The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the laughing and chatting crowd in the hall, especially Ji Yunzhan's mother, who was chatting and laughing with another lady not far away. Madam Ji

A faint, cold smile curved at the corners of his lips.

How dare she touch her daughter! Today, Ji Yunzhan will show her what it means to wish she were dead.

She picked up the white jade teacup on the table, took a small sip, and spoke softly enough for the ladies around her to hear clearly.

"Speaking of which, I've long heard of the elegant white lotuses blooming at the lakeside pavilion in the Duke of Changguo's mansion. On this fine day, I wonder if Madam Wu would do us the honor of showing us?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several ladies who were on good terms with the Shen family immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, we've heard about it before, and today is a perfect opportunity."

This included Madam Ji, who immediately smiled and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking too."

Upon hearing this, Madam Shen glanced at Madam Ji with a cold, icy look.

Madam Wu said, "If you all are interested, I will gladly keep you company." With that, she got up and led the way.

The group walked through the winding corridors and had just reached the lakeside when they saw Du Yixian approaching hurriedly with several noble ladies. They looked flustered, their skirts still damp with water, as if they had suffered a great shock.

Du Yixian was secretly delighted. He hadn't expected to run into these ladies here. It was truly a stroke of luck!

That bitch Ji Yunzhan, I'll make sure she's utterly disgraced today!

She caught a glimpse of her mother, Madam Du, in the crowd, and her eyes immediately filled with tears, on the verge of sobbing.

"Mother!" Du Yixian cried out as she rushed over, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"We...we were playing in the garden just now and accidentally got our clothes wet. We were thinking of going to the quiet guest room over there to change, but...but who knew that the room...the room..."

As she said this, she gripped Madam Du's sleeves tightly with both hands, looking as if she had been greatly frightened.

The ladies present were all worldly-wise and experienced. Seeing her hesitant and flustered appearance, and the disheveled expressions of her and the other noble ladies, they could easily understand that there must be something sordid going on.

For a moment, everyone's eyes were filled with different expressions, and hushed whispers rose from the crowd.

Madam Ji's heart stirred. The Ji family and the Changguo Duke's family had a long-standing feud. If today's events could cause the Changguo Duke's family to lose face, that would be ideal.

She immediately composed herself and said in a feigned concern, "Oh dear, whatever happened in the room, let's go check on them quickly, so the children don't suffer any injustice."

As soon as she said this, the other ladies, who were already curious, became even more eager to go and see for themselves.

Madam Wu inwardly cried out in alarm and tried to stop them, but she was surrounded by the crowd and couldn't get a word in edgewise.

She glared angrily at Madam Ji, who was fanning the flames, but had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.

Madam Shen lagged behind the crowd, watching Madam Ji's impatient expression, a cold, mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips: Fool.

The group arrived at the guest room in a grand procession, with Madam Ji leading the way, a determined smile on her face, and forcefully pushing open the door—

The moment the door was flung open, the scene inside stunned everyone.

On the bed, Ji Yunzhan lay disheveled, her hair in disarray, and beside her lay a strange man, equally disheveled!

Madam Ji's smile froze, as if she had been frozen in place, and the color drained from her face little by little.

The ladies behind them also gasped, their exclamations and gasps rising and falling.

Madam Wu was taken aback at first, then quickly realized what was happening and couldn't help but burst into laughter inside.

Although this incident occurred in the Duke's mansion, it was at most a matter of mismanagement and a loss of face, but the one who truly lost face was the Ji family!

"Qi'er!" Madam Ji reacted, screaming, and rushed in like a madwoman, grabbing the brocade quilt from the bed and haphazardly covering her daughter, shaking her violently with both hands.

"Wake up! What's going on?!"

Ji Yunzhan was awakened by her mother's violent shaking. She opened her eyes groggily.

The first thing I saw was a room full of stares that were either astonished, disdainful, or gloating, as well as my mother's eyes, which had turned bloodshot with anger and despair.

Her mind went blank, a sudden "buzz." How could things have turned out this way?

She suddenly tried to sit up, to scream, to tell everyone that Shen Tinghe was the one who killed her.

But just then, her gaze passed over the crowd and met Madam Shen's cold, piercing eyes at the door.

That gaze was devoid of any warmth, as if looking at a lifeless corpse.

Madam Shen had a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips, but that smile was filled with undisguised mockery and...killing intent.

Ji Yunzhan's heart suddenly clenched, and all the words stuck in her throat.

Yes, how could she forget? Shen Tinghe is not alone.

Standing behind her were Prince Dingshan, the esteemed Grand Princess Zhaorong, and the powerful Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Her mother, Princess Hualan, was His Majesty's younger sister, whom he grew up with in the palace, and they shared a deep bond.

If anyone dares to utter Shen Tinghe's name today, she will surely die, given the power of the Shen family.

Cold sweat instantly soaked her back. She even began to make absurd prayers, hoping that this shameful act before her could outweigh what she had done to Shen Tinghe.

Ji Yunzhan's scandal spread like wildfire throughout the entire Changguo Duke's Mansion.

The male guests in the lobby quickly learned of the news and began to discuss it animatedly.

Of course, Madam Shen played a crucial role in this behind the scenes.

What should have been a grand banquet ended abruptly as a farce.

When Shen Tinghe woke up again, she was being held in Xie Yanzhao's arms.

She didn't even open her eyes; the refreshing and pleasant scent of ambergris lingering around her nose was already etched into her very bones.

Her head rested on his shoulder, and the left side of her shirt had been pulled down to her forearm, revealing a small patch of delicate, fair skin.

Xie Yanzhao's large hand was on the back of her neck, his fingertips carrying the coolness of the ointment, carefully applying it to her wound.

"elder brother……"

Shen Tinghe felt a surge of grievance and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Her response was Xie Yanzhao's suppressed silence, a silence that concealed his anger.

He didn't say a word, but carefully used his fingertip to apply the ointment in circles over the bluish-red mark.

Shen Tinghe tried to turn her head to look at him, but as soon as she moved, he pressed the back of her head down with his palm.

"Don't move." His voice was low and hoarse, devoid of much emotion, yet it made Shen Tinghe's heart inexplicably tighten.

Shen Tinghe obediently stopped moving.

She could imagine his expression at that moment, surely covered in frost.

In Xie Yanzhao's deep eyes, a chilling rage surged, almost consuming him.

His beloved daughter has never suffered such a serious injury in all her life.

Just thinking about it made Xie Yanzhao unable to control his desire to grind the instigator to dust.

"Brother, don't be angry with me..."

Shen Tinghe softened her voice, her small hand slipping under his clothes to gently tug at his waist, swaying like a pleading kitten.

"From now on, I will make sure Qinglan and Qingdai stay with me every step of the way."