Chapter 22. Cui Huai found it laughable.
There was no easy way to break the deadlock in Cui Xu's matter, and whenever Shen Yunzhi thought of it, she felt as if a dark cloud was hanging over her head.
At the same time, she also had to prevent Cui Huai from realizing that she was just using him, so after accepting the hidden arrow, she did not take the initiative to contact Cui Huai again.
Shen Yunzhi saw Cui Huai again on the day she went out with her aunt to attend Madam Chen's birthday banquet.
This Madam Chen was Chen Zhaoyu's grandmother and Empress Chen's mother.
Invitations were sent to the Chu King's residence well in advance. All of Chu Kings, including Cui Jue, Cui Huai, Cui Hong, and Cui Lizhu, were present at the birthday banquet, demonstrating the lively atmosphere of the event.
After dressing up, Shen Yunzhi went to the main courtyard first.
Then, together with his aunt and Cui Lizhu, they went to the outside of the Chuihua Gate and took a carriage out.
Cui Huai was waiting outside the hanging flower gate. Upon seeing them, he stepped forward to greet the Princess of Chu, and only after she boarded her carriage did he mount his own horse, then accompanied her all the way. Cui Hong, on the other hand, accompanied the Prince of Chu to the Chen family by carriage first.
Shen Yunzhi didn't actually go out to banquets very often.
At Madam Chen's birthday banquet, there were many guests, but few people paid attention to her, a cousin who lived under someone else's roof.
After accompanying their aunt to the main hall to pay their respects to Old Madam Chen, Shen Yunzhi and Cui Lizhu were led by a young lady from the Chen family to the flower hall for tea. Upon hearing the young lady mention that Liang Zhi had arrived and was enjoying the flowers and scenery in the garden, Cui Lizhu immediately got up and pulled Shen Yunzhi to go find her.
Choi Yeo-joo never really approved of Liang Zhi.
But it was her own idea before; outsiders insisted that Liang Zhi and Cui Huai were a good match, and she had no choice but to accept it.
But things are different now.
Cui Huai made it clear that he refused to be engaged to Liang Zhi. Cui Lizhu was smug and wanted to show off in front of Liang Zhi and see her make a fool of herself.
Shen Yunzhi couldn't persuade her at all.
Worried that Choi Yeo-joo might get too cocky and say something reckless that could cause trouble, she went along with her.
There is also a large lotus pond in the garden of the Chen family mansion.
Cui Lizhu found Liang Zhi admiring the lotus flowers alone. Her words were full of belittling and humiliation, but Liang Zhi was able to smile without changing her expression and showed no resentment.
Liang Zhi's reaction made Cui Lizhu feel extremely bored.
Unable to bear the joke, Cui Lizhu chuckled twice and led Shen Yunzhi away. After walking a distance, she said angrily, "I don't believe Liang Zhi is so calm behind the scenes. I'm afraid she's been crying in her room countless times."
As another person in Cui Lizhu's eyes who was overestimating herself and coveting Cui Huai, Shen Yunzhi could neither agree nor refute, so she could only remain silent. Cui Lizhu didn't care much and continued to say that Liang Zhi was clearly just showing off her judgment, and that they were already quite far from the lotus pond.
The Chen family garden is extremely large. According to the young lady of the Chen family, there is a small garden in the garden where some rare animals are kept.
To divert Cui Lizhu's attention, Shen Yunzhi dragged her to join in the fun.
Upon entering the small garden, one sees several peacocks with long, trailing tails and bright plumage. Shen Yunzhi leads Cui Lizhu to the fence and exclaims in amazement, "So beautiful!" This is not Cui Lizhu's first visit to the Chen residence, and she has toured this small garden more than once. Seeing Shen Yunzhi's interest, she simply tells her about the origin of the Chen family's peacocks.
Just as Shen Yunzhi was listening with great interest, someone spoiled their fun.
Cui Lizhu lost her patience upon seeing this so-called Young Master Yao, and she also found the bouquet of gardenias he presented to Shen Yunzhi particularly displeasing.
"Could these flowers have been picked from the Chen family garden?"
"I had heard before that Young Master Yao's family had a good family tradition, but today I know exactly what that tradition means."
