The incense ash burned out, and a passionate song filled the room. The two people, having fallen prey to the aphrodisiac, couldn't help but roll into each other, enacting a live-action version of the animal kingdom.
"Tsk tsk," Li Man'er shook her head in the space, finding it too much to bear.
As passion surged, the escalating symphony finally attracted those guarding the door.
"What's going on?"
"Who is inside?"
"The Crown Prince is resting inside!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Princess Anning is inside changing her clothes."
Heavens!
Someone exclaimed, "How could this happen? Could it be that Princess Anning and the Crown Prince..."
This statement was delivered with great subtlety, as if leading everyone to witness something extraordinary.
"Crown Princess."
Someone, unknown, had summoned the Crown Princess.
Madam Bai, accompanying the Crown Princess outside the door, heard the grunts and groans from within, her lips practically splitting into a grin. She tried her best to appear fearful, flustered, and panicked as she restrained the Crown Princess from barging into the room.
"Crown Princess, this is a misunderstanding. Princess Anning would never do such a thing."
Li Man'er heard clearly within the space, the lightness in Madam Bai's tone almost making her want to laugh to the heavens.
Hmph, the last person who schemed against her with this trick was already dead. Why did Madam Bai think her bones were harder than the Grand Princess's?
"Make way for this Consort." The Crown Princess's phoenix-like eyes were about to flare, the corners twitching uncontrollably, "I want to see just how thick-skinned this Princess Anning is to dare to seduce His Highness the Crown Prince."
"No, no, no, it's all a misunderstanding. The Crown Prince is merely resting inside, slightly drunk, and Princess Anning was changing clothes and mistakenly entered the wrong room. It's not seduction at all!" Madam Bai quickly explained, "Princess Anning is already betrothed. She is to marry the Ninth Prince at the end of the year. How could she do something so, so absurd?"
As she spoke, a high-pitched, melodious shriek suddenly echoed from the room, like a small boat being tossed high by a wave...
The Crown Princess could no longer contain herself, reaching out and shoving Madam Bai aside, "Get out of the way."
Madam Bai feigned a lunge, "Crown Princess, Crown Princess, no!" Her primary intention was to witness the spectacle, to see Li Man'er flustered and utterly humiliated.
With a resounding crash, the door was kicked open. The crowd followed the Crown Princess inside, soon reaching the inner chambers, and discovered two people rolling together.
"Ah!"
"So much bare skin, and they didn't even bother with the bed curtains. How impatient!"
"Shameless."
Madam Bai's lips curled upwards. Today, it wasn't just family members who had arrived.
To make Li Man'er lose face, to crush her in one fell swoop, only family wouldn't suffice!
She had sent invitations to many noble ladies. However, their arrival was scheduled for later. They hadn't eaten yet, and were here to watch the show first.
The Crown Princess, furious, roared, "Scoundrel!"
The man and woman tightly embracing and rolling only realized then that people had entered the room. Many stood by their bedside, witnessing their scandalous display.
"Ah!" Li Tian'er cried out, covering her face and shrinking into the Crown Prince's arms, "Crown Prince, save me! Make them leave!"
Madam Bai stood a little further away and couldn't clearly see her face. She assumed it was Li Man'er, her smile irrepressible, but her face displayed a look of grief-stricken pain, "Princess, how could you do such a thing? You are to marry the Ninth Prince at the end of the year, and now you are with the Crown Prince. How, how will you explain this to the Ninth Prince?"
The Crown Princess, standing at the front, turned to look at her, "Princess? You say she is Princess Anning?"
Madam Bai was a little bewildered. Wasn't it Li Man'er?
At this moment, Li Man'er had already changed into a new set of clothes. She stood by the door amidst the chaos, unnoticed by anyone.
"Who called me?" Li Man'er asked curiously, peeking inside, "Did something happen?"
Madam Bai turned to see her, looking as if she had seen a ghost, "Why are you here?"
Li Man'er smiled faintly, "Where else would I be! The maidservant spilled the soup, and wasn't it you, Second Aunt, who told her to take me to change clothes next door? I just finished changing and heard all the commotion over here. Someone was mentioning Princess Anning, so I came to take a look. What's wrong?"
If Li Man'er was here, then who was the person on the bed?
Madam Bai's eyes widened with rage, "You plotted against me?" She finally understood. She had been outmaneuvered by Li Man'er again.
"Second Aunt, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want," Li Man'er said with a smile, "Did I scheme against you, or did you scheme against the Crown Prince? Tsk tsk, isn't the woman on the bed your daughter, Li Tian'er? I've played with her since childhood. Even if she hid her face, I'd recognize her."
"What? It's Tian'er?" Madam Bai was going mad.
Although Tian'er had given herself to the Crown Prince, such a thing could not be publicized! Once others found out, their family's reputation would be ruined.
At this moment, the Crown Prince's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. He had never intended to take Li Tian'er as his wife. A woman who was so shameless and threw herself at him, what qualifications did she have to be the woman of the future Crown Prince?
But now, Li Man'er, who should have been beneath him, had become Li Tian'er. This made him seethe with hatred.
The Crown Prince's clothes were askew, but none of that mattered. What mattered was finding a way to extricate himself quickly.
"You woman, how dare you seduce me!" The Crown Prince then said to the Crown Princess, "Yudie, it was she who took advantage of my drunken state and seduced me."
Li Tian'er wrapped herself in the quilt, "That's not true, Crown Prince. The Crown Prince and I have had a relationship for a long time. Today is not the first time. Crown Princess, I beg you, let me enter the household and serve the Crown Prince."
Lan Yudie almost fainted. Her face was utterly disgraced. Why had she ever wanted to marry Qi Zhi?
Madam Bai collapsed onto the ground. It was over, everything was over...
On the way back to the manor, Li Man'er couldn't stop smiling.
Madam Bai had truly lost this time, and lost big.
Not only was her daughter shamelessly seducing the Crown Prince, but she also admitted that she and the Crown Prince had already been intimate. Did she think her reputation wasn't tarnished enough?
And Madam Bai, who had schemed with all her might, ended up losing everything. Not only did she fail to scheme against herself, but she had also dragged her entire family down with her.
This was interesting. If Li Yi found out, he would probably want to tear her apart.
And Li Tian'er, judging by the Crown Princess's demeanor, it was unlikely she would be allowed into the household.
A perfectly good maiden, with nothing left to her name. Truly a case of losing the wife and also the soldiers.
She was in a very good mood.
That evening, when Qi Yihan arrived, Li Man'er eagerly told him about the incident.
Qi Yihan felt she had taken too much of a risk. What if her space had been discovered? Wouldn't she have been captured?
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Li Man'er asked, "Is the Crown Prince also finished this time?"
She had already shown them great leniency by not scheming against them. But these people were so impatient that they delivered themselves to her doorstep, saving her a lot of trouble.
Li Man'er had also intended to deal with the Crown Prince. However, they had no deep grudges, and she had been somewhat hesitant to act. This time, it was perfect, and she no longer had to agonize over it.