Chu Jinyao walked for a long time, and finally admitted helplessly that she seemed to be going in circles.

She frowned. There was not even a single person in this place. What should she do? It was strange that even in a more remote garden, there would be servants serving. Why were there no maids sweeping the floor around?

Chu Jinyao looked around quietly, and was suddenly startled by a voice behind her: "This girl."

Chu Jinyao was frightened. She turned around in shock and saw a young man wearing a green round-necked robe and a smiling face standing behind her. He looked young, with a fair face, clean and sophisticated, without even a bit of stubble.

Chu Jinyao calmed down and asked with a little caution: "Who are you? How did you appear here?"

"To be honest, young lady, I... I saw you wandering in circles here, and seemed to be lost, so I volunteered to come forward and show you the way."

"You show me the way?" Chu Jinyao was surprised, and then he became nervous, and his eyes became extremely defensive, "No need, I can find it myself."

Xiao Linzi thought, young lady, if you can really find it, why would their prince stand at the window for so long to blow the cold wind? Although I don't know why the prince must watch this girl go out with his own eyes, but the master's mind is always so suspenseful, and their prince is even more clear about it. Xiao Linzi was no longer surprised. As long as the prince was in a good mood, there was nothing he couldn't do. What was the big deal about giving a stranger a way out?

Xiao Linzi thought so, and his smile became more and more kind. He had a round white face, just like a white dough: "Girl, I am definitely kind-hearted. You have been delayed here for so long, and it is not a good idea to get lost like this. How about this, I will walk in front, and you follow from a distance. If you find something wrong, you can get out immediately. What do you think?"

Chu Jinyao thought about it, and nodded reluctantly: "Okay."

Xiao Linzi turned around and really kept his promise. He honestly led the way in front, never looking back and never trying to ask questions. Chu Jinyao thought, could it be that he is really a kind-hearted servant? But, looking at his clothes, why are they different from the servants he had seen before?

When she was about to walk out of the yard, Chu Jinyao seemed to sense something and turned back without warning. In the corner of the garden stood an attic quietly. Just at this moment, a gust of wind blew, lifting the thick curtains and covering the situation inside the window.

"Miss?" Xiao Linzi also stopped. When he saw Chu Jinyao turning her head, a light flashed in his eyes, but there was no clue in his voice. He just said tentatively, "Miss, it's time to go."

Chu Jinyao shook her head. She laughed secretly. She was really paranoid. Why did she feel that someone was watching her there? Chu Jinyao turned around and nodded to Xiao Linzi, "Okay, let's go now."

Chu Jinyao confirmed that Xiao Linzi was a good person. When he thought about how defensive he had been just now, he felt ashamed, so he smiled at Xiao Linzi brilliantly and without defense. Xiao Linzi was caught off guard, and was stunned for a moment when he saw Chu Jinyao's smile.

But soon, Xiao Linzi reacted and turned sideways to lead Chu Jinyao forward. Xiao Linzi thought to himself, this girl is not well-known, but she has a gorgeous appearance, and she is not inferior to the nobles in the palace. Thinking of this,

Xiao Linzi spit on him, what was he thinking about, it was important to go back and report to the prince.

Chu Jinyao soon arrived at the Moon Gate where she came from. She looked at the maids coming and going outside the gate and could already recognize the flower hall where the banquet was held. Xiao Linzi said from behind: "Miss, I can't see you off any further. I will take my leave now."

Chu Jinyao was very happy and didn't pay attention to what Xiao Linzi said. She turned around and waved goodbye to Xiao Linzi, then walked forward briskly.

Xiao Linzi avoided the crowd and hid behind the Moon Gate to watch for a while. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, he walked back.

However, he had only taken two steps this time when he heard a burst of hurried footsteps behind him. Xiao Linzi turned around in surprise and saw Chu Jinyao running back anxiously: "This... I don't know how to address you, it's really rude. Please stay for a moment, have you seen my purse?"

