Chapter 13 Schemes

Chapter 13: The Scheme

Gu Yiting walked over to the banquet table where Xiao Lingchuan was seated.

He cupped his hands in salute and announced clearly, "I am Gu Yiting, paying my respects to Your Highness the Fourth Prince."

Xiao Lingchuan leaned back in his seat, holding a wine cup. His exceptionally handsome face carried an aloofness that kept people at bay.

He looked up slightly, his voice low. "What can I do for you, Master Gu?"

As the son of a censor, Gu Yiting, though not from a prominent noble family, commanded some respect at court. Most princes would treat him with a degree of courtesy when conversing.

Yet this Fourth Prince, rumored to be the most down on his luck, radiated an intangible pressure that made Gu Yiting's heart clench, filling him with trepidation.

He thought to himself: How could the Jiang family's trueborn daughter be infatuated with such a cold person?

Was she merely taken with his looks?

At this thought, his disdain for Jiang Shuning grew.

Steadying himself, Gu Yiting said, "I come at someone's request, to invite Your Highness to meet at the side hall near the lotus pond."

Xiao Lingchuan's tone remained indifferent. "Who invited me?"

Gu Yiting was unwilling to name Jiang Yaozhen directly, fearing it might damage her reputation.

His gaze shifted, landing on the food box beside Xiao Lingchuan. He had a sudden idea, and he smiled. "It is the person who sent this box of almond cakes to Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, the frost in Xiao Lingchuan's eyes seemed to thaw slightly.

He set down his cup and slowly rose. "Which side hall by the lotus pond? Lead the way."

"Yes, Your Highness, please follow me." Gu Yiting responded, then remembered Jiang Yaozhen's instruction and added softly, "That young lady specifically asked Your Highness to try her handiwork. I wonder if Your Highness has tasted the almond cakes yet?"

Hearing this, a rare smile touched Xiao Lingchuan's lips. "Not yet. I shall try one now."

He reached out and opened the food box. Inside was a pile of almond cheese cakes, crushed into an unrecognizable mess, a pitiful sight.

Xiao Lingchuan's face stiffened. Gu Yiting glimpsed this and felt awkward on his behalf.

Were Jiang Shuning's culinary skills so lacking?

Even the pastries she made for the object of her affection were so carelessly done. What exactly did the Third Prince see in her?

Gu Yiting muttered inwardly, not daring to show any of it on his face.

Xiao Lingchuan was silent for a moment, then finally picked up a piece of the broken cake and put it in his mouth.

A familiar taste spread on his tongue. His expression gradually eased, the gloom completely dissipating.

After finishing the almond cake, Xiao Lingchuan stood up and left the banquet with Gu Yiting.

Not far away, Qiu Yue saw this and hurried to Jiang Shuning's side.

Feigning panic, she leaned close to Jiang Shuning's ear and whispered, "Miss, the Second Miss was just scolded to tears by the Third Prince! She's hiding now and won't come back. I didn't dare disturb the Master and Madam. Please go and check on her quickly!"

Jiang Shuning was startled, frowning. "How could that be?"

"I don't know the details either. I only heard the Third Prince rebuke the Second Miss for overreaching, for using her status as the legitimate daughter to aspire to be his official wife, and telling her not to harbor such wild fantasies!"

Jiang Shuning's heart sank, thinking this was bad.

Tonight, she had originally intended to matchmake Jiang Yaozhen and the Third Prince. She hadn't expected things had already gone wrong before her plan could even begin.

She didn't have time to think it through carefully. She hurriedly stood up and left the banquet with Qiu Yue.

Qiu Yue led Jiang Shuning to the edge of the lotus pond.

Jiang Shuning's steps faltered slightly. This was the place where she had fallen into the water. The memory of that day's icy, piercing cold clung to her like a shadow, and a trace of unease rose in her heart.

"Where is Yaozhen? Where exactly is she?" she asked with a frown.

Qiu Yue kept her head lowered, but her tone feigned confusion. "I don't know either. I clearly saw the Second Miss wandering around here just a moment ago."

