Chapter 126: Turning Peaks and Winding Roads

Turning Peaks and Winding Roads

From start to finish, Han Luoxue seemed constantly concerned for Nie Jinxuan. Her tense expression and anxious tone made it seem she truly cared for Nie Jinxuan!

Meanwhile, Qin Yuxia at the side had been coldly observing silently, and kept glancing at Nie Jinxuan from time to time; her refined eyes faintly revealed a hint of inquiry and eeriness. Only Bai Meilan was relatively honest, merely lifting her eyes occasionally before lowering her gaze in silence… As for Aunt Wu, she stood with her head lowered at the back, silent.

The room felt eerie yet carried an indescribable tension. At that moment, hearing Han Luoxue say that, Nie Jinxuan remained calm as usual; after raising her eyes and glancing at Han Luoxue, she then spoke unhurriedly.

"Since Consort Han thinks the outsiders are just talking nonsense, why bother paying attention?"

"Um… but Princess Consort Sister, this matter is serious; if not clarified, it could damage your reputation, Princess Consort Sister~!"

"Reputation?! This consort doesn't care! Anyway, before this consort had no reputation to speak of……right?!"

"Think back, how bad Nie Jinxuan's reputation was—she certainly knows! And what could be worse than the notorious title 'Capital's Number One Shrew'?"

"Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan instinctively found it funny, then indeed let out a light laugh. Seeing Nie Jinxuan laugh, Han Luoxue's eye twitched; after slightly pursing her lips, she then spoke softly on her own."

"Look at what you're saying, Princess Consort Sister—your reputation has always been fine, so please don't say that! Moreover, this divorce matter at hand is no trivial affair; if it goes badly and alarms the emperor, things won't end well. After all, your marriage to the prince was personally appointed by the emperor. If this stirs up trouble, then……"

"Han Luoxue didn't say anything more, but her beautiful eyes kept flickering with worry. Upon saying this, she paused slightly, then suddenly said:"

"No, Princess Consort Sister may not care about this, but I, as your younger sister, cannot accept this! I'll go out and make things clear!"

"Having said that, Han Luoxue indeed rose on her own and made to step outside… but just as she turned, Nie Jinxuan timely spoke."

"Consort Han, why go to such trouble?"

"Um… but Princess Consort Sister…"

"Han Luoxue turned her head to look at Nie Jinxuan, and at that moment Nie Jinxuan also raised her head to meet Han Luoxue's beautiful eyes, whereupon Nie Jinxuan spoke up directly."

"There's no 'but' about it—after all, the rumor is correct. This consort…… no, I indeed proposed divorce to the prince. And I did it in the emperor's presence!"

……

"Nie Jinxuan spoke calmly. But her words struck like a thunderclap from clear sky, instantly leaving the several women present stunned."

"One would never expect Nie Jinxuan to speak so bluntly! After a long while, Qin Yuxia, eyes wide, finally couldn't help opening her mouth and said:"

"Um… then saying that, Princess Consort…… you and the prince……"

"Qin Yuxia asked tentatively, still staring at Nie Jinxuan. Since Nie Jinxuan naturally knew what she wanted to say, she didn't let her finish and spoke directly."

"How so? Miss Qin, are you asking whether the divorce actually happened? Or, since I've already divorced the prince, why am I still residing in the Prince Chen's mansion?"

"Nie Jinxuan's words were quite sharp. Upon hearing them, Qin Yuxia's face flushed, but she then promptly pursed her lips and said embarrassedly:"

"I didn't mean that, but since you, Princess Consort, have already said that, can't I ask a follow‑up? Oh, right…… should I now call you Princess Consort, or Third Miss Nie?"

"Qin Yuxia always spoke sharply, but this time her remark left Nie Jinxuan neither angry nor upset; she even faintly curled her lips in a smile, then gracefully placed her hand on the nearby armrest."

"Then I don't know, Miss Qin, what would you like to call me?"

"She tossed off a casual counter‑question; as the words fell, Nie Jinxuan instantly lifted her gaze and met Qin Yuxia's eyes."

"Qin Yuxia, let me advise you: regardless of whether I, Nie Jinxuan, am the consort of Prince Chen's mansion, you are merely a concubine! Know your place when speaking to me!"

"Furthermore, if you truly want to know whether I and the prince have divorced, go ask him yourself if you're capable—don't waste words beating around the bush with me here!"

"Although Nie Jinxuan is usually calm and steady, she is by no means a pushover; since Qin Yuxia came at her aggressively, Nie Jinxuan naturally won't let her off easy."

"Sure enough, upon hearing Nie Jinxuan say that, Qin Yuxia's face flushed crimson—but she couldn't utter a word."

