"Alright, Cuiwei, your idea is good. However, this is a very important matter, so I need to think carefully about how to proceed. Since you're here, you can stay in my courtyard for the time being. You can also watch the selection process these next few days, which will make it easier to keep an eye on Xuanyuan Yue." Mu Cuiwei is currently disabled and cannot become a prince's wife or even the crown prince's wife. She is not qualified to participate in the selection process at all. However, as a member of the Crown Prince's residence, it does not prevent her from coming and going normally.
A cold, malicious smile flashed across Mu Cuiwei's face behind her veil. "Ouyang Yue, when that time comes, I'll make sure you die a horrible death!"
Inside the room, Ouyang Yue and Li Rushuang were drinking tea and chatting.
"Knock knock knock." A knock suddenly sounded at the door. Chuncao immediately went to open it, but before she even reached the door, a soft, weak voice came from outside: "Cousin Yue'er, are you there? It's your older cousin." Ouyang Yue was taken aback. She recognized the voice; it was Ning Xihe.
Ouyang Yue pursed her lips slightly, nodded to Chuncao, and Chuncao immediately opened the door, smiling and saying, "Miss Ning, please."
Ning Xihe paused slightly, because Chuncao had called her Miss Ning instead of Miss Biao, but she didn't show it on her face. Her smile became even more cordial: "This humble woman greets Princess Mingyue." She didn't forget to give a bow first.
"Get up quickly, come and sit down." Ouyang Yue waved her hand, and Ning Xihe stood up and smiled, "Then this humble woman will humbly accept your offer."
However, the room fell silent. Ning Xihe was, after all, Ouyang Yue's cousin, so Li Rushuang couldn't speak. Ning Xihe was of a lower status than Ouyang Yue, so she couldn't speak either. After waiting for a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Cousin, how have you been at the Princess's residence lately? Grandmother had wanted to take us to see you this morning, but she kept putting it off because she was new to the residence. When we came this time, Grandmother heard that you were also participating in the imperial concubine selection, so she asked me to come and inquire about your situation." Ning Xihe's voice was gentle, and her expression showed appropriate concern, neither overly enthusiastic nor cold, just right.
Ouyang Yue lowered her eyes slightly. Even when she was the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion, she had never had a good impression of the Ning family. Leaving aside the incident at the palace banquet where Ning Xishan and Ouyang Rou conspired to harm her, there were also the events at Huang Shi's birthday banquet in the Ning family. At that time, Ning Baichuan had even considered using her as a scapegoat to restore the Ning family's reputation. As for the others, over the years, Ning Shi hadn't favored her. Even when she returned to the Ning family, she was often not taken along, and even when she was, her attitude was lukewarm. It was clear that Ning Shi didn't like her. She had suffered a lot of grievances in the Ning family. And now they had the nerve to ask her how she was doing? People are so pragmatic, especially those from the five great families!
“The Princess’s residence is my home, how could it be bad?” Ouyang Yue looked at Ning Xihe with a half-smile. Her words were clearly mocking, but Ning Xihe just smiled and didn’t seem to understand the meaning behind her words. Then she smiled and said, “Of course, cousin should also congratulate cousin on her upcoming promotion to Crown Princess.”
Ouyang Yue laughed: "The selection process isn't over yet, how does Miss Ning know that the Crown Princess will definitely be this princess? Does Miss Ning have some kind of precognitive ability?"
Ning Xihe smiled faintly: "Cousin, why be so polite with me? Everyone knows about this. You're just being too modest. You must be tired from your journey to the Crown Prince's residence. We cousins have plenty of time to spend together, so I won't disturb your rest any longer."
