"Why should Your Highness concern yourself with matters that have nothing to do with you?"
Jiang Wan curled the corners of her mouth, but there was no smile in her eyes.
"Everyone in the world has secrets. Just like I didn't ask you who the other person in the tree is."
Pei Xuanfeng narrowed his eyes and glanced at her with considerable surprise.
"Jiang Wan, I really underestimated you."
"I was the one who requested your third-rank imperial title. I'm warning you, don't cause any scandals and tarnish my reputation," Pei Xuan said displeasedly.
Jiang Wan looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Your Highness has gone to so much trouble," she said calmly.
Pei Xuan tilted his head slightly, his gaze as cold as ice.
Forget it. Jiang Wan is quick-witted and cunning. How can we expect her to be gentle and virtuous?
Even if someone is truly virtuous and capable, what does it have to do with him?
Pei Xuan turned and left.
Jiang Wan frowned and glanced at the tree again.
She felt that the figure she had just seen resembled Shen Ci.
How could Chen Ci be with Pei Xuan?
The next day, she summoned Shen Ci from the guards and asked, "Where did you go yesterday?"
“The princess is ill, and the manor is short-handed. Princess Zhaohua has sent the guards to fetch the imperial physician,” Shen Ci replied.
He didn't dare to look up.
Yesterday, I was ordered by Pei Xuan to investigate the whereabouts of the spies in Donglai. When I returned, I learned that Jiang Wan had almost gotten into trouble.
Of course, he wasn't lying; the general's guards had indeed been sent to the city, and even if Jiang Wan had suspicions, she wouldn't be able to find anything.
To everyone's surprise, Jiang Wan didn't press the matter further.
"It's good that you're alright."
Recalling the conversation she overheard yesterday, she reminded her again, "Song Tingyue is plotting something, so be careful when you're on duty."
Hearing her concerned tone, Shen Ci's face flashed with guilt, and he lowered his head even further.
"…yes."
Time seemed to pass exceptionally quickly in Zhuangzi.
Jiang Wan followed Pei Tang, enjoying tea and autumn scenery during the day, and soaking in hot springs under the moon at night, taking a few rare days of relaxation.
The day before she left, Song Tingyue's "illness" had also been cured.
In front of everyone, she still maintained her kind and gentle demeanor, chatting and laughing with the ladies about her experiences with pregnancy, as if nothing had happened that day.
Jiang Wan actually admired her quite a bit.
It's not difficult to feign innocence, but maintaining a hypocritical facade for ten years straight is something most people can't do.
She felt even more wary of Song Tingyue.
Jiang Wan went to Wang's room, wanting to talk to her aunt again.
Unexpectedly, after a while, Pei Tang came over, her face full of excitement, and said, "Sister Jiang, shall we go camping in the mountains tonight?"
"What made you think of going there?" Jiang Wan asked warily. "Was it your idea?"
Pei Tang nodded, her eyes shining.
"This afternoon, the princess told me about how they roasted a whole lamb and hunted sparrows in the wild when they were in Donglai. It was so interesting!"
"We're leaving tomorrow, and if we don't go now, we'll miss our chance. That's why I specifically went to talk to my brother and asked him to send us more guards!"
Jiang Wan asked, "Is the princess going too?"
Pei Tang smiled happily: "Yes! She even promised to take me to catch sparrows!"
Wang saw that Song Tingyue had ill intentions, so she pressed Jiang Wan's hand, signaling her to refuse.
Jiang Wan smiled and said, "Alright, let me tidy up."
Pei Tang received the letter and left happily.
Wang shook her head and said, "Why bother getting involved in this? I have a feeling that Princess Anyang is going to do you a disservice."
“His Majesty ordered me to take care of her pregnancy. Even if I refuse, she has a reason to make me follow her,” Jiang Wan said. “Don’t worry, I will be wary of her.”
After returning to her room, she took two items for self-defense and told Shen Ci to follow the group into the mountains.
He then instructed Shi Xu: "There is a man named Er Gou in the Song family army. If he is in danger, save his life."
Er Gou offended Pei Feng for him, and she was afraid that Pei Feng would take the opportunity to retaliate.
Concerned about the timing: "Should we call some people from the cabinet?"
"It's too late."
It takes at least half a day to get from Linglong Pavilion to Qiyun Villa.
"Bring signal fireworks," Jiang Wan said to Biluo. "Don't act rashly unless it's a crisis."
After arranging everything, Jiang Wan boarded the carriage.
A procession of carriages slowly entered Qiyun Mountain along the mountain road.
Jiang Wan was not skilled in martial arts, and her basic skills in riding and archery were only simple, so she was not interested in hunting.
After the servants set up the tent, she lit a small campfire and sat down to rest.
To her surprise, Song Tingyue was quite familiar with these things.
They can shoot down sparrows with a single arrow through their throats, and they can also skillfully create hunting traps with the flick of their fingers.
If she weren't pregnant, she could even perform figure skating.
Pei Xi and Pei Tang surrounded her with great excitement, especially Pei Xi, who kept calling her "Sister An Yang" and praising her skills as undiminished as ever.
It's easy to imagine that they had a very good relationship when they were young.
Jiang Wan suddenly felt suspicious.
Song Tingyue is the most outstanding daughter of the Song family. She is skilled in both literature and martial arts and has a good relationship with the prince. Why would she volunteer to marry into Donglai?
No woman in the world would willingly marry far away.
Is it truly for the sake of the court's peace?
This is unlike anything Song Tingyue would do.
Soon, it got dark.
Pei Tang directed his men to light a fire and roast various kinds of prey.
Song Tingyue walked over with a skewer of grilled meat and sat down next to Jiang Wan.
“Ah Wan, I was bedridden and in a daze for the past few days. I heard that the servants wronged you. Don’t take it to heart.”
"Try this rabbit meat, I roasted it myself."
"Your Highness is too kind," Jiang Wan said with a smile. "However, I don't eat rabbit meat."
She believed that Song Tingyue would not poison her in front of everyone.
But there's no guarantee that there won't be anything she can't imagine.
"It was my oversight."
Song Tingyue exchanged the grilled fish for a different skewer.
"They don't even eat fish."
Jiang Wan pointed to a plate of food she had brought and said with a smile, "Not only fish, but I have dietary restrictions on all of these, so there's no need to trouble yourself."
Song Tingyue's smile froze slightly.
She didn't expect Jiang Wan to embarrass her in public.
"You don't know what's good for you! If you won't eat it, I will!"
Suddenly, a hand snatched the grilled fish from Song Tingyue's hand, stuffed it into her mouth, and began to eat it heartily.
Pei Xi's mouth was stuffed full, but he still managed to glare at Jiang Wan.
"Sister Anyang's cooking is amazing, it would be your loss if you didn't try it!"
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