"For a moment the room fell silent again. Seeing Qin Yuxia flushed with anger, Han Luoxue glanced at her askance, while Bai Meilan, seated on the other side, gave a faint smile and broke the silence:"

"\"Princess Consort, don't get upset; Miss Qin Yuxia is blunt and means no harm—just let it go after a quick chat, why bother taking it to heart?! \"

"Saying this, Bai Meilan rose from her seat, went forward and patted Qin Yuxia's shoulder, then also said to Nie Jinxuan:"

"\"So, Princess Consort, don't be angry; at worst I, your servant, will apologize on Qin Yuxia's behalf—please be magnanimous and don't hold a grudge~! \"

"Bai Meilan was indeed eloquent, but hearing this, Qin Yuxia's face darkened to the extreme, yet she said nothing more. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan curled the corner of her mouth slightly and spoke softly:"

"\"I never intended to quarrel with Miss Qin. Of course, since Miss Bai said so, let it be…… I'm tired as well; you may all leave now! \"

"\"Hehe~, yes, Princess Consort, please rest well; we servants will take our leave first. \"

"After saying that, Bai Meilan made a slight bow to Nie Jinxuan, then led the still‑huffing Qin Yuxia away. Once they had departed, Han Luoxue naturally didn't linger either; after exchanging a couple of polite remarks with Nie Jinxuan, she too left with Aunt Wu."

"In the blink of an eye, only Nie Jinxuan remained in the room. She then exhaled softly and called quietly:"

"\"Xiao Xiu. \"

"\"Yes, I am here, servant. \"

"Hearing the call, Xiao Xiu, who had been waiting outside, hurried in to respond; then all that was heard was Nie Jinxuan's instruction:"

"\"Xiao Xiu, summon Steward Gu. \"

"\"Yes, I'll go right away. \"

"After a hurried reply, Xiao Xiu left. Shortly thereafter, Steward Gu Hong pushed the door and entered."

"\"Princess Consort, did you summon this old servant? \"

"\"Yes, it's you I wanted! \"

"After pursing her lips, Nie Jinxuan straightened her posture, then her expression turned stern as she said:"

"\"Steward Gu, what just happened in the manor needs no explanation from me—you already know. So now I would like Steward Gu to handle a matter for me…… I wonder if Steward Gu can help? \"

"\"Nie Jinxuan's words sounded ordinary, yet hinted at a probe. Upon hearing them, Gu Hong first startled, then immediately replied without hesitation: \"

"\"Princess Consort, please speak. \"

"Gu Hong's simple four words made Nie Jinxuan smile slightly; she then bluntly ordered:"

"\"Very well, then please have Steward Gu send someone to the teahouses in the city to inquire just who started this divorce rumor! Remember, get to the bottom of it…… Steward Gu, do you understand my meaning? \"

"\"Yes, this old servant understands! \"

"After responding respectfully, Gu Hong turned and left…… but just then, Nie Jinxuan called out to stop him."

"\"Wait a moment! \"

"\"Yes! May I ask what else the Princess Consort requires? \"

"He halted and turned, somewhat puzzled. At that moment, Nie Jinxuan furrowed her brow slightly and asked in a low voice:"

Where did the Prince go? Weren't you not supposed to let him get out of bed?

Um... this old servant doesn't know.

Hmm, alright, I know, you may go.

Yes.

After responding again, Gu Hong walked out on his own; and after Gu Hong left, Nie Jinxuan's originally calm face involuntarily furrowed again, and after a moment she also rose and walked out.

Nie Jinxuan left the Wangfu again. At this moment, Qin Yuxia, who had just come out of Ningxiang Yuan, couldn't help but roughly shake off Bai Meilan's hand and then shouted:

"Meilan sister, don't pull me! It's really infuriating, I..."

"Alright, Yuxia junior sister, lower your voice, go back and say, let's talk when we go back!"

Saying that, Bai Meilan didn't give Qin Yuxia a chance to say anything else, and promptly pulled her back to her own courtyard; then, after entering the room and waiting for both to sit down, Bai Meilan then spoke softly:

"I say, Yuxia junior sister, why bother? Must you insist on locking horns?"

Bai Meilan spoke amiably, but upon seeing her gentle expression, Qin Yuxia immediately pressed her lips together.

"Meilan sister, you didn't see what she was just like! Besides, what's wrong with what I said? If she and the Prince divorce, what right does she have to boss us around here, making us watch her face?"

"Oh dear, my good younger sister, you say this, but actually I should say it: no matter what, the Princess Consort is still the Princess Consort! Besides, even if the divorce is true, if the Prince doesn't speak up, what can we do? So we might as well stay calm; why get angry?"

Bai Meilan's words were pleasant, so after her persuasion, Qin Yuxia gradually calmed down; then after they chatted a bit more, Qin Yuxia finally rose and left.

……

After leaving Bai Meilan's courtyard, Qin Yuxia's mood clearly improved a lot, but then she couldn't help but speak softly:

"Ah, today is really infuriating, but fortunately Meilan sister is holding me back; otherwise I'd never finish with her!"

Qin Yuxia was talking to herself a bit, but upon hearing her, the maid Xiao Lian following behind couldn't help but step forward and speak softly:

"Master, do you really think that Miss Bai is being kind to you?"

