Shen Li looked back and, sure enough, saw a woman in white at the southeast corner of the imperial garden.
It was none other than He Yimeng.
Shen Li felt a bit skeptical. "It's not the season for the lotus to bloom yet. Why did Miss He go there? Could she have gotten lost?"
"If this elder sister is lost, it's really scary there by the lotus pond. We should ask the maids to call her back quickly!" Princess Luoning frowned and said worriedly.
"What's wrong? Is there something amiss with that pond?"
Princess Luoning hesitated for a long time. Looking at the empty pond, she said, "I heard from the little maids that a concubine of my father once drowned in that pond!"
"Later on, the palace servants often saw a dark shadow there. It came and went without a trace, just like a ghost. Gradually, there were rumors in the palace that the area around the lotus pond was haunted, and no one dared to get close!"
"A few years ago, overnight, all the fish in the lotus pond died. I heard that the whole pond was floating with dead fish. It was really scary."
Princess Luoning covered her cold arms, looking a bit scared. "That elder sister doesn't know about this. We should send someone to stop her!"
After saying that, Princess Luoning told her personal maids, Ruizhu and Hanyue, to go and find He Yimeng.
Shen Li also thought the lotus pond was very strange, but it didn't seem like a matter of ghosts and gods. Instead, it seemed more like a man - made thing.
She just wondered what the purpose of the person who did this was.
Here, Hanyue and Ruizhu were on their way to the lotus pond. Over there, He Yimeng's two maids were also persuading her to leave.
He Yimeng's personal maid, Caiyun, looked at her dazed young mistress and said worriedly, "Miss! We've walked too far. If the princess can't find us later, it won't be good! Let's go back quickly!"
The other maid, Ranyun, who was a bit timid, said fearfully, "Miss, it's so gloomy here. There's no one around. It's really scary. Let's go quickly!"
In the face of the two maids' persuasion, He Yimeng didn't respond. She just stood by the lotus pond, staring fixedly at it.
The two maids looked at each other when they saw their mistress like this. They both thought it was strange but didn't know what to do.
When Hanyue and Ruizhu arrived, they saw the mistress and her two maids standing there silently.
Ruizhu stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings to Miss He! This servant is Ruizhu, the maid beside Princess Nine. This Miss Hanyue is the maid beside Miss Shen."
"Our princess and Miss Shen saw Miss He lost her way and came here from the Yujing Terrace. They specially sent us two to lead Miss He out."
He Yimeng's expression remained unchanged. She just asked indifferently, "Is this place really that scary?"
Ruizhu didn't know how to answer. She just felt that Miss He was a bit strange.
Fortunately, He Yimeng didn't dwell on her answer. She soon said, "Thank you for your trouble."
After they left the lotus pond, they were much closer to the Yujing Terrace.
He Yimeng looked up. Sure enough, she saw two figures on the high - rise pavilion. She bowed in the direction of the Yujing Terrace from afar to show her gratitude, then left with her two maids.
Shen Li watched He Yimeng's departing back and fell into deep thought.
On the way back, Hanyue and Ruizhu happened to meet a maid who came out to look for Princess Nine and Shen Li. After the three of them talked for a while, Ruizhu and Hanyue came back.
"Princess, Princess Five sent someone to invite you and Miss Shen back," Ruizhu reported.
"Is the lunch starting so early? Well, let's go there earlier so as not to worry our elder sister!"
Princess Nine said this to Shen Li.
Shen Li followed Princess Nine down the stairs and walked back.
"Do you have something to say?" Shen Li whispered to Hanyue.
Hanyue had been looking at her several times since she came back. She probably had something to tell her alone because Princess Nine was around.
"Yes! That maid looked nervous and solemn just now."
"It doesn't seem like we're just being called to the lunch," Shen Li continued Hanyue's words.
"I hope Miss will be careful," Hanyue rarely reminded Shen Li.
"We've been with Princess Nine all the time. No matter what happens, it has nothing to do with us."
Saying that, Shen Li showed a smile. Different from her usual gentle smiles, this one was confident and bold.
All the way, Shen Li talked and laughed with Princess Nine as if she really didn't take Hanyue's reminder to heart.
When they arrived at the place where they had enjoyed the flowers before, they saw Princess Luoyao sitting seriously on the chair.
Princess Yajing was standing in the pavilion, teasing a green - feathered parrot. The parrot flapped its wings and said some auspicious words, which made Princess Yajing chuckle.
The other noble ladies were all standing in the pavilion, looking terrified and no one dared to say a word.
When Princess Nine and Shen Li arrived, they both felt that something was wrong.
Shen Li stepped forward to salute the two princesses. Princess Luoyao just waved her hand indifferently for her to get up, losing the previous enthusiasm.
Princess Yajing glanced at Shen Li. "Oh! The main character is here!"
"I didn't expect Miss Shen to look so delicate and weak. It makes this princess hardly believe that you would have the guts to do such a thing!"
These words were rather strange. Shen Li had just arrived and naturally didn't know what had happened, but Princess Yajing's two sentences had already labeled her as extremely bold!
"This subject has just arrived. I don't know what Her Highness Princess Six meant by those words just now?"
"Humph! You surely know what this princess means. Is Miss Shen pretending not to know now?"
Princess Luoyao said seriously, "Enough! The matter hasn't been clarified yet. Why are you so eager to draw a conclusion!"
Then she looked at Shen Li and explained to her, "You've just come. You don't know. The three pots of peonies that this palace used as prizes today were just found to be all withered by the palace servants!"
Shen Li didn't say a word. She knew that the matter must not be that simple. If it was just like this, Princess Yajing wouldn't have bothered to taunt her like this.
Sure enough, the next moment, she heard Princess Luoyao say, "A guarding maid saw that you just poured hot water on the roots of the peonies!"
"Of course, this is just what a little maid said. We'll have to wait and ask her later to know what really happened." After saying that, Princess Luoyao smiled kindly at Shen Li. "This palace will make the decision for you in today's matter!"
"Even if this palace can't make the decision, there are still the empress and the emperor. They will surely not let the real culprit escape!" Princess Luoyao said loudly so that everyone present could hear her words.
Soon, a little maid in a peach - red palace dress came forward as ordered.
Princess Luoyao asked, "Did you see with your own eyes that Miss Shen poured hot water on the flowers and killed them?"
"Your Highness, it was indeed this servant who saw it with her own eyes!"
The little maid glanced and then continued, "It was this Miss Shen who poured the hot water from the teacup on the three pots of peonies of the princess."