bestfiction Chapter 321 I haven't thanked you yet
Chapter 321 I haven't thanked you yet
The plum garden in the western suburbs is extremely large, with winding paths leading to secluded spots, making it difficult for Yu Wan to find the person.
When Princess Changning learned that she was looking for Su Qingchan, she offered to go with her to find her.
The two left the waterside pavilion and searched around along the plum grove path.
The winter wind carried a slight chill, causing the plum blossoms in the plum grove to tremble slightly. As we walked to a boardwalk, we suddenly heard a commotion coming from the waterside pavilion in the middle of the lake.
Both of them frowned and looked in the direction from which the sound came.
A group of people were gathered there, as if something had happened.
Princess Changning took a closer look, her eyes lighting up instantly. She excitedly pointed to a figure in the crowd opposite her, "Sister Yu, isn't that Miss Su?"
Yu Wan saw it too and nodded.
"is her."
"Let's go take a look." Princess Changning pulled Yu Wan along and walked towards the waterside pavilion across the river.
At this moment, in the waterside pavilion.
Su Qingchan was standing in the middle, surrounded by several noble ladies with mocking expressions, and her face looked rather unpleasant.
She gritted her teeth and looked at the several noble ladies around her, her eyes slightly red with anger. "I told you, I didn't knock over this easel."
One of the noble ladies, dressed in a pale yellow silk dress and with a rather willful appearance, sneered, "Who else could it be but you? You were the only one in this pavilion just now. Did the easel grow legs and fall over by itself?"
Beside Su Qingchan, an easel lay overturned on the ground, and an unfinished plum blossom painting, its ink still wet and covered in dust, was completely ruined.
Su Qingchan took a deep breath. "When I came to the waterside pavilion, the easel had already fallen over. I just wanted to prop it up."
Another noblewoman dressed in light pink curled her lip and said sarcastically, "Su Qingchan, now that you no longer have your brother as your backer, stop pretending."
"You even wanted to lift it up! If we hadn't arrived in time, you might have deliberately stomped on it a few times and completely ruined Sister Xiao's painting!"
Su Qingchan trembled with rage. "I didn't! I didn't do it! How could you slander me like this?"
The noblewoman in the pale yellow dress crossed her arms and stepped forward. "Oh, still being stubborn. If you don't admit it today, this isn't over."
“Miss Su, if you apologize to me, I will not hold this against you.”
A soft female voice rang out, and the speaker was none other than 'Sister Xiao', Xiao Huanyan, whom they were talking about.
Xiao Huanyan is the daughter of the commander of the Grand Canal Transport Office and the niece of Consort De. Among these noble ladies, she has the highest status, and everyone naturally revolves around her.
Today, it was indeed Xiao Huanyan who accidentally saw Su Qingchan and remembered that her aunt hated the Su family so much that she devised a plan to trap Su Qingchan.
At this moment, Xiao Huanyan was dressed in a light purple brocade robe, with a gentle appearance and an elegant demeanor.
She gently waved a round fan in her hand, looking at Su Qingchan with apparent tolerance and magnanimity, but a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes.
Su Qingchan knew very well that this was a trap set for her by Xiao Huanyan.
Xiao Huanyan deliberately made things difficult for the Su family because Consort De hated them.
But she also knew very well that Xiao Huanyan's trap for her was definitely not just to see her bow her head and admit her mistake.
Therefore, she absolutely cannot admit to this!
Su Qingchan pursed her lips. "Miss Xiao, I've said it many times, I didn't knock over this easel, why should I admit my mistake?"
"If you really believe that I did it, you can produce evidence. Otherwise, I will never admit to this fabricated charge."
Xiao Huanyan chuckled lightly, fanning herself with her fan. "Evidence?"
She glanced around, her gaze sweeping over the noble ladies around her. "Su Qingchan, they all saw it just now. It was you who deliberately damaged my easel and ruined my painting."
"What? So many eyes have seen it, and it's not considered evidence?"
After she finished speaking, a look of grievance appeared on her face again.
She slowly raised her hand and gently wiped away non-existent tears from the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, her voice slightly choked, "Sisters, you must all testify for me,"
"I originally intended to present this painting to Consort De. I've been working on it for quite some time, planning to finish the last few strokes after admiring the plum blossoms at the Plum Garden today, but I never expected..."
Her voice choked with emotion, "Seeing the painting ruined truly saddened me. I didn't want to make a scene, all I wanted was for Miss Su to apologize, but she still acted like this..."
These noble ladies already fawned over Xiao Huanyan, and now that they saw her so upset, they naturally wanted to stand up for her and curry favor with her.
"Su Qingchan, Sister Xiao has been so forgiving, don't be ungrateful!"
"They made a mistake but refused to admit it. The Su family's upbringing is truly excellent."
"Like father, like son. With an older brother like Su Mu, how good can Su Qingchan be?"
Su Qingchan was so angry that she trembled all over.
These people not only slandered her without cause, but they also dragged her brother into the mess and defamed him!
Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared at these people. "My brother's matter will be judged by public opinion. It's none of your business to gossip about it!"
"I have a clear conscience about what happened with the easel today. I didn't do it, and I will absolutely not admit it!"
As Yu Wan and Princess Changning walked this way, they felt the commotion at the waterside pavilion growing louder and louder, and even saw noble ladies pushing and shoving each other in the distance.
Princess Changning looked on with worry and couldn't help but say, "In this weather, the water in this lake is freezing cold. If someone falls in, it could be a terrible disaster..."
Yu Wan's expression darkened. She remained silent, but pulled Princess Changning along, making her walk faster.
They were too far from the pavilion in the lake.
The pavilion in the lake can only be reached via the boardwalk on the opposite side, but since they are on this side of the lake, they have to go around and pass a rockery to get there.
The two had just rounded the artificial hill when they unexpectedly ran into Prince Yong.
Prince Yong was dressed in a black brocade robe with a black jade belt around his waist. He stood tall and straight, with a faint smile on his face, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
"Ninth Brother, what a coincidence, you're here too?" Princess Changning was somewhat surprised and quickly bowed.
Yu Wan also curtsied, but secretly remained vigilant.
The fact that Prince Yong appeared here is not necessarily a coincidence.
Prince Yong's gaze swept over Yu Wan and finally landed on Princess Changning. He smiled and said, "The plum blossoms here are quite beautiful. I've come to take a look."
Princess Changning didn't think much of it. She was preoccupied with what was happening at the waterside pavilion, and pulled Yu Wan away.
Prince Yong spoke up, "Changning, I have a few words I'd like to say to Miss Yu alone."
This was meant to persuade Princess Changning to temporarily avoid the situation.
Princess Changning hesitated and looked at Yu Wan, "This..."
Yu Wan lowered her eyes, then gave Princess Changning a reassuring look and said with a light smile, "Your Highness, please rest assured, the Prince will only have a few words with me and it won't take too long."
"I'll have to trouble Your Highness to go to the waterside pavilion first, and I'll be there shortly."
Princess Changning hesitated for a moment, but seeing Yu Wan wink at her, she could only agree, "Then Sister Yu, hurry up, I'll go to the waterside pavilion to check the situation first."
After Princess Changning left, Prince Yong stood with his hands behind his back, looking Yu Wan up and down with a half-smile, and said, "Speaking of which, I haven't thanked Miss Yu yet, because I almost had to spend the rest of my life in the Imperial Clan Court."
A smile played on his lips, but his eyes were cold and sinister, as if he wished he could tear Yu Wan to pieces.