Grand Princess Mingyang was the current Emperor’s biological younger sister and was immensely favored. Even though she was nearly forty years old, she remained passionately devoted to eating, drinking, and pleasure-seeking. In front of others, she and her consort, Wen Zhaonian, were as sweet as honey, but behind closed doors, each amused themselves in their own way.
Grand Princess Mingyang was keen on hosting all kinds of banquets, while her consort, Wen Zhaonian, loved to play the part of a cultured dilettante. The Juyun Water Pavilion was a garden newly bestowed upon Grand Princess Mingyang by the current Emperor, so the couple hosted this lotus-viewing banquet together.
Grand Princess Mingyang was entertaining the noble young ladies and matrons of the high clans on this side, while Wen Zhaonian was playing the game of winding streams and floating wine cups with the celebrated scholars and talents of the capital, writing poetry and composing lyrics…
Su Wantang followed by Su Huajin’s side. Su Huajin sat while she made Su Wantang stand beside her.
Those seated with Su Huajin were all noble daughters of high gates, princesses, and commandery princesses—all of imperial and noble blood. As a concubine-born daughter, Su Wantang was indeed not qualified to take a seat. However, the concubine-born sisters brought along by other families were all arranged in a pavilion not far away to amuse themselves comfortably. Yet Su Huajin deliberately made Su Wantang attend by her side like a servant.
Beside Su Huajin, the Fifth Princess, Zhao Xiyao, cast a glance at Su Wantang, a flash of disdain flickering in her eyes. She then leaned sideways and asked Su Huajin in a low voice: “Is this the one you mentioned?”
The two had been close friends since childhood, as intimate as biological sisters. Zhao Xiyao knew Su Huajin’s secret, and seeing Su Huajin bring Su Wantang along by her side, she knew Su Huajin was playing for keeps.
Letting her concubine sister bear a child for her, lest she could no longer remain the sole and only partner in Zhao Xuanzhen’s life due to having no offspring.
However, wasn’t this concubine daughter generated a bit too beautifully? Especially those eyes, timid and vulnerable like a young deer, yet bright and translucent.
“This concubine daughter is exceptionally beautiful.” Zhao Xiyao said quietly to Su Huajin: “With this appearance, make sure you aren’t leading a wolf into the house.”
Su Huajin understood her meaning; she was worried that if the Heir truly took a fancy to her in the future and refused to send her away, keeping her around as a concubine, wouldn’t it be an eye-sore?
Su Huajin herself harbored this very worry, which was why she had taken so long after bringing Su Wantang into the capital to make a decision. However…
“If her appearance isn’t outstanding, given your cousin’s character, you know it well—it would probably be very difficult to catch his eye.”
Zhao Xiyao nodded: “True, Cousin loves leading troops to fight and possesses a cold nature. He has never been close to female charms. Aside from you, the Eldest Miss Su who was his childhood sweetheart, I have never seen him cast a second glance at any woman… If we didn’t find one with an outstanding appearance, it would probably indeed be very difficult for him to agree.”
After saying this, Zhao Xiyao glanced at Su Wantang again, clearly feeling a trace of loathing toward this heavily and densely beautiful concubine daughter. Intent on venting some anger on Su Huajin’s behalf, she deliberately ordered Su Wantang to pour tea and wine at the table.
Grand Princess Mingyang was not present, so Zhao Xiyao was the one with the most honorable status here. The noble young ladies crowded around her like stars around the moon, and seeing Zhao Xiyao intentionally humiliate this unfamiliar Miss Su, the rest accompanied them with smiles.
Zhao Xuanzhen was right in the elegant room on the upper floor nearby, accompanying the Crown Prince, Zhao Xuanyin, alongside Xie Yan, hoping to find an opportunity to plead for leniency on Helian Rong’s behalf.
When he inadvertently looked out the window, he happened to see Su Wantang being ordered by the Fifth Princess, clumsily pouring tea and water for a crowd of noble young ladies at the table.
She was clearly not skilled at it, being in a frantic rush and shrinking back with fear, which, added to the intentional teasing by the Fifth Princess and those few girls, made her all the more panicked.
Right at this moment, the Fifth Princess, Zhao Xiyao, let out a sharp cry of pain and raised her hand, the back of her hand scalded red by the overflowing tea.
Her face instantly turned cold, and cursing “clumsy fool,” she shoved Su Wantang away.
Zhao Xuanzhen watched as Su Wantang, her eyes full of panic, repeatedly begged for forgiveness, only to be pushed back a few steps. Immediately afterward, struck with utter terror, she fell into the lotus pool behind with a loud splash.
Those noble young ladies were first startled, and then they burst into a chorus of loud laughter…
The sound of laughter alarmed the people upstairs. Xie Yan cast his gaze out the window and saw that Second Young Lady Su, whom he had met once, looking deathly pale as she hugged herself in the water, shivering, gazing blankly and fearfully at the crowd laughing mockingly on the shore.
The Crown Prince, Zhao Xuanyin, let out a chuckle of ambiguous meaning, retracted his gaze, and picked up his wine cup, only to find the cup empty.
He slowly turned his head to look at the eunuch serving by his side… only to find that eunuch staring straight at the young girl who had transformed from densely alluring to exquisitely pitiful after falling into the water, his eyes unable to move away, captivated by that image which was more splendid than a lotus emerging from water.
“Does it look good?”
Zhao Xuanyin spoke eerily, his tone described as incredibly soft.
