Chapter 765 Making Waves, Unwilling to Give up
Shao Yanru glanced at Shao Wanru, her eyes as cold as those of a venomous snake.
“Are you used to sitting here, Fifth Miss Shao? Do you feel anything inconvenient? If you need any help, I can help you. If you don’t think you have enough servants, I can send someone to you.” Chu Liuxin’s character was the most elusive, and he behaved a little carelessly. He didn’t notice that his words had made the people present have different thoughts.
“Thank you, Prince Xin. My grandma said that this is the imperial palace and I can’t be so unruly!” Shao Wanru said with a courteous smile and refused in the name of Rui’an Great Elder Princess.
“This is not unruly. Great-aunt should blame me if she wants to blame anyone. If one servant is not enough, I can send more!” Chu Liuxin said with a smile. He was not aware of Shao Wanru’s implication. Instead, he was just thinking about if she had suffered from injustice in the imperial palace.
Shao Wanru looked at Chu Liuxin speechlessly because his words were almost impolite. Chu Liuyue was present, but he didn’t say anything, so it was clear that the two brothers had a very good private relations.h.i.+p.
No wonder, Chu Liuxin had died because of Chu Liuyue in her previous life.
“Your Highness, I’m here to attend the Consort Selection. I’ll do the same thing as others, or I’ll be taken as a troublemaker! Thank you for your kindness!” Shao Wanru said and stood up. “Madam Ou has something to ask me, so I have to go, princes!”
“Who is Madam Ou?” Chu Liuxin froze and then stood up.
“The painter who painted my portrait. She said that she would make a few changes!” Shao Wanru explained softly.
“She has finished it? That’s great. I’ll go and take a look with you!” Chu Liuxin was happy to hear that. He didn’t care about others’ portraits, but that Shao Wanru’s portrait was done was great news for him.
He had to get the painting first and then asked his father, the emperor, to give him marriage permission before his brothers took action. Anyway, he could not let Fifth Miss Shao marry any one of them.
It was better to act first. Even if his mother disagreed, it was not important as long as his father agreed!
He remembered that he had hinted several times that he wanted to marry the Fifth Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion, but his mother had ignored him. Chu Liuxin felt wronged. If it weren’t for Fifth Miss Shao, he wouldn’t want to get married. He was so young, and he was the youngest one. Why should he be in a hurry? Which prince chose his wife so hurriedly?
Of course, if the candidate was Fifth Miss Shao, he thought that he would consider it.
“Your Highness… it’s inappropriate for you to go now!” Shao Wanru stopped and said helplessly.
The portraits of the beauties had not finished, so it was unsuitable for the princes to take a look in advance. Instead, they would be sent to the empress in charge of this event. After that, some would be picked out for the princes to choose from.
It was against the rule for Chu Liuxin to see them now.
She rubbed her forehead and inexplicably remembered a few scenes, which seemed to be the ones in her previous life. It seemed that someone had come to see them in advance, but she couldn’t remember the specifics at the moment.
It seemed that her memories about her previous life were injured. Whenever she remembered such fragments, her heart hurt.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll explain to the Empress. Besides, I’ll sneak there, and no one will notice me!” Chu Liuxin said in a carefree manner.
Shao Wanru pressed her temples again.
Chu Liuxin did not notice that she was uncomfortable, but Chu Liuyue did. He looked at Chu Liuxin, who was still talking energetically but looked a bit noisy, pursed his lips, and asked, “Is there anything wrong with you, Fifth Miss Shao?”
“What’s wrong with you, Miss?” Finally, Yujie also found that Shao Wanru was not in good condition, so she instantly supported her.
“Fifth Sister!” Holding Shuqi’s hand, Shao Yanru stood up and looked at her with concern.
Shao Wanru closed her eyes and calmed down, and then she opened them weakly and shook her head, saying, “I’m fine. I just feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe I can’t even go to Madam Ou!”
She felt a dull pain in her head. She had even seen Chu Liuxin in her fragmented memories moments earlier, but she couldn’t see that clearly.
“Are the things I saw yesterday the things I saw just now? Did Prince Xin’s current performance also happen in my previous life? Is it because his same behavior has aroused my similar memory?” she thought.
“Fifth Miss, if you are not feeling well, go and rest then!” Chu Liuxin shut his mouth at this time. Seeing Shao Wanru’s ashen face, he was so worried.
“Your highnesses, I’ll take my leave now!” Holding Yujie’s hand, Shao Wanru bowed sideways and then bowed to Shao Yanru before leaving with Yujie.
“What’s wrong with Fifth Miss Shao?” Staring at Shao Wanru’s back in a daze, Chu Liuxin asked in confusion. She had just been well, but she had suddenly become so weak. He thought about it and turned to Shao Yanru, asking, “Do you know the reason, First Miss?”
“I don’t know either!” Shao Yanru shook her head and sat down again.
“She was fine just now, but why did she suddenly feel uncomfortable?” Chu Liuxin spoke to himself.
Shao Yanru looked at Chu Liuyue. Although he didn’t say anything, he frowned. Was he also worried about Shao Wanru?
She felt like her heart was being gnawed, and then she, who had calmed down, could not keep calm anymore.
