Chapter 184 Deliberate Threatening
Having seen Leng Suxin suddenly showed up, Princess Ning even felt so surprised.
At the center of the feast, Leng Suxin, who used to look so offish, now gave a decent salute to Emperor Zhaoxuan and Imperial Concubine Yun, “It’s my great honor to be here, Your Majesty and Your Highness.” And then she nodded towards Murong Feng, “Nice to meet you, young master Murong.”
Murong Feng felt a little bit surprised by his wider eyes. He just nodded and praised, “I have heard that there is a Forth Miss in Prince Ning’s Mansion, but to my surprise, you are so versatile.”
Leng Suxin always stayed in the mansion and had never gone out, but Murong Feng should investigate the information about Leng Suxin so clearly. Qin Yunuan praised in her heart that Murong Feng mastered a powerful intelligence system.
When people here all praised the charming dance and melodious song of Leng Suxin, Imperial Concubine Yun suddenly sneered, “Though the Fourth Miss from Leng Family shows her excellence, I remember that she is not in the member list of the feast. And just now, the emperor invited Xiao Fengxian. It seems that you have replaced her. How dare you did it so unscrupulously?”
The harmonious phenomenon suddenly turned to be cold. Emperor Zhaoxuan frowned and looked at Imperial Concubine Yun. Compared with the previous Empress Chen, Imperial Concubine Yun was too childish. She always thought for herself and wanted everybody here to know that her niece had attended this feast too, who tried to be an imperial n.o.ble lady.
“Yes. The Fourth Miss from Leng Family is not in the member list,” Qin Yunuan stood up and explained for Leng Suxin, “I think none of you know that the Fourth Miss is the only disciple of the First Dancer Xiao Fengxian in Qi. Today Xiao Fengxian felt not well so that her disciple danced instead of herself. This case happened before, so it is not unruly.”
Qin Yunuan’s explanation praised Leng Suxin. And then somebody added, “The Fourth Miss from Leng Family is the disciple of Xiao Fengxian. It was no wonder that she performed so elegant and natural.”
Murong Feng then said, “the beautiful and talented Fourth Miss from Leng Family and our Fourth Prince are perfectly matched.” It seemed that he thought Leng Suxin would be a member of the royal family. Emperor Zhaoxuan nodded. No matter which maiden Murong Feng chose, she would marry for the imperial matrimony for peace with Qi. Emperor Zhaoxuan once wanted Infanta Zhaojing to marry with Murong Feng, but her mother Princess Jing refused determinedly. If Murong Feng chose another maiden, this thing would be easily solved.
The words of Murong Feng displeased Imperial Concubine Yun. She sat sidling and grumbled, “Take it easy, Young Master Murong. There is another honorable and n.o.ble infanta who has not come yet.”
What she said was the late Infanta Zhaojing.
“Zhaojing felt not well today,” Princess Jing, who sat silently, said suddenly, “So, she won’t come here.”
When Infanta Zhaojing was born, her mother Princess Jing had been educating her in their mansion, and seldom attended the feasts held in the Royal Palace. What Qin Yunuan had heard about Princess Jing was true. Today, she appeared with her dark and thick eyebrows and determined eyes. Though she wore a luxurious dress, her slim waist and muscled arms showed her previous marital life. She was an excellent and formidable lady.
“Feel not well?” Emperor Zhaoxuan had not a close family affection to his half-blooded younger sister, and he just respected her, “I saw her yesterday, and she was fine.”
Princess Jing just sipped the fruit wine calmly, “She caught a cold last night.”
It was just an excuse that she did not want her lovely daughter to have a distant marriage.
But at this moment, the eunuch outside the palace suddenly reported in a high voice, “Infanta Zhaojing comes.”
Qin Yunuan frowned. She glimpsed that the wine cup held by Princess Jing almost fell. Princess Jing had told Princess Zhaojing for many times in the morning that Zhaojing should stay at the mansion. She would choose a son-in-law better than the Fourth Prince of West Xia. Princess Zhaojing was too stubborn.
“I am glad to be here, my emperor and Imperial Concubine Yun.” Infanta Zhaojing had an oval face, and her eyebrows and eyes looked like Princess Jing very much. Compared with Princess Jing, Zhaojing had less heroic spirit but more delicacy. She walked into the palace with her skirt’s hemline hanging down, like a blooming small lily flower in the spring wind.
“Jing, who let you come here?” Princess Jing reproached, “You felt not well, so you should stay at the mansion.”
Infanta Zhaojing pouted, “I am OK now. And I won’t tolerate such a deceptive girl goes off with my brother Yuanchu.”
And then Infanta Zhaojing pointed at Leng Suxin, who stood at the center of the feast. She had met with Jing Yuanchu, the Fourth Prince of West Xia, three years ago. At that moment, she fell in love with this handsome and elegant Fourth Prince and missed him for three years. When she heard that the envoys from West Xia came to seek a wife for their Fourth Prince, and the emperor planned to choose her, she felt extremely delighted. But to her surprise, her tyrannic mother broke her sweet dream.
