Chapter 1283 Instigating
Originally, there were five rich-colored peonies in the painting, and one of them was the most eye-catching. It was also the one that Chu Liuyue usually appreciate the most. But now, there was a little ink color in the middle of its pistils, which strangely destroyed the layout of the whole painting.
The dark purple peony was no longer gorgeous.
“Find out who did it!” Chu Liuyue was so angry that his face turned ashen. He hardly believed that such a thing had happened in his study.
Zhang Qilan sat down again and quietly watched Chu Liuyue investigate this matter. After a while, a concubine who had just married into the mansion was found out. She was quite gorgeous, and Zhang Qilan disliked that concubine’s bright-red lips in particular.
So far, Zhang Qilan had only seen such bright red lips on the faces of Shao Wanru and the concubine in front of her. In particular, the lips shape of this concubine was a little similar to that of Shao Wanru, which made her more disgusted.
“Your Highness, I… I just came to see you. You were not here, so I left immediately. It really has nothing to do with me,” the concubine cried and explained to Chu Liuyue.
Her surname was Yu, unlike those who were on the royal family list, she was just called “Miss” in the mansion, and her status was as same as a servant girl in the Prince’s bed. People in Prince Yue’s Mansion called her “Miss Yu”.
“You really didn’t do anything?” Chu Liuyue asked sternly.
“I swear that I didn’t do anything. Your Highness, please find out who wanted to frame me. Please uphold justice for me, Your Highness!” the concubine choked with sobs and looked at Chu Liuyue pitifully with her beautiful eyes.
From the angle that Zhang Qilan was sitting, this concubine, who covered her face and cried, looked especially similar to Shao Wanru.
“Your Highness, please punish her,” Zhang Qilan spoke for the first time. “Whether she did it or not, since something has happened, you can’t keep her any longer.”
“Let’s figure it out first!” Chu Liuyue frowned and said unpleasantly.
“Your Highness, for such a thing, she claimed that someone framed her, but no one saw anyone else come in. Who else could it be except her? Don’t you want to punish her?” Zhang Qilan asked.
Her words sounded completely from the perspective of the prince’s mansion, and she looked like offering her help to Chu Liuyue wholeheartedly. Chu Liuyue should have agreed, but when he saw the concubine’s bright red lips, he hesitated instantly.
“Servant, take her away for now. I’ll decide after finding out the truth,” Chu Liuyue said in a deep voice.
“Does this mean that he would not punish this concubine for the time being?” Zhang Qilan stood up and cast a glance at the concubine with gloomy eyes. “Your Highness, I’m tired, and I have to go back to rest.”
“Okay. Have a good rest.” Chu Liuyue waved his hand and said casually.
Zhang Qilan walked to the door and looked back at the concubine again. With a flash of fierce in her eyes, she turned around and left.
Chu Liuyue claimed that there was nothing between him and Shao Wanru, but if it was true, why would Chu Liuyue be soft-hearted because of this concubine whose lips were similar to that of Shao Wanru?
Since Zhang Qilan married into Prince Yue’s Mansion, she had seen how Chu Liuyue punish his subordinates. He had never been soft-hearted. Even if he punished them by mistake, he would not let any of them go. Wasn’t it the case with Chu Liuyue in the past?
But today, Chu Liuyue made an exception for such a nobody like this concubine unexpectedly.
The autumn wind was already cool. After walking through a few corridors against the wind, Zhang Qilan suddenly stopped in a place with big wind. As the wind blew, the two servant girls behind her started shivering.
“Your Highness, it’s too cold here,” a servant girl said timidly.
Zhang Qilan seemed not to have heard what the servant girl said. She stood still there with her head down. The wind was very strong, blowing her clothes up, but she did not feel cold at all. Instead, Zhang Qilan felt that her heart was burning, and she had an impulse that could not be suppressed. Clenching her fists, she finally suppressed the jealousy and hatred in her heart.
“Your Highness, be careful not to hurt yourself,” the servant girl said again.
Zhang Qilan took a deep breath to suppress the hatred in her heart. She couldn’t show it on her face. She was now Princess Yue, but not the daughter of the Zhang family. Her current status was even higher than that of Shao Wanru, so she would have more opportunities.
“Did you get any reply from Miss Qin whom I invited before?” Zhang Qilan asked as she moved forward.
Miss Qin was referring to Qin Yiyan.
“Not yet,” The servant girl replied in a low voice.
Zhang Qilan was a little upset. She hadn’t gone to Shao Wanru in the past few days, but she expressed her kindness to Qin Yiyan in private, and a few days ago, Zhang Qilan told Qin Yiyan that they hit it off at first sight, and she invited Qin Yiyan to go shopping together. Qin Yiyan had been living in Prince Chen’s Mansion since she arrived in the capital. She didn’t go out usually, nor did she have friends here. Since Zhang Qilan had expressed her goodwill to Qin Yiyan to go shopping with her, Qin Yiyan should be touched, but why hadn’t she replied?
Zhang Qilan guessed as she walked. She didn’t expect that she would receive a reply from Qin Yiyan when she just returned to her courtyard. Qin Yiyan agreed to go shopping with Zhang Qilan. The appointed time was relatively in a rush. It was set in the afternoon.
Zhang Qilan immediately asked someone to reply to Qin Yiyan, indicating that she agreed. At the same time, she set the appointed place, where whoever arrived first and waited for the other.
Zhang Qilan didn’t come early in the afternoon. When she arrived at the private room of the teahouse she had reserved, she saw that Qin Yiyan was already inside. Zhang Qilan walked up with a smile. “Miss Qin, you came so early. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s okay. It’s quite lively here!” Qin Yiyan sat at the window and looked at the scenery outside. It was a busy street downstairs. Zhang Qilan had booked a private room by the window. Qin Yiyan had been appreciating the hustle and bustle in the capital, so she didn’t feel that she had been waiting for a long time. It was the first time for her to go on the street openly since she arrived in the capital.
