“The palace has a complex layout, so it’s possible to hide a corpse without it being discovered. But why would they hide a corpse?” Dongfang Heng’s dark eyes narrowed slightly.
“In the Cold Palace, I checked Consort Tian’s pulse, and it had stopped. Her body was also stiff. There’s no way she could come back to life and become the Piper to attack us!” Shen Lixue frowned slightly.
The magic of the Southern Frontier can indeed bring the dead back to life. However, the resurrected person is a walking corpse, without thought or body temperature. Recalling the moment she fought the piper, when her palm struck the piper, his body was warm!
"So when I say there's a clue, it's the same as having no clue at all!" Nangong Xiao shook his head and poured himself a cup of tea without any ceremony.
Shen Lixue looked at Nangong Xiao with a half-smile: "Why did you think of investigating Tian Meiren's corpse?"
"While secretly investigating the princes and empresses in the palace, I inadvertently wandered into the Cold Palace and went in to take a look..." Nangong Xiao sipped his tea and answered casually.
"Is that really all?" Shen Lixue's gaze was mocking. As Consort Tian looked at the princes, Nangong Xiao was also standing among them...
Nangong Xiao's lips twitched, and he hurriedly explained, "Shen Lixue, although I am a womanizer, I am not so indiscriminate as to be greedy for women!" How could he possibly be interested in that flirtatious middle-aged woman, Tian Meiren, who is also the emperor's woman?
Shen Lixue smiled. Of course she knew that Nangong Xiao wouldn't like Tian Meiren. She was just joking to distract him from her relationship with Dongfang Heng!
Shen Lixue was a modern person and didn't know how to style the complicated ancient hairstyles. After combing her hair several times, she took out a silk handkerchief and tied up her cascading black hair: "I'm going back to the manor now!"
"You're going back to the manor like this?" Nangong Xiao looked at Shen Lixue. Her purple dress made her look stunningly beautiful, and her cascading black hair added to her elegance. She was beautiful, but she was too casual!
"I'll go back to the manor and have the maids help me with my hair. Remember to let me know if there's any news about Consort Tian and the flute player!" With that, Shen Lixue stood up and quickly walked out of the inner room. Her fragrant purple skirt fluttered into the room, bringing with it a faint, refreshing fragrance.
"Dongfang Heng, your methods are truly brilliant!" Shen Lixue left the courtyard, turned the corner, and disappeared. Nangong Xiao looked at Dongfang Heng with a half-smile, his sour tone making it impossible to tell whether it was teasing or mocking.
"Instead of being jealous, you should investigate the affairs of Tian Meiren and the flute player. The people of Southern Xinjiang are after you!" Dongfang Heng sipped his tea and answered casually.
"The poison in my body has been cured by Physician Chen. Even if another madman from Southern Xinjiang appears, I am not afraid!" Nangong Xiao glanced at Dongfang Heng, sat steadily, and did not move. He was going to stick with Dongfang Heng today.
"The person who used the Gu poison is right beside you. You could say you're in constant danger. How can you sleep or eat in peace if you don't find her?" Dongfang Heng said calmly, but his words hit the nail on the head.
Nangong Xiao's wicked eyes instantly blazed with fury. Although he didn't want to believe it, he had to admit that Dongfang Heng was right. The person who wanted to harm him was right beside him, constantly monitoring him. If he didn't find that person, he would be in danger again: "Dongfang Heng, you're amazing!"
Suppressing his anger, Nangong Xiao stood up and strode outside. The bright sunlight shone warmly on him through the wide-open door. Nangong Xiao's eyes lit up, and he deliberately said loudly, "Chen Lixue shouldn't have gone far. This young master will escort her back to her residence. Having a beauty by my side is truly an indescribable feeling!"
Dongfang Heng remained calm and composed, leisurely sipping his tea: "She left by carriage, driven by Zimo. If you think you can catch up with her, then go ahead!"
"Dongfang Heng!" Nangong Xiao couldn't hold back any longer and glared at Dongfang Heng. This cunning guy had arranged everything and wouldn't allow anyone else to touch Shen Lixue!
Shen Lixue arrived near the Prime Minister's residence in a carriage. To prevent anyone from knowing that she had not returned home all night, she got off the carriage fifty meters away from the residence, walked to the high wall, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then jumped over the wall.
Zi Mo, who was driving his carriage and preparing to leave, saw this scene and his lips twitched slightly. Why did Miss Shen have to climb over the wall to enter her own home?
The bamboo garden wasn't right next to the wall. After entering the manor, Shen Lixue still had to walk a bit. It was still early, and the manor was quiet. Shen Lixue was walking on a relatively secluded road, so she didn't encounter many people. The familiar bamboo garden was just a stone's throw away, and Shen Lixue hurriedly stepped inside.
"Oh, sister's back home!" A clear voice, tinged with sarcasm, rang out. Shen Lixue paused, then slowly looked up. Shen Yingxue, dressed in a pale yellow dress, looked fresh and natural. She sat on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, holding a teacup, and looked at Shen Lixue with a half-smile, her beautiful eyes filled with coldness.
Behind her stood Xia Jin, Xia Rou, and many other maids from Xueyuan, as well as Qiu He and other servants from Zhuyuan. They stood far to the side, heads bowed as if they had done something wrong, and remained silent. Upon hearing that Shen Lixue had returned to the manor, Qiu He looked up and a hint of joy flashed in her red eyes.
"So it's Sister Yingxue. You've come to my bamboo garden so early in the morning. Is there something you need?" Shen Lixue walked over slowly and unhurriedly.
