It was midsummer, the sun was shining brightly, and cicadas were chirping.
The Queen Mother held a banquet in the royal gardens in the western suburbs of the capital and summoned all the noble ladies in the capital to come and enjoy the flowers.
There were even rumors that the Queen Mother wanted to choose a princess for her youngest son, Prince Zhao.
Inside the Xuanyu Pavilion, actors waved their sleeves and sang "Rouge Fan" in a singsong voice.
Sheng Xiyan sat leaning against the railing, nonchalantly swishing the fruit juice in the cup. Her beautiful face was vaguely reflected in the amber juice.
Her eyebrows and eyes are picturesque, and her cheeks are rosy and her skin is fair.
This is her, just coming of age, in her prime.
However, after today, she will be like a flash in the pan, withering away completely at the moment of her most brilliant bloom.
Sheng Xiyan's eyes dimmed. She put down the glass cup, stroked her skirt, stood up and left Xuanyu Pavilion.
"Rouge Fan" had already been sung for several episodes, and some noble ladies, who could not sit still, had come out to get some fresh air, admire the flowers and have fun. The garden was full of colorful flowers and the chirping of birds.
In her previous life, she was self-disciplined and polite, and never left her seat from beginning to end.
Until the Empress Dowager issued an imperial decree that struck her like a bolt from the blue.
The imperial decree was to allow her to be married together with Zhao Yuanrou to Zhou Jingxun, the eldest son of Marquis Yongning.
Her engagement with the prince of Yongning was made when she was young. Half of the three books and six ceremonies were already over. She had reached the age of marriage a month ago and was just waiting for an auspicious day to submit the betrothal papers and sign the marriage certificate.
Zhao Yuanrou was her aunt's only daughter and her full cousin, only two months younger than her.
The custom of combining heirs with legitimate wives was prevalent in the previous dynasty, but it has long been abolished in this dynasty, which has been in existence for a hundred years.
She once did not understand why the Queen Mother issued such an imperial decree, but she was powerless to resist, and in the end, she had to marry into the Yongning Marquis's Mansion on the same day as Zhao Yuanrou.
It was not until after she got married that she found out that Zhou Jingxun had long been dissatisfied with the engagement with her and had proposed to cancel the engagement with Yongning Hou several times. In the end, he and Zhao Yuanrou jumped into the lake to commit suicide.
The Queen Mother was grateful for their deep affection and decided to help them get married.
Sheng Xiyan tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ears, with a faint smile on her lips that did not reach her eyes.
Whether it was a marriage contract or a marriage without a legitimate wife, she had no power to change it in her previous life.
Her wedding was a joke.
On her wedding night, she sat alone in her bridal chamber all night.
The next day, she fell seriously ill and was never able to leave the yard again.
What’s even more ironic is that after she “died of illness”, people learned that her life was actually just a novel, and the hero and heroine of the novel were her fiancé Zhou Jingxun and Zhou Jingxun’s white moonlight Zhao Yuanrou.
The two men were in love with each other, and she was just the vicious female partner who prevented them from being together for the rest of their lives.
Because of her existence, the two of them experienced all kinds of misunderstandings and quarrels, misunderstandings and quarrels again, but they cared about each other and never left each other in danger. Every misunderstanding would make them love each other more in the end.
In the end, her "death from illness" fulfilled their deep love, and with the support and companionship of Zhao Yuanrou, Zhou Jingxun became a powerful official in the Great Rong Dynasty. The deep love between the two made a beautiful story.
This is even more "beautiful" than "Rouge Fan".
But in this life, Sheng Xiyan doesn't want to be the vicious female supporting role anymore!
Sheng Xiyan walked slowly, Suhe Garden was in front of her. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her slender white fingers. Some white powder inadvertently fell from the handkerchief and scattered in the grass.
Then, she turned and went to Mingyue Lake.
Mingyue Lake was the place where they committed suicide for love in their previous life.
The location of Mingyue Lake is somewhat special. Going around Mingyue Lake is Suhe Garden, the best place to enjoy lotus in summer. Going back from the direction she came from is Xuanyu Pavilion where people go to watch operas. Normally, Mingyue Lake should be crowded with people, but because there is a shortcut with better scenery from Xuanyu Pavilion to Suhe Garden, few people come here on weekdays.
Sheng Xiyan heard in her previous life that it was a rough eunuch who was doing the sweeping that discovered them and saved their lives.
Under the sunlight, the surface of Mingyue Lake was sparkling. From a distance, she could see two people talking by the lake. They stood with their backs to her, looking very intimate.
Perfect timing!
Sheng Xiyan didn't know the exact time when they committed suicide. She followed Zhao Yuanrou out of Xuanyu Pavilion shortly after she saw him leave.
The closer they got to Moon Lake, the more conscious Sheng Xiyan became about avoiding being seen. She kept her eyes open for suitable cover around her. Now she simply turned around and hid successfully behind a rockery, at the right distance to be able to hear what was happening at Moon Lake.
As soon as I stood still, a voice came into my ears.
"Rou'er."
Sheng Xiyan raised her eyebrows, a little surprised.
This voice is not from Zhou Jingxun, the son of Yongning Marquis! Is it a mistake?
"My Lord."
This time it’s correct, this is Zhao Yuanrou.
Zhao Yuanrou's voice is always like this, with a unique coolness and otherworldliness.
"...Rou'er, believe me, I have already asked my mother to marry you as my principal wife."
"Prince." Zhao Yuanrou sighed softly, "Why bother? I just treat you as a friend. You are the dignified Prince Zhao, with a noble status. We are not a match."
"You are a good man, my Lord."
