Chapter 260 You secretly became acquainted with the Third Princess behind everyone's back. What are you plotting?
When Shen Lanxi arrived, she saw Zhou Ruan pacing back and forth with a box in his hand.
"Second Prince."
Hearing the shout, Zhou Ruan turned around with a smile.
“Lanxi”.
Seeing that he acted as if nothing had happened, Shen Lanxi felt both ironic and amused.
"This is what my father asked me to give you." Zhou Ru'an opened the box.
Inside is a complete set of pearl jewelry. The largest pearl in the middle was probably a gift from the Empress Dowager when she entered the palace to ask for a divorce. Later, when she left, it was placed in the palace as a large pearl.
“Father said that you left in a hurry that day and he didn’t have time to stop you so you could take it with you. So Father had the skilled craftsmen in the palace make this set of jewelry and specially asked me to bring it to you!” Zhou Ru’an raised what he thought was a dashing smile and presented it with both hands with great sincerity.
Shen Lanxi took it and began to read it carefully.
Zhou Ruan saw her expression and a flash of contempt crossed his eyes.
Women are easily captivated by the sight of ornate jewelry and clothing. Women are women; what right do they have to command armies? Their destiny lies solely in the confines of their private quarters.
Seeing how reluctant Shen Lanxi was to let go, Zhou Ruan's contempt for her increased even further.
After Shen Lanxi looked at it, she closed the box.
Zhou Ruan immediately took out a small box from his sleeve.
"Lanxi, this is a gift for you. I know you love pearls, so I specially had people search all over the capital to find this luminous pearl. When you put it in your room at night, it shines brighter than a candle."
The box was opened, and inside was a bead slightly smaller than a pearl from the East.
Shen Lanxi glanced at it, then looked up at Zhou Ruan.
"You shouldn't accept a reward without merit, Second Prince, please take it back!"
Zhou Ru'an said with a nostalgic look, "Lanxi, you used to call me Brother Ru'an. I know that you have some misunderstandings about the royal family because of the Wei family army's provisions."
Shen Lanxi raised her hand to interrupt: "Second Prince, please watch your words. I have no disrespect for the royal family whatsoever. The Wei family army's provisions and pay were not stolen by the royal family. If I should hate anyone, I should hate those who stole the provisions and pay. What do you think?"
Zhou Ruan's eyes froze for a moment, then he immediately smiled and said, "Yes, Lanxi is right. I misspoke."
“When the Shen family was sentenced to exile, I was thousands of miles away from the capital. By the time I rushed back to the capital, the Shen family had already been exiled.”
"After returning to the capital, I immediately submitted a memorial to my father, pleading for the Shen family. However, at that time, all the officials and common people believed that the theft of grain and provisions was the work of the Shen family. If it were anyone else, they would have been executed along with their entire family long ago."
As Zhou Ru'an spoke, he kept glancing at Shen Lanxi. He thought to himself, "I've said so much, my mouth is practically dry, why isn't Shen Lanxi saying a word?"
Are you really going to believe him so easily?
"Lanxi, we parted in a hurry in Tianjin before and didn't have a chance to talk properly. Now we finally have a chance to talk properly."
Since Tianjin has been mentioned, Shen Lanxi couldn't help but ask a question.
"That hasty farewell at my aunt's residence that day. The Second Prince and the Wang siblings awoke naked on a bed—it's truly unforgettable!"
Zhou Ruan's face darkened instantly. He hadn't expected Shen Lanxi to dare bring up that day. A flash of resentment crossed his eyes, and he then pinched his palm hard to distract himself.
“Sister Lanxi, your Shen family shouldn’t have been in Tianjin that day. Let’s pretend we didn’t see each other, okay?” Zhou Ruan asked in a conciliatory tone.
Shen Lanxi turned around, ignoring the box Zhou Ruan handed her.
“The matter between our Shen family and the Second Prince is different in nature. At that time, there was a peasant uprising, and the exile team fled in panic, taking the wrong turn for a moment. The Second Prince is different. My aunt prepared a welcoming banquet well in advance, obviously waiting for the prince’s arrival.”
Zhou Ru'an panicked and quickly changed the subject: "No matter what the reason, we shouldn't have appeared at the entrance. With Father's temperament, if this gets out, we'll both be in trouble!"
Shen Lanxi said nonchalantly, "It's really different. His Majesty knows that my mother has a past grudge against the Third Princess Zhou Qiwu. Even if our family wanted to escape, we wouldn't run to our enemy's territory. But you, Prince, are different. The Wang family is a powerful regional official. You're so close to a powerful regional official, and it's all in private. On the surface, you don't even know Zhou Qiwu. What are you plotting by becoming acquainted with the Third Princess behind everyone's back?"
Zhou Ru'an broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.
He put the box away, looking at Shen Lanxi with a scrutinizing gaze.
This woman, apart from her pretty face and figure, is utterly repulsive.
"So, you're going to report me to Father?" If Shen Lanxi really dares to do that, then don't blame him for being ruthless.
Shen Lanxi raised the corners of her mouth, her demeanor shifting from confrontation to peace.
"How could that be? We're both in the Zhenbei Army now, we're in the same boat. More than anyone, I hope the Second Prince will be well, and I also hope our Zhenbei Army will become famous on the border and receive His Majesty's praise and favor!"
Zhou Ruan gave Shen Lanxi a deep look, and seeing that she did not flinch or dodge, he carefully analyzed what she had said.
Shen Lanxi's words sounded nice, but in reality, they were probably just bluffing, afraid that he would actually tell his father that the Shen family had been to Tianjin.
That foolish woman, Shen Lanxi, is completely unaware that her father is already extremely wary of her and wants to get rid of her as soon as possible. She's still dreaming of turning her life around through military merit.
Since she loves to dream, let her dream. What else does a woman have besides dreaming and those sordid schemes in the inner quarters?
He couldn't cause any trouble anyway, so after a while, he found an opportunity to get rid of her without her knowing.
Zhou Ruan glanced at Shen Lanxi's face, a fleeting look of regret in his eyes.
Before he could deal with it, he was determined to taste what this woman who almost became his brother's wife was like.
The thought of pinning Zhou Ruyuan's former woman beneath him made his heart race uncontrollably.
Zhou Ruan forced a smile: "Since we have the same goal, let bygones be bygones and let's not mention the past!"
Shen Lanxi chimed in, saying, "From now on, the Zhenbei Army will be handed over to the Second Prince. I hope that the Second Prince can lead the Zhenbei Army to quell the rebellion in the Northwest, and then we can also get a share of the spoils!"
Zhou Ruan thought to herself, "Just as I thought."
Shen Lanxi just wants to use her military achievements and his status as a prince to turn her life around. She's sharp-tongued, but in the end, she still has to rely on him!
The disgust and anger that welled up in her heart when the Wang siblings were mentioned were replaced by Shen Lanxi's compliments.
Zhou Ru'an's sense of superiority as a prince rose again; his status destined him to be above everyone else.
"No problem, no problem!" Zhou Ruan's eyes darted around, and his tone suddenly changed.
"I don't know where my younger sister is now. When I was in the capital, my father repeatedly told me to give this disobedient younger sister a warning."
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