitely not disappoint her mistress and would find her.
At the same time, Qin Qianqian was forcefully pushed inside. In front of the house, which exuded a strange fragrance, a man and a woman were staring at each other with unwavering expressions.
"What's wrong with you? Who is that person? You just pushed her into the room that Second Master specially prepared for Young Master. Do you even know how hard it is to find aphrodisiacs for romantic occasions? If you ruin Second Master's important plans because of this, you'll be in big trouble. Do you understand?"
The girl, dressed in a pink maid's uniform from the Princess's residence, looked at the man before her and said this through gritted teeth.
"If we don't push her in, are we just going to let her discover the two of us and the secrets of this house? Or do you have a better way to deal with this person?"
"We can lure her away."
"Let's not even talk about whether we can distract her. She's acting all sneaky; she might have been following us. Will she really be distracted? Besides, we don't have enough people. One of us has to lure the young master over, while the other needs to bring that girl from the brothel who has contracted the venereal disease over. Who's going to distract her?"
"But……"
"Alright, enough with the 'buts.' I've already secretly sized her up. The one I pushed in is none other than Qin Qianqian, the fake heiress from the recent uproar in the capital about the real and fake heiresses of the General's Mansion. Just an adopted daughter with no blood relation to the General's Mansion. Do you think the General's Mansion would investigate the shady dealings for her sake? Anyway, Second Master is only trying to ruin the Young Master. What difference does it make if there's one more woman or one less? It will only make people more astonished by the Young Master's absurdity. It won't interfere with our important business!"
"It really won't cause any trouble..."
"Qianqian, Qianqian, where are you? Qianqian..."
Before the maid in pink could finish speaking, a call came from afar.
Upon hearing such a call, the man and woman standing in front of the house instinctively exchanged a flustered glance.
Soon, the pink-clad maid's eyes changed from panic to unbearable anger, while the man's panic turned into deep fear and worry.
He reached out to take the hand of the maid in pink, but she dodged him, gave him a low sneer, mouthed something, and then hurriedly walked to the side.
The pink-clad maid's mouth movements were so clear that the man immediately understood what she had said.
If... you're dead.
She said it silently.
In an instant, recalling his second master's methods, the man's face turned pale.
After all, someone has come, and it's a man. If he finds this place, then the trap that the Second Master set for the Young Master will have been completely wasted.
The two people hiding in the shadows held their breath, listening to the footsteps of the man calling out "Qianqian" getting closer and clearer, until he revealed his true face. The despair in their eyes deepened when they recognized his face.
Crown Prince of Wei.
It's over, they're finished.
Who is Prince Wei? They simply couldn't find an opportunity to knock him unconscious.
Now, there's nothing we can do but pray that the Crown Prince won't discover the trickery in that house.
They watched as Wei Jing surveyed the surrounding rooms, called out to Qianqian twice, but received no response, and were about to turn and leave.
The two people hiding in the shadows had not yet fully raised their hopes.
A woman's giggles suddenly came from the problematic room.
The moment the sound appeared, Wei Jing immediately turned around and stared intently at the room directly in front of him.
The two people in the shadows turned deathly pale instantly.
This time, they're really finished.
They completely ruined the Second Master's painstaking plan.
As Wei Jing approached the room, their eyes grew increasingly gloomy, until—
Wei Jing stood in front of the house. "Qianqian, Qianqian, I can hear your voice. Are you inside?"
His only response was Qin Qianqian's low laughter interspersed with the occasional groan.
Only then did Wei Jing realize something was wrong, and he kicked open the tightly closed door in front of him. Before he could even see what was happening inside, a snow-white and well-proportioned arm grabbed his collar and pulled him inside. As soon as the door closed, he was immediately pressed against the door by the newcomer.
"It's hot, so hot, Ah Jing, I'm so hot and uncomfortable..."
