Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Chapter 580 9 Zhihua Fragrance

The Third Prince smiled, but inwardly sneered. He had heard that the Lan family's defenses had been changed at the border, with the main line now being taken over by another prominent military family on the border. Wang Shuren, who represented the civil officials at court, naturally sided with the Empress and had been ordered by his father to remain at home and reflect on his actions.

A fake pregnancy had silenced the Empress, the most powerful figure in the harem, and Wang Shuren, the most likely candidate to become the next Prime Minister! This two-birds-a-birds strategy was truly effective!

Children? They could have children later! But right now, the Third Prince couldn't just give in and accept his fate!

Emperor Shenwu went to the secret room again. Li Xiang and Li Zhong were guarding the door. They both seemed to be standing still, but in fact they were talking all the time.

Li Xiangxian said, "That snow lion must have taken a lot of effort on your part! You really put a lot of effort into it!"

Li Zhong smiled and said, "As long as His Majesty likes it, no matter how much effort we put in, it's worth it! And there's no need to be so sarcastic. Everything we do is to relieve His Majesty's worries! You taught me this last time!"

"It's strange, the two of us, one in the open and one in the dark, serve His Majesty, but we rarely work together! This time, it's thanks to the Empress!"

When talking about the person in the secret room, Li Xiang fell silent.

Li Zhong said, "You're not feeling any pity, are you? I know you and Ru Ping have a past relationship..."

Li Xiang interrupted Li Zhong: "No matter how much we have old feelings, they cannot surpass the will of Your Majesty!"

Li Zhong laughed sarcastically, "Don't tell me you don't see what Your Majesty is trying to do! The Empress has entered this secret room—she can never come out again! For Your Majesty, the most important thing now is to make the Empress stay here willingly!"

Li Xiang followed the Emperor Shenwu all day long, so he naturally understood what the emperor was thinking. However, "I'm afraid this matter won't be easy. The Empress has a pure temperament but is also very stubborn. Just look at what happened a few days ago..."

Even Emperor Shenwu had to humble himself and coax the Empress!

Li Zhong wiped away all the smiles on his face: "So now we have to help His Majesty relieve his worries!"

Li Xiang's heart skipped a beat: "What do you want to do?"

Li Zhong laughed again and said, "What can I do? Everything still depends on your Majesty's personal decision, right?"

Li Zhong naturally wanted to accomplish another great feat, alleviating the emperor's current worries and regaining his trust. The snow lion had only made the emperor laugh.

In the secret room, the incense was curling and the curtains were layered, making it impossible to see the figure behind the curtains.

On the bed, Lan Qingwu was naked and held in the arms of Emperor Shenwu from behind. The old red plum blossoms on her snow-white shoulders had not completely faded, and new red plum blossoms had been planted again.

Lan Qingwu gasped softly, and then she was turned over by the Shenwu Emperor, and the Shenwu Emperor's big hands grasped Lan Qingwu's legs...

Lan Qingwu couldn't help sobbing, "Brother Heng...you..."

Emperor Shenwu turned a deaf ear to her, and slowly Lan Qingwu was left with only sobbing. Emperor Shenwu leaned over and kissed her lips fiercely, hooked the tip of her tongue, and made her swallow even her whimper!

After the beauty in the room faded and the Emperor Shenwu had been gone for a while, Lan Qingwu finally regained some consciousness. She looked around blankly, and she was the only one left in the dormitory.

The Third Princess held another grand banquet at the Princess Mansion. Emperor Shenwu had asked her to keep a low profile some time ago. She had always loved luxury and extravagance, and now that she had the chance, she naturally wouldn't stay in the Princess Mansion anymore. Socializing and chatting with the families of the royal clan and the noble ladies, enjoying their admiration and envious glances was truly a supreme pleasure. Today, the Third Princess held a Hundred Flowers Banquet and even invited several royal children and noble sons to attend.

The third prince, who was very popular in the previous dynasty, was invited, and then some noble children and royal relatives followed suit.

In the spring garden filled with blooming flowers, the Third Princess, seated in the main seat, asked the senior palace maid beside her, "Has the Seventh Princess arrived? I've invited her several times!"

