Meanwhile, Shen Caiyun, dressed properly, made up an excuse and left the Prime Minister's residence, slowly walking out of the alley.
The carriage of the Duke of Wen's mansion was parked in a secluded corner. When it saw Shen Caiyun arrive, it drove over. The maid opened the curtain and helped her into the carriage. Shen Caiyun had only suffered minor injuries from falling from the high platform. After resting for a few days, although she had not fully recovered, she could ride in a carriage without any problems.
The carriage was spacious. Su Yuting and Shen Caiyun sat facing each other, chatting idly. As they talked, the carriage sped along and arrived at the post station.
Su Yuting and Shen Caiyun, supported by their maids, got off the carriage and entered the post station one after the other. Shen Caiyun waited in the living room, while Su Yuting went into Qin Junhao's inner room.
Qin Junhao's wounds had been mostly healed with the best medicine, but his heart meridian was severely damaged and he still needed to rest and couldn't get out of bed. He glanced at the slender figure in the outer room through the gauze curtain and raised an eyebrow slightly: "You're quite capable, actually bringing the conscious Shen Lixue!"
Shen Lixue was at odds with them. If it were him, he would definitely knock them unconscious or drug them and carry them over.
“The woman outside isn’t Shen Lixue, she’s her sister Shen Caiyun!” Su Yuting explained softly.
"What I want is Shen Lixue. What are you doing bringing Shen Caiyun here?" Qin Junhao was taken aback, then roared, a dark cloud settling over his eyes. He had thought that Su Yuting had used some special means to trick Shen Lixue into coming, but he didn't expect that the person who came was not her.
“Shen Lixue is very clever and cunning. She had already realized that I wanted to plot against her, and borrowed several guards from Dongfang Heng to protect her. In three days, I couldn’t find a chance to get close to her, let alone bring her to see you!” Su Yuting looked at Qin Junhao and explained the difficulty of the situation word by word.
Qin Junhao snorted coldly: "This is your business and has nothing to do with me. I'll say it again: if you don't see Shen Lixue before dawn tomorrow, you will come back to the Southern Frontier with me to be the Crown Prince's concubine!"
Su Yuting's anger flared up instantly: "Crown Prince Qin, this is Qingyan. If you push me too far, I'll expose the whole truth and we'll fight to the death. No one will benefit from that!"
"You are threatening me!" Qin Junhao's gloomy eyes narrowed instantly, and his pupils flashed with cold light, like sharp blades that could instantly tear a person to pieces.
"It's not a threat, it's persuasion!" Su Yuting said coldly, her tone arrogant.
"You just throw any woman at me and then say all these threatening things, and you call that persuasion?" Qin Junhao's cold eyes were full of gloom as he looked at Su Yuting. She actually dared to play tricks on him. If he weren't seriously injured and unable to move, he would have already taught this cunning, treacherous, and overconfident vicious woman a lesson.
"She is Shen Lixue's half-sister, not an ordinary woman!" Su Yuting said coldly, her beautiful eyes filled with gloom. She came to beg for peace, but she didn't expect Qin Junhao to be so arrogant as to not even give her time to explain.
"What do you mean?" The Wen family has considerable influence in Qingyan Capital. As the only legitimate daughter of the family, Su Yuting represents the entire Wen family. After calming down, Qin Junhao realized that things were interesting and decided not to confront her head-on for the time being.
"That woman from the other woman's side, even if she were a biological sister, she wouldn't be Shen Lixue and couldn't take her place!"
Although Qin Junhao's voice was sharp, his tone softened somewhat, and Su Yuting's anger subsided considerably. She lowered her voice mysteriously and said, "How could the Crown Prince, who is usually so clever, be so foolish for a moment? Shen Lixue is staying in the Prime Minister's residence and is protected by secret guards. It would be extremely difficult for either the Crown Prince or me to get close to her. If it were her half-sister, it would be a completely different story!"
"What do you mean?" Qin Junhao's eyes narrowed, and he vaguely guessed Su Yuting's plan.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has taken Shen Cai as a concubine, and she has entered the Prime Minister's residence under the guise of a son-in-law. Shen Lixue will think that you will no longer harass her, and she will lower her guard. The Crown Prince can then take the opportunity to get close to the beauty!" Given Qin Junhao's cunning and shamelessness, Su Yuting believed that as long as he got involved with Shen Lixue, he would cling to her relentlessly. Once Shen Lixue lost her innocence and was married off to the Southern Frontier, she would have eliminated her strongest rival in love without lifting a finger.
"That's a really good idea!" Qin Junhao nodded, his gaze fixed on the canopy above him. A hint of coldness flashed in his sharp eyes. Su Yuting's schemes were always unexpected and impossible to guard against. She was ruthless and decisive!
"Would the Crown Prince like to meet Shen Caiyun? She is also a beauty and would certainly not be worthy of Your Highness." Seeing Qin Junhao lower his eyes in thought, Su Yuting hurriedly seized the opportunity to recommend Shen Caiyun to him.
"Let her in!" Su Yuting's plan involved using Shen Lixue's half-sister, so Qin Junhao was somewhat interested in meeting her.
Su Yuting was overjoyed. She lifted the curtain and called out softly. Shen Caiyun, with her graceful figure, floated gently into the inner room like a beautiful cloud.
Qin Junhao glanced at the newcomer. He saw a full forehead, a rounded chin, cherry-red lips slightly pursed, and beautiful eyes as clear as autumn water and as bright as stars, with a faint trace of sorrow. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
At the family banquet at the Prime Minister's residence, he only paid attention to the legitimate daughters Shen Lixue and Shen Yingxue, never expecting that the illegitimate daughters would also be so beautiful and charming.