“Jing, I refuse to let you become a hostage concubine in West Xia alone.”
Infanta Zhaojing did not understand. It would be a great happy thing to marry her brother Yuanchu. Why would she become a hostage?
Facing the reproaching of Infanta Zhaojing, Leng Suxin was very calm and indifferent, “Infanta, I am confused. I don’t know you, so why do you insult me?”
Infanta Zhaojing distracted her squinting eyes on the feast. In a flash, Qin Yunuan felt burning eyes were looking at her. She just raised her head and heard that Infanta Zhaojing cursed her, “Why do I insult you? It’s easy. Because you act in collusion with this malicious woman, she is your biggest accomplice. Leng Suxin, you are such an ugly woman who wears a mask made of human skin. You have no quality to attend the feast, marry to West Xia and become the prince’s wife of brother Yuanchu.”
And then she rushed at Leng Suxin straightly. Princess Jing could not stop her.
“Leng Shuang.” Qin Yunuan shouted. And then Leng Shuang quickly appeared in front of Leng Suxin, and she used her hands to protect Leng Suxin.
“Zhaojing, the envoys are here. How dare you act so unscrupulously.” Even Emperor Zhaoxuan could not tolerate her.
Infanta Zhaojing did not withdraw but stared at Leng Shuang, “See. You have a master-hand around you. Qin Yunuan, you are so mysterious. I thought you were just an impotent daughter of a concubine in the Mansion of Grand Commandant, so I did not believe what sister Shuhua said. Now I know it was you that hurt sister Shuhua.”
Infanta Shuhua? Qin Yunuan forgot this person. She just remembered that the Queen Mother once wanted Infanta Shuhua to marry Leng Changxi. Qin Yunuan had not met her any longer since they met in the feast last time.
“Infanta Zhaojing, you must understand me.” Qin Yunuan stood up and looked at the angry Infanta Zhaojing. Infanta Zhaojing and Infanta Shuhua were both in the same age and rank and grew up together. It was OK that Infanta Zhaojing vented her anger for Infanta Shuhua, but Qin Yunuan should not be the scapegoat easily.
“Humph, how dare you ask this question?” Infanta Zhaojing said confidently, “You are such a malicious woman. You knew that sister Shuhua loved General Leng, and the Queen Mother granted their marriage, but you intervened and looted the husband of sister Shuhua. And you dispatched people to play scary tricks in her palace, so she could not sleep well at night. She did each thing wrong, and even the Queen Mother, who always loved her, now refuses to meet her. She gets abandoned, and all blame to you.”
“Play scary tricks?” Qin Yunuan asked, “You said that I looted the husband of Infanta Shuhua, but why should I play those tricks, which could expose my plot? And, what’s more, the Queen Mother just had the plan to grant their marriage, but she did not issue the imperial edict. Their marriage had not been finalized.”
“All in all, it’s you!” Infanta Zhaojing refused to withdraw stubbornly.
“Jing, come back.” Princess Jing got panic. She had been stopping her daughter from getting involved in the plots and struggles in this Royal Palace. But now she was worried that others utilized her daughter, so her daughter dared to do that in the feast.
“Mother, no!” Infanta Zhaojing said very determinedly, “Today I want to revenge for sister Shuhua. Qin Yunuan, you said I framed you, but I have evidence. The evidence is on the face of Leng Suxin.”
Leng Suxin suddenly got nervous, and her face felt painful immediately. She was desperate and downhearted because she knew what happened on her face clearly.
Qin Yunuan said nothing, but Infanta Zhaojing said reasonably, “Sister Shuhua had some disputes with Empress Chen. Shortly after Empress Chen died, she said she saw the ghost of Empress Chen come to hurt her. She believed that she could see clearly the face of Empress Chen, like a dead body. And then she could not sleep well. She mentioned that thing to the Queen Mother, but it irritated the Queen Mother. Finally, she was abandoned.”
“So?” Qin Yunuan sneered, “Ghost came to hurt her? Is it related to me? And Empress Chen suicided so there was no need for her ghost to revenge anybody.” The last sentence was to comfort Emperor Zhaoxuan. If she wanted to revenge, Empress Chen should find Sima Ray.
“I know you will deny,” Infanta Zhaojing raised her head, “I have dispatched many high-master people of my mansion to protect my sister Shuhua. One night, they saw a lady in a luxurious dress played light skills above the eave. After she frightened sister Shuhua, she went to a remote place to take off her luxurious dress and skin mask. The woman is the maidservant aside you who can play martial arts.”
Infanta Zhaojing pointed at Leng Shuang, and then all people were staring at the high-skilled Leng Shuang.