Chapter 638 The Schemes


    "Miss Liu, do you know who did this?" Qin Yi asked coldly, paying no attention to Liu Chuchu.


    Liu Chuchu shook her head and answered, "I was sent out on my wedding day. Then my maid took the


    pnquin to the seventh prince''s mansion for me. I was afraid of being exposed, so I hid in the


    courtyard and didn''t dare to go out. The maids who sent food to me the next day told me the incident


    happened in the seventh prince''s mansion. After that I never went out. I didn''t expect that you could


    find me. "


    Yun Shang knew that no matter how many questions she asked, she still couldn''t get the answer. So


    she shook her head at Qin Yi and gestured for Qian Zhuo to take Liu Chuchu away.


    After Liu Chuchu left the yard, Yun Shang turned to Luo Qingyan, "What do you think?"


    Luo Qingyan sneered, "she didn''t say anything useful. I don''t know if she is really silly or just


    pretending to be."


    Yun Shang also sensed that Liu Chuchu didn''t tell her the truth. She hesitated for a moment and said,


    "I''ll ask the secret guards to interrogate her."


    Luo Qingyan nodded and said, "if she still doesn''t say the truth, just send her back. Keep an eye on


    her. We may gain something from it."


    Yun Shang uttered a soft "yes".


    The royal banquet began from five o''clock in the afternoon. As it was an official ceremony, Yun Shang


    couldn''t dress up as she liked. She had already asked Qin Yi to dress her up and make her up. She


    was wearing the pce uniform for the princess, which meant she should wear makeup ording to


    her grade.


    After dressing up, Yun Shang had to sit upright. Luo Qingyan looked at her frequently and fixed his


    eyes on theplex crown on her head. "I didn''t notice it before. These clothes and jewelries are really


    heavy. Do you feel ufortable?"


    Yun Shang smiled bitterly. "They make me a little tired, but it''s not unbearable. There are not many


    official dinners in the pce, and I''ll go through it."


    Luo Qingyan opened his mouth but said nothing. Noticing that it was time to leave, he helped Yun


    Shang out of the mansion, got on the carriage and headed towards the pce.


    Many carriages had already been parked at the gate of the pce and the street was packed with


    people. Yun Shang went into the pce with them and went up the stairs. Then she went into the Tai


    Chi pce and sat on a front seat in the Taiji pce. Yun Shang nced around the hall, and had a


    rough understanding of the situation in the hall today. The positions of concubines and princes under


    age were on the left side of the hall, and the imperial concubines with titles should have arrived as well.


    On the right side of the hall were the officials and their families, and their positions were arranged


    ording to their ranks.


    Yun Shang stared at the positions of the concubines. Since Lady Yun had disappeared and Lady Shu


    had been grounded, the positions of the four noble consorts were almost empty. Ning Qian became the


    one to take the first seat.


    Yun Shang frowned and felt worried for no reason.


    Prince Rui sat on the first seat of the officials, and then the seventh prince. Afterwards, Su Qi, followed


    by Lord Hua Guo.


    Hardly had the emperor arrived, noise was heard in the hall. Yun Shang found there were many people


    talking and looking at Luo Qingyan from time to time. Perhaps owing to his coldness, no one came


    forward to speak.


    Yun Shang exchanged a nce with Hua Yutong and smiled. Hua Yutong looked nervous. She was


    clenching the brocade handkerchief in her hand, and her lips were pale.


    Yun Shang looked up at the seventh prince, who was sitting next to Hua Yutong. He looked pale as if


    he just recovered from a serious illness.


    While she was thinking, the eunuchs came in a hurry from outside and stood in two rows on both sides.


    Yun Shang knew that the emperor had arrived, so she looked away and looked straight ahead.


    "Herees his majesty and her majesty..." As soon as the eunuch finished his sentence, another


    eunuch spoke from inside, "herees his majesty, and her majesty..."


    All the people rose to their feet and knelt down. "Long live, your majesties."


    After a while, Xia Huanyu said in a faint voice, "Rise."


    Then all of them stood up and sat down.


    ncing around the room in silence, Xia Huanyu said, "It''s new year''s Eve tonight, so you don''t have


    to be so restrained. Besides, the empress has arranged many shows for you. New Year''s Eve is a day


    of reunion of all the families, and you have worked very hard in the past year. I''d like to make a toast to


    you all. Let''s have fun today."


    Xia Huanyu raised his ss from the table and proposed a toast to everyone. Everyone followed suit


    and drank it up in a hurry.


    "We can begin now." Xia Huanyu turned to look at the empress. The empress smiled at him and


    nodded at the maid by her side. The maid knocked the bell beside with a golden stick.


