The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 417 Extra (Establishing a Lifetime 3)

Is her reputation so important that if she were to marry the Seventh Prince in the future, she would have to bring Liu Ruyan along to share a husband with her?

"If you are going to take Ruyan with you, then please ask Father to send a message back for me, saying that I am unwell and cannot enjoy the lanterns with the Seventh Prince."

"You child!" Madam Shen's face turned ashen with anger. "You're becoming more and more unruly."

Shen Wenqian watched Shen Qingwan turn and leave, then quickly chased after her. “You know your mother well. Why would you reject the Seventh Prince’s good intentions over such a small matter? Perhaps she didn’t mean anything by it. She just remembered that she met you in Rongcheng when you were young and wanted to catch up. The Seventh Prince’s status today is something many people would rather die than reach. People in high positions cherish those old friends who didn’t ask for anything from him.”

"Father, I understand, but I really don't want to take Ruyan with me." Shen Qingwan frowned, her face full of anger.

“Since you don’t want to go with Ruyan, but don’t want to see the Seventh Prince, then Wanwan should go to bed early tonight, dress up nicely tomorrow, and wait for the Seventh Prince to come and pick you up. Leave the rest to your father,” Shen Wenqian said.

Shen Qingwan lay in bed that night, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The image of a man with thick, black hair tied up high with a golden crown and covered in a thin layer of snow kept flashing through her mind.

It all felt like a dream.

Just like her meeting with Jiang Yuxian was something she never expected. At that time, she was only thinking about when Rongcheng would no longer have people going hungry, and when those troublesome crabs would disappear. She never thought that the Emperor would personally bring the prince to Rongcheng and allow her to meet someone who should never have appeared in her life.

Just like when she arrived in the capital, she never imagined that the person who had flashed past her would stand alive and well in front of her again.

It's so unreal.

It feels like a dream.

Shen Qingwan was terrified that this would be a nightmare.

She turned to her side on the bed, her gaze coincidentally falling on something in the distance: on the table sat that special palace pastry...

Shen Qingwan didn't know when she fell asleep, but the noise outside the window woke her up.

She glanced sleepily out the window.

Through the window, listening to the voices outside, she knew that Liu Ruyan had arrived.

Shen Qingwan turned over in annoyance.

She suddenly felt it was all so boring, and she didn't want to go to see the lanterns at night at all.

She didn't know how her father had told her mother about this last night, but she knew that once her mother made up her mind, no one could change it.

Shen Qingwan lingered in the room until after lunchtime before finally coming out.

"Why did you sleep until this hour? What kind of girl sleeps until this hour? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"

Shen Qingwan suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned around and glanced at Madam Shen. Liu Ruyan smiled and took her arm. "Good morning, cousin."

Shen Qingwan gave a forced smile and said, "Good morning."

Liu Ruyan's original "Good morning" carried a hint of provocation, since at this hour, "good morning" was hardly early at all; it was already past noon.

But when Shen Qingwan heard her say that, she didn't feel embarrassed at all, and even replied with a light "Good morning".

This left Liu Ruyan feeling powerless, like punching cotton.

"Cousin, I heard that the Seventh Prince invited you to see the lanterns tonight. Could you take me with you? I'm new to the capital and have never seen the lanterns here before," Liu Ruyan said casually. Shen Qingwan's steps suddenly stopped.

Listening to what Liu Ruyan was saying, she understood a bit. It seemed that after her father went back last night, he had clearly refused her mother's request for her to take Liu Ruyan with her to go out with Jiang Yuxian.

But her mother was still unwilling to give up and didn't want to let go of such a good opportunity, so she insisted that Liu Ruyan get closer to her.

Sometimes she really thought that since her mother liked Liu Ruyan so much, why didn't she just call Liu Ruyan her daughter and give her some peace and quiet?

"Then ask the Seventh Prince yourself tonight and see if she will take you with her."

When Shen Qingwan said those words, she was actually feeling guilty. She wasn't sure at all what Jiang Yuxian thought of her.

Even if they had those thoughts, men are always fickle, and who would care about having another woman in their household?

But she secretly vowed that if Jiang Yuxian agreed to take Liu Ruyan out with him tonight, she would pretend she had never met him.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan's eyes lit up. "Cousin, is it really okay? Can you really take me with you to see the lanterns?"

At this moment, even Madam Shen's smile deepened. "I told you your cousin would definitely take you there, but you didn't believe me."

“Mother,” Shen Qingwan interrupted her, “I just said that Liu Ruyan should ask the Seventh Prince herself. If the Seventh Prince is willing to take her, then they can go together. If the Seventh Prince is not willing to take her, then I have no way to persuade him to take her.”

When Madam Shen is obedient, she automatically selects her targets. At this moment, it seems like it's a done deal that Liu Ruyan will go with them to enjoy the lanterns tonight.

"Ruyan, did you bring any nice clothes with you when you came today? Go and change into them."

Shen Qingwan: ...

She was speechless and simply stopped talking.

After Zhen'er helped Shen Qingwan finish washing and dressing, she took out several sets of clothes from the trunk.

“Miss, when I went to fetch water just now, I saw that Madam dressed Miss Ruyan up so beautifully. You must not be inferior to her. Miss, please go and choose what to wear tonight.” Zhen’er was holding her breath.

Are you dressed nicely?

She remembered the first time Jiang Yuxian saw her; her clothes were not only unattractive, but also seemed to be torn in a large part.

He hadn't noticed either...

He is a prince, and there is never a shortage of beautiful women in the palace. If he wanted a beautiful woman, given his current status, the daughters of officials in the capital would probably line up to come before him and let him choose.

That's what she thought, but Shen Qingwan's heart was still full of unease, especially when she saw her mother lingering around her niece, she felt extremely uncomfortable.

"This one will do."

Shen Qingwan casually pointed to a pale yellow dress.

She took out an exquisite osmanthus hairpin from the innermost drawer of her dressing case and put it in her hair.

This hairpin was a gift from the Imperial Concubine to Jiang Yuxian after she returned to the capital. She had kept it safe and never wore it.

What she was really afraid of was that one day her mother might impulsively give the hairpin to Liu Ruyan...