Chapter 214

Past clouds and smoke

The thirty strokes of the cane cost Nie Jinxuan half her life. Fortunately, Nie Jinxuan's body was quite good, so she managed to survive. Nie Jinxuan fainted for three days!

Three days later, when she opened her eyes, the first person Nie Jinxuan saw was Noble Consort Zhang.

It turned out that after she fainted in the Imperial Study that day, Gao Caiyong had hurriedly sent her to the nearby Yongxin Palace. Noble Consort Zhang, who had been anxious about Yin Fengzhan being thrown into the prison, was stunned when she saw Nie Jinxuan, and after privately inquiring about the reason, she was pleasantly surprised.

Therefore, in the following days, Noble Consort Zhang did her best, and as soon as Nie Jinxuan showed signs of movement, Noble Consort Zhang rushed over.

At this moment, Nie Jinxuan, who had opened her eyes, looked at Noble Consort Zhang, whose expression was anxious but also held a hint of joy. Nie Jinxuan smiled slightly and opened her mouth:

"Noble... Noble Consort..."

"Alright, Jinxuan, don't speak yet, rest well, we can talk about everything after your body recovers!"

Holding Nie Jinxuan's hand, Noble Consort Zhang comforted her repeatedly. As she finished, she ordered Yuzhu to hurry out and call the Imperial Physician.

Yuzhu turned and ran off quickly. At this moment, Nie Jinxuan shook her head:

"Noble Consort, please listen to Jinxuan. Jinxuan is fine, it's just flesh wounds. However, time is urgent now, and there is no time to rest..."

Nie Jinxuan said slowly, and then told her about the agreement between Emperor Shuncheng and her. Upon hearing this, Noble Consort Zhang nodded:

"I know, I heard about it. But Jinxuan, although the matter is urgent, you have to wait until your body is better! You are like this now, let alone handling things, you can barely stand up, how can you..."

Noble Consort Zhang felt heartache for Nie Jinxuan from the bottom of her heart. But hearing Noble Consort Zhang say this, Nie Jinxuan laughed and sat up from the bed:

"Jinxuan knows. So Jinxuan still needs the Noble Consort's help!"

"My help?"

"Yes."

Looking at Noble Consort Zhang, Nie Jinxuan nodded, and her smiling face tightened slightly. Seeing her like this, Noble Consort Zhang was stunned for a moment, then pressed her lips together, and without waiting for Nie Jinxuan to speak, she dismissed all the palace maids in the room.

In the blink of an eye, only Nie Jinxuan and Noble Consort Zhang remained in the room. At this moment, Noble Consort Zhang shifted her gaze back to Nie Jinxuan and sighed:

"Jinxuan wants to ask me about what happened more than twenty years ago, about Zhan'er's mother, my sister, Noble Consort Ning!"

Noble Consort Zhang was a person of such clear insight; as soon as Nie Jinxuan opened her mouth, she had guessed one or two things. Nie Jinxuan nodded silently, and at this moment, Noble Consort Zhang sighed again and said:

"Sigh, I knew it would be like this..."

As she spoke, Noble Consort Zhang looked at Nie Jinxuan quietly, then slowly cast her gaze into the distance, and began to tell the past bit by bit...

……

Many years ago, there was a wealthy and prestigious family near the capital—the Ning family. For a hundred years, the Ning family had been a family of scholars, producing many literary giants and sages, and had a very high status in Dongling at the time, especially among scholars and literati. Many people visited them out of admiration to seek their teachings.

Gradually, the Ning family's reputation grew higher and higher, and finally, it reached the ears of the then-reigning Emperor of Dongling, Emperor Kangyuan. Emperor Kangyuan had been fond of poetry and literature since he was a child and had deep attainments in literature. So, upon hearing about the Ning family, he felt a longing and sent people to the Ning family, and then brought the then-head of the Ning family, Ning Zhiyi, into the palace.

At that time, Ning Zhiyi was just over thirty, about the same age as Emperor Kangyuan, and besides his outstanding talent in poetry and prose, his character and personality were also one in a hundred. Therefore, upon meeting, he left a deep impression on Emperor Kangyuan. From then on, whenever Emperor Kangyuan had time, he would call Ning Zhiyi into the palace, and after going back and forth, the two became close friends! At that time, Emperor Kangyuan was looking for teachers for his several princes, so thinking of Ning Zhiyi's character and talent, which were outstanding, and that he was a close friend he trusted, he wanted Ning Zhiyi to enter the palace as a Grand Tutor.

Ning Zhiyi naturally accepted this gladly. So not long after, Ning Zhiyi began to lecture to the princes. There were four princes in total, the eldest being twelve and the youngest, the Fourth Prince, being eight. Among them, the Third Prince, Yin Yanze, was the later Emperor Shuncheng, who was only ten years old at the time!

Ning Zhiyi had a daughter who was only eight years old at the time, just the same age as the princes, so occasionally he would bring her into the palace. She was Ning Wan'er, the later Noble Consort Ning. Although Noble Consort Ning was young, she was already outstanding in appearance, looking like carved jade, and was very clever. So her appearance naturally aroused the joy of the princes; everyone liked her, and every time she entered the palace, the young princes would compete to please her, except for the Third Prince, Yin Yanze!

