Chapter 13 Bracelet
Only Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan and Third Prince Xiao Jingren were left.
The air seemed to still linger with the cool plum fragrance of Chen He, and... the strange scent of purple marrow mineral powder that was faintly visible from the bamboo tube in Xiao Jingchi's sleeve.
Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan slowly withdrew his long gaze, and tapped the broken jade fan in his palm lightly, with a casual and nonchalant rhythm.
The corners of his lips lifted slightly, outlining a meaningful smile, which contained an imperceptible sarcasm. He turned to Xiao Jingren, whose face was still as gloomy as iron.
"Third brother."
He opened his lips, his voice still as gentle as jade, but it contained undisguised sarcasm, like a spring breeze that caressed your face but concealed a sharp edge.
"This scene actually adds a bit of fun."
"You went to great lengths to befriend the jewel of the Shen family, and now...tsk tsk."
He shook his head slightly, a hint of regret showing in his words, but the light in his eyes was as cold as frost, without a trace of warmth.
"Without the Shen family's stoutest branches supporting you, I'm afraid all your efforts these days have been wasted, right?"
Xiao Jingren clenched his fists suddenly, and veins on the back of his hands bulged!
Every word the prince said was like a needle piercing his heart!
He suppressed the anger that was about to burst out and looked at Xiao Jinghuan with a sinister look.
"Haha," he sneered, his laughter mixed with resentment and unwillingness: "Your Highness, your happiness seems to be premature."
When mentioning Shen He, his tone was filled with disdain and contempt: "Shen He? She is nothing more than a foolish woman who is blind and unaware of the current situation! Without her, my path would not be cut off!"
He gritted his teeth, and the sound seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
"The Shen family will one day submit to me!"
There was an almost paranoid fanaticism burning in Xiao Jingren's eyes, as if he had already grasped victory firmly in his hands.
Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan quietly watched his almost twisted posture, the smile in his eyes hiding deeper contempt and disdain.
However, he did not say another word, but simply tapped his palms lightly with the folding fan in his hand. The rhythm seemed to imply some kind of crisis that was about to erupt, and every tap made people feel a chill.
The relationship between the two brothers has now reached an unprecedented low.
Invisible flames of war quietly spread in the air, and the atmosphere of tension and confrontation was stronger than any words.
***
On the other side, Chen He was isolated from the scrutiny of Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan and the almost biting gaze of Xiao Jingren.
The long palace road was silent.
Under his feet, the white marble pavement shone with a cold and distant light in the mottled afternoon sunlight, just like Chen He's mood at the moment, both cold and detached.
Beside her, Xiao Jingchi still held her sleeve tightly, his body almost pressed against her, as if absorbing a tiny bit of warmth and security.
Shen He's steps were not fast, but extremely steady.
She had walked this road countless times in her previous life.
Every time, she was filled with admiration for Xiao Jingren and the determination to help him reach a high position.
But the end of this road...
A flash of blood suddenly appeared in my mind!
That was after Xiao Jingren ascended the throne. In order to eliminate dissidents, he ordered the massacre of a village that was falsely accused of "colluding with the remnants of the former crown prince"!
Flames shot up into the sky, cries shook the fields, and corpses were scattered all over the scorched earth!
And the order was stamped with the imperial seal that she had taken for him with her own hands!
Chen He closed his eyes and forced himself to suppress the surging blood.
My gaze involuntarily drifted towards the East Palace.
In her previous life, she took great pains to collect evidence for Xiao Jingren, set a trap, and eventually brought down Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan.
I still remember that on the eve of Xiao Jinghuan being deposed as crown prince and about to be exiled to Lingnan, he stopped her on the palace road.
At that time, he had lost the halo of the crown prince, was dressed in prison clothes, and looked haggard, but still had the demeanor of a dissolute prince.
He looked at her with complicated eyes, which finally turned into a wry smile.
"He Mei..."
He called her softly, with a hint of loss.
"You made the wrong choice..."
Those three words were like a devilish sound filling her ears. When she died tragically in the mass grave, and after she was reborn, they echoed in her dreams countless times in the middle of the night!
Her words had come true! She had made the wrong choice, a terrible mistake, a mistake so far beyond redemption!
Shen He's heart tightened.
To be fair, Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan was indeed indecisive and easily influenced, and was not the type of person to be a capable and ambitious emperor.
But he... at least has a kind heart.
Compared to Xiao Jingren's inherent coldness and cruelty, there is a world of difference.
She recalled that when she was young, this cousin the prince had held her in his arms, picked red fruits from the highest branches in the imperial garden for her, and called her "Sister Ah He" with a smile.
A trace of reluctance quietly passed through my heart.
But it was just a trace of pity.
In this life, she will no longer help the evil, but she will also no longer trust anyone easily.
The road to imperial power is already littered with bones.
Xiao Jinghuan's fate may have been determined from the moment he became weak.
In this life, for the sake of the world, we must also find a good emperor for the people.
***
"elder sister?"
Xiao Jingchi seemed to notice her absent-mindedness and called out softly, his upturned face full of confusion.
Shen He came back to his senses and gave him a reassuring smile.
"It's okay, we're almost there."
