La pluie printanière est comme du vin, les saules comme de la fumée

Chapitre 60

The next day, Fengxue stayed with her father and mother as usual until they went to sleep.

However, as soon as he returned to the Snow Palace, news came from the Prince's Mansion that the concubine was pregnant!

Feng Xue wasn't too surprised. She had noticed something that night, and given how intimate Situ Xingyun and Shuang Die were, it was only a matter of time before she became pregnant.

Feng Xue maintained a calm expression. After rewarding the messenger, she continued to live in the palace, ignoring the affairs of the Prince's residence.

However, a few days later, something happened at the Prince's Mansion that forced Feng Xue to return home early, and this matter was spreading like wildfire among the people.

The princess's maid, Qingyi, attempted to poison the unborn child of the concubine. Enraged, the prince had her flogged twenty times and imprisoned in the woodshed. Qingyi, fearing punishment, fled and has since disappeared without a trace.

At this time, some people speculated that Qingyi was acting on the orders of the princess to poison the unborn child in the concubine's residence.

However, some people defended the princess, saying that she was unaware of the situation.

Immediately, the people were abuzz with discussion. However, all the criticism was directed at Princess Fengxue, while the concubine Shuangdie was widely praised for her pitiful image.

The Prince of Pingyan's Palace.

Situ Xingyun helped Shuangdie walk in the garden. The cold wind was biting, but the plum blossoms in the garden were blooming exceptionally brightly.

"Butterfly, are you still feeling unwell?" Situ Xingyun tightened the cloaks on the two butterflies a little. "Be careful not to catch a cold."

Shuangdie smiled, her pale face regaining a touch of rosy color. "I feel much better now. The doctor said that going for a walk is good for the baby in my womb."

Situ Xingyun nodded, looking tenderly at her still-flat belly, his eyes filled with affection.

"Shuangdie will definitely give birth to a son for Your Highness, so that Your Highness will have another relative in the world," Shuangdie said softly, her eyebrows curved.

"Butterfly, it is my greatest fortune to marry you."

"It is Shuangdie's great fortune. If it weren't for the prince saving Shuangdie's life in the maple forest back then, Shuangdie would probably be dead by now. Thank God that Shuangdie was able to meet the prince again." Shuangdie nestled in Situ Xingyun's arms, looking like a little bird clinging to a tree, her eyes filled with memories.

"I will remember Die'er's deep affection for me for the rest of my life."

Shuangdie chuckled softly, "Ever since I was saved by the Prince that year, my heart has been with him. That's why I traveled thousands of miles and went through all sorts of hardships to come to the capital. Unfortunately..." She began to sob slightly, "but ended up in a brothel by mistake. Luckily, I still met the Prince."

Situ Xingyun hugged her and gently comforted her, "It's alright now. The past is the past. No one can bully you anymore. It's all my fault. If I had recognized Die'er sooner, she wouldn't have had to suffer so much."

“No…” Shuangdie shook her head. “It’s Shuangdie’s fault. I haven’t had the courage to acknowledge the prince. I was afraid of disturbing the prince and worried that the prince wouldn’t recognize me.”

"How could that be? Back then, Die'er's red dress and silver eyes captivated my heart."

"Your Highness!" Shuangdie said coquettishly, her sweet voice captivating.

Suddenly, Shuangdie frowned, staring at the proud plum blossoms blooming on the branches.

"Doesn't Butterfly like plum blossoms?"

Shuangdie shook her head. She disliked the plum blossom's arrogance.

"The sight of plum blossoms reminded Shuangdie of the plum blossom cake from that night, of the ferocious face of the woman in green, and of how the fetus almost left Shuangdie..."

"I have already ordered my men to capture Qingyi." Situ Xingyun patted her on the back.

Suddenly, Shuangdie seemed to remember something. She looked at Situ Xingyun seriously and said, "Your Highness, Shuangdie believes that the Princess Consort was unaware of this. Your Highness, please do not blame the Princess Consort."

Thinking of Feng Xue, Situ Xingyun frowned. "I know what I'm doing."

Volume 1, Chapter 110: The Showdown 2 (A Noblewoman Among the People)

Upon returning to the Prince's mansion, Feng Xue rushed here immediately. When she saw this tender scene, she frowned and asked, "Where is Qingyi?"

Upon seeing Feng Xue, Shuang Die broke free from Situ Xingyun's embrace, curtsied to Feng Xue, and sweetly said, "Shuang Die greets Your Highness."

Feng Xue ignored her and stared straight at Situ Xingyun: "Where is Qingyi?"

“That vile woman has fled to escape punishment, and now all the major government agencies are issuing warrants for her arrest.” Situ Xingyun, with one arm around Shuangdie, raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps, this is a question that I, the king, should be asking you.”

Feng Xue frowned, her voice icy, "Your Highness once promised me that you wouldn't harm my people. Is Your Highness now breaking your promise?"

Feng Xue tilted her head back, her gaze sharp, as proud as a plum blossom on a branch.

"That vile woman poisoned my concubine and our unborn child with plum blossom cakes. Those two things alone are enough to kill her." Situ Xingyun tightened his grip on Shuangdie's arms slightly.

"Where is she?" Shifting her gaze, Feng Xue's eyes fell on Shuang Die.

Shuangdie quickly shook her head, "Your Highness, Shuangdie doesn't know."

Situ Xingyun retorted, "Is the princess the one who falsely accused me?"

Feng Xue's eyes turned cold. "The worst thing you could do was to plot against my people." She looked at Situ Xingyun. "Your Highness, you will regret this for the rest of your life."

Feng Xue's voice was firm, so firm that it frightened Situ Xingyun, but when he saw the frail Shuang Die beside him, his eyes hardened. "I never do anything I will regret."

A cold wind howled, carrying the chill of winter as it swept past. The icy wind swirled between them as they looked at each other. Feng Xue's eyes were as cold as the depths of winter, sending chills down their spines.

This is the first confrontation between Situ Xingyun and Feng Xue. It is the coldest winter ever, and everything between them will be buried in this cold winter.

From that day on, Feng Xue began sending people out to search for Qingyi, and Situ Xingyun also sent out a team of people. This did not represent a question of who found the person first, but rather a question of the conflict between the prince and the princess, and behind it, the question of the throne.

People in the imperial court had long since split into two factions, both searching for the whereabouts of the woman in blue.