Shen Xining bowed to the queen.
"Empress, Xining feels that this matter need not be handled this way. It seems that the dancer's dancing skills are not good enough and this is a joke. There are so many eyes watching us now, and this is a time of trouble. If we punish the dancer for this matter, it will make others think that the Crown Prince and the Empress are making a fuss, which will easily lead to trouble."
The queen smiled, took Shen Xining's hand, motioned her to sit down, and spoke softly.
"You are still the same as before, a person who takes things seriously easily, but you are also a thoughtful person. I feel relieved to have you by Yan'er's side in the future. As long as you two are of one mind, it will be great. As for other people, I have never paid attention to them."
This is a hint.
It is also explicit.
Shen Xiyao wanted to hook up with the prince? The queen also knew about this. She wanted to use this to intimidate Shen Xining. It was nothing more than saying that she was not the only daughter of the Shen family. It seemed that she was slightly dissatisfied with her for getting hurt and delaying the marriage contract. Today was indeed a Hongmen Banquet.
When the song ended, the dancer raised her eyebrows and looked towards the people sitting on the stage reluctantly.
The dance continued and everyone continued to chat. The prince seemed to be unwell and left the table to go somewhere unknown. Shen Xining leaned over and used this as an excuse.
"Empress, I feel a little stuffy in my chest. Maybe I drank too much just now. Xining wants to go out for a walk and get some fresh air."
"Go ahead."
Although the queen was smiling, Shen Xining felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Shen Xining walked out in a hurry. She was a girl of the Shen family since she was young, and she often went in and out of the palace. She was familiar with the terrain of the palace. She was also about to become the Crown Princess. People in the palace and the Shen family had carefully taught the habits and temper of the Crown Prince. Shen Xining was well aware of where the Crown Prince would go now—the Imperial Garden.
She walked so fast that she didn't notice that there was someone following her like a ghost.
When they arrived at the gate of the Imperial Garden, Shen Xining showed no intention of going in. Instead, he slowed down his pace. When Shen Xiyao hurried over, she happened to run into Shen Xining.
"Who, so..."
"So what?"
Shen Xining's face was as black as charcoal, her eyes and eyebrows were full of hostility. She squeezed Shen Xiyao's wrist tightly and forced a smile, but it did not show in her eyes.
"My sister has not been in the palace for a long time, so it is inevitable that she will get lost. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is enjoying the imperial garden right now, and my sister almost bumped into him, but luckily I was here."
Shen Xiyao's face turned pale and she nodded.
"Yes... Yes, thanks to my sister, otherwise, I really don't know what to do..."
Shen Xining pulled Shen Xiyao's arm and walked forward.
"The road ahead is the way back to the banquet. I didn't see my sister just now. I wonder where she went?"
"I have been at the party since a while ago, but my sister...ah!"
I don't know when Shen Xining took Shen Xiyao to the back of a remote rockery. The surrounding area was even more secluded and few people came. Shen Xining suddenly pushed Shen Xiyao against the rockery, holding the hairpin on her head in her hand. The fine hairpin had sharp edges and pressed against Shen Xiyao's neck, with a murderous aura.
"You're crazy, Shen Xining, do you know where this is? What do you want to do?"
Oh.
Finally stopped acting.
Shen Xining's hairpin poked deeper and deeper, and Shen Xiyao's legs began to tremble with fear. The cold touch of the hairpin was extremely obvious on her neck, as if it could take her life in the next second.
"Shen Xining, you can't kill me. This is the imperial palace, and I am the second daughter of the Shen family. If you kill me, my father and mother will not forgive you, and you will not be able to escape death..."
Oh.
Shen Xining glanced at her, his upturned eyebrows and eyes were extremely charming, but in them there was a strong sense of contempt.
"Do you think I care about this life?"
If it weren't for her mother's last words, that she must be allowed to live well, if it wasn't for the fact that she wanted to investigate why her mother died, she would never believe that it was a simple epidemic. If it weren't for the fact that the Shen family and she were in the political whirlpool now, she would probably have been dead long ago.
Shen Xiyao's face turned pale, and she clung tightly to the rockery behind her, trying to keep herself away from Shen Xining's hairpin.
"Shen Xiyao, this is the first and last time I warn you. Don't do anything that would bring shame to the Shen family. Otherwise, you should know what I will do. Even if it means we both perish together, I will not hesitate."
Shen Xining released the hand that was holding Shen Xiyao. Shen Xiyao didn't react for a moment, and her whole body instantly collapsed to the ground. Her white palm was on the ground, and her skin was broken. Her eyes were almost bleeding.
"you… "
Shen Xining slowly approached her and whispered in her ear like a devil.
"Shen Xiyao, don't let me see you doing this again, otherwise, I will let you know what crazy things I can do."
After saying that, Shen Xining walked away.
Shen Xiyao tried to get up, but her hands and feet were sore and weak. The maid next to her wanted to come over to help her up, and when she was about to help her up, she was slapped in the face by her.
"Miss… "
The maid covered her face with her hands, her eyes filled with tears.
"Don't cry! You are all useless. What were you doing just now? You just watched me being bullied by her like that!?"
"Miss, what are you going to do? Are we going or not?"
Oh.
Shen Xiyao glanced at the Imperial Garden with hatred. Shen Xining's words just now really worked. She really didn't dare to go there today...
"Let's not go today. There will be a hunting competition soon. It won't be too late to contact the prince then. But, Shen Xining, sooner or later I will make you pay for what happened today."
"Really? Paying the price is not as simple as just talking about it."
The sudden voice stunned Shen Xiyao. She broke out in a cold sweat on her back. When she saw that the person coming was Xie Zhaoan, her eyebrows moved slightly. He was wearing a pure white suit, which made his lips and teeth look red and white.
The man didn't know when he had a jade flute in his hand, which made him look more like a monster.
Shen Xiyao frowned slightly and cleared the thoughts from her mind.
"The fourth prince, instead of staying at the banquet, is a person who loves to listen to gossip."
"Is it gossip? Or is it just a matter of time?"
Shen Xiyao bit her lip, motioned the maid beside her to go aside, and then looked at Xie Zhaoan with confusion in her eyes.
"Does what you said before still count?"
Xie Zhaoan smiled.
"No matter what, I am the fourth prince, a member of the royal family. I always say that once I say something, it cannot be taken back."
"What do I need in exchange?"
There was a shrewd look in Shen Xiyao's eyes.