"Purse?" Xiao Linzi was also confused, "What's going on?"

"I was just about to go back, and suddenly I found that the purse hanging around my waist was missing. This is a purse I usually carry, and it might not be good if it was lost."

Needless to say, Xiao Linzi also thought of what was wrong. He looked down and found that there was indeed a gap at Chu Jinyao's belt, as if something was missing. Chu Jinyao walked under Xiao Linzi's eyes all the way. Xiao Linzi was sure that Chu Jinyao was not playing tricks. When he first saw her, she was dressed like this and she never touched her belt. If that was the case, then I'm afraid that the purse really fell on the road. As

it involved the reputation of a lady, Xiao Linzi didn't dare to delay and said quickly, "Miss, come with me, let's go back the same way to look for it."

In the flower hall, Chu Jinyao had been gone for a long time and had not returned. Although the ladies in the flower hall didn't say anything, they were actually worried about this matter.

Chu Jinmiao stood up, walked over and said to the county lord: "County lord, my fifth sister hasn't come back yet. As her elder sister, I am worried and want to go find her."

When Chu Jinmiao said these words, she did not control the volume, nor did she think about avoiding the people around her, so many people heard it. The county lord waved his hand indifferently: "Okay, go ahead." After that, the county lord murmured in a low voice: "Didn't you and her get the wrong one? She shouldn't be your real sister. Why are you so anxious?"

Chu Jinmiao blushed when she heard this. She hurriedly took two steps and pretended that she didn't hear it.

When Chu Jinmiao went out, she happened to pass by the third lady's seat. The third lady also stood up and said: "Are you going out to look for your fifth sister? I'll go with you."

Chu Jinmiao didn't say anything, just nodded as a promise. She suddenly remembered something and turned back to look at the Sixth Miss. When Chu Jinmiao saw the Sixth Miss sitting coldly, her heart sank.

It's over, don't let the Sixth Miss ruin things!

Chu Jinmiao and the Third Miss looked at each other, and without further delay, they hurried out with the maid.

On the other side, Lin Xining was walking in the corridor with Lin Xiyuan. Lin Xining asked: "Brother, you are in such a hurry, who are you going to see?"

Lin Xiyuan didn't say anything, but just said: "To see an important person. This is not something you should know, don't ask first."

Lin Xining shut up embarrassedly, his hand accidentally touched something in his sleeve, and his expression was stunned. Lin Xining glanced at Lin Xiyuan silently. In the snow-filled light, he could only see his elder brother's face as white as jade and his eyes as dark as ink.

It was not surprising that such a man was liked by the little girl.

Thinking of this, Lin Xining took out something from his sleeve and handed it to Lin Xiyuan.

"What?" Lin Xiyuan glanced at it and asked in confusion.

Lin Xining said, "This is what my cousin gave me. My mother called me for something, so I couldn't go to the back. Anyway, big brother, it's on your way. When you see my cousin, please give it to her for me."

Lin Xiyuan glanced at the lilac purse, glared at Lin Xining helplessly, and took it.

He is also a man, and older than Lin Xining, how could he not understand Lin Xining's thoughts. The cousin he mentioned must be Chu Jinmiao.

In front of Lin Xining, Lin Xiyuan couldn't say much. The fourth girl of the Chu family is cunning and has a bad heart. I'm afraid she is not a good match. However, if he said these words in front of Lin Xining, Lin Xining would definitely rush up and fight with him regardless of anything, so Lin Xiyuan had to put it aside and planned to take time to mention it to the old princess in the future.

The two brothers parted at the fork in the road. Lin Xining walked in another direction, while Lin Xiyuan walked towards the attic in the garden.

Lin Xiyuan thought of the owner in the attic, and his steps became more and more hurried. However, before he could reach the place, he was stopped by an unexpected person.

Lin Xiyuan looked at the person in front of him in surprise and asked in confusion: "Sixth Miss, what do you mean?"

"Prince, you can't go any further."

