The maid holding the umbrella grumbled inwardly. The scorching sun made her dizzy and weak. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. The scenery before her eyes slowly darkened, and her consciousness suddenly faded. She fell to the ground with a thud.
"Xiuer!" a maid exclaimed, rushing forward to help the unconscious Xiuer up. Xiuer's eyes were closed, and her face was flushed, clearly showing signs of heatstroke. The maid looked helplessly at Su Yuting: "Miss, what should we do now?"
Su Yuting frowned deeply, her cold gaze sweeping over the Prince's Mansion. Shen Lixue remained remarkably composed; even as the guests' maids were sweltering in the heat, she remained unmoved.
The maid fainted from the sun and urgently needed medical treatment. If she continued to stand outside the door and wait, others would criticize Shen Lixue and also blame her for being harsh on the maid. But if she left now, all the suffering and pain she had endured would have been for nothing.
Su Yuting clenched her fair hands into fists, her angry and resentful gaze coldly fixed on the War King's Mansion. She had been standing there for so long, yet Shen Lixue remained unmoved, showing no intention of seeing her, and seemingly unafraid of damaging her reputation. Shen Lixue was truly heartless, and her patience and shamelessness were beyond her expectations. Was she going to lose this round again?
A sudden wave of dizziness and stabbing pain hit Su Yuting in the head. Startled, she gently rubbed her temples; she had also suffered from heatstroke.
"Miss!" Xiu'er's face grew increasingly pale. The maid looked at Su Yuting pleadingly, tears glistening in her beautiful eyes. Xiu'er had suffered from heatstroke and needed immediate treatment. If it was delayed any longer, it would leave her with a chronic condition.
Su Yuting's lips curled into a strange smile. The guests were suffering from heatstroke, but Shen Lixue didn't care at all. If word got out, she would definitely be infamous.
Although he failed to enter the War King's Mansion, he ruined Shen Lixue's reputation. So it wasn't a wasted trip. On the way back, he had his servants spread the news. In less than half an hour, it would spread throughout the streets and alleys. She had just become a princess and was already arrogant. If the old ministers impeached her, she would be demoted from a princess to a commoner.
Su Yuting gave a cold laugh and was about to order a return to the Duke of Wen's mansion when a guard appeared on the bluestone road of the Prince of Zhan's mansion. He hurried to the gate and said loudly, "Miss Su, the princess invites you!"
Su Yuting was taken aback, then raised an eyebrow and sneered. Shen Lixue was ultimately concerned about her reputation and dared not go too far. How hypocritical and pretentious! Since she had invited her to the manor, she would proceed according to the original plan: "Tao'er, you take Xiu'er to see a doctor first. I'm going to the Prince's manor to see Sister Lixue!"
The straight bluestone path is edged with dark gold, exuding nobility and grandeur. Tall trees are lush and verdant, bringing a refreshing breeze. The rockery is rugged and strange, the small bridge is exquisite and charming, the pond is crystal clear, and hundreds of flowers are in full bloom, displaying their vibrant colors.
The mansions of noble families all have these decorations, but the War King's Mansion is decorated in a very unique way. At first glance, it is noble and grand, exuding an indescribable beauty. In comparison, even the decorations of the Duke of Wen's Mansion are inferior.
Is this the War King's Mansion? It is indeed extraordinary! The War King has lived on the border for a long time, and he is aloof and unhospitable. At most, only a few dozen guests have ever entered the War King's Mansion. I was fortunate enough to enter the War King's Mansion, and I would say that Shen Lixue deserves some credit for it.
The War King has always ignored me. If he were the only master in the manor, I would never be able to step into the War King's manor in this lifetime. Only after Shen Lixue was granted the title of Princess could I enter under the pretext of visiting her!
Su Yuting walked slowly, her sharp eyes subtly scanning her surroundings, wondering where the bamboo forest her mother had mentioned was.
A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the fragrance of bamboo. Su Yuting's gaze sharpened, and she quickly turned her head to look. To her left was a partition, behind which lay a vast expanse of green bamboo.
Snowy eyes narrowed slightly. So that was the Green Bamboo Forest.
The guard led Su Yuting across the partition to the pavilion and respectfully announced, "Reporting to the Princess, Miss Su has arrived!"
Su Yuting stopped and looked up. Shen Lixue was wearing a flowing, dark-patterned brocade dress, her black hair loosely tied into a bun, with a green snow-white hairpin inserted diagonally in her hair, and her bright green teardrop earrings swaying and shining. Her slender fingers lightly lifted the teacup to pour tea. Every move she made was elegant and charming, just like a real princess.
"Sister Su is here, please sit down and have a cup of tea!" Shen Lixue looked at Su Yuting, her lips slightly upturned in a gentle smile.
Su Yuting's gaze darkened. She had been standing in the sun for over an hour, while Su Yuting was drinking tea in this cool pavilion. What a slut!
Despite her resentment, Su Yuting smiled gracefully as she walked into the pavilion and gently sat down opposite Shen Lixue: "Thank you, sister!"
"I was resting just now and didn't receive you, sister. Please don't take offense." Shen Lixue poured Su Yuting a cup of tea, smiling politely. The rising steam concealed the expression in her eyes.
