Episode 5: Shen Xihe cleverly teaches Princess Pingling a lesson

After the palace banquet that day, most of the gifts given by the princes were gold, jade, pearls and emeralds. Only Xiao Huayong handed over a square of Hui ink. The ink color was moist and glowing with age, which was particularly elegant among the common objects on the table.Shen tide stroked the fine lines of the ink with his fingertips, and then transferred the ink to the desk in the study of the second prince Xiao Changmin, without leaving it by his side at all.After dark, the long street lantern festival was noisy, tourists crowded around, and various lanterns reflected the night sky. When she was leaning on the bridge railing to admire the lanterns, she accidentally caught a glimpse of Cui Jinbai and Hua Fuhai in the shadow of the alleyway, talking in secret and whispers. The two looked alert, as if they were discussing important matters in secret.

Not long after, another person came quickly. He was tall and steady, and he could tell at a glance that he was a top expert. However, these three people, who each relied on in the court, actually bowed to a person in the dark and obeyed his orders. The backbone hidden behind the shadow of the lamp was none other than Xiao Huayong, who had given the ink before.Shen Xihe only caught a glimpse of a thin back, but could not immediately recognize his identity. Suspicions arose in his heart, so he quietly followed him along the alley, and followed him all the way to a secluded small building by the river.

As soon as she stepped onto the steps of the attic, dozens of lanterns suddenly lit up in the corridor. The pictures painted on each lamp were actually all the small moments of her and Xiao Huayong's previous encounters, discussion of books, and gifts. The warm light spread across the lamp surface. It turned out that all of this was Xiao Huayong's careful arrangement, specially to attract her to this lantern banquet that was unique to her.On the other hand, Shen Yingting had just rejected the third prince Xiao Changyu's overtures at the tea shop outside the mansion, and all her heart was filled with old resentments. When she knelt in front of the mansion and begged him to save her mother, he stood by and stood coldly, refusing to help her. But now he stood in front of her and kept saying that he was devoted to her. She was unwilling to accept such false affection.

When she returned to the Duke's Mansion, she was stopped by Shen Xihe as soon as she stepped into the courtyard. Shen Xihe's noses moved slightly and they immediately smelled the incense on her clothes. It was the incense that she had personally given to Xiao Changyu before. She immediately became suspicious, expecting that the two of them must have a close relationship in private.