NOVEL NEXT Chapter 122 - 122 Serial Design
Chapter 122: Chapter 122 Serial Design
Two days quickly passed by.
Today was the day of the palace banquet.
Although the banquet was set in the evening, the ladies needed to enter the palace early to speak with the Empress Dowager. For this reason, a tea party was set up in the Imperial Garden.
Leng Yu Yan did not want to go.
However, the palace sent a nanny to invite her, saying that even if she wasn’t the Crown Princess Consort, she was still the legitimate daughter of the Leng Family and should, like all the noble ladies, enter the palace early.
They wanted her to come over only to ridicule her verbally and make comparisons between her and Zheng Liqi to see who was more suitable to be the Crown Princess Consort.
“I originally thought the Eastern Palace was near the Imperial Palace,” Leng Yu Yan said with a faint smile. “I’ll be on my way then. It was indeed impolite of me to trouble the nanny to come here.”
Hearing this, the nanny finally left satisfied.
In front of the dressing table, Leng Yu Yan looked at the veil and tassel curtains, ultimately choosing the veil.
Inevitable deceit and manipulation filled the palace banquet, and wearing a veil would better hide her expressions and thoughts.
After preparing herself, Leng Yu Yan set out, passing by the Crown Prince’s bedroom. She felt it would be better to inform a certain person, so she went over.
Strangely, that person was nowhere to be seen.
If he chose not to appear, then so be it, Leng Yu Yan gathered her veil and said to Song Guo, “Then I’ll head to the palace first. Please explain to His Highness on my behalf.”
Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝᴑνǤο.сο
Song Guo respectfully nodded, “Certainly, Miss, please proceed with care!”
Watching Leng Yu Yan walk away, Song Guo hurried into the bedroom.
“Your Highness, the Miss came to look for you. Why did you not see her?”
Ye Yiheng pinched the bridge of his nose, his expression cold, “I’m practically blind; what difference does it make to see her or not?”
Song Guo was rendered speechless by his remark.
Ye Yiheng turned away indifferently; in truth, he preferred to avoid that woman whenever possible.
Only by not coming into contact with her would the restless energy within him not rise, hence preventing the onset of his cold disease.
Upon Leng Yu Yan’s arrival at the Imperial Palace, two palace maids immediately came to lead the way.
The trio headed toward the Imperial Garden, and on their path, they crossed a small wooden arch bridge where a palanquin approached from the opposite side.
One of the maids explained to Leng Yu Yan that the one sitting on the palanquin was Beauty Wang, now the most favored.
Given the situation, Leng Yu Yan stepped aside.
Just as Beauty Wang’s entourage reached where Leng Yu Yan stood, the palanquin swayed and tilted toward the lake.
Seeing this, Leng Yu Yan reached out a hand to steady it, causing the palanquin to sway back towards her.
One of the palace maids by Beauty Wang shouted angrily, “How dare you! Are you trying to harm Beauty Wang?”
At that moment, one of the guiding palace maids pretended to assist Leng Yu Yan but instead gripped a dagger, aiming straight for Leng Yu Yan’s chest!
In an instant, the arch bridge was thrown into chaos.
Leng Yu Yan curled her lips into a smile.
Watching the knife tip glistening silver in the sunlight, she leaned back and with a splash, fell into the water.
Beauty Wang was terrified, her face drained of color, “Someone, come quickly, save her!”
Leng Yu Yan slowly sank beneath the water.
The two guiding palace maids instantly disappeared into the crowd.
Over at the tea party in the Imperial Garden,
Lai Manting received the news and smiled at Consort Xian, “Aunt, it’s done!”
Consort Xian nodded subtly and whispered, “Wait a while longer, then strike at the scene!”
The lakeside was in utter disorder.
Many palace maids and eunuchs crowded around to watch the excitement.
As everyone saw Leng Yu Yan sink to the bottom without resurfacing, Beauty Wang was absolutely petrified.
Underwater, Leng Yu Yan remained utterly calm.
Although she couldn’t swim, her ability to hold her breath was remarkable. If no one rescued her, she could only use the force at the bottom of the water to leap upwards, but that would expose her skills.
