CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 6: DANCING PRINCESS (6)

Lou Ge was startled, but didn’t dare snatch back the handkerchief, her smile a bit stiff.

After gathering the peach blossoms, Li Shuning returned to the Cloud Watching Pavilion, thanked the Emperor, and prepared to leave.

Prince Yu suddenly said, "Your Majesty, why don’t we go to the Yongqing Palace? This season, staying outside for too long makes one want to sneeze."

The Emperor looked at Prince Yu strangely, but agreed.

"Miss Shuning, why don’t you and this Miss Lou Ge join as well? His Majesty and I will have a few drinks; I wonder if we could enjoy the dance of the two ladies?"

Although Lou Ge was a bit worried she had also inhaled the scent, she naturally had to agree to Prince Yu’s words, and without another medicinal lead, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Li Shuning also smiled and agreed.

The basket of peach blossoms was sent to the Yunfei Pavilion by a young eunuch.

At Yongqing Palace, Li Shuning performed a dance and then said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Prince Yu felt delighted inwardly, it seemed that Li Shuning had listened to him before. He assumed Lou Ge had already handed the item to her, and said: "Your Majesty, since Miss Shuning often accompanies the Empress Dowager, there might be something important. Isn’t there a study inside Yongqing Palace? If there is serious business, why not discuss it there? I’ll stay here to continue enjoying Miss Lou Ge’s dance."

The Emperor thought it over and found it practical, as going elsewhere would take quite a while, so he led Xiao Lin, Li Shuning to the study.

Xiao Lin, the Emperor’s confidant, stood guard outside the study.

Li Shuning and the Emperor were left alone in the study.

Li Shuning saluted the Emperor, "Your Majesty, are you curious about what Shuning has to report?"

"Indeed, Xiao Ning, if you encounter any trouble, do tell me, or if something happened with the Empress Dowager."

"Your Majesty, from the Cloud Watching Pavilion to Yongqing Palace, didn’t you feel any change in your body? Do you trust me?"

The Emperor looked at Li Shuning. Although he didn’t know what Li Shuning was referring to, inexplicably, he felt this woman was very good, always giving him a feeling of wanting to be close.

"Xiao Ning, my body has no issues. The Empress Dowager trusts you, so naturally, I trust you."

Li Shuning took out a small bottle, which was a thumb-sized glass bottle she previously retrieved from the Space Button.

It contained a liquid, upon smelling it, in the plot, the Emperor and Li Shuning had a relationship. This item was given to her by Prince Yu through Lou Ge’s hand.

"Your Majesty, at the Cloud Watching Pavilion, did you smell a sweet, cloying scent?"

The Emperor thought for a moment and nodded: "I seemed to smell the scent you mentioned when Prince Yu took out a fan, and I caught the aroma."

"Your Majesty, I smelled it too. Lou Ge’s handkerchief also carried that scent. Moreover, a few days ago, Lou Ge gave this bottle of potion to Shuning. If you smell it, you’ll understand what’s going on."

The Emperor hesitated. The Saint said: A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall, thinking this matter was complicated.

However, seeing Li Shuning’s sincere and clear eyes, he took the bottle, and then smelled the scent.

In the next moment, he felt his vision blur. Looking at Li Shuning, she seemed to be the most beautiful woman in the world. He almost saw her dancing gracefully, clothes disheveled, lightly revealing a fragrant shoulder. He reached out, wanting to hold her.

But in the next moment, as if doused with cold water, he snapped awake.

He saw Li Shuning holding something he couldn’t recognize, and felt something cool and moist on his face, some droplets of water.

Li Shuning breathed a sigh of relief, having successfully formulated the antidote after obtaining the two medicinal leads.

What she held was a small watering can from her own world.

The Emperor’s expression was unpleasant; he wasn’t foolish, quite the opposite, he was very clever.

"Xiao Ning, what is the meaning of this?"

"Your Majesty, please wait."

Li Shuning moved to the corner of the study, pushing aside a screen, revealing the Empress Dowager sitting behind it.

"Mother, why are you here too?"

The Empress Dowager’s expression was also somber; both looked at Li Shuning, needing her explanation.

When the Empress Dowager once questioned her about Gu Youran, Li Shuning thought, can she really undermine Prince Yu? Why place herself in danger? Wouldn’t it be better to seize the opportunity to bring down Prince Yu?

Li Shuning didn’t understand why the Empress Dowager was so kind to her, but she knew the Empress Dowager’s kindness seemed genuine and without motives, so perhaps some things could be shared openly?

Knowing that the day Prince Yu planned to involve her and the Emperor was approaching, she approached the Empress Dowager, expressing her concerns.

Li Shuning spoke frankly about her several encounters with Prince Yu and how his words carried hidden meanings.

She further mentioned the possible connections between a dancing girl at Yunfei Pavilion and Prince Yu.

Prying away Lou Ge and obtaining the two items from her was easy, especially with the Empress Dowager’s help, to quietly prepare the antidote.

Initially, the Empress Dowager intended to confront Prince Yu, but Li Shuning persuaded her otherwise.

Unclear of Prince Yu’s intentions, why not cooperate with him to see his plans? Confronting him today might thwart his schemes, but what of future plots? Some things simply can’t be prevented.

Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager agreed with Li Shuning’s approach.

So, the day’s actions unfolded as they did.

"Your Majesty, Shuning knows the Empress Dowager has been kind, so Shuning wouldn’t do anything to betray her."

The Emperor also realized that the scent Prince Yu previously spread and the potion afterward could indeed make someone fall into something akin to an illusion, a high-tier aphrodisiac, so to speak.

But why would Prince Yu do such a thing?

The Emperor and Li Shuning were both puzzled; even if they were to sleep together, what would be achieved?

Only the Empress Dowager knew the purpose behind Prince Yu’s actions.

She thought she hadn’t wronged Prince Yu over the years, and yet, he wanted to ruin these two children.

This implied that Prince Yu had learned about the past, but who informed him?

After ruining these two children, what would he do next?

This was also why she collaborated with Li Shuning.

"Mother, what is this about? Prince Yu is my elder brother, why would he harm me?"

The Empress Dowager sighed, "It’s not that I don’t want to explain, but let’s watch and wait. I will tell you everything when the time is right."

While Li Shuning and the Emperor headed to the study, Prince Yu joyfully enjoyed the dance and sent his eunuch back to Yu Wang Mansion for good wine.

The remaining eunuch at the hall poured wine for Prince Yu and then left as well. Before leaving, he opened the incense burner in the corner and added some spices.

After a short while, Prince Yu felt slightly tipsy and dizzy, and Lou Ge found herself losing control. She was already fond of Prince Yu, or she wouldn’t have helped him.

The two embraced, and soon the hall was filled with scandalous sounds.

The eunuch guarding outside was a bit confused, but thinking it over, he thought the spices must have been the problem.