Happy Spring Every Year

Chapter 157 Both sides suffer losses

Earlier.

Inside the women's changing room.

"My lady, you are really kindhearted. Look, it's all wet."

"Mammy, don't say so much. Just change your clothes when they get wet."

After lunch, the Crown Princess, the Empresses, the Princesses, and the wives of the ministers sat and chatted in the Qingya Palace.

One of the palace maids was clumsy and accidentally spilled some tea while serving, soaking the clothes of Princess Pei Shiyin of Xiang. Now she came to change clothes with the nanny.

The two were in the inner hall.

The nanny was helping Pei Shiyin take off her coat when suddenly there was a noise coming from the window not far away.

"Ning'er, what do you want in exchange for your forgiveness?"

It sounded like a clear female voice.

Pei Shiyin didn't care at first, until a slightly spoiled voice sounded:

"You saw it in the Imperial Garden. I have feelings for Jiang Xun."

"Although my Khan refused to agree, I kept trying to persuade him, and I saw that my Khan was wavering."

"But what about you? I treat you as a good friend, and you turn around and discuss marriage with Jiang Xun?"

"If you two are in love with each other, then I, Tuoba Ning, am not unreasonable. Tell me the truth. I might be unhappy for a while, but I can't break up a couple."

"But you didn't consider me at all. You agreed to the marriage so quickly without any regard for my feelings!"

"Do you know what others are saying about me now? They say I'm not as good as you, Shen Jiasui!"

"I am the princess of Yue State. Even if I enter the capital, I will still be a dignified princess. How can I swallow this?"

The voice sounded very familiar, and it was not difficult to tell from the words that the people outside the window were Princess An Ning and Miss Shen.

Pei Shiyin had also heard about the grudge between the two of them. Seeing them arguing, although she had no intention of eavesdropping, it was not a good idea for her to speak out rashly.

"Mammy, hurry up."

Pei Shiyin made a hushing gesture, signaling the nanny to get another set of clothes that had been prepared.

While the nanny was busy, Pei Shiyin couldn't help but recall the scene of meeting Lu Yunzheng by chance on the day of the welcoming banquet in the plum forest.

At that time, Lu Yunzheng said that Jiang Xun's favorite person was Miss Shen, and now it seems to be true.

Naturally, she didn't have a good impression of Lu Yunzheng, not to mention that he had broken his promise and secretly made things with others.

Even his impulsive behavior at the welcoming banquet revealed his poor character.

Moreover, she always felt that their encounter in the wintersweet forest that night was too coincidental, and it seemed as if Lu Yunzheng was eager to show his loyalty to the prince.

I don't know if the prince went to look for Lu Yunzheng later...

Thinking of this, Pei Shiyin couldn't help but look gloomy.

The prince never let her know what he did, and she could only tell from her mother's several fits of rage that the prince had probably done something bad.

Why do we have to fight? It’s obvious that the prince...has no chance of winning.

Pei Shiyin was daydreaming when Shen Jiasui's voice continued to come from outside:

"Ning'er, I was indeed careless in this matter. I apologize to you."

"Just tell me what it will take for me to forgive you. I will do everything I can to help you."

"Look, the two of us, along with Huaizhen, have similar interests and personalities. Let's not let this incident ruin our relationship, okay?"

.......

"Hmph, if Huai Zhen hadn't interceded for you several times, why do you think I would be willing to see you today?"

"Sincerity for sincerity, Huaizhen is sincere to you and me, and I am sincere to you and Huaizhen. Only you are not sincere in your words and deeds!"

"I still can't swallow this breath, let's just call it quits!"

Inside the palace, the nanny was already helping Pei Shiyin change into new clothes. Upon hearing this, she lowered her voice and laughed:

"My Lady, this Princess An Ning is a person of true character."

Pei Shiyin couldn't help but curl her lips. She had met Tuoba Ning many times and she was indeed a lively and innocent girl.

"Ning'er! Don't—"

"Princess! Miss Shen! Something bad has happened!"

A hurried cry came from far away, interrupting Shen Jiasui's words.

Pei Shiyin and the nanny in the hall instinctively stopped what they were doing and listened subconsciously when they heard such panicked sounds.

"Why are you so flustered? What's wrong?" Princess An Ning scolded in a low voice.

"Hey, Princess, isn't this Huaizhen's personal maid?"

At this moment, the panicked voice had already approached, and it was actually crying, "Princess, Miss Shen, it's bad! Something happened to my princess!"

"What happened to Huaizhen?"

Tuoba Ning and Shen Jiasui spoke almost at the same time, their voices rising much higher.

