The cousin is beautiful but ruthless.

Chapter 165 Things change and people change

"Your Highness..."

Wei Jianfeng choked up for a moment, and Li Huaijiang told him to go inside and talk.

It's not appropriate to talk here; it'll be safer once we get to the princess's residence.

Shen Hanyu also came along; Li Huaijiang didn't hide it from her and asked her to come and listen.

"Lin Qiufeng still hasn't explained anything." Li Huaijiang glanced at Shen Hanyu. "My third brother's wedding is coming up soon."

Shen Hanyu then remembered that Liang Ruoxue and Li Jun's wedding was approaching.

The three of them sat down in the lobby, which was warm and cozy with a charcoal fire burning.

Wei Jianfeng knelt down with a thud.

"How has Your Highness been these past few years?"

Li Huaijiang nodded: "Although I was implicated a little, I am still my father's daughter, so he won't make things too difficult for me."

Wei Jianfeng clenched his fist: "What about His Highness the First Prince?"

Li Sheng, he is certainly alive.

“Demoted to a commoner, he has lived all these years, but has never sent me a single message.”

Li Huaijiang hadn't received any news from Li Sheng for a long time. She only inquired secretly, and Li Sheng did this because he didn't want to implicate her anymore.

She understood the reasoning, but she also hated herself for letting Li Jing be so arrogant.

Wei Jianfeng felt even more guilty.

"Your Highness, I am sorry for you. I have made you suffer while I have hidden myself away."

Li Huaijiang didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

"It's already very kind of you to come to Chang'an."

Wei Jianfeng knew that coming to Chang'an was a death sentence if he wasn't careful, but he still came, as a way of repaying Li Sheng's kindness from back then.

The two chatted back and forth, and Shen Hanyu got up to go see Lin Qiufeng.

Lin Qiufeng was being guarded in the guest room. He sat by the window, staring blankly outside.

Hearing footsteps, Lin Qiufeng turned to look at Shen Hanyu.

"Do you know about what happened in Lizhou?"

Shen Hanyu sat down, and a palace maid stood guard beside her, fearing that Lin Qiufeng might suddenly attack and injure her.

Lin Qiufeng's face remained expressionless upon hearing the name Lizhou.

"Thirty thousand soldiers died tragically, and they all say it was the eldest prince, Li Sheng, who did it. My father is Shen Yanzhi, the former prefect of Suzhou. His friend Qi Liansheng was one of the thirty thousand soldiers in Lizhou. Your Highness should have told you all this."

Lin Qiufeng finally met her gaze.

"My father found some writing hidden in the things he found, and your name was written on one of the pieces of paper. Do you know what that means?"

Lin Qiufeng opened his mouth, then lowered his head again.

"Lin Qiufeng, according to the information His Highness found, you haven't been to Lizhou, yet you're connected to it. Why is that?"

Shen Hanyu thought that perhaps the information was wrong, otherwise something just felt off.

After asking several questions, Lin Qiufeng still refused to write.

Shen Hanyu sighed. Well, there's no point in wasting time with Lin Qiufeng here. I might as well go and help out at the girls' school.

Right now, we should prioritize the affairs of the girls' school. Speaking of which, Yu Qi should be going to take the imperial examination soon.

Seeing that Shen Hanyu was about to leave, Lin Qiufeng suddenly stood up and grabbed Shen Hanyu's sleeve. A palace maid stepped forward to pull him away, but Shen Hanyu raised her hand to stop her.

"What are you going to write?"

Lin Qiufeng traced a few words on Shen Hanyu's sleeve with his finger, and Shen Hanyu carefully deciphered them.

Qingmen Pass.

These three characters appeared on those papers, but they were on two separate papers. It turned out to be Qingmen Pass.

Lin Qiufeng let go of his hand and returned to his dazed expression.

Shen Hanyu went out and ran into Li Huaijiang.

"Your Highness, please investigate Qingmen Pass for me, and also investigate Lin Qiufeng's identity carefully. I feel that Lin Qiufeng is a bit strange."

