Chapter 22 I'm going to kill her!
"Oh, right, Ningning," Ye Chengjing said, as if remembering something, "there's a flower-viewing banquet in the palace the day after tomorrow. Father Emperor wants all eligible princes, princesses, and children of ministers to attend. You should prepare for it too."
A flower-viewing banquet? Ye Wanning's heart skipped a beat. She remembered that in her previous life, it was at this very flower-viewing banquet that the Third Prince plotted against the Crown Prince, causing the Crown Prince to be severely reprimanded by the Emperor and lose face. This was indeed a good opportunity to gather evidence.
"Okay, I understand."
On the day of the flower-viewing banquet, the weather was beautiful, the sun was shining, and all kinds of flowers were in full bloom, making the Imperial Garden a lively and bustling place.
Ye Wanning, dressed in a light purple dress, stood quietly to one side, watching the princes and princesses chat and laugh, but she was making plans in her heart.
Suddenly someone bumped into her, causing her to lose her grip on the wine cup and spill it all over a young man in front of her.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" Ye Wanning apologized hastily, but when she looked up, she was stunned.
The one who got splashed was none other than Pei Zhi. His moon-white brocade robe was soaked, and the wine stains were very noticeable.
"Lord Pei, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it." Ye Wanning said somewhat awkwardly.
Pei Zhi looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It's alright." He paused, seemingly moving closer, his voice even lower, "But you, what are you thinking about, standing here in a daze?"
A warm breath brushed past her ear, and Ye Wanning's cheeks flushed slightly. She subconsciously took a half-step back and said, "No, it's nothing."
Pei Zhi noticed the blush rising on her ears, a smile flickering in his eyes, but he didn't press further. "I'm going to change my clothes. Excuse me."
Watching his departing figure, Ye Wanning touched her burning ears, her heart pounding slightly. She shook her head, trying to banish those chaotic thoughts—she and Pei Zhi were just cooperating; she couldn't have any other ideas.
But for some reason, all she could think about was Pei Zhi's smile and his deep eyes.
Just then, a commotion arose not far away.
Ye Wanning looked up and saw that the Crown Prince had somehow fallen into the lotus pond and was struggling in the water. People around him screamed in fright, but no one dared to go down.
The third prince stood by the pool, feigning anxiety, but his eyes held a hint of smugness.
Ye Wanning's heart skipped a beat. It's here.
That's how it was in his past life. The crown prince was pushed into the water and caught a cold. Then the third prince turned around and accused him of accidentally falling into the water, trying to gain sympathy.
Just as she was about to speak up to warn him, a figure jumped into the water with a "plop" and quickly rescued the prince.
It is Pei Zhi.
He had just changed into a dark brocade robe, which was now soaked through and clung tightly to his body, outlining his upright posture. He handed the Crown Prince over to the guards, glanced coldly at the Third Prince, and left without saying a word.
The third prince looked rather displeased, but he still forced himself to remain calm and directed his servants.
Pei Zhi's soaking wet figure made him appear exceptionally handsome. This man always managed to surprise her subtly. Perhaps, cooperating with him wouldn't be such a bad thing.
After the flower-viewing banquet, Ye Wanning's life returned to normal.
Although the Third Prince was not caught red-handed for his actions related to the Crown Prince's drowning, the Emperor became dissatisfied with him and his arrogance in court diminished considerably.
Because Pei Zhi saved the crown prince, he gained the emperor's trust and became increasingly powerful.
Ye Wanning's business flourished, and "Ning's" became famous not only in the capital but also in surrounding cities. With her earnings, she bought shops and opened a bookstore, publishing vernacular novels that were very popular with the people.
Minister Ye saw this and became increasingly satisfied with his daughter, whom he had lost and then regained, and began to let her get involved in some of the affairs of the mansion.
That day, Minister Ye suddenly summoned Ye Wanning to his study.
"Ningning, come here." Minister Ye pointed to a sandalwood box on the table. "These are your mother's belongings. They were hidden in the storeroom by Madam Zhou. I just found them myself. Take a look."
Ye Wanning looked at the familiar box, her eyes welling up with tears. This was her birth mother's dowry box. In her previous life, she had only seen it from afar. Ye Jingshu had said it was hers and forbade anyone to touch it.
"Who dares to touch it!" At that time, Ye Jingshu was standing in front, and she only stepped forward and said, "Open it and take a look."
She walked over and gently pushed open the box. Inside were some gold and silver jewelry, silk fabrics, several books, and a diary with yellowed pages.
Ye Wanning took the diary, her fingers trembling slightly. It was her birth mother's diary.
She turned to the first page, where her birth mother's neat handwriting described her feelings when she first married into the Ye family—a mix of girlish shyness and anticipation.
As I turned the pages, I watched my birth mother's emotions shift from expectation to disappointment, and then to heartbreak. The book also mentioned Zhou Shi, saying she was originally my dowry maid, seemingly honest, but I never expected her to be so cunning, managing to seduce Minister Ye.
As she turned to the last few pages, her hand suddenly froze, and she found it difficult to breathe.
"The pain returned today. The imperial physician said it was due to excessive worry and prescribed some calming and soothing medicine. But I feel something's wrong; after taking the medicine, my dizziness has worsened..."
"Zhou has been acting strangely lately, always sneaking around, and even asked me where I kept the storeroom key..."
"I think I've learned something I shouldn't have. The Zhou family and the Third Prince's men secretly met, and they said they wanted the 'military tally'..."
The handwriting on the last few pages was very messy, as if it had been written in a hurry: "If something happens to me, it must be Zhou Shi who did it. She wanted to steal my dowry, and..." The words after that were blurred by ink and could not be read.
Ye Wanning held the diary with trembling hands, tears streaming down her face.
It turns out, her birth mother didn't die of illness! It was Zhou Shi! She poisoned her mother! Moreover, Zhou Shi was in cahoots with the Third Prince!
"Father!" Ye Wanning suddenly looked up, her eyes red. "Mother's death wasn't an accident! It was Zhou Shi! She killed Mother!"
Minister Ye stared at the contents of the diary, his face turning deathly pale. He swayed, nearly collapsing: "This...this is true?"
"It's true!" Ye Wanning handed him the diary. "Look here, Mother wrote that Zhou Shi and the Third Prince's people met, and they even mentioned the military tally!"
Minister Ye took the diary, his hands trembling as he flipped through it. The more he read, the uglier his expression became. Finally, he slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Zhou Shi! That poisonous woman! I'll kill her!"
He turned to rush out, but Ye Wanning stopped him: "Dad! Calm down!"
"How can I stay calm!" Minister Ye exclaimed, his eyes red-rimmed. "That's your mother! How could I let the murderer who killed her stay in the manor for so many years, and even treat her so well! I've let your mother down!"
Seeing her father's pained expression, Ye Wanning felt bad too, but now was not the time to act impulsively.
"Father, killing Zhou Shi now would be too lenient on her." Ye Wanning took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "We need to find out why she killed Mother, what her relationship with the Third Prince is, and what the military tally is all about!"
Minister Ye gradually calmed down, looked into his daughter's red but determined eyes, and nodded: "You're right. We can't just let this go."
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