“Second Sister, I’m going to take a walk on the shore, where the red plum blossoms are really beautiful and seem to be better than those in our mansion!” Shao Wanru stood up and said, “Big Sister is coming. Please wait for her here!”

“Aren’t you going to wait for Big Sister here?” Shao Jie’er asked with an unkind look.

“I want to go to enjoy the view now! It’s rare to have such a chance to enter the imperial palace!” Shao Wanru said with a smile and turned to walk out.

Shao Jie’er wanted to stop Shao Wanru. However, seeing that Shao Wanru left so decisively, she knew that she could not hold her back. If she were dealing with other sisters in the mansion, she could make them stay with the bonds of their sisterhood, but Shao Wanru in front of her was obviously not one of them.

She watched Shao Wanru leave, but she couldn’t do so. When Shao Yanru came over, she had to explain what had happened just now because she had to find a good excuse for herself before carrying out her plan.

Thinking of this, she found Shao Wanru’s departure acceptable!

She could take the opportunity to tell Shao Yanru that Shao Wanru had not drunk the wine so that she could shift all the blame onto Shao Wanru.

Shao Wanru took another waterside gallery leading in another direction instead of the waterside gallery they took before so she wouldn’t meet Shao Yanru on her way.

One of them was coming over, while the other was walking away.

When Shao Yanru saw Shao Wanru leave in the distance, she frowned tightly, because she didn’t know whether Shao Wanru had drunk the wine they had prepared. She quickened her pace to go to ask Shao Jie’er how things were going.

The curved waterside gallery looked very close, but in fact, it was a little far away.

Two girls walked in the waterside gallery slowly and gracefully, and the wind lifted up the hem of their clothes and made them look like fairies falling into the mortal world.

However, the two of them were different.

Shao Yanru was dressed in a dark purple overall and a five-color palace dress with large patches of peonies at the edge of the dress, looking gorgeous and ravishing enough to stand out. Her delicate face was so attractive and fascinating! She did deserve to be known as the first beauty in the capital city!

However, Shao Yanru, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes, was thrown into the shade by the other slender figure in the waterside gallery.

Shao Wanru was dressed in a plain long dress, looking like a fairy from Ninth Heaven falling in the waterside gallery. The eight-panel long dress set off her slim figure. As she looked up, she revealed her features, which were too delicate to describe.

Even the extremely beautiful landscape could not compare with the ripples in her fluid eyes, as if the landscape in the entire waterside gallery was reflected in her eyes. As she fluttered her long eyelashes slightly, the entire water area was lit up.

Shao Wanru took another waterside gallery leading to the depths of the plum blossom forest at the end of the shore. Her snow-white clothes lit up the plum blossom forest, making it as beautiful as a dream and making her look like a fairy falling into the mortal world. In comparison, Shao Yanru, who was gorgeous, now looked less beautiful than before and was thrown into the shade and almost became the background behind her.

Chu Liuyue stood in an attic, looking at Shao Wanru’s back. At the moment, he stopped tapping the folded fan against the center of his palm.

He involuntarily tracked her back with his eyes. When she disappeared at the end of the shore, he turned back and looked at the waterside gallery with some confusion, wondering if it was an illusion, because Shao Yanru was the only one walking in the waterside gallery.

“Brother, what are you looking at? Why are you so fascinated?” He heard Chu Liuzhou’s lazy voice come from behind and felt a hand on his shoulder. Chu Liuzhou also came over and poked his head out to take a look.

Chu Liuzhou also saw Shao Yanru, who was in the waterside gallery. He smiled and said with deep eyes, “It turns out to be the First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion. I was wondering what fascinated you so much!”

“Why is the First Miss Shao here?” Chu Liuyue gently tapped the fan against his palm and said very casually while looking at Shao Yanru.

“She must have been summoned by an imperial concubine in the imperial palace!” Chu Liuzhou said casually, then turned around and returned to the room to sit down.

“Wasn’t she summoned by the Empress?” Chu Liuyue also smiled, then spoke and turned back. There were some fruits in the room, as well as a pot of wine instead of tea.

Chu Liuyue poured a cup for himself and another cup for Chu Liuzhou. After putting down the wine pot, he picked up the cup in front of him, took a sip, and then nodded and said, “It’s really good and deserves the reputation as a tribute!”

Chu Liuzhou also picked up the cup in front of him. After taking a sip, he put it down with some disgust and said, “It’s so light and sweet that it seems more like a drink for ladies. I don’t think it tastes good.”

“Don’t say that. This is really a tribute sent from the south of the Yangtze River today. Father said it was excellent.” Chu Liuyue couldn’t help laughing, as he gently tapped the fan in his hand against the wine pot in front of him and said, “It’s specially prepared for us because of our visit today. What do you think of it, Commandery Prince Qing?”

Chu Qing, Commandery Prince Qing, was also present. At this moment, he was sitting by the window with a cup of wine in his hand and also enjoying the scenery, happening to face Shao Yanru, who was coming over.

Hearing Chu Liuyue mention him, he hurriedly turned his head and said with a smile, “This wine is very good, although I think it a little too soft.”

After speaking, he took another sip.

