Chapter 8 Wouldn't it be faster if you drugged me and begged me?
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingwan immediately followed the maid to Tang Lin'er's room.
The little maid pushed open the door, and as soon as Shen Xingwan stepped into the room, she saw white silk hanging from the beams and several stools lying on the ground.
Tang Lin'er was lying in Madam Shen's arms, crying sadly, her slender back shaking, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Mrs. Shen was not feeling well either, and wiped Tang Lin'er's tears with red eyes.
"Good boy, this is not your fault. Don't do such a stupid thing. It is our Shen family that has implicated you."
"Lin'er doesn't blame mother." Tang Lin'er sobbed and cried, "I only blame myself for not being born under my mother's wing. I was born in a humble family and couldn't catch the Third Prince's eye. That's why the Shen family is disgraced because of me..."
Mrs. Shen felt extremely distressed. She hugged Tang Lin'er and comforted her, even glaring at Shen Xingwan with reproach.
Shen Xingwan accepted it silently. She didn't care about these misunderstandings. The truth would come out later.
She admired Tang Lin'er's pretentious performance for a while, then walked up to her, took her hand, and began to talk softly, "My dear sister, I am sorry for what you have done to me. The Third Prince doesn't even look down on you despite your appearance and talent. He really has no vision. I will find a better marriage for you tomorrow."
"Nonsense."
Madam Shen rebuked: "The imperial edict is no joke. Your father has already received the edict. Lin'er must marry the Third Prince. Even if the Third Prince doesn't want to, it's not up to him. We in the Shen family only recognize Lin'er as our adopted daughter."
Tang Lin'er was waiting for this sentence. She burst into tears of joy and threw herself into Madam Shen's arms, crying pitifully, "Mother..."
What a loving mother and filial son. Shen Xingwan was just admiring Tang Lin'er's acting skills when the nanny beside Madam Shen opened the door and came forward. She bowed her head and whispered, "Madam, I just got the news that the Imperial Concubine summoned the daughter of the Minister of Revenue and the daughter of the Grand Marshal to the palace."
Madam Shen was surprised for a moment, then understood. She glanced at Tang Lin'er somewhat unnaturally, and saw that she was crying sadly. Her expression became solemn, and she raised her hand to signal the nanny to leave.
Although it was not stated explicitly, everyone knew that at this critical moment, the Imperial Concubine summoned these two noble ladies, probably for other purposes.
As expected, news came from the harem at dusk that the emperor, after listening to the Royal Noble Consort's advice, planned to make the daughter of the Minister of Revenue the third prince's principal wife, and on the same day to marry the daughter of the Grand Marshal as the third prince's concubine.
As for Shen, there was no further mention of him, and it seemed that the matter had been shelved.
Tang Lin'er looked ashen, she closed the door and windows, and locked herself in the room. Madam Shen sighed and tried to persuade her in vain, so she had to order people to take good care of her.
Tang Lin'er was depressed for two days. On the third morning, she dressed up properly and went to Madam Shen's room to pay her respects.
In just two days, Tang Lin'er had lost a lot of weight. She was wearing a lotus-pink skirt and two plain hairpins, which made her look pitiful. Her slender waist was so thin that it could be held in one hand. She bowed politely to greet him.
"A daughter paying respects to her mother and causing her to worry is really an unfilial act."
Mrs. Shen was dressing up, and seeing this, she couldn't bear it, so she hurriedly called out, "There's nothing to do these few days, you should take good care of yourself for a few days, and you don't need to come to pay your respects."
"Thank you for your understanding, mother. I was not feeling well the past two days, but I will never forget my filial duty."
Tang Lin'er stood up, walked towards Madam Shen, took the comb from the nanny's hand and combed Madam Shen's hair herself.
Madam Shen glanced at Shen Xingwan who was sitting beside her drinking tea, sighed for a long time, and held Tang Lin'er's hand with emotion, "I've been wronged."
"It's my daughter's bad luck."
Tang Lin'er lowered her eyes, and said gently, "I have been having bad luck recently. I want to go to Hanshan Temple to pray for my mother and sister, praying for my mother's safety and health, and for my sister's smooth marriage."
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen looked at Tang Lin'er with special respect, turned around, and patted the back of Tang Lin'er's hand, "Good child, it's hard for you to have such a heart. You fell into the water a while ago. I'm afraid there really is something wrong. It's good to go and pray. I will order someone to harness the carriage and prepare more maids to accompany you."
Tang Lin'er looked embarrassed. "My daughter doesn't want to trouble everyone because of me, nor does she want to attract attention. I'd better go by myself."