"Sister went to the palace yesterday, and I was very worried. I came to the bamboo garden to wait for you, but I waited from dawn to dusk, and then from dusk to dawn again. I didn't see you until after breakfast. I was worried that the servants hadn't protected you properly and that something had happened to you..."
Shen Yingxue looked at Shen Lixue, a cold light flashing in her bright eyes. A Xiangfei purple Xiang dress outlined her slender figure, making her skin appear even whiter and more flawless. Her cascading black hair was not styled into a bun, but loosely tied up with a silk handkerchief, exuding an indescribable beauty in its fresh and natural style, making it impossible for anyone to look away.
A flicker of anger rose in Shen Yingxue's eyes. She always finds ways to seduce people; she's truly despicable!
Shen Lixue smiled. She had entered the palace alone, without a single maidservant, so if anything happened, it wouldn't be their fault. Shen Yingxue was clearly making excuses for her punishing the maidservants: "Sister, you're overthinking it. After giving the Empress Dowager acupuncture, I rode back to the manor in Prince An's carriage. Later, I saw that the scenery in the South Courtyard was beautiful, so I stopped to admire it and unknowingly fell asleep. I only woke up just now when the maidservants were sweeping and chatting..."
Lei's ability to bribe palace maids indicates that she has connections within the palace. Moreover, many people know that she left the palace after treating the patient, so lying would only make her appear guilty.
Shen Lixue climbed over the wall from the South Courtyard, a secluded area rarely visited. She was lying, and Shen Yingxue couldn't expose her lie…
"Is that so?" Shen Yingxue smiled faintly, her beautiful eyes growing colder. "Last night, Mother ordered the entire Prime Minister's residence to be cleaned, but we didn't see you, sister!"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. With Grand Commandant Lei and Shen Minghui having broken ties, would the Lei family still be in the mood to send people to clean the Prime Minister's residence? A string of lies, Shen Yingxue was certain she hadn't returned to the Prime Minister's residence and deliberately tried to trick her: "I was resting on a tree branch. I guess the servants didn't see me. Look, I still have a few leaves on me!" Shen Lixue flipped her small hand, revealing a few leaves she had pulled off while climbing over the wall.
Shen Yingxue's smile froze slightly, then she gritted her teeth. "You bitch, you always have so many excuses!" she thought. "The tree is so tall, how did you get up there, sister?" She didn't believe Shen Lixue could fly up to the tree branch. If she said she climbed up, humph, the daughter of the Prime Minister's family, so uncouth! If word got out, people would laugh their heads off…
“There’s a stone table under the tree, so I used the table to climb up to the branches!” Shen Lixue replied casually, her cold gaze passing over Shen Yingxue and looking at Qiu He and the others: “Yingxue, are you punishing them?”
Shen Lixue's words were sharp and eloquent, leaving Shen Yingxue speechless. Shen Yingxue was furious and only wanted to win against Shen Lixue, completely forgetting Lei Shi's advice to stay calm: "That's right, they only cared about resting and didn't even leave the hospital to find their sister, causing her to be cold all night. I'll teach them a lesson on behalf of my sister!"
“Sister, this is my bamboo garden. The punishment for a servant's mistake is my prerogative. Your actions are an overstepping of your bounds!” Shen Lixue spoke each word clearly, her gaze cold. “This is my first offense, so I can overlook it. But if it happens again, it will damage your reputation…”
"Shen Lixue, you are incredibly audacious to stay out all night. If word gets out, your reputation will suffer!" Shen Yingxue had long lost her composure, and her beautiful eyes were blazing with anger.
Shen Lixue sneered. This was the real Shen Yingxue. Her seemingly all-knowing and profound demeanor just now was nothing more than an act after hearing a few famous quotes: "I already said that I fell asleep in the tree..."
Shen Yingxue scoffed disdainfully, her gaze mocking: "Shen Lixue, there's a limit to lying. The guards at the Prime Minister's residence didn't see you return. How could you be resting in the tree in the South Courtyard? Or did you climb over the wall to get back?"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. She really had climbed back over the wall. Shen Yingxue had guessed right by accident!
"Shen Lixue, where did you go last night?" Shen Yingxue lowered her voice, her eyes flashing with cold light.
"There are so many people in the palace, the news that Prince An sent me back to my residence has probably already spread, so I won't hide it anymore. I stayed at the Holy Prince's residence last night!" Shen Lixue stared at Shen Yingxue, her clear eyes filled with a cold light.
Although she had already guessed this would happen, hearing Shen Lixue say it herself still shocked Shen Yingxue. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she staggered slightly. "That bitch, she really did go and seduce Prince An!"
“Sister is a respectable daughter of the Prime Minister’s family. How can she stay overnight at a man’s house? The Prime Minister’s family is a noble family and cannot tolerate such immoral behavior. You must come with me to apologize to Father!”
Shen Lixue's eyes grew colder. Shen Yingxue had brought so many people to wait here early in the morning just to capture her and take her to see Shen Minghui so that he could punish her. Although the method was not sophisticated, it was very effective.
“Father should be in court at this time. I’m a little tired. I’m going to take a nap first. Wake me up when Father returns to the manor!” Ignoring Shen Yingxue who was standing right next to her, Shen Lixue walked straight past her and strode into the inner room.
Shen Minghui is completely biased towards Shen Yingxue. He will severely punish me if he finds any fault with me. Now, I have spent the night with Shen Yingxue's most beloved Prince An. What awaits me next is definitely the most severe punishment. I need to think of a good way to deal with Shen Minghui.
Staring at Shen Lixue's retreating figure, Shen Yingxue glared angrily. She hadn't even taken her seriously. Her sharp voice instantly echoed throughout the bamboo garden: "Guards, seize Shen Lixue and take her to the study!"