Lin Xiyuan raised his eyebrows, and a smile of interest appeared on his face: "Why?"

The Sixth Miss bit her lip, as if she had made a very difficult decision, and said with all her heart: "I accidentally learned that the fourth sister and the third sister set a trap ahead and wanted to plot against you."

"Plot against me?" Lin Xiyuan shook his head in amusement. Even if he was incompetent, he was still the prince of the royal palace. How could Chu Jinmiao and the third lady, two ladies from the imperial family, plot against him? Lin Xiyuan was about to say something when his face suddenly changed: "No, why did the two of them set a trap for me? Who is the other person?"

The reaction was really fast. The sixth lady looked at Lin Xiyuan and said softly: "My fifth sister."

"Fifth cousin?" Lin Xiyuan was very surprised. He didn't bother to report to the prince and said quickly: "Take me there!"

Chu Jinmiao and the third lady were afraid that something might happen, so they hurried to the changing room. The changing room for the visiting ladies was naturally strictly guarded. Of course, Chu Jinmiao was not going to the changing room of the palace.

The two of them ran to a place and were suddenly rushed into the arms of a person. The third lady was sharp-eyed. When she saw the person coming, she grabbed him and shouted, "Who are you? How come you, a servant, come to such a place?"

The servant lowered his head, as if he wanted to leave quickly. The third lady grew up with Aunt Huang and was very familiar with these street activities. When she saw the other party's expression, she was even more unwilling to let go. Chu Jinmiao also felt that this person was very suspicious, but she thought it was ugly to pull and tug, so she took a step back and let the third lady pull the person, while she stood aside, dignified and decent, cleared her throat, and was about to ask a question.

But before Chu Jinmiao could speak, an unbelievable voice came from behind: "Fourth sister?"

Chu Jinmiao was startled and immediately turned around. The third lady also let go of the person in her hand in a panic. The people who came seemed very surprised to see them: "Third sister, you are here too? Fourth sister, what are you doing here?"

Chu Jinmiao panicked for a moment, but soon calmed down. She raised her chin slightly and asked: "Sixth sister, I was about to ask you, what are you doing here?"

The sixth girl glared at the two of them fiercely and was about to run inside: "Where is the fifth sister? What did you do to her?"

Hearing this name, Chu Jinmiao felt inexplicably scared. She was frightened, and goose bumps popped up on her arms, but Chu Jinmiao still pretended to be calm and said, "What are you talking about? I don't understand a word. Oh, I see. You asked Chu Jinyao as soon as you came. I'm afraid it's not a thief crying thief?"

The Sixth Girl was stopped by the Third Girl, and she tried to run inside several times but failed. The Third Girl was still wondering, she thought it would take a lot of effort, but the Sixth Girl looked so powerful, why was it so easy to stop her? Was she mistaken? As

soon as the Third Girl finished this thought, she saw the Sixth Girl raised her head and gave her a strange smile, and a strange light flashed in her eyes.

The third lady opened her mouth wide, but before she could think of anything, she heard a voice behind her: "Don't worry about my palace's family affairs. As for whether it's a thief crying thief, I'll know after I see it myself."

Chu Jinmiao and the third lady turned back in horror at the same time: "Prince?"

Lin Xiyuan stood at the door with a cold face. He was always gentle and smiled at everyone he met. However, now, his expression without a smile made people feel cold from the bottom of their hearts. Lin Xiyuan was even too lazy to pay attention to these people. He walked quickly to the closed door and was about to push the door open, but his hand stopped moving.

Chu Jinmiao and the other two watched helplessly as Lin Xiyuan paused for several seconds with his hands raised. Finally, he bent his knuckles and gently knocked on the door.

"Is there anyone there?"

No one answered, and Lin Xiyuan's heart suddenly sank. He straightened up and turned to Chu Jinmiao and the others with a cold face: "The remaining matters are internal affairs of my palace. It's not good to keep the three girls here. Please leave first."