“Let’s have some pastries first. We’ll go downstairs later,” Zhang Qilan said with a smile.
The servant girl went out to have the waiter bring some new pastries. When she saw some delicate pastries that were not served just now, Qin Yiyan picked up one, tasted it, and gave compliments repeatedly. Then she said, “Just now, I also told them that I had a reservation, but they only served me some ordinary pastries instead of these tasty ones.”
Qin Yiyan thought that those ordinary pastries also tasted good, but they were not as delicate as the ones served now.
Zhang Qilan smiled and gently covered the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief. “Maybe it’s for the sake of me being Princess Yue. If Princess Chen comes this time, she can also have the privilege.”
“Why can’t I?” Qin Yiyan pulled a long face and became unhappy.
“It’s not that you can’t have the privilege but that we … take advantage of the power of the Princes,” Zhang Qilan explained patiently.
“I can also take advantage of the power of my cousin!” Qin Yiyan was unconvinced.
“Miss Qin, you are the cousin of Prince Chen but not the wife of Prince Chen. It’s different. Maybe some people would think highly of you for the sake of you being the cousin of Prince Chen, but most people are very snobbish. Moreover, if Prince Chen becomes the crown prince someday … the status of Princess Chen will be even more noble. Even you, as his cousin, can’t compare with Princess Chen.”
Zhang Qilan took another piece of pastry, handed it to Qin Yiyan enthusiastically, and said casually.
After saying that, Zhang Qilan seemed to feel that it was inappropriate and hurriedly explained, “Miss Qin, don’t take it seriously. I just said it casually and let you know the difference between Princess Chen and you. She is your cousin’s wife, your cousin-in-law, and she has been engaged to His Highness Prince Chen early. Naturally, she is different from you.”
“But I was supposed to be Princess Chen.” Qin Yiyan lowered her head and said in a low voice that almost like she was talking to herself. But coincidentally, Zhang Qilan heard it.
“Miss Qin, what do you mean by saying that?” Zhang Qilan frowned slightly. “Miss Qin, for some things, you may just say it casually, but you can’t talk nonsense. It’s okay for me to hear it today, and I won’t tell others. But you will be in trouble if anyone else knows your intention. At least, Princess Chen can’t let you be.”
Hearing that, Qin Yiyan revealed some anger on her face and was very unconvinced. “What are you talking about? Why can’t I say it? It’s not my own idea but Her Highness Consort Lan’s.”
Zhang Qilan smiled and comforted Qin Yiyan, “Miss Qin, it’s just a kind reminder for you. I’m afraid that you don’t know the ins and outs. If you suffer losses, no one can help you.”
“Why will I suffer losses?” Qin Yiyan said angrily, “Is it because of my cousin-in-law? Why does she want to deal with me? It was Her Highness Consort Lan who asked me to live in Prince Chen’s Mansion. But what does it matter to Princess Chen? Does she think that she will be the only hostess of Prince Chen’s Mansion in the future?”
“Of course, there won’t be only one hostess in Prince Chen’s Mansion, but who knows what will happen in the future? At least Princess Chen is the only hostess now. Miss Qin, you’d better be careful. Don’t offend Princess Chen. I used to be her bestie, but later…” Speaking of this, Zhang Qilan paused and then vaguely said, “Forget it. I’d better not mention it.”
Hearing that it was related to someone close to her, Qin Yiyan became interested. “Your Highness, would you please tell me about the matter between you and my cousin-in-law? Why does it sound like she has done something to you?”
“It’s not a big deal. In fact, it’s not your cousin-in-law’s fault. Sometimes, it’s hard to explain the feelings between a man and a woman. Alas, I’m not good enough,” Zhang Qilan sighed, and her smile faded.
According to what Zhang Qilan said, it was related to the affection between a man and a woman, and it even made Zhang Qilan and Shao Wanru turn against each other. If it was because of Chu Liuchen, then it could be Zhang Qilan’s fault. However, it didn’t seem to be the case from the way Zhang Qilan looked. Zhang Qilan would never tell anyone else if it was her fault. It seemed that the relationship between them turned bad because of Shao Wanru.
Was it because of Chu Liuyue?
Qin Yiyan was not stupid. She immediately understood what Zhang Qilan meant. She widened her eyes and said in a trembling voice, “So… My… My cousin-in-law and His Highness Prince Yue…”
“Miss Qin, please don’t say it anymore!” Zhang Qilan looked serious and immediately warned Qin Yiyan in a low voice, “If such words are spread out, you will be in trouble, and so will I. It’s better not to know anything.”
“Since they have done it, are they afraid to be talked to? No way! I have to tell my cousin about it.” Qin Yiyan couldn’t sit still anymore. She immediately stood up.
“Miss Qin, don’t act rashly. There is no evidence.” Zhang Qilan grabbed Qin Yiyan’s hand immediately.
Qin Yiyan tried to shake off Zhang Qilan’s hand twice but failed. She became angrier and said, “It doesn’t matter if my cousin doesn’t believe me. I’ll tell Her Highness Consort Lan. My cousin is such a good person, but how could he be deceived by her?”
After saying that, she shook off Zhang Qilan’s hand hard again and succeeded this time. Then she walked outside in a rage. When Zhang Qilan chased to the door, she saw Qin Yi had left. Zhang Qilan stopped there and looked toward the stairs with cold eyes. It happened that Infanta Yuan’an came…
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