"Though this married woman is good, when the Marquis leaves Dongdu, you'll have to part ways!" Princess Jian's eyes darted around. She didn't know how far Wei Tingyu's thoughts had wandered in his mind just now. Seeing his silence, she assumed he was embarrassed, so she immediately spoke again, "Will the Marquis be willing to part then?"
"What does the Princess mean?" Wei Tingyu laughed immediately. Was Li Youzhen trying to negotiate with him?
"If I can find a way for the Marquis to embrace his beauty and return to the capital…" The Princess's eyes swirled, then she spoke, "How will the Marquis repay me?"
I understand! Wei Tingyu immediately nodded. Li Youzhen's intentions were finally exposed~! She intended to help him fully win over He Weifang, thereby making him grateful to her? But it was normal for the Princess to have this idea; after all, He Weifang was still the Liu family's formally wedded daughter-in-law. If the Liu family refused to release her, could he, a Marquis, simply snatch her away? If that happened, the court would be in an uproar. A dignified Marquis committing such an act would likely even be stripped of his title. The only way was for the Liu family to voluntarily release He Weifang. As an outsider, Wei Tingyu would undoubtedly find this difficult to maneuver. In contrast, it would be much simpler for Princess Jian!
This was Princess Jian's current thought! She looked at Wei Tingyu and spoke again, "My desire to help the Marquis achieve his wish is the same as the Marquis's!"
Good heavens! This is the first time I've encountered a situation where a noble lady assists me in pursuing a woman! And most importantly, Li Youzhen now also liked him, so He Weifang should be considered her love rival! Yet, she was actually willing to help her love rival successfully marry into his family? It must be said that this young lady's thought process was somewhat unique! However, since she was willing to go through the trouble of helping him, why wouldn't Wei Tingyu be happy to accept? As long as she could help He Weifang successfully obtain a letter of divorce, he would be spared a lot of trouble! This also indirectly proved that Princess Li Youzhen was essentially a complete romantic at heart! To please the man she loved, she would truly do anything!
Thinking this, Wei Tingyu clinked glasses with Li Youzhen again, then stood up and left. Li Youzhen, after watching Wei Tingyu's figure disappear, finally withdrew her gaze and saw He Weifang at a nearby seat also curiously staring at her. Good heavens! The two of them finally had an intersection because of a man… but this man was not Liu Chang, but Wei Tingyu! One could only say that the twists and turns of life were truly interesting! If someone had told Li Youzhen of this situation three days ago, she would have dismissed it as nonsense and slapped the person a hundred times! Yet, it was actually happening now!
Thinking this, Li Youzhen subtly nodded to He Weifang, then gestured with her eyes towards the screen behind her. Then, without waiting for He Weifang's response, she was directly helped up by her maid, pretending to be slightly tipsy, and turned behind the screen, leaving the banquet. He Weifang had initially been confused when her gaze met Li Youzhen's, but seeing the other party's actions seemed to indicate a desire to speak with her, she immediately took a deep breath, stood up, and followed her out of the banquet.
"Come in!" Outside the main house of Princess Jian's small courtyard, the maid gently nodded and motioned to He Weifang, who was waiting there. He Weifang suppressed the doubts in her heart and stepped into the room, only to see Li Youzhen had dismissed all her maids and was sitting alone behind a jade curtain.
"Greetings, Princess!" He Weifang, seeing that all the servants had left and the small room's door was closed, with only herself and Li Youzhen remaining inside, felt her nervous emotions relax considerably. It made sense; even if Princess Jian were more domineering in this Liu residence, she wouldn't attack her without reason. Besides, He Weifang now had the support of Marquis Jining, Wei Tingyu. Princess Jian couldn't possibly be unaware of this and should, at the very least, consider his standing. Having understood this, He Weifang silently scolded herself twice. She had indeed been scaring herself a bit before, but now that she understood, she wasn't nervous at all!
"He family, what a clever scheme!" Li Youzhen naturally heard He Weifang's greeting but did not directly respond. Instead, without even lifting an eyelid, she said directly, "You tricked the Marquis into not going boating with me! Have you come now to boast?"
He Weifang was startled upon hearing Li Youzhen's words, then her heart was filled with silent complaints. What do you mean I came to find you? You clearly came to find me first! However, thinking that the person in front of her was the noble Princess, and she couldn't reason with her, she could only helplessly explain, "Mudanya was unaware that the Princess invited the Marquis to go boating!"
"What?" Li Youzhen, of course, didn't believe the other party's explanation. She slowly raised her head, looked at He Weifang, and asked, word by word, "Didn't the Marquis refuse me because he had another appointment with you?"
"I never actively made an appointment with the Marquis! Nor did I ever fantasize about going out with the Marquis!" He Weifang was speechless once again, but she also knew that Li Youzhen only dared to ask her these questions. She wouldn't dare to show such blatant jealousy in front of Wei Tingyu!
