She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 140: This Slap Is Considered Light

Chapter 140: Chapter 140: This Slap Is Considered Light

"Oh?" Xiao Hongshen raised his head with interest, his eyes blazing and full of strategy, "Let’s hear it."

Just as Li Chengyuan was about to speak, Li Chengxiang, who had been hiding behind Yan Wanqing, became anxious. She hurriedly spoke up, "Your Highness, Prince Seven, everything just now was a misunderstanding. It was all because of my third sister—"

"Who are you?" Xiao Hongshen frowned impatiently and raised his hand to interrupt Li Chengxiang, "Such impertinence. I was asking her."

Li Chengxiang’s face turned pale in an instant. She stopped talking and dared not say another word.

Seeing this, Li Chengyuan couldn’t hide the smug look in her eyes. She glanced at Li Chengxiang and spoke with feigned helplessness, "Your Highness, please forgive her. This is my elder sister. It is her first time in such a grand setting, and she is not quite versed in etiquette."

Li Chengxiang clenched her fists tightly upon hearing these words, completely forgetting that Yan Wanqing was holding her other hand. In doing so, she inadvertently conveyed her own emotions, and her heartache intensified.

Unexpectedly, the other end of her hand met with a gentle and soft grip, which lightly clasped hers back.

Immediately after, they heard the cool voice of Yan Wanqing.

"Etiquette? Is slandering your legitimate sister your idea of etiquette?"

No one had expected her to speak up directly and retort on behalf of Li Chengxiang.

Even Xiao Hongshen was startled after listening, giving Li Chengxiang, who stood behind him, a profound look.

Envy flashed through Li Chengyuan’s eyes as tears rapidly welled up. She said, "It was all my fault. Commandery Princess, please don’t blame her. Getting angry is harmful to the body. Prince Seven, please console the Commandery Princess immediately, we must not let her anger affect her well-being."

The words seemed considerate, but when strung together, they sounded insincere to the ear.

"Whether the Commandery Princess is angry or not, what does it have to do with Prince Seven? The incident was caused by Miss Li San. Is it your intention, Miss Li San, to have Prince Seven mediate justice?" Yan Wanqing looked up at Xiao Hongshen, her eyes filled with coldness.

Xiao Hongshen quickly recalled the scene inside the palace wall, how he lifted the curtain from the sedan to see Yan Wanqing in white, every step blossoming with blood lotuses.

At that time, her demeanour was just as calm and undisturbed, her eyes steady and unfazed by the events unfolding.

If she could handle herself effortlessly in such dire circumstances, it went without saying that the current situation was nothing to her.

A person like Li Chengyuan was simply not worthy of playing a few moves with Yan Wanqing.

However, now was not the time. Li Chengyuan still had her uses.

Xiao Hongshen still needed the final blueprints that Li Chengyuan could provide. Once the blueprints were in hand, then this woman could be discarded.

With these thoughts in mind, Xiao Hongshen hid the disdain in his eyes and revealed a gentle smile.

"There must be some misunderstanding in this matter. The Li Family has always been a lineage of scholars; it is unlikely that such sibling discord would arise. The Commandery Princess would do well not to meddle rashly."

Yan Wanqing found these sanctimonious words very irksome.

"I shall take care of this matter," she declared.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongshen’s eyes flashed viciously. After the previous incident, he had been severely weakened, and it was certainly not the time to clash head-on with Yan Wanqing, especially over someone else’s affairs. Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind, and his thin lips pursed.

"The guests at today’s waterside banquet were all personally invited by the Emperor. The Commandery Princess surely understands the importance of timeliness. If a scene were to be caused here and now, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be good for the Empress’s face," he said, invoking Empress Zhang Lanyi to pressure Yan Wanqing.

Yan Wanqing responded with a hooked lip and a dismissive snort, no longer looking at Xiao Hongshen but turning her gaze to Li Chengyuan instead.

Li Chengyuan felt a chill under her gaze but felt she shouldn’t show such cowardice. So she stiffened her spine and stood up straight, not anticipating the slap to the face that came her way.

They heard Cong Ge’s cold voice rebuking her.

"How audacious! How dare you look directly at the Commandery Princess!"

The moment the slap landed, Xiao Hongshen immediately frowned, "Yan Wanqing, you—!"

Yan Wanqing glanced sideways at him, "Shouldn’t one be disciplined for disrespecting their superior?"

Xiao Hongshen snorted coldly, "I didn’t know you were so unruly."

"How the Commandery Princess conducts herself is of no concern to Your Highness," Yan Wanqing took a few steps toward Li Chengyuan, her voice light. Looking at her clutching her face filled with resentment, she scornfully curled her lips, "Third Miss Li, consider yourself lucky to have been slapped lightly. You should understand what I mean."

After speaking, she pulled Li Chengxiang and walked inside.

Xiao Hongshen watched the aqua-colored figure, a flash of confusion crossing his eyes, "What does she mean? When did you make an enemy of Princess Anping?"

Li Chengyuan quickly lowered her hands and bowed her head, "I shall report to Your Highness that it is nothing of the sort. It must be my elder sister causing trouble behind the scenes, leading to the Commandery Princess’s misunderstanding about me..."

Xiao Hongshen, not wanting to listen any further, saw the Chief of Staff and a few bureaucrats walking in from the entrance and waved his hand irritably, "Resolve it yourself." With that, he left without looking back.

Li Chengyuan was left standing there alone, stomping her foot furiously.

Damn that Li Chengxiang.

So lucky to have charmed Princess Anping!

Princess Anping was not as otherworldly and ethereal as the rumors suggested; the slap she delivered was proof enough that she was not someone to be trifled with.

Thoughts flickered through Li Chengyuan’s eyes.

The water banquet today was an opportunity for her, and she had to seize it.

Xiao Hongshen was ruthless and accustomed to abandoning his allies after using them; she needed an opportunity to ensure he couldn’t just cast her aside again.

With these thoughts, Li Chengyuan, no longer caring about the swelling on her face, turned and walked outside.

Elsewhere, Yan Wanqing, accompanied by Li Chengxiang, mingled among the female guests, easily chatting and laughing with them. When she saw Li Chengxiang no longer timid in social interactions, she retreated to the side, took a cup of fine wine from a servant’s tray, and sipped it lightly at her lips.

"It seems that the poison has been cleansed from the Commandery Princess’s body."

Yan Wanqing heard a man’s voice. She looked around but saw no one.

"I’m right here."

The voice came closer.

Only then did Yan Wanqing notice a palace maid with a charming demeanor, standing in front of her in a bright red gown, holding a bottle of fine wine.

"Who are you?"

Yan Wanqing grew wary, surprised that someone knew her poison had been cured.

The palace maid covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"We’ve met a few times before, Your Highness seems to have quite the memory."

Yan Wanqing narrowed her eyes, a flash of murderous intent within, "Such disguise, skulking around—what exactly are you trying to do? It’s better to just speak plainly."

Seeing that she still had not remembered, the palace maid sighed, feigning sorrow, yet the amusement in her eyes could not be fully concealed.

"At the foot of Southern Mountain, the Commandery Princess once gifted... this poor monk, a grand present."

The words ’poor monk’ lingered in his throat.

Yan Wanqing’s mind was blocked, and her gaze quickly shifted to the Empress sitting atop the high seat beside the elderly Emperor.

When she looked back at the palace maid, her expression had already darkened considerably.

Without a word, Yan Wanqing grabbed the palace maid’s hand.

"Come with me."

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