Ten-year-old children were at their most mischievous age. As time passed, a few years went by, and Ning Wan'er was twelve or thirteen, so she no longer entered the palace. But at that time, Ning Wan'er had already grown into a beauty of peerless grace, beautiful beyond compare!

……

"Wan'er cousin back then was truly beautiful. But Jinxuan, you don't know, although Wan'er cousin looked good, she had a boyish personality, and perhaps that was why she was so different..."

Memories like water spread out in her mind, and Noble Consort Zhang spoke bit by bit about the past. Saying this, Noble Consort Zhang paused and smiled slightly. At this moment, Nie Jinxuan, who was listening intently, blinked and could not help but ask:

"And then? Did all those princes fall in love with Noble Consort Ning at the same time?"

"Hehe~, yes! Beauty is a woman's capital, but sometimes, being too beautiful becomes a disaster! And Wan'er sister was like that... Back then, Wan'er cousin was talented and beautiful, and could even rival the Consort of Prince Xuan of Tiancheng. Unfortunately, Wan'er cousin was not as lucky as the Consort of Prince Xuan..."

Saying this, Noble Consort Zhang's face became increasingly solemn, and her beautiful eyes flickered with light.

"Several princes fell in love with Wan'er cousin at the same time, and the Eldest Prince was the most active. But in the end, the late Emperor betrothed Wan'er cousin to the Emperor who had not yet ascended the throne..."

"Uh... wait a moment, Noble Consort, if the late Emperor betrothed Noble Consort Ning to the Emperor back then, she should have been the primary consort, so how could she..."

"Yes, logically speaking, it should have been like that. In that case, Wan'er cousin would not have been a Noble Consort, but the Empress! But what exactly happened, I don't know, because I was still young at the time, and even what I'm saying now is what I heard bit by bit later. After all, in the palace now, matters regarding Wan'er cousin are secrets. Secrets that cannot be told..."

Noble Consort Zhang's expression was somewhat desolate. At this moment, Nie Jinxuan fell into deep thought.

According to Noble Consort Zhang's words, the late Emperor had initially betrothed Noble Consort Ning to the Emperor. But why did Empress Duan become the mistress of the harem later? And although the Emperor was not active back then, he should have loved Noble Consort Ning. So what happened that allowed Empress Duan to get there first?

Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan's eyes flickered, and she asked:

"Then what happened later? What happened later? And how did Noble Consort Ning die?"

"Sigh... later, I don't know the specifics either. But everyone knows that after the Emperor ascended the throne, he made Empress Duan the Empress, but made Wan'er cousin a Noble Consort. But Wan'er cousin's personality was stubborn, and her life in the palace was not easy; later, she even left the palace for a period of time..."

Frowning slightly, Noble Consort Zhang recalled the events of the past and said slowly:

"As for Wan'er cousin's death, that is even more baffling. It is said that Wan'er cousin jumped into the lotus pond and committed suicide..."

"Suicide?!"

Hearing Noble Consort Zhang say the word "suicide," Nie Jinxuan was stunned. Upon hearing this, Noble Consort Zhang nodded:

"Yes, suicide! However, this is what I heard from the Ning family at the time, but no one knows whether Wan'er cousin really committed suicide! And after I entered the palace, this matter had already been sealed by the Emperor!"

As she spoke, Noble Consort Zhang sighed again. But at this moment, Nie Jinxuan could not help but frown and look at Noble Consort Zhang:

"Then, Noble Consort, do you believe Noble Consort Ning committed suicide?"

Asking Noble Consort Zhang directly, Nie Jinxuan lowered her gaze and watched Noble Consort Zhang intently, not letting go of any change in her expression. At this moment, hearing this, Noble Consort Zhang was stunned for a moment, but then she smiled slightly.

Noble Consort Zhang said nothing, but her smile had already given Nie Jinxuan the answer—she didn't believe it!

Yes, Noble Consort Zhang had said that although Noble Consort Ning was peerless in beauty, she had a boyish personality, so she must have been a strong person. How could such a woman with a strong personality commit suicide so easily?!

Furthermore, when Noble Consort Ning died, Yin Fengzhan was only a few years old, and how could a mother abandon her child and go to her death?

Therefore, the claim that Noble Consort Ning committed suicide was clearly problematic!

Nie Jinxuan fell into deep thought again. At this moment, seeing Nie Jinxuan silent, Noble Consort Zhang glanced at her, then leaned closer and whispered:

"Actually, Jinxuan, I think if you want to find out the truth about what happened back then, you might as well investigate the then-Second Prince, Prince Xiang!"

"Prince Xiang?!"

"Yes!"

"Why? What does he have to do with Noble Consort Ning?"

"Whether there is any relationship, I don't know, but what I do know is that during the time Wan'er sister left the palace, I once met him at Wan'er sister's place! And I remember very clearly that Wan'er sister seemed to be crying at the time..."

See you tomorrow!