Gazing at the exquisite wooden box, Qiuhe exclaimed repeatedly, "What a beautiful box, Miss! Is this a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager?" The box is so beautiful; the contents must be of the highest quality. Miss must have put a lot of thought into choosing this gift…
Shen Lixue frowned: "Is the Empress Dowager celebrating her birthday?"
"Yes, it'll be in five days." Qiuhe happily pointed to the inner room: "Just now, Granny Ding brought over a Xiang dress, saying that it's for the young lady to wear when she goes to the palace to celebrate the birthday. She also said that gifts should be prepared by oneself to show one's true feelings!"
"Really?" Shen Lixue walked into the inner room. A light green Xiang dress lay quietly on the light pink bed sheet, which was very eye-catching. The soft brocade was smooth to the touch and the style was simple and elegant. It was a dress that Shen Lixue liked.
Shen Lixue raised her eyebrows. Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious; the Lei family has always seen her as a thorn in their side, and now they're sending her beautiful clothes—they must have ulterior motives. "Must I attend the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet?"
Qiuhe nodded heavily: "Granny Ding solemnly instructed that as the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family, you must not be absent from the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet!"
Shen Lixue frowned. She had disrupted Lei's birthday banquet, and Lei must be holding a grudge. But what was Lei's purpose in insisting that she attend the banquet in the palace?
"Miss, it's lunchtime. I'll go to the kitchen to serve you your meal." Qiuhe put the fruits down and quickly walked out of the bamboo garden.
Shen Lixue took the exquisite wooden box and gently opened it. The gentle light instantly illuminated most of the room, making Shen Lixue's beautiful face even more stunning in the soft light, and her dark eyes sparkled with starlight.
As the mother of the emperor, the Empress Dowager was of noble status and had no shortage of gold, silver and jewels, as well as silk and satin. Her birthday gift had to be both expensive and not vulgar, which was quite a headache. Lei knew that she had no presentable gift, but she still asked her to attend the banquet. Did she want to embarrass her in public?
This luminous blue pearl is extremely rare, so using it as a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager wouldn't be considered stingy... wait, the box seems to have an extra layer.
Shen Lixue gently lifted the red silk, revealing a pile of silver notes. Some were one hundred taels, some one thousand taels, and some ten thousand taels. They were all silver notes from Huitong Money Shop, which were valid throughout the country. After a rough calculation, she found that there were actually two or three hundred thousand taels.
Shen Lixue's dark eyes grew deeper and deeper. Who exactly was the owner of the Azure Night-Shining Pearl? These silver notes must have been deliberately placed in the box by him/her. Was he/she trying to help her? But how did he/she know that he/she could definitely answer that question correctly?
On the Empress Dowager's birthday, Lei Shi and Shen Yingxue were busy preparing gifts and had no time to come to the Bamboo Garden to cause trouble for Shen Lixue, so she was able to have a few quiet days.
Early on the fifth day, Shen Lixue was woken up by Qiuhe. After taking a bath, changing clothes, and having breakfast, Ding Mama also came to urge her. After rinsing her mouth, Shen Lixue took Qiuhe out of the bamboo garden and walked slowly forward along the bluestone path.
"Sister!" Just as she reached the gate, a sweet female voice came from behind her. Shen Lixue turned around and saw Shen Yingxue, dressed in a peach-red silk dress, walking gracefully surrounded by maids. Her slightly raised chin and haughty eyes made her look like a princess, noble, pure, and charming.
Looking at her own light green Xiang dress, Shen Lixue immediately understood Lei's intentions. She was the green leaf and Shen Yingxue was the red flower. Lei gave her this dress to indirectly mock her, saying that she was only fit to be Shen Yingxue's foil. But was that all she wanted to do?
"Yingxue!" Madam Lei stepped forward, gazing at the stunningly beautiful Shen Yingxue, a slight smile playing on her lips. At today's birthday banquet, her daughter would surely outshine all the other beauties.
Shen Minghui glanced at Shen Lixue, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, and said coldly, "Lixue, you don't need to attend the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. Just stay in the manor!"
"Why?" Shen Lixue stared coldly at Shen Minghui, a faint mockery flashing in her eyes. She, the supporting role, couldn't steal the limelight from Shen Yingxue, the leading lady. What was he worried about?
Shen Minghui coughed a few times: "Lei Cong has a bad temper and a narrow mind. You kicked him and injured him. He will never let it go easily. The palace is very big and there will be many people attending the banquet. Your father can't take care of you. If he ambushes you, you will suffer. The Prime Minister's residence has many guards. Lei Cong will never dare to do anything reckless. It is safest for you to stay in the Bamboo Garden!"
Shen Lixue smiled coldly, her eyes filled with disdain. What a high-sounding reason!
"Sister, you've offended Cousin Cong! He's a vengeful person!" Shen Yingxue exclaimed in surprise, her beautiful eyes filled with mockery.
The mother secretly reminded Shen Lixue to prepare a gift for the birthday banquet. After she had worked hard for many days and was ready to bring the gift to the banquet, her father would stop her from entering the palace, making all her hard work in the past few days go to waste. Haha, will she fall hard from the heights to the ground and be smashed to pieces?
That bitch! She's asking for death to try and steal my Prince An again!
"Thank you for reminding me, sister!" Shen Lixue replied dismissively, her cold gaze piercing like a sharp blade as she looked at Shen Minghui, Lei Shi, and Shen Yingxue. The three of them were working together to deal with her, their coordination impeccable, like a real family of three. To them, she was superfluous...
