Chapter 45: The Deposed Crown Prince, Xie Wanzhou

After pondering for a moment, Shen Ningyuan softly said, "Since that is the case, I shall leave the palace immediately after I finish my meal."

With that, Shen Ningyuan looked at Song Yan'er and asked, "What about you, sister-in-law? Are you coming back with me, or will you stay in the palace to keep Consort Ying company?"

Song Yan'er wore a troubled expression and instinctively looked toward her eldest sister. "Eldest Sister, do you think I should go back, or linger in the palace for another day?"

"Ever since I entered the palace, the two of us sisters have not seen each other once. It is rare for you to be here, so stay the night with me. I will arrange for someone to send you back to the Shen family tomorrow."

"Very well." Song Yan'er turned back to Shen Ningyuan. "I am sorry, Ningyuan, but you will have to return alone tonight."

Shen Ningyuan shook her head in response. "It is fine. Sister-in-law should indeed spend more time with Consort Ying and share some intimate words."

Once a woman entered the palace, she no longer enjoyed the freedom of the outside world.

Having been separated for many years, the sisters indeed needed more time to be together.

Upon hearing this, Song Ying'er immediately declared, "Good, I shall send someone to inform His Majesty right now. Since my younger sister has entered the palace tonight, there will be no bed-sharing."

With that, Song Ying'er let out a sigh and muttered softly, "Phew... I can finally rest for a day."

Shen Ningyuan: "..."

Song Yan'er: "???"

Both of them heard Song Ying'er's mutterings, and their expressions varied.

Shen Ningyuan pursed her lips and smiled slightly.

She thought to herself that if the Emperor were to hear such words, he would likely vomit blood in anger.

Yet, this also revealed that Consort Ying's eldest sister was deeply favored; otherwise, how could she be exhausted from imperial attendance?

After finishing the evening meal, seeing that darkness was about to fall, Song Ying'er arranged for two palace maids to escort Shen Ningyuan out of the palace.

Shen Ningyuan followed the two palace attendants as they walked toward the main gate of the imperial palace.

However, halfway through the journey, Shen Ningyuan raised her gaze to survey her surroundings and sensed something amiss.

She immediately halted her steps and asked in a deep voice, "Is this not the road leading to the main gate of the palace?"

At these words, the bodies of the two palace maids stiffened, yet they feigned composure as they looked at Shen Ningyuan. "It is like this: Her Ladyship feared there might be mishaps on the way out of the palace, so she instructed us to take a secluded path to lead you out."

"I see."

Shen Ningyuan acknowledged the reply and continued forward.

Passing through a long corridor, the two palace maids exchanged glances and nodded at each other.

Then, they slowed their pace, and as they reached a corner, they immediately ducked around it, leaving Shen Ningyuan all alone in the corridor.

When Shen Ningyuan turned back to look, not a trace of the palace maids remained behind her.

Her expression instantly darkened.

She had not expected that the very thing Consort Ying worried about would actually happen.

Furthermore, the Empress's spies had already infiltrated Shulan Palace.

At this thought, Shen Ningyuan drew a deep breath and continued toward the end of the corridor.

Unfamiliar with the imperial palace, she had no idea where she was.

She could only walk forward by intuition, hoping to encounter patrolling guards.

However, this area was exceptionally desolate; after wandering around a vast circle, she failed to catch sight of even a single guard.

Shen Ningyuan's brows furrowed deeply, a faint sense of foreboding gripping her heart.

Clang—

At that moment, a sound suddenly echoed from an old, dilapidated palace nearby.

Someone was there?

A look of pleasant surprise crossed Shen Ningyuan's face.

As long as someone was present, she could ask for directions out of the palace.

With this thought, Shen Ningyuan stepped up the stairs and pushed open the aged courtyard doors.

With a creak, as the heavy doors were pushed open, a wave of musty, decayed air rushed toward her face.

Shen Ningyuan could not help frowning, waving her hand to fan away the odor before her nose.

Only after the stale smell dissipated did she cross the threshold, stepping inside with cautious, tentative paces.

Throughout this process, Shen Ningyuan never once raised her head.