He was not invested with rank in order of age like Chu Liuyue and other princes, so he was different from Chu Liuchen. Since he could only be considered a nephew rather than a son of the current Emperor, he naturally enjoyed much worse treatment in all aspects.

Furthermore, he was in an awkward situation. Although he was a son of the late Emperor, he was not valued at all. Without the favor of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, his good health meant nothing.

Everyone knew that he could only be an idle prince provided with a comfortable life for the Emperor’s reputation, but he was the one coming to the imperial palace to pay his respects most often among several princes.

He, who went to pay his respects to the Empress and the Empress Dowager every time he entered the imperial palace, was very respectful and polite.

He happened to enter the imperial palace today, but it was an accident that he ran into Chu Liuyue and Chu Liuzhou here. They usually would not invite him to join them, but this time, it was different. Chu Liuyue invited him to join them in enjoying the view with great enthusiasm.

Chu Liuzhou could say that the wine was not good, but he couldn’t say that. He made his comment after putting himself in a very low position.

“Commandery Prince Qing, if you like it you should have a few more cups!” Chu Liuyue tapped his fan against the center of his palm several times and said with a faint smile, “Let’s go down. It’s said that there are pastries and drinks along the way!”

“Well, let’s move!” Chu Liuzhou also stood up and said indifferently.

Chu Qing put down the wine cup in his hand, stood up as well, and looked out of the window casually. Shao Yanru had disappeared from his view and probably had gone to the pavilion for a rest.

Shao Yanru’s stunning figure caught his eye just now. Although he had met Shao Yanru before, she didn’t amaze him as much as this time.

Chu Qing thought it quite a pity that such a girl, with the background of Duke Xing’s Mansion, could not marry him. No matter in terms of the background of Duke Xing’s Mansion or her appearance, he was very willing to marry Shao Yanru. But such a girl would definitely not marry him, such an idle prince. He knew it clearly.

However, even so, he would not give up. As long as she did not get married, he still had a chance. If Shao Yanru was not selected in the consort selection this time, he could go to her mansion to propose marriage!

In fact, he could make the other girl his concubine, which could be considered fair treatment for her!

Although he was an idle prince, he would not necessarily have a chance in the future!

Moreover, he was at least a member of the royal family and a commandery prince. The childes of other noble families could not compare with him.

Thinking of this, he thought he seemed to have a little chance. Of course, First Miss Shao was very unlikely to fail to be selected. Just now, Prince Yue, who stood by the window, should also be looking at First Miss Shao and looked as amazed as he was. Prince Yue would inevitably become his rival.

It would be great if he could prevent First Miss Shao from participating in the consort selection, and it would be even better if he could get engaged to her!

With this thought in his mind, he followed Chu Liuyue and Chu Liuzhou forward.

After Chu Liuyue and Chu Liuzhou left the attic, they somehow walked along the waterside gallery that Shao Yanru walked along before and also headed for the waterside pavilion.

Two of the three of them knew that Shao Yanru was in the waterside pavilion, but Chu Liuzhou didn’t.

In the pavilion, Shao Yanru became sullen as soon as she heard that Shao Wanru had left without drinking the wine. She stood up and was about to look for Shao Wanru because she tricked Shao Wanru here today in order to make her drink the wine on the table.

Under the influence of the drug that Shao Wanru had taken before and the wine on the table, Shao Wanru would definitely feel dizzy, and then she could take the opportunity to push her into the water.

Her grandma and Honored Consort Shu meant to let Chu Liuyue save Shao Wanru so that Shao Wanru had to marry into Prince Yue’s Mansion as a concubine. After all, Shao Wanru married into Prince Yue’s Mansion in such a disgraceful situation, so Rui’an Great Elder Princess could not change anything no matter what she said.

However, Shao Yanru was displeased with that at the thought that if Rui’an Great Elder Princess really strongly opposed the decision of Duke Xing’s Mansion and turned to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to ask for an imperial edict, Shao Wanru might have a chance to become the legal wife. If Shao Wanru became Princess Yue, it would be not easy for her to marry Chu Liuyue.

Although others in Duke Xing’s Mansion considered Chu Liuzhou and Chu Liuyue as both princes likely to inherit the throne, Shao Yanru thought that Chu Liuyue was more agreeable to her. After all, Chu Liuzhou seemed to be a little too careless and not good at saying sweet words.

Since childhood, she had corresponded with both of them in private to maintain their childhood friendship. However, compared with Chu Liuyue, Chu Liuzhou obviously sent her many fewer letters and said much fewer sweet words!

From this point of view, Shao Yanru really didn’t like to see Shao Wanru have a relationship with Chu Liuyue. Therefore, she asked Chu Liuyue to bring Chu Liuzhou here with the excuse that she thought Chu Liuzhou a more suitable choice.

Of course, this was just an account given by her to Chu Liuyue. In fact, she would most like to see a guard save Shao Wanru! If she arranged a guard to save Shao Wanru, Shao Wanru would marry the guard after she was saved, which was a perfect plan. Of course, if Shao Wanru was not saved and died in the lake in winter, then she deserved it.

These wine and pastries were not prepared for them. If Shao Wanru got drunk and had an accident, no one else should be blamed for it…