"What are you talking about, sister? Why are you so happy?" The second prince suddenly walked out of the hall, holding a wine jug. He had been watching the two of them for a long time.
The second prince smiled gently and looked friendly, but the fourth princess did not give him a good look.
"Nothing, second brother, just discussing whose family has been unlucky recently."
Xu Yixing narrowed her eyes. The Fourth Princess was too flamboyant. She felt like she would be betrayed sooner or later. But that was precisely why she was chosen. So she lightly moved her feet and lightly touched the Fourth Princess's calf. This scene was also captured by the Second Prince.
"Sister, you are a princess and should be dignified as a princess. Talking about her behind her back is not the way of a royal family."
When Xu Yixing heard this, he always felt that the second prince was mocking him.
"Yes, brother, but you'd better go to another table. Our table is full of female guests and they can't drink your wine." The fourth princess said, glancing outside the hall intentionally or unintentionally.
To today's palace banquet, the Second Prince brought along several concubines who were usually kept in the outer residence. They were all under the awning in the courtyard. Concubine Ying didn't like them very much, and the Second Prince could do nothing about it.
"Okay, then you guys chat."
Seeing the Second Prince retreat, Xu Yixing knew that his goal for today had been achieved. Taking advantage of the opportunity when the Fourth Princess was not bothering him, he quickly slipped away to find Lu Anyuan.
The emperor hadn't arrived by the end of the banquet, apparently still mad at Concubine Ying. However, since she was allowed to hold such a grand banquet in the palace, there must have been some compensation.
As the crowd gradually left, Concubine Ying finally didn't have to put on a smile anymore. After that day, she had several more wrinkles on her face.
Looking at the birthday gifts piled up in the hall, Concubine Ying rolled her eyes impatiently and had them moved away.
If other people received so many gifts on their birthdays, they would definitely be happy, but Concubine Ying was not like that. She hated celebrating her birthday the most because every time she celebrated her birthday, it meant she was one year older.
There are many new people this year. Looking at those flower-like faces, even if she is favored, Concubine Ying can't help but sigh that her beauty will fade quickly and she is scared to death.
He had just finished directing the young eunuchs to move things when he turned around to see his son yelling at two palace maids: "What the hell did you hear? Can't you even explain this?"
"Emperor! What happened?"
When the second prince heard his mother calling him, he waved his hand to let the two palace maids go first, put on a smile, and walked over quickly.
"I'm sorry to bother Mother. It's nothing serious. I just asked them some questions, but they were so hesitant and unclear. I was a little upset."
Concubine Ying hated to see her son angry or wronged. This time, the affairs of her mother's family had somewhat implicated her son, and she felt very sorry.
"I know you are not a reckless person. What happened to make you so panicked?" Ying Fei suppressed her fatigue. Nothing was more important than her son's affairs.
"Alas!" The Second Prince finally lost control of his worries. He took his mother's hand and helped her sit on the cushion. He then spoke, "I don't know what Xu Yiyan and Fourth Sister were whispering about today. I felt it had something to do with us, so I made a point of asking."
"Oh?" Concubine Ying immediately became serious and waved her hand for the two palace maids to come over. "Are you two responsible for serving the table of the Fourth Princess and the Seventh Prince?"
"Exactly."
"Since you are serving the master, you must pay attention to their movements. Otherwise, can't you hear them when they call?"
The two palace maids were both trained in Concubine Ying's palace. They looked at each other and naturally understood what the Empress meant.
"I will tell you everything I know."
Ying Fei smiled complacently: "Well, did you pay attention to what the two of them said and discussed?"
"This... The Fourth Princess and the Seventh Prince's Consort did have a pleasant conversation, and they laughed from time to time. They really got along well."
"Who asked you this!" Ying Fei sat up straight and understood why her son was angry just now. What a pair of idiots.
Suppressing his anger, he continued to ask: "I'm asking what they said."
One of the maids was obviously smarter than the previous one. With a turn of her eyes, she accurately asked the question that her master wanted to know:
"The two of them did indeed talk about the Second Prince, but we were too far away. I only heard something like 'more difficult things are waiting for the Second Prince.' The rest of their conversation was whispered, so I couldn't hear clearly."
Concubine Ying leaned back and looked at her son. It seemed that there was something fishy.
Xu Yixing sat in a carriage on Lu Anyuan's side, but he was not in a hurry to return home. He just strolled aimlessly on Zhuque Street, listening to the smell of fireworks.
"I'm a little worried that the Fourth Princess will tell everyone about me."
"What are you afraid of? Once Wu Xueyan comes out, this matter will inevitably involve you. Are you still afraid of being known in advance?"
Xu Yixing took off her crown in the car, using the light of the small mirror in her arms; it was too heavy. Lu Anyuan held the mirror for her in one hand while he admired the view, which he had never imagined before.
"No, I'm worried that the signs of human intervention are too obvious. The Second Prince will definitely know it's a trick and won't take the bait."
"Don't worry, this is an open conspiracy. Whether he takes the bait or not, the outcome won't be much different."
Wouldn't it make a big difference? Xu Yixing groaned. Lu Anyuan was always reassuring. If there really wasn't much of a difference, then why bother with all this drama?
"Okay, let me down at the clothing store in front. I'll go change clothes and continue acting." Xu Yixing combed her hair into a woman's style, ready to continue her lie.
Lu Anyuan knocked on the car board, and Ah Da's voice came from outside the window: "Your Highness, no one is following."
He shook his head and smiled, as if laughing at Xu Yixing for being too serious: "Listen, no one is following you, who are you acting for?"
"If you're acting, you have to act it out. What if Ah Da doesn't notice? Besides, I'll be there every day. Just go ahead and treat me. I won't let you down."
Xu Yixing threw a coquettish glance at Lu Anyuan, jumped down in one step, changed her clothes, and then walked towards the direction twenty miles outside the south gate. She wanted to meet Gao Yao and Wu Xueyan, and of course, also to lead the way for the second prince's people.
From October 19th to November, Xu Yixing and the people around her went to hang out outside the South Gate every day, but they were in disguise every time, which was as suspicious as it could be.
At the same time, the Second Prince finally learned what Xu Yiyan had told the Fourth Princess that day through the lover of the daughter of the godmother of a trusted maid in the Fourth Princess's mansion: Wu Xueyan was not dead.
The second prince broke out in a cold sweat, not because Wu Xueyan was not dead, but because he realized that he had been fooled.
After the birthday banquet that day, he had been sending people to follow the people in the Seventh Prince's Palace. Sure enough, he saw the new concubine and her entourage often sneaking out of the city. His people followed them several times, but each time they were thrown off shortly after leaving the south city. He didn't know what they were doing.
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