Consort Cheng had intended to arrange a marriage between Prince Li and Miss Chu, hoping to win over Grand Tutor Chu. She thought it was a sure thing, but it was ruined by someone else.
If Shen Jinshu had been smarter, she wouldn't have left herself vulnerable and been caught in the crossfire, which also implicated her son.
Consort Cheng hated Shen Jinshu to the core because of this matter. If it weren't for Prince Li intervening and saying that the Marquis of Chengen's mansion was still useful, she would have gotten rid of Shen Jinshu long ago.
She wanted to let her go, but this woman had harmed her son and now she wanted to harm her daughter. How could Consort Cheng tolerate this?
Today, Consort Cheng wanted to use the Ming family's daughter to give her a warning.
Upon hearing this, Li Wang's expression changed slightly, and a flash of annoyance crossed his brow.
Unfortunately, the Seventh Prince, oblivious to his own mortality, smugly approached Prince Li and whispered in his ear, "Tsk tsk tsk, it seems the Imperial Concubine is not very satisfied with Miss Shen."
The news of their affair spread like wildfire; they were truly in love and just short of getting engaged.
But Consort Cheng suddenly pulled this stunt, using Mingzhu to reprimand Shen Jinshu. Anyone with eyes could see that she was trying to embarrass Shen Jinshu.
Shen Jinshu clearly saw it too, and her heart sank to the bottom. Her hands, hidden under the table, clenched tightly, and her neatly trimmed nails dug crescent-shaped marks into her palms.
Facing the teasing gazes of the crowd, Shen Jinshu managed a faint smile on her slightly pale face, gentle yet generous.
She lowered her eyelids at the right moment, adopting a submissive and obedient demeanor, which finally eased Consort Cheng's mood considerably.
Song Zhiyu sat in the far corner, taking in all the changes in Shen Jinshu's expression, her face thoughtful.
"Miss, it's starting." Hearing Lu Bai's voice, Song Zhiyu shifted her gaze to Mingzhu, who was sitting in the center of the banquet, holding a pipa.
The melodious tune flowed and echoed over the spacious banquet hall.
Mingzhu sat gracefully on a wooden stool, holding an antique-style pipa in her hand. She first glanced shyly at Prince Li, but when her eyes met his, she blushed and looked away.
Her delicate fingertips gently plucked the strings, and melodious pipa music filled the air. The tones were soft and gentle, like a woman's whispered murmur, as if expressing the emotions she couldn't express.
Although Song Zhiyu didn't understand music theory very well, she could still tell the difference between good and bad music.
Mingzhu's skills are quite good; no wonder she was chosen by Consort Cheng.
Compared to others, she might have a better chance, but compared to Shen Jinshu, she would undoubtedly lose.
Out of the corner of her eye, Song Zhiyu noticed that Shen Jinshu's complexion was much better than before. Clearly, Mingzhu's move had restored a lot of her confidence.
"Miss Ming plays the pipa quite well, but..." Ye Linxi hesitated, having more or less guessed Consort Cheng's intentions.
Song Zhiyu took a sip of tea. "Whether Mingzhu wins or loses is not important. What is important is that Consort Cheng has achieved her goal."
"You mean she never wanted Mingzhu to win?" Ye Linxi asked, her face showing confusion.
She couldn't quite figure out Consort Cheng's intentions.
“That’s right, Consort Cheng won’t go against Prince Li’s wishes. No matter how dissatisfied she is with Shen Jinshu, she can’t change Prince Li’s mind.”
Song Zhiyu swirled the teacup in her hand with interest, and seeing that Ye Linxi was still full of confusion, she continued to explain, "Do you think those rumors could have spread without the Prince of Li's permission?"
"So that's how it is, but I still don't understand. The Marquis of Chengen's mansion is now even inferior to the Ming family. If he wants to choose a principal wife, in terms of family background, other noble ladies in the capital can provide him with far more support than Shen Jinshu."
Why is he so determined to make Shen Jinshu his principal wife? Could it be that he's truly head over heels in love with her? Ye Linxi was quite a clever woman. She nodded as if she understood, and then raised another question.
She saw not a trace of love in the King's eyes.
She had initially thought that Li Wang was as gentle and refined as he appeared, and that he was not competitive or aggressive.
If she hadn't overheard the conversation between Prince Li and Xiao Xun, she would have truly been deceived by his hypocritical demeanor.
Song Zhiyu's lips twitched unconsciously a few times, and she gently shook her head, indicating that she didn't know either.
Li Wang always thought of his deceased cousin, as could be seen from the mistresses he kept on his estate.
He clearly had no feelings for Shen Jinshu, yet he tolerated her sabotaging his plans time and time again, dragging the Seventh Princess into it as well, and still insisted on marrying into the Chengen Marquis's family.
Song Zhiyu couldn't understand what the Prince of Li had to be interested in about the Marquis of Chengen's residence.
She suddenly thought of Shen Rushan, who had been making headlines recently. Could it be because of him?
If she couldn't figure it out, she would stop thinking about it for now, and Song Zhiyu secretly kept this in mind.
Before long, the song ended.
Mingzhu stood up, holding her pipa, and walked forward with light steps and a slight bend in her supple waist. "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Highness the Imperial Concubine, I have made a fool of myself in performing this."
"Not bad, reward me." The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, her expression softening. She stopped fiddling with her prayer beads, raised her hand, and immediately a maidservant presented the reward.
"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Mingzhu subtly curled the corners of her lips, feeling smug inside.
Today, she not only caught the eye of Consort Cheng, but also received a reward from the Empress Dowager, an honor that many people would rather die for.
Although they didn't win the championship at the lake tour banquet, they still gained a lot.
Even if she couldn't become the Princess Consort of Li, she could still settle for Pei Qingyan; either way, she wouldn't lose out.
Once back in her seat, Mingzhu received a barrage of compliments from her friends, which made her feel quite smug. She would occasionally glance at Shen Jinshu with a smug look, her intention to show off obvious.
But Shen Jinshu merely smiled at her, unfazed by her provocation, her eyes filled with disdain.
Mingzhu tried to signal Shen Jinshu for a long time, but Shen Jinshu's expression didn't change. Mingzhu gritted her teeth and had no choice but to reluctantly look away.
After a moment, as if she had thought of something, the corners of her lips curled up, and she stared intently into Song Zhiyu's eyes, her words filled with malice.
"Everyone says that Miss Shen is the most talented woman in the capital, with outstanding talent. Since they are sisters, Miss Shen's talent must be just as good."
As soon as the words were spoken, the expressions of the people who had been sitting quietly at the banquet changed several times.
Shen Yanxi reacted even more strongly, standing up from his seat in a flash.
Pei Qingyan paused, his tightly pursed lips revealing a hint of coldness.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