As she spoke, she glanced out of the corner of her eye and suddenly pointed to a side hall not far away. "Miss, look! There's a figure moving over there. The Second Miss must be inside!"

Jiang Shuning, unsuspecting, walked toward the side hall.

She pushed open the hall door. Just as she stepped inside, a loud *bang* sounded from behind her—the wooden door was suddenly slammed shut. Her heart tightened. She turned and pushed the door, but found it immovable, as if bolted from the outside.

At that moment, from deep within the side hall came a series of heavy, labored breaths, low and suppressed, especially jarring in the silence.

Jiang Shuning whirled around. By the faint light, she made out the figure gradually approaching—Xiao Lingchuan.

His face was flushed with an abnormal redness, the corners of his eyes damp and red. His steps were steady, yet carried a strange urgency.

"Fourth Prince, why are you here?"

Xiao Lingchuan's gaze burned as it locked onto her, his voice hoarse. "Wasn't it you who asked me to come?"

"When did I..."

Before Jiang Shuning could finish, she saw him take another step closer.

In the dim light, that strange flush on his face became even more pronounced. His breathing was rapid, nearly out of control.

Her mind raced. Suddenly, she remembered her wedding night in her previous life. After drinking the nuptial wine, he had looked exactly like this—he had been drugged!

"Your Highness, what did you eat just now?" She suppressed her panic and asked tentatively.

Xiao Lingchuan also seemed to sense his own abnormality. His Adam's apple bobbed, but the heat in his eyes involuntarily fell on her rosy lips. "I ate the almond cakes you sent."

Almond cakes?

Jiang Shuning's mind exploded with realization. She suddenly remembered Qiu Yue deliberately leading her here just now and then quickly closing the door and leaving.

She understood instantly—it was Jiang Yaozhen's scheme!

"Your Highness, we've fallen into a trap! If I am not mistaken, someone will push open this door in a moment. By then, no matter what we say, we won't be able to clear our names of this disgrace!"

Hearing this, the smile on Xiao Lingchuan's lips deepened, carrying a hint of playfulness. "If that is indeed the case, it might not necessarily be a bad thing."

With that, a strange light flashed in his eyes. He suddenly reached out, pulled her into his embrace, and leaned down as if to kiss her lips.

Jiang Shuning, already on guard, acted swiftly. She raised her hand and delivered a crisp slap—*smack!*—the sound echoing sharply in the empty, silent side hall.

Caught off guard, Xiao Lingchuan froze in place, staring at her in disbelief. "You dare to strike me?"

"Your Highness, please calm your anger!" Jiang Shuning forcefully suppressed the panic in her heart, her expression stern as she enunciated each word clearly. "I did this for Your Highness's sake! If you and I are discovered here together, and people mistakenly think we were engaging in impropriety, have you considered the consequences? His Majesty despises princes with lax morals the most. Your Highness's situation is already difficult. If you add this stain to it, how easy will it be to turn things around?"

Xiao Lingchuan regained some clarity from that slap.

He rubbed his burning cheek and smirked mockingly. “I don’t care. Can it get any worse than this?”

“Your Highness may not care, but I do!” Jiang Shuning cut him off coldly.

In her previous life, she had forced him to marry her by staking her reputation, only to be neglected for ten years.

If she were to be entangled with him again in this disgraceful, reputation‑ruining way now, the outcome would only be worse.

She would never repeat the same mistake. In this life, she would marry a worthy man with all the glory and honor she deserves!

Just then, Jiang Yaozhen’s deliberately pitiful, tearful voice suddenly came from outside the door—soft yet every word clear: “My older sister got lost here a moment ago. The palace is so vast, and she’s unfamiliar with the place. I beg you all, please help search for her!”

The voice drew nearer, mingled with chaotic footsteps—she had clearly brought people with her.

Xiao Lingchuan chuckled softly, a hint of teasing in his tone. “Miss Jiang, it seems we are already like rats in a trap—there’s no escape.”

The door creaked, about to be pushed open.

Jiang Shuning clenched her fists so tightly her nails nearly dug into her palms, despair washing over her like a tide…