After Baili Anning and Baili Anqing returned to the Palace, Shen Ninghua kept an eye on the movement in the Palace. However, as Baili Anning’s wedding day was approaching, the situation was calm and nothing happened.
Bai Ruo helped Shen Ninghua rub the ink stick and looked at Shen Ninghua drawing a Picture of the Spring with amazement in her eyes. Hong Ling quickly walked in from outside the door.
“Miss, big news!”
Shen Ninghua put down the brush and said, “What happened?”
Hong Ling took a deep breath and quickly said, “You asked me to keep an eye on Rui Xue and I did. I found that she was placed in a courtyard and had never seen Yang Lin again, so I thought that she would behave herself. But last night, after Rui Xue fell asleep, the people who were spying on her saw a poisonous scorpion crawling into her room. They were afraid that she would be in danger, so they carefully entered the room, only to find that Rui Xue was not in the room!”
Shen Ninghua suddenly frowned. “Not in the room?”
Hong Ling bit her lips. “Our people waited for Rui Xue to fall asleep and then stayed outside to monitor her. Who could expect that Rui Xue would mysteriously disappear from the room! Please punish us, Miss!”
Shen Ninghua frowned and looked at her. “You get up. This is really unexpected. You are not responsible for this. A human can’t just disappear like that. Did you find something like a secret passage in that room?”
Hong Ling’s expression became even more embarrassed. “The people I sent to monitor her searched for a long time, but they didn’t find anything.”
Shen Ninghua’s expression turned cold. She was clear about the ability of the people that Hong Ling had selected. They were definitely not mediocre. The fact that they did not find anything only meant that their opponents were much better than them. “Hong Ling, don’t act recklessly and let all of our people withdraw. This is already the case. There’s no point to monitor her anymore. Let’s wait and see what will happen.”
“Yes, Miss.”
When Hong Ling reported the news, Shen Ninghua paused and stained her hand with ink. Bai Ruo brought in a basin of water and said, “Miss, please clean your hands.”
Shen Ninghua lowered her head and looked at the black stain on her fingers. She said absent-mindedly, “Since we failed to monitor Rui Xue, Chu Junyi should also have a problem monitoring Yang Lin. Hong Ling, has Master Chu returned from the Palace?”
“Not yet, Miss.”
Shen Ninghua frowned. “Well, when he comes back, tell him to come over.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Shen Ninghua faintly lowered her eyes. Her dark eyes were filled with icy starlight. “There are only three days before the wedding. I hope nothing happens.”
It wasn’t until dark when Chu Junyi returned to Huajun Pavilion. “Ninghua, are you looking for me?”
“Why do you come back so late? Have you had dinner?”
Chu Junyi’s expression was slightly gloomy as he shook his head. “Not yet.”
Shen Ninghua turned to Bai Ruo and said, “Bai Ruo, prepare the meal.”
“Yes, Miss.”
When Bai Ruo left, Shen Ninghua turned to look at Chu Junyi with a trace of worry in her eyes. “Junyi, from your expression, there seems to be something wrong. What happened in the Palace?”
Chu Junyi raised his eyes, and his cold eyes flashed with a cold light. “News came from the northwest.”
Northwest? Baili Jinchuan!
“He’s already in the northwest?” Counting the days, there should still be two days left. Did he travel day and night despite his poor health conditions?
Chu Junyi’s eyes grew deeper and deeper. “He didn’t care about his own body. He traveled day and night without any rest. It only took him ten days rather than the expected eighteen days to reach the northwest. As soon as he arrived at the battlefield, some good news came out.”
Chu Junyi’s tone was filled with surprise. Although he and Baili Jinchuan were enemies because of Shen Ninghua, when he saw that Baili Jinchuan could do this, his heart was filled with admiration. If Baili Jinchuan wanted to hurt Ninghua again, he would still kill him. However, he would not belittle him after he ignored his health and traveled day and night for the sake of the country.
Shen Ninghua lowered her eyes and frowned slightly. “Anning’s wedding day is approaching, and the news of victory has come from the northwest. It seems that there will be some disturbance in the court.”
Chu Junyi stepped forward to hug Shen Ninghua in his arms and sighed emotionally, “Ninghua, I’m so worried.”
Shen Ninghua’s eyes moved. “Worried?”
Chu Junyi curled his lips with a gentle expression in his eyes. “Yes, I’m worried that my wife is too beautiful and always attracts a pack of wolves. If I don’t take good precautions, my wife will be taken away by the wolves.”
Shen Ninghua paused for a moment and suddenly understood that Chu Junyi’s expression was fake. Her lips curved up and she slowly reached out to hug his waist. She lowered her voice and said, “Honey…”
Chu Junyi paused and was stunned. “Ninghua…” Could it be that his expression was so serious that it really made Ninghua sad? Since they married, Ninghua had never called him in this way…
Shen Ninghua’s arm tightened and her slender fingers pinched his waist. “Worried, huh?”
Pain came from his waist. Chu Junyi gritted his teeth and said, “Although there are wolves around, I’m the best hunter. I’m not worried!”
Shen Ninghua smiled even more brightly and she tightened her fingers. “Taken away by wolves, huh?”
