Su Xiaoqi had an unusually smooth experience at the banquet.
This time, the Princess of Ning, for some unknown reason, was exceptionally kind to her, so kind it made one suspect ulterior motives. This kept Su Xiaoqi on edge the entire time. Consequently, Su Xiaoqi found herself in a very contradictory atmosphere. Everyone around her, regardless of their status, treated her well, which was dictated by the hostess, Princess of Ning's attitude towards her. On the other hand, Su Xiaoqi herself harbored suspicions of a conspiracy by Princess of Ning, preventing her from relaxing. She ate and drank with caution.
Princess of Ning noticed her wariness, a faint smile gracing her lips. She glanced at the small yellow flowers placed on Su Xiaoqi's table and the floral tea in her cup. Her smile deepened. "Soon, very soon!" she thought. She pulled at the corners of her mouth, feeling her face was about to freeze from so much forced smiling. She cast a glance at Princess Yijiang, hidden in the crowd. Princess Yijiang was simultaneously looking back at her. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment before averting, unnoticed by anyone.
Su Xiaoqi remained cautious, but being amidst the throng, she couldn't guard against everything. Soon, she began to feel dizzy. She touched her forehead. Beside her, Du Yiyi looked concerned at her appearance. Su Xiaoqi surveyed her surroundings and softly said she felt dizzy and wanted to rest for a while. Du Yiyi immediately offered to accompany her. Su Xiaoqi shook her head. "Later there's the pitch-pot game you like, with a hairpin inlaid with pearls as the prize. You must try to win it. I'll go rest a bit, and when I feel better, I'll come find you."
Du Yiyi thought this made sense. If she accompanied Su Xiaoqi to rest, she would have to engage her in conversation, not only failing to achieve rest but also potentially bothering her. After they conferred, Su Xiaoqi was to be accompanied by Zhang Yu to rest. There were rooms specifically prepared in the garden for female guests who needed to rest.
Upon exiting the garden where the gathering was held, a small maid led the way. They arrived at the courtyard of a two-story building called Lanyuan. Su Xiaoqi suddenly felt thirsty and wanted a cup of tea. She asked the maid to fetch one for her. The maid, however, stated that her task was only to lead Su Xiaoqi to this courtyard to rest and that she couldn't leave, or the supervising嬷嬷 would scold her. Su Xiaoqi found this reasonable and asked Zhang Yu to go instead. Zhang Yu, still a little worried, reminded Su Xiaoqi not to wander off, or she wouldn't be able to find her. Su Xiaoqi glanced at the maid, her eyes twinkling, and said gently, "Alright, I promise not to wander."
As she spoke, Su Xiaoqi entered the small building. Inside was an embroidery room, fully furnished. It had a canopy bed and an exquisite dressing table inlaid with pearls. She lay down on the bed, clutching her increasingly dizzy head. The maid beside her lowered the green curtains, stood with her eyes on her nose and nose on her heart, unmoving, as if waiting for something. Su Xiaoqi said she was lying down, but in reality, she hadn't even taken off her clothes. With her eyes half-closed, she strained her ears to listen for any sounds outside. She too was waiting for events to unfold, while also contemplating whether her compliance in luring the enemy deep was the right course of action.
Soon, there was movement outside. Heavy footsteps approached. The door opened, and the maid looked at the person who had entered with great joy. She bowed and turned to leave. As she reached the doorway, the person reached out and pinched her waist. The maid's face flushed with embarrassment, and she stomped her feet silently as she ran off. She couldn't stop; she still had to pass on the information from here. Otherwise, wouldn't the princess's arrangements be in vain? With this thought, she ran extremely fast, even deliberately leaving the courtyard gate open to allow others to enter later.
After she left, Zhang Yu, who had been hidden on the eaves, snapped her fingers. Zhang Lei entered carrying a woman. The two appeared in the room; Su Xiaoqi had already been dealt with. Chu Lege, who entered, was knocked unconscious by Su Xiaoqi with a swift flick of her wrist using silver needles. From entering the room to fainting, he hadn't even seen Su Xiaoqi, nor had he made a sound.
As the two entered, Zhang Lei, under Su Xiaoqi's direction, placed the person held under her arm onto the canopy bed where Su Xiaoqi had been lying. The face revealed was none other than Princess Yijiang, who had been harboring ill intentions at the banquet. Zhang Yu whispered softly, "Princess of Nanyue paired with the County Prince of Beichu, they are quite a match." Su Xiaoqi chuckled, "Alright, let's leave quickly, lest that little maid attract people and block us." Zhang Yu nodded, "That's right. The Princess Qionghua of Prince Ning's mansion has already received the news and is coming over with the maid."
"Princess Qionghua..." Su Xiaoqi murmured her name softly. Recalling what Shen Yun had investigated, this entire scheme was initially concocted by Princess of Ning and Princess Qionghua. She suddenly had an idea. She pulled Zhang Yu closer and whispered a few instructions. Zhang Yu blinked and said she understood, guaranteeing the task would be completed. Su Xiaoqi silently followed Zhang Lei over the courtyard wall to retreat. Just as she left, footsteps were heard at the courtyard gate. The person walked and said, "Hurry, otherwise we'll miss the good show."
"Princess, slow down, slow down!" the maid called from behind, chasing after her. However, before her words could finish, she was knocked unconscious by Zhang Yu, who had been hiding. Princess Qionghua, who was about to enter the room, was startled by the silence behind her. She turned to look, only to see a dark shadow flash by. She felt a sharp pain in her neck and lost consciousness. Zhang Yu immediately moved Princess Qionghua onto the bed. Then, she lit the incense that had been placed inside, and a sweet, cloying fragrance emanated.
The three people on the bed simultaneously "ahhed" and opened their eyes. They looked at each other, their minds in a daze. Chu Lege, having inhaled a large amount of the smoke, felt like a wild beast pounding within him. He was like a vampire craving fresh blood. The delicate Princess Qionghua and Princess Yijiang beside him were the freshest blood. This instantly delighted him, and without a word, he lunged at Princess Yijiang.
"Ah..." Princess Yijiang, though she had also inhaled the smoke, often tinkered with such things in Nanyue and wore a detoxification sachet on her person. She brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply, regaining her senses. She kicked Chu Lege. Struck by her kick, Chu Lege's blood boiled even more fiercely. He lunged at Princess Yijiang with a silver laugh. This woman was fiery and exciting.
Seeing Chu Lege fixated on her like a lapdog, Princess Yijiang panicked and looked around desperately. She saw Princess Qionghua, slumped motionlessly on the bed. Gritting her teeth, she thought, "Better a dead comrade than a dead self." She had already realized Chu Lege was under the influence of the strongest aphrodisiac. Today, he was destined to be intimate with a woman. Since there was no one else around, if one of them had to be sacrificed, it would naturally be someone else. She casually pulled the half-conscious Princess Qionghua and pushed her towards Chu Lege, then quickly retreated.
Meanwhile, the little maid who had left earlier had already brought Princess Ning and others. Their excuse was that a thief had entered the Hundred Flower Garden, stealing in broad daylight. The sophisticated ladies living in the back courtyard, hearing this implausible excuse, all knew a good show was about to unfold. Thus, without questioning the truth, they followed Princess Ning. Indeed, they witnessed a grand spectacle. One of the protagonists of this drama was the legitimate second daughter of Prince Ning's mansion, Princess Qionghua. The other was the Beichu envoy, Chu Lege. They performed a vivid and passionate act of intimacy, leaving everyone blushing. Especially among the audience were not only married noblewomen but also a considerable number of unmarried young ladies.