"You've stayed in the Marquis's small courtyard for the past two nights; do you really think others don't know your intentions?" Princess Li Youzhen, upon hearing He Weifang being so unyielding, gently slapped the table in anger, then assumed a lecturing posture and said, "Don't forget, you are a married woman! How dare you commit such licentious acts and still show no remorse, refusing to admit your wrongdoings!"
He Weifang was startled, thinking, Indeed, it's as I expected! However, even the Marquis's proper wives and concubines didn't object to what happened between her and Wei Tingyu, yet this outsider was here lecturing her so much? To put it bluntly, who do you think you are?
"Princess, you must not speak such nonsense!" However, she certainly couldn't directly confront Li Youzhen like that, so she quickly said, "It was the Marquis's wife who found me pleasant to talk to, which is why she kept me! For those two days, I stayed and chatted with the wife. If the Princess doesn't believe it, you can simply ask the Marquis's wife, and you'll know!"
This time, it was Li Youzhen who was bewildered! That's right! The Marquis Wei Tingyu's wives and concubines haven't said anything, so me acting all high and mighty here, isn't that a bit ridiculous? And it just so happened that she couldn't hit He Weifang in front of her; after all, Li Youzhen wasn't sure how much Wei Tingyu liked her. If she really made He Weifang cry, leading to Wei Tingyu's displeasure towards her, that would be terrible!
However, if she were to truly reason with her, it would disregard her status as a noble Princess! Li Youzhen's eyes darted around, and she simply dropped the previous topic, instead directly threatening He Weifang, "This clever tongue of yours is indeed articulate! However, you dare to come to me alone; aren't you afraid that I, who cannot tolerate a speck of dust in my eye, will deal with you?"
"The Marquis mentioned the Princess to me the other day, only saying that you are innocent and unworldly!" He Weifang showed no fear, directly stating, "If the Princess were to kill me without reason, it would only make the Marquis think you have become cruel and overbearing!"
"The Princess is so intelligent, you surely wouldn't wish to push the Marquis further away!"
"You don't need to be on guard against me; my intentions are just the same as the Princess's!"
After He Weifang finished speaking, Li Youzhen indeed showed a thoughtful expression. In fact, she had thought of this point before, but hearing it from the other party's mouth now seemed more convincing. However, He Weifang said her intentions were the same as hers. The Princess then looked up and deeply gazed at her, as if understanding what her words implied. The two of them could now be considered love rivals, but they could also turn swords into jade and become excellent partners! After all, neither of them was a woman who could simply marry into the Marquis's residence easily! This goal would always require some twists and turns to achieve! Even if Wei Tingyu's wives and concubines didn't object, the worldly resistance they faced was not small. At such a time, they should help each other even more!
"Then what about your husband's family's young master?" The Princess thought of this, and her tone became much gentler than before, asking He Weifang. On this point, Li Youzhen was much more relaxed; after all, her current status was that of a widow, and there was no husband's family to restrict her.
"My thoughts have never been on Liu Chang!" He Weifang now had no need to hide anything and openly stated her goal, "I have already decided to divorce him!"
Hearing these words, Li Youzhen's eyes widened abruptly. She hadn't expected He Weifang, a merchant's daughter, to be so brave in pursuing her love and happiness! Then she, a dignified Princess, had been timid and indecisive before, fearing both the wolf in front and the tiger behind. It was truly shameful! Thinking this, Li Youzhen gently beckoned to He Weifang. He Weifang immediately understood and sat beside her.
"You just said you want to divorce him; you should look for Zishu. What's the point of telling me all this?" The Princess asked He Weifang, who was sitting beside her.
"The Liu family's affairs are never decided by Liu Chang! To divorce, the head of the household must agree!" He Weifang directly replied.
"You're telling me this, so you must already have a plan?" Princess Jian, Li Youzhen, was stunned for a moment. At this moment, she felt that He Weifang was truly not simple.
"To resolve this predicament, we must first dispel the words of the sorcerer!"
"The head of the Liu family firmly believes in divination and fortune-telling!"
"Previously, because the sorcerer said my birth chart could bring prosperity to the Liu family, he forced Liu Chang to marry me."
"In this Liu residence, I am more like a feng shui ornament than a daughter-in-law or young mistress!"
"And this sorcerer, surnamed Yuan, appears to be an immortal with lofty bones, but in reality, he is skilled in attaching himself to power and speaking with clever words."
"With the Princess's status, as long as you instruct this sorcerer to simply open his mouth and tell the head of the household that the He family is no longer the Liu family's lucky star! They will naturally no longer forcefully keep me here!"
He Weifang no longer hesitated and directly laid out her previous plan. The Princess listened, startled, then began to laugh again, saying, "He Weifang, you are indeed not as simple as you seem! Who gave you the courage to try and use this Princess?"
He Weifang didn't expect Li Youzhen to turn hostile so quickly, but she showed no panic, smiling calmly, "Our goals are aligned! How can it be considered 'using'?"