The senior maid bowed and said, "Here she is! Here she is! She should be reading with her companions by now!"

The third princess smiled charmingly: "That's good!"

The Seventh Princess was drinking tea with some of her study companions in a pavilion, and several young ladies from aristocratic families were talking about the Hundred Flowers Banquet of the Third Princess.

The Seventh Princess didn't want to come, but the Third Princess kept inviting her, so she couldn't refuse. So the Seventh Prince accompanied her to the banquet. He also felt uneasy about leaving his sister alone in the Third Princess's residence.

A young lady from an aristocratic family asked with a smile, "Her Highness the Seventh Princess hasn't attended a banquet in a long time. I thought I wouldn't be able to see Her Highness the Seventh Princess again today!"

The Seventh Princess said, "Since the Third Princess has invited me so warmly, I really can't refuse any longer. I've informed my father, and he has asked my Seventh Brother to accompany me! Besides, since I can't leave the palace, you can come in and see me!"

In fact, there were many guards who had come along with them, and the Seventh Princess felt a bit surprised, but Chu Shaoze said that this was his responsibility and an inevitable arrangement. It was just that it was difficult for the guards to enter and exit the female family at this time, so Chu Shaoze could only follow from a distance. The emperor and the Seventh Prince both tacitly accepted this display of guards, so she couldn't say anything more. However, the Seventh Princess thought that her Third Sister would be furious when she saw that her style outshone hers again, and her face would surely turn ashen.

The people were all very familiar with each other, chatting and laughing, and the sound of silver bells drifted far away.

When Qiao Shiqi went up the steps of the pavilion, she immediately saw the Seventh Princess standing in the center, looking as dazzling as a bud about to bloom. The Seventh Princess was only about ten years old, but she had already begun to show her beauty that could captivate the whole country!

Qiao Shiqi couldn't help but feel jealous, "What a lucky life!"

What Qiao Shiqi couldn't let go of was that because of the pain and humiliation that the Seventh Princess had suffered, His Royal Highness the Third Prince had said that he would support her.

Before the group of girls in the pavilion could react, this clever concubine had already climbed onto the pavilion.

"what are you doing?"

"This is the Seventh Princess! How can you not pay your respects to her now that you've come up here?"

Qiao Shiqi didn't take the group of little girls seriously. She walked straight to the Seventh Princess.

"I pay my respects to the Seventh Princess!" Qiao Shiqi bowed slightly and stood up, then her eyes fell on the Seventh Princess.

The exquisite hair crown, the blood-red jade bracelet, and the priceless jade pendant on the hem of the skirt worn by the Seventh Princess...all of these stung the eyes of the concubine Qiao.

The Seventh Princess frowned slightly and said, "I recognize you. Are you the concubine in the Third Prince's house?"

The Seventh Princess was completely confused. "My Third Brother actually brought you here? I really don't know where she left my Third Sister-in-law."

Qiao Shiqi's face darkened, and she walked straight towards the Seventh Princess. Before anyone could react, she had already pulled off the swaying hairpin from the Seventh Princess's head, and held it in her hand to play with and admire it!

Everyone in the pavilion was stunned. They were young ladies from noble families and were used to talking rather than fighting. They had never seen such a scene before!

The Third Prince's wife had once commented that Concubine Qiao was shallow, overbearing, and arrogant, and she was right. She had also once wondered what the Third Prince liked about Concubine Qiao!

The Seventh Princess was also shocked. "You...what are you doing? You are acting like this..."

Someone reacted and sneered, "How can she be like a street shrew! She actually took the Seventh Princess's hairpin with her own hands!"

Ruyan, who was beside the Seventh Princess, finally reacted. She said in a deep voice, "How dare you offend the princess! Insult the royal dignity! Come, arrest her!"

The people accompanying Concubine Qiao also stepped forward. Concubine Qiao was not afraid. She had come well prepared this time, bringing with her six or seven strong maids and two personal servants. She also boasted that the Third Prince would take care of her aftermath, so she was not afraid or panicked at all: "If you're talking about the royal family, I'm also a member of the royal family! I'll take this hairpin with me! Thank you, Seventh Princess!"

