Chapter 106: Meng Hui's Regret

"Stop right there." Chi Nan Yi coughed lightly a few times. "As a young lady, saying such things isn't proper." She lowered her voice and said with a laugh, "We'll talk about it after things are done, after."

At this time, in Jingcheng, Mo Junyan looked at the letter transmitted from Yun Shan, his expression heavy.

"Prince, what is it?" Yun Shui looked at his face and couldn't help asking, "Has something happened to Miss Chi?"

Mo Junyan shook his head. "In the intelligence previously gathered by the Dark Guards, was there any mention of the Yuqin Guo Princess's movements?"

"To answer the Prince, the secret letter made no mention of the Yuqin Guo Princess. It's just that after so long, the envoys of Yuqin Guo still remain at the border and have not entered Daqi territory."

Mo Junyan handed him the secret letter in his hand. "Take a look."

Yun Shui and Yun Tian took it and read it, and couldn't help being stunned.

"Why would the Yuqin Guo Princess be at Miss Chi's shop?"

Yun Tian pondered for a moment. "Could it be that the Yuqin Guo Princess didn't want the political marriage, so she ran away from it?"

Mo Junyan's eyes narrowed slightly. In the previous life, this A er na had refused to marry the Crown Prince and insisted on marrying Gu Shaozhi, bringing ruin and death to the Duke of Zhenguo's household. The ruler of Yuqin Guo used this as a pretext to provoke war between the two nations. This life, he had deliberately sent Gu Shaozhi away, but he hadn't expected a variable to arise with the Yuqin Guo Princess as well.

"Add more men. You must keep an eye on her. Under no circumstances can she meet with trouble within Daqi territory."

"Yes."

"What about the Left Minister's Residence? Any movements?"

"To answer the Prince, the Left Minister has been going to court and returning to his residence every day. Nothing out of the ordinary, except..."

"Except what?"

Yun Shui frowned. "It's just that the Left Minister's Residence's eldest young lady, Meng Qinghe, seems to be sending people to inquire about Miss Chi's affairs."

Heh.

"Speak in detail."

"Nothing particularly unusual, just having people check on Miss Chi's recent circumstances. Early this morning, those few men had already entered Jingcheng. They should be reporting to Miss Meng by now."

Mo Junyan nodded. "No need to pay her any mind. Just have someone watch the Meng Family."

"Yes."

"Meng Qinghe." The corner of Mo Junyan's lips curled into an icy smile.

One of the chief culprits of the previous life.

What she had done to Chi Nan Yi in the previous life, this life she would certainly make her pay back a hundredfold, a thousandfold. But this vengeance was still best left for her to exact with her own hands.

At this time, at the Left Minister's Residence, in Meng Qinghe's courtyard.

Several men stood before her. Meng Qinghe stared wide-eyed, looking at them in disbelief. "What did you say? Say it again!"

"To answer the eldest young lady, you ordered us to keep watch on Miss Chi. She opened a medicinal dining shop in Changxi Town. Business is extremely booming. Daily revenue should be between one hundred and two hundred taels. The Chi Family is also living very comfortably. They renovated their courtyard, which is quite grand, with many servants attending to them. Their life is not bad at all."

Those several guards reported truthfully, but before they could finish, they heard Meng Qinghe scream as if going mad.

"Ah! Ah! Why! Why!"

Those several guards were startled by her voice.

"Get out! All of you, get out!" Meng Qinghe swept all the porcelain off the table. Seeing this, the guards hastily withdrew.

When this eldest young lady threw a fit, she was even more frightening than a shrew in the marketplace.

Compared to how the young lady used to be, it was simply an unbearable sight.

Where was there any trace of a noble family young lady's demeanor?

They had just left Meng Qinghe's courtyard when they were called to Meng Hui's courtyard, though Meng Qinghe had no knowledge of this.

"Damn it, damn it! Why should I live so miserably while she gets to sit back and enjoy the fruits? Shouldn't she be living in utter misery? Shouldn't she be eating chaff and swallowing greens, never knowing where the next meal would come from? Best if she were dressed in rags, sallow and emaciated, frozen or starved to death. Why should she be able to live so well? Running a shop, living in a big house, passing her days carefree—no! I won't accept it! This won't do!"

Just then, a maid walked in and said softly, "Eldest young lady, the Crown Prince's carriage has arrived."

The Crown Prince?

Before she could come to her senses, she heard the maid continue, "Only, the carriage has come to fetch the second young lady."

"The second young lady?" Meng Qingrong?

Meng Qinghe said coldly, "Why have they come to fetch her?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince said he wished to hear the second young lady play the zheng."

Hearing this, Meng Qinghe burned with even greater fury.

Meng Qingrong, that bitch! Relying on her ability to play the zheng, she actually dared to seduce the Crown Prince like this!

In the previous life, it was precisely because Chi Nan Yi could play the zheng that she won the Crown Prince's special favor. This life, without Chi Nan Yi, a Meng Qingrong had appeared out of nowhere! A mere daughter of a concubine, yet daring to block her path.

"Bring a zheng over for this young lady as well."

"Yes."

She refused to believe it. Wasn't it just a zheng? What was so hard about it?

Once she learned to play it, there would be nothing left for Meng Qingrong. Since heaven had given her the chance to live again, it was to let her ascend to the position of empress and make up for her regrets.

Meng Hui frowned as he looked at those several guards. "What exactly is going on?"

"To answer the master, the eldest young lady ordered us to investigate the eldest young... er... Miss Chi's recent circumstances."

"He'er sent you?"

"Yes."

"How is Chi Nan Yi now?"

"To answer the master, the eldest young lady has now opened a shop in Changxi Town."

The several men repeated word for word what they had told Meng Qinghe.

Hearing this, Meng Hui's expression changed incessantly. "Are you saying that the locust plague in Yuping Village was resolved by Chi Nan Yi's idea?"

"Yes. For this, the Deputy Magistrate of Qingjun County even specially sent a reward to the Chi Family. The entirety of Changxi Town and Yuping Village knows of this matter."

Meng Hui's brow furrowed tightly, his expression growing even uglier.

"What was the eldest young lady's reaction upon learning of this matter?"

The several guards exchanged glances, heads lowered, not daring to speak.

"Speak!"

"The eldest young lady seemed greatly shocked, and then she drove us subordinates out."

Meng Hui naturally knew that these servants always told half and kept half back.

The so-called shock and being driven out were absolutely not as simple and easy as they made it sound.

Meng Hui closed his eyes, and a trace of regret flashed through them.

Bringing her back — was it right or wrong?

Were those so-called dreams of hers real, or just reckless fabrication?

Just then, a somewhat eerie voice echoed throughout the entire Minister's Residence.

Meng Hui started up in alarm: "What is that sound outside?"

Hearing this, the steward walked in with a bitter expression: "Sir, it is the sound of a zither."

"A zither? Nonsense, how could a zither make such a sound? It is more chilling than ghost music."

The steward stammered for a long while: "This sound is coming from the eldest young lady's courtyard. Just now, the eldest young lady said she wanted to play the zither, so a maid fetched one from the storeroom, and then..."

"Absurd! She has never even touched a zither — what is she doing playing one?" A disgraceful thing. "Make her stop at once."

If this matter got out and people said that the eldest young lady of the Minister's Residence could not even play a decent tune, would they not laugh their teeth off? It would also cause the other young ladies and young masters of the Minister's Residence to be looked down upon.