Chapter 1284 - 1284 Increasingly Intense Obsession
Chapter 1284 Increasingly Intense Obsession
âPrincess Yue!â Seeing Zhang Qilan, Infanta Yuanâan was also very surprised. She restrained the anger in her eyes and raised her smiling face. âI didnât expect to see you here. Why donât we sit and talk?â
With a decent smile, Zhang Qilan pointed to the private room nearby and said, âCome in and have a seat?â
âOkay, letâs spend some time together!â Infanta Yuanâan nodded.
The two of them entered the private room hand in hand. The private roomâs door was closed, isolating them from the curious gazes of passersby outside. Some knew Infanta Yuanâan, while others heard someone calling Princess Yue. For a time, the scene set off a storm of speculation.
Prince Yue and Prince Zhou were widely known as the two leading competitors for the throne. It was astonishing that Princess Yue and Princess Zhou would sit and chat intimately like best friends.
In the private room, they sat down. A servant girl asked the shop-boy to change the tea and bring some fresh pastries. Then, she retreated to both sides.
âPrincess Yue, did you meet anyone here just now?â When Infanta Yuanâan entered the door, the table hadnât yet been cleaned. There, she saw two used teacups and some leftover pastries. Just now, Zhang Qilan went out. It seemed she was sending a guest out. Recalling such a scene, Infanta Yuanâan couldnât help guessing the guestâs identity. Princess Yue personally saw the guest off. Who would have such an honor?
Zhang Qilan deliberately walked with the person to the door. Who was so close to her?
Qin Yiyan only brought one servant girl with her. On her way out, she encountered Infanta Yuanâan. But because Infanta Yuanâan didnât know Qin Yiyan, she didnât think much of it and only knew she seemed to have passed by a Young Madam.
âA Miss, my good friend.â Zhang Qilan said vaguely.
âFrom which family? Iâm most familiar with the Misses in the capital city. Which one has such a good relationship with you?â Infanta Yuanâan inquired about the news calmly.
âShe isnât very famous and just has a connection with my family. We happened to meet and talked for a while,â Zhang Qilan answered with a light smile.
A Miss connected to Prime Minister Zhangâs Mansion but not from an eminent illustrious family. It was quite normal that Infanta Yuanâan didnât recognize her. Zhang Qilan didnât want to tell Infanta Yuanâan about her private affairs. Her attitude was perfectly understandable.
The two families were only in harmony on the surface.
Considering the past event, their current identities and positions, it was impossible for them to be honest. Instead, they should be always on guard against each other.
âInfanta Yuanâan, were you angry just now? Did you come here because you were in a rage with anyone?â Zhang Qilan ended the previous topic and looked up at Infanta Yuanâan, not neglecting the details of her expression.
Infanta Yuanâanâs face suddenly fell, but soon she smiled. âSomething was wrong. I was quite annoyed when dealing with an affair in my mansion. So, I ran out to relax and came across you!â
The Prince Zhouâs Mansion had many women. Most of them were endowed with a title by the Palace. Surely, they wouldnât submit themselves to all Infanta Yuanâanâs wishes. Although Infanta Yuanâan had a noble and superior status, the others were difficult to deal with. Moreover, the incident about Qi Rongzhi just happened.
âPrince Zhou should handle the situation very well. After all, you are his legal wife!â Zhang Qilan said placidly, with a trace of a smile on her face.
But in the eyes of Infanta Yuanâan, her smile was full of sarcasm.
She put down the teacup in her hand and said, âThatâs true, but⊠Qi Rongzhi, do you know about her?â
Infanta Yuanâan seemed to be a little hesitant when mentioning this. She looked at Zhang Qilan but held back the words which sprang to her lips.
âConsort Qi, I know her. We attended the Pageant together.â Zhang Qilan nodded. Beyond that, she heard Qi Rongzhi run into trouble in Prince Zhouâs Mansion. She was said to have had an affair with someone and even implicated her mansion. Notably, it was Infanta Yuanâan who took some people and caught her.
âConsort Qi was a poor wretch, and so is Prince Yue⊠Since he liked her, he could have asked the Empress for her. Anyway, our Prince didnât like Consort Qi that much. You know, he received so many consorts and concubines. How could he care about the most inconspicuous Consort Qi?â Infanta Yuanâan sighed.
She knew Zhang Qilan was obsessively jealous â Zhang Qilan could even frame up her close friends out of groundless envy. And this time, she had solid evidence to prove the scandal.
âOur Prince has nothing to do with Consort Qi. Princess Zhou, you must have made a mistake!â Zhang Qilan said with her face darkening. She lowered her voice when she mentioned âPrincess Zhouâ. With this, she reminded Infanta Yuanâan that they were of the same status. Moreover, on careful inspection, Zhang Qilan, as Princess Yue, had a higher position.
âDonât you know about it?â Infanta Yuanâan was not angry. Instead, she raised her eyebrows and looked at Zhang Qilan up and down with sympathy in her eyes. She shook her head and said, âWell, I was talking nonsense. Donât take it seriously.â
Hearing her words, Zhang Qilan was somewhat convinced.
She did know something about Qi Rongzhi, but not much. An accident about Prince Zhouâs consort happened in Prince Zhouâs Mansion. She had little to do with Qi Rongzhi, who was not a virtuous daughter of an eminent family. They had just met a few times and were not very familiar with each other. She and her Eldest Brother were said to have secretly discussed how to scheme against Prince Zhouâs Mansion. Then, Prince Zhouâs Mansion lamely involved Prince Yueâs Mansion in this event, trying to provoke the Emperor to anger.