Qin Qianqian's drowsy voice suddenly rang in Wei Jing's ears.
not good……
The moment the thought crossed the man's mind, he inhaled a large mouthful of the sleeping potion without warning, and instantly his mind became dizzy and disoriented.
He gazed dreamily at the flushed little face nestled against his chest, blinked several times, and then suddenly reached out and cupped that little face in his hands, lowered his head, and gently, gently kissed it.
"Tang Ning..."
A soft murmur vanished between their lips...
At the same moment, Tang Ning, who was standing by the lake in the Princess's mansion with He Lanruo, was informed by 54088 that things had been accomplished. She immediately raised an eyebrow in her heart, but when she looked at He Lanruo's small face, she still maintained a deep sense of confusion and worry.
"What should we do? Helan Ruo, my mother... my mother is already preparing to arrange a marriage for Qianqian. Once Qianqian is engaged, it will be really troublesome. At that time, if she wants to be with Brother Jing again, it will probably be impossible. I suspect that at today's chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, Mother will take Qianqian to meet other ladies. If it goes well, it will be too late. But Qianqian insisted on talking to me about the marriage on the carriage. I didn't even have time to tell Mother that I wanted to break off the engagement. I don't know if Brother Jing knows about this..."
Yes, Tang Ning had already come up with a reason for seeking out He Lanruo as early as when she learned about Qin Qianqian's arranged marriage.
Tang Ning naturally had to maintain this devoted, selfless, and innocent persona when it came to He Lanruo.
Upon hearing this, Helan Ruo raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Madam Qin was not as carefree as the rumors suggested; she was quite meticulous. As soon as she noticed the entanglement between Qin Qianqian and Wei Jing, she was prepared to cut the Gordian knot and arrange Qin Qianqian's engagement to extinguish their hopes, which could also be considered as protecting Tang Ning.
Ironically, this silly girl is still worried about the relationship between Qin Qianqian and Wei Jing.
He has eyes to see. With Wei Jing's looks, if Tang Ning really marries him now, it won't be long before Wei Jing, who already has feelings for her, will be all lovey-dovey with her.
Thinking of this, Helan Ruo curved her lips into a smile.
"Helan Ruo, what should I do? Otherwise... otherwise I'll go find my mother right now, secretly pull her aside, and tell her that I want to break off my engagement with Brother Jing, and then ask her not to arrange Qianqian's engagement, how about that?"
Tang Ning's eyes were incredibly bright.
But Helan Ruo felt a headache coming on looking at her whimsical expression. After taking a deep breath, he looked intently at the girl in front of him, his brows furrowed slightly, and asked, "And what about you?"
"Me? What happened to me?"
Tang Ning asked, somewhat puzzled, after not receiving an answer.
“I mean, why didn’t you think about yourself at all from beginning to end? Don’t you like your Jing-gege? You like him so much that you’re even willing to help him reconcile with the woman he likes. You like him so much that you went to Baiyun Temple for seven days in a row to ask for the Jiangli sword that he likes. You didn’t even care that it was raining. You just wanted to get the sword into his hands as soon as possible.”
"It's already like this, why don't you think about yourself? Isn't it perfect that Madam Qin wants to arrange a marriage for Qin Qianqian? Once Qin Qianqian is engaged, there will be no possibility between her and Wei Jing anymore, and you can marry the Jing-gege you've been longing for, right?"
He Lanruo began to tempt her.
Upon hearing these words, Tang Ning opened her mouth slightly in surprise, her eyes darting around, and even her fingers, hanging at her sides, unconsciously clenched into a small fist.
Noticing her reaction, Helan Ruo was just about to press on.
Unexpectedly, standing before him, Tang Ning, who had been looking down, took a deep breath and suddenly raised her head. "It's different, Helan Ruo, it's different. Yes, I admit, I really like Brother Jing, I like him terribly. But does liking someone mean we have to be together? I don't think so..."
Why not?