"Please go ahead," Ouyang Yue said with a smile, watching Ning Xihe leave indifferently. Throughout, Ouyang Yue politely addressed Ning Xihe as Miss Ning, never acknowledging the supposed cousin relationship. However, Ouyang Yue didn't directly refute Ning Xihe, not because of the divorced Ning family. If it were based on the Ning family's relationship, Ning Xihe wouldn't dare address Ouyang Yue as a sister. The General's Mansion still had an old Ning family member. While Ouyang Yue's relationship with the old Ning family wasn't as close as Princess Shuangxia's, it wasn't too bad. However, given the old Ning family's relationship with the Ning family, she didn't need to give them any face. In fact, most families would be more sensible in the face of Ouyang Yue's attitude. Ning Xihe knew Ouyang Yue didn't want to be associated with the Ning family, yet she still acted this way, demonstrating Ouyang Yue's current high status, enough to make them shamelessly try to establish a connection.
Ning Xihe turned to look at the closed door after leaving the room, pursed her lips slightly, and then left with her maid.
That day, Sun Meng'er and Leng Caidie were exhausted by Ouyang Yue's so-called instruction on the rules for young ladies, and eventually left in a huff, much to the amusement of the other young ladies who had deliberately gone to ask questions. Sun Meng'er, favored by Consort Sun, was usually very arrogant; it would be strange if she didn't offend people. Anyway, with Ouyang Yue leading the way, they weren't afraid, and took this opportunity to properly punish Sun Meng'er and Leng Caidie.
Ouyang Yue and Li Rushuang, however, leisurely drank tea and chatted, and slept well that night.
The next morning marked the start of the three-day selection process. The young ladies from prestigious families vied for attention, dressed in their most beautiful and flamboyant attire. The Crown Prince, who hadn't appeared all day yesterday, would officially meet the ladies today. The meeting place was the same lotus pond where Chang Shun had first led them. The Crown Prince hadn't arrived yet, but the women of his residence had already come out, led by Consort Mu Cuihuan. There were two concubines and one maidservant in the residence. Except for the maidservant, whose status was too low, Mu Cuihuan and the two concubines came out to greet the young ladies, asking them questions discreetly. It was clear that the Crown Prince had instructed them to do so. The young ladies seemed very reserved today, trying to answer questions in a soft and gentle tone, always hesitating before speaking.
Mu Cuihuan then went directly to Ouyang Yue's side and said, "I heard that when Princess Mingyue came to the Crown Prince's residence before, the Crown Prince took Princess Mingyue to the dressing room. I wonder how Miss Mingyue felt about it."
"The things from the Crown Prince's residence are naturally all of good quality," Ouyang said calmly.
Mu Cuihuan said with some pride, "But Princess Mingyue probably doesn't know that the dressing room is just one of the Crown Prince's residences. There is another dressing room in the back courtyard, which is even more extraordinary than the one Princess Mingyue saw. Not to mention this lowly concubine, even the former Crown Princess didn't often go there."
Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked at Mu Cuihuan, seemingly asking about her intentions in saying these things.
Mu Cuihuan laughed: "Princess Mingyue is of noble birth. Although her name is on the list of candidates for the imperial concubine selection, she still has the right to refuse if she does not wish to. However, I would like Princess Mingyue to take a look at the dressing room first before making a decision. If Princess Mingyue is truly unwilling, the Crown Prince will certainly not force her."
Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Then please have Consort Mu lead the way."
Mu Cuihuan smiled and nodded, then waved her hand and immediately led two maids and Ouyang Yue away. Li Rushuang was stopped, but Ouyang Yue didn't care. If the dressing room could make her change her mind, then there must be some secret she didn't want others to know. However, Ouyang Yue's eyes flashed.
Mu Cuihuan led Ouyang Yue down two different roads. Ouyang Yue frowned and said, "Consort Mu, is this the way to the inner quarters? The direction is wrong..." Before she could finish her sentence, Mu Cuihuan suddenly turned around and flung the silk handkerchief in her hand at Ouyang Yue. The latter's eyes widened, and she felt a tightness in her chest. Then her eyes rolled back and she fainted. In the moment before she fainted, Ouyang Yue was shocked!
Mu Cuihuan was so bold as to take her away in front of everyone and drug her. Ouyang Yue was not without suspicion, but she never expected Mu Cuihuan to do such a thing. What did she want to do to her?! Then Ouyang Yue lost consciousness and truly fainted.
Mu Cuihuan looked at Ouyang Yue with a cold smile: "Take her away."