Had she lifted her gaze to look above the palace gates before entering, she would have noticed three large characters—"Lin'an Hall"—carved in faded cinnabar upon the plaque covered in spiderwebs.

-

Meanwhile, the two palace maids who had abandoned Shen Ningyuan had arrived at He Yunshu's newly relocated residence—Shuyun Hall.

This had originally been a leisure spot she had renovated during idle times to cultivate flowers and plants, but after being driven out in anger by Shen Ningyuan, it had become her new sleeping quarters.

Seeing the two palace maids scurry over, He Yunshu asked leisurely, "Has the task been accomplished?"

"Replying to the Empress, Your Ladyship, this maid and the others have already brought the young mistress of the Ji family to the deposed Crown Prince's residence," one of the maids replied in a low voice.

"Well done." He Yunshu's lips curled into a cold smirk. "You two are chess pieces I planted beside Consort Ying. To expose you now just to deal with that little wretch is somewhat regrettable to me."

"How about this? I shall grant you a sum of money sufficient for you to live in peace for the rest of your days. Once you leave the palace, go live your lives in safety!" He Yunshu spoke in a lazy tone.

The two palace maids exchanged glances, seeing the exact same thrill reflected in each other's eyes.

They bowed deeply to He Yunshu, saying, "This maid deeply thanks the Empress for her grace!"

Consumed by excitement, neither palace maid noticed the murderous intent flashing in He Yunshu's eyes.

Seeing this, He Yunshu waved her hand indolently. "Very well, very well, withdraw. I have been through much turmoil today and feel rather fatigued."

Once the maids had departed, He Yunshu looked toward her personal maid, Wenying, and made a gesture of slitting a throat.

Wenying remained silent, merely nodding, and turned to walk out of Shuyun Hall.

When there was no one else around, the corners of He Yunshu's mouth curved into a triumphant arc.

"Cui Jin, if I cannot deal with you, could I not deal with your daughter?"

He Yunshu narrowed her eyes, a bone-chilling coldness lacing her voice. "I should like to see whether your precious treasure of a daughter can escape alive from the hands of that madman, Xie Wanzhou!"

As she spoke, the upward arc of He Yunshu's lips widened further.

At that very moment, Shen Ningyuan had already crossed the front courtyard strewn with withered grass and fallen leaves, climbed the steps a step at a time, and cautiously pushed open the main hall's doors.

Swish—

The moment the door swung open, a jar of wine came hurtling straight toward her face.

Shen Ningyuan's eyes widened, her body instinctively dodging to the side.

The wine jar grazed past her ear and smashed into the courtyard outside, producing a loud clanging crash.

Shen Ningyuan's brows knitted together.

This was the exact sound she had heard earlier.

What kind of person lived in this palace?

Not only was its location remote, but not a single servant tended to it.

Could it be...

Was this the residence of that person?

As Consort Ying's prior words flashed through her mind, Shen Ningyuan's pupils contracted violently, her eyes widening to the size of copper bells.

Gazing into the great hall where countless draperies hung down, radiating an aura of utter ruin and decay,

Shen Ningyuan felt a creeping chill ripple down her spine.

This place was not to be lingered in!

Daring not to hesitate for even a second, Shen Ningyuan stumbled around and turned to run.

Yet, it was already too late.

Accompanied by the grinding sound of wheels rotating, a presence closed in rapidly from behind.

A frigid, deep voice abruptly sounded, "Are you here to bring me wine?"

Shen Ningyuan shivered violently, too terrified to respond or even look back as she clutched her skirts and bolted.

"No wine?"

"Running..."

"Courting death!"

With those words, a long whip lashed out from the depths of the hall, wrapping around Shen Ningyuan's waist and hauling her—already fleeing past the base of the steps—back into the chamber.

Bang—

Shen Ningyuan was slammed heavily against the floor.

Though lacking sharp pain, her entire body went numb.

Immediately afterward, a wooden wheelchair slowly rolled into her field of vision.

Shen Ningyuan raised her gaze to see a man clad in oversized cyan robes, his face abnormally pale, seated in the wheelchair, looking down at her from on high.

"Where is my wine..."

The man pressed his thin lips together, his voice biting with bone-chilling frost, every single word striking heavy upon Shen Ningyuan's heart.