Of course, Qi Rongzhi eventually hanged herself in shame.
Chu Liuyue told her part of the facts, and she also got some information when in the mansion. At that time, she didnât take this matter seriously. She just asked a few questions and listened to some discussions.
âI heard Consort Qi had an affair with someone! But does it have something to do with Prince Yue?â Zhang Qilan said unblinkingly.
âConsort Qi had an affair with Prince Yue. Donât you know that?â Infanta Yuanâan looked surprised. âBoth Prince Yue and Prince Zhou have been involved in this. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldnât be angry. After all, a consort is not a big deal.â
Infanta Yuanâan did not go on talking about the details. Afterward, she turned to speak about something else. It seemed that what she had said before was just a casual chat. Sometimes, information revealed inadvertently sounded more authentic.
Zhang Qilan cleverly got back on the topic and mentioned Qi Rongzhi occasionally. The more she listened, the tighter she twisted the handkerchief.
She didnât believe it at first, but now she sort of believed it. She had concluded in her heart that Chu Liuyue would kindly treat anyone related to Shao Wanru. The same thing happened to the concubine surnamed Yu. Now, the situation of Qi Rongzhi sounded the same. This information sounded reliable to her merely because Qi Rongzhi had grown up with Shao Wanru.
Her handkerchief was almost torn into pieces.
If Shao Wanru knew what Zhang Qilan was thinking, she would sneer at her. How could she know that Chu Liuyue was in deep love with her? More ridiculously, because of his love for Shao Wanru, he would even think highly of those people related to her. In Zhang Qilanâs eyes, he would even fall in love with the women around Shao Wanru. What a jealous woman with an incredible imagination.
Qi Rongzhi had intended to frame up Shao Wanru. It was evidently because she and Chu Liuyue shared the same rotten tastes. They conspired with each other to scheme against others. Unexpectedly, as their plot was discovered, she became Chu Liuyueâs abandoned pawn.
âItâs getting late. Iâm leaving. I want to talk to you next time if thereâs any chance.â Infanta Yuanâan felt it was almost time to leave, so she stood up and said goodbye with a smile.
Again, she glanced at Zhang Qilanâs clothes. Covering her mouth corner with a handkerchief, she said, âPrincess Yue used to like clothes elegant in style, but now you prefer those bright-colored ones. But I think you looked better in the past. Clothes in gaudy colors like peonies are not suitable for you. Honestly, they better matched Consort Qi in my mansion!â
Qi Rongzhi, with a beautiful face, should be prettier than Zhang Qilan.
Zhang Qilan gritted her teeth but did not show a look of hatred. In her eyes, this could also prove that Qi Rongzhi had an illicit association with Chu Liuyue.
âPrincess Yue, Iâm leaving now!â Infanta Yuanâan said goodbye again with a smile and left with her people.
Behind her, Zhang Qilanâs peaceful eyes gradually turned cold and gloomy, with traces of blood. They appeared quite scary.
âMy Lady!â The servant girl said timidly.
âLetâs go!â Zhang Qilan angrily gnashed her teeth and suppressed the hatred in her heart. She couldnât suspect Prince Yue because of Infanta Yuanâanâs one-sided statement. Infanta Yuanâan was not trustworthy.
With such an idea in mind, Zhang Qilan returned to the mansion and went to the study first. However, halfway there, she went back to the inner court. She had to check it out by herself first. Otherwise, he would not tell her anything, even if she asked Prince Yue about this.
The incident about Qi Rongzhi had caused quite a stir, but she didnât find much information inside the mansion. Chu Liuyue forbade people in his mansion to talk about this. Therefore, Zhang Qilan didnât know much about it. Later, she sent her trusted old maid to Prime Minister Zhangâs Mansion and finally got the information she wanted. Hearing the truth of the matter, Zhang Qilan closed the door of the inner room and sat in it for a whole night.
Chu Liuyue didnât come that night because he had something else to do.
The next day, he didnât send anyone to check on her. Similar things had happened a lot. Even since Zhang Qilan married into this mansion, she discovered that she couldnât even compare with that consort. Of course, that consort also had an outstanding appearance and an impressive family background. It was Chu Liuyue who selected her as the consort. He liked women with a pure but charming appearance.
This consort was not like Shao Wanru. However, Zhang Qilan was in the grip of an obsession and thought that every beauty she met looked like Shao Wanru. Both this consort and Qi Rongzhi were beautiful, so they were somewhat similar to Shao Wanru in her mind. Besides, they all had a certain magnificent charm of the peony, which was renowned as the queen of flowers.
Chu Liuyue liked peoniesâŠ
Zhang Qilan was secretly investigating this matter in Prince Yueâs Mansion. Meanwhile, Prince Zhouâs Mansion was not peaceful either. Infanta Yuanâan had even carried surveys outside the mansion. When hearing that Prince Zhou used to have a mistress somewhere outside, she immediately came over to deal with her. However, she was told that the mistress left long ago. She just lived there in the past.
Infanta Yuanâan did not believe it. However, the courtyard was empty, and the woman was no longer there. That place was even no longer belonged to Prince Zhouâs Mansion. She came here but got nothing valuable.
There must be a woman, but she didnât know where Chu Liuzhou had hidden her. After Infanta Yuanâan successfully provoked Zhang Qilan, she was also tortured by many things. In fact, like Zhang Qilan, she also stubbornly believed that her husband did not like her and that many other women were secretly seducing him.
In this case, they had to hunt this woman down and cut her into pieces.
At this time, a letter was quietly sent to an inconspicuous place. The gardenâŠ
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