Two servants swiftly helped the unconscious Ouyang Yue away, while Mu Cuihuan smiled meaningfully: "Xuanyuan Yue, so what if you're a princess? You'll still become my stepping stone!"
Chapter 161, The Death of Mu Cuiwei! (Please vote with your monthly tickets!)
Seeing Ouyang Yue being taken away, Li Rushuang was somewhat worried and became absent-minded. However, Li Rushuang was not the only one at the lotus pond who noticed that Ouyang Yue was being taken away by Mu Cuihuan. Two other people were keeping a close eye on Ouyang Yue. When they saw her leave, their eyes flashed, and taking advantage of the fact that the people from the Crown Prince's residence were not paying attention, they hurriedly claimed that they had something to do and left one after another.
Ouyang Yue's mind was still dizzy and she had no idea where she had been taken. She only vaguely felt her body being constantly moved. The last bit of reason in her mind was regretting that she had been too careless. Mu Cuihuan was Mu Cuiwei's cousin and her enemy. However, she was the granddaughter of Princess Shuangxia and was in the Crown Prince's residence. Who could have imagined that such a bold thing would happen? No one could have foreseen it. She really couldn't have been so careless.
"Consort, Princess Mingyue seems to be waking up." One of them whispered as they walked. Ouyang Yue wanted to open her eyes, but she felt weak and powerless all over.
Mu Cuihuan's cold voice rang out: "We can't let her wake up and cause trouble. Increase the dosage to knock her unconscious."
Before Ouyang Yue could stop it, she felt a pungent smell coming from her mouth and nose. Then a piece of cloth was tightly covered to cover her mouth, and she fainted again.
Mu Cuihuan immediately waved her hand: "Hurry up, don't waste time on the road, lest there be too many people gossiping."
"Yes, Consort." The two servants immediately looked around, and seeing nothing amiss, quickly helped Ouyang Yue away. Mu Cuihuan also glanced around, then followed with a smirk. Once today was over, her position as Consort would be even more secure. Although she would be overshadowed by Xuan Yuan Yue for a while, it would only be temporary. The road ahead was long, and a more prestigious status awaited her. Since she could be overshadowed by Yi Yue before, it wouldn't matter if she were replaced by Xuan Yuan Yue. Only by gaining the Crown Prince's complete favor would she fear no one!
However, as soon as the group left, a figure ran to a small tree not far away. The lush greenery there conveniently concealed the figure. The person muttered to themselves, "What is Consort Mu doing bringing Xuan Yuan Yue here? Could she be planning to kill her?" The person frowned and thought for a moment, then their eyes flashed, and they quietly followed. Because the distance was quite far, and the guests of the Crown Prince's residence were all at the lotus pond, and the servants of the Crown Prince's residence were mostly busy with various matters, the place was very secluded. Mu Cuihuan, who was in front, did not notice that someone was following her.
Mu Cuihuan and her servants led Ouyang Yue to the women's quarters on the left. With a wave of her hand, she led Ouyang Yue from the Crown Princess's backyard into her bedroom. Since Yi Yue was dead, more than half of the servants who used to serve the Crown Princess's courtyard had already been dismissed. Furthermore, due to the upcoming selection of candidates for the Crown Prince's residence, the servants from the Crown Princess's courtyard had been dispatched to serve the various participating young ladies. The courtyard was now quite deserted. Upon arriving at the bedroom, Mu Cuihuan waved her hand and said, "Put her on the bed."
"Bang!" The two servants were not gentle; they threw Ouyang Yue onto the bed and stood bowed to one side. Mu Cuihuan squinted at them: "Did you see anything interesting today?"
The two servants were startled, then shook their heads repeatedly and said, "Your Highness, we have been by your side the whole time. You were feeling unwell earlier, so we helped you back to your courtyard to rest. Nothing else has happened."
Mu Cuihuan smiled faintly: "Yes, you are right, but didn't someone see you accompanying me, the concubine, and Princess Mingyue as we left?"