The water was unnaturally quiet, and her thoughts became clearer and clearer.
Had she not held onto the handrail earlier, Beauty Wang would have fallen into the water, and the palace maids would have accused her of murder. With the Emperor’s fondness for Beauty Wang, she would have had no defense and would have faced a certain death.
By grabbing the handrail, she hadn’t had time to let go when the palace maid’s dagger would have pierced her heart, leaving her equally dead.
To survive, there was only one path: falling into the water.
Soon after, a nanny skilled in water rescue arrived and pulled Leng Yu Yan from the water.
Leng Yu Yan adjusted her drenched veil and looked around at the crowd; the two palace maids who had been leading the way were nowhere to be seen.
At this moment, one of Beauty Wang’s palace maids approached: “Thank you, Miss Lai, for saving our mistress. Your clothes are thoroughly wet, please follow me to change.”
Another palace maid by Beauty Wang’s side concurred, “Yes, if you wait any longer, you’ll catch a cold.”
Leng Yu Yan looked over at Beauty Wang, who was clutching a handkerchief with a worried expression. Seeing her appear genuinely concerned, Leng Yu Yan nodded in agreement.
Following the two palace maids, Leng Yu Yan entered a quiet palace.
As soon as she stepped into the room, she caught a whiff of an unusual fragrance.
She quickly held her breath and turned around in shock to find two palace maids swinging wooden clubs viciously at her head.
Leng Yu Yan leaned back and swept her leg out.
The two palace maids fell to the ground with a thud.
In an instant, the two palace maids had fallen unconscious due to the strange fragrance.
It was then that she noticed a figure moving behind the screen on the bed, and upon closer inspection, she found two men also unconscious.
Leng Yu Yan’s brow twisted; those palace maids on the little bridge truly wanted her life.
If she wanted to escape, the only way out was through the water.
After falling into the water, she would need to change her clothes. While changing, they would knock her unconscious and arrange for two men to ruin her chastity – another dead-end.
She was being ensnared, trap after trap – but who was behind it all?
Suddenly, the strange scent in the room began to fade.
Leng Yu Yan looked up to realize that the hallucinogens had burned out and the aphrodisiacs were about to take effect.
She couldn’t stay here for long and quietly left.
But her clothes were soaked; she couldn’t wander around the Imperial Palace like this. Glancing around, the nearest place was the Ninth Princess’s Xingning Palace.
Without time to think, she tiptoed and leaped into the Xingning Palace.
Hearing the noise, the palace maids skilled in martial arts who were with the Ninth Princess immediately surrounded Leng Yu Yan.
The spring breeze was cool, and her clothes were drenched; she unexpectedly sneezed.
Leng Yu Yan, what wind has blown you here?” The Ninth Princess sat in her wheelchair, casually observing her, “I heard you fell into the water earlier and thought it was just a rumor, but I see now it’s true.”
Feeling colder, Leng Yu Yan folded her arms around herself: “Ninth Princess, someone tried to kill me just now. If you could lend me some dry clothes to change into, I will be sure to repay you another day!”
A palace maid said, “Nonsense, who would try to harm you within the Imperial Palace?”
Leng Yu Yan calmly replied, “The Ninth Princess can judge for herself. There’s no need for a palace maid to speak on her behalf.”
The Ninth Princess, accustomed to deceit since childhood, smiled coolly, “Is it not just a set of dry clothes? I have plenty!”
Seeing her shapely figure, she reasoned that her own clothes would fit perfectly.
She thought to herself that having been unable to stand for many years, seeing her clothes on Leng Yu Yan might be of some consolation.
“Someone, fetch Miss Lai a set of clothes and also find her a veil.”
Immediately someone responded affirmatively.
Leng Yu Yan changed alone into dry clothes, but when she went to put on the veil, the patches on her face peeled off with a snap.
It seemed the soaking in the water was responsible. Leng Yu Yan sighed and tucked the patches into her sleeve pocket.
After leaving the room and approaching the Ninth Princess, Leng Yu Yan curtsied, “Thank you, Your Highness!”
The Ninth Princess gently skimmed the tea froth with the lid, “Aren’t you curious why I didn’t ask who tried to kill you?”