He Lanruo's smile gradually faded. He sympathized with Tang Ning's unrequited love, but he was also annoyed by her feigned generosity.
If you like someone, you should be together. Otherwise, what's the point of liking someone? If you can't be with the person you love, you'll only feel unbearable pain and your life will be meaningless.
"If you like not being together, what's the point of liking it? Are you just torturing yourself for no reason?"
He Lanruo looked at Tang Ning in front of her with a calm expression.
Although he didn't show it outwardly, Tang Ning could still sense the anger he was suppressing.
However, Tang Ning showed no intention of backing down, simply meeting his gaze calmly.
"It's not necessarily true. I like Wei Jing, I'm happy when he's happy, sad when he's sad, and I'm even content as long as he's satisfied. But life isn't just about love. I like Wei Jing, and I like myself. It's obvious that Brother Jing still has Qianqian in his heart. Would I really be happy if I forced myself to marry him? Actually, no. Since that's the case, why should I force it or be so persistent? As long as I've loved him with all my might and tried my best while I was loving him, then no matter whether we can be together in the future, I won't regret it or feel resentful."
"Sometimes letting go is a form of fulfillment, rather than possession. It's about fulfilling the wishes of the person you love, and also fulfilling your own wishes. Isn't that better?"
At this point, Tang Ning's lips curved into a smile, and even her beautiful almond-shaped eyes curved into two crescent moons.
Seeing Tang Ning like this and hearing her words, He Lanruo, who had been obsessing over trivial matters ever since Ji Muqing entered the palace, suddenly felt as if a lamp had been lit up on the previously dark road ahead.
He stared intently at Tang Ning's porcelain-white face, and for a moment, he couldn't even quite articulate his feelings.
Yes, he said Tang Ning was torturing herself, but haven't he himself been torturing himself for the past three years as well?
Just as she said, life is so long, and it's not just about relationships. While liking others, we must also remember to like ourselves.
Is he really happy to have held on to this for so long?
Why doesn't he try to let go? Since Mu Qing's entry into the palace is already an unavoidable situation, why doesn't he learn to grant her wish and also let himself go?
He Lanruo, who was encountering this kind of argument for the first time, stood there, lost in thought.
He Lanruo's current favorability rating: 50.
Oh wow.
I didn't expect Helan Ruo to fall for this. The power of pep talks is truly amazing!
What a pleasant surprise!
Just as she was thinking this, Tang Ning suddenly heard a series of light footsteps approaching.
Not only did she hear it, but Helan Ruo, who had just snapped out of her thoughts, also heard it.
The two quickly exchanged a glance.
"I'll avoid this for now. It would be absolutely harmful if someone saw you with me."
Upon hearing Helan Ruo's words, Tang Ning quickly nodded.
She had barely finished nodding when she realized that Helan Ruo had vanished from her sight in an instant.
"Miss Qin."
Just then, an unfamiliar female voice suddenly rang out behind her.
Startled by her guilty conscience, Tang Ning quickly adjusted her breathing and turned around, only to see the top of the pink-clad maid's head in front of her.
"Wha...what is it?"
She stammered as she asked the question.
"Madam Qin sent a maid to take you there, saying she has something to discuss with you... Oh, what's that by the lake?"
Just as they were talking, Tang Ning suddenly heard the maid's panicked voice say this, covering her mouth with one hand and pointing behind her with the other.
Seeing this, Tang Ning turned around, puzzled, but found nothing.
"What?"
She asked this with some confusion.
"Miss Qin, didn't you see her by the lake?"
"By the lake?"
Standing some distance from the lakeside, Tang Ning subconsciously took two steps forward, walking right to the edge of the lake. She looked intently down, her gaze fixed on the water. "Nothing... there's nothing there..."
Before she could finish speaking, a sudden, powerful force struck from behind, and Tang Ning, caught completely off guard, lost her footing and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Ugh, help...help me...I...I can't...water..."
