The beauty of the Hou family and the king's plan

"Sister Shen, the peonies in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom. Let's get some paintbrushes and paints ready. How about we go take a look?"

Although it was a question, Princess Minhui's tone did not allow for rejection. Before Shen Baozhao could answer, the palace maids went downstairs to prepare.

He just nodded and followed Princess Minhui.

The two chatted as they walked, "Sister Shen's hairpin is different from ordinary hairpins. It is very unique and interesting. I wonder where you bought it from?"

Shen Baozhao was stunned. Seeing that Princess Minhui's eyes were still curiously fixed on the hairpin in her hair, she just smiled and said, "It was given by my maternal grandfather. I don't know about it."

When Princess Minhui heard Shen Baozhao say this, she didn't make a fuss about it, and people just thought that she just found the hairpin interesting for a moment.

After walking for a while, we saw a large peony garden. Peonies of various colors were blooming one after another, and the colors were very beautiful.

There is also a pavilion on the side for people to rest. Palace maids and eunuchs have already placed easels and some tea and snacks in the pavilion.

Princess Minhui looked innocent as she pulled Shen Baozhao to sit beside the easel and said, "Sister Shen, how about you draw a picture for me?"

After saying this, she ordered someone to bring a beauty couch, and she leaned on the couch with peonies as her background.

If one ignores the palace maids and eunuchs surrounding him, and also ignores the fact that he was half-forced to paint, Shen Baozhao would have praised the painting by saying, "What a beautiful picture of a beauty lying among peonies in summer."

But at this moment, she didn't want to bother with anything else. She just wanted to finish the painting quickly and return to the side of Princess Yu.

Her intuition told her that Princess Minhui was not as pure as she appeared.

Just as Shen Baozhao was concentrating on painting, he heard a "meow" and a snow-white shadow leaped over the easel.

The little palace maid holding the paint tray nearby was so frightened that she accidentally spilled the paint on the ground.

Princess Minhui was furious when she saw this. The little palace maid knelt on the ground, trembling, and begged for mercy.

"You disturbed Miss Shen from painting. Take her away and give her thirty strokes of the cane." Although she ordered the palace maid to be punished, Princess Minhui's eyes were fixed on Shen Baozhao's expression.

Although Shen Baozhao felt that Princess Minhui was too harsh, she was not so kind as to plead for a little palace maid whose background she did not know.

He just put down his brush and bowed to Princess Minhui, "The painting is roughly finished, but since the paint has been spilled..."

"Princess, the culprit has been caught. It's this beast." The young eunuch knelt on the ground, strangling the neck of a white cat with both hands.

The white cat was stuck, and it struggled to make a weak "meow". Its blue-green pupils were full of fear, and its limbs kept struggling.

"Since we have no more paint, skin the beast, kill it, and drain its blood. How about using its blood as red paint?"

Minhui glanced at Shen Baozhao sideways, as if asking for her opinion.

Shen Baozhao hung her head and said nothing. She didn't know what the problem was. She had never met Princess Minhui before, but today Minhui seemed very warm.

But he was provoking her everywhere, and she didn't want to fight him. This was in the palace, and if she showed her skills, she would be discovered if she was not careful.

What's more, although she was provocative, she never caused any substantial harm to herself.

Instantly, a cat's shrill scream was heard. It turned out that the palace servants had peeled off the white cat's fur alive and specially brought it to Shen Baozhao on a tray.

If he didn't show weakness today, he would be unable to escape. Shen Baozhao covered his chest and pretended to vomit.

"Miss Shen, come, use this cat blood to paint for this princess."

Shen Baozhao was trembling so much that he couldn't even hold the paintbrush steadily. With a "click", the paintbrush fell to the ground.

Princess Minhui then revealed a satisfied smile.

"Miss Shen must be tired. Someone, take her to Shoukang Palace.

In addition, send the cat's fur to Concubine Shen in Yongning Palace. Tell her to take good care of her animals and not to provoke people she shouldn't provoke! "

The tone of the last sentence was so fierce that it made people shudder. Shen Baozhao was sure that it was meant for him.

Although he was even more confused, he had to go through the motions and hurriedly followed the eunuch.

In Princess Minhui's eyes, it seemed like a desperate escape.

Princess Minhui stared at Shen Baozhao's departing back and whispered to her trusted maidservant, "Go and find out when Prince Xiao took away the hairpin that he ordered in Song Pavilion last time."

"Ask the shopkeeper if you are sure that the hairpin was designed by Prince Xiao himself? It was not custom-made by someone else in Prince Yu's mansion?"

The head maid said affirmatively: "Princess, the blueprint was indeed drawn by Prince Xiao.

I have told the shopkeeper before that if someone from Prince Yu’s Mansion comes to order jewelry, you should pay extra attention.”

"It will not be wrong if the shopkeeper reports it to me personally."

The original Songge was an old-established silver shop. Because Princess Minhui liked the unique jewelry designs they designed, she asked Concubine De to buy them.

"Xiao Li, good job! This princess has offered him an olive branch countless times but he refused to accept it. How could he fall for a weak and incompetent woman?"

Princess Minhui's red nails were broken in anger, but she seemed to feel no pain.

With a "pa" sound, a slap landed on the face of a young eunuch.

"Tell me, is it because you didn't deliver this princess's wishes to Prince Xiao?"

The young eunuch, who was angered, dared not say anything in his defense and just kept kowtowing and admitting his mistakes.

"Imperial sister, what has made you so angry? Look at this little eunuch, so pitiful. Get up."

Princess Minhui turned around and shot a venomous gaze behind her, and saw that it was the prince coming from the other side of the flower garden.

He gathered up his robes and put away his angry expression, "I wonder if Your Highness the Crown Prince has any advice for you?"

She didn't know whether the conversation she had just had with the head maid was overheard by the prince.

The prince didn't care about the thorny tone in Princess Minhui's words, and walked into the pavilion with a smile on his face.

In a casual tone, he said to Minhui: "It turns out that the person the imperial sister likes is Xiao Li. I wonder if the emperor knows about this?"

"Tsk, even though Prince Yu has no blood relationship with the royal family, Xiao Li is nominally from the same clan as you and me, right?

I'm afraid that my father will not allow my sister to have this illicit love affair with this cousin."

Minhui certainly knew that Emperor Chengde attached great importance to reputation, and if he knew about this, he would definitely not agree.

Otherwise, why would she be so patient and love so hard?

Minhui and the Third Prince were siblings from the same mother, and were naturally the opposite of the Crown Prince. She did not think that the Crown Prince was sincerely here to help her solve her problems.

"Who I like has nothing to do with Your Highness the Crown Prince. Today is the flower viewing banquet that the Royal Grandmother is hosting for the Crown Prince. Please choose the Crown Princess carefully and don't meddle in other people's business."

The muscles at the corners of the prince's mouth twitched. He was the prince, but even Minhui didn't take him seriously.

But when he thought of Shen Baozhao who had just left, he realized that he had never had a concubine as beautiful and elegant as Shen Baozhao.

He had no choice but to patiently talk to Minhui, "Maybe I can help you realize what you want."