Her thoughtful look made Madam Shen feel pity for her. She thought she had lost face because of the Third Prince's matter and was afraid of gossip. She immediately decided, "You are the daughter of my Shen Mansion, so you must be presentable. If you have any concerns, let Xing Wan go with you. I'll see who dares to say anything."
Shen Xingwan sneered in her heart. Everything was arranged clearly for her before she could say a word.
She looked at Tang Lin'er coldly. With her vicious heart and the character of instigating Wei Zilin to massacre her entire family in her previous life, how could she be kind enough to pray to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for the safety of her and her daughter?
Most likely he is planning something sinister again.
Shen Xingwan remained calm, lowered her head to drink tea and carefully pondered the key points. After thinking about it, it really reminded her of an incident that happened in her previous life.
In her previous life, she had gone to Hanshan Temple to pray with Tang Lin'er, but at that time she treated Tang Lin'er like a sister and was not on guard against her.
On the way up the mountain, Tang Lin'er invited her to taste a cup of Hanshan Maojian tea, but for some reason, after drinking that cup of tea, she felt dizzy and had palpitations, and her whole body was hot and uncomfortable. She had to find a private room, lock herself in, and slept for a long time before the symptoms subsided.
When he woke up, Tang Lin'er was standing outside his door, blaming himself for not finding out that the tea contained any arousing ingredients, which made it difficult for Shen Xingwan to blame her.
Fortunately, nothing irreversible happened, and Shen Xingwan gradually forgot about the matter after returning home.
Now that I think about it, did Tang Lin'er really not know the ingredients in the tea at that time?
As to what would have happened if the doors and windows were not locked during her coma, it has become an unsolved mystery.
Thinking about this, Shen Xingwan felt a chill in his heart.
"Would you like to go to Hanshan Temple with Lin'er to pray for blessings?"
Tang Lin'er combed Mrs. Shen's hair and looked at Shen Xingwan pitifully.
Without waiting for Madam Shen to speak, Shen Xingwan stood up and walked over to Tang Lin'er, holding her arm affectionately, and said with a smile: "Of course I will go. Whenever my sister wants to go, I will accompany her at any time."
Tang Lin'er was surprised for a moment, then put on a smile again in the next moment.
"Let's do it tomorrow morning. I've checked the almanac and it's a good time to pray tomorrow."
Shen Xingwan agreed readily and chatted with him for a while before returning to his room.
As soon as she returned to her room, she called Feiyun and ordered, "Go and spread the news that I will go to Hanshan Temple to pray for blessings tomorrow. Make sure to let the Third Prince know."
Feiyun took the order and left.
As the most noble lady in the capital, Shen Xingwan has numerous suitors, and even the maids around her have become famous. Many princes and young men want to find out about her whereabouts from them so as to create a chance to meet her.
Feiyun only went out to buy some rouge and chatted with the proprietress. The news that Shen Xingwan was going to pray for blessings the next day soon reached Wei Zilin's ears.
The next day, Shen Xingwan accompanied Tang Lin'er to Hanshan Temple as promised. The carriage sped along the small road outside Beijing. When the curtains were opened, one could see the colorful forest and the pleasant scenery.
When they reached halfway up the mountain, there was no longer a driveway, so they could only climb the stairs. Shen Xingwan got off the carriage, and with Feiyun's support, she walked slowly forward, slightly lifting her skirt.
Shen Xingwan glanced at Feiyun, and Feiyun replied in a low voice: "As Miss expected, the Third Prince came to Hanshan Temple early in the morning and is now in the meditation room behind the temple."
Shen Xingwan lowered her eyes and said nothing. She just turned around and glanced at Tang Lin'er who was following behind her.
When passing by the mountain pavilion, Tang Lin'er kept saying she was tired and invited Shen Xingwan to stop and have a cup of tea and rest for a while.
Shen Xingwan readily agreed and sat down with her in the pavilion.
Tang Lin'er's maid brought tea, fruit and snacks, and Tang Lin'er personally picked up the teacup and handed it to Shen Xingwan.
"Sister, you have worked hard. Please have some tea. This is Hanshan Maojian tea. It is very refreshing and rare. Sister, please have a taste."
Shen Xingwan took it, put it to the tip of his nose and smelled it carefully. Sure enough, it was the same smell.
She curled her lips slightly, but didn't say anything. She took a sip, raised her eyes and looked not far away, and asked casually, "What kind of flower is that? It looks quite unique."
