Chapter 174: Volume 1, Chapter 174 — Noble Consort Rong's Weak Point

The news of Rong Lang's disappearance came very suddenly; it was only when Rong Ling Shan submitted a request for an audience at the palace that she found out.

Rong Ling Shan had not seen her eldest sister for a long time, and was a bit excited to see her again, saying proudly, "Mother and I are now living at our maternal family's home, and they treat us so well — all because of you, eldest sister."

Rong Luoge smiled at this. "Why did you go back to live at the Chu family's home for no reason?"

Rong Ling Shan looked a bit sad when she spoke of this. "Lately Father's temper has been especially bad for some reason, and he's always deliberately picking fights with Mother. My brother and I couldn't stop him, so Mother had eldest brother stay at the Imperial Dragon Guard, and I followed Mother back to Grandmother's home. Eldest sister, I'm really so frustrated right now — I clearly have a home but can't go back. What kind of situation is this?"

Rong Luoge, however, knew why — it was surely because the Protector Duke feared that Di Yue Nu's identity would be exposed and implicate him.

Come to think of it, Rong Luoge truly had not thought of this. She looked at Rong Ling Shan and asked, "Who else knows about Rong Lang running away?"

Rong Ling Shan shook her head. "Who would pay attention to an illegitimate son like him? Even if he doesn't show his face for a few days, no one would go out of their way to look for him. Especially now that you've become Noble Consort, those people outside are the most opportunistic — they know you and Rong Lang don't get along, so it's already good enough if they don't kick you while you're down."

Rong Luoge thought for a moment, then said to Rong Ling Shan, "Find a way to pass the news of Rong Lang running away to Rong Dai, so she knows about it."

Rong Ling Shan couldn't figure it out for the moment. "Eldest sister, why let Rong Dai know? Even if she knew, what could she do — could she still bring Rong Lang back?"

Rong Luoge then said, "I want to see whether Rong Dai will run away too."

If Rong Dai also ran, when Han Yifeng returned to the capital, that would surely be the most interesting moment.

Rong Ling Shan still didn't know Di Yue Nu's true identity, and Rong Luoge couldn't very well tell her now, so she just instructed her, "Even after you return to the Chu family, don't talk too much about Di Yue Nu. If anyone asks you, just say you've never met Di Yue Nu and don't know much about her."

Although Rong Ling Shan didn't know why, she still nodded in agreement, then said indignantly, "It's a pity she got away — otherwise, seeing your status today, eldest sister, it would probably have scared her to death!"

Rong Luoge was amused, thinking to herself that Di Yue Nu really had no need to be afraid — after all, she was a princess of an enemy nation.

Rong Ling Shan left the palace carrying Rong Luoge's reward. After thinking it over, she still returned to her grandmother's home — she truly didn't want to go back to the Zhen Guo Gong Fu. If she brought the reward back, her father would surely again ask her to find a way to get her eldest sister to acknowledge their lineage.

She was sick and tired of it. If she'd known this would happen, why had she severed ties with her eldest sister over Rong Dai in the first place?

The matter at the Zhen Guo Gong Fu had caught Rong Luoge's attention. The debt that Di Yue Nu and her daughter owed the original owner still hadn't been settled. Now that Rong Lang had run away, it was actually an opportunity — if she didn't do something, this chance would go to waste.

Han Xinglan returned travel-worn under stars and moon, only to see Rong Luoge deep in thought about who knows what. He walked over quietly and bent down to look at her.

Rong Luoge abruptly met his eyes and leaned back, saying, "Good thing I'm brave."

"I approached you slowly — it's not like I was trying to scare you. With your abilities, could you really be scared?" Han Xinglan said with a smile. "The Imperial Physician said not to strain your mind — what were you thinking about so intently?"

Rong Luoge then said, "Rong Lang ran away — he's probably gone to find Di Yue Nu."

Han Xinglan raised a brow at this, then said, "Then the Protector Duke must be stamping with rage right now."

