Chapter 291 Hundreds of Flowers Blossomed in the Imperial Garden
“Your Highness, I don’t think I have any problem with Madam of Duke Xing. Madam of Duke Xing has always been gentle and appreciated me a lot. She would probably not frame me up!”
Qin Wanru said gracefully.
Her words made the Empress fall silent. She stared at Qin Wanru’s face with a bit of coldness in her eyes, as if to make sure if Qin Wanru was telling the truth.
After a long while, the Empress said slowly, “Since you don’t have any problem with this Miss from the Wang family, why does she intend to frame you up? The only connection between you is Madam of Duke Xing!”
She said gently even with a faint smile. Nevertheless, Qin Wanru had a bad feeling. The Empress enticed her to involve Madam of Duke Xing in this so deliberately. She must have an unusual intention.
The Empress was deliberately trying to make her say Madam of Duke Xing intended to trap her on purpose? But she couldn’t do anything to someone with such a noble status like Madam of Duke Xing. Moreover, even if it could be considered the evidence for Wang Yishu, it was only an unspeakable speculation for Madam of Duke Xing.
If she dared to tell the Empress it was related to Madam of Duke Xing today, there would never be a good outcome! She was not sensitive to some things in the last life, but was particularly sensitive to them in this life!
“Your Highness, I don’t know indeed!” With her long eyelashes fluttering twice, Qin Wanru respectfully replied. Her answer was quite neutral without any bias.
“You really don’t know, or don’t dare to say it?” the Empress said with a smile in an increasingly gentle tone.
Qin Wanru slowly became breathless with fear. With the meaning the Empress’s words, it was very difficult to answer her question. What did “I don’t know” and “I don’t dare” mean? Despite the only difference in the last word, if she gave an answer with the slightest error in front of the Empress and so many Young Madams from aristocratic families, it would bring her endless trouble.
She would deal with Madam of Duke Xing, but not at this time. Moreover, the Empress seemingly insisted interfering in this.
“Your Highness, I really don’t know!” Qin Wanru replied slowly. She clearly knew any carelessness at this moment would drag her into a desperate abyss. As the Empress kept asking her, her intention slowly appeared in Qin Wanru’s mind.
“Mother, let’s go!” There came a man’s gloomy voice from the side of the Empress. Qin Wanru carefully distinguished it and found it was obviously Prince Zhou’s voice which she had heard in the Imperial Institute of Medicine. She suddenly thought of something. Had they investigated the accident caused by Prince Zhou’s running horse? It seemed that they didn’t find anything?
She thought that Prince Zhou might not show up today. Unexpectedly he entered the palace so soon!
“I’ll check it out for you. You may leave now!” Failing to inquire something from Qin Wanru and seeing her son’s gloomy face, the Empress gave up asking Qin Wanru and waved her hand to motion for Qin Wanru to leave.
“Yes, Your Highness!” Qin Wanru stood up and stepped aside, waiting with other Young Madams till the Empress’ palanquin passed by. There was a big garden in front of them, facing the flower bed in the middle. The Empress did not enter the tent surrounding half of the flower bed, and entered the garden with a group of people.
After the Empress left, they finally felt relieved and gently exhaled a breath. Many Young Madams clearly knew about their intentions of entering the palace today. Some of them had stolen a glance at Prince Zhou. They found him extremely handsome and had a crush on him.
Among the three Princes including Prince Yue, Prince Zhou and Prince Xin, if there was someone most likely to inherit the throne in the future, Prince Zhou seemed to be the best choice. After all, Prince Zhou was the only son of the Empress. Although Prince Yue was the eldest son and also very outstanding, most people focused on Prince Zhou.
If a girl could marry Prince Zhou, she would probably be the empress in the future. Such an identity was enough to make most of the Young Madams present extremely passionate about him.
Most of the Young Madams entered the palace today and targeted at Prince Zhou. Many of the Young Madams considered even if they couldn’t marry Prince Zhou as the princess, being his concubine or inferior concubine was better than marrying other Princes.
Of course, some of them considered Prince Yue also had a good chance. After all, Prince Yue was the eldest son and his mother came from a powerful family. There were also some unambitious Young Madams considering it not bad to marry Prince Xin. They could at least live a wealthy life ever after if they married Prince Xin. Prince Xin could be a wealthy idle prince in the future. No matter Prince Yue or Prince Zhou inherited the throne in the future, they wouldn’t do anything to a brother who was not threatening to them.
At the thought of this, they also considered Prince Xin a good choice.
The Young Madams, who attended the feast, were waiting to meet this prince. Regarding Prince Chen, he was not within the scope of their consideration. Everyone knew that Prince Chen wouldn’t live long and had such an embarrassing identity. He was the Empress Dowager’s favorite, so what? No one knew when he would die. No one was willing to live in widowhood, and he would probably die before getting married.