Tang Lin'er looked back and said, "No wonder Sister didn't recognize it. That's Hibiscus mutabilis, also known as Frost-Resistant Flower. It often grows in mountain streams. It likes warmth and light, and can change into three colors in one day."
"Oh, it is really frost-covered and dew-covered, yet it is still gorgeous and full of charm."
Tang Lin'er smiled brightly, "If you like it, I'll pick some and bring them back for you to put in a vase."
Shen Xingwan pretended to be reluctant and frowned, saying, "You are already the young lady of the Shen family, why do you need to pick them yourself? Let the servant do it."
Tang Lin'er stood up quickly.
"What young lady? Lin'er dare not say that. It is already a blessing for me to pick flowers to make my sister smile. Sister, please wait a moment. I will go pick them now." After saying that, she turned around and went out with the maid.
Shen Xingwan leisurely looked at the master and servant picking flowers not far away, and quietly exchanged his teacup with Tang Lin'er's.
"Look, sister, these flowers are blooming so beautifully."
When Tang Lin'er came in with the flowers, Shen Xingwan's face was already flushed and her breathing became a little rapid.
"Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Tang Lin'er's eyes flashed with a sly smile. She approached Shen Xingwan and supported her with concern. "Sister, if you feel uncomfortable, I have already booked a room in front for you to rest. Can you help Sister go and rest?"
Shen Xingwan fanned herself with her sleeves, "Maybe you were in a hurry just now, so you feel a little hot. It's okay. You've worked hard picking flowers. Come sit down and have a cup of tea."
"yes."
Tang Lin'er smiled, put the flowers down and sat back in her seat. While staring at Shen Xingwan, she picked up the teacup and took a few sips.
But after just taking a few sips of tea, Tang Lin'er felt dizzy and almost fainted. Shen Xingwan immediately sat over and supported her, and her rapid breathing calmed down.
Tang Lin'er's consciousness gradually blurred, her cheeks flushed, and she began to mutter nonsense, "Bitch... I'll break your virginity... Let's see how you can marry into a wealthy family... Go to hell..."
Shen Xingwan curled her lips, it seemed that the ingredients she added to her teacup were a bit too strong.
She called the maids waiting outside the pavilion and ordered, "Miss Tang is tired, send her to the side room to rest."
Tang Lin'er's maid obviously knew the inside story, and a look of panic flashed across her face. Shen Xingwan chuckled and pretended not to see it, and just ordered her to send Tang Lin'er to rest.
After seeing Tang Lin'er off, Shen Xingwan called Feiyun and told her to try to lead the third prince to the side room, while she continued to go up the mountain to pray.
We have to delay the time and let the situation continue to ferment.
She knelt before the Buddha for a long time, praying wholeheartedly that her future of revenge would be smooth.
Suddenly, a hint of cold pine fragrance brought a chill that disturbed the sandalwood scent that filled the hall.
Shen Xingwan did not open his eyes, but still knelt in front of the Buddha, praying devoutly.
"If you want something, why don't you just come and ask me for it? Wouldn't that be faster?"
Shen Xingwan sighed, looked back and said, "Buddha is above, do not lie."
Yan Jinghuan chuckled but said nothing. When his eyes fell on her flushed cheeks, his smile suddenly faded. He leaned over and pulled her up, placing his palm on her forehead.
"Who gave you something?" he asked in a cold tone.
Seeing that everyone was looking at her sideways, Shen Xingwan quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the hall, "I'm fine." Seeing his cold eyes examining her, she had no choice but to change the subject and ask him, "Why are you here?"
"Who is it?"
Shen Xingwan pursed her lips, lowered her hands, and spoke after a long while, "I'll take care of it myself."
The tension between the two suddenly dropped. Yan Jinghuan looked at her for a long time, but finally stopped asking questions and softened his tone, "I help you?"
"No need, I can do it myself..."
Yan Jinghuan raised his hand, his cool fingertips resting on the back of her greasy white neck. Shen Xingwan shuddered for a moment and suddenly realized what he meant. She was so scared that she waved her hands repeatedly and stepped back several steps. "No, no, it's a small amount. It's okay."
"I, I have something else to do, so I'll leave now."
She didn't dare to look at him again, and fled from Hanshan Temple, running hurriedly to the room where Tang Lin'er was.
Before he could get close, he saw the Third Prince and his entourage leaving the wing room from afar. The Third Prince had a furious look on his face, and he casually straightened his clothes and rode away on horseback.
Shen Xingwan quickened her pace and rushed into the room, only to see clothes scattered on the floor in disarray and Tang Lin'er lying naked on the couch.
"Lin'er?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
