Before they knew it, they had walked to the edge of the pool. Several ladies who were out for a stroll bowed and stepped aside when they saw the two of them.
Song Tangli presented herself as amicable and approachable, putting on a particularly impressive show. Even those who initially held prejudices against her softened their stance, believing that Song Tangli had restrained her intentions after getting married.
Song Tangxue coldly watched as she put on airs and fooled these people. Sooner or later, the wolf in sheep's clothing would reveal its true nature.
Upon reaching the pond, the willows swayed gently in the breeze, and even the palace maids beside me, fanning themselves with small fans, could not shield us from the summer heat, while the cicadas chirped incessantly.
"Sister has been unusually quiet today, only chatting with Madam Su and her circle of friends. Could it be that those ladies and young misses look down on you for being the Crown Princess?" Song Tangli's eyes were filled with sarcasm, and her words were sharp and sarcastic.
The conversation was full of references to her status as a concubine, implying that the other ladies looked down on Song Tangxue.
"No need for the Crown Princess to worry about this. The Crown Princess should take good care of herself." Song Tangxue had heard too many of Song Tangli's sarcastic remarks about not meddling in other people's business.
The less a person has, the more they care about things; these were all trivial matters to Song Tangxue.
Song Tangli stopped in her tracks, reached out and pinched a willow branch hanging down beside her, then suddenly grabbed Song Tangxue's clothes, trying to push her into the pond.
Standing behind her were all the Crown Princess's palace servants, blocking everyone's view, so Song Tangli wasn't afraid of being exposed.
Song Tangxue stumbled as she was pulled, but she was prepared. She had deliberately worn wide sleeves today, so if Song Tangxue were to pull, she would definitely pull on the sleeves.
The stitching on the sleeve has been deliberately removed by picking off a few stitches, making it unreliable.
With a crisp tearing sound, Song Tangxue used the torn sleeve as cover to push Song Tangli.
She was already standing close to the pool, but perhaps to dispel any suspicions from others, she stood outside to cover up the accident.
Song Tangxue then turned the tables on Song Tangli, anticipating this very move.
Ever since the location of the palace banquet was decided, Song Tangxue had prepared several contingency plans, but unexpectedly, this one came in handy.
As Song Tangli lost her footing, her face filled with panic, and her hand unconsciously reached out to grab her, Song Tangxue calmly dodged to the side, crying out in alarm, "Crown Princess!"
All of this happened so fast that the palace servants behind them hadn't even had time to react.
Song Tangxue's exclamation was quite loud, and the sound immediately startled the people chatting and laughing in the hall. They came out of the room in twos and threes and saw a figure floating in the pool, surrounded by a group of people at a distance.
The palace maids and eunuchs were in a panic, but unfortunately, none of the maids could swim, and the guards hesitated nearby, not daring to go into the water to rescue them.
Song Tangxue cried out, "Please, you must save my sister! She's my only sister!"
After saying that, she was about to jump into the pool herself, but Cui Xi, who was next to her, was quick-witted and stopped her. Several eunuchs and maids also came over to block her: "Princess Consort, please accept our condolences. If something happens to the Crown Princess, she certainly doesn't want you to follow in her footsteps."
Look at Cui Xi, she really knows how to talk.
The eunuch, who was good at swimming, swam down and finally managed to pull Song Tangli out of the water. Fortunately, she hadn't been in the water for long. Song Tangli leaned against a tree trunk and, still shaken, recovered after a few moments.
Enraged, she slapped Song Tangxue, who had come over to show concern, the sound ringing out clearly, startling the ladies and young women around her.
Song Tangxue covered half of her face, tears silently streaming down her cheeks, which quickly flushed red, making her look pitiful.
The ladies nearby quickly stepped forward and asked in hushed tones. Song Tangxue covered her face and shook her head, pretending to be strong. These ladies were always straightforward people. They frowned and looked at Song Tangli: "Why did the Crown Princess hit someone for no reason!"
"Yes, you just fell into the water, and the Crown Princess was extremely worried. You've clearly repaid kindness with enmity." Several people chimed in, expressing their indignation on Song Tangxue's behalf.
"It's all your fault for pushing me! Otherwise, would I have fallen into the pond!" Sensing the veiled reproach in the voices of the others, Song Tangli pointed at Song Tangxue and began to curse: "You blind bastard, how come I never noticed how cunning you were, waiting here for me all this time?"
Song Tangli's face was cold and her eyes were burning with rage. She wished she could slap that face again to vent her anger!
"I didn't. It was the Crown Princess standing next to me who lost her footing and fell." Tears welled up in Song Tangxue's eyes and a blush on her fair face was striking. "Besides, the Crown Princess's servants were all around. How could I dare to do that?"
"Moreover, it was the Crown Princess who asked me to go with her to retrieve the items." This statement is the most favorable, indicating that Song Tangxue was completely unaware of the situation beforehand, thus contradicting the claim that she plotted to harm Song Tangli.
Song Tangli was even more furious as she listened to her incoherent ramblings. Unfortunately, the palace maids and eunuchs she brought were all her own people, and if they came out to testify, they would inevitably be accused of covering up the crime.
Song Tangli's expression changed several times, and she became so angry that her face turned black. Her fingertips clenched so hard that they dug into her flesh. This embarrassing situation in front of everyone was all thanks to Song Tangxue.
Just then, mocking laughter and sneers came from the crowd, and his face immediately turned as red as pig's blood.
"This Crown Princess can blame others for her own mistakes. Isn't that just incompetent misplaced anger?" The ladies whispered among themselves, their gazes sweeping over Song Tangli's body again and again as if they were being slowly tortured.
Song Tangli was so angry that her body was trembling. What she said was true, but the premise was wrong. She had tried to harm someone but was discovered by Song Tangxue.
"I can't imagine what kind of life such a beautiful and kind-hearted Crown Princess lived in the Crown Prince's residence."
"Yes, look at how torn the Crown Princess's sleeves are. It seems she's been shortchanged quite a bit, the quality of her clothes is so poor." The voice was a bit loud, and it was Jiang Chun who spoke: "A dignified Crown Princess, yet she's so intolerant, she has no class at all."
Her husband was the Marquis of Beizhen who died in battle, and with no one to support her, Song Tangli was worried about having nowhere to use her pent-up energy.
The people present were all wealthy and influential, most of whom had been from noble families for three generations. Song Tangli didn't want to cause herself any trouble.
But how could a widow like that dare to criticize herself?
Song Tangxue hid behind a woman to avoid the brunt of the attack. People are bound to act impulsively when they are furious, and Song Tangli will definitely pay the price for this slap.
"How dare you, a widow whose husband has died, gossip here? Don't tell me you're ashamed of your husband's death and want to cause trouble for me too?" Song Tangli's words were sharp, and she started to criticize Jiang Chun as soon as she locked her eyes on her.
Jiang Chun's face turned deathly pale in an instant. Her husband had died in battle shortly after their marriage, and rumors circulated that she had brought death to her husband, which was a lifelong pain for her.
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