青春期撞上更年期第1部

“Yes. He said this fruit wasn’t that delicious. He just wanted you to have a taste of it!” Qu Le chuckled and said, “My Lady, how about you having a try?”

Shao Wanru looked at these fruits and shook her head. “Forget it. I don’t want to eat them now. Did she say anything else?”

“She said if you were free, you could spend some time with her in the Palace. It was better to take Miss Qin with you.” Qu Le reported.

Qin Yiyan had been in the Prince Chen’s Mansion for a few days. During this period, she was well-behaved. She was vastly different from what she used to be in the Shuangxi Hall. She neither came to bother Shao Wanru nor tried to get close to Chu Liuchen. More than that, she had stayed far away from Chu Liuchen as if she wanted to avoid arousing suspicion.

“Miss Qin, how is she recently?” Shao Wanru blinked and asked. If Qin Yiyan remained in her proper sphere all the time, she was willing to treat her well as a close cousin.

Previously, when she was not in good health, she sent someone to tell Qin Yiyan not to come and greet her.

“Miss Qin is fine. She has been doing embroidery. Occasionally, she would enjoy the scenery in the garden. Even if she encountered His Highness, she would only bow to him from a distance. She always has good manners.”

“Go and ask Miss Qin to come over!” Shao Wanru thought for a moment and said. Since Consort Lan had mentioned Qin Yiyan, she would not keep it a secret.

Yujie nodded and went out. After a while, she came back with Qin Yiyan.

“Greetings, Cousin-in-law!” Qin Yiyan entered the room and bowed to Shao Wanru.

“Miss Qin, you are too polite. Please sit down!” Shao Wanru said with a smile and asked Qu Le to invite Qin Yiyan to sit down.

“Cousin-in-law, are you all right?” Qin Yiyan asked softly, looking up at Shao Wanru with clear eyes.

“I’m almost recovered. I just received a message from Consort Lan. She wanted you to see her in the Palace with me. When will you be free?” Shao Wanru got straight to the point.

Qin Yiyan raised her face and looked slightly surprised. After thinking for a while, she smiled and said, “I have nothing serious to do here. I can go there whenever you feel free. I am at your orders!”

Qin Yiyan looked very docile with a gentle smile.

“Then, when I go to see the Empress Dowager in the Palace in a few days, I will take you there to accompany Consort Lan.” Shao Wanru decided after silently pondering it.

“Cousin-in-law, won’t you go there? I guess Consort Lan should be glad to see you, right? It’s inconvenient for my cousin to see her in the Palace, but it’s just right for you to go there!” Qin Yiyan looked at Shao Wanru and said in surprise.

Consort Lan was undoubtedly on the side of the Prince Chen’s Mansion. As Princess Chen, Shao Wanru should be on good terms with Consort Lan. But she seemed to take this relationship very casually.

With a light smile, Shao Wanru said implicitly, “I heard Consort Lan loves peace and quiet. It’s not proper for me to disturb her. His Highness also thinks I shouldn’t bother her at this time. The Empress Dowager is ill, and the Empress is not feeling well. I’d better visit them in the Palace!”

Of course, she meant Chu Liuchen didn’t want her to be close to Consort Lan.

“Don’t you like to be with Consort Lan?” Qin Yiyan suddenly looked up and asked after thinking for a while.

This question was very abrupt. It even came as a complete surprise to Shao Wanru. Her watery eyes flashed. With a faint smile, she said, “She is the Emperor’s consort. It’s not up to us to decide whether or not our relationship should be close. What’s more, Prince Chen is just the Emperor’s nephew. It’s better to avoid some conflicts!”

“But didn’t His Majesty say my cousin could also…” Qin Yiyan was unconvinced.

Shao Wanru interrupted her directly, and her face darkened. “Miss Qin, although you are in the Prince Chen’s Mansion, not the imperial Palace, you should be more guarded in what you say. If you are careless and implicate Consort Lan, it will be bad for all of us. Miss Qin, you don’t want anything bad to happen to Consort Lan, do you?”

“That was not what I meant. I want to say His Majesty has already regarded my cousin as one of his sons. Is that so?” When Shao Wanru criticized her way of speaking, Qin Yiyan calmed down and smartly changed her words. From what she had observed in the past few days, she knew Shao Wanru, her cousin-in-law, was intelligent.

Shao Wanru was not only clever but also had excellent judgment. For Qin Yiyan, Shao Wanru should see Chu Liuchen’s advantage and mustn’t estrange herself from Consort Lan at this critical time.

At this moment, she had no idea what Princess Chen was thinking about!

“Miss Qin!” Shao Wanru’s eyes fell on Qin Yiyan’s face, and she said with a stern look, “I don’t care why you came to the capital city, but whatever your purpose is, you’d better be a Miss keeping a low profile. Recently, the Xu State princesses have also arrived here. I’m afraid that the capital city is not peaceful. Miss Qin, please pass on my words to Consort Lan and tell her to be careful in everything!”

“Cousin-in-law!” Qin Yiyan’s expression changed. With a touch of anger and coldness, she continued, “But do you know…”

“Miss Qin, I don’t want to know and hear anything about it. If you regard yourself as Prince Chen’s cousin, you can live here quietly. Forget your fancy dreams, and don’t ask too much. When there is a chance, I will grant you a congratulatory gift and a magnificent wedding.”

