Chapter 290 A Concubine for Free
As soon as Situ Jing changed her clothes and came out, she began to search for Qianhuan among the group of noble ladies. She looked around but didn't see Qianhuan.
When she approached the crowd, she heard everyone discussing that someone had fallen into the water, and one of the people who fell into the water seemed to be Princess Jingrou.
Situ Jing immediately looked towards the lake anxiously, and saw a man in the middle of the lake pulling a drowning woman and swimming hard towards the shore.
Because the boat was about to reach the shore, Situ Jing couldn't see clearly. She only vaguely saw that the drowning woman seemed to be wearing pink clothes. Situ Jing's heart was relieved a little at this point, because she remembered that Qianhuan was wearing pink clothes today.
She then asked the people around her, "Besides Princess Jingrou, who else fell into the water?"
"I didn't see it clearly. Everyone was reciting poems and writing couplets at the time. Who knew someone would suddenly fall into the water?"
The Crown Princess watched as the man in the distance was holding the woman and swimming hard towards the shore. She felt very proud. It seemed that today's plan had been successful. Humph, she would wait and see that bitch's disgrace.
Biju did a good job this time. I must reward her well when I return.
Speaking of Bizhu, the Crown Princess was still wondering: This girl has done her job, why is she nowhere to be seen? She must be afraid of being discovered and hid in the crowd.
When the boat reached the shore, the ladies all got off the boat quickly, and the Ninth Princess quickly told the eunuch who could swim on the shore, "There is another lady in the water, you guys go in and save her."
"Yes, princess."
Then with two "splashes", two eunuchs who could swim jumped into the water.
The Ninth Princess stared at the lake. She was very nervous. After all, this was her first time to harm someone and she didn't want to cause any death.
I don't know which noble lady it is. If someone dies, even my father and mother will be alarmed, and the matter will not be so simple.
The man finally swam to the shore. He climbed up holding the woman in his arms. The woman under him seemed to be scared silly. She kept hugging the man's neck like an octopus. No one could see the woman's face at all.
When the Ninth Princess saw the man who saved people, her expression changed instantly, "Li Mu, why is it you? How did you get into the palace?"
Li Mu hugged the woman tightly in his arms and replied, "Princess, I went to the palace to play with the fifth prince today. I was about to leave the palace when I happened to pass by Ziyang Lake and saw someone fall into the water. I jumped into the water to save the person in a hurry. Now I have ruined the reputation of this lady. I will definitely take responsibility and come to her house to ask for her hand in marriage."
The Ninth Princess thought to herself that this was bad. Li Mu's family was just a ruined old noble family. He himself had no ability at all and now he did not hold any official position. He was just waiting to inherit the family title in the future.
It is called a title, but in fact it is just an empty shell. Li Mu can only show up at various banquets in the palace by currying favor with the Fifth Prince. Otherwise, how could someone like him have the chance to enter the palace?
It is also said that Li Mu is a playboy with countless wives and concubines at home. He would get tired of the concubines he brought home within a month. Most of them were either sold directly or given to other nobles for their enjoyment. If Princess Jingrou married him, she would be falling into a fire pit.
Although the Ninth Princess hated Qianhuan for seducing Commander Qian, she didn't want to throw her into the fire pit. Now that things have come to this, in public, County Lady Jingrou's reputation has been ruined. She has no choice but to marry Li Mu, otherwise she will die.
By then, cousin Yu will definitely investigate the matter thoroughly. If he finds out that I am involved in this matter, I am afraid that I will be in big trouble.
Thinking of this, the Ninth Princess couldn't help but feel a little regretful. She just wanted to teach County Lady Jingrou a lesson, but who knew things would turn out like this.
Situ Jing had also heard of Li Mu. Seeing that Li Mu wanted to marry Qian Huan, she immediately asked angrily, "Mr. Li keeps saying that he wants to marry the woman in your arms. Do you know who she is? She is the Princess Jingrou, the woman that Prince An loves the most. Do you think you can compete with Prince An for a woman?"
Li Mu was also dumbfounded at this time. Didn't the Crown Princess say that the one who fell into the water today would be the Shangshu's daughter? He wanted to be the Shangshu's son-in-law, so how did she become the woman of Prince An?
The Crown Princess stepped forward and said, "Miss Situ, County Lady Jingrou's reputation has been ruined. If she doesn't marry Li Mu, she will die. I'm sure you and Prince An will not have the heart to let County Lady Jingrou die."
