Chapter 9 Li Daoxuan's pet snake entangles a woman...
Everyone turned around to look when they heard the sound.
The young man approached like a unique sight. He was dressed in an elegant blue suit, his handsome face as if meticulously carved, his eyebrows slightly raised, his eyes bright and deep.
Li Jinxiu smiled and bowed to Li Yu politely, "May your Majesty be well."
Li Yu looked at his younger brother in confusion, "Ajin, why are you stopping me?"
Li Jinxiu said with a guilty look on his face: "Imperial sister, you don't know, I brought this lady Shen here by chance. Now that you have misunderstood me so deeply, it is really my fault."
When Shen Ling saw the Third Prince, she felt as if she had found her backbone. She broke free from the Imperial Guards' hands and looked at Li Jinxiu with grievance, "Your Highness..."
Li Yu frowned, and the imperial guards immediately stopped Shen Ling who was about to pounce on him. Li Yu asked, "What do you mean?"
Li Jinxiu smiled faintly and said, "When I was passing through the city gate, this Madam Shen suddenly stopped my carriage and said she wanted to go to Mount Li to recognize her relatives. I felt sorry for her, so I brought her in."
After all, he was the one who brought him in. Now that he was about to be kicked out, Li Jinxiu felt bad. He turned to look at Shen Ling and asked, "Madam, did you recognize your sister?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Ling's eyes filled with tears, looking very miserable. "Thanks to your Highness, I, you, have found my sister."
Li Jinxiu, who was a bit honest and straightforward, breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Shen Ling say this. He said, "That's great."
Little did he know that Shen Ling's face became even uglier.
Li Jinxiu was completely unaware and said to Li Yu, "Although this lady didn't bring a visiting card, I brought her here with me. I hope the Queen will consider my kindness and not chase her away."
Upon hearing this, Li Yu angrily said, "Good Ah Jin, you are always so presumptuous, bringing people in without even asking about their background. Now that you're being used by someone, you're actually pleading for her. Ask her who the "Ajie" she's talking about is!"
After hearing this, Li Jinxiu's smile froze on his face. If it was true as his sister said, that he was being enslaved by others, then it meant that most of his face today was wiped out. Thinking of this, Li Jinxiu looked at Shen Ling with a bad expression, "I wonder which sister Madam Shen is talking about?"
Chen Qing's original intention was to make Chen Ling suffer a great loss at the banquet, and she and Li Yu would play the good cop and the bad cop respectively to keep her.
In this way, it will not delay Chen Qing's search for Liuli Xin, and it will also give Li Yubo a reputation as a kind person.
In her previous life, Li Yu met with such a tragic death because she lacked tact and hypocrisy and was too tough. Now that she is back, Chen Qing will not let her repeat the same mistake no matter what she says.
Li Jinxiu and Li Yu are siblings born to the Queen, and the Third Prince has always been kind, generous and upright.
It would be better if Li Yu had a better reputation in this life like her brother.
But now that Li Yu, this silly brother, has gotten involved, if Chen Qing continues to deny that she is Chen Ling, her "sister", then Chen Ling will not only be slapping Li Jinxiu in the face, but even worse, the face of the dignified Princess Wanyi, Li Yu, will also be trampled on the ground.
For the sake of her good sister's face, Chen Qing had to suppress her nausea and stepped forward first, bowing politely and saying, "Your Highness, this person is my sister."
Li Yu looked at her in surprise.
Chen Qing secretly patted the back of her hand. Li Yu immediately understood her intention and could only suppress his anger and shut up. However, the look he gave his stupid brother became a little darker.
Li Jinxiu looked surprised, "Madam Shen? When did General Shen have a daughter?"
Chen Qing said with a forced smile, "This girl might be the daughter of a distant relative, not my father's daughter."
Li Jinxiu said embarrassedly, "Oh, I see." A distant relative who was not related at all could barely be considered a sister.
But since she has acknowledged me as her sister, what did the imperial sister mean by "being at my service"?
Before he could figure it out, Li Yu had already grabbed him. He was puzzled: "Imperial sister?"
Li Yu smiled at everyone present and said, "Everyone, please continue with the purification ceremony. I will be leaving for a while."
After saying that, she pulled Li Jinxiu to the rest pavilion.
Li Yu went to teach his younger brother a lesson and admonish him, telling him not to help random people anymore.
Shen Ling was left where she was. Shen Qing was extremely disgusted with Shen Ling, this annoying thing.
The imperial guards who received the princess's order no longer had any intention of driving people out, but Shen Ling had already lost most of her face before.
Everyone was aware of the farce that had just happened. Everyone knew that Chen Qing had to acknowledge Chen Ling as her "sister" for the sake of the Third Prince and the Princess's face. As for Chen Ling herself, they definitely did not dare to praise her.
Therefore, although Shen Ling successfully stayed, no one around her was willing to say a word to her, leaving her standing there with tears in her eyes.
Even if she wanted to get close to Chen Qing, she couldn't.