Back then he had truly been willing to bare his heart and soul for Di Yue Nu and her children — he even used his legitimate eldest daughter as a stepping stone to pave the way for his illegitimate daughter.

"Indeed." Rong Luoge looked at Han Xinglan. "I had Ling Shan pass the news of Rong Lang's escape to Rong Dai — do you think Rong Dai will run?"

Rong Dai was currently struggling against Yun Shizhuang at the Qi Wang Fu, and her days were far from easy. After all, Yun Shizhuang held the title of primary consort, and with Han Yifeng away from the capital, who knew how much she'd suffer.

Behind Yun Shizhuang were Prime Minister Yun and the Yun family — but behind Rong Dai? Di Yue Nu had run away, and now Rong Lang had run away too. Chu Ke and her daughter had returned to their maiden family and hadn't shown their faces at all. As for the squabbles among the women of the inner quarters, the Protector Duke, a grown man, naturally couldn't intervene, and Prince Qi wasn't in the capital. Right now, Rong Dai was truly calling to heaven with no answer and calling to earth with no response.

"That's hard to say." Han Xinglan paused suddenly here. "If Rong Dai is willing to run, then that would be for the best."

Rong Luoge was startled at first, then understood Han Xinglan's meaning. "You're guessing that Rong Dai might have a way to contact Di Yue Nu?"

"It's only a possibility," Han Xinglan said. "The fact that Di Yue Nu could lie low in Xiao Country for so many years shows her patience and resilience. She may not necessarily have left any instructions for her children."

Rong Luoge thought this made some sense. "If Di Yue Nu didn't have that kind of ability, she wouldn't have waited until she could return to Qingxuan Country."

"Let's leave it alone for now. If Rong Dai leaves the capital, we'll deal with it then — just have someone watch her."

Rong Luoge nodded. "We could also lure the snake out of its hole — deliberately create an opportunity for her and see what she chooses." She paused here, then looked up at Han Xinglan. "Rong Lang was so resolute in running — I think the likelihood that he knows is higher than Rong Dai."

Han Xinglan nodded. "You rest. I'll have someone track Rong Lang, follow him, and keep an eye on him."

Rong Luoge nodded. "It may not succeed, but there's no harm in trying."

Han Xinglan went to the outer hall and called Shi An in to give the orders, while Rong Luoge in the inner hall pondered that if they could follow Rong Lang and find a way to reach Qingxuan Country, that would be a good thing for them.

But when that time came, once Rong Lang's flight to Qingxuan Country was confirmed, who knew whether the Protector Duke could bear the charge of his illegitimate son colluding with the enemy.

If that day truly came, Rong Luoge would have truly avenged the original owner. In the end, everything she had suffered later was all thanks to the Protector Duke — if he hadn't insisted on marrying the original owner to Han Yifeng, how would Rong Dai have had the audacity to bully a legitimate eldest daughter like that?

This was the justice she owed the original owner, and she kept it firmly in mind.

When Han Xinglan returned, he saw Rong Luoge gazing at the window, who knows what she was thinking again, with an indescribable air about her that made one's heart ache.

Indeed, no matter how carefree she was, the fact that she had been sold by her own father was real. She had probably always been brooding over it — otherwise she wouldn't have brought up Rong Lang's matter.

Han Xinglan noted this in his heart, mulling that it was time to move the Protector Duke from his nest. Since he held the position but didn't do the job, he should vacate the spot and make room for someone else.

Within a few days, the Protector Duke made a mistake in his duties and was severely reprimanded by His Majesty, followed immediately by a transfer — from a position that still held some real authority to a sinecure office with no power.

His Majesty suddenly punishing the Protector Duke — could it have something to do with Noble Consort Rong?

After all, this one had severed her father-daughter relationship with the Protector Duke.

If that were the case, everyone grew a bit excited. Noble Consort Rong had always acted cautiously, leaving no leverage for anyone to grab — wasn't this time the leverage?