Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 258: The Princess Herself Will Go and See

Chapter 258: Chapter 258: The Princess Herself Will Go and See

Hearing her audacious statement, Li Mingjue chuckled lightly, "Even the Princess can’t discern it; how could I?"

Qi Yu glared at him, thinking that comment was hardly different from saying nothing at all.

The two of them were quietly discussing matters of great treachery, which to an outsider looked like a sticky, intimate scene.

Li Huaixi, seeing her imperial brother mesmerized by this vixen every time he encountered her, snorted indignantly, "No respect for the rules!"

Her voice was not low, and nearly everyone heard her.

Liu Sisi used her handkerchief to cover her lips, hiding the fleeting smile that passed over them.

It was evident that this Princess Qi was not well-liked.

The others, also very tactful, pretended not to hear, keeping their heads down as they picked at their food.

If Qi Yu were the only one present, they might have supported her with a few words since even the Empress had taken the lead in expressing dissatisfaction with the Princess Qi.

But with Prince Qi present, they dared not be presumptuous.

Li Tianze’s peripheral vision had already caught those little movements, and although he was displeased, it wasn’t a good time to say anything.

Upon hearing Li Huaixi’s words, he smiled and intentionally asked, "What is the Princess talking about?"

Li Huaixi, feeling someone backed her up, was no longer afraid and pointed at Qi Yu, saying with biting sarcasm, "Your Majesty, your daughter noticed that in just the time it took for a meal, the Princess Qi was practically glued to my imperial brother, so I simply offered her a reminder."

Qi Yu just coldly listened to her spouting nonsense with eyes wide open.

Seeing Qi Yu’s face darken, Li Huaixi felt even more triumphant, "The Imperial Palace is not like the outside world. If everyone disregarded the rules like this, what would become of us?"

At the end of her words, Li Tianze nodded slightly, "The Princess is not wrong."

Seeing this, others chimed in one after another.

For a moment, Qi Yu once again became a human target.

She had grown accustomed to such scenes and was not annoyed, but Shi Zhou, who had been silently observing from behind, had a frosty expression.

The Imperial Palace truly was no good place—so many bullying a weak woman, and they had the nerve to do so.

Being of little influence and unable to speak up, she could only simmer with anger, shooting a resentful glance at the Princess who looked dainty but was actually harsh.

Li Mingjue’s eyes grew slightly cold as he glanced at Li Huaixi, then said, "How come I never realized there were so many rules in Jingyang Palace?"

To ridicule his Princess in front of him—what else might happen when he was not present, probably even worse offenses?

Qi Yu tugged at his sleeve, signaling him not to get angry.

Seeing her own imperial brother still defending that clueless Princess, Li Huaixi pouted, "For the sake of Princess Qi, is the imperial brother also planning to disregard the proper etiquette?"

Those words were a bit too much; Li Tianze only wanted to use the opportunity to mock Princess Qi and did not intend to draw the fire towards his own son.

He waved his hand to interrupt, "Enough, today is your mother’s birthday; you should check your temperament."

Li Huaixi, not expecting to be reprimanded, sullenly lowered her head.

Liu Sisi immediately consoled her in a soft voice, "Princess Hall carries herself with grace and magnanimity; why bother with her?"

Li Huaixi’s face lightened up a bit.

Qi Yu glanced at Liu Sisi, who had been acting gentle and virtuous the whole time, and sneered inwardly.

Quite the good Samaritan, indeed.

The meal ended in an awkward and silent atmosphere, and after the banquet, everyone went to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers and drink tea.

Li Tianze and Li Mingjue returned together to the Imperial Study Room to continue discussing state affairs.

As soon as the others left, the Empress immediately gave Liu Sisi a meaningful look.

Liu Sisi nodded slightly, and taking the opportunity when all were heading to the Imperial Garden without paying attention, she quietly followed Li Mingjue with Xiang Lan.

The two did not dare to approach the Imperial Study Room, so they pretended to admire the flowers on a nearby path, waiting for someone to come out.

About half an hour later, Li Mingjue emerged from inside.

A glint of determination flashed in Liu Sisi’s eyes, and she hurriedly walked towards him, then feigned a fall.

Xiang Lan also played along, adopting a surprised expression.

But she did not step forward to help, her heart racing as she watched her mistress about to fall into the arms of the prince. She knew it would mean a physical connection between her mistress and the prince, and with so many eyes watching, even if the prince wanted to deny it, he wouldn’t be able to.

Li Mingjue looked at the woman approaching him with a flash of distaste in his eyes, stepped slightly aside, and avoided the delicate body poised to fall into his embrace.

Without any support, Liu Sisi twisted her ankle and fell to the ground.

"Miss!" Xiang Lan watched her mistress tumble to the ground in disarray, while the prince only looked on indifferently, clearly without any intention to help her up, realizing that this tactic was ineffective against the prince, her heart sank.

She hurriedly helped Liu Sisi up, asking anxiously, "Miss, are you all right?"

Liu Sisi felt a piercing pain in her ankle and gasped softly, her gaze fixed on Li Mingjue as she weakly pleaded, "Your Highness, I think my ankle is sprained. Could you please help me up?"

Li Mingjue looked down at her with stormy eyes.

He said with sarcasm, "Is the maid beside Miss Liu there for decoration?"

Liu Sisi hadn’t expected him to refuse her outright. Her face turned pale as she defended herself, "Your Highness misunderstands, it’s just that the pain is unbearable, and Xiang Lan alone cannot help me up; that’s why I sought your aid."

Xiang Lan also joined in, weeping, "If Your Highness will not save her, that’s your choice, but why utter such hurtful words to my mistress?"

The maid and mistress played out their roles, saying all that could be said.

Li Mingjue’s disgust grew as he watched. He called over a nearby eunuch and instructed, "Go tell the Empress that Miss Liu from the Liu Family got lost in the Imperial Palace and sprained her ankle; ask her to send more people over."

The eunuch complied meekly, "Yes."

He then glanced again at Liu Sisi, still sitting on the ground, crying her eyes out, and felt his expression become complicated.

It was an obvious trap, one the prince would be mad to fall into.

He hurriedly went to the Imperial Garden to report the incident. The Empress initially thought, upon seeing the eunuch coming, that Liu Sisi’s scheme had been a success.

But upon hearing the report, she furrowed her brows and asked, "You say Miss Liu has sprained her ankle? Was there anyone with her?"

The eunuch didn’t dare hide anything and promptly replied, "Your Highness, Prince Li happened to pass by at the time and witnessed the incident, so he sent me to report to you."

The Empress provocatively glanced at Qi Yu and deliberately suggested, "Since Prince Li was there, then let him do a favor and have Miss Liu brought to my Jingyang Palace, and we will get an Imperial Physician to examine her."

The eunuch looked troubled.

He dared not convey such a message to Prince Li; he had just witnessed how the prince treated that Miss Liu from the Liu Family, avoiding her like the plague.

Qi Yu had long known about the collusion between the Empress and Liu Sisi, but she hadn’t expected them to dare to stoop to such despicable tactics.

Her gaze turned colder, and she said to the Empress, "For such a trifle, why bother the prince? I, the princess, will see to it personally and ensure Miss Liu from the Liu Family is looked after properly."