Cui Lizhu made a sarcastic remark, and Young Master Yao's expression immediately changed.
Just then, Zhou Tao appeared out of nowhere and echoed Cui Lizhu's words, coldly mocking Young Master Yao. Young Master Yao was furious and, unlike his forbearance towards Cui Lizhu, retorted to Zhou Tao. The two then began to hurl insults at each other.
Things quickly spiraled out of control.
Zhou and Yao seemed to be old acquaintances. Perhaps they hadn't gotten along in the past, and today, with both old and new grudges, they cursed each other until they finally came to blows.
They wrestled together, neither holding back, and soon their faces were bruised.
Choi Yeo-joo found both of their actions equally ridiculous.
But instead of speaking up to stop her, she casually led Shen Yunzhi a few steps away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Then a familiar voice rang out: "What are you doing?"
Cui Lizhu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Cui Huai. She quickly put away her smile and said obediently, "Big brother."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yue stepped forward and separated Zhou and Yao. Cui Huai, his expression slightly grim, slowly walked up to them. He glanced at Cui Lizhu, then looked at Shen Yunzhi, while Cui Hong, who was with Cui Huai, asked in confusion, "Sister, what exactly happened? Why did they start fighting?"
Zhou and Yao, one had been considered for marriage by Shen Yunzhi, and the other had almost been considered for marriage by Shen Yunzhi.
Choi Yeo-joo has her own unique insights.
"They get jealous and fight over other women, but they don't even look at themselves first."
"So what if they win? Does that mean Zhiniang will agree to their marriage?"
A few words from Cui Lizhu made Shen Yunzhi break out in a cold sweat. She hurriedly explained the whole story. After listening, Cui Lizhu laughed and said, "That's right. If it weren't for jealousy over you, what would Young Master Yao's gift of gardenias have to do with Young Master Zhou?"
Shen Yunzhi: "..."
Looking at Cui Huai and Cui Hong's expressions, she realized that explaining was useless and had no choice but to give up and waste her breath.
Then she thought that it wouldn't be so bad if Cui Huai thought she was interested in someone else, so that he wouldn't easily misunderstand that she actually wanted to attach herself to him.
However, Zhou and Yao's behavior was ultimately eccentric.
This is the Chen family home, and today is Old Madam Chen's birthday banquet. Even if you don't know proper etiquette, you shouldn't do such a thing.
Fortunately, it happened in a small garden.
There weren't many guests here, so the matter didn't escalate and didn't affect the banquet.
But as Shen Yunzhi and Cui Huai and the others came out of the small garden, Cui Xu, who was guarding the Chen family garden, saw them, stepped forward, and said with a sinister smile, "Miss Shen is truly charming and beautiful, which caused the two gentlemen to fight."
The reason for Zhou Liulang and Yao Gongzi's strange behavior seems to have been found.
It was all because Cui Xu was causing trouble behind the scenes.
After saying this, Cui Xu laughed and left without giving them a chance to make a move.
Choi Yeo-joo was bewildered: "What's wrong with him now?"
Cui Hong comforted the worried Shen Yunzhi with her eyes, while Cui Huai continued forward on his own, with no one to offer her any answers.
Shen Yunzhi was worried because she had a feeling that things wouldn't be that simple.
There were no other unexpected situations at the Chen family's residence that day.
However, after the birthday banquet, rumors began to circulate in the capital that "the two young men, who were on good terms, had turned against each other because of Cui Huai's cousin from the Shen family."
Whether due to its association with Cui Huai or the secret instigation of others, this rumor spread rapidly throughout the capital like wildfire. Shen Yunzhi suddenly became "in the limelight" and was labeled a "vixen," her reputation ruined overnight.
"They're all idiots!"
"What does their jealousy have to do with you? How is it your fault?"
Cui Lizhu was indignant, hating that these people were all just echoing each other's opinions. Shen Yunzhi was not indifferent to her reputation, but she wasn't bothered by it, especially since she was more concerned about the two letters she had received.
I wonder if this can be considered a blessing in disguise.
In short, after the rumors started, she received letters from Huo Ming and Chen Zhaoyu respectively.