Get out? Chu Jinmiao and the third girl looked at each other and felt something was wrong at the same time.

Their original plan was to wet Chu Jinyao's clothes and then lead her to this place to change clothes. Chu Jinmiao had Chu Zhu and Lin Xining to help her. She just told a lie and it was not difficult to get people to cooperate. However, there were not many of them. Because of the shortage of manpower, Chu Jinmiao was on high alert and was determined to ruin Chu Jinyao's reputation among the people in the palace today.

Chu Jinmiao watched Chu Jinyao go out to change clothes with the arranged people, and then she would bring the prince over. Chu Jinmiao knew that she couldn't really ruin Chu Jinyao's reputation, otherwise she would be implicated. But at this time of selecting a companion, who are the old princess and the princess of the county? They have hundreds of candidates in their eyes. As long as Chu Jinyao has a little stain, it will be enough to make Chu Jinyao be completely eliminated and have no chance of turning over.

What is the most taboo for the elders, especially the princess of the county, the mistress?

Naturally, the woman was too ambitious and tried to get close to the prince. As long as someone dared to set his sights on the prince, Chu Jinmiao was sure that this person would disappear from the list of princesses forever.

So Chu Jinmiao discussed with Nanny Sun in advance and asked Nanny Sun to put a note in Chu Jinyao's purse. Afterwards, Chu Jinmiao arranged for someone to secretly take away Chu Jinyao's purse at the beginning of the banquet and handed it to Lin Xining, saying vaguely: "The fifth lady admires the prince very much, this is a gift for the prince."

Chu Jinmiao came forward, and Lin Xining naturally responded to what he said. Although he felt that this was inappropriate, he still followed Chu Jinmiao's arrangement, saying that this was something from his "cousin" and handed it to Lin Xiyuan. Lin Xiyuan mistakenly thought that the cousin his brother was talking about was Chu Jinmiao. How could he know that they were playing word games right under his nose and trying to steal someone else's property.

And Lin Xiyuan really fell for it. The purse he accepted was indeed Chu Jinyao's.

Up to now, every step of Chu Jinmiao's plan had been realized, except for the last step, which was to lead the prince to the yard where Chu Jinyao was changing clothes, and then she and the third girl would come out early to stop him and report the matter to the Princess. The Princess didn't know the inside story. She saw everything on the surface, and she only thought that Chu Jinyao was trying to seduce the prince, and even gave him a purse and secretly made an appointment with him while he was changing clothes. When the Princess of the County learned about this, she would be furious and completely disgusted with Chu Jinyao. Chu Jinyao's sure position as a companion was also lost.

This plan is very clever, and Chu Jinmiao will not leave any room for criticism from the beginning to the end. It will not only destroy Chu Jinyao, but also will not affect the reputation of the Chu family girls. As long as the princess's impression of Chu Jinyao turns bad, the noble ladies will exchange information with each other, and Chu Jinyao will not be able to find a good marriage

. Chu Jinmiao's plan is very good, and so far, everything has gone as she expected. Although she doesn't know why the Sixth Miss mixed in, it doesn't matter. Her plan is only one step away, and it will be accomplished soon.

Chu Jinmiao thought so, and didn't care about Lin Xiyuan's words. She pretended to be worried, took a few steps forward, and suddenly her feet went soft, and her body fell crookedly, but her hand pushed the door open accurately.

Lin Xiyuan's eyes suddenly became very cold. He was afraid that Chu Jinyao would really fall into the trap, so he planned to clear the people and at least save Chu Jinyao's reputation, but he didn't expect that Chu Jinmiao would be so vicious!

The third girl watched Chu Jinmiao fall down weakly, and she thought in her heart that she was really good at acting, but her hands cooperated with Chu Jinmiao's acting without hesitation, and squatted down to help Chu Jinmiao with a cry.

The sixth girl stood far away, disdaining the behavior of these two people. She looked up at the door that had been pushed open, her eyes already gleaming with determination.