Xiao Lian is Qin Yuxia's personal maid, not old but quite clever, sometimes even sharper than Qin Yuxia. Upon hearing this, Qin Yuxia was visibly startled, then momentarily halted her steps, and while looking at her she asked:

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing much, just that I think you're oversimplifying things, Master."

"Um... how? Then what do you think the problem is?"

Although Qin Yuxia's temperament is a bit sharp, she still trusts Xiao Lian in private; so upon hearing Xiao Lian say that, she was startled, and then all she heard was Xiao Lian speaking softly again:

"It's not about whether there's a problem, Master; although I don't know what happened between you and the Princess Consort in the Ningxiang Yuan room earlier, from just hearing your conversation with Miss Bai I can still guess a bit… Moreover, I think you believe Miss Bai stopped you for your own good, but I think it's also for her own benefit."

"Because, Master, you think, in this Wangfu including you there are only four women. If the Princess Consort and the Prince divorce, there would be only three! Then, Master, do you think that's a good thing? You know, with fewer women in the rear courtyard, new ones will naturally be added; when newcomers arrive, Master, who do you think the Prince will favor more?!"

"So I think Miss Bai actually does not want the Princess Consort and the Prince to divorce! Moreover, once they divorce, the Consort Han who currently manages the Wangfu might very well rise to the position! Then, Master, consider: if Consort Han becomes the principal wife, Princess Consort, what will the rear courtyard become?"

"So I'm saying something inauspicious here: if Consort Han really rises to power, we might not get any good outcomes! And this reasoning, Miss Bai naturally understands as well. That's why she promptly stopped you, Master. In this way, she earns your favor without angering the Princess Consort, thus fulfilling her superficial duties. At the same time, it ensures that if the Princess Consort truly leaves the Wangfu and Consort Han rises to power, she won't target only her! In short, she's looking for a shield."

What Xiao Lian said was also quite frank. Upon hearing this, Qin Yuxia suddenly realized, and couldn't help but glare angrily.

"Hmph! How could she be so kind? Turns out she… she actually hid this motive! Although you said something right just now, I don't like Nie Jinxuan, but if I had to choose between her and that woman who pretends to be good while secretly being a bitch*, Han Luoxue, I'd rather have Nie Jinxuan be the Princess Consort! As for Bai Meilan… hmph, she's using me as a shield, but what about herself?"

Qin Yuxia said this softly, then her eyes narrowed instantly, and she promptly left with Xiao Lian… but the two who left on their own didn't notice that, right after they departed, a figure suddenly emerged from behind a large tree not far away and then sprinted quickly toward Shuyu Xuan.

……

The Chen Wangfu is again in turmoil, waves unceasing. At this moment, Nie Jinxuan, who had left the Wangfu, was not calm either. Originally just wanting to relax, Nie Jinxuan unknowingly left the city again and came straight to Zhang Family Village.

This was Nie Jinxuan's third visit to Zhang Family Village. The four households' ruined walls left after the fire still stood, but now they were less scorched and bleak after the fire, and instead carried a hint of indescribable desolation.

Nie Jinxuan just stood there quietly, looking at everything before her, her heart involuntarily filled with regret again. But just as she was about to turn and leave, Zhongli, who was following behind her, suddenly said:

"Princess Consort, look over there!"

Zhongli spoke softly; after speaking, he glanced toward the left front. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but startle, then followed his gaze and looked over, and instantly her eyes flashed.

It turned out that, at this very moment, behind the ruined wall not far to the left front, there was a man doing who-knows-what!

In an instant, Nie Jinxuan's heart filled with doubt, and she promptly walked over.

"Hello, elder, may I ask what you are doing?"

Nie Jinxuan spoke gently. At this moment, the man hadn't expected anyone to speak to him, so he was startled, lifted his head, and was stunned again; only after a while did he open his mouth and say:

"Oh… nothing much, I'm just checking if there's anything left at home…"

That man was about twenty years old; his youthful face still bore a hint of the vigor unique to adolescents. But upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan was stunned, and immediately followed up:

"Um… you just said 'home'… could this burned household be yours, sir?"

"Hmm, it's my home!"

He nodded, and then the young man continued:

"I am Zhang Yuan, a native of Zhang Family Village, but a few years ago, longing for the martial world, I went to Mount Hua to study martial arts, and I've been away for five years! Originally I came back this time to see my parents, but who would have thought that, on the night before my return, a sudden fire broke out… alas, though it's said that life and death, wealth and honor are fated by heaven, I truly didn't expect this…"

Because of the Zhang Family Village fire, there were many casualties and it was linked to palace affairs, so at the time only an accidental cause was announced externally. Thus, the recently returned Zhang Yuan naturally didn't know. But upon hearing that this young man named Zhang Yuan had left home five years ago, his eyes lit up instantly.

"The dead are gone, but since we fortunately met today, I have something I'd like to ask Young Master Zhang… Since you left home five years ago, could you tell me if there is a young lady named Zhang Biyou in Zhang Family Village?!"

"Biyou?! I know! I grew up with Biyou, of course I know! But why are you asking about this, Miss? What happened to Biyou? Did something happen?"