One of the servants said, "Princess Mingyue only said she had something to say to the concubine. The concubine happened to be feeling unwell, so she let Princess Mingyue leave on her own. On her first day at the Crown Prince's residence, Princess Mingyue had already familiarized herself with the various courtyards under the guidance of Chief Steward Changshun. It would have been easy for her to walk back on her own. We servants didn't follow her to take care of the concubine. We don't know where Princess Mingyue was found because she broke in on her own and left on her own."
Mu Cuihuan looked at the servant and nodded with satisfaction: "You are very smart and know how to speak. This concubine will not treat you unfairly."
The two servants' eyes lit up immediately, and they thanked them. Mu Cuihuan, however, looked at Ouyang Yue, who was lying unconscious on the bed, and sneered, "Princess Mingyue, humph, after today she'll be nothing more than a whore. Even if she becomes the Crown Princess, people will say she's just a lowly woman who climbed into bed with others! Let's go, don't disturb Princess Mingyue's rest."
Mu Cuihuan gave a sinister smile and left with two servants who also had wicked grins on their faces.
After a long while, the room suddenly creaked open, and a figure stealthily entered. After glancing around, the figure saw Ouyang Yue on the bed and immediately approached. "Why did Mu Cuihuan put Xuan Yuan Yue on this bed? Could it be...?" The woman's face paled with shock, her red lips slightly bitten, her eyes flickering. "There are no male guests in the Crown Prince's residence now. Besides the Crown Prince himself, who else would dare to come to the inner quarters? Could Mu Cuihuan be plotting something like this?" Thinking this, the woman's face turned even paler. She had come to participate in this selection, knowing full well that it was impossible, yet she still hoped to be chosen. After all, such opportunities were extremely rare. Xuan Yuan Yue had clearly stated in the main hall that she wouldn't consider marriage before reaching marriageable age, but Mu Cuihuan had done just that?
Was it at the Crown Prince's behest, or did Xuanyuan Yue do it on purpose?
A dark look flashed across the woman's face. This Xuan Yuan Yue had never shown any interest before; they were from completely different worlds. She was the heavens, and Xuan Yuan Yue was just dirt on the ground. Who knew such a coincidence could happen? Now their situations had reversed completely, becoming worlds apart. If Xuan Yuan Yue were to win the title of Crown Princess, they would be even less comparable. But what right did she have? This Xuan Yuan Yue, relying on her status as a princess, had repeatedly disrespected her—it was simply outrageous!
The woman slowly approached the bedside, gazing at the exquisitely beautiful face lying quietly, serene yet undeniably captivating. A cold glint flashed across her face. What would the Crown Prince think if he knew she was marrying a truly ugly woman? Even if Xuan Yuan Yue became the Crown Princess, she would be rejected. Thinking this, she removed a delicate hairpin from her hair, its tip extremely sharp. Holding it in her hand, a cruel smile played on her lips. In the blink of an eye, the hairpin was close to Ouyang Yue's face. Without a doubt, with just a slight slash, Ouyang Yue's face would be disfigured!
"Hmph, Ouyang Yue, Xuanyuan Yue, Princess Mingyue, Crown Princess? In the end, you are nothing!" With that, the person took the hairpin and stabbed it towards Ouyang Yue's face. The corner of the person's mouth curled up. As blood began to seep from the tip of the hairpin, the person's face grew colder and colder. She was about to slash Ouyang Yue's face to pieces.
"Clatter." A sudden noise came from outside, startling the man. He immediately withdrew his hand, looked around, and saw a low cabinet on the left. He quickly hid to the side.
"Creak." The door opened softly, and a gust of wind seemed to blow into the room. The person hiding behind the cabinet was startled. This person was incredibly fast; they must know martial arts. She immediately held her breath, afraid to speak. Her fists clenched slightly. Could the person who could come to this room at this hour be His Highness the Crown Prince? If the Crown Prince saw her in this room, he might kill her to silence her. Her face turned pale, and she covered her mouth to keep quiet.