    The lights in the hall went down one by one, leaving only the few in the middle. Then the music began,


    and a woman in red with a veil walked in and danced gracefully.


    The banquets in the pce were all like this, and there was nothing new. Feeling boring, Yun Shang


    turned her eyes and nced around the pce. She caught sight of all thedies.


    Lady Hui sat at a back seat, and her face was a little pale.


    Yun Shang paused for a while and realized that if she had severe sickness as Luo Qingyan said, she


    must be very ufortable with the smell of all kind of meats on the banquet. Although the people in


    the hall were watching the song and dance performance, it would also be hard for her to not be noticed.


    After the dance was over, the lights were on. Yun Shang looked away and made a gesture to Ning


    Qian.


    Ning Qian nodded and pped her hands, smiling, "Your Majesty, thisdy is quite good at dancing."


    Xia Huanyu nodded casually and said, "Reward her."


    The empress looked at Ning Qian and said with a smile, "I''ve heard that Lady Xiang is very good at


    dancing. Since she praises, then it is surely good."


    Ning Qian smiled and said nothing. She just lowered her head and drank the wine in her cup.


    The empress said to Xia Huanyu, "Every year we are just watching singing and dancing performances.


    This year I''ve arranged something that everyone could take part in."


    "Really? How? " There was no joy or hatred on Xia Huanyu''s face, but only indifference.


    The empress smiled. "I have prepared twenty riddles. The name of each show is a riddle. Please wait a


    moment. The one who give the most correct answers after all the shows will be rewarded. What do you


    think, your majesty?"


    "Not bad."


    "The name of the dance just now was called moonlight going west." The empress smiled and said,


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    "The next one is a battle dance."


    The light in the hall was getting dimmer. A drumbeats sounded. Qian Zhuo fruit wine for Yun Shang and


    said in a low voice, "Her Majesty has prepared a big drama today. Her Majesty wants to rmend a


    "Really? Is she a chosendy in the pce? " Yun Shang asked softly.


    Qian Zhuo knelt down to straighten Yun Shang''s dress and said gently, "Your Highness, you have met


    her once, the one who offended Princess Qianling in the imperial garden the other day."


    Yun Shang listened with a frown. After a long time, she remembered. "Is her name Zhao Xianwu?"


    "Yes, it was her." Qian Zhuo nodded


    Qian Zhuo finished her words, and stood behind Yun Shang in a courteous manner. Yun Shang looked


    up at the empress in her seat, and pursed her lips coldly. The empress was quite interesting. She had


    arranged so manydies in the imperial household, but chose Zhao Xianwu instead. She is really


    brilliant...


    Yun Shang beckoned to Qian Zhuo toe closer. Qian Zhuo hurried to her. Yun Shang whispered


    something to her before she sat up.


    Luo Qingyan sensed the movements around him, so he turned his head and asked softly, "What''s


    wrong? Is there anything wrong? "


    Yun Shang shook her head with a smile, "No."


    Luo Qingyan held Yun Shang''s hand and smiled softly. "If you feel ufortable, tell me. We will leave


    earlier."


    Yun Shang nodded. Then she turned her head and looked at the dancers. A sneer appeared on her


    face. How could a battle dance be so soft?


    At the end of the melody, the audience apuded.


    While everyone was absorbed in thest song, the empress''s voice was heard before the light was on,


    "The next one is called moonlight on theke."


    Before the crowd could react, they saw a sudden scene that looked like flowing water on the ground of


    the hall. There was the sound of water ringing in their ears, and a moon slowly rose. A graceful figure


    suddenly stepped out of the moon and danced gracefully.


    The empress had spent a lot of energy for the performance. It was not easy to create theke water


    and moon scenery in the pce alone.


    Everyone was attracted by this wonderful scene, and even Xia Huanyu narrowed his eyes and stared


    at the round moon. However, Yun Shang''s gaze met Ning Qian''s. Ning Qian turned to nce at Lady


    Hui before she nodded at Yun Shang.


    When the music was over and everyone was still immersed in the scenery, the lights were on and the


    empress said, "Your Majesty, do you enjoy it?"


    Before Xia Huanyu could say anything, a huge sound was heard.


    All the eyes of the crowd were attracted. It turned out to be the wine pot on Lady Hui''s table


    identally fell to the ground. Her face was a little pale, and everyone thought she must be shocked.


    Frowning, the empress fixed her eyes on Yun Shang, who was drinking the fruit wine calmly. The


    empress said lightly, "Clean it up."


    After saying that, she turned around and said to Xia Huanyu, "Your Majesty..."


    "Oh..."


    The others saw that Lady Hui kept retching, holding the table, as if she was very ufortable.