In his letter, Chen Zhaoyu mentioned that the hospitality for Madam Chen's birthday banquet was inadequate, which led to rumors about Shen Yunzhi.
He apologized sincerely and said that he believed her and would not be prejudiced against her because of some rumors.
Huo Ming's letter was much simpler than Chen Zhaoyu's.
Knowing that she was in a bad mood, he advised her to go horseback riding with her sister Huo Yuan to relax and not to be sad for unnecessary people, so as not to hurt herself.
Both letters were unexpected by Shen Yunzhi.
Their concern for her was evident on the paper, and she could tell it wasn't a lie.
The intention is the same.
Things beyond one's intentions will always be different.
Having witnessed the grandeur of Madam Chen's birthday banquet, one knows that the Chen family is a prominent and influential clan with deep ties to the princes and nobles of the capital, and wields considerable influence in the court. Even though Chen Zhaoyu is young and unlikely to succeed as the next head of the family, his wife will undoubtedly be carefully chosen and scrutinized. Marriages in prominent families are always a matter of great consideration.
In contrast, the Huo family's influence in Beijing was still relatively shallow.
The reason why Huo Yuan was bullied by Cui Xuan was largely due to the fact that the Huo family lacked a pillar of support after the death of Marquis Dingyuan.
This also means that the rules of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence are not so strict.
Many things are open to discussion.
When Shen Yunzhi rescued Huo Yuan from the water in the Imperial Garden, her intention was to repay Huo Yuan's kindness in her previous life, and she had absolutely no intention of taking advantage of the situation.
However, it must be admitted that in the eyes of the Huo family, they owe her a debt of gratitude.
In the past, because she was a cousin of the Prince of Chu, living under someone else's roof, the only men willing to consider her were the likes of Zhou Liulang and Young Master Yao. It wasn't that her aunt didn't try to find her a better husband, but good husbands were always rare treasures, and finding one was naturally extremely difficult.
Now that he has been framed by Cui Xu and his reputation is ruined, it will inevitably become more and more difficult for him to find a match.
Now that she has a seemingly suitable suitor in front of her, Shen Yunzhi admits that she wants to give it a try.
She wanted to meet Huo Yuan.
Huo Ming would most likely be with Huo Yuan, and as long as they met, she had plenty of ways to test Huo Ming's feelings.
Knowing that Cui Lizhu would definitely side with Chen Zhaoyu between Chen Zhaoyu and Huo Ming, Shen Yunzhi did not mention the two letters to Cui Lizhu herself. She only told Cui Lizhu about it after she had arranged to go horseback riding with Huo Yuan.
Shen Yunzhi said, "It is my good fortune that Miss Huo treats me as always."
Aside from disapproving of Liang Zhengting's feelings for Huo Yuan, Cui Lizhu had a decent impression of Huo Yuan, but she was puzzled by her going out to meet Huo Yuan.
"There are rumors going around, are you really going?"
Shen Yunzhi sighed softly: "I originally wanted to refuse, but when I thought that it was the Fifth Prince who deliberately ruined my reputation, I felt unwilling and did not want him to succeed. Besides, I can't stay away from people forever, so I might as well go out as usual and let those people know that I have a clear conscience and will not hide in my room and cry."
Choi Yeo-joo has the most competitive and unyielding personality.
She was immediately persuaded and supported Shen Yunzhi, and was also willing to accompany Shen Yunzhi to meet Huo Yuan.
Princess Chu always respected Shen Yunzhi and did not restrict her in the mansion. She only arranged for two guards from the mansion to protect her safety.
Choi Yeo-joo failed to keep her promise to go with Shen Yunzhi that day.
The Empress summoned her, and she had no choice but to enter the palace.
Accompanied by guards from the Prince's Mansion arranged by her aunt, Shen Yunzhi went to see Huo Yuan. As she expected, Huo Ming was also there.
...
In the afternoon, Cui Huai met Cui Lizhu in the palace.
While chatting with his sister, he heard her mention that he was supposed to accompany Shen Yunzhi to meet Huo Yuan today, and he remained silent for a long time.
"My mother has arranged for guards to protect her, so she should be safe."