"Caiyun greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Shen Caiyun walked to the center of the inner room, her slender figure graceful as a willow in the breeze, and gave a graceful bow.
"Miss Shen, there's no need for such formalities, please have a seat!" Qin Junhao's gentle smile added a touch of elegance to his otherwise ordinary face.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Shen Caiyun stood up and gracefully walked to a chair to sit down. Her beautiful eyes subtly sized up Qin Junhao. Compared to the younger generation of the Eastern royal family, Qin Junhao's appearance was indeed a bit ordinary. However, he had a noble status in the Southern Frontier, was quick-witted, and although his martial arts were a bit inferior to those of Prince An, they were still quite good.
Most importantly, by being with him, she could escape the gossip and rumors surrounding Qingyan, start a new life in a new environment, and no longer be bullied or ridiculed...
While Shen Caiyun was assessing Qin Junhao, Qin Junhao was also secretly observing her. She was beautiful, and he had heard that her zither skills were among the top three. She could compose poems on the spot and match Dongfang Zhan's couplets. Although her status was not noble, her talent was indeed remarkable. Taking her as a concubine would allow him to get closer to Shen Lixue, killing two birds with one stone.
Qin Junhao and Shen Caiyun admired each other, while Su Yuting smiled inwardly and coughed lightly, saying, "It's a bit stuffy in the inner room, I'll go to the courtyard to cool off. You two can continue your conversation!"
"Miss Su, would you like some tea?" Qin Junhao also wanted to learn more about Shen Caiyun, and he was pleased with Su Yuting's tactful manner, so he asked casually.
"I'll take care of myself, you guys chat!" Su Yuting turned around, her smiling gaze instantly turning cold. She walked slowly, quietly tossing something into the burning incense burner.
Qin Junhao and Shen Caiyun each got what they wanted, and there was a high possibility of them cooperating. However, Shen Caiyun was a smart person with extremely high insight. If she saw through Qin Junhao's cruel nature, she would never risk becoming the Crown Prince's concubine again.
Su Yuting sought out Shen Caiyun to escape. If Shen Caiyun changed her mind and left Qin Junhao, Qin Junhao would definitely cause her more trouble. Only by binding Shen Caiyun to Qin Junhao could she completely get rid of his threat.
Shen Caiyun's reputation in Qingyan is ruined, and she will never find a good husband. Sending her to Southern Xinjiang as a concubine is a way out for her. Although this path is difficult, it is still a path. As for what kind of life she will have in Southern Xinjiang, it is not within Su Yuting's consideration.
The incense burned slowly, and the rising, faint fragrance gradually enveloped the entire room!
Shen Caiyun came to test and examine Qin Junhao; her subtle words and actions revealed his character and qualities.
At first, things were fine. Qin Junhao was polite and kind-hearted. But as they talked more, Shen Caiyun keenly sensed that something was wrong with Qin Junhao. Even though it was a very small matter, the solution he came up with was arrogant and indifferent.
Was it his long-standing noble status that fostered this habit?
Shen Caiyun frowned slightly. Thinking about her future noble status and wealth, she was unwilling to give it up easily. Just as she was about to subtly probe again, she suddenly felt her body getting hot and her throat unbearably thirsty. She quietly unbuttoned her collar, but it was still hot. She picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip, but it didn't quench her thirst. She drank the whole cup of tea, but she was still thirsty.
What happened?
As Shen Caiyun wondered what was happening, a surge of heat suddenly rose from her lower abdomen. A strong tingling and burning sensation erupted like a raging fire, instantly engulfing her entire body. Her body went limp, and Shen Caiyun collapsed to the ground with a thud. Her mind was a complete blank. She opened her mouth to call for someone to come in, but unexpectedly, what came out was a soft, seductive moan.
"What's wrong with you?" Qin Junhao was taken aback. Looking at Shen Caiyun's beautiful face, flushed like a rosy cloud, and listening to her whimpering like a kitten, he instantly understood what had happened. His face turned ashen. His serious injuries had not yet healed, and he had no energy to do that kind of thing. Did Su Yuting give Shen Caiyun aphrodisiacs to make things difficult for him?
In his anger, Qin Junhao was about to call out to Su Yuting when he suddenly felt his body heat up, his throat dry, and his whole body filled with desire. The woman's charming moans rang in his ears, and her clear eyes were filled with intense lust, making him want to grab her and pin her down to vent his desires.
The aphrodisiac was potent, and a naive young girl like Shen Caiyun couldn't resist the waves of intense heat. Her small hands unconsciously tore open her outer and inner garments, revealing a pink bodice and her ample breasts, which stirred up all sorts of fantasies.
Qin Junhao felt unbearably hot all over. He watched as Shen Caiyun stood up, her eyes glazed, and stumbled to the bedside, tearing not only her own clothes but also his. He wanted to stop her, but he was powerless. His anger turned into a furious shout: "Su Yuting!"
Su Yuting sat under the shade of a tree, leisurely sipping her fragrant tea. The angry shouts coming from inside the room made her smile and curl the corners of her lips. Qin Junhao, Shen Caiyun has been tricked. Of course, she had to go and see what was going on.
Setting down her teacup, Su Yuting gracefully entered the room. Looking at Shen Caiyun, her clothes disheveled, eyes glazed, and breasts half-exposed on the large bed, and Qin Junhao, his clothes torn and eyes blazing with anger, she smiled faintly: "Congratulations, Crown Prince Qin! With a beauty on top and the Crown Prince below, if word gets out, it'll be that the beauty threw herself into your arms; no one will blame Your Highness!"