Because Feng Xin'er had broken a chair by sitting on it, everyone kept an eye on her throughout the al, watching how much she ate and whether she was really that heavy.
These stares made Feng Xin'er feel as though she were sitting on pins and needles. Several tis, ng Fanyin tried to steer the conversation toward her, but Feng Xin'er failed to pick up on it.
"Is the Crown Prince tired?"
Persistent, ng Fanyin brought it up again after lunch: "Why not let my Xin'er take Your Highness to rest in Xuan'er's room? My sister-in-law hasn't seen Xuan'er for several days, so let them have a good mother-daughter chat. After all, Xuan'er won't be able to leave the palace so freely in the future."
The Crown Prince's coronation ceremony was scheduled in two days, and by then, ng Yixuan would be the Empress, the mother of the nation.
While it wasn't too troubleso for the Crown Princess to leave the palace as long as Jiang Xinyue agreed, it would be different for the Empress. Once ng Yixuan beca the mistress of the inner palace, she wouldn't be able to leave the palace for the rest of her life unless under special circumstances.
This seed to be for the benefit of Xi Que and ng Yixuan's mother-daughter relationship, but in reality, it was a ploy to create an opportunity for Feng Xin'er to be alone with the Crown Prince.
Her intentions were too obvious, and she treated others as fools, thinking no one could see through her sche.
"You..."
Xi Que was about to grab ng Fanyin by the hair and throw her out when the Crown Prince spoke: "Alright! I'd like to see what Xuan'er's room looks like."
Hearing this, ng Fanyin thought the Crown Prince must be interested in her Xin'er.
She pushed away ng Yixuan's hand, which was holding the Crown Prince's arm: "Ah... I must say, Xuan'er, you should be more open-minded. The Crown Prince will have a harem of three thousand beauties in the future. Rather than letting strangers benefit, wouldn't it be better to share this fortune with your own sister? After all, family ties run deep, and she wouldn't harm you, right?"
That was debatable.
Seeing the Crown Prince glance back at her and wink as he walked away, ng Yixuan knew he was planning to stand up for her, not at all what her aunt had in mind.
She obediently nodded, pretending not to notice the poorly concealed sches in her aunt's eyes.
The autumn leaves had turned the ground golden, and the sparse flower beds were littered with fallen petals. The crisp autumn air brought a touch of joy to the season.
Feng Xin'er, her face flushed, led Shen Mingye to the door of her room and said shyly, "This is Xuan'er's room, Your Highness... I'll take you inside."
Shen Mingye didn't move, dropping his polite deanor: "Do you want to climb into my bed?"
His directness made Feng Xin'er's heart race: "Your Highness... I... I also wish to serve you. Please... please show rcy."
"Do you have a mirror at ho?"
"Wh-what?"
What did a mirror have to do with anything?
"Not only are you ugly, but you're also stupid—two things I despise the most."
Shen Mingye sneered: "If you don't have a mirror, go piss and take a look at yourself. Do you think you can compare to my Crown Princess in any way? Won like you are a di a dozen. Do you think you're special?"
"I... I'm not..."
"You're not what?"
Shen Mingye pressed on aggressively: "You know I'm the Crown Prince, and you know your sister is the Crown Princess. If you were a decent person, you'd stay as far away as possible. Yet, you're scheming to seduce ? You're cunning and deceitful, everything I despise. If you're smart, you'll drop these petty sches right now. From now on, stay out of my sight, or I'll humiliate you every ti I see you. Let's see who would dare marry you then."
His words were too cruel. Just listening to them, Feng Xin'er felt as though her heart had been pierced by a thousand arrows, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
"The eldest daughter of the Flying Dragon General, living in such a small courtyard? I'm guessing... this is your bedroom, isn't it?"
He had guessed correctly.
"Perhaps you've even lit so aphrodisiac incense in this room. Once I step inside, I won't be able to leave. Then your mother will bring the Crown Princess and the others to catch us in the act, forcing to marry you whether I want to or not. Am I right?"
He had guessed right again!
Feng Xin'er's body began to tremble. Drugging the Crown Prince and being caught in the act—she could be executed on the spot for this.
"Today is the Crown Princess's hocoming banquet. I don't want to spill blood, but I'll rember this sche of yours. Do you understand?"
Seeing that the ti was about right, ng Fanyin didn't waste any more ti: "Ah? Sister-in-law, why haven't the Crown Prince and Xin'er returned yet? Shouldn't we go check on them? What if sothing happened? His Highness had so wine earlier, after all."
ng Qingyu didn't drink, and the Crown Prince wasn't much of a drinker either. He had only taken a sip earlier, but ng Fanyin's words were clearly hinting that the Crown Prince might have acted improperly under the influence of alcohol.
She was setting the stage for what they were about to see.
ng Qingyu frowned deeply: "Sister, the Crown Prince is not so commoner. Don't stir up trouble. If sothing happens, it'll be your own fault. I won't help you."
ng Fanyin waved her hand impatiently: "What are you talking about? What could possibly happen?"
She walked quickly, and the others had no choice but to follow.
"This isn't the way to Xuan'er's courtyard. This leads to the guest rooms in the west wing—Xin'er's room, isn't it?"
ng Qingyu raised the question, and ng Fanyin smiled: "Brother, don't bla for this. Xin'er told she's known the Crown Prince for a while. Earlier, it was His Highness who insisted she find an excuse to co out and catch up. I thought it wouldn't be proper for a man and a woman to be alone together, so I figured we should all go and check..."
Before she could finish, ng Qingyu stord off, his face livid.
"Whether you two have succeeded or not, I, Xi Que, am making this clear: from now on, we are cutting ties with you. Don't ever co to the ng Family again, and we won't step foot in the Feng Family either."
The more Xi Que spoke like this, the more ng Fanyin was convinced her daughter had succeeded.
The Empress had once said that this was called verbal suggestion, creating an illusion to make people act impulsively.
ng Fanyin smirked: "Do you think I care about coming here? Hmph! Once my daughter becos the Crown Prince's concubine, your Xuan'er will have to answer to our Xin'er. You'd better treat with respect now, or else..."
The threat in her words was unmistakable.
"Slap!"
Old Lady ng, whose eyesight was failing, sohow managed to land a precise slap on ng Fanyin's face: "You unfilial daughter! You're driving to my grave! Why must you always stir up trouble? Did I owe you in a past life? You're married, yet you still co back to ruin your own family? Xuan'er has been more than tolerant with you, and yet you still want to trample over her. Do you even have a heart?"
"You old hag, it's all because you're biased!"
ng Fanyin, furious from the slap, snapped back: "Just you wait! Once my Xin'er rises to power, I'll have her kill all of you!"
This granddaughter wasn't here to repay kindness—she was here for revenge.
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