484 Give Me Your Hand (Part 2)
Even if people wanted to stay back and watch, they could only listen to the order and retreat.
Su Yanyu didn’t want to leave either, but his mother dragged him away.
Li Jing didn’t want to leave, but Madam Li pulled him away. After such a thing happened, no matter what the truth was, it was best that the Li family didn’t participate in the spectacle. The process didn’t matter. What mattered was the outcome.
The empress looked at Liu Sanniang and said coldly, “Miss Liu, let’s begin.”
Liu Sanniang looked at Zhang Yufei.
Zhang Yufei knew that the empress was on her side. She felt even more confident and extended her hand. “Miss Liu, let’s begin. I have a clear conscience. I’m not afraid.”
Chu Yan took out a handkerchief. Liu Sanniang took the handkerchief and covered Zhang Yufei’s hand with it before holding her hand.
Zhang Yufei’s face darkened. This discrimination was clearly a humiliation to her. When Liu Sanniang was reading Zhang Shuangshuang’s mind, she did not cover Zhang Shuangshuang’s hand with a handkerchief, but she covered her hand with a handkerchief. The meaning was self-evident.
Zhang Yufei could not help but ask. “Miss Liu, what do you mean?”
Liu Sanniang looked at Zhang Yufei calmly. “It means what you think it means.”
Zhang Yufei was stunned. She did not expect Liu Sanniang to be so straightforward.
Zhang Heng was furious. Madam Zhang gritted her teeth. “Miss Liu has a prejudice against Yufei. Empress, how can she be fair?”
Xia Qiluo frowned at Madam Zhang and said, “Shut up.”
She knew what Liu Sanniang was capable of. Zhang Yufei must be lying. She did not like Zhang Yufei, but she did not like Zhang Shuangshuang either. This was the Zhang family’s family matter. Why did they have to cause trouble at her birthday banquet?
She also hated Liu Sanniang. Why did she have to meddle in other people’s business? Zhang Shuangshuang had no one to rely on. She lost to Zhang Yufei because she was useless. Why did Liu Sanniang have to stand up for her? Was it to show people how righteous she was?
The empress looked at Xia Qiluo and could clearly feel her resentment.
She then looked at Liu Sanniang and her eyes darkened.
Madam Zhang fell silent after being shouted at coldly.
She only looked at Zhang Heng with tears in her eyes. Zhang Heng patted her and comforted her silently. He looked at Zhang Shuangshuang with coldness and disgust.
Liu Sanniang released her power to envelop this place. Her power invaded Zhang Yufei, causing her to resist involuntarily.
Her expression was no longer relaxed. Instead, she suddenly became nervous and began to struggle. She wanted to break free from Liu Sanniang’s grip, but she could not.
She began to be afraid. She widened her eyes and said, “What did you do to me? Let go of me.”
Liu Sanniang looked at Zhang Yufei calmly and let go. Zhang Yufei instantly leaned against Madam Zhang, her expression not relaxed at all, as if she had experienced something terrifying.
Madam Zhang couldn’t help but react. “What did you do to my daughter? Stop…”
Before she could finish speaking, there was silence because she saw a small boat slowly rowing towards the center of the lake. Sitting on it were many young ladies.
They chatted and laughed. Some of them reached out to stroke the water. The lotus flowers in the center of the lake bloomed just right, and they wanted to pick it.
Madam Zhang reacted. What she saw seemed to be her daughter’s memories. This realization sent a chill down her spine.
It was still a hot day, but she felt a little cold.
Zhang Yufei broke down and cried. “No, stop, stop.”
She thought that no one would know what she had done, so she was not afraid. But now she regretted it. Liu Sanniang had a gentle face, but she was a demon. How could she do this?
Zhang Yufei took a gamble this time because she had planned it well. She had been in love with Li Jing for a long time. After giving him the eye several times, she confirmed that Li Jing was also in love with her.
That was why she was so bold. Even if Li Jing could hold back and not save her, she would still be saved by the eunuchs in the palace. Then, she would point the finger at Zhang Shuangshuang.
At that time, Zhang Shuangshuang would be criticized as vicious.
But now, the memory in her mind was being replayed.
The boat stopped in the middle of the lake. Not far away was a pavilion where some male guests were playing. Among them was Li Jing. The palace servants stabilized the boat so that the ladies could pick the lotus flowers. Zhang Yufei stood up. She looked around and saw that everyone was reaching out to pick the lotus flowers. Their attention was not on her.
She approached Zhang Shuangshuang and saw her picking a large lotus flower. She leaned over. At the same time, she screamed and fell into the lake. As she screamed, she reached out and grabbed Zhang Shuangshuang. Then, both of them fell into the lake.
Everything happened very quickly. By the time everyone reacted, Zhang Yufei and Zhang Shuangshuang had already fallen into the lake.
Zhang Yufei floated up and down. She drank a few mouthfuls of water and shouted for help.
No one knew that her legs were as agile as a fish under the lake. She knew how to swim, but she pretended not to know how to swim, just like Zhang Shuangshuang.
She saw Li Jing jump down in panic and swim towards her. He did not even look at Zhang Shuangshuang. He hugged her and swam towards the side of the boat.
She closed her eyes and pretended to be unconscious.
Liu Sanniang retracted her power, and the few people present slowly came back to their senses.
Zhang Heng was a little stunned. He looked at his beloved eldest daughter and did not know what to say. He opened his mouth several times but could not say anything.
Madam Zhang pushed Zhang Yufei away and slapped her. “How do I usually teach you? How could you do such a thing? Why did you do this? You’re not such a vicious person.”
Zhang Yufei was slapped, and her face quickly turned red. She looked at Madam Zhang and instantly understood what she meant. Zhang Yufei covered her face and broke down. “It’s my fault, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen in love with Young Master Li. He is already engaged to Second Sister. Second Sister, please forgive me.”