The maid shook her head again and again, "No! It's not the princess who's in trouble, it's the Crown Prince and Prince Xiang!"

As soon as the words fell, Pei Shiyin and the nanny in the hall were shocked.

"Mammy, did that maid just mention the prince?"

Pei Shiyin widened her eyes, looking terrified.

The nanny was about to comfort her when she heard Princess An Ning urging her from outside the window, "What's going on? Tell me quickly!"

The maid took a breath and sobbed, "Just now, this servant accompanied the princess to look for Princess Ning and Miss Shen. On the way, someone suddenly came hurriedly, saying that something big had happened in Qingle Palace."

"The princess hurriedly asked, and it turned out that...it was the Crown Prince who suddenly pointed out Prince Xiang at the banquet for some unknown reason."

"They say...they say Prince Xiang was the culprit who murdered the Crown Princess at the flower viewing banquet!"

"And for some reason, Prince Xiang forced the Crown Prince to do many bad things."

"Now that the evidence is solid and the charges have been determined, His Majesty is furious. I heard that there are cries of fighting and killing in the palace. Both the Crown Prince and Prince Xiang are going to suffer!"

"The princess ran over crying, saying she wanted to plead for the prince. Now I don't know what's going on—"

"It happened!"

Shen Jiasui and Tuoba Ning cried out at the same time, and they ran away in a hurry without caring about their personal grudges.

"Come on, let's go take a look too!"

It suddenly became quiet outside the window.

Pei Shiyin stood there in a daze, her face pale.

"Miss!"

The nanny was really scared and called out in a panic.

Pei Shiyin was shaken and finally came to her senses at this moment. She said in a trembling voice:

"Mammy, come on, let's go and take a look! The prince... the prince..."

The nanny didn't dare to delay and hurriedly helped Pei Shiyin out.

Pei Shiyin took just one step when she staggered and her legs went weak, almost falling down.

Fortunately, the nanny was quick to help her.

Pei Shiyin's eyes instantly turned red, and she murmured, "Quick! Quick!"

Pei Shiyin hurried along the way, relying only on the breath in her chest, tears constantly welling up in her eyes.

The bad premonition I had in my heart for these days finally came true.

She had originally thought that the worst that could happen was that she would no longer have any hope of competing for that position, but she had not expected it to come to a point where people would shout and kill each other.

No, she can't live without A Xiang, Ling'er can't live without her father!

Pei Shiyin stumbled, her heart filled with anxiety. At this moment, the nanny beside her was also frightened and pale. She couldn't help but tremble and said, "Your Majesty, the prince is such a good man, he must have been wronged."

"Prince Zhao must have committed perjury, otherwise where would the conclusive evidence come from?"

When Pei Shiyin heard this, she stopped abruptly.

The nanny was almost falling down. When she turned around, she saw that Pei Shiyin's face was pale and even the last bit of blood on her lips had faded away.

Mammy panicked, "Madam?"

Pei Shiyin started shaking all over because she suddenly figured out something.

Why did the mother, who had always been gentle and kind, suddenly change her temperament and get angry with A Xiang several times?

She knew that something went wrong at the flower viewing banquet at Prince Rong's mansion. After all, Ah Xiang was drugged, and she couldn't hide this from him.

But she always believed that her second brother was the culprit, and A Xiang and the Crown Princess were innocent victims.

She remembered that day when even the young Ye'er was harmed. Ah Xiang obviously loved Ye'er so much, didn't she?

The late queen was very kind to my mother. My mother often mentioned this kindness. Even though the late queen has passed away for more than ten years, she still dares not forget it.

Now it seems that my mother must have discovered long ago that A Xiang had attacked the Crown Princess and Ye'er, which is why she was so angry and extremely disappointed with A Xiang.

But as a mother, which one would be willing to expose her own son and push the child to death with her own hands?

On one side is gratitude, on the other side is family affection. I'm afraid my mother must be suffering in her heart, which is why she has become so moody, more and more withdrawn, and often angry.

Thinking of this, Pei Shiyin could no longer hold back her tears.

Her Ah Xiang was obviously so gentle, how could he...how could he throw away his conscience and be so cruel just for that position!

What made her most embarrassed was that she went to comfort the Crown Princess afterwards.

The Crown Princess sat on the couch, her face pale. She held her hand so gently, and thanked her with tears in her eyes...

Thinking of this, Pei Shiyin almost collapsed.

The Qingle Palace was finally within sight. She hurried towards it and knelt down at the entrance, exhausted, shouting:

"Your son requests to see the emperor!"