Chapter 216 A Crafty Couple


    Ning Qian left after reporting to Yun Shang. Since the Princess had promised the Prince to help him


    renovate the mansion, she decided it was time to focus her energy on the task ahead. But Yun Shang


    had never undertaken such a project before. She asked the chambein to find some skilled craftsmen


    for her. Then she found some works of calligraphy and paintings to hang on the walls. As Yun Shang


    sat before her selected pieces of art, Qian Yin hurried in.


    "Your Highness, I just saw Cui Liu taking a bowl of green bean soup to Prince Jing''s study room." Qian


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    Yin said with anger and despise, "I knew the Empress was nning something when she sent the new


    maids to Your Highness. The two maids are pretty and always well dressed. Now I see that they are


    trying to seduce the Prince!"


    Yun Shang''s expression changed. She nodded at Qian Yin as she thought about the situation. When


    servants were being selected for Prince Jing''s Mansion, the Empress sent two new maids. Six maids


    from Qingxin Pce and two madams had also been presented to Yun Shang. The number of servants


    sent by the Empress was in pursuant with tradition. As Qian Yin and Qin Yi had helped select the six


    maids that worked at Qingxin Pce, they should be trustworthy.


    As for the new maids, Yun Shang reckoned that they were spies ced by the Empress. Yun Shang


    was unconscious during the days just before her wedding. Once she had woken, she recuperated at


    Prince Jing''s Mansion. Her absence from the Pce meant that she had to ept the arrangements


    made by the Empress. It was clear to Yun Shang that the new maids came with a purpose. However,


    she had not taken any action as she was curious about their intentions. The two madams had been


    sent by Emperor Ning. The Emperor imed that Yun Shang needed help from experienced elders as


    she was a new wife and knew little about certain things in the household. The Emperor also said that


    Prince Jing''s Mansion needed special care given his high position. For these reasons, Emperor Ning


    deemed it necessary for the two madams to assist Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang''s mouth twisted into an acerbic smile. She recalled the desperation Emperor Ning felt which


    led him to abduct Prince Jing earlier. Since the Emperor had failed to control Prince Jing through other


    means, he saw Yun Shang as the ideal pawn through which to exercise control over the Prince.


    Considering Emperor Ning''s insecurities, the madams sent by him must have their missions, too. It


    seemed like everyone was trying to ce spies beside her. ''It is their mistake to underestimate me, ''


    Yun Shang thought.


    "I remember asking Cui Zhu and Cui Liu to clean the yard. Who let Cui Liu into the kitchen? I also


    remember telling you to keep Cui Zhu and Cui Liu away from our food." Yun Shang asked Qian Yin


    softly.


    Qian Yin had, at first, been astonished to see Cui Liu taking soup into the study. She had assumed that


    Cui Liu''s only purpose was to flirt with the Prince. She had been so angered by the new maid''s


    audacity that her first thought was to tell Yun Shang. When the Princess reminded her politely, Qian Yin


    remembered all the reasons why it was inappropriate for Cui Liu to be wandering about the mansion.


    "Right. I told the kitchen staff not to let anyone in as per your orders. How did she get in? I''ll go ask


    them now." Qian Yin rushed out of the room.


    Yun Shang smiled and shook her head at Qian Yin''s behavior. After all, Qian Yin was just a girl. She


    didn''t have much experience in dealing with such things. Qin Yi was more reliable when it came to


    these matters. But the Princess loved Qian Yin just the same. Not only was the maid good at Kung Fu,


    she reacted fast to situations. She was also more outgoing than Qin Yi, which made her fun to have


    around.


    Qian Yin returned after a short while. She looked surprised, "Your Highness, I''ve been told that the


    Prince asked Cui Liu to serve him the soup when he saw her sweeping the yard. The kitchen staff


    weren''t sure whether Cui Liu was lying or not, so they sent another servant to ask the Prince. The


    servant confirmed Cui Liu''s story. That''s why they allowed Cui Liu to serve the green bean soup."


    Qian Yin spoke slowly and examined Yun Shang''s expression. She was worried that the Princess


    wasn''t reacting as she should be. ''Cui Liu is pretty. If she seeds in seducing the Prince......''


    Yun Shang knew what Qian Yin was thinking. She believed Prince Jing had other reasons to ask Cui


    Liu to serve him. He must have investigated both maids'' backgrounds thoroughly. That would be his


    way of establishing whether or not he could trust the maids. Yun Shang curved her mouth. ''Good luck


    to you, Cui Liu.''


    Yun Shang was right. After a few moments, rumor spread that Cui Liu had been kicked by the Prince a


    short while after she had entered the study. She must have made mistakes that infuriated Prince Jing.


    Cui Liu had been hurt badly enough to spit blood. It was said that she didn''t even have the strength to


    move. What''s more, since she was a maid, she didn''t have the right to see a physician. So Cui Liu was


    sent to the maids'' room and ignored after that.


    Yun Shang smiled at Qian Yin, "Since Cui Liu is clumsy, I cannot let her serve in the mansion anymore.


    But she cannot be sold to a civilian since she is a gift from the Empress. Qian Yin, tell the chambein


    to take her to one of Prince Jing''s other mansions. Make sure she is sent as far away from us as


    possible."


    Prince Jing has a lot of vacant mansions in the Imperial City and in its surrounding areas. If Cui Liu


    were put in a remote mansion, she would have no chance to get near the mansion. By sending her


    away, the Prince and Princess would also avoid insulting the Empress.


    Yun Shang smiled as shey on the couch. She knew what Prince Jing was doing. Since the Empress


    had made an effort to ce Cui Liu at the mansion as a spy, there must be something special about


    the maid. Prince Jing was helping Yun Shang to get rid of Cui Liu in a smart way. Yun Shang was


    grateful for Prince Jing''s help. This was the second time that the Prince had helped her manage her


    people. He had also helped when Qin Meng was serving Yun Shang. Thinking about that, Yun Shang


    whispered something to Qian Yin before asking the maid to leave.