The dark figure swiftly flew to the bedside, head bowed, about to speak. But upon seeing the beads of blood on Ouyang Yue's face, its aura instantly shifted, radiating killing intent. The person by the cabinet dared not speak further. The figure abruptly turned, shouting sharply, "Who did this? Show yourself!"
The person by the counter was tense, but when they saw the newcomer's face, they gasped in shock. This person... what an ugly face! Is this a monster?!
However, her gasp caught the attention of the person by the bed. The person suddenly turned around and walked towards the cabinet. The person by the cabinet stared wide-eyed, their heart clenching! Oh no, she'd been discovered! Would this person kill her to cover it up?
When Ouyang Yue woke up again, she felt stiffer than ever before, as if her body had fallen apart. Her limbs felt like they had been kicked by a horse, stiff and aching terribly. However, this was just her first instinctive reaction. The next moment, she widened her eyes and came to her senses, her body springing up like a fish. However, she was stunned when she saw her surroundings. Where was she? There were low bushes and small trees all around her. She seemed to have been placed on a grassy field, with a rough linen cloth beneath her. Ouyang Yue squinted and quickly observed her surroundings, her mind racing. Her previous memories only went up to Mu Cuihuan telling her to take her to an unknown place, and then she had no recollection. Mu Cuihuan wouldn't have brought her here, would she? To bring her here and abandon her to be eaten by wild animals? This didn't look like the wilderness. What was the point of Mu Cuihuan's actions?
"Shh." Just then, a figure suddenly appeared from the nearby bushes. Ouyang Yue immediately looked up and saw a very tall figure approaching. Ouyang Yue's eyes widened instantly. The person was backlit, so she couldn't see clearly at first, but she could sense that this person had broad shoulders and a thick waist, like a giant. Then, as the person got closer, Ouyang Yue froze on the spot, her eyes wide open, staring straight at the person as if she hadn't recovered for a long time. Then she opened her mouth slightly and said, "You... who are you? You saved me just now."
The man nodded, seemed to think for a moment, and then said, "Stay here for a while, and you can leave after things over there are settled." These were ordinary words, but the way this man said them gave one goosebumps. His voice was very strange, deep and slightly hoarse, yet it carried a sharp and seductive quality unique to women. The combination was neither masculine nor feminine, giving one a sense of incongruity that made one's hair stand on end.
Ouyang Yue was stunned and couldn't help but ask, "Who exactly are you?"
The man's expression seemed to change slightly. He didn't answer, but said, "The crisis is temporarily over, but we still need to wait a while before we can go out, otherwise it will attract attention."
Ouyang Yue stared directly at the man, his sharp eyes seeming to see through him as if he were thinking of something. Ouyang Yue's gaze swept over him rapidly, and she squinted for a moment before suddenly pausing and exclaiming, "You...you are Leng Sha?" Even the usually calm and composed Ouyang Yue froze on the spot. The man was dressed in dark green robes, cinched at the waist with a dark belt, which tightened his waist but still made him appear somewhat robust. He had broad shoulders, a very pale face, and bright red lips. Leng Sha's normally cold and hard features were now softened by the makeup. However, upon closer inspection, one could still discern his original appearance, though it was clearly a woman's disguise. A grown man dressed as a woman reminded Ouyang Yue of the transvestites from her past life. Of course, Leng Sha's transvestite disguise was far less beautiful than theirs, appearing incongruous and...well, somewhat disgusting.
Seeing the constantly changing expressions on Ouyang Yue's face, and the way she kept looking at Leng Shana as if she wanted to say something but couldn't, Leng Shana's face also looked extremely ugly. Her fists were still clenched tightly together, and her chest was trembling with a feeling of pent-up frustration that seemed about to burst out.
Seeing this, Ouyang Yue regained some of her composure. Well, everyone says there's a difference between the transgender people of Thailand and India, and it seems that's evident from Leng Sha's appearance now. It's really... However, Ouyang Yue didn't want to provoke Leng Sha. The amount of sleeping potion Mu Cuihuan had given her earlier was extremely large, and her limbs were still a little weak. If she were to truly anger Leng Sha at this moment, it would definitely not be a wise move. But seeing Leng Sha, Ouyang Yue breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had regretted her carelessness earlier, she wasn't afraid. But now, she still felt a wave of lingering fear: "Leng Sha, what exactly happened before? Where did you bring me from?"
