Lin Yanxi suddenly thought of the time in the forest when she accidentally kissed Shen Muzhou and was then held by him. Although she was mistaken for Jing Xin, she still felt strange.
What if a misunderstanding arose, and the real person came looking for trouble, and that damned god insisted on saying something like spending the night together!
She stammered, "How... how did you know?"
Jing Xin saw her wariness and said softly, "Don't be afraid. I grew up with the Ninth Prince, and our bond is different, so he tells me everything."
As Jing Xin spoke, she secretly observed Lin Yanxi's expression. Fortunately, Lin Yanxi showed no unusual signs on her face.
Lin Yanxi's worried heart settled down, and she frankly said, "Yes and no. I did return with that damned... Ninth Prince, but he didn't save me; I saved him."
Jing Xin seemed amused. "I see. Then I must thank the Second Miss for saving Muzhou. Since you have his favor, you have mine as well. If you ever need anything from this county princess, just ask, and I will not refuse."
As she smiled, the long pearl ornaments on her dark hair swayed gently, shining with her gaze.
Lin Yanxi could understand why Shen Muzhou, who always kept people at a distance, would like Jing Xin. Such a gentle and beautiful woman was hard not to be moved by.
Jing Xin's willingness to repay Shen Muzhou's favor indicated that her relationship with him was indeed special.
Lin Yanxi's eyes brightened, as if she had found a lifesaver, and she eagerly asked, "Really? I have a request for Princess Chaoyang right now."
"Oh? What is your plea? Tell me about it."
"Can you... escort me out of the palace?"
She had argued with the Third Princess and pushed her into the lotus pond, yet Jing Xin didn't blame her like others might. Instead of questioning her entanglement with royalty, she asked if she was hurt.
In her past life, she had suffered much, but no one had ever cared about her pain.
Therefore, she inexplicably believed that Princess Chaoyang would help her.
Jing Xin looked confused. "You... you don't want to... with the Crown Prince..."
She paused for a few seconds and then smiled faintly. "I will help you."
A brilliant smile lit up Lin Yanxi's bright eyes. "Really? I knew you would help me!"
Jing Xin's gaze flickered with complexity for a moment, unnoticed by anyone. She said softly, "I'll find someone to prepare a carriage for you at the side gate. You just need to follow this path; it's not far to the West Side Gate."
Lin Yanxi had been to the West Side Gate in her previous life. She remembered that this was the way to go, and it matched what Jing Xin said.
It seemed Jing Xin was truly willing to help her. Thinking this, she quickened her pace.
As Lin Yanxi's figure gradually receded, her personal maid, holding an umbrella, stepped forward and asked, "Do we really have to send her out of the palace?"
Jing Xin glared at the maid. "Go inform the Crown Prince first, and then prepare the carriage. Oh, and publicize the incident where she pushed the Third Princess into the lotus pond today. Exaggerate it a bit."
She let out a cold laugh. The carriage was prepared, but would she really be able to leave?
Shen Huajun cared most about his reputation. The incident of him falling into the water had caused quite a stir, and he would not easily let Lin Yanxi off the hook.
Jing Xin could deceive others, but not herself. She had been by Shen Muzhou's side for years, but he had always treated her with cold indifference. However, he treated others the same way. Such a man would never inexplicably escort a woman back to the city.
Furthermore, scouts had reported that Shen Muzhou had specifically emphasized spending the night together at the Grand Tutor's mansion.
Given Lin Yanxi's beauty, if she were to help Lin Yanxi escape this engagement, not only would she offend the Crown Prince, but she would also get involved with Shen Muzhou. She wouldn't do such a good deed.
Lin Yanxi slipped along the small path to the West Side Gate, nervously pressing herself against the wall, listening intently for any movement outside.
Before long, the sound of hooves and carriage wheels on the ground could be heard. A delicate carriage appeared on the other side of the gate.
Here it comes! This is the taste of freedom!
The moment she saw the carriage, she had already planned what she would do after escaping the engagement: first, she would reclaim the right to manage the household from her stepsister and her concubine mother, then take the family's money and find a good place to buy some shops and land.
She looked at the Southern Min imperial palace with a hint of melancholy. Ten years later, Southern Min would be massacred, and the palace would no longer have the present prosperity and luxury, but be filled with the stench of decay and blood.
However, by then, she would have already taken her whole family far away from the troubles of Southern Min, living a peaceful life.
Her face lit up with joy, feeling that even the air had become sweeter. She nimbly lifted her skirt and was about to walk out the gate when a pair of large hands pressed down on her shoulders.
Shen Qingyun's voice, like a lingering demon, rang out, "Sister Yanxi, where are you going?"
Sister Yanxi, Sister Yanxi!
She gritted her teeth, her voice tinged with anger, "I'm just taking a stroll."
"Strolling to the West Side Gate?"
"Yes. Don't you have important matters to attend to? Go busy yourself; you don't need to mind me."
Shen Qingyun smiled warmly. "I've finished my business. If you want to stroll, I'll accompany you. The palace has many rules and many forbidden areas. It wouldn't be good if Sister Yanxi accidentally trespassed."
The sound of hooves echoed again, and the carriage waiting outside the gate turned back the way it came. Watching it disappear into the distance, her heart sank to the bottom.
She gritted her teeth and said, "No need, I'm tired."
"Then the Hairpin and Brooch Convention is about to begin. Let's go back quickly. I've already informed the Empress that you've recovered your senses, and she's very pleased."
Lin Yanxi forced a smile and said no more, following him with her head down.