Li Huaijiang narrowed his eyes: "Qingmen Pass is in Lizhou, so Lin Qiufeng's identity is indeed very suspicious."

If Lin Qiufeng hadn't mentioned Qingmen Pass, Li Huaijiang wouldn't have bothered to investigate further.

It's Lizhou again.

What happened at Qingmen Pass?

Li Huaijiang's expression changed.

"Ten thousand people died there, and Qingmen Pass is now a mass grave."

It turned out to be the case.

Shen Hanyu suddenly thought of something.

"The mass grave... are all those people really dead? Could Lin Qiufeng be...?"

After hearing what Shen Hanyu said, Li Huaijiang felt that it was possible.

"Okay, I'll check it carefully."

With these matters resolved, Shen Hanyu was finally able to go back and get a good night's sleep.

Back at the mansion, Azhi and Xiaotao walked in.

"Girl, this is our homemade milk and white fungus soup, it's still warm."

The white fungus soup was steaming hot and had a milky aroma.

Shen Hanyu took a bite and asked, "Are you all settling in well at the girls' school?"

Xiao Tao was a talkative girl. She excitedly said, "It's so much fun at the girls' school, but the lessons are a bit difficult. But Sister Azhi is smart, and she can teach me."

It seemed that the situation at the girls' school there was much better than she had imagined.

"The Third Prince's wedding is approaching. Miao Cui, go do something."

Shen Hanyu wouldn't just watch them get married peacefully. Once Liang Ruoxue becomes the Third Prince's consort, things will get complicated for her.

Miao Cui understood that this was something they had planned long ago.

After eating the white fungus soup, Shen Hanyu lay down to rest. She had been traveling a long way and hadn't gotten much sleep on the road.

Li Jing, while in the Eastern Palace, received news of Shen Hanyu's return.

"She traveled safely."

The subordinates trembled with fear: "The Emperor's Imperial Guards are protecting us, and General Ji also sent men when we returned, so we couldn't make a move."

Zhao Yu brought in some pastries.

"Your Highness, it's alright that you're back. Shen Hanyu is just a small fry under Princess Huaijiang. It's more important for us to keep an eye on Princess Huaijiang."

Li Jing turned to look at her: "You don't understand, Shen Hanyu is not easy to deal with either."

Li Huaijiang has been hiding for so many years, he must have found out a lot of information, but Li Jing is afraid that Shen Hanyu will get the information that Shen Yanzhi found out.

Shen Yanzhi died at that time, but the item was not found, and no one knew where it was hidden.

"Did Shen Hanyu really never return to Suzhou?"

The subordinate shook his head: "I didn't see her go to Suzhou."

Even if he didn't get that thing, he could still think of another way.

Shen Yanzhi is indeed quite capable, able to find such information.

Zhao Yu didn't understand, because in her view, Shen Hanyu didn't seem to pose any threat.

"Your Highness, what exactly did Shen Yanzhi find out that makes you so worried?"

Li Jing remained silent, and Zhao Yu wisely refrained from asking further questions.

"Have your father come over when he has time. Pei Du will be back soon."

Zhao Yu agreed.

Li Jing kept many things from her, and she had no idea what her father and Li Jing were plotting.

Despite having already ascended to the position of Crown Prince, Li Jing seemed to always feel insecure.

Zhao Yu left, no longer concerned with the matter, leaving it to Zhao Wanfu to handle.

Miao Cui went out for a while and when she came back, she told Shen Hanyu that everything was ready.

"Let's do it on the day of the wedding; it won't be long."

The trip to the border took more than two months, and now there are indeed only a few days left until Liang Ruoxue's wedding.

Liang Ruoxue stayed at the Marquis's residence. She hadn't gone out for the past few days. Lin Lihua looked at Liang Ruoxue.

"Try this wedding dress on."

Wearing a festive wedding dress, Liang Ruoxue looked at herself in the bronze mirror.