"This is originally my palace! Where else should I be if not here? In your Elegant Music Palace?"
Princess Yajing showed a look of disbelief on her face. "Has Princess Nine been in the palace all this time?"
Luo Ning nodded blankly. "All the time!"
"I just called out to Princess Nine loudly. Why didn't you answer?"
"I'm supposed to reflect on my mistakes behind closed doors. I was just deep in thought and didn't hear you!"
Princess Yajing looked at Luo Ning's innocent face and forced a smile. "I thought something bad had happened to you when you didn't answer!"
"Sister Six, you're worrying too much. I've always been in good health!"
"Hehe! So it was really my over - worrying!"
At this moment, Nanny Gui stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Princess Six defied the Queen's order and forced her way into Princess Nine's palace just now. I'll report today's incident to the Queen and let her decide!"
"For now, please go to the Phoenix Palace with me, Princess Six, and report this matter to the Queen!"
Princess Yajing looked at Nanny Gui's wrinkled face and suddenly realized that today's drama was a trap set by the Queen and Luo Yao to lure her in and punish her!
"Let's go!" With a flick of her sleeve, Princess Yajing snorted coldly and led her entourage away first.
After watching the large group leave, Princess Luo Ning let out a long sigh. "Oh! It was really close just now! I almost got exposed!"
Nanny Gui didn't soften her expression because of her words. She said sternly to Luo Ning, "Please, Princess Nine, abide by the Queen's order. You're not allowed to leave the palace until you've finished writing fifty sheets of characters!"
Luo Ning let out a groan but had no choice. She almost got into big trouble when she left the palace today. It was better to accept the punishment obediently and then think of a way to make her mother happy later.
"Princess, you really scared us just now! Please don't do something like this again in the future!" Qiao Zhu said to Princess Luo Ning, still in a state of shock and patting her chest.
"I'm fine! Come on, Qiao Zhu, don't be scared!" Princess Luo Ning said playfully as she helped Qiao Zhu pat her back to calm her down.
"Princess, we still don't know how you got in just now!" Dong Zhu stepped forward and asked.
"Yes! Yes! Princess!"
"Tell us quickly!"
"Alright, I'll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret!" Princess Luo Ning said mysteriously.
"We promise not to tell!"
"Just now, Ruizhu and I came in through a... dog hole behind the palace!"
"What? A dog hole?"
Qiao Zhu thought Princess Luo Ning must be joking and trying to deceive them.
Dong Zhu whispered, "You're a precious princess. How could you... crawl through a dog hole?"
Princess Luo Ning waved her hand indifferently. "What's the big deal? I've done even more outrageous things. Right, Ruizhu?"
Ruizhu, who was named, smiled awkwardly and nodded without saying a word.
She was actually quite annoyed inside. She had never heard of a princess in any dynasty being so... unconventional! And she was even more miserable. Facing the curious questions from her sisters, she couldn't tell them the truth.
In the Shen Mansion, Shen Li finally managed to send away Princess Luo Ning, that troublesome guest, and then busily looked through the account books.
Ming Yue looked at Shen Li, who was constantly moving the abacus beads, with concern. "Miss, take a break first. You've walked such a long way today. These account books aren't that urgent. You can look at them tomorrow."
Shen Li moved her slightly stiff shoulders. "I'm not in a hurry, but there are people who are. It's better to sort them out earlier."
Ming Yue resented the people in the East Courtyard even more. "Are you tired, Miss? Let me rub your shoulders!"
Saying that, she stepped forward and skillfully kneaded Shen Li's stiff shoulders, pressing hard on several acupoints to help Shen Li's meridians circulate and relieve fatigue.
Han Yue had been standing by silently, as cold as ever. But Shen Li could feel her occasional glances.
"Han Yue, what's wrong? You've been stealing glances at me since we got back. Are you attracted by your miss's beauty?" Shen Li propped her chin on her hands and looked at Han Yue with a smile in her eyes.
Han Yue turned her face away awkwardly and didn't look into Shen Li's eyes. "No!"
"No what?" Shen Li rarely saw Han Yue so shy. Of course, she wouldn't let her off easily and immediately asked.
"Cough! Didn't your miss blame me today?" Han Yue ignored Shen Li's previous question and asked seriously with a straight face.
"Blame you for what? Blame you for not helping when we were fighting with Xuan Yuanjue?"
Han Yue nodded seriously.
Shen Li said with a smile, "How could I blame you? I told you to be Princess Nine's bodyguard and protect her safety today. In such a chaotic situation, of course, we should prioritize Princess Nine's safety. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable!"
"Moreover, you did a great job today!"
Hearing Shen Li's words, Han Yue's stiff back gradually relaxed. "Thank you, Miss!"
"Thank me for what! My strength is limited after all. There are many things I can't take care of, and I need you to help and remind me!"
Shen Li looked at Han Yue, Ming Yue, and Jiao Yue in front of her and showed a satisfied smile. She came into this life for revenge, but she didn't want to become a killing machine only focused on revenge.
It was the presence of many relatives and friends in this life that made her cold heart feel warmth. So she cherished the family affection, friendship, and the people in front of her in this life.
She would severely punish those who betrayed and hurt her in her previous life, but in this life, she also wanted to enjoy the world better and live a different life from her previous one.
Maybe it was because she talked to Xuan Yuanjue about the black - clothed people in Pufa Temple in the afternoon. Shen Li had a nightmare at night.
In the dream, there were the proud faces of Shen Miao and Xiao Hanzhi, and the ground was covered with blood when everyone in the Shen Mansion was beheaded, accompanied by scenes of her life after she married Xiao Hanzhi in her previous life.
As soon as she regained consciousness, Shen Li opened her eyes and saw the bed curtain above her. She raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her face.
"Han Yue! Go back to the Night Shadow Division tomorrow and see if there's any progress on the matter in Pufa Temple last time."
After giving the order to Han Yue, Shen Li couldn't fall asleep. She recalled some things that happened to her during the four years of her marriage to Xiao Hanzhi in her previous life and the things she had done for him.
In her previous life, she married Xiao Hanzhi at the age of eighteen. He trusted and used her. Even on matters related to the court, he would discuss strategies with her. So Shen Li knew very well about the things Xiao Hanzhi did to ascend the throne.
Originally, Xiao Hanzhi didn't have the strength to compete with the Queen and the Second Prince. But the Emperor doted on Concubine Chen, promoted the Chen family, and suppressed the power of the Second Prince.
This was, of course, the Emperor's balancing act. He didn't want to see any family become too powerful. So he used the position of the Crown Prince as a bait to make the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince fight each other, so as to stabilize his throne.