    As soon as Yun Shang had settled down to read, Prince Jing returned. Yun Shang stood from the


    couch to wee him. Prince Jing walked into the room and stood by the table. Yun Shang walked to


    the table and picked up a bowl of green bean soup. She smiled as she spoke, "I''ve heard that you have


    been busy the whole afternoon. You must be tired. Since it''s getting hotter, I''ve asked my maid to make


    some soup for you. I''ve put ice in it to cool it down. Since it''s melted, it''s the perfect time to taste the


    soup......"


    Prince Jing looked at the bowl held by Yun Shang. He raised his brows but didn''t say anything. He took


    the bowl and drank the soup before handing it to Yun Shang. Yun Shang put the empty bowl on the


    table and cleaned Prince Jing''s hand with a handkerchief.


    "I guess you''ve heard." Prince Jing said slowly, "I''ve noticed that you like to allow dangerous people to


    stay around you. Even though Cui Liu hasn''t done anything to you yet, were you going to give her the


    opportunity to hurt you? Don''t underestimate a maid. If you had waited any longer, she could have


    done something to incapacitate you. Isn''t it better to take action before a tragedy hits? Despite your


    reasons for waiting, I cannot allow dangerous people to be ced around me......"


    Yun Shang smiled at Prince Jing, "You''re right, Uncle. But the Empress is not easy to deal with. There


    must be more spies other than Cui Zhu and Cui Liu. I figured if we left the two maids alone, they would


    not be as cautious. Then we could have them watched to find out who the other spies are."


    Prince Jingughed, "You are too indecisive. If I were you, I wouldn''t care that much. No matter how


    many spies the Empress had ced beside me, I would deal with them all at once. The Empress is


    being a thorn. You have to fight back so that she won''t have the nerve to hurt you again."


    Yun Shang raised her brows in surprise. Prince Jing was right. If Yun Shang really wanted to get to the


    Empress quickly, she would have to start with Princess Hua Jing.


    Hua Jing had lost her reputation in the Imperial City. At first, it wasn''t a bad idea to let her marry Prince


    Qingsu. But now their marriage was impossible as the youngest son of the Grand Councilor had


    Councilor Li couldn''t risk letting Hua Jing marry the third Prince of the State of Yng now. Besides, it


    was rumored that Cangyang Yu''er had made quite a scene in the Li Mansion. The Grand Councilor''s


    wife must hate her a lot. Since Cangyang Yu''er is also from the State of Yng, the Li n must loathe


    the idea of being forced to live with someone from the State of Yng.


    And the more they despised the State of Yng and it''s people, the more Yun Shang was inclined to


    force them be together.


    "So when will Prince Qingsu go back to his state?" Yun Shang looked at Prince Jing and asked.


    Prince Jing raised his brows and smiled, "When do you want him to go back?"


    "Probably in two weeks. The longer Prince Qingsu stays in the Imperial City, the more likely it is that he


    will cause trouble." Yun Shang said with a smile. This time, she wouldn''t spare Hua Jing. That woman


    must pay for everything she had done to Yun Shang.


    Prince Jing sat at the table, "Since you''ve decided, let''s figure out how we''re going to get him to leave.


    The State of Yng is suffering a national crisis. Prince Qingsu came to our state for a reason. He


    must have figured out a way to make himself the only heir to the crown."


    In the State of Yng, the eldest son of a n didn''t have to be the onlywful heir. They selected the


    most capable son to be their leader. The royal family of the State of Yng had seven Princes. And


    Prince Qingsu was the third eldest among them. Thepetition for the crown was fierce. The second


    Prince was the eldest son of the Empress, so he was the most suitable heir to the crown. The fifth


    Prince, as the son of the Emperor''s most loved concubine, was also a strong rival. He was the


    grandson of the Yng Grand Councilor, and his uncle was the most respected general in the State of


    Yng. Prince Qingsu had spent years gaining the civilians'' trust and love. Supported by the Chief


    Councillor of the State of Yng, the third Prince was adept with both, the pen and the sword. But his


    health became his weakness. That was why Prince Qingsu was so desperate to take a chance and


    seek for a politically beneficial marriage as soon as he can.


    The State of Ning was Prince Qingsu''s best option to form an alliance. If he failed, he could marry one


    of thedies from his own state as an alternative.


    "What do you n on doing to make Prince Qingsu leave?" Yun Shang asked Prince Jing softly.


    Prince Jing looked at Yun Shang and smiled, "If you were me, what would you do?"


    Yun Shang pondered over the Prince''s question. Prince Qingsu was here to seek a political marriage.


    Since Yun Shang was married and Hua Jing lost her reputation, Prince Qingsu wasn''t left with too


    many options. But Prince Qingsu wouldn''t give up easily. He would probably ask the Emperor to give a


    Princess title to anotherdy so that Qingsu could marry her and aplish his goal.


    Prince Qingsu wouldn''t leave too soon unless his ns went wrong in the State of Yng.


    ''How about starting a war around the border......''


    The thought entered Yun Shang''s mind. She quickly put it aside. Starting a war at this time wasn''t a


    wise choice. Even though it was the best time to dere war on the State of Yng as Prince Qingsu


    was not in his state, a war would break the truce between the two countries and make the civilians'' life


    miserable. And themoners only wanted peace and happiness.


    While pondering over the dilemma, Yun Shang suddenly had an idea. She raised her head to look at


    Prince Jing, "I have an idea! If we can make him believe that the Emperor of the State of Yng is


    critically ill, we will be able to convince Prince Qingsu to abandon his ns."