Because Cui Ya, who had returned from fetching the Sanlejiang wine, had already called a few servants over, if Chen Ling wanted to get close to Chen Qing, the servants would stop her without hesitation. If the other party insisted on getting close, they would be pushed away. This not only vented his anger, but also saved Chen Qing energy.
At the same time, Chen Qing had just found a seat and sat down when he suddenly felt someone pulling his sleeve. Chen Qing looked back and met a pair of pure and clean eyes.
The person who came was Zhao Ranran, the lady of the Yi Zhao family in Jingzhao.
She carefully held the white porcelain basin filled with water and sat down on the seat next to Chen Qing. She put down the white porcelain basin and said to Chen Qing gratefully, "Thank you, Princess and Madam Shen, for your help just now. Otherwise, otherwise--" Otherwise, she didn't know what to do.
Shen Qing felt pity for the young lady who had been harmed by Shen Ling. She smiled and said, "Mrs. Zhao, you are too polite. It's just a small favor."
Zhao Ranran was almost dazzled by Chen Qing's smile. Her cheeks suddenly became hot and she was very nervous. She pursed her lips and whispered, "Madam Chen calls me by my nickname, Mingyue." This made the two dimples at the corners of her lips appear.
Chen Qing also said enthusiastically: "Mingyue, there is no need to be polite, just call me Youan."
Zhao Ranran stammered, "You'an..." She was obviously not used to calling the other person by his nickname so intimately.
After exchanging small words, people of the same age always talk more and more, and soon Zhao Ranran suggested: "Why don't I use mugwort to baptize Madam Shen."
Zhao Ranran was so kind that she would not refuse, so she nodded in agreement immediately.
Xia Yu was filled with worry. She was not only worried about Chen Ling who had not moved, but also about the evil spirits that might show up at any time, and Li Daoxuan who was playing Cuju and throwing pots with a group of young men in the Cuju field.
Even the name Zhao Ranran sounded more and more familiar to her the more she heard it, but there was always a layer of fog blocking the truth, making it impossible for her to see through it.
Shen Qing was rather absent-minded, but Zhao Ranran was very enthusiastic. She picked up the mugwort in the white porcelain basin, dipped the mugwort into the water in the basin, and gently brushed it on Shen Qing's shoulders and forehead, saying, "May Madam Shen be free from illness and worries."
No illness and no worries.
Chen Qing suddenly raised his eyes to look at Zhao Ranran. With this glance, the fog and mist in his mind suddenly dissipated, and the memories of his previous life came clearly into his mind.
She remembered that in her previous life, the only person who lost her life at the banquet was Zhao Ranran! Madam Zhao even cried until she went blind, and even Zhao Jingzhao accidentally broke his leg on his way back from court.
If Chen Qing hadn't come to the banquet today, she might have missed the news about this place and finally heard the obituary of Zhao Ranran's death. But now that she knew the kind and gentle Zhao, Chen Qing would not watch her die.
She then returned the greeting by sprinkling water with mugwort and said earnestly, "May Madam Zhao be blessed with good health and a long life."
After the baptism was completed, the wives of the two housekeepers came forward and took away the white porcelain basin.
Zhao Ranran was obviously more familiar with her and no longer felt uneasy.
Chen Qing pointed at the hairpin on Zhao Ranran's head and said, "The hairpin on Madam Zhao's head is really beautiful."
Zhao Ranran reached out and touched the hairpin, her eyebrows curved, and she was obviously immersed in happiness. "This is the coming-of-age gift my mother gave me."
Chen Qing held her chin up to her hand and said with envy, "I wonder which jewelry store made this. Sister, I also want a hairpin as beautiful as this."
Zhao Ranran said, "I have to go back and ask my mother to find out."
Chen Qing suddenly said, "But I want to buy it today." She glanced at the sky and saw it was still early, so she suggested, "The Zhao Mansion isn't far from here. Why don't you go back and ask your mother where she got the hairpin? I'll come find you when I have time, and we can browse the jewelry stores in Chang'an City. What do you think?"
Zhao Ranran was embarrassed when she heard this: "But the banquet has just begun, and the purification ceremony has not yet been completed. If I leave rashly, will it be bad?"
Chen Qing shook her head. "How could that be? I'll go tell the princess later. Anyway, I don't think this banquet is fun. It's better to go shopping in a jewelry store."
Zhao Ranran felt a little offended. How could this young lady come and encourage others to leave? But then she thought about how much she had helped her, and she thought she had a good heart. Maybe she really liked this hairpin.
She was conflicted.
Chen Qing felt increasingly anxious, because she noticed that a cool breeze had blown into the banquet hall at some point, mixed with a faint, barely perceptible yin energy.
Seeing some displeasure on Zhao Ranran's face, she suddenly calmed down and realized that her behavior was inappropriate.
It was really because too many people around her left in her previous life, which caused her to become confused when she was nervous.
Madam Zhao had no relationship with her, so why would she agree to such an unreasonable request?
Whatever, if an enemy comes, we will fight him. If a flood comes, we will block it with earth. At worst, I can always keep him by my side. With her protection, he won't die under my nose.