The Seventh Princess's face suddenly darkened. If she let Concubine Qiao leave like this, she would really bring shame to the royal family! She had been doted on by her father, the emperor, and her mother since she was a child, but she didn't want to endure such humiliation!

"You are not allowed to leave! Leave this princess's hairpin behind! Someone, come and get it back for this princess!"

The Seventh Princess's men started fighting, and the Concubine Qiao's men also started fighting. The two groups refused to give in, and the pavilion suddenly became a mess.

The other young ladies from the noble families retreated quickly for fear of being affected, and some smart ones even ran out of the pavilion to call for help!

In the chaos, the Seventh Princess, who was originally protected by Ruyan, was slapped by someone unknown. The sharp nails scratched the Seventh Princess's delicate cheek, and blood immediately flowed all over the Seventh Princess's face.

The Seventh Princess had never suffered such humiliation and pain before, and she burst into tears immediately. The chaos in the pavilion suddenly stopped in silence. Some people didn't even dare to breathe when they saw that the Seventh Princess was injured!

Qiao Shiqi rolled her eyes and turned to leave, but the next moment she was knocked to the ground by a huge force. Not only her, but all the people she brought with her fell to the ground and could not get up.

"Who! Don't you know who I am? I belong to the Third Prince!"

Chu Shaoze felt something was wrong. When he rushed over with his guards, he saw the blood on the Seventh Princess's face. He was terrified and furious, and without thinking, he knocked those people over with a palm!

He looked at the weeping Seventh Princess. Ruyan was holding a handkerchief to the Seventh Princess's wound with trembling hands. Chu Shaoze took out a bottle of wound ointment and placed it on Ruyan's hand before turning around and saying, "Whoever hurts the Seventh Princess will die!"

Chu Shaoze was about to take action when a voice came from under the pavilion: "Who dares to touch her!"

When Concubine Qiao heard the Third Prince's voice, it was like hearing heavenly music. She quickly got up and walked towards the pavilion.

Chu Shaoze looked at the Third Prince under the pavilion and bowed, "Your Highness, I am here under the command of His Majesty to protect the Seventh Princess. If anyone harms the Seventh Princess, no matter who it is, I will take their life! Your Highness, it is best not to stop them!"

The Third Prince pulled Concubine Qiao behind him and said, "This is my royal family's business, so please don't interfere! Besides, it's just a small quarrel. I believe the Seventh Princess won't take it to heart! I will send some ointment over later!"

Chu Shaoze's face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, an angry shout came over: "Who wants your ointment!"

The Seventh Prince, like a figure rejuvenated by spring, flew to the Third Prince's side in an instant. Passing by the guards nearby, the Seventh Prince drew out a long sword and stabbed at the concubine Qiao: "Today, this prince must kill this vicious woman!"

The Third Prince's pupils shrank, and he retreated with his concubine, Qiao Shiqi, but he was still a step too slow. The Seventh Prince stabbed the concubine in the left shoulder. The concubine screamed and fell to the ground.

The Third Prince said angrily, "Xiao Qi, are you going to attack me?"

The Seventh Prince also said as he beat him: "Now you understand the love between brothers!"

The third prince also drew a long sword, and the two of them started fighting in an instant!

The two men clashed their swords, neither willing to yield. The Third Prince leaned close to the Seventh Prince's ear and whispered, "Seventh Prince's Kung Fu is really good!"

The Seventh Prince said coldly, "Brother Crown Prince has me practice diligently and persevere every day. Third Brother, you can give it a try!"

When the Crown Prince was mentioned, the Third Prince's previously kind face instantly darkened. He spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Xiao Qi, you're still toiling away every day waiting for your mother to return to the palace! To tell you the truth, your mother won't be coming back. She made a grave mistake, and your father banished her to the Hot Springs Manor! Your mother will never come back in this lifetime! You'll never see her again!"

The Seventh Prince's hands began to tremble. "You are talking nonsense!"