Chapter 181 Invitation to Plum Blossom Viewing
The next day.
It started snowing in the early morning. When the clouds rose, it was already white outside. The two ginkgo trees outside the window, which were originally bare, were now covered with snow, making them look less monotonous.
Perhaps it was because the snow made it seem very bright outside, Yun Qin woke up very early and arrived at Fengyi Palace earlier than usual, which was rare.
But I didn't expect to be turned down.
"The Empress fell ill suddenly this morning and didn't have time to tell the masters." Lan Ying personally explained to the concubines who had arrived outside the palace gate.
Yun Qin stood behind her and saw the worry in her eyes and brows, and she knew that the queen was indeed ill.
Her first thought was that she wouldn't have to get up early for the next few days.
It was not kind, but unfortunately, she didn't feel sorry.
Maybe the queen was indeed wronged last night, but she was not the only one who suffered the undeserved disaster, and she felt more sympathetic towards herself.
Yun Qin did not step forward, but just nodded to Lan Ying from a distance, then turned around and prepared to leave.
Not long after they walked out, Yun Qin's sedan chair met another sedan chair on the palace road.
The one who came with Yunqin today was Danxue.
She whispered to Yunqin in the sedan chair, "The one coming up is Shen Danying."
The queen fell ill, so it was in vain for Shen Danying to go.
Yun Qin stroked the hand warmer but did not let Dan Xue tell the other party.
Shen Danying has always been very respectful to the Queen, and she might want to show herself in front of Lanying.
She'd better stop meddling in other people's business.
However, the snow was heavy that morning, reaching a height of a palm. Although the eunuchs had shoveled the snow, they could only pile it on both sides. The road to the palace that was not covered with snow was so wide that it could not accommodate two sedan chairs.
Yun Qin lifted a corner of the curtain and ordered, "Let them pass first."
Danxue was stunned and felt confused. Her master had a title and a higher position than Shen Danying, so she should give way.
But the training she received in the Shang Palace Bureau prevented her from asking questions about her doubts, and she just followed Yun Qin's original instructions.
When the two sedan chairs were about to cross, Shen Danying called out to the eunuch who was lifting the sedan chair, lifted the curtain, and asked, "Why is Xi Danying back? What happened?"
Yun Qin in the sedan chair was somewhat helpless, but she could not ignore her words, so she could only lift the curtain and said with a faint smile: "The Queen is ill, so there is no need to pay respects today."
Shen was slightly startled, then smiled at Yun Qin and said, "Xie Xi promised to tell you."
Yun Qin nodded slightly and was about to lower the curtain when she heard Shen Danying calling her urgently.
"Xi agrees!"
After Yunqin looked over, she said, "Xi Danying, I heard that the plum blossoms in the Taxue Garden have bloomed and the snow has lightened. We have nothing to do during the day. Do you want to go and enjoy the plum blossoms together?"
Plum blossom viewing?
The scene of red plum blossoms and white snow flashed through Yun Qin's mind. She was a little moved, but when she looked at the icy and snowy scene outside, she began to back off. Besides, the person who was admiring the plum blossoms with her was not the right one.
Not only because of their identities, but also because of Shen Che, Yun Qin felt inexplicably embarrassed when she saw Shen Danying.
Perhaps the look in her eyes as she gazed at the snow outside was too obvious, Shen Danying immediately said, "I heard that the warm room in the garden has been heated up. If not, I would not have invited Danying."
Since she could see my resistance, she still invited me...
What should I do if I don’t want to go anymore?
Although Yun Qin was somewhat resistant, she was also somewhat curious, and her intuition told her that it might be related to what happened last night.
She really wanted to hear what this person had to say.
After all, Shen Danying has the support of the Shen family, unlike her who has to rely on her own guesses to figure out many things.
"Then let's go to the Snow Park."
As Shen promised, the warm room was heated to make it convenient for the palace masters to come and appreciate the plum blossoms. Even if they opened the windows to appreciate the plum blossoms, they would not feel cold.
After coming in, Yun Qin took off her cloak and said nothing. She just half leaned on the armrest of the chair, looking at the snow scene outside.
It wasn't like she had anything to say, so she was too lazy to find a topic to start with.
Shen Danying was also hesitant, not knowing how to start.
She glanced absentmindedly at the snow scene outside, and her eyes involuntarily fell on Yun Qin.
Today Yun Qin did not wear as much makeup as yesterday. It seemed that she did not wear any makeup at all. Her face was bare, with only some lip balm on her lips, which looked bright red.
Her hair was dark, her lips were rosy, and her cheeks were plump and fair, but the beauty of the red plum blossoms blooming in the snow outside the window seemed somewhat eclipsed.
Just as she was lost in thought, a loud "bang" suddenly came from outside.
It turned out that the pliable plum branches were bent by the snow, and then bounced back, shaking off the snow and blood-red petals to the ground.
This movement brought Shen Danying back to his senses, and he realized that he had been staring at Yun Qin in a daze.
Shen Danying's face turned red for a moment. He picked up the teacup and drank a sip of tea to cover it up, but he couldn't help but glance at Yun Qin.
It's not her fault. Yun Qin's appearance is such that even as a woman, she can't help but feel pity for her.
No wonder the Emperor...
Oh, and my brother...
Shen Danying couldn't help but sigh. She received another letter from her brother yesterday. As expected, the letter asked her to ask Xi Danying.
"But the scenery is not pretty. Why is Shen Danying sighing?"
Shen Danying raised his eyes suddenly, and when he met Yun Qin's smiling dark eyes, he was surprised to realize that he actually sighed out loud.
Her face immediately flushed, and she said hurriedly, "I just thought about how fleeting the beautiful scenery is, so I couldn't help but sigh."
Yun Qin knew that she had been staring at her the whole time, so she didn't expose her when she said that. She just smiled and said, "Then Mr. Shen should come and look more often."
"Xi Daying is right." Shen Daying laughed dryly.
Although it was a bit awkward, at least the topic was opened. Shen Danying calmed down, glanced at Yun Qin again, suppressed his smile and said:
"What a coincidence that the Queen is ill today."
Yun Qin's beautiful eyes flickered, "It's been cold lately, maybe you caught a cold."
Seeing that she didn't respond, Shen Danying didn't mind and continued with a smile: "I heard that the Empress was carried on a sedan chair by the palace maids of Ninghe Palace last night. Could it be that she was already ill at that time?"
Yun Qin raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard this. Did she send people to keep an eye on Ninghe Palace, or did she say that she had people in Ninghe Palace?
It’s not easy…
"The Empress is really seriously ill?" she said perfunctorily.
Shen Danying also ignored her perfunctory response. "If she wasn't sick, it couldn't be that the Queen Mother punished her, could it? At the birthday banquet, the Queen Mother was still so protective of the Queen Mother, it couldn't be that the Queen Mother really did something wrong, could it?"
Yun Qin understood. She was suspicious about what happened last night. It was indeed the Queen who deliberately did not give instructions to the kitchen even though she knew that the eldest prince was coming to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday.
Regardless of whether this is the case or not, what makes Yunqin even more confused is why Shen Danying told her this.
Want to join forces with her to deal with the Queen?