"Princess! I am never your enemy; this is a win-win solution!"
"Win-win?" Li Youzhen was immediately bewildered, asking, "If this matter succeeds, I would only be fulfilling your wish. What benefit is there for me?"
"Princess, you know I stayed in the Marquis's courtyard for the past two nights!" He Weifang said unhurriedly, "You naturally understand the Marquis's favoritism towards me!"
"If you can help me with such a big favor, you would also be helping the Marquis!"
"The Marquis is a very open-minded and righteous person; would he not remember your kindness?"
"Not to mention the Marquis, even the Marquis's wife and two younger sisters will consider you knowledgeable, sensible, and understanding!"
"In the future, your path to the Marquis's residence will be much smoother!"
As He Weifang finished speaking, Li Youzhen indeed showed a thoughtful expression, because these words did have some effect on her. Anyway, Wei Tingyu's family already had three wives, so adding another He Weifang seemed to make no difference. But if this matter could truly make Wei Tingyu realize that she was willing to do anything for him, it would also be a good deal! However, He Weifang had just denied anything between her and Wei Tingyu, but now she was saying that she had slept in Wei Tingyu's courtyard for two consecutive nights and that Wei Tingyu favored her greatly… This inconsistent statement also made Li Youzhen inwardly complain endlessly.
"But you didn't even need to ask me to do this!" However, Li Youzhen still had one thing she needed to understand clearly before she could feel at ease: "With the Marquis's status, and his great favoritism towards you, why can't he threaten that sorcerer surnamed Yuan for your sake?"
"It would be too much trouble for the Marquis if I were to impose on him so much before even entering the family!" He Weifang, however, smiled and said, "Besides, if we can solve these matters ourselves, why bother the Marquis?"
"Heh heh!" Li Youzhen nodded with satisfaction upon hearing He Weifang's answer. It was indeed pretty much as she had thought. This woman was still very stubborn at heart, unwilling to rely on men for everything! This point was very similar to herself!
"If we want to proceed with this, we must act swiftly and decisively, giving the Liu family no chance to turn the tables!" Li Youzhen blinked, signifying that she had truly formed an offensive and defensive alliance with He Weifang.
Soon, Li Youzhen and He Weifang, having discussed their subsequent plan, returned to the banquet hall one after another. Of course, Princess Jian's appearance immediately caused a stir in the crowd. After fending off the greetings and flattery of the crowd, Li Youzhen returned to her seat, only to see Wei Tingyu happily playing drinking games with his three wives and concubines, which made Li Youzhen feel a surge of envy! No choice! I can't join them yet; I'll just have to endure it for now! Thinking this, Li Youzhen sighed, then turned to look at Liu Chang in the distance.
At this moment, Liu Chang was also secretly glancing at the Princess's side. The moment their eyes met, Liu Chang immediately smiled ingratiatingly, showing the familiar signature smile he had when they were together years ago. However, this contrived smile was incredibly repulsive in Li Youzhen's eyes at this moment! When you know someone is acting, no matter what they do, you feel it's incredibly fake and unreal.
However, remembering the previous plan, Li Youzhen still endured the disgust in her heart and quietly whispered a few instructions to her maid. The maid then nodded and walked towards Liu Chang, relaying the Princess's message to him.
"Young Master Liu! The Princess asks you to immediately go to the Shuiyu Pavilion in the back courtyard; she wishes to see you alone later!" Of course, the maid spoke very softly, so only Liu Chang could hear her. Liu Chang's eyes immediately lit up! Indeed, my hard work was not in vain; I've finally deceived Li Youzhen after all this tiresome pretense! Thinking that he was about to soar to success and become Prince Ning's son-in-law, Liu Chang's expression changed with excitement! He quickly thanked the maid, then impatiently stood up and left the banquet hall, heading straight for the Shuiyu Pavilion.
And seeing Liu Chang's retreating back, Li Youzhen also helplessly rolled her eyes. If she hadn't met Wei Tingyu this time, and through the changes he brought, seen Liu Chang's true nature, she might really have been deceived by this fake idealized love! Of course, Li Youzhen naturally wouldn't go to see Liu Chang. At this moment, she was wholeheartedly determined to be with Wei Tingyu; why would she be willing to be alone with any other man? Thinking this, she winked at another maid beside her. This maid also nodded and received her orders, then left the table and followed behind Liu Chang towards the Shuiyu Pavilion!
However, none of Li Youzhen's small actions escaped Wei Tingyu's eyes, because he was familiar with the original plot and knew that this was where Princess Jian and He Weifang would team up to stir up trouble. However, in the original version, Princess Jian, who was deeply in love with Liu Chang, personally took action and, with He Weifang, staged a scene of being caught in bed, thereby using public opinion to force her father, Prince Ning, to acknowledge their marriage. However, the situation was vastly different now; Li Youzhen had no intention of being with Liu Chang, so this plan would definitely change! What exactly did these two women conspire? Wei Tingyu was extremely curious at this moment…