On the way back, Jiaoyue looked at the three withering peony pots with a pitying face. "Alas! I never thought they were blooming so well this morning! But by afternoon, they've become like this!"
"Such beautiful flowers are all ruined! That maid was so stupid. Pouring hot water on all three pots. It's really a sin! These were the lucky tokens Miss got!"
Jiaoyue kept nagging. Shen Li watched her with a habitual smile, while Hanyue seemed impatient and looked up at the carriage roof.
"Miss liked this Snow Pagoda peony the most! It's a pity now!"
Shen Li couldn't bear to see her worrying. "When we get back, we'll change the soil for them and find some gardeners. Maybe we can save them!"
Jiaoyue nodded and finally calmed down, no longer chattering non - stop.
The distance from the palace to the Shen Mansion was not short. Even by carriage, it would take half an hour.
Shen Li leaned against the back of the carriage and pretended to sleep. Suddenly, she heard a noisy commotion outside, and the carriage stopped.
Shen Li opened her eyes and looked at Jiaoyue in confusion. "What's going on outside?"
"I'll go and check!"
Jiaoyue lifted the curtain and got out. She asked the coachman a few words and then replied to Shen Li through the carriage.
"Miss, it's the second miss's carriage behind. It knocked over a street vendor! The carriage is broken now, and the vendor is demanding compensation!"
"Jiaoyue, go and see if there's anything we can do to help!"
They were on the road with people coming and going. Shen Li didn't care about her relationship with Shen Miao at this moment.
But after all, they were both from the Shen Mansion. If they ignored it, they might be gossiped about.
Jiaoyue understood this and went without complaint.
After compensating the two vendors with some silver, the matter was finally settled. But Shen Miao's carriage was broken and couldn't be used anymore. She had to share Shen Li's carriage, and the maids had to walk back.
A maid quickly stepped forward and lifted the curtain, revealing Shen Li pretending to sleep inside and the three peony pots.
Shen Miao was annoyed but showed a respectful and harmonious expression on her face. "Thank you, sister!"
Shen Li didn't even lift her eyelids, pretending to be asleep. Shen Miao had to hold the maid's hand and get on the carriage.
By the window on the second floor of a roadside teahouse, a young man in white stood there.
When he saw the curtain lifted and three peonies inside, he showed a slight look of surprise. This was Murong Chu, who had saved Shen Li's life last time.
"Shizhu, go and pass a message to the carriage below!"
When Shizhu arrived, Shen Li's carriage hadn't left yet.
Shizhu walked to the outside of the carriage, bowed and said, "My master saw from upstairs just now that there are three peony pots here, but they seem to be withering."
"He wants to buy these peonies from the young lady. May I ask the young lady's conditions?"
Shen Li frowned. She didn't expect that someone would come to buy the peonies just because they stopped here for a while.
"Please go back and tell your master that these peonies were given by someone else, so I can't sell them!"
The young servant named Shizhu didn't look embarrassed after being rejected. He just continued to persuade, "Those peonies will only wither and die in the young lady's hands. But if they are in my master's hands, they can still be saved. Why doesn't the young lady consider it again?"
Shen Li also felt sorry for these rare peonies. Since there was someone who could save them, she was naturally happy. But these flowers were given by the fifth princess, so she couldn't give them away.
"I really can't sell these flowers. Please go back and tell your master that if he can cure these flowers, we will surely reward him handsomely!"
Seeing Shen Li's firm attitude, Shizhu went back to report to Murong Chu.
"Sister is really enviable. In just a short while, someone has come to talk to you!" Shen Miao pinched her handkerchief and said sourly.
Shen Li glanced at her and said in a cold tone, "I can't compare to my sister's ability! Just a trip to the palace has caused so many things! There was a talent competition, and these flowers are inexplicably withering!"
"Sister really has great skills!"
Shen Li sneered and glanced at Shen Miao. As expected, she saw a change in Shen Miao's face, and she stopped talking.
Although Shen Li didn't have conclusive evidence, there were many people who didn't like her today. But among them, Shen Miao was the only one who wished for her death.
So she guessed that today's events were most likely related to Shen Miao.
The atmosphere became a bit tense when Shizhu came back.
"Miss, if you trust us, you can give these flowers to my master. In half a month, go to the third house in Lvyi Alley in the west of the city to pick them up."
"This is the collateral left by my master. In half a month, the young lady can take this jade to pick up the flowers."
Shizhu held up a piece of jade in his hand.
Jiaoyue took it and gave it to Shen Li.
The jade used as collateral was top - grade mutton - fat jade. As soon as Shen Li held it in her hand, she felt a slight coolness. After holding it for a while, the jade seemed to generate heat and gradually became warm.
"We'll keep this jade for now. We'll go to pick up the flowers in half a month."
After the agreement was made, the carriage started again. Shen Miao saw the mutton - fat jade that Shen Li put into her purse, and her eyes flashed.
After returning to the mansion, Shen Li lazily lay on the imperial concubine's couch while Mingyue massaged her shoulders and beat her back. She felt all the fatigue of the day disappear.
Seeing her enjoying with her eyes closed, Mingyue reported the things that happened in the mansion today.
"Miss, when you went out today, Chunju walked around your room several times. I drove her away. But it seems that she's not so easy to deal with."
"Miss, you still need to be careful of the people in the east courtyard."
"Yeah, my second aunt is not someone who will give up easily. I'm afraid she's still thinking about how to trip me up."
Shen Li's voice was a bit drowsy because of the comfort. "If they come, we'll just deal with them!"
"Has Miss thought of a way to deal with them?"
"In a couple of days, pack up all the valuable things with Jiaoyue and let that Chunju in. Let's see what she really wants to do."
Mingyue didn't understand why Shen Li was doing this. Spies like Chunju and Linghua were people others would avoid. Why was Shen Li going to let them in on purpose?
But Mingyue didn't ask too many questions. She believed that Shen Li had her own plan.
The next morning, the Shen family sent someone to pass a message, inviting Shen Li to the east courtyard for lunch.
"Miss, don't go! That person must have bad intentions. This is surely a trap! What if she poisons the food?"
Even Mingyue came out to persuade. "If they really want to poison the food, it will be really difficult to handle. Miss, don't go!"
Shen Li just shook her head and said, "Isn't Mingyue going to be there? Besides, they don't really invite me to dinner. It doesn't matter if I don't touch anything at all!"