The scene remained deadlocked, and none of the ladies dared to speak, acting as if they didn't exist.
Upon seeing this, Yuwen Xian said, "Doesn't Consort Song's back get tired from standing and talking?"
Her words carried no hidden meaning, but Song Wenyue took them to heart, feeling a sense of sarcasm and resentment towards her. However, as the Emperor's younger sister, she could only suppress her anger.
"Yes." She curtsied and sat down next to Song Yaozhu.
Yongle glared at her with her round eyes. How dare she go against her best friend? Well then, she'd go against her!
The performance of "The Romance of the Western Chamber" on stage was still going on, but few of the audience members were really interested in listening anymore. They were all more or less concerned about the two sisters, Song San and Song Si.
Some people want to see the two sisters fight, while others would love to run away at the slightest sign of trouble.
As a result, before the play was over, many people left, citing the cold weather inside the theater.
"Your Highness, do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Yuwen Xian asked from the side.
For some reason, she felt a deep affection for Song Yaozhu. Perhaps it was because she resembled her sister-in-law, who was like a mother to her. Although she was too young to remember at the time, that sense of intimacy seemed to have seeped into her very being.
"Does *** have any arrangements?"
"Summer is boring, so I'd like to go boating on the lake. There are some painted boats on the river, and I'd like to invite the princess to join me."
Song Yaozhu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
At the evening banquet, Song Yaozhu and Xie Liwei sat together, discussing their boating trip the next day. Xie Liwei gave her a long, wistful look, "Are you leaving me again?"
Song Yaozhu was speechless. What did she mean by abandoning him again? When did she ever abandon her husband? He was such a grown man, how could she possibly abandon him!
“***You’re still young, and you’re a man, so please be mindful of avoiding any appearance of impropriety. If there were other people around, I would have taken you with me.”
She coaxed him softly.
Xie Liwei snorted lightly, "A woman's mouth is a deceitful devil."
If she really wants to bring me along, then she can just invite more people!
The two whispered to each other as singing and dancing began, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Yuwen Wuji sat at the head of the table, his eyes scanning his ministers with indifference.
He was in low spirits; everything had gone wrong this past year, leaving him feeling mentally and physically exhausted. He didn't know who had arranged his seating today; sitting at the head of the table, he looked down and saw that the Prince of Xiaoyao and his wife were practically sitting by the door, making it impossible for him to see Song Yaozhu clearly.
After he took Song Si in, he realized that she was nowhere near as good as Xie Wanqing! But she still resembled her in some ways.
But what he liked most was her submissive, dependent nature. She went to great lengths to win his favor and please him. This was something Xie Wanqing would never do, and it pleased him even more.
She is like this; I wonder if Song Yaozhu is the same kind of woman? If so, he desires Song Yaozhu even more.
Yuwen Wuji swallowed a mouthful of wine, only to find that the wine made his throat even drier.
Sure enough, people are base; what they can't have is always the best!
He thought that after two months at the summer resort, there would always be an opportunity.
After the banquet that evening, he summoned Song Wenyue to his bedchamber. The gauze curtains billowed, and the red candles burned until midnight. Song Wenyue leaned against the man, panting softly, and said, "Your Majesty, are you free tomorrow? I would like you to accompany me on a boat trip on the lake."
Although Yuwen Wuji liked her gentle and dependent nature, he didn't like women who constantly clung to him. He wanted a quiet woman who wouldn't bother him, someone who would appear at his beck and call when he needed her.
Just as she was about to refuse, she heard her say, "Today at the theater, I heard that *** invited my sister to go boating. I would also like to go, but I'm afraid my sister won't welcome me."
Yuwen Wuji raised his hand and gently flicked the tip of her nose. He knew about her entanglement with Song San, but he hadn't expected Song San to be so clever, actually setting a trap to make Song Wenyue take the blame. This showed that Song Wenyue posed no threat to him whatsoever—just a foolish woman. It also slightly displeased him with Song San's cunning.
It seems she's been corrupted by Xie Liwei for too long. Otherwise, given her background, how could she have come up with such a honey trap?
"Alright, I'll go with you and support you."
Upon hearing this, Song Wenyue smiled sweetly and planted a kiss on his cheek. But in her heart, she was already thinking about how to crush Song Yaozhu tomorrow!
To avoid the summer heat, Song Yaozhu got up early, hoping to board the boat while the morning air was still cool. Unexpectedly, Xie Liwei also got up early, saying he had an appointment that day as well.
The two walked together to the lakeside. Song Yaozhu looked at him with a slight frown.
"I have made an appointment with someone."
Song Yaozhu looked at him quietly, her eyes seeming to say, "Keep making this up."
Xie Liwei didn't make it up; Yuwen Wuji sent someone to call him to go boating on the lake today. The only difference was the time. Song Yaozhu and the others had nothing else to do, so they set off at the beginning of the morning (9-11 AM), while Yuwen Wuji set it for the end of the morning (9-11 PM).
Why didn't you tell me about this?
Xie Liwei raised an eyebrow at her, his tone somewhat intriguing: "What, you want to deal with him?"
Song Yaozhu immediately walked towards the lakeside. "What did Your Highness just say? How could I have misheard?"
Xie Liwei curled his lips slightly and followed slowly behind her.
Yuwen Xian was already on the painted boat when she saw Song Yaozhu waving at her. With the help of a maid, Song Yaozhu boarded the boat safely. She turned to look at Xie Liwei, who waved to her, indicating that he was going to sit in the pavilion for a while, as he had to deal with the emperor later.
Once on the boat, Song Yaozhu glanced at Xie Liwei's retreating figure.
In that instant, she felt a sense of security, a sense of having someone to rely on. He would stand before her, shielding her from the storms of life.
"What about Yongle?"
“I’ve already slept. The princess told me not to wait for her, so I came here to see if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Yuwen Xian laughed and said, "As expected of her. There's nothing to arrange, so let's go boating, fishing, playing chess, and enjoying tea. If it were to rain at this time, it would be even more pleasant."
Ice was placed inside the cabin, so it wasn't hot. Fishing rods were propped up on the side of the boat, watched over by servants, so the two women only needed to sit.
It's nice to be waited on hand and foot all the time, but it can get a bit boring if you don't have to do anything yourself.
She looked out the window at the pavilion, and Xie Liwei was also looking in her direction. Although they couldn't see each other's eyes, she knew that the other was looking at her.
This feeling was subtle, making her heart feel full and bulging.
But she knew this feeling shouldn't be like this. She should treat him like her younger brother, just like before.
Just then, a woman in a light pink dress suddenly appeared in his line of sight. She seemed to appear out of thin air, her mouth opening and closing as she looked at Xie Liwei.
Xie Liwei also turned around to look at her, not knowing what the two were talking about. After a few moments, Xie Liwei left the pavilion and walked inside with Qin Yu.
Just as Song Yaozhu was about to look away, she saw the woman in pink looking at her. Even though they were far apart, she knew that the woman was looking at her.
Yuwen Xian, who was standing nearby, also saw this scene and couldn't help but tease, "Looks like they're rivals in love."
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