The Crown Prince was also in the palace today. When he heard from his own spies in the palace that Qianhuan had fallen into the water, he immediately dropped his official duties and went to Ziyang Lake.
The prince had profound inner strength, and he could hear the Crown Princess Zhao Yanran's words from a distance. Before he even approached, he asked from a distance, "Who does the Crown Princess want to kill?"
The Crown Princess suddenly heard this sinister voice and couldn't help but shudder.
When the noble ladies saw the prince coming, they all hurriedly saluted and then automatically made way for him. Zhao Yanran looked at the face that had haunted her from afar, and saw that he exuded a hostile aura, and she felt a little scared in her heart.
But she still pretended to be calm and said, "My Lord, today Princess Jingrou accidentally fell into the water, and it was Master Li who jumped into the water to save her. In front of everyone, the two of them were hugging each other. Princess Jingrou's reputation has been ruined. For now, the best option is to marry Master Li."
When Li Mu saw the prince coming, he was so scared that he tried to push the woman in his arms away, but the woman under him was still clinging to him unconsciously. He could only quickly pry her hands apart and put her aside.
Then he quickly begged for mercy, "Please forgive me, my lord. I didn't know it was Princess Jingrou who fell into the water. I was just eager to save her."
The prince stepped forward and kicked Li Mu in the chest. Li Mu rolled on the ground for several circles, crying "Ouch, ouch".
Then the prince was about to rush forward to check on the woman on the ground. At this moment, Yin Hua also rushed over in a hurry. She rushed over before the prince and threw herself on the woman, shouting, "Miss, Miss, are you okay?"
"Yinhua, are you calling me? I'm your young lady here."
Yin Hua also saw clearly at this time that the woman on the ground was not her own daughter at all. Hearing Qian Huan's voice, she quickly looked up and saw her own daughter standing not far away, all wet.
When Yin Hua saw that the person rescued by the foreign man was not her own daughter, she was immediately surprised and said, "Miss, I'm glad you're okay."
At this time, the prince also saw Qianhuan shivering with cold. He quickly walked over, took off his cloak and put it on Qianhuan, and then tied the collar for her.
Seeing Qianhuan's lips were frozen purple, he hugged her in his arms distressed, "Huan'er, you scared me to death."
Qianhuan also hugged the prince back and said, "Zi Yu, I'm sorry, I made you worry again."
The Crown Princess looked at Qianhuan who suddenly appeared, and she was in disbelief. She immediately blurted out, "County Lady Jingrou, why are you here?"
Qianhuan got out of the prince's arms and said, "Crown Princess, if I'm not here, where else should I be? Crown Princess, do you think that the person rescued by Master Li should be me?"
The Crown Princess realized that she had said something wrong and immediately changed her words, "My Lady, you are joking. I am so happy that you are fine."
Qianhuan said in a mocking tone, "The Crown Princess should be happy. After all, the woman rescued by Master Li is your personal maid. The Crown Princess will soon marry her off to her own people. This is a great joyous event."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yanran lowered her head to look at the woman on the ground, and saw that the person lying on the ground was none other than her personal maid, Bizhu. Although Bizhu did not faint, she was also very frightened, and she seemed to be still in a trance.
Zhao Yanran couldn't help but curse inwardly: This idiot, she pushed someone into the water, and actually fell into the lake herself. She caused Li Mu to rescue the wrong person and ruined all her plans. She is really a good-for-nothing who is always causing trouble.
When the Ninth Princess saw that County Lady Jingrou was fine, she instantly breathed a sigh of relief: Fortunately, County Lady Jingrou was fine, and fortunately, Li Mu did not save her.
Li Mu also breathed a sigh of relief, and he quickly said, "Crown Princess, I have ruined the reputation of your personal maid. I will come to your house today with a betrothal gift to ask to marry your maid."
When the Crown Princess heard this, she was so angry that she almost vomited blood.
She had gone to great lengths to arrange today's event just to ruin the reputation of Princess Jingrou so that she would marry the scumbag Li Mu. In the end, not only did she fail to achieve her goal, she even had to lose her own personal maid. She really ended up losing more than she gained.
It was all Bizhu's fault. She couldn't even do such a thing. She said to Li Mu, "You can just take this girl back home. You don't have to come to ask for her hand in marriage. I will have someone pack up her things and send them to the Li Mansion later."
Li Mu looked at Bizhu lying on the ground. Although this girl was not a beauty, she was pretty. It was a good thing that he could have a concubine for free.
He quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Princess. I will take the person back right away."