Chapter 33 He still had plans to arrange a marriage with the Jiang family.
"It was sent from the palace."
Lan Xin looked worried: "My lady, the palace rarely invited you to the palace before. Now that you and His Highness are divorced, why would they suddenly want you to attend some banquet in the palace?"
The lady is no longer a royal consort, and the Marquis's mansion has been raided. Logically, she shouldn't be qualified to attend any banquets in the palace. This clearly indicates some ulterior motive.
"Master, this is definitely a trap, we can't go."
Yun Si took the invitation, opened it, and glanced at it.
The Hundred Flowers Banquet is held annually in the palace.
But in previous years, she was indeed not invited.
This year's event was hosted by Consort Shu.
Consort Shu is the mother of the eldest prince, Prince Jin. In her previous life, Yun Si had already died at this time, so she naturally did not receive any invitations. Now, because of her rebirth, many things have changed.
However, she remembered that the main purpose of Consort Shu's Hundred Flowers Banquet was to select a concubine for Prince Jin, so she invited many noble ladies from prominent families, as well as many other royal relatives and nobles to accompany her.
But in fact, Consort Shu and Prince Jin had already set their sights on someone, namely the Prime Minister's eldest daughter, Jiang Wanning.
They hoped to use this Hundred Flowers Banquet to arrange a marriage alliance with the Jiang family, thereby gaining Prime Minister Jiang's support.
Prime Minister Jiang is the head of all officials. If we can get his support, then we will be almost certain to become the crown prince.
Because Prime Minister Jiang's sister, who is now Empress Jiang Xinyu, only has two princesses and no legitimate sons.
Therefore, Consort Shu thought that by having her son marry the Empress's niece as a concubine, they would be bound together with the Jiang family from then on, sharing both prosperity and adversity.
Even if the empress was unwilling, she could not disregard the interests of her own family.
At this Hundred Flowers Banquet, Consort Shu and Prince Jin even resorted to underhanded tactics in order to forge a marriage alliance with the Jiang family.
In her previous life, Yun Si followed Qin Ye and witnessed him save Jiang Wanning. The Empress was overjoyed and immediately arranged for the two to marry.
Consort Shu and Prince Jin's plan thus failed.
Not long after Qin Ye married Jiang Wanning, the Empress proposed that Qin Ye be adopted into her family.
This proposal immediately caused a huge uproar in the court.
After all, Qin Ye is a prince. If he is adopted by the empress, he will have the status of the legitimate son, which will have a significant impact on the struggle for the crown prince position.
Originally, he was just a powerless and insignificant prince from the countryside, with no real power base in the court. The emperor's attitude towards him was at most one of guilt, so no one paid much attention to him.
But once he becomes the Empress's legitimate son, and has the support of the entire Jiang family, the situation will change completely.
From then on, Qin Ye gained a place in the court, but also put himself in the eye of the storm, prematurely revealing his ambition to seize power.
It's easy to imagine how dangerous the road ahead would be.
Yun Si knew that the reason he chose the Empress and the Jiang family in his previous life, and was willing to bow down for power and be manipulated by the Empress and the Jiang family, was all for her!
In order to bring down the Shen family as soon as possible and to avenge her, he disregarded his own wishes and used any means necessary, choosing the fastest and most effective, but also the most dangerous, path.
Over the years, he survived countless assassination attempts, narrowly escaping death nine times out of ten.
After marrying Jiang Wanning, she never had a single day of peace.
In her previous life, she was not a good match for Qin Ye.
Jiang Wanning is no exception.
"My lord, what are you thinking about?"
Lan Xin tugged at Yun Si's sleeve worriedly: "I'm talking to you, did you hear me? We can't go to the Hundred Flowers Banquet!"
"No."
Yun Si snapped out of her reverie, her fingertips gently tracing the gold-embossed design on the invitation: "I have to go."
"But……"
"Lansing, go and prepare a simple and elegant dress."
Yun Si interrupted her, a sharp glint in her eyes: "The invitation was personally sent by Consort Shu; we cannot refuse it."
Unless Qin Ye intervenes.
But if he did that, Qin Ye would offend Consort Shu and cause unnecessary trouble.
Her current situation is already awkward, so she should keep a low profile.
Furthermore, in his previous life, Qin Ye saved Jiang Wanning at this banquet and was subsequently betrothed to her by the Empress. Although this was Qin Ye's original plan, perhaps in this life, because of her existence, Qin Ye will not do so again.
But Yun Si dared not gamble.
If some things don't get interfered with by external forces, they might still follow the trajectory of her past life, and then she'd have nowhere to turn to cry.
Just to be on the safe side, she absolutely had to attend this banquet.
She absolutely cannot let Qin Ye repeat the same mistake.
If he still wants to compete for the position of crown prince in the future, they can proceed gradually.
Instead of using such a radical approach.
Yun Si felt a sharp pain in her heart when she recalled the years Qin Ye spent walking on thin ice in her previous life.
At that time, he appeared to be living a life of great success, but in reality, he was facing constant danger.
The Empress and the Jiang family chose to support him simply because he was helpless and easy to control.
They need a puppet, a pawn who can rightfully inherit the throne without threatening the interests of the Jiang family.
Qin Ye, knowing it was a pit of fire, had no choice but to jump in.
Every day, they not only have to deal with the open attacks from various factions in the court, but also have to guard against the endless stream of hidden attacks.
Even his bedmate, Jiang Wanning, was a spy planted by the Jiang family. He never gave him his true feelings, yet he demanded that Jiang Wanning be devoted to him.
In this life, she will never again give Jiang Wanning the chance to marry into the Xiao Prince's mansion.
However, at the same time, we cannot let Consort Shu and Prince Jin's plan succeed.