Just as I was thinking this, I heard Zhao Ranran's hesitant but gentle voice, "If Madam Shen really likes it, I will go home and ask my mother. But I will come back after asking. If my father knew that I left early, he would definitely scold me."
Chen Qing looked up in surprise, truly stunned.
Perhaps she couldn't have guessed that there would actually be someone who would agree to the unreasonable request of someone who was not related to her, right?
But it was undoubtedly good. Chen Qing immediately smiled sweetly, with a look of surprise and joy. "In that case, Madam Zhao, please go ahead! I'll tell the princess and follow you right away!"
Zhao Ranran lowered her brows and nodded, and was about to follow her housekeeper and maid out, but at this moment, another voice came: "Madam Zhao!"
Zhao Ranran and Shen Qing turned around at the same time and saw a handsome yet beautiful woman approaching. She bowed to Zhao Ranran and said, "Madam Zhao."
"Madam, what are you doing..." Zhao Ranran asked in confusion.
The person who came was Liu Wanxiu, the daughter of Liu Gong, the Minister of Dali Temple, who was also the one who spoke up for Shen Ling without knowing right from wrong.
Her cheeks were red, and she looked obviously embarrassed. She said, "I apologize for what I said earlier. I hope you don't take it to heart."
Zhao Ranran immediately waved her hand and said, "My lady, you mean well. I won't take it to heart."
Hearing this, Liu Wanxiu finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad my lady doesn't blame me. I was indeed too talkative just now."
Zhao Ranran: "No, no."
After Liu Wanxiu apologized, she finally felt relieved and went to look for her sisters happily.
The two finally finished their conversation, and Zhao Ranran was about to go back.
The yin energy mixed in the cool breeze became stronger and stronger. Chen Qing saw that dark clouds gradually gathered around the sky, as if they were going to completely cleanse the entire blue sky. Even the originally hot air instantly cooled down.
Chen Qing suddenly grabbed Zhao Ranran.
Zhao Ranran looked back in confusion, only to see Chen Qing say, "Don't go." She couldn't leave.
In Shen Qing's eyes, the oppressive yin energy surrounded Mount Li, and at this moment, the yin energy was moving towards the banquet.
The only thing that could have caused such a strong yin energy was the ghosts. And there were quite a few of them, about twenty visible to the naked eye.
No wonder that in the previous life, when there was a demon plague in such a crowded place, only one person died and more than a dozen people were seriously injured.
Because the minions cannot kill people, they can only confuse people's minds and lead them to commit suicide.
Cui Ya now has a pocket full of blank yellow talismans ready for emergencies.
Chen Qing only needs to draw the Qingming Talisman before the ghosts arrive and hand it to everyone, then set up a formation and release the signal flares from Xuanji Pavilion. He just needs to wait on the spot for someone to come and subdue the ghosts.
She subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
As for the men's seat next door, with Li Daoxuan and his companion there, why should she worry?
Thinking of this, Chen Qing shouted: "Cui Ya! Bring me the things!"
Cui Ya immediately cleared away everything on the table in front of Chen Qing, dissolved the cinnabar she had brought with her in water, and placed it on the table along with the talisman paper and wolf-hair brush.
Chen Qing immediately immersed herself in making a talisman. She would first set up a formation to protect the women's side. Before the ghosts broke through the formation, the noble ladies had already each held a Qingming talisman.
Seeing this, the other noble ladies were quite frightened by her attitude and asked, "What does Madam Shen mean?"
Chen Qing was concentrating on making the talisman. Cui Ya, who had already received Chen Qing's instructions, immediately shouted, "An evil spirit is coming! I hope all the ladies will quickly come to my wife and line up to receive the talisman paper for protection!"
Everyone was shocked when they heard this, but they still remained skeptical.
However, there were still many people present who knew Chen Qing's identity, some of them were noble ladies or the wives of some housekeepers. Some noble ladies took the initiative to line up, and the wives of the housekeepers pulled their wives to line up in front of Chen Qing.
At this moment, a strong wind blew and someone screamed in fear. Chen Qing had already made the talismans and immediately threw five of them into the air. The five talismans miraculously stayed in the air, then rotated at high speed and finally flew away and disappeared.
After a while, the strange evil wind stopped abruptly, but outside the women's seat, the surrounding trees and curtains were still moving violently. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and the evil wind was blowing darkly.
Everyone's faces turned pale instantly. Who would doubt Chen Qing now? They all rushed to her table and lined up, waiting for her to place the talisman.
Fortunately, although everyone was panicked, they were at least well-educated noble ladies, and they were sensible. They knew that it was Chen Qing who blocked the evil wind, so they lined up obediently and waited for Chen Qing's talisman, and did not trample or push anything around.
It saved Shen Qing a lot of trouble.
Just as she was casting talismans without stopping, her waist suddenly felt tight, and she had the illusion that someone was holding her.
Cui Ya's scream lingered in his ears, "Miss!"
Chen Qing's hand holding the pen froze, she quickly glanced down, and was immediately frightened to the point of stiffness, with cold sweat pouring out.
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