"Sister looks so beautiful in green, just like the leaves on a tree, so eye-catching! It's a pity she can't go to the banquet, so others won't be able to appreciate her beauty!"
Shen Yingxue praised her with a smile, her beautiful eyes full of mockery. Haha, this fool, she will always only be worthy of being a leaf, and now she doesn't even have the right to be her sidekick. She spent so much effort and time preparing, and she can't even attend the banquet in the palace. She must be very sad and upset. I'll just provoke her a little more.
"Sister, look at my dress!" Shen Yingxue twirled in front of Shen Lixue as if showing off. The peach-colored skirt fluttered gracefully, and the sparkling diamonds embedded in the skirt shimmered in the sunlight, mesmerizing everyone.
"Isn't it beautiful? It was made by the best tailor in the capital over seven days and seven nights, and this hairpin too!" Shen Yingxue proudly stroked the ruby hairpin on her hair: "This hairpin is worth three thousand taels of silver and was made by the best craftsman in the capital..." Envious? Jealous? She just wanted to provoke Shen Lixue to death.
"Yingxue, it's getting late, hurry up and get in the carriage!" Lei Shi glanced at Chen Lixue indifferently. Despite Yingxue's provocation, she remained smiling. Was she numb from the pain and truly unmoved?
"Sister, I'm going into the palace first. When I come back, my clothes will definitely be blessed by the Empress Dowager. I'll lend them to you then so you can share in the good fortune!" Shen Yingxue turned around triumphantly and walked quickly forward.
"Then thank you very much, little sister!" Shen Lixue smiled slightly. The moment Shen Yingxue turned around, she quietly kicked the hem of her skirt. With a 'rip', the expensive peach-colored dress tore open, leaving a large hole. Shen Yingxue was too pleased with herself and couldn't stop herself. Her slender body fell straight to the ground...
041 She didn't want to enter the palace.
"Thump!" Shen Yingxue fell heavily to the ground. Her beautiful ruby hairpin flew more than two meters away. Her black hair was disheveled and scattered. Her beautiful face landed on the ground, her forehead, cheeks, and nose were covered with a layer of dust. Two lines of bright red blood flowed from below her nose, reflecting on her yellow and white face. She looked as disheveled as could be.
"Yingxue!" Shen Minghui and Lei Shi exclaimed in surprise.
"Miss Yingxue!" Maids Xia Jin and Xia Ying rushed forward to help Shen Yingxue. Their eyelids were slightly lowered. Shen Yingxue had always been dignified, virtuous, and aloof. This was the first time they had ever seen her in such a disheveled state.
"Shen Lixue, you deliberately stepped on my skirt to embarrass me, didn't you?" Shen Yingxue's hair was disheveled, she was furious, her eyes blazing with anger, like a madwoman, wishing she could tear Shen Lixue to pieces.
"Which eye of yours saw me step on your skirt?" Shen Lixue retorted without blushing or skipping a beat. "Your skirt was so long that it dragged on the ground. It got caught on a pebble or something and tore. It was your own carelessness. How can you blame me?"
Shen Yingxue gritted her teeth, "You bitch, you dare to argue after doing something bad!" "Shen Lixue, I have plenty of beautiful clothes. If this one is worn out, I can just get a new one. Don't even think about taking my place to go to the palace to celebrate the birthday!"
Shen Lixue raised her eyebrows slightly. She was in no mood to go to the palace to offer birthday greetings in place of Shen Yingxue. "Sister, your skirt is too tattered, and your fur trousers are showing..." Shen Yingxue was lecturing her while wearing tattered clothes and exposing her private parts. She was more open than Shen Lixue, a modern person.
The coachman and several servants' eyes lit up suddenly, and they secretly glanced at Shen Yingxue. The most beautiful woman's spring scenery was being revealed, which was not something that could be seen all the time. If they didn't get their fill of the feast for their eyes now, when would they?
"Shen Lixue!" Shen Yingxue hurriedly ordered Xia Jin to lift her skirt to cover her private parts. Her eyes were filled with raging anger, and she wished she could devour Shen Lixue alive. She was definitely doing it on purpose. Bitch, bitch, bitch.
"What are you standing there for? Quickly take the Second Miss back to Snow Garden to change her clothes!" Madam Lei frowned deeply. Yingxue was too impatient and had actually lost her composure after being provoked by Shen Lixue.
Shen Yingxue glared at Shen Lixue, then quickly returned to Xueyuan to touch up her makeup and change her clothes. She still had to attend the banquet at the palace and make a grand entrance, so she couldn't waste any more time with Shen Lixue for the time being. She could deal with her after she returned in glory.
Shen Minghui, who had been silent all along, turned grim and coldly stared at Shen Lixue. "Lixue, did you tear Yingxue's hem?"
"No!" Shen Lixue denied it firmly and categorically.
Shen Minghui squinted at Shen Lixue for a long while, then suddenly uttered, "Father believes in you!"
Shen Lixue sneered. Believe in yourself? Shen Minghui is really good at lying through his teeth. Just now, Shen Minghui's eyes were on Shen Yingxue. He didn't see her little actions at all. Although he wanted to avenge Shen Yingxue, he was in a hurry to go to the palace to celebrate the birthday and had no time to investigate the truth. So, he did her a favor.
"I went to bed late last night and I'm a little sleepy. If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my room for a nap." Shen Lixue said casually, "Father, it's getting late. You should head to the palace soon. Have a safe journey..."