She walked slowly, but Shen Qingyun didn't rush her. He had set a bigger trap, so why be in a hurry?
The Empress had arranged this marriage for Shen Qingyun when Lin Yanxi was just born. The Emperor had verbally agreed to it. Securing this marriage meant gaining the Grand Tutor's support.
The Grand Tutor had often plotted for Shen Qingyun to secure his position as Crown Prince. Relying on his status as a mentor, he had restricted Shen Qingyun in various ways, saying "this is not possible" or "that matter must wait." Shen Qingyun was willing to marry that foolish Lin Yanxi, yet the Grand Tutor kept delaying.
However, he had his own methods. The jade hairpin today was cursed. Once Lin Yanxi accepted it, the curse would be triggered, bringing down heavenly lightning. At that time, the Imperial Astronomer would deduce that Lin Yanxi's fate was a disaster, threatening Southern Min's fortune. Only the Crown Prince's dragon destiny could counteract it.
He clenched the wooden box containing the hairpin and brooch, a sinister smile playing on his lips, as if he could already see the Grand Tutor exhausting his family fortune to protect his daughter, only to be manipulated by him.
In the Imperial Garden, everyone was seated. When Lin Yanxi appeared, the lively atmosphere paused for a moment, then became even more boisterous, with people whispering about her.
"Did you hear? She's no longer a fool. They say the first thing she did after recovering her senses was push the Third Princess into the lotus pond."
"Hahaha, no wonder the Third Princess still smells bad."
"Is that her? The one engaged to the Crown Prince? And she was a fool?"
Amidst the various criticisms, Lin Yanxi sat at the very end of the seating arrangement. When she glanced at Jing Xin, who was seated at the front, she was drinking and chatting with the Empress, her gaze never landing on her.
However, Shen Huajun slammed his palm on the carved square table, causing his wine cup to fall to the ground. Just as he was about to erupt in anger, the Empress shot him a glare, and he had to force himself to swallow his fury.
The Grand Eunuch beside the Empress, seeing that everyone was present, said in a high-pitched voice, "Welcome everyone to be seated. The Hairpin and Brooch Convention begins now, Your Majesty."
The Empress, seated on the high throne, spoke slowly, "Today, there are two happy occasions at the Hairpin and Brooch Convention. Firstly, the Grand Tutor's legitimate daughter, Miss Lin Yanxi, has recovered her mental faculties. I am truly pleased."
"Secondly, according to custom, eligible unmarried young gentlemen at the Hairpin and Brooch Convention may present hairpins to women they admire. If a woman accepts a hairpin, it signifies mutual affection, and I will grant them a marriage. Lin Yanxi, come sit beside me."
Jing Xin smiled and moved her seat over. Lin Yanxi bowed and sat down.
While the Empress was talking to others, Jing Xin leaned close to Lin Yanxi and whispered, "Sister, did you miss the carriage? That shouldn't be. I specifically instructed the young eunuch in charge of the horses to wait for you before leaving."
Lin Yanxi couldn't care about etiquette anymore and slumped onto Jing Xin's shoulder, on the verge of tears. "The carriage came, alas, it's a long story."
She had known that the Crown Prince had many informants in the palace, but she hadn't expected them to be so timely.
The Empress suddenly turned her head and asked, "What? Has that blockhead from this year not arrived yet?"
Jing Xin covered her mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled softly. "The Ninth Prince's heart is with Southern Min. As long as there is war, he will be conquering far and wide. He doesn't want me to live a life of constant fear by his side, so he asked me to wait for him. I understand his ambitions as a man and am not in a hurry."
Lin Yanxi thought that since she couldn't leave, she might as well fill her stomach first. As she was chewing a piece of pear blossom cake, she heard their affectionate conversation, and the pear blossom cake in her mouth suddenly tasted less flavorful and uncomfortable.
She clearly remembered when she had decided not to save Shen Muzhou in the forest and left him behind, his deep, suppressed voice told her to walk towards the moon to get out of the forest.
This showed that Shen Muzhou wasn't that bad.
"Mother, your son also has a jade hairpin to present to his beloved," Shen Qingyun's voice made everyone quiet down again.
Hearing his voice, Lin Yanxi choked on her cake and coughed violently, taking a large gulp of tea before she felt better.
Shen Qingyun stood on the platform in the center, looking at Lin Yanxi with a gentle gaze, signaling her to come up. For a moment, all eyes were on her.
Seeing that Lin Yanxi hadn't moved for a long time, the Empress said, "Lin Yanxi, you are coming of age this year, and it's time to finalize your marriage. Go."
She reluctantly stood up and walked onto the platform.
If she accepted this hairpin today and received the Empress's decree, how could she break off the engagement later? She glanced around at the people seated.
Jing Xin lowered her eyes and ate the sweet soup in her bowl.
Besides Jing Xin, the only person she knew was Emperor's Consort Yu, who was Lin Yanxi's aunt.
In her previous life, Lin Yanxi had been beaten so badly in the Eastern Palace that she was covered in injuries. Consort Yu happened to see it. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she did not intervene, and even helped the Crown Prince conceal the matter.
She understood her aunt's difficult position, but if even her aunt in the palace wouldn't help her, who else would be willing to offend the Empress and the Crown Prince to help her?
Shen Qingyun opened the wooden box. Inside was a beautiful white jade hairpin, delicate and lustrous all over, with exquisite carving.
This is not right!
Lin Yanxi instinctively took half a step back, looking at the Crown Prince in horror. Why was this hairpin imbued with a curse?
Was this curse directed at her or at the Crown Prince?