"But I wonder if she will encounter some gossipy people who will say some unpleasant things to her."
Although Cui Lizhu believed that Shen Yunzhi was best at sweet talk, she had never seen Shen Yunzhi argue with anyone. In her memory, Shen Yunzhi was usually silent at such times, so she gradually began to suspect that this person only knew how to use sweet talk.
Being by Shen Yunzhi's side, she would certainly not let Shen Yunzhi suffer any verbal harm.
Unfortunately, she wasn't there, and there was nothing she could do, so Shen Yunzhi should learn from this experience.
As evening fell, Shen Yunzhi returned to the Chu Prince's residence.
She stepped down from the carriage in high spirits, a handful of fiery red crape myrtle flowers in her arms.
"Zhi Niang?" Cui Lizhu and Cui Huai returned to their residence from the palace, and happened to bump into Shen Yunzhi outside the hanging flower gate. Seeing the brightly colored flower branches in her arms, Cui Lizhu asked again, "Did you enjoy riding today?"
Cui Huai was also looking at the bouquet of flowers in Shen Yunzhi's arms.
He remained silent and did not speak.
Shen Yunzhi smiled slightly: "I'm happy."
She was not only happy, but also gained a lot, as evidenced by the crape myrtle flowers in her arms.
Huo Ming was not good with words, but worried that she would be affected by the rumors, so he was willing to try his best to make her happy through his actions.
If he didn't care about her, how could he have gone to such lengths?
There's no need to elaborate on Huo Yuan's treatment of her.
Even though they didn't have much interaction, they were willing to lend her a helping hand, and now they only treat her better.
Upon closer reflection, the incident of Huo Yuan being bullied by Cui Xuan had already influenced the Huo family's opinion of the Fifth Prince to some extent.
She revealed to Huo Yuan and Huo Ming that the rumors were related to Cui Xu, and they were indignant on her behalf, and did not stop speaking even though they knew that the Fifth Prince was involved.
Even if the Huo family is not strong enough to contend with the Fifth Prince, Shen Yunzhi is still very satisfied with this sentiment alone.
Huo Ming is still young, and these things can't be rushed.
There will always be a chance to change things in the future.
In the long run, as long as Huo Ming is willing to work hard for it, things will change sooner or later.
Cui Lizhu was not entirely satisfied that Shen Yunzhi was still so happy in her absence. She snorted and said, "I was worried that something bad might have happened to you today, but it turns out I was just being presumptuous. You were clearly having a great time with Huo Yuan. But the color of these crape myrtle flowers is quite rare; they are very beautiful."
Shen Yunzhi smiled and said, "I have never seen such vibrant crape myrtle flowers before. Young Master Huo helped me pick a few branches so I could take them back to admire."
She didn't hide the fact that Huo Ming was also there today, and asked Cui Lizhu, "Lizhu, would you like to bring some to put in the vase?"
Cui Lizhu immediately refused: "I don't want the ones that Young Master Huo picked especially for you."
The reviewer commented, "Young Master Huo is at least a bit better than those two."
“We…” Shen Yunzhi seemed startled and hurriedly denied it, saying, “I have nothing with Young Master Huo.”
Instead, it only made things worse, suggesting an attempt to cover up the truth.
Cui Lizhu smiled, too lazy to expose her thoughts, but seriously analyzed with Shen Yunzhi: "He still treats you the same after hearing all that nonsense. In this matter, I have to admit that he did a good job."
Shen Yunzhi smiled shyly and, carrying Huazhi, went to the main courtyard with Cui Lizhu to pay their respects.
Throughout the entire conversation, Cui Huai simply listened quietly to their conversation.
Compared to Huo Ming's actions and that bouquet of crape myrtle flowers, he noticed something else that concerned him.
Shen Yunzhi had a faint, sweet fragrance on her body today.
The rich, sweet scent that he used to find impossible to ignore about her now felt just right.
It has a light, non-cloying scent that is pleasant to smell.
Shen Yunzhi and Cui Lizhu walked ahead of Cui Huai.
He quietly raised his eyes, staring at Shen Yunzhi's slender figure for a few breaths, and suddenly felt ridiculous for caring about such a thing.
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