In Yuyao Palace, Wen Qitian huffed and puffed as she searched for Nan Fengyao.
Nan Fengyao had a straightforward temper. Furious, she ignored the maids’ attempts to stop her and cursed Nan Leli from head to toe.
“Does he have someone else outside? How dare he refuse to see even you? Come on, I’ll take you to confront him right now. I’ll whip him to death today!”
She grabbed her small leather whip, itching to confront Nan Leli on the spot, her face clearly expressing that “men are no good.”
The maids in Yuyao Palace kept their eyes downcast, wishing they could vanish into the ground.
In the entire imperial palace, the only one who dared to curse the Emperor without fear of being skinned alive was probably Her Highness the Princess.
At that time, no one yet knew that the imperial palace not only had a princess who dared to curse the Emperor but also a Miss Wen who routinely beat the Emperor while keeping her achievements hidden.
Wen Qitian stopped Nan Fengyao.
“No need, actually. It’s not a big deal to find him. I’ve just been away from home for a long time and wanted to go back for a visit.”
She lowered her head and tugged at her dress, looking pitiful. Nan Fengyao felt a pang of sadness seeing her.
She knew a bit about Wen Qitian’s situation—offered by her father to her imperial brother, which was no different from a death sentence. Yet, she still missed that home.
Such a lovely young girl, how could she end up with such a father?
Every family has its own troubles. Though Nan Fengyao appeared carefree on the surface, she was still a woman at heart. Sensitively, she didn’t pry further. Instead, she took out a token from her bosom.
Carved from sky-blue jade into an exquisite black bird, it symbolized the unique status of Princess Yuyao. In the entire imperial palace, aside from Nan Leli, no one dared to offend her lightly.
She pressed it into Wen Qitian’s hand.
“Take it. It’s just a lousy imperial palace—you can leave as many times as you want. I’d like to see who dares to stop you. Do you want me to accompany you out? What if some blind fool bullies you?”
Nan Fengyao hadn’t forgotten that illegitimate daughter from the Birthday Banquet.
Wen Qitian felt a warmth in her heart. In this world, there were still people who genuinely cared for her.
Wen Qitian hugged her. “Thank you! But I can manage on my own.”
The young girl’s expression was sincere, her voice soft and pleasant, almost like a coquettish plea.
Nan Fengyao immediately beamed with delight, feeling utterly pleased. It was as if she had stolen a hug that should have belonged to her imperial brother.
Served him right for being so arrogant.
Not only did Nan Fengyao prepare the black bird token for Wen Qitian, but she also arranged a carriage for her, with a palace eunuch as the driver.
Wen Qitian left Yue E to keep watch in the palace while she took Bai Zhi back to Yongwenhou Residence.
Meanwhile, an unexpected guest arrived at Yongwenhou Residence.
“Steward He, what is the meaning of this?”
In the main hall of Yongwenhou Residence, Wen Hongbo’s expression was dark and unreadable, with his newly taken concubine, Zhou Shi, standing beside him.
Wen Jiyue stood obediently behind them, a surge of sweetness welling up in her heart.
He hadn’t lied to her.
He really came to break off the engagement.
The day after Wen Qitian was sent to the imperial palace, Wen Jiyue, as a young lady of the residence, naturally could no longer wear her usual clothes. She took her maid to buy some decent attire but lost track of time. By the time she realized, it was already evening.
Times had changed. As the daughter of a marquis, she needed to return home early in the evening. Flustered, she hurried back to her sedan chair to return to the residence, only to find an injured man inside.
Though he wore a mask, his clothing was made of fine fabric. Moved by compassion, she saved the man who had lost too much blood.
Who would have thought the other party had such a significant background—he was actually the son of Prince Jia, Nan Xingchen, the nominal fiancé of her legitimate elder sister.
Nan Xingchen was deeply grateful to Wen Jiyue, and as they interacted back and forth, it was inevitable that feelings developed between them in secret.
The invitation Wen Jiyue received last time to enter the palace was gifted by Nan Xingchen. At that time, she still did not want to expose her relