Getting up, Shen Mingzhu frowned and looked down at Xie Lang, who was sleeping in front of the bed. "Xie Lang, what are you doing sleeping here?" Hearing this, Xie Lang gave Shen Mingzhu a sidelong glance, his eyes tinged with a hint of resentment. "Your Highness, are you trying to shirk your responsibility after taking advantage of me!?"
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu frowned even more tightly and asked suspiciously, "What are you talking about?"
Xie Lang just sighed, slowly got up, and said to Shen Mingzhu, "Your Highness has woken up. It's my turn to rest now."
Shen Mingzhu looked at Xie Lang, completely confused. So she simply stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve.
[I'm so sleepy. I'm done for. I'll never let Shen Mingzhu drink again.]
[Last night after drinking, she grabbed my sleeve and wouldn't let me go, saying that we must decide the winner tonight.]
[What the hell? Why does Shen Mingzhu have such a strong competitive spirit?]
Being grabbed by the sleeve, Xie Lang was startled. He subconsciously raised his eyebrows and joked, "What? Does Your Highness not want me to leave?"
Shen Mingzhu's attention was still focused on Xie Lang's inner thoughts just now.
Could inner thoughts be lies? How could she have grabbed Xie Lang and not let him go? Doing such a childish thing?
Could it be that Xie Lang was also drunk and just had a dream about this?
Shen Mingzhu ignored the logical problem and didn't really want to admit that she had been so childish last night.
"Hmm?"
The next moment, Xie Lang leaned in. Shen Mingzhu saw his face suddenly appear. He looked at her intently and asked, "Surely not. Does Your Highness really not want me to leave?"
Shen Mingzhu quickly withdrew her hand and said to Xie Lang, "Not really. I've never seen such big dark circles before, so I just wanted to take a few more looks. I don't know if I'll have the chance to see them again in the future."
Xie Lang was almost pulled over by Shen Mingzhu. He glared at her fiercely, took a deep breath, and said, "Your Highness! Who do you think I got these dark circles from?"
Shen Mingzhu was about to reply when Chuntao, who was guarding outside the house, heard the commotion inside and knocked on the door. "Your Highness, may this maid come in?"
Shen Mingzhu pursed her lips. Suddenly, she realized that her actions just now had been a bit childish. So she twitched her lips unhappily and said to Chuntao outside the door, "Come in."
When Chuntao entered the room, Shen Mingzhu hesitated for a moment and then said to her, "Do we still have the calming medicine sent from the palace last time?"
Shen Mingzhu had had trouble sleeping for a long time. When the Empress Dowager was still awake, she had found a doctor for Shen Mingzhu and prepared this extremely precious medicine. After taking it, one could have a good night's sleep and nourish the body.
"Yes." Chuntao immediately asked worriedly upon hearing this, "Did Your Highness not sleep well last night?"
"No." Shen Mingzhu pointed at Xie Lang. "Give him one."
After saying that, Chuntao hurriedly went to order someone to get the medicine and then helped Shen Mingzhu with her makeup.
After watching Xie Lang take the medicine, the maid outside the door knocked on the door in a hurry. "Your Highness, Lady Liu requests an audience."
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu frowned. After thinking for a moment, she remembered what she had told Lady Liu to do last time. So she said to the outside, "Take her to the front hall."
She wondered how effective that headdress had been.
Shen Mingzhu couldn't help but feel a bit curious. She got up and was about to go out when Xie Lang, who had climbed up from the couch at some unknown time, grabbed her sleeve. "Your Highness, may I accompany you?"
[Will Shen Mingzhu be bullied if she goes alone?]
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu was stunned for a moment. Then she pulled out her hand and smiled at him. "No need. You should rest well."
After Shen Mingzhu left, Xie Lang remembered the rare gentle smile on her lips just now. He actually stood there stunned for a moment, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up.
Tsk, was Shen Mingzhu concerned about him just now?
...
Xie Lang's courtyard was the largest in the Xie Mansion. General Xie had far deeper feelings for Xie Lang's biological mother than for Lady Liu. So he clearly favored Xie Lang. Even though Xie Lang had a reputation of being a good-for-nothing all over the capital, General Xie just gritted his teeth and cleaned up the mess for him.
When Lady Liu entered the front hall and saw that it was more magnificent than before, she felt even more jealous.
Even a random vase was a rare treasure from the previous dynasty. Most families would store such good things in the warehouse, but Shen Mingzhu just displayed them casually. The servants coming and going were also more polite and elegant than the other servants in the Xie Mansion. They clearly came from the palace.
Lady Liu took a deep breath. The jealousy in her eyes grew stronger and stronger. She even began to regret why it wasn't her son who had married Shen Mingzhu.
Sure enough, General Xie favored Xie Lang. He got all the good things!
The more Lady Liu thought about it, the angrier she became. Her nails dug deeply into her palm. She lowered her head to hide the hatred in her eyes.
As the footsteps approached, Lady Liu quickly adjusted her expression and respectfully said to Shen Mingzhu, "Greetings to Your Highness."
Shen Mingzhu walked slowly to the main seat and sat down. Then she looked at Lady Liu and said, "Have a seat."
"I wonder what business brings Lady here to see me?"
As she spoke, Chuntao had already poured a cup of tea for Shen Mingzhu.
Shen Mingzhu picked up the cup and took a sip to moisten her throat. Then she looked at Lady Liu and said, "Has Lady not done anything at all?"
Shen Mingzhu's tone was still calm, but her gaze towards Lady Liu couldn't help but turn a bit cold. Like a sharp sword, it made Lady Liu's hand tremble.
"How could that be?" Lady Liu replied with a smile on her face. She no longer had the arrogance she had at the beginning. She didn't dare to try to manipulate Shen Mingzhu anymore. "Your Highness, I... I did find something interesting. But as a woman confined to the inner courtyard, I really don't have the ability to continue the investigation."
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu chuckled and put down the cup. "Really? Does Lady not like that headdress very much?"
"In that case, I'll take it back. It would be good to give it to one of the younger sisters in the mansion."
Hearing this, Lady Liu was startled. But she still suppressed her dissatisfaction and said, "Your Highness is joking. I'll try again."
"I've found out that the third young lady seems to have fallen in love with someone recently. But that person's status is a bit high. If the third young lady really wants to marry him, it would be a real stretch."
"So I heard that the third young lady went to a pharmacy."
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu smiled faintly and said meaningfully to Lady Liu, "After the Spring Banquet, should the Xie Mansion also hold a banquet? Invite all the young men in the capital. There are still several young ladies in the mansion who haven't been married off, aren't there?"
Lady Liu's eyes lit up. She quickly got up and said, "This commoner woman will take her leave first and think carefully about how to hold this banquet well."
Shen Mingzhu watched Lady Liu leave. Her heart stirred slightly.
Right, the Spring Banquet was coming soon. She had to start preparing.
The Spring Banquet was a palace banquet. Officials and royal relatives would bring their families to the palace to pray for a good harvest this year.
But in recent years, the Spring Banquet had become a good opportunity for unmarried young men and women to meet.
Shen Mingzhu lowered her eyes, her eyes filled with deep thought.
This year's Spring Banquet would be the first large-scale banquet after Shen Mingyuan came to power. There might be a lot of unexpected excitement.
Would Zhou Chengyu go there too?