The door creaked open, then hit the back with a bang. The people outside were staring at the inside nervously or excitedly, and when they saw the scene inside, their expressions all turned to surprise.

Where was the person inside?

Lin Xiyuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted. He glanced coldly at Chu Jinmiao who was lying on the ground, waved his hand to call the maid, and said without any emotion in his voice: "Is today's farce enough? Come, send the three girls back. Don't leave behind any of the servants in this yard. Send them all to grandma and mother later so that the elders can question them clearly."

Chu Jinmiao widened her eyes in disbelief, but no matter how she looked, there was no one in the room, not even a sign that anyone had been there. After hearing what Lin Xiyuan said, Chu Jinmiao couldn't help but said, "Prince..."

"Enough." Lin Xiyuan interrupted impatiently, put his hands behind his back and said, "Send the three girls back."

Chu Jinmiao and the third girl looked at each other, and saw fear in each other's eyes. Is this the case? Has Chu Jinyao never been here? This is impossible.

And the sixth girl, who was not far away, was also pale.

How is it possible?

Chu Jinmiao and the third girl supported each other. When passing by the sixth girl, Chu Jinmiao snorted very coldly.

Well, playing a trick on them, I was almost tricked by her today. Chu Jinwan, just wait!

Lin Xiyuan looked at the sixth girl, and the doubts along the way slowly surfaced in his mind. The Sixth Miss took a step closer to Lin Xiyuan, and whispered with trembling lips: "Prince, I..."

"Sixth Miss Chu." Lin Xiyuan interrupted her politely but ruthlessly, saying, "Please go back." The

Sixth Miss drooped her shoulders dejectedly. She could not afford any mistakes when fighting with a smart man. If she had a chance to deceive the prince before, now it was completely ruined.

She hinted at it indirectly, and combined with her own speculation, she roughly restored Chu Jinmiao's plan. After the Sixth Miss learned about it, she remained calm, did not alarm Chu Jinmiao, and did not intend to warn Chu Jinyao. She let Chu Jinmiao move forward step by step, and then when the matter was halfway done, she ran to tell the prince.

This is both a betrayal and a sign of weakness. A weak woman who is already alone and helpless has to run out and tell the prince that there is a trap ahead and he cannot go. Which man can remain indifferent to this? Later, she used the trick to lure the prince to this place, and after she and Chu Jinmiao staged a rescue scene, she waited aside and watched Chu Jinmiao perform. It seems that the Sixth Girl only changed a small part of Chu Jinmiao's plan, but she is far more clever than Chu Jinmiao.

This is a trick within a trick. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The Sixth Girl saw through Chu Jinmiao's plan and was able to modify it slightly, so that Chu Jinmiao's efforts would go to the side that is beneficial to her. From then on, no matter how hard Chu Jinmiao pushed her plan, she was actually helping others, because the biggest beneficiary of this matter had become the Sixth Lady.

The Sixth Lady revealed the plan to the Prince in advance, and took him to see the scene of Chu Jinmiao's plot. No matter how perfect Chu Jinmiao's plan was, would the Prince allow Chu Jinmiao to be the companion of his own sister?

No. The moment Chu Jinmiao and the Third Lady's plan succeeded, their future was blocked. At this time, Chu Jinyao had been successfully designed by Chu Jinmiao, ruined her reputation, and aroused the disgust of the Princess of the County. Three of the four ladies were defeated at once, and the final winner was only the Sixth Lady.

Yes, although two people are required to be selected as study partners, from the beginning, the Sixth Miss had no intention of leaving a place for her sisters. The Third House was oppressed everywhere, and her parents were submissive and could not achieve great things. Even the Fifth Young Master, who was placed all her parents' hopes on, was actually of average qualifications. Sometimes the Sixth Miss wished she could take his place and study for him.