"Sister, you must be tired from your journey and need to rest. It's just that I came at the wrong time!" Su Yuting said dismissively to Shen Lixue, her sharp gaze subtly drifting towards the bamboo forest.
"If I had known my sister was in such a hurry to see me, I would have made time to see her even if I hadn't rested. Why didn't my sister say anything?" Shen Lixue said angrily, following Su Yuting's gaze to the bamboo forest, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"My visit is already presumptuous and abrupt, how could I dare to disturb your rest, sister!" Su Yuting smiled slightly, polite and poised, and casually took a sip of her tea. "The scenery of the War Prince's Mansion is truly unique. I wonder if you would have time to show me around?"
“I just arrived at the Prince’s Mansion and am about to familiarize myself with the place. We sisters can tour it together!” Su Yuting’s words were subtle and understated, but Shen Lixue could guess that her visit to the Prince’s Mansion was a pretense, and that she had another purpose.
"Thank you, sister!" Su Yuting's beautiful eyes sparkled as she hurried out of the pavilion and onto the bluestone path.
Outside the partition, there were large trees lining the road, and inside the partition was a bamboo grove. Su Yuting walked slowly outside the bamboo grove, her curious gaze frequently lingering on the lush green bamboo: "Sister, just how big is this bamboo grove?"
One bamboo stalk after another, so dense that it seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. Su Yuting exclaimed in admiration, subtly trying to elicit something from Chen Lixue.
"I've only been to my godfather's study and my Lixue Pavilion since I first arrived at the Prince's Mansion. I haven't had time to see the other places yet, and I don't even know how big the Green Bamboo Forest is!" Shen Lixue glanced at Su Yuting, a cold, mocking smile playing on her lips.
"Really? That's a pity. I wanted my sister to tell me about what happened in the bamboo forest!" Su Yuting sighed helplessly, probing Shen Lixue again.
"The entrance to the bamboo forest is just ahead, let's go in and take a look!" Shen Lixue smiled slightly and strode forward. "This is the first time I've ever seen such a large bamboo forest. I was planning to go in and explore it after my lunch break, but since you're here, let's go together..."
Su Yuting's mind sharpened, and a sinister smile crept onto her lips. Shen Lixue had no idea that there were so many traps hidden in the bamboo forest, heh heh...
"I wonder which direction your sister Lixue is in?" To prevent Chen Lixue from noticing something amiss in the bamboo forest, Su Yuting made conversation to divert her attention.
"That little building up ahead!" Shen Lixue smiled and looked to the right front. Her smile was sincere but also tinged with pride. She had gone to great lengths to find out the truth, so of course she had to give her some useful information.
Su Yuting turned her head and looked over. Her smiling eyes instantly darkened. You can tell a person’s status in the mansion just by looking at the courtyard where they live. Shen Lixue’s bamboo garden is located in the most remote place, where you can’t see any scenery. It’s obvious that she is not favored.
But the small building she pointed to was surrounded by beautiful scenery and was in the best location in the War King's mansion. Was the War King so fond of her?
Su Yuting clenched her slender fingers tightly, raised the corners of her mouth, and smiled slightly: "That small courtyard is where the main house is located. Sister lives there, so where does Prince Zhan live?"
"My godfather's courtyard and study are right next to the bamboo grove!" That is, the place with a lot of lanterns. Every day when he gets up, works, or goes to sleep, he can see the bamboo grove and those little red lanterns when he walks to the window.
Su Yuting's smiling eyes darkened again. Her mother was right after all; the War King was obsessed with those green bamboos!
Shen Lixue glanced at Su Yuting, whose face was gloomy, and sneered. She had been provoking her so much that Su Yuting was about to make a move.
"Sister, be careful!" The entrance to the bamboo forest was just inches away. Su Yuting's eyes turned cold. Pretending to be unintentional, she shoved Shen Lixue into the bamboo forest with a cruel smile on her lips: The bamboo forest is a forbidden area. Except for Prince Zhan, anyone who trespasses will be killed without mercy.
Did Shen Lixue think that just because she was wearing a princess's clothes, she was a princess? Did she really think that the War King had taken her in as his adopted daughter and doted on her, and that the War King's mansion was her home? How utterly foolish.
The Green Bamboo Forest is a forbidden area; anyone who enters except the master of the Prince's Mansion will die. My actions were merely to make Shen Lixue see clearly that she is just a guest in the Prince's Mansion and should stop acting like the master and flaunting her status in front of me.
The moment she was thrown away, Shen Lixue smiled coldly and grabbed Su Yuting's arm. She wanted to use someone else to do her dirty work, but it wouldn't be that easy.
Suddenly, her arm tightened, and before Su Yuting could react, she was pulled into the bamboo forest.
A gentle breeze blew by, causing the green bamboo to sway and its leaves to whistle. The sound sent a chill down her spine. She glared hatefully at Chen Lixue, that bitch who had dragged her into the deadly bamboo forest: "What are you doing?"
"My little sister was walking unsteadily and bumped into me. I was in a hurry to stand up, so I grabbed her arm, but I didn't mean to pull her a distance. Is she hurt?"