Chapter 663 Do You Think I’m Fool?
“What has been taken to Imperial Grandmother by that sick man?” Chu Liuzhou slammed the table hard and said angrily.
Honored Consort Shu and Chu Liuyue were also sitting in the room with gloomy faces. This happened all of a sudden, which was different from what they had imagined. Was this really an accident, or someone’s plot?
If it was really an accident, it would be fine. But if someone took the opportunity to plot, would it become a big deal?
Among these three people, Chu Liuzhou had not known the inside story at all, and Chu Liuyue had known some inside information, and only Honored Consort Shu had really done it. At this time, her fingers clenched the handkerchief tightly, and she only felt that her heart was beating so fast that she couldn’t breathe.
Everything had been discussed by her and Old Madam of Duke Xing’s Mansion, so it could be said that they had calculated it step by step very accurately.
Even Chu Liuyue and Chu Liuzhou’s trip had been counted in, so they prepared the special wine from the palace at various entertainment places.
All the wine had been drugged, thus Shao Wanru could be pushed into the river wherever she drank it. Then, ask a guard to save her, let many guards see her, and ask Prince Yue to take her away. In this way, Shao Wanru could only be a concubine even if she did not want to. Rui’an Great Elder Princess could escalate this and so could Concubine De. She would definitely not let Shao Wanru be the official wife of Prince Zhou.
It would be very easy to spite a concubine in the future, even if she might be a co-consort!
But Honored Consort Shu had not expected that it was Shao Yanru who fell into the river. How could she explain it to Old Madam of Duke Xing’s Mansion? And why did things change? It made her inexplicably shocked.
Originally, she had chosen Chu Liuzhou to ask the guards to stop Shao Wanru and force her to come over so that she could put the blame on Shao Wanru. However, they had happened to meet Chu Liuchen again.
“What a coincidence! Has Chu Liuchen heard something?” Thinking of Chu Liuchen, Honored Consort Shu’s palms were sweating. Others might not know how terrible this child was, but she did.
She had always hated Chu Liuchen so much that she even wanted to kill him. However, even though Chu Liuchen had always been sick, it was not easy to hurt him, who was beloved by Empress Dowager and the emperor!
Once when Chu Liuchen had been taking a nap in the palace, she had deliberately sent a beautiful little palace maid to Chu Liuchen’s bed. The little palace maid was extremely beautiful and had been chosen by her with great difficulty to frame Chu Liuchen.
Honored Consort Shu would never forget that afternoon, in which she had been invited over. In front of her, the little palace maid, who only had a little connection with her, had been peeled off. When the beautiful face had been sent to her, Honored Consort Shu had been scared to faint.
After that, when she saw Chu Liuchen’s figure from a distance, she would throw up and feel sick.
She even felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if something was heavily blocked.
At that time, he had still been at a young age, maybe 12 or 11 years old. He had calmly looked at the beautiful girl’s face being peeled off in front of everyone with his fierce and cold eyes. Meanwhile, his smile had still been as gentle as jade, as if he was a graceful young boy coming out of a painting.
The reason why the little palace maid had entered the palace had something to do with Honored Consort Shu, but after that, Honored Consort Shu had hidden this relationship. Even so, when punishing this palace maid, Chu Liuchen still forced her to be invited over. Although the emperor rebuked Chu Liuchen a few times, that caused no pain on him.
Since then, Honored Consort Shu did not dare to deal with Chu Liuchen openly, nor the people around him.
But now Shao Wanru was different. Only Empress Dowager showed her approval for Shao Wanru, but Chu Liuchen didn’t say anything. She couldn’t deal with Chu Liuchen, but she could still deal with those who had not belonged to Chu Liuchen yet.
Honored Consort Shu sat there with cold limbs, full of hatred and desperation. Why had her son lost his life so early? Why had that bitch’s son not only survived but also suppressed her everywhere? She was unwilling to accept this and give up.
“Your Grace, Your Grace…” A voice came to her ears and finally pulled Honored Consort Shu back from a demonic dark place.
“What…?” Honored Consort Shu asked, trying hard to keep her face calm.
“Your Grace, what should we do now? Now First Miss Shao… can only marry Commandery Prince Qing?” Chu Liuyue asked with a little melancholy.
Chu Liuzhou’s face immediately turned livid. He had been determined to get Shao Yanru and already regarded her as his woman. Now, this girl was going to fall into Chu Qing’s hands, which really annoyed him.
“This matter… seems to be like this now… Let the guards report it to the Empress!” Honored Consort Shu relaxed her hands slightly to evaporate the sweat in her palms.
“It’s also my fault. Why did I ask the Misses of Duke Xing’s Mansion to come to the palace together? I will also go to the Empress to ask for forgiveness later!” Honored Consort Shu sighed and said.
She had to bear some consequences of this matter, otherwise, Chu Liuchen, that crazy man, would definitely do something. She did not dare to test Chu Liuchen’s bottom line.
This matter would not be good for Shao Yanru if it got worse, but now this seemed to be the only way.