After passing through the winding corridor and around the exquisite Taihu stones, we finally arrived at Ci'an Palace where the Empress Dowager lived.
The hall was filled with the aroma of incense. Unlike the oppressive atmosphere in the side halls, there was a more calm and majestic atmosphere here.
In her previous life, she had stepped into this place countless times, and each time she was trembling with fear, walking on thin ice.
At that time, she was the future consort of the Third Prince, and she had to be cautious in every step, for fear of making a mistake, displeasing the Queen Mother, and bringing trouble to Xiao Jingren.
Now when I step in again, my mood is completely different.
Chen He suppressed all outward emotions, leaving only silence, and followed the palace maid who led the way in an orderly manner, stepping forward to pay her respects.
"Your humble servant, Chen He, pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen Mother and Her Majesty the Empress."
Her voice was clear and neither humble nor arrogant.
Xiao Jingchi also followed behind her obediently, and greeted her in a baby voice: "Greetings to the Imperial Grandmother, and to the Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother sat on the phoenix throne at the top, with a faint smile on her well-maintained face, and her eyes moved between Shen He and Xiao Jingchi.
The queen sat slightly below, dignified and gentle, but her eyes were as sharp as a knife, as if she could see through people's hearts.
Concubine Lan was also there, standing behind the Queen, with her brows lowered and her eyes submissive, but Chen He could feel the poisonous gaze she was giving her.
The Queen Mother spoke first, her voice gentle but filled with unquestionable authority.
"He girl, get up. I see that you and Jing Chi are quite compatible."
Shen He's heart trembled.
Her expression remained expressionless, she only lowered her eyes slightly and said, "Replying to the Queen Mother, the Sixth Prince is innocent and lively, and I also feel close to him."
Xiao Jingchi pulled Shen He's sleeve at the right time, raised his face, and showed a silly smile: "Hello, sister! I like you!"
A few very low chuckles were heard in the hall.
The Queen Mother winked gently at the old maid beside her. The maid understood and respectfully presented her with an exquisite brocade box.
The lid of the box was gently opened, and a brilliant purple light jumped out. It turned out to be a sparkling purple jade forbidden step. The jade was as smooth as fat, and the carving craftsmanship was delicate and meticulous, showing the royal style. At a glance, you can tell that it is priceless and incomparable to ordinary things.
"This item was a personal belonging of mine in my youth. Now, with the passage of time, it has fallen into disuse and is no longer useful." The Queen Mother's words flowed slowly, with a touch of reminiscence and relief. "But you, He'er, will soon become the Sixth Prince's consort. This item would be quite suitable for you."
After saying this, the Queen Mother's gaze suddenly fixed on Lanpin, and she softly uttered two words: "Lanpin."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Lan couldn't help but tremble slightly, then she forced herself to calm down, stepped forward quickly, bowed and whispered: "Your Highness is here."
"On my behalf, you can give this forbidden belt to He girl and tie it for her yourself." The Queen Mother's tone was calm, but it contained unquestionable majesty, which instantly calmed the ripples in Lanpin's heart and made her obey.
Lanpin clenched her fingers so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh.
But she didn't dare disobey.
She endured the humiliation, took over the Purple Jade Forbidden Steps, and walked towards Chen He step by step, the resentment in her eyes almost overflowing.
Chen He stood quietly, looking at Lan Bin's distorted face, sneering in his heart.
Just when Lanpin's hand was about to touch Chen He's belt——
"I'll do it! I'll do it!"
Xiao Jingchi suddenly snatched the forbidden step from Lanpin's hand like a child grabbing candy.
The action is amazingly fast!
Concubine Lan was caught off guard and her finger was scratched by the edge of the jade pendant. She hissed in pain, but could only watch.
Xiao Jingchi raised his forbidden step like he was presenting a treasure, ran to Chen He, stood on tiptoe, and clumsily tied it around her waist.
"Sister, let me help you put it on! This looks great!"
He tied it crookedly and with clumsy technique, as if he was just playing around.
But deep in those clear eyes, a hint of cunning and... possessiveness flashed across their faces?
Uncontrollable laughter rang out in the hall again.
This time, even the Queen Mother couldn't help laughing and scolded, "You monkey! You're so clumsy!"
The Queen also chuckled and her eyes fell on Shen He with a little more scrutiny.
Lanpin's face turned pale and blue, like a dyeing factory, and it was extremely ugly.
She retreated back angrily, her drooping eyelids hiding all her resentment and resentment.
Chen He said softly to Xiao Jingchi, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Then, she turned to the Queen Mother and bowed again: "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your reward."
The storm seemed to have subsided.
However, the queen spoke at this time.
“The Queen Mother loves Niece Shen, and this palace is also happy to see it.”
The queen said this, motioning to the maid in charge beside her.
The palace maid immediately brought out another more luxurious carved wooden box.
When it was opened, there was a pair of emerald jade bracelets inside.
It has excellent water content and a lustrous luster, and is priceless at first glance.
"This pair of bracelets was given to me by my mother when I entered the palace."
The Queen looked at Shen He with a gentle smile.
"In my opinion, Shuitou is worthy of the status of the Shen family's legitimate daughter."
It’s this bracelet!
Shen He's heart suddenly shrank!
She recognized the pair of bracelets!
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