Prince Zhao?! Sheng Xiyan raised her eyebrows. It turned out that he was the current younger brother, Prince Zhao Qin Wei, who was also born to the Queen Mother.
The current emperor ascended the throne five years ago and has been very kind to his younger brother, who is nearly ten years younger than him.
How could Qin Wei give up so easily? He continued to encourage her, his voice as gentle as the wind: "Rou'er, I am sincere to you, you..."
“Rou’er!!”
Another excited voice drowned out Qin Wei's voice. A man in the military uniform of the imperial guards ran over in a hurry. He was panting slightly and looked angry. A thin layer of sweat on his forehead stuck to his messy hair.
The corners of Sheng Xiyan's mouth curled up slightly, her lips moved slightly, and she said silently: Long time no see, Zhou Jingxun.
It has indeed been a long time.
After marrying into the Yongning Marquis's Mansion, she never saw this nominal husband again.
After living a new life, Sheng Xiyan came here specially to see how deeply in love these two were and how they committed suicide together.
But it seems different from what she imagined?
It can't be that three people committed suicide together for love, right?
It is indeed better than "Rouge Fan"!
Zhou Jingxun rushed to the two of them and said angrily, "Prince Zhao, men and women should not touch each other. Please stop pestering Rou'er."
Zhou Jingxun is now serving in the Imperial Guards and was brought to the garden with him. Just now, when he was about to take over and go to rest, he inadvertently learned that Prince Zhao had made an appointment to meet Zhao Yuanrou, so he hurried over.
As he was about to pull Zhao Yuanrou, Qin Wei stepped forward and stood in front of Zhao Yuanrou, sneering, "Zhou Jingxun, you are going to get married! There is a saying in folklore that goes, "Eat what's in the bowl, but still think about what's in the pot." What? Do you still want Rou'er to be your concubine?"
"I can promise Rou'er my first wife, what about you?"
"What can you give her?"
When the word "marriage" was mentioned, Zhou Jingxun's face froze and he said, "I will find a way to cancel the engagement!"
He looked at Zhao Yuanrou and continued tenderly, "Rou'er, give me some time, I will definitely convince my parents..."
Zhao Yuanrou sighed softly, her palm-sized face slightly tilted to the side, and said lightly: "My Lord, you are getting married soon, and I will not be your concubine. We should not have any contact in the future."
"Rou'er." Zhou Jingxun couldn't help but take a half step back, looking hurt.
This marriage was not what he wanted at all. It was arranged by his parents long ago. He only had Rou'er in his heart. Why didn't Rou'er understand? Why didn't she give him more time?
Without Rou'er, what would be the meaning of his life?
At this moment, he felt more and more disgusted and resentful towards the woman who had taken his position as wife.
If it weren't for that woman, why would Rou'er distance herself from him!
"You heard me! Don't bother Rou'er anymore." Qin Wei was greatly encouraged and stared at Zhou Jingxun eagerly, "If you know your place, stay away from Rou'er from now on."
"Men and women should not touch each other."
These were the words Zhou Jingxun had just spoken to him, and now he repeated them in full, speaking in a rhythmic manner.
"It's you who should leave." Zhou Jingxun couldn't contain his anger and tried to push away the person who was standing in front of Zhao Yuanrou.
Qin Wei was also not convinced. He was a prince of the royal family and the younger brother of the current emperor. No one had dared to be so rude to him all his life.
He raised his arm to block, and then kicked Zhou Jingxun hard. Zhou Jingxun was unable to dodge and was kicked in the waist. He staggered back several steps.
Zhou Jingxun subconsciously glanced at Zhao Yuanrou who was frowning slightly, feeling a little embarrassed.
So, before he could even stand firmly, he rushed towards Qin Wei without thinking and punched him in the face.
The two of them fought back and forth, and before they knew it, they were getting closer and closer to the lake.
"Prince!"
Zhao Yuanrou suddenly screamed, followed by a sound of someone falling into the water. Zhou Jingxun didn't know whether he had stepped on empty air or was pushed by Qin Wei, and he fell into the lake.
Zhou Jingxun was not familiar with the Si River. As soon as he fell into the water, he struggled to get out. However, the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. In just a few breaths, he had swallowed several mouthfuls of lake water and was getting farther and farther away from the lakeshore.
"Jingxun! Someone come quickly..."
Zhao Yuanrou was so frightened that her face turned pale and she was confused. Just as she was about to call for help, she was stopped by Qin Wei.
Qin Wei pulled her and said, "Rou'er, no."
Qin Wei's mind, which was overwhelmed by love, finally became clearer at this moment: "Rou'er, leave here first, I will call someone to rescue him."
"Don't worry, I promise you, I will definitely rescue him."
Two men are fighting for one woman. Once the news gets out, it will be just a romantic affair for him and harmless. But it will be a big trouble for Rouer, and his mother will definitely not agree to let him marry her.
Zhao Yuanrou also realized her situation. She was about to respond when a voice came from afar: "There's a fire!"
The fire broke out?!
Qin Wei was stunned for a moment, and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a thick black smoke rising from the direction of Suhe Garden not far away.
He frowned slightly, how come the fire broke out suddenly?
"Girls, watch your step."
"Please follow me this way."
"From here, we can go back to Xuanyu Pavilion."
…
Mingyue Lake, which had been deserted for many years, suddenly became noisy, with the sound of chaotic footsteps swarming in.
Oops!
Qin Wei's face changed drastically, and he subconsciously protected Zhao Yuanrou. The action of holding her shoulders looked like two people hugging each other from a distance, especially since Qin Wei had just been in a fight, his clothes were disheveled, his hair was messy, and Zhao Yuanrou's face was flushed and she looked panicked.