Chapter 49: Gu Ling’s Fiancée
"Imperial Sister, Imperial Sister..."
Xiao Li had just stepped out of her sedan chair when Xiao Jingyi, who had been waiting by the entrance, strode over.
"I heard you collapsed from exhaustion, Imperial Sister. I was worried sick and didn’t dare disturb your rest. Are you feeling any better now?"
Xiao Li squinted at him. ’This kid has clearly used me, but his attitude is good, and he’s provided material compensation, too.’
It gave her the feeling of raising a hand to slap him, only to find herself unable to follow through.
When she lifted her hand, Xiao Jingyi quickly extended his own, perfectly positioned for Xiao Li’s hand to rest on his wrist.
"Careful, Imperial Sister."
Xiao Li gave a faint hmph and decided not to bicker with him further.
Half a step behind, Lu Yanzhi watched as Prince Wei and the Princess departed together. From start to finish, neither of them glanced back, as if he didn’t even exist.
Once upon a time, he had been the one who never saw Princess Xuanyang. Now, he was the one being ignored.
Even though he didn’t like the Princess, the feeling was still unpleasant.
"Brother Yan Zhi..."
Lu Yanzhi turned, his cold eyes instantly softening. "Princess Consort, why are you here alone?"
Liu Xueyin smiled bitterly. Looking at Lu Yanzhi again, she felt a sense of comfort. "Aren’t you alone, too?"
’Princess Xuanyang is vicious, and Prince Chen is cold-blooded. In the end, it’s just the two of them, fellow sufferers left to commiserate.’
Their eyes met, emotions swirling. Just as they were about to speak, more people began to arrive, forcing them to rein in their feelings and walk into the palace, pretending to be strangers.
Xiao Jingyi glanced back out of the corner of his eye. "Imperial Sister, isn’t it a bit cruel to just abandon the Prince Consort like that?"
Xiao Li’s eyes were dark, her grumpiness from a poor night’s sleep still lingering. "Weren’t you the one who rushed over first? Now you remember him?"
Xiao Jingyi chuckled. "It’s only because I was so worried about you, Imperial Sister. I forgot for a moment."
Xiao Li raised her hand and squeezed.
"HISS!"
Xiao Jingyi’s expression instantly contorted. "Ow, ow, ow... Mercy, Imperial Sister... I was wrong..."
Xiao Li released her grip. "Let this be a lesson to you."
’She wouldn’t be used, not even for a reward. She could accept being teased, but not when Lu Yanzhi was the subject.’
The Empress Dowager was forty-five this year. It wasn’t a great age, nor was it a milestone birthday, so it was only a small celebration.
However, as the most revered woman in the realm and the Emperor’s birth mother, even a "small" affair was bound to be a grand event.
The only ones to receive invitations were officials of the third-rank and above, along with other members of the imperial family and relatives. This was a considerable number of people on its own, and even more when their families were included.
Seeing the Empress Dowager surrounded by a throng of ladies with imperial decrees, Xiao Li simply handed her gift to the Chief Eunuch at the Empress Dowager’s side. She had no desire to curry favor, and she doubted the Empress Dowager cared for her filial piety anyway.
Chen Pingting, who had been by the Empress Dowager’s side all along, spotted her. Noticing Lu Yanzhi was absent, she shot Xiao Li an irritated glare before looking away.
"Princess Xuanyang."
Xiao Li turned to face the unfamiliar woman.
Knowing Xiao Li didn’t recognize her, the woman introduced herself. "I am Jiang Wan’er. I was betrothed to Gu Ling three years ago. Our wedding was to be this August."
Xiao Li raised an eyebrow. "So... are you reminding me that I missed you when I had the Gu Family’s assets seized?"
Jiang Wan’er’s expression changed. Staring into Xiao Li’s eyes, which held no warmth even when she smiled, and recalling the stories she had just heard about the Princess’s ruthlessness, she finally understood that the rumors were true.
"No, that’s not it. I only wished to state my identity and ask the Princess to clear up a doubt for me."
Looking languid, Xiao Li leaned against a pillar. "Let’s hear it."
Jiang Wan’er spoke quickly, "I want to know the true reason for Gu Ling’s death."
Xiao Li looked up, studying Jiang Wan’er thoughtfully. ’Her expression doesn’t seem to be anger, nor is it hatred. Interesting.’
"He failed to assassinate me, then kidnapped me, and was ultimately executed by my brother’s men. As for why he tried to kill me, you’ll have to ask him."
Xiao Li was telling the publicly known story, which also happened to be the truth. As for the details no outsider knew, she couldn’t be bothered to mention them.
Jiang Wan’er’s expression remained unchanged, as if she had accepted this fact long ago.
"Thank you for telling me, Princess."
She curtsied but didn’t leave immediately, seeming to hesitate over something.
"Princess."
She looked up at Xiao Li again, her expression suggesting she was about to say something difficult. "My younger sister, Jiang Yu’er, was infatuated with Gu Ling. She even tried to take the betrothal from me. She was driven mad by his death and is convinced there was a conspiracy. A month ago, she ran away from home. We’ve been searching for her ever since, but we haven’t found her. Princess, you must be careful."
’Between a sister driven mad by love and revenge, and the lives of the entire Jiang family, the choice was obvious.’
Jiang Wan’er wasn’t sure if Jiang Yu’er was actually capable of harming the Princess, but her family couldn’t afford to take that risk.
Telling the Princess about this uncertainty was both a warning and a plea. She hoped that if Jiang Yu’er did something irreversible, the Princess might show the Jiang family some mercy in light of this warning.
It wasn’t that Jiang Wan’er disregarded the bonds of sisterhood; it was that her sister was truly capable of anything for Gu Ling’s sake. In fact, she had just seen a palace maid from behind who looked strikingly like Jiang Yu’er, and the very thought still made her tremble with fear.
’I hope I was mistaken.’
Xiao Li received her warning. And, to be honest, she was quite surprised.
’Who would have thought someone was still willing to risk everything for Gu Ling? Wasn’t it said that no one besides Liu Xueyin cared about him?’
’Speaking of which, Liu Xueyin had been far too calm about Gu Ling’s death.’
’After all, while Liu Xueyin was a bleeding-heart saint, she had her stubborn moments—like when she’d go head-to-head with the male lead for the sake of a few supporting characters, refusing to bow even if it meant a tragic end.’
’Gu Ling died because of her, and Xiao Li was the most direct enemy. There was no reason for Liu Xueyin to be so indifferent.’
’Could she have forgotten?’
As a princess, anyone Xiao Li encountered had to bow and greet her. However, the moment the greeting was over, they would scurry away as if fleeing from a ferocious beast.
Her original self had been timid and unsociable, so no one bothered with her. The current Xiao Li was poised and radiant, but her reputation was growing ever more fearsome, so still, no one bothered with her.
Just as Xiao Li was lamenting this fact, a eunuch approached and respectfully handed her a slip of paper.
Xiao Li was puzzled. ’Who in the palace would be passing me notes?’ She opened it. The note read: The Prince Consort and Princess Chen have gone to the West Garden together.
Xiao Li: "..."
She was incredibly curious who had written the note. She didn’t have any connections in the palace.
’Lou Yan? He doesn’t seem like the gossipy type.’
There were plenty of people around, but every one of them kept a respectful distance from her. They would occasionally shoot her furtive glances while lowering their heads to whisper to the person next to them. She didn’t need to guess to know they were badmouthing her.
’Catching a cheating couple in the act sounds much more interesting than dealing with a few noble ladies gossiping behind my back.’
’But this kind of fun is so boring to have alone...’