Although Leng Sha's chest was heaving, his tone had calmed down as he said, "Madam, you were taken to the Crown Princess's courtyard by Mu Cuihuan and the servants and entered the inner room. Later, Mu Cuihuan left, but they did not know that someone was following them and that person wanted to harm you."
"Hurt me." Ouyang Yue was taken aback, then suddenly narrowed her eyes: "Could it be Mu Cuiwei?"
Leng Sha shook his head: "It wasn't her. Mu Cuiwei was probably involved too, but she's been subdued by my subordinates and is waiting for Madam to deal with it. Madam, you'd like to see the injury on your face, wouldn't you like?" Ouyang Yue was taken aback, then immediately took out a bronze mirror from her purse, her eyes narrowing. She saw a bloodstain on her cheek, seemingly quite deep. Leng Sha said, "Given the circumstances, if my subordinates hadn't arrived in time, Madam's face would probably be..."
Ouyang Yue's face turned cold, but she sneered, "Well, you actually wanted to ruin my face. You have quite the audacity and skill." Ouyang Yue looked at Leng Sha, "This time I have to thank you for your timely appearance. Have you brought the person under control?"
Leng Sha nodded: "Don't worry, Madam, everyone is under control. Actually, this time it was Master who specially ordered his subordinates to infiltrate the Crown Prince's residence to protect you. Master also realized that he couldn't follow you everywhere this time, so he could only arrange some people in the Crown Prince's residence to protect you secretly."
"The Crown Prince's residence hasn't changed hands in a year. You've really gone far." If what Chief Steward Changshun said is true, then Baili Chen must have arranged for people to infiltrate the Crown Prince's residence before this, which would have taken a lot of effort.
Leng Sha's expression changed slightly, and he pursed his lips and said, "No, there was such a person in the Crown Prince's residence before."
Ouyang Yue raised her eyes and stared intently at Leng Sha for a moment. She didn't know what to say for a moment, but finally coughed and said, "So I asked you to impersonate this person. Leng Sha, you've made a great sacrifice. I'll remember this favor."
Leng Sha's lips twitched slightly as he said, "This is what I should do. As long as Master commands me to do something, I will not hesitate."
Ouyang Yue's eyes twitched: "Was it Baili Chen who ordered it?!"
Leng Sha seemed to sigh softly. Ouyang Yue couldn't help but look at him with some sympathy. That guy was unpredictable, and once he said he would do something, he would do it. But to actually think of having Leng Sha disguise himself like this to enter the manor to protect her, it was only thanks to a genius like Baili Chen that she came up with such a thing. Ouyang Yue sighed deeply: "Leng Sha, Leng Sha... don't worry, I will remember this kindness. If you ever need anything in the future, just come to me. I will do everything I can for you. Don't worry."
Leng Sha looked at Ouyang Yue's conflicted expression, his lips slightly pursed, his eyes curving into crescent shapes as if he were about to laugh but couldn't. His own lips twitched. What was wrong with these two? They were dressed exactly alike! Wasn't this what their master had ordered? Who would have thought he'd be the first to mock him? Was he truly innocent? He'd served his master for so many years, facing life and death without fear, but he never imagined he'd be forced to dress as a woman, especially one so incredibly ugly. Leng Sha was already quite handsome, but he was far too masculine. With makeup on, he looked like a shrew. No wonder the people in the room had seen him like a monster, and it had even revealed their location.
Leng Sha then squatted down and took out a jade bottle from his bosom: "Madam, this is the antidote. Please smell it."
Ouyang Yue took it and, without hesitation, brought it to her nose. A pungent smell assaulted her nostrils, and her aches and pains immediately subsided; it was indeed the antidote. Leng Sha, seeing Ouyang Yue take it and smell it without a second thought, was taken aback and said, "Madam trusts her subordinates so much."