Moreover, with such an identity, even if he lived for a few more years, it was no good for their families or themselves.
Almost all the Young Madams thought so. Thus, after the Empress left, the Young Madams talked about the three princes in groups of three and four.
Some of them were not talking, but blushed on hearing the discussion. What had happened to Qin Wanru was just a small episode.
Qin Wanru was just a rarely known Miss who had just moved to the capital. Qin Huaiyong’s official rank barely made her qualified to attend the banquet. Wang Yishu was even inferior to her, because she was not a real Miss from Duke Xing’s Mansion. Although everyone considered the matter was related to Madam of Duke Xing, Qin Wanru didn’t affirm it anyway.
For these Young Madams, the most important thing now was not what had happened to Qin Wanru, but their own affairs.
The banquet had not yet officially begun. The Empress had not come out of the garden. Everyone was curious, but didn’t dare to approach the garden. They just talked and strolled in small groups on the path outside the tent.
Few people went inside the tent!
Prince Zhou had already come, and Prince Yue and Prince Xin should come over later. They couldn’t see them in the tent. So everyone naturally walked out of the tent. Despite the coldness outside, everyone enjoyed standing outside and looked energetic.
A few of them even deliberately stood in the middle of a whirlwind. The wind raised their dresses, adding a bit of dreamlike beauty to them.
Qin Wanru stood silently in the crowd, and did not enter the tent conspicuously. Since everyone stood outside the tent, she certainly stood among them.
Her clothes were exceptionally gorgeous with a layer of gauze outside. Her fluttering dress made her look more fairy than other Young Madams and as delicate as jade. Although she was still young, her appearance was incomparable.
Some of them were jealous, some were envious, and some were scornful. Various gazes fell on Qin Wanru, but no one came to talk to her. Everyone was smart. What had happened between Wang Yishu and her was obviously related to Madam of Duke Xing. Confronting Madam of Duke Xing, there was no chance for Qin Wanru to win.
No one was willing to annoy Madam of Duke Xing because of Qin Wanru.
Although everyone didn’t say it, they considered Qin Wanru must have done something offensive to Madam of Duke Xing so that Madam of Duke Xing did this to her!
“Sister Wanru!” A surprising voice suddenly came to Qin Wanru’s ear. Qin Wanru looked up and saw Yan Xulan coming from the front with delight.
She set out late and had just arrived. When she walked through the door, she saw Qin Wanru in the crowd and immediately greeted her with a smile.
“Sister Yan!” Qin Wanru smiled and bowed.
Yan Xulan reached out to pull her and looked around. “Is it still early now? Let’s have a walk!”
“Okay!” Qin Wanru nodded.
They walked hand in hand casually along the path. Several people glanced at them with malicious eyes from somewhere they didn’t notice. Someone squinted coldly at them. Someone sneered. Someone whispered to the maid beside, and the maid turned and ran out when no one noticed.
Everyone acted calmly, as if what they did was natural! Even the maid that ran out to send the message disappeared into the crowd!
There suddenly came another disturbance among the crowd. Some people said Prince Yue had come!
A large group of Young Madams stood there gracefully and shyly shifted their gaze in succession.
The two handsome princes were coming here together in the opposite direction where Qin Wanru left, followed by several unusual noble ladies. They slowly walked over under the jealous or envious gaze of numerous Young Madams, and then entered the garden where the Empress went.
Although Qin Wanru and Yan Xulan had also heard them, they did not want to join them and continued going along the curved path.
On both sides of the path, many basins of delicate and enchanting Tang Qianyan were in full bloom. They stood firm from time to time to appreciate the flowers.
It was the time when plum blossom burst into bloom. It was really gratifying to see the flowers with a different color!
“What happened just now?” Being distant from the crowd, Yan Xulan tilted her head and asked.
“Nothing serious. It’s just a minor accident!” Qin Wanru shook her head and smile. She did not want to involve Yan Xulan in what had happened.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” asked Xu Xulan.
Qin Wanru shook her hand. “You don’t need to worry about this!”
“Wang Yishu is not such a person. Why does she do this kind of thing!” Yan Xulan said with puzzlement. She was not ignorant. She had heard not a few people discussing it on her way here and had known the rough process.
Looking at Yan Xulan’s confused and worried eyes, Qin Wanru felt warmth in her heart. She pulled Yan Xulan’s hand and said with a smile, “It happened in the palace. Wang Yishu can’t shift the blame even if she wants to!”
“I heard that she has been sent to the Imperial Institute of Medicine?” Yan Xulan frowned. “I’m wondering what the Empress thought. Such a person deserves this. Could it be…”
When she spoke of this, Qin Wanru immediately reached out to cover her mouth, gently shook her head and whispered, “Sister Yan, be careful of your words!”