The Hidden Beauty

Chapter 21 Falling into the Water and Blaming Others
After just a few words, Shen Yunxiang was choked and couldn't speak, his face turned pale and blue.

The empress, who was sitting at the top, ordered the palace maids to bring a plate of fruit to the governor's wife.

Jiang Shiwan took a look and saw that they were all slightly sour fruits. She thought the Queen saw that she hadn't touched her chopsticks much and gave them to her to whet her appetite.

She stood up and bowed to the queen.

The queen waved to Chongning and whispered a few words in her ear. Chongning nodded obediently: "Mother, can I ask Madam Ru to accompany me for a walk outside? The lotus flowers in the imperial garden are so beautiful. I want to give her a few."

The eldest princess teased, "Oh, our Princess Chongning even knows how to pick flowers and give them to others."

The queen smiled dotingly and said, "It is not easy for your mother to make the decision for you. You can ask Madam Ru for her opinion."

Jiang Shiwan was also feeling upset by the smell of these dishes and wanted to find an excuse to go out for a walk and get some fresh air, so she agreed readily: "Okay, I will accompany the princess for a walk right away."

The Queen also said to the other officials and their wives, "We Chongning are the ones who know how to appreciate the scenery and know to go see the lotus flowers. Everyone should be more relaxed at the banquet today. The girls don't have to be restrained if they want to go out for a walk."

After receiving the Queen Mother's order, some young ladies from official families who had been unable to sit still for a long time immediately became eager to try, and one by one they took advantage of the free time to come out for a walk.

Chongning held Jiang Shiwan's hand and whispered, "Madam Ru, I heard from my mother that you are pregnant and asked me not to sit on your lap, otherwise you will be tired."

Jiang Shiwan blushed slightly: "I didn't expect that the Queen just said this to the princess."

Chongning raised her head and looked at the person in front of her. Her eyebrows were curved on her very delicate and fair face, and her clear temperament made her, as a princess, feel a little inferior.

"I heard that the Left Commander is very fierce and evil. Are you afraid around him?"

"Uh... not bad."

Chong Ning smiled slyly: "That's right, you are not an enemy on the battlefield, and you are so beautiful, how could he bear to be mean to you?"

The little princess said it unintentionally, but Jiang Shiwan felt a little embarrassed after hearing it.

Watching Princess Chongning and Jiang Shiwan chatting and laughing under the shade of the tree, Shen Yunxiang clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "A dog that has lost its home is also showing off in front of the queen and the princess."

Fang Hanzhi, the daughter of Dali Temple Minister Fang Lushan, was also quite jealous: "Just like you said, she is good at using her beauty to please men, otherwise how could she make the Left Commander who doesn't like women fall for her?"

She glanced at Shen Yunxiang again, and said half teasingly: "By the way, if nothing happened to the Jiang family, maybe she would be your sister-in-law now."

Shen Yunxiang was already full of hostility towards this woman. He thought about the last time he met her in the street and one of his eldest brother's fingers was broken.

When my grandfather found out, he just scolded them and told them not to go against the Governor's Office.

I really have to let out this anger!

"Meet Princess Chongning."

Seeing Shen Yunxiang and Fang Hanzhi, Chongning's expression was indifferent: "Why are you here?"

Fang Hanzhi smiled apologetically and said, "The servants saw that the lotus flowers were in full bloom and wanted to come and see them too."

Chongning saw the eunuch who was picking lotus flowers rowing over, and he took Jiang Shiwan's hand and said excitedly, "Look, Madam Ru."

She walked over and wanted to hand the flowers to Jiang Shiwan personally.

Jiang Shiwan followed closely: "Princess, please be careful."

Shen Yunxiang and Fang Hanzhi looked at each other, and then they moved closer, one in front and one behind: "Princess, please be careful with your steps."

Fang Hanzhi pushed Shen Yunxiang hard, and when Shen Yunxiang was about to bump into Chongning, he grabbed Jiang Shiwan over.

Yunshang and Xueying screamed, "Madam!"

"Oh no! Someone's fallen into the water."

Meng Tingzhou was toasting at the banquet given by the emperor, but he couldn't help thinking about Jiang Shiwan. He wondered if she had adapted to the palace for the first time, so he found an excuse to come here.

Hearing Yun Shang's voice, his heart tightened and he quickly ran towards the lotus pond. "Meimei..."

Jiang Shiwan was seen holding Chongning tightly in his arms, looking coldly at Shen Yunxiang struggling in the lake.

Meng Tingzhou caught her slightly changed expression and guessed that the scene just now must have been very dangerous. He walked to her side and put his arm around her shoulders as if to comfort her.

Several young eunuchs took great pains to pull Shen Yunxiang ashore.

Seeing more and more people gathering around, Shen Yunxiang felt deeply insulted and pointed at Jiang Shiwan and yelled, "Why did you push me away?"

Jiang Shiwan said calmly, "Miss Shen was about to push the princess down with one hand and drag me with the other hand. I had no choice but to do this in a hurry. It's better for one person to fall into the water than two people."

"Jiang Shiwan, you just want to hurt me!"

The queen also rushed over after receiving the news: "What happened?"

Fang Hanzhi said timidly: "Empress, this Madam Ru pushed Miss Shen into the lake."

Chong Ning stood in front of Jiang Shiwan and said, "Nonsense! If Madam Ru hadn't acted quickly, I would have been pushed into the water by her. Who allowed you to come here without my permission?"

Being scolded by the little princess, Shen Yunxiang felt aggrieved and angry, and simply started crying.

The queen looked at Chongning and Jiang Shiwan, and said, "Glad that everything is fine."

She nodded slightly: "Come here, take Miss Shen downstairs to change clothes."

Seeing Meng Tingzhou's solemn expression, the queen smiled slightly: "The Left Commander is so quick."

Before this, she only knew that Meng Tingzhou intended to marry Jiang Shiwan as his principal wife, but only after the emperor repeatedly rebuked her did she give in and made her his Madam Ru first.

Now it seems that he really cares about it.

Meng Tingzhou bowed and said calmly, "Your Majesty, I didn't expect something like this to happen in the palace. My wife is frightened. I will take her back first."

After saying that, he carefully helped Jiang Shiwan leave.

"This..." All the officials and their families present were shocked.

The red walls on both sides of the palace road reflected two figures walking slowly.

Meng Tingzhou asked: "Are you tired? Do you want to sit in the sedan chair?"

"I'd better not do it." Jiang Shiwan felt a headache when he thought of all the looks at him at the banquet today. "I am a lady like Ru, riding in a sedan chair into the palace. Everyone's spit can drown me."

Meng Tingzhou laughed: "If they have the ability, they can ask their husbands to give them this honor."

Jiang Shiwan glared at him.

He felt a little tipsy after drinking. "I was startled when I heard Yunchang's voice just now." He angrily glared at the people following behind him and said, "Go back and get ten strokes each."

"You..." "If you beg for mercy, I'll give you ten more strokes of the cane."

Jiang Shiwan sighed: "Have you forgotten that my father is the Minister of War? I have been exposed to military tactics since I was a child. I don't care about these little tricks. If something goes wrong, I will protect myself."

He suddenly stopped, straightened her body, and said solemnly, "Don't let anything go wrong. Doctor Mei said that you and the baby in your belly are one body. If anything happens to either of you, it could easily result in two deaths. We can't let anything go wrong."

　Queen: Dudu starts to lose control when he encounters the issue of his wife, and doesn't act like he is second to none at all.

　　Meimei: I will go back and educate him well.

　　Queen: Will he listen?
　　Meimei: This...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)