Ouyang Yue smiled. If Leng Sha wanted to harm her, he had plenty of time. She was completely powerless before and had even been unconscious for a while. Leng Sha had plenty of opportunities. Why would he make a move when she was awake? Besides, "Since you are Baili Chen's capable assistant, he will send you to protect me. If I don't trust you, who else can I trust? Moreover, you just saved me, so I have no reason to doubt you."
Leng Sha's expression shifted slightly, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Ouyang Yue had already stood up, gently stretching her limbs to loosen her muscles. Fortunately, she was alright. She took out the Bixue Cream, a renowned beauty product from the palace, from her purse and applied it to her face. It felt cool and no longer stinging. Luckily, Leng Sha had arrived in time, and the wound on her face wasn't large; otherwise, Ouyang Yue would have been disfigured. Now, some ointment could restore her appearance. Ouyang Yue put the cream away, but her eyes suddenly turned icy cold: "Leng Sha, you said this would ruin my appearance, but you and Mu Cuiwei have both controlled it."
"Yes, madam, I will do as you command now."
Ouyang Yue's face turned cold as she smiled and said, "Yes, I'll have to think about it carefully. How can I not repay you for what you've done for me?"
Leng Sha then said in a low voice, "As for other matters, Master has said that he will handle them naturally, so Madam should not worry."
Ouyang Yue nodded, glancing towards the palace before gently stroking her chin and smiling at Leng Sha: "You must have a better way to deal with Mu Cuiwei, right?" Leng Sha nodded, but Ouyang Yue laughed, "Then we'll just have to play along from here on out."
Inside the room, a sleeping beauty, peacefully resting, suddenly blinked, seemingly dazed and in pain. She whimpered, her beautiful eyes gently opening. Her first reaction was a moment of surprise as she looked at the unfamiliar surroundings and the clearly bed-like decor. Suddenly, she cried out in surprise and sat up. Footsteps sounded outside the door, extremely fast. The door creaked open, and the woman on the bed didn't have time to get up and hide before the person outside had already entered and immediately slammed the door shut.
As they turned around, their eyes met, and they both gasped!
"It's you!"
"How could it be you!"
Two screams rang out simultaneously, just as noisy footsteps sounded outside. Judging from the footsteps, it was definitely not one person. The two people inside the house changed their expressions, both looking very bad, because they both knew that there was no time to hide now.
"Quick! They're inside! I just heard screams. Something terrible must have happened. How dare someone cause trouble at the Crown Princess's residence! They can't be let off so easily!"
"Go and bang on the door!"
"Why are you still smashing things? Just break it open and see who's got the guts to do this!"
"You shameless woman, you did this on purpose!" Hearing the shouts outside, the man inside turned his cold gaze back at the dazed woman on the bed. The woman's heart immediately trembled, and she stammered, "No, Your Highness, this woman... this woman didn't..."
"No, not? Then tell me, how did you get into this room?" Baili Cheng looked coldly at the woman whose face was pale but who looked pitiful. He felt increasingly disgusted. Mu Cuihuan had approached him before, saying that she had a way to make Xuanyuan Yue unable to deny it even if she wanted to. He had agreed to this trouble-free method and thus agreed to these women's scheme. Who knew that he hadn't even played a part in it yet, but this woman had already played him!
The woman's lips trembled again in fright: "I...I...I got lost and wandered here..."
"Oh, lost? Are you being clever, or do you think I'm a fool?" Baili Cheng's face was grim and ashen, because at this moment the door had been kicked open with a "bang," and everyone rushed in noisily. The young ladies from noble families were shouting the loudest, and there were even some male guards, but they were dumbfounded when they saw the scene inside the room.
On the bed, a woman was clutching a silk quilt to her chest. She seemed to have been crying, her eyes were particularly moist, her red lips were tightly bitten, and her face was pale and pitiful. In contrast, Baili Cheng's face was ashen, and his clothes were neat. But with a man and a woman alone in the same room, and the woman had instantly given them a lot to think about, who wouldn't misunderstand?
Mu Cuihuan was the first to rush in, but she was immediately stunned: "Ning Xihe! What are you doing here!"