"They will notice soon." Shen Xiatang said with a hum.
"You might have to face some inconvenience." Shen Xiatang said as she laid on her back.
"But good things come to those who wait." Shen Xiatang said evilly.
Straightening up briefly only to bow again in complete subservience, Min Shuang said "I will forever remember your guidance, husband."
Nodding in satisfaction that the once fearless and proud Min Shuang had become subdued, Li Haoran said "As long as you understand your mistake." with a satisfied smile and Min Shuang bowed deeply.
"Sister," Min Hanying said as she rushed forward to hold Min Hanying's hand.
"I have already forgiven you for your past actions." Min Hanying said with a kind smile that poorly masked her amusement.
"Min Hanying is just happy that we can be family again." Min Hanying said with a grin.
"Litle sister is magnanimous." Min Shuang said with a polite smile as she bowed but Min Hanying saw something sinister flicker in her eyes.
"Did I imagine it?" Min Hanying thought as she tilted her head to stare at Min Shuang properly.
"Did I just see contempt?" Min Hanying thought as she looked at Min Shuang with a glare.
Min Shuang noticing her sister was looking at her weirdly, immediately lowered her eyes and began to tremble slightly and Min Hanying relaxed.
"Right." Min Hanying thought as she watched Min Shuang's slight trembling.
"I must have imagined it." Min Hanying thought with a nod as her smile became more relaxed.
"You may leave." the Crown Prince said to Min Shuang.
"Thank you." Min Shuang said with a bow, grateful that she was asked to leave but before she made a move, a maid came rushing in with a pale face.
"It's here." said Shen Xiatang.
"Young Highness, Crown Princess Consorts, bad news" the maid said in panic as she knelt down.
"Speak." Li Haoran said with a frown as he observed the maid who was panting.
"One of the ritual vessels that would be used in the ancestral rites three days from now has been broken." the maid said in panic.
"What?" Li Haoran and Min Hanying asked simultaneously.
"How could this be?!" Li Haoran asked angrily before sending his personal guard to check the room containing the ritual vessels properly.
"Min Hanying," Li Haoran said, slowly as he turned to her.
"Weren't you supposed to handle the ritual vessels?!" Li Haoran asked in rage, as he suddenly exploded and Min Hanying knelt to the floor instantly.
"Husband, I have been wronged." Min Hanying said as she bowed down with her palms on the floor.
"On your orders I have carefully handled the ritual vessels and not a single complaint have been found." Min Hanying said pitifully.
"Then how do you explain this?!" The Crown Prince asked in anger.
"The only way I can explain this is someone is trying to frame me." Min Hanying said pitifully as her eyes went to Min Shuang, who stood ofg to the side.
Following her line of sight, Li Haoran turned to Min Shuang in anger.
"You were just let out of the cold room today and you're already stirring up trouble." Li Haoran yelled at Min Shuang and Min Shuang shivered before kneeling.
"Husband, there must be a misunderstanding." Min Shuang said as she knelt down instantly.
"The second I was allowed out of the cold room, I and Min Hanying were summoned by the Empress." Min Shuang said as she mimicked Min Hanying's previous position.
"I barely ate before I had to depart and when we came back were summoned by you without a moments delay." Min Shuang said with her eyes to the ground.
"How could I have possibly planned this?" Min Shuang said as tears fell from her eyes.
"Yes." Min Hanying thought with a frown.
"I have been with Min Shuang all day and there was barely enough time to plan this." Min Hanying thought with a hum.
"But what does that matter." Min Hanying thought with a slight smirk.
"Everything is your fault at the end." Min Hanying thought with a grin before suddenly bowing.
"Sister how could you do this to me?" Min Hanying asked as tears also formed in her eyes.
"If sister didn't do it herself, then she must have had someone do it." Min Hanying said pitifully as Min Shuang pitifully shook her head
"Sister has always done this." Min Hanying said as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.
"When we were children, sister would always eat beef and other lavish foods while ordering the maids to give me scraps barely enough to fill my stomach." Min Hanying said sadly.
"And now even in marriage, sister won't let me off!" Min Hanying said pitifully.
"I didn't, I didn't." Min Shuang said with tears in her eyes as she grabbed the hem of the Crown Prince's robe.
"Min Shuang has been in that cold dark room for months without connection to anyone outside. My personal maid has been taken away, my power as the madam of the house has been stripped, how could I have gotten someone to do this?" Min Shuang said sadly, as she tried to plead her case.
"Enough!" yelled the Crown Prince.
"Since you have nothing to say but lies I will make sure that you speak the truth." Li Haoran said calmly.
"Anyone there?" Li Haoran said and two maids came out.
"Hold her down!" Li Haoran commanded as he pointed to Min Shuang and the maids immediately held Min Shuang down.
"Husband, I didn't." Min Shuang said as tears dropped freely from her eyes.
Nodding his head to Min Hanying, Li Haoran said "Slap her until she confesses."
"See, sister." Min Hanying thought as she got up with a poorly disguised smile.
"No matter what, you will always be the one at fault." Min Hanying thought as she raised her hand to slap Min Shuang but just before her hand made contact with Min Shuang's cheek, the guard that the Crown Prince had previously sent to check the situation of the ritual vessels burst into the room with an item Min Hanying knew very well.
"Your highness, we found this next to the ritual vessels." the guard said as he passed a white jade pendant that Min Hanying has previously gifted to her personal maid, to Li Haoran and Li Haoran turned to Min Hanying in anger.
"Min Hanying is this not the pendant that you gifted your personal maid in my presence?" Li Haoran asked Min Hanying as he exploded with anger.
"Husband there must be a misunderstanding." Min Hanying said quickly.
"Misunderstanding?" The Crown Prince asked in a barely calm manner.
"Is the misunderstanding that you sent your personal maid to sow discord amongst us?" The Crown Prince asked Min Hanying in disappointment.
"I wouldn't dare." Min Hanying said as she did a proper kowtow.
"She did it all on her own." Min Hanying said as she threw her personal maid into fire to save herself.
"Chun Hua must have done it on her own, thinking that it would help me." Min Hanying cried desperately.
"See," Shen Xiatang said with a smile.
"You don't have to lift a finger." Shen Xiatang said as she watched the show with amused eyes.