People only know that boys are valued over girls, but they don't know that many families throughout history have prospered not because of the men's success, but because of the daughters in the family. When the Sixth Miss heard the news of choosing a study partner, she realized that this was her chance. If she became the Crown Prince's Consort of the Prince's Mansion, would Old Lady Chu dare to deduct the Third House so blatantly? Obviously not. Similarly, as long as she becomes the Crown Prince's Consort, the current predicament of the Third House, such as hardship, financial difficulties, and no one paying attention, will be solved.

Many of the sisters, such as the Third Miss, were stunned by the Crown Prince of Huailing Palace and began to dream about him. But the Sixth Miss is different. She had been thinking about the Crown Prince's Consort long before she saw the Crown Prince. She didn't care what the Crown Prince looked like. Even if the Crown Prince was a middle-aged man with a big belly, the Sixth Miss would not frown. If one more person went to the palace, it would be more difficult for her to implement the plan. It would be better to nip everything in the bud. As a companion and the Crown Prince's Consort, she only needs one person.

It was such a smooth plan, but now it has failed. The Sixth Miss was determined to cultivate her image as a smart, kind but neglected weak woman, and she had shown it in front of the prince many times. This time, with the help of Chu Jinmiao's plan, she showed it to the fullest. Logically, her plan was almost successful, but it was just a hair's breadth away.

It was this hair's breadth that made the prince suspicious.

The Sixth Miss did not dare to underestimate the heir to the Prince's Mansion. Once the prince became suspicious, it would be a long time before he figured out all the details. The Sixth Miss sighed that everything she had done was in vain, just like a thousand-foot-high building that collapsed because of the last piece of wood.

Chu Jinmiao and the Third Miss left in disgrace. The Sixth Miss realized that she was exposed and left with interest. Lin Xiyuan stood in the empty yard and glanced at the house again.

He couldn't help but sigh.

Lin Xiyuan didn't know whether this was good or bad. He could only hope that Chu Jinyao had figured it out early and was hiding now.

In fact, the protagonist who was plotted against was now anxiously looking for her purse.

Chu Jinyao was really anxious. Private transactions were a crime that could kill a woman, and what was lost was her purse. If it was picked up by a woman, it would be fine. If it was picked up by a man... Chu Jinyao didn't dare to think about it.

She didn't know that her purse had been stolen by Chu Jinmiao without her noticing, and now it had passed through many people and ended up in Lin Xiyuan's hands.

Chu Jinyao and Xiao Linzi walked along the way looking for it, but they searched for it several times and didn't see any purse. Because of the different routes, Chu Jinyao just happened to avoid Lin Xiyuan and Sixth Girl who were passing by the garden. Until now, neither group of people knew of the other's existence.

Xiao Linzi looked at Chu Jinyao worriedly: "Miss Chu, I searched for it several times and couldn't find it. Maybe it fell somewhere else?"

"That's the only possibility." Chu Jinyao frowned, with a worried look on her face.

Xiao Linzi felt sorry for her, but he could do nothing to help. The two were talking when suddenly, Xiao Linzi's eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" Chu Jinyao turned around in surprise and saw a group of people looking around and walking hurriedly on the opposite side. In the middle of them, there seemed to be a young man in ochre-red clothes.

Chu Jinmiao felt that he looked familiar for some reason, and she wanted to look again, but the guards on the opposite side seemed to be well-trained. Although they walked quickly, they protected the person in the middle very strictly. Chu Jinyao looked for a long time, but did not see the face of the person in the middle.

In the blink of an eye, they were about to walk out of the garden. Chu Jinyao was mad and gave up the pursuit. However, at this moment, the person who was strictly protected turned around and looked back with a funny look.

At that moment, Chu Jinyao felt that her blood was frozen. After a long time, she regained the ability to speak: "Xiao Lin, who are they?"

Xiao Linzi avoided the question, and before he could think of how to prevaricate, he heard the girl Chu continue to ask: "Tell me this, look at them, are they human?"

The author has something to say: Xiao Linzi: ? ? ?

(Suddenly startled)