“Maybe because Fifth Sister suddenly remembered something, and it was not suitable for her to stay here anymore!” Shao Yanru said.
“What could make her so weak?” Chu Liuxin blurted out.
“Fifth Sister has always been in good health. She has never been so weak. Maybe it’s not because she was ill. I’m afraid that she might have remembered something bad and unsuitable,” Shao Yanru said immediately because she also had something on her mind.
“Something bad and unsuitable?” Chu Liuxin couldn’t figure it out, but Chu Liuyue found something else from these words.
“Well, Liuxin, it’s getting late. We have seen First Miss Shao, and we should go back!” Chu Liuyue stood up and said to Chu Liuxin.
“Okay, brother!” Shao Wanru had gone back, so Chu Liuxin didn’t have the mood anymore. At this time, he was only thinking about if something was wrong with Shao Wanru.
Holding Shuqi’s hand, Shao Yanru stood up and saw them off to the door. Watching them leave, she gradually stopped smiling, her eyes turning grim.
Shuqi helped her back to the room. She sat in the chair and stared at the wide-mouth vase with the red plum blossoms in it, but she inexplicably had hatred. With a wave of her hand, the vase fell on the ground, leaving the flowers lying in a mess on the floor.
“Miss!” Shuqi shrieked.
“b.i.t.c.h, b.i.t.c.h, b.i.t.c.h!” Shao Yanru roared frantically. Looking at the bright-red plum blossoms on the floor, she stepped hard on them a few times, crus.h.i.+ng them into dirty red mud.
“Miss!” Shuqi took a step back in fear and hit the writing desk behind her in a panic, making cups fall and break with a piercing sound.
“Please forgive me, Miss!” Shuqi trembled and dropped to her knees, ignoring the porcelain pieces beneath her. Fortunately, she wore many clothes in the winner, which prevented the pieces from piercing into her knees, but her skirt was scratched.
The room turned so eerily quiet that it was hard to breathe.
After a long while, Shao Yanru sat down feebly, supported her head with her hands, and closed her eyes.
Then Shuqi cleaned the broken pieces on the floor quickly.
“Tell Prince Zhou about Shao Wanru’s situation!” Shao Yanru closed her eyes and said after a long while. She couldn’t allow Prince Yue and Shao Wanru to go on like this. Although Chu Liuyue had covered his feelings quite well, she had seen them!
She had to be the spoiler. Chu Liuxin was not strong enough, so she had to find someone else who was Chu Liuyue’s rival. No one was better than Chu Liuzhou.
“What should I tell Prince Zhou? Miss, your own business…” Shuqi stopped and gingerly explained.
In fact, Shao Yanru had not given up Chu Liuzhou while keeping a relations.h.i.+p with Chu Liuyue. Of course, Chu Liuyue was more likely to win, but Chu Liuzhou, son of the empress, also had a big chance.
Shao Yanru frowned deeply at these words. She was really unwilling to give up, and she appreciated the two of them, so she could never leave them to Shao Wanru.
“Try to learn about Prince Chen’s affairs!” After thinking for a while, she thought of another person.
She didn’t want Chu Liuyue or Chu Liuzhou to marry Shao Wanru. If someone should take her, it was Prince Chen, who was the most suitable one. A dying patient was the most suitable husband for her.
He was a powerless person in a high position, and he spent every day like it was the end of his life. He was likely to die before Shao Wanru was married to him, but Empress Dowager loved Prince Chen so much. Even if he died, Shao Wanru would have to marry him and be his widow.
And there was another benefit. Once Shao Wanru became Chu Liuchen’s woman, neither Chu Liuyue nor Chu Liuzhou could think about her. Even if they had some thoughts, they would have to do everything in the dark. Thus, Shao Wanru would never have the chance to stand by them aboveboard.
After all, they were Chu Liuchen’s brothers.
“I’ll do it, but I may not be able to find anything!” Shuqi nodded and took the order. After she finished the work that she was doing, she went out carefully.
Coincidentally, the little eunuch who delivered the dinner arrived. He came to Shao Yanru’s place first and put down the food box, ready to leave with a smile, but Shuqi stopped him and gave him a pouch of money that weighed heavy.
“Prince Chen and our Fifth Miss know each other. Just now, Fifth Miss was still asking about Prince Chen. Prince Yue and Prince Xin were all here. Why didn’t Prince Chen come? I heard that this place is very close to the side door of Prince Chen’s Mansion. Where is it?”
Shao Yanru had told Shuqi a few things. Now Shuqi behaved like she was very familiar with Prince Chen’s Mansion. This matched her claim perfectly well that Shao Wanru and Chu Liuchen knew each other.
“Prince Chen will not come here. He is not healthy, but he is sure to visit one place. It is said that he takes a rest there from time to time!”
The little eunuch thought for a while and found that there was no one around, and then he whispered in Shuqi’s ear.
This was no secret. The place where Prince Chen rested was not far from the gate of the Chuxiu Palace. The eunuch often got in and out of the palace, so he knew it. “There is indeed a door in Prince Chen’s Mansion that is connected to the palace. It is not far from here, but it is guarded. No one is allowed to enter without permission!”