RWNEFE -Chapter 210 The Princess Summons You—Do You Dare Defy Her?

The palace maid immediately realized Shen Lanxi had misunderstood and hurriedly explained: “Princess Wanhe is the title granted to the Fifteenth Princess by His Majesty over a year ago.”

The Fifteenth Princess, Zhou Yunyue, had been obscure before the Shen family’s troubles. Shen Lanxi had probably only met her once or twice.

Zhou Yunyue was the princess Shen Lanxi was assigned to escort to the northwest—one of her marriage alliance missions.

“Where is she?”

The maid replied, “Our princess is in the Imperial Garden.”

Shen Lanxi said, “Go tell her I have no time to meet. If it’s urgent, she can send a message through the eunuchs close to His Majesty.”

She said this and turned to leave.

The maid hadn’t expected Shen Lanxi to snub the princess entirely. Seeing her turn and walk away left the maid stunned.

When she regained her senses, she quickly reached out to stop her.

“Don’t go! The princess summons you—do you dare disobey a princess’s order?”

Shen Lanxi looked at the maid, a faintly amused smile on her face: “You must have only entered the palace in the past couple of years, right?”

The maid wondered how she knew.

“I did only enter the palace these past two years. What about it? Does it matter if I don’t heed a princess’s summons?”

Shen Lanxi’s voice turned low, cold, and sharp: “Back when I walked through the palace freely, your princess didn’t even know which cold palace she was hiding in. If you didn’t bother to learn who I was while serving in the palace, one day your head would roll and you wouldn’t even know how your life was lost!”

The maid went pale at her words.

“You…” How dare this woman speak ill of the princess? That’s the princess!

Seeing Ban Sicao approaching from across, Shen Lanxi walked straight up and left without hesitation.

“Who was that just now?” Ban Sicao asked curiously.

Shen Lanxi replied, “Don’t overthink it. She’s definitely not the one who sent me a letter before. She’s a maid serving the Fifteenth Princess, sent to fetch me.”

Ban Sicao paused. “And you didn’t go?”

“That’s a princess, though. Aren’t you worried the emperor might suspect you?”

“Princess? What is a princess? I used to walk freely in the palace myself!” Shen Lanxi said arrogantly.

Ban Sicao’s eyes widened, and he quickened his steps to catch up. “You used to be that bold?”

Shen Lanxi, seeing his waddling, slowed him down.

“Walk properly. Remember, you’re a palace maid, not a man.”

Ban Sicao felt a pang in his chest and muttered: “Weren’t you the one who told me to take tiny steps?”

“I think the one who needs some medicine is you. Take that kind that makes you mute naturally after eating…”

“Has she come yet?” Zhou Yunyue asked, running up to look back when the palace maid returned.

Outside, there was no sign of Shen Lanxi.

“Shen Lanxi didn’t come?”

The maid, afraid, bowed her head. “She didn’t come—and she said some unpleasant things.”

“What did she say?”

The maid dared not exaggerate and repeated Shen Lanxi’s words verbatim.

“Princess, she was extremely insolent. You are the princess. By doing this, she’s committing insubordination. If we report it to His Majesty and Your Highness, she won’t get away with it!”

Zhou Yunyue slapped the maid hard across the face.

Her beautiful face contorted into something fierce.

“Who would have thought the Shen family fell so low, the Empress Dowager passed away, yet she dares to be so arrogant!”

The little maid knelt trembling.

Everyone else thought the Fifteenth Princess, Zhou Yunyue, was kind and naive. Only her close attendants knew how ruthless and merciless she truly was.

“Mercy, Princess! Mercy…”

Zhou Yunyue kicked the maid, who felt a sharp pain in her waist but dared not lift a hand, head pressed tightly to the ground.

“Shen Lanxi, you looked down on me before. Now the Shen family has fallen, yet you still look down on me. What are you pretending for?”

“Now get up quickly and find out everything that happened at today’s welcoming banquet. If you fail, you’ll go stay in the dry well of the cold palace!”

Zhou Yunyue said this with a dark tone, then, noticing the governess approaching, quickly urged the maid to rise, restoring her harmless smile.

“What have you discovered?”

On the way back, Shen Lanxi casually asked.

Ban Sicao shook his head. “I wanted to wait for the one who poisoned you, but they never appeared. That one who sent the letter—was she just tricking you?”

Shen Lanxi chuckled, thinking of the day’s drama.

“Because I have other value.”

Ban Sicao raised his eyebrows. “That’s cryptic—can you speak clearly?”

Shen Lanxi rolled her eyes. “Even if I speak clearly, you wouldn’t understand.”

Ban Sicao grumbled, “I think you are the one who needs some medicine!”

The Shen family’s mood today was like the carriage ride to the capital—ups and downs, anxious and dizzy.

Old Madam Shen had been holding herself up, but once in the carriage back, she slumped without care.

The rest were no better.

The whole day felt like having a rope around the neck with feet unable to push off the stool—a pain more unbearable than lying over hot coals.

“Mother, what did the Empress mean by saying that today?” Madam Liu asked quietly.

Old Madam Shen opened her eyes and glared: “If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak. No one thinks you’re mute!”

Madam Liu felt wronged—what had she said wrong?

Didn’t they all think the same?

Old Madam Shen closed her eyes, weary: “We’ll discuss it after returning home.”

Shen Congwen’s face was gloomy the entire way back, avoiding Zhou Xinrou’s gaze.

Zhou Xinrou, exhausted, closed her eyes in the carriage.

“Madam, what about Lanxi?” Shen Congwen asked cautiously.

Zhou Xinrou didn’t answer, eyes still closed. Perhaps she was asleep.

They arrived home early enough, the sun not yet set. Some things could wait until tomorrow—but some things never waited.

Like collecting debts!

After setting down the rewards and imperial edicts, which would previously have been placed in the Shen family ancestral hall, now wherever Shen Lanxi put them, no one dared question.

Changing into civilian women’s clothes, Shen Lanxi carried the emperor-bestowed sword into the main hall. Its aura alone made the Shen family straighten their backs, and the younger generation instinctively hid behind elders.

Even Shen Congwen’s presence felt diminished seeing Shen Lanxi like this.

“This is the Shen family main hall, and you enter wielding a sword? What do you think you’re doing?”

This is the capital—does she dare move against them?

The sight of the palace scribes spitting in anger wouldn’t drown her!

Shen Lanxi looked at everyone, a faintly amused expression on her face, using the sword like a staff, stabbing it into the floor.

Crack! A small dent appeared in the floor tiles.

The Shen family stiffened instantly.

“Life in the family hasn’t been rich, right? Do you want some silver?”

The Shen family froze—what did she mean by that?