The last word carried a faint ending sound that made Chu Junyi’s body numb. “Whichever wolf dares to stretch out its mouth, I’ll pull out its teeth!”
Only then did Shen Ninghua let go of her grip. She turned around and pushed him away. “Bai Ruo, bring the food up.”
Bai Ruo, who had been waiting at the door, hurriedly lowered her head to hide her smile. She placed the meal on the table and quickly retreated.
Chu Junyi smiled bitterly and shook his head. “Ninghua, you’re too ruthless.” Shen Ninghua curled her lips and smiled. “You’re still not honest. If I’m not ruthless, you will go even further.”
Chu Junyi stayed in the Palace for almost an entire day and he was really hungry. After sitting down, he didn’t care if he liked the food or not and started to eat quickly.
Shen Ninghua felt a little sorry for him. He had deliberately joked because he was afraid that she would have too much pressure in her heart. After all, Baili Jinchuan was a time bomb that might explode in a shocking manner at some time.
She moved the dishes on the edge of the table closer to Chu Junyi and handed him a bowl of soup. After he finished eating, Shen Ninghua said again, “Although the victory in the northwest is a big deal, it shouldn’t take you so much time in the Palace, right? Is there anything else?”
Chu Junyi wiped the corners of his lips. “Imperial Counselor Yang entered the Palace.”
“Imperial Counselor Yang? Yang Lin’s grandfather?”
“Yes.” Chu Junyi nodded.
“Didn’t he stop participating in the government affairs a long time ago? Why did he suddenly enter the Palace?”
“He entered the Palace to apologize for the deeds of his grandson Yang Lin.”
Shen Ninghua’s expression changed. “Apologize for the deeds of Yang Lin? He and Princess Anqing are about to get married. Why the apology now?” Anyone with a normal mind wouldn’t cause any trouble when the wedding day was approaching.
Chu Junyi sneered. “Yang Lin is definitely stupid. That Rui Xue from the Spring Hiking Festival has already been taken into his backyard as a concubine.”
“What?” Before marrying the princess, he had already taken a concubine. Wasn’t this directly slapping Baili Anqing in the face?
“Originally, I only felt that he had some evil intentions. I didn’t expect that he would be so ridiculous. Even if he didn’t care much about Princess Anqing, she is still the emperor’s daughter. How could he humiliate her like this?”
“But it’s been only nine days. Why is Yang Lin so anxious to take Rui Xue as his concubine?” Shen Ninghua asked in confusion.
Chu Junyi’s expression changed, and the light in his eyes became colder. “That Rui Xue is not simple. I don’t know what method she used to completely mesmerize Yang Lin. The people I sent to spy on them were all fooled. The house that Yang Lin arranged for Rui Xue was not far from the Yang Mansion, and there was a small door in the back garden that could connect the two houses. Rui Xue and Yang Lin both practiced martial arts. My men watched from the front, but they jumped out of the back window at night to meet privately through the garden door.”
“Did Princess Anqing know about this?”
“Not yet. Although His Majesty was furious, he had no intention of canceling this marriage.”
At this moment in the Palace, Princess Anqing was still unaware of this news, but the empress had already known it clearly.
Hearing Fangxue’s report, Zhao Huiying covered her lips and laughed. “Good, that’s good. I knew that Yang Lin is not strong-willed, but I didn’t expect that Rui Xue could mesmerize him to such an extent in just nine days.”
Fangxue smiled and said, “Your Majesty made a good plan. But I still have one question.”
Zhao Huiying was in a good mood and didn’t mind her asking. “Well, what’s your question?”
“That Rui Xue is not Biyun Pavilion’s most beautiful girl. Why did you choose her?”
The smile on Zhao Huiying’s face disappeared. “She’s not the most beautiful, but her eyes are the most similar to Shen Ninghua’s.”
“Similar to Princess Zhaohua’s?”
“Yes. You’ve only seen Shen Ninghua in the Palace, but you probably haven’t seen her in private. She is the same as her mother. Every smile and every frown of hers are beautiful, and her every movement is elegant. She is simply too beautiful and almost the most ideal woman for men. Shen Ninghua is even more capable than her mother when dealing with the scholars who lack resolution and hope for the best. She only needs to curl her lips slightly and can make them infatuated.”
Fangxue was shocked, but she also found it hard to believe. “Your Majesty, although Princess Zhaohua is beautiful, I don’t think she is that attractive to everyone.”
Zhao Huiying smiled. “I certainly don’t rely solely on luck. I added some drugs to Yang Lin’s meals that can confuse his mind. As long as he does not stand firm, he will be deeply entangled and unable to extricate himself. At the Spring Hiking Festival, Shen Ninghua, Anning and Anqing went out together. Her appearance was the most outstanding, and Yang Lin would definitely notice her and get into the trap. ”
Fangxue suddenly understood. “Your Majesty’s plan is so sophisticated.”
Zhao Huiying smiled brightly and said, “Now I just need to wait for Baili Anning’s wedding ceremony.”
“Baili Anning? Princess Anning?” Shouldn’t it be Baili Anqing’s wedding ceremony?
“Haha, I have my plan. Just listen to my instructions. Shen Ninghua has been arrogant for so long, and I will destroy her this time!”