"Lansing, is His Highness in the manor?"
It would be best to inform Qin Ye about this.
Alternatively, we could have him avoid today's banquet.
"When I received this invitation, I went to ask, but His Highness was not here. I heard from Granny Qian that he went to the palace. I wonder if he will attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet."
"They've entered the palace?"
Yun Si's eyes flickered slightly, a thoughtful look passing through them.
In fact, regarding the Hundred Flowers Banquet in the previous life, it was not so much that Consort Shu and Prince Jin plotted first, and the Empress and Jiang Wanning schemed later, but in reality, Qin Ye seemed to be the one who hid the deepest secret.
He entered the game himself, and like a prey, obtained what he wanted.
So, could it be that he already has this idea in this life?
Upon considering this possibility, Yun Si's heart tightened slightly.
Even though she has returned to his side now, he still plans to arrange a marriage with the Jiang family in order to seize power.
No wonder.
He has been so restrained all this time, and hasn't mentioned restoring her to her status as a princess. It seems he had planned this all along!
No, no.
Yun Si gently patted her face.
Don't make wild guesses.
"Master Yun."
At this moment, Granny Qian rushed over upon hearing the news.
"I heard that the palace has sent you an invitation to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet?"
"Yes, it was an invitation personally sent by Consort Shu."
“Those banquets are very complicated, and you’ve never been to one before. In my opinion, we shouldn’t go this time either.”
Granny Qian came specifically to persuade her not to go, she must have noticed something was wrong.
Why would Consort Shu send an invitation to someone with the identity of an "orphan and abandoned wife"?
That's really against the rules.
"Granny..."
Before Yun Si could speak, Lu Yu rushed in from outside: "My lady, someone from the palace has come. They say that Consort Shu has specially sent a carriage to pick you up to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet."
"What?"
Granny Qian frowned, her expression somewhat grave.
Yun Si narrowed her eyes as well.
Clearly, Consort Shu did not want to give her a chance to refuse.
"How about this old servant goes and speaks to you about your health..."
"It's no use. Consort Shu has even sent the imperial physician, just to prevent the master from claiming to be ill."
As Lu Yu spoke, tears welled up in her eyes with anxiety.
What should we do?
No matter how heavily guarded the Xiao Prince's residence was, it could not openly defy the Imperial Concubine's decree.
Unfortunately, His Highness was not at home at this time.
"alright."
Yun Si smiled faintly and said calmly, "It's just going to the palace to attend a banquet. There are many people going together. It's not like it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair that eats people. Look how anxious you all are."
After she finished speaking, she turned around and went back to her room.
Lan Xin was also worried, but seeing Yun Si's calm and composed expression, she felt inexplicably at ease.
Soon, Yun Si changed her clothes.
She wore a light-colored cloud-patterned gauze dress, with a moon-white brocade ribbon tied around her waist, which accentuated her slender waist.
She wore only a plain silver hairpin in her hair and no other accessories.
"Master is so handsome."
Lansing couldn't help but admire it, then quickly lowered his voice: "It's just a bit too plain."
"That's perfect."
Yun Si sat in front of the bronze mirror, pursing the rouge on her lips. The person in the mirror had beautiful features and charming eyes, but her temperament was aloof and cold.
She deliberately kept her makeup light, so that it wouldn't look like she was dressed up too much, nor would it make her look too haggard or rude.
After getting ready, she went to the pharmacy again.
He took a small porcelain bottle from the medicine cabinet, poured out a vermilion pill, and put it under his tongue.
This is a "Floating Life Powder" that she specially prepared these days. After taking it, it can make the pulse disordered as if one has caught a cold, but it will not actually harm the body.
He then took some self-defense "weapons," calmly straightened his sleeves, and stepped outside.
“My lord, I will go with you.”
"This servant wants to go too."
Lansing and Lu Yu spoke at the same time.
This trip to the palace was no ordinary event. Without her noble status, the mistress might be bullied in many ways, and they couldn't bear to let her face it alone.
"What use would it be for you to go?"
Granny Qian sighed and said in a deep voice, "Master Yun, let this old servant accompany you."
“Awu, go.”
Suddenly, Yunwu's cold yet firm and stubborn voice came from behind them: "Awu...be good."
She pointed at Yun Si and said one more word: "Go."
Yun Si was amused by them one by one.
This makes it sound like she's going to her death.
"Don't worry, His Highness is in the palace, he will protect me."
Not only Granny Qian, but also Lan Xin and Lu Yu agreed with Yun Si's words.
None of the three said anything, but Yunwu insisted, "Awu, go."
"Awu, don't go. Stay at home and we'll make you something delicious."
Granny Qian coaxed gently.
Yunwu shook her head: "I won't eat."
These two words surprised everyone.
Yun Si was also somewhat surprised.
Ah Wu even gave up delicious food for her?
"Awu, please protect me."
Yunwu pointed at Yunsi and said, "I'll protect you."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu, Lan Xin, and Granny Qian exchanged bewildered glances.
Ah Wu is quite formidable.
But she doesn't know the rules. The palace is different from the outside world. If she offends some noble person, it might cause trouble for Master Yun.
Granny Qian thought about it and still felt it was not feasible. Just as she was about to speak, Yun Si interrupted her: "Then let's do it this way, A-Wu will come with me."
"..."
"..."
Yun Si made the final decision and, without allowing any refusal, led A Wu out the door.
In front of the mansion gate.
The palace carriage, gilded and painted vermilion, was guarded by two eunuchs.
Yun Si had seen these two eunuchs before; they were indeed from Consort Shu's entourage.
"Princess Xiao".
One of the eunuchs stepped forward and respectfully said to Yun Si, "Please get in the carriage."
Princess Xiao?
Yun Si frowned.
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