With this, Shao Wanru meant that the Prince Chen’s Mansion would find her a good match, but Chu Liuchen would never marry her.

Qin Yiyan was Consort Lan’s niece. Also, she was a descendant of the family related to the previous empress, but the family had dissipated. With her status and position, she should be even more cautious than ever and keep her head down.

Qin Yiyan flushed, feeling angry and embarrassed. She asked defiantly, “Does my cousin know what you are thinking?”

“Of course, he knows. We are of one mind and principle. You have lived here for such a long time. Why has he never come to see you if he has any other intentions?” Shao Wanru said bluntly. No matter what Qin Yiyan was up to, she would not let her bring any damage.

At least Shao Wanru would not allow her to harm the Prince Chen’s Mansion.

Qin Yiyan glared at Shao Wanru. Although she called Shao Wanru cousin-in-law, she was older. She was more slender compared with ordinary women. In terms of her stature and height, she looked more overwhelming than Shao Wanru. However, Shao Wanru looked at her leisurely with a faint and casual smile — she did not take her anger seriously.

Finally, Qin Yiyan felt defeated and asked peevishly. “Do you know what I have?”

“No matter what it is, His Highness won’t care about it. Miss Qin, you can do as you please!” Shao Wanru remained unmoved and said, her eyes calm as if she had expected Qin Yiyan to say that.

Without any cards in her hand, Qin Yiyan wouldn’t have entered the Prince Chen’s Mansion. After all, Chu Liuchen never listened to Consort Lan. How could he accept a cousin he hadn’t seen for many years?

“I’ll go to find my cousin later. He will be willing to see the thing I have!” Qin Yiyan said, unconvinced, feeling very bitter about Shao Wanru’s refusal. It was not that she yearned day and night to get into the Prince Chen’s Mansion but that she had to do it. To avoid bothering Shao Wanru, she deliberately stayed far away from her cousin.

But never had she imagined that Shao Wanru would be so arrogant. Shao Wanru pushed her away for her own benefit, though she could be of great help to Prince Chen. Now, Qin Yiyan realized that all her efforts would be in vain.

“You can’t go to his place at will. If you have to see him, I’ll send someone to inform him first. But it’s hard to say when he will meet you. If you try to run into him, the consequence is not really in my control!” Shao Wanru said softly. Qin Yiyan was annoyed, but she remained in a tranquil mood and seemed to have known everything.

Somehow, a sharp look appeared in her soft, limpid eyes under her long eyelashes. If pressed, Qin Yiyan and Consort Lan would take the initiative to say something, no matter what their purposes were. It seemed that Qin Yiyan didn’t come here just for the position of Princess Chen. Therefore, Shao Wanru hoped they could express their meaning clearly. Bad things might happen if they couldn’t be completely honest about their intentions.

Consort Lan had devoted herself unreservedly to helping Chu Liuchen, and Shao Wanru never doubted that.

However, the road to hell might be paved with good intentions. The best way was to force Qin Yiyan to tell her secrets. Shao Wanru believed that no matter what secrets they had, Chu Liuchen could deal with them very well!

Now that the time was right, Shao Wanru gave a shove to let her reveal the truth…

Hearing Shao Wanru’s words, Qin Yiyan felt very wronged and uncomfortable. With all her strength, she struck back but missed the target. She didn’t knock down her opponent but made herself spit out a mouthful of blood.

But her aunt had told her not to act rashly.

“Thank you, Cousin-in-law!” Qin Yiyan said coldly. She couldn’t stand it anymore and had to make it clear to her cousin. She could be of much help to assist her cousin. If Shao Wanru hindered her from supporting her cousin, she would not be a qualified Princess Chen.

For Qin Yiyan, she didn’t have to take the position of Princess Chen. However, if Shao Wanru didn’t fit the position, she might as well replace her.

With this in mind, Qin Yiyan went back to her courtyard, sat on the stone bench, and quietly waited for the message from Chu Liuchen. No matter how much her cousin disliked her, he would send someone to invite her over when knowing she had something important to tell him.

However, events did not happen as she wished. She waited for a long time, but no one came. Later, she became restless and wanted to send someone to ask about the situation. Finally, Xiao Xuanzi, the eunuch beside Chu Liuchen, walked in.

“Miss Qin, my master invites you over!” Xiao Xuanzi said with a grin.

...

“Did my cousin just know it? I asked to see him, and Princess Chen said she would pass on the message to him!” Qin Yiyan stood up discontentedly and pulled the thin crease on the hem of her dress.

“Her Highness sent the message early, but my master has been very busy. At this time, he could finally get some rest. When he remembered this matter, he asked me to come here.” Xiao Xuanzi said casually and reached out his hand to one side. “Miss Qin, please! If you are late, my master may have something else to do. I’m afraid you may not get a chance to talk to him!”

Of course, he meant she couldn’t see Prince Chen if she didn’t hurry up.

Qin Yiyan’s face was livid with anger. “These people around my cousin are so insensible. I must ask my cousin to discipline them…”