As soon as Tang Ning fell into the water, she panicked and began to call for help.
As soon as the maid on the shore succeeded, she immediately left the crime scene without hesitation.
But no sooner had she left than a shifty-eyed man jumped out. Looking at Tang Ning's beautiful, fair face struggling in the lake, a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes, and he immediately rubbed his hands together.
From this day forward, the pampered young lady of the general's mansion will belong to him. From now on, he'll have everything he wants...
The man, who was described as lewd, was not yet finished with his daydream when he suddenly felt a pain in the back of his head, followed by everything going black, and he lost consciousness completely.
Seeing that Tang Ning had collapsed in front of him, Helan Ruo didn't even care about anything else and immediately jumped into the slightly cool lake water, quickly swimming Tang Ning to the shore.
As soon as she got out of the water, Tang Ning started coughing violently, coughing until tears were almost in her eyes, before she finally found her breath and began to gasp for air.
"What's going on? Why would someone in the princess's residence plot against you?"
He Lanruo had barely begun speaking when another series of footsteps, as if rushing to a performance, sounded not far behind them.
"It should be just ahead. I just heard something like someone fell into the water."
"Yes, I think I heard that too. It sounded like someone was calling for help!"
"Me too."
...
As the conversation began, Tang Ning, who was soaking wet, looked as if all the color had drained from her face, and looked at He Lanruo beside her with fear and apprehension.
"Shhh."
Helan Ruo immediately covered her lips, preventing her from speaking.
Then, with one arm around her waist and the other hand, he lifted the man lying on the ground like a dead pig and silently slipped into the crevice of the artificial hill by the lake.
Unfortunately, the gaps in the artificial hill were already quite small, and with three people to hide inside, the space suddenly became very crowded. Tang Ning even had to be held tightly in He Lanruo's arms before the three of them could barely squeeze out.
They had just hidden themselves when a large group of people arrived at the lakeside.
When they arrived at the lake where someone had supposedly fallen in, they were stunned to see the calm, still surface of the lake, with not a single person in sight.
"Didn't they say someone fell into the water? Where is that person?"
Princess Qingping, who was in the lead, asked sternly.
She had put so much effort into organizing the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, and she hated all the backstabbing and scheming. Did she really think that if something happened to someone else, she would look good?
"Yes, where is everyone? Who just said they heard someone fall into the water? And that they heard someone shouting for help?"
"It wasn't me."
"It wasn't me either."
...
In order not to offend Princess Qingping, a group of young women began to play dumb one by one. If there was a show to watch, they would be fine, but now there was no show to watch, and they were risking offending the princess. It didn't seem like a good deal at all.
Just then, Madam Qin, who was standing not far behind the princess, immediately noticed a garnet earring hidden in the grass.
With just one glance, Madam Qin's breath caught in her throat.
If she remembered correctly, Tang Ning was wearing this style of earrings when she went out this morning.
She glanced at the women walking around her, adjusted her breathing slightly, and then casually began to walk around as well, before subtly stepping on the earring.
She hadn't even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief.
The next moment, a maid in pink, looking flustered, stumbled to Princess Qingping and knelt down with a thud.
"Your Highness, something...something has happened..."
Almost simultaneously, in the room where the effects of the medicine were gradually fading under the flowers and moonlight.
Hearing the excessive noise around her, Qin Qianqian frowned deeply. Finally, unable to bear the noise any longer, she opened her eyes, only to meet a pair of eyes filled with excitement, amusement, and schadenfreude.
Why do these people see her that way?
No, where is she now?
Qin Qianqian subconsciously raised her hand, but the moment she felt the coolness on her shoulder, she subconsciously looked down at herself...
"ah!!!!!!"
A sharp and high-pitched scream suddenly echoed throughout the Princess's residence.
Author's Note: Tang Ning: Are you happy? I'm very happy, hehehe~~
Qin Qianqian: ……
MSG: ...
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