Chu Liuzhou stood up angrily and snorted. Without saying goodbye, he turned around and strode out. He had to discuss with his mother how to deal with this matter.
He was really unwilling to give up the support from Duke Xing!
However, Chu Qing was also his cousin. His father would not allow Chu Qing and him to fight for a woman, not to mention a woman who had lost her reputation.
“I’m afraid that Second Brother is really angry. Originally… Second Brother and First Miss Shao were childhood sweethearts…” Chu Liuyue politely apologized to Honored Consort Shu for Chu Liuzhou.
“It doesn’t matter. No one feels good at this time. Let’s go to visit the Empress together!” Honored Consort Shu was also full of panic at this time. She had no intention to be particular about Chu Liuzhou’s rudeness. Besides, Chu Liuzhou was the legitimate son of the Empress. Even though he was a little impolite, she couldn’t say anything.
“Yes, Your Grace!” Chu Liuyue looked quite calm and respectful to Honored Consort Shu. He stood aside and followed Honored Consort Shu after she passed him.
When the room became quiet, Shao Jie’er came out of the inner room timidly. Looking at the empty living room, she frowned tightly.
Now, she didn’t know what to do!
When Prince Yue and Prince Zhou had come just now, she had hurried forward to call for help because she wanted the two princes to speak for her. Otherwise, Madam of Duke Xing and Shao Yanru would definitely vent their anger on her.
Even if they didn’t know that it was she who had pushed Shao Yanru, they wouldn’t let her go easily.
However, these two princes only cared about Shao Yanru and didn’t stop for her at all. They just asked about the situation at that time, and then they no longer cared about her affairs.
Thinking of this, she felt as if there were thousands of ants crawling in her heart. She was full of hatred and jealousy!
They were all the daughters of Duke Xing, but why was her life so worthless while Shao Yanru’s life so good? Even though this accident happened, she could still become the wife of Commandery Prince Qing. However, Shao Jie’er would not have a good marriage even if she tried her best.
“Miss…” The servant girl Liu Xiang gently tugged at the corner of her clothes and said in a low voice, “Miss, First Miss is awake and invites you over!”
“She is awake?” Shao Jie’er was shocked and her face turned pale with fear.
“Yes, just now. Shuqi is talking to her. Hearing that Miss is here, she asks … you to come in, please!” Liu Xiang became timider and timider.
Shao Jie’er felt alternating cold and hot, and her intuition was telling her that something was wrong. She didn’t know how to deal with Shao Yanru now.
“Miss, please come in quickly. First Miss is very angry now!” Liu Xiang said in a low voice.
Shao Jie’er gritted her teeth, and after calming down, she turned to walk inside. She had to go in and talk to Shao Yanru about this matter, otherwise, she also had to say this when they returned to Duke Xing’s Mansion. It was better to make it clear now than to say it after returning to the mansion. At least Shao Yanru was on her own now, and there was no shrewd Madam of Duke Xing around.
Shao Yanru lay on the bed in the inner room, and her face was so pale that there was no trace of blood. She looked fiercely at Shao Jie’er, who had come in. Shao Yanru was no longer as noble and dignified as she used to be!
Shao Jie’er timidly walked to the bed, holding her hands in front of her, and said in a low voice, “Big Sister!”
“Slap!” Shao Jie’er was severely slapped to stumble and hit the table on one side.
Liu Xiang cried out in shock and hurried to hold her up. The master and servant took a few steps forward before they managed to regain their footing.
“Tell me, what happened?” Shao Yanru asked with a gloomy face.
“Big Sister… I don’t know… I don’t know what’s going on. You asked me to find Shao Wanru, so I went to find her. But only after a few steps, I saw Prince Yue, Prince Zhou, and Prince Qing coming over. I went back in a hurry to inform you, but I didn’t expect to see you squeezed out of the pavilion between the pillars and fall into the lake. I cried out in a hurry, and then Prince Qing jumped into the water…”
Shao Jie’er flung herself in front of the bed and burst into tears.
“Big Sister… I… I don’t know what happened to you. How did you suddenly fall into the lake? In such a short time… When I went back again, something happened to you. Big Sister… you… what on earth happened to you?” Shao Jie’er cried more sadly. She put her hands in front of Shao Yanru, and her panic made her teeth chatter.
With tears all over her face, she had no time to care about the messy makeup on her face.
“Shao Jie’er, do you think I’m a fool?” Shao Yanru smiled sinisterly. She held the quilt tightly with one hand and then slowly released it. The smooth silk threads on the top of the quilt, which was made of gorgeous cloth with beautiful colors, were scratched into a mess by her. The blue veins on the back of her hand stood out.
“Big Sister… I don’t dare, I don’t. I really don’t know what’s going on. Big Sister, you… did you fall into someone’s trap…? Otherwise, how… how could such a thing happen to you? Big Sister, do you still remember what happened at that time? I… I was scared at that time. The three princes and I all saw you fall into the lake!”
Shao Jie’er was really frightened. She trembled and tried hard to defend herself. She bet that Shao Yanru was not in a clear mind at that time, otherwise, she would not have been pushed into the lake without any reaction.