bestfiction Chapter 318 Plum Blossom Appreciation Party
Chapter 318 Plum Blossom Appreciation Party
After hearing Yu Wan's explanation, Lady Anguo was filled with worry.
She gently held Yu Wan's hand and said earnestly, "Wan'er, I understand your worries about Su Qingchan."
"But the Prince Yong's mansion is no ordinary place; the waters here run deep. You must be careful and not put yourself in danger because of her."
Yu Wan smiled and squeezed the hand of the Duchess of Anguo back, saying softly, "Mother, don't worry, I will be careful."
Lady Anguo nodded slightly and sighed softly, "Mother also thinks that she is not the kind of person who covets wealth and status..."
Soon, Lady Anguo arranged for people to send the invitations to the residences of the princes and princesses, including the residence of Prince Yong.
Inside the Prince Yong's residence, a servant presented the invitation to the Prince Yong.
Prince Yong looked at the invitation in his hand and a cold smile appeared on his lips. "This Lady of Anguo is quite interesting."
"It's been a long time since we sent out invitations, but now they've suddenly come again."
Qin Zhaojie happened to enter at that moment, saw the invitation in Prince Yong's hand, and respectfully asked, "Your Highness, are you going to the plum blossom viewing party?"
Prince Yong raised an eyebrow and threw the invitation on the table. "What am I going there for? It's just a gathering of women appreciating flowers and composing poems. How boring."
Qin Zhaojie then stopped mentioning it.
He came here on the orders of His Highness Prince Qi.
Qin Zhaojie considered his words carefully before respectfully saying, "Your Highness, I met Prince Qi on my way to the palace just now, and he asked me to pass this letter on to you."
Prince Yong frowned slightly and reached out to take the letter from Qin Zhaojie.
The letter was not sealed. He pulled out the letter, quickly scanned it with his eyes, and his expression became more serious.
After reading the letter, he casually tossed it aside, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes in deep thought.
Fortunately, Su Mu died in time; otherwise, if he had found out more... it might have implicated Third Brother.
He suddenly remembered something, opened his eyes, and looked at Qin Zhaojie.
"Was Su Mu poisoned by Third Brother?"
Qin Zhaojie's eyes flickered slightly, and he thought to himself that His Highness Prince Qi was indeed a prophet. Prince Yong still asked.
He bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Her Majesty Consort De took the initiative by hiring assassins from the martial arts world, but she didn't expect that only one member of the Su family would be killed."
"The incident of Su Mu 'killing' someone on the Imperial Street that day was also done by Consort De, but the method of framing her was too clumsy and could only temporarily hinder Su Mu."
"So His Highness the Prince of Qi ordered that poison be applied to the instruments of torture."
Upon hearing this, Prince Yong smiled and said, "Third Brother is always the most reliable in his work."
“As long as the Ministry of Justice tortures Su Mu, the deadly poison will seep into his body through his flesh and blood. At that time, the torture instruments will be burned clean, and there will be no evidence.”
Qin Zhaojie smiled slightly.
What he didn't say was that His Highness Prince Qi's methods went far beyond that.
The poison that Su Mu was afflicted with was caused by a mixture of two non-toxic substances.
The frightened horse and children that appeared on the Imperial Street were all arranged by His Highness Prince Qi.
The incense on the children and women, mixed with the medicine on the torture instruments, became a deadly poison.
Once the incense dissipated, it vanished without a trace, so no one could possibly find any evidence.
His Highness Prince Qi's methods were meticulously planned, with each step linked to the next.
"This time, I owe a great debt to my third brother. If it weren't for him, my fate would probably not have been any better than my fourth brother's."
Prince Yong recalled that his fourth son, Prince Xiang, had been exiled to the imperial mausoleum and died there a few days later, and felt a wave of fear.
He felt that if he were also stripped of his title, he probably wouldn't live much longer.
Thinking of all this, Prince Yong felt deeply moved.
His third brother treated him sincerely and considered his needs in everything, so he had to plan for his third brother in return.
Thinking of this, Prince Yong suddenly changed his mind.
He called out to his maid, "Send the invitation to Yilan Courtyard and tell Miss Su that I will take her to the plum blossom appreciation party tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Qin Zhaojie's eyes flickered.
The maidservant took the invitation and left, and only then did Qin Zhaojie speak, "Why has Your Highness changed your mind again?"
Prince Yong narrowed his eyes slightly, a calculating glint in them, and said slowly, "I have nurtured Su Qingchan as a chess piece for so long, so naturally I must put her on the chessboard."
……
The plum blossoms in the western suburbs were in excellent bloom this year. The Duchess of Anguo sent out over a hundred invitations, and almost everyone who received one came to the banquet.
On the day of the plum blossom appreciation event, the area outside the plum garden was bustling with activity.
Princes and princesses, along with female relatives and male guests from various households, arrived by carriage.
Yu Wan saw many familiar faces.
Princess Changning, who enjoys lively gatherings, naturally came.
To Yu Wan's surprise, Wang Wanshu, who hadn't made a sound for a long time, also came.
She hasn't seen Wang Wanshu since she was suspected of having "mental problems".
It was so quiet, as if the person had suddenly disappeared.
If Yu Wan hadn't seen her in the plum garden today, she would have almost forgotten that such a person existed.
Could it be that Wang Wanshu's leading lady aura has disappeared?
Today, Wang Wanshu is wearing a light pink silk dress and a white fox fur cloak, standing under a plum tree in full bloom.
She tilted her head slightly, looking at the beautiful plum blossoms on the branches, her smile gentle and tender, completely unlike the arrogant demeanor she had shown in Shijia Village.
If it weren't for her highly distinctive face, Yu Wan would have almost suspected that she had mistaken her for someone else.
Perhaps sensing that someone was watching her, Wang Wanshu turned around.
When she saw Yu Wan, she was taken aback, and a clear sense of unease and apology flashed across her face.
Then, she took a deep breath, as if she had mustered up great courage, and smiled gently at Yu Wan.
That smile was gentle and captivating, like a flower quietly blooming in spring, carrying a touch of shyness and tenderness.
Yu Wan frowned.
Then Wang Wanshu said something to her maid Qiaobi, and then slowly walked over.
Yu Wan watched her calmly, a hint of wariness in her eyes.
Wang Wanshu stopped in front of Yu Wan, lowered her head slightly, seemingly afraid to look Yu Wan in the eye, and said softly, "Miss Yu, it's been a long time."
Her voice was soft and pleasant, completely devoid of its former sharpness and arrogance, as if she were a completely different person.
It seems that this Wang Wanshu is not the Wang Wanshu who is controlled by the 'plot line'.
Although Wang Wanshu is no longer being tormented by the 'plot lines', Yu Wan still feels it's best to minimize contact with the female lead.
What if she gets manipulated by the 'plot line' again?
Yu Wan responded with a faint smile, without saying a word.
She turned to leave, but Wang Wanshu called her back, her eyes slightly red, and said, "Miss Yu, Qiaobi has already told me that I did many terrible things to you before..."
"Looking back now, I feel so guilty, and I really don't know how to ask for your forgiveness."
As Wang Wanshu spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. She bit her lower lip slightly, looking pitiful.
Yu Wan paused slightly, looking at Wang Wanshu, who looked pitiful and as if she had been bullied.
What is she doing?
Wang Wanshu's sobbing attracted the attention of the women around her.
Wang Wanshu seemed oblivious to the gazes around her, taking a few steps closer to Yu Wan. "Miss Yu, I sincerely want to apologize to you. I only ask that you forgive me..."