The eunuch snapped out of it abruptly. When he saw the completely empty wine cup in the Crown Prince’s hand, the blood drained entirely from his face, and he fell to his knees with a thud: “Your Highness, s-spare… spare my life…”
The heir apparent of the Great Xia, Zhao Xuanyin, was born with a face so handsome it could be called beautiful, yet he was publicly known to be sinister, perverse, and tyrannical.
The corners of his lips curved into a click of his tongue: “Since that pair of eyeballs is useless, dig them out.”
In the next instant, two secret guards appeared, dragging the eunuch directly to the side, not shielding anyone… their daggers plunging straight in.
Before the eunuch’s shrill shriek could escape, his mouth was muffled, and he convulsed and struggled like a dead fish.
Xie Yan’s brow furrowed slightly as he put down his wine cup: “Since Your Highness has no interest, then let today end here.”
In the next instant, Zhao Xuanyin, who had just been full of a sinister grimace digging out a man’s eyes, blinked his eyes and transformed back into a warm and genial smile, begging for forgiveness and coaxing Xie Yan: “Just now it was this lonely one who was bad, Grand Tutor must not be angry… All of you get the hell out, do not soil the Grand Tutor’s eyes.”
“Yes.”
The secret guards dragged the eunuch away.
Zhao Xuanyin then continued to press: “Grand Tutor, according to your plan, the Red Lotus rebel army was blocked outside the Linbei River, and afterward they vanished without a trace… Where will their next objective be?”
Xie Yan’s expression was flat: “The Leader of the Red Lotus Sect acts like a ghost and cannot be measured by common sense. Moreover, although they met with defeat in Linzhou, the side over in Yunzhou captured a group of cultists, who will be escorted into the capital in a few days… If the Red Lotus Sect wishes to rescue their people and sneaks into the capital, it would not be strange.”
Zhao Xuanyin then let out a click of his tongue: “For such a massive cult, the captured members unexpectedly do not even know whether their own leader is old or young, male or female… I know not whether it is that the imperial court’s people are too useless, or if that Red Lotus Sect truly possesses such an evil nature.”
Zhao Xuanzhen cast a glance at Xie Yan’s expression, and then at Zhao Xuanyin, who was beautiful to the point of being nearly exquisite and feminine yet whose eyes were full of sinister malice. In the end, he swallowed back the words pleading for leniency on Helian Rong’s behalf.
The cult was expanding day by day. The deployment Xie Yan made in Yunzhou had captured a batch of cultists, among whom there was suspected to be a cult hall leader level. Yet Helian Rong had committed a massive error in Linzhou due to female charms; this calamity… he ought to bear it himself.
Down in the lake, Su Wantang shivered in the water, calling out to Su Huajin for help: “Sister, Sister save me.”
However, the Fifth Princess said those lotuses were the favorite of her paternal aunt, Grand Princess Mingyang, and whoever damaged them would face death, so no one nearby dared to enter the water.
Su Huajin let out a sigh: “Wantang, climb up by yourself, be careful not to touch the Grand Princess’s lotuses.”
Su Wantang wept: “I—I am stuck in the mud and cannot move…”
Some noble young ladies snickered aloud.
Some also showed intolerance in their eyes, but on one hand they dared not defy the Fifth Princess, and on the other hand they dared even less to touch the Grand Princess’s lotuses, so they could only advise Su Wantang from the side to find a way to come ashore herself.
Xu Jinnian had been dispatched to deliver poetry. Just as he walked beneath the pavilion, he saw Su Wantang shivering in the lotus pool… He froze violently, and then ground his teeth to avert his gaze.
Heh, this is the consequence of her discarding him like a worn-out shoe to climb to higher branches… reaped what she sowed, nothing more!
In the next instant, he met Su Wantang’s gaze.
Su Wantang clearly had not expected to run into him here. After a brief daze, her face was filled with intense embarrassment, while her eyes showed a pleading look.
Wants him to save her?
Heh…
Xu Jinnian would never forget how Su Wantang had just looked at him with that beaming smile, trampling his surge of a sincere heart and all his dignity beneath her feet, asking him, how much is a sincere heart worth?
She did not like sincerity but preferred cheapness, so she could just bear it herself…
In the next instant, Xu Jinnian walked straight past without looking sideways.
Right at this moment, a loud splash rang out. Xu Jinnian turned his head subconsciously, only to see a tall, lean, and powerful figure leap into the water.
When Helian Rong spotted the person who had fallen into the water from a short distance away, he froze violently. Disregarding everything, he flew down into the water: “Lianniang…”
But lifting the person up and holding her in his arms, he finally realized he had misjudged.
This person was not Lianniang.
The woman in his arms was exquisitely beautiful yet weak and fragile, lacking that unbridled disposition of Lianniang and the alluring charm flowing in her glances…
But having saved her already, Helian Rong also could not bear to watch a young girl fall into the water in such a wretched state. Leaping up, he carried the person to the shore and set her down. He carelessly yanked off his outer robe and threw it over: “Take it to cover yourself.”
A complex look flashed across the depths of Su Wantang’s eyes. Lowering her eyes, she thanked him while shivering: “Many thanks, Young Master.”
Helian Rong waved his hand and left without looking back.
Su Wantang withdrew her gaze imperceptibly.
She knew Helian Rong had been searching for her in Linzhou, turning heaven and earth upside down, wanting to capture her back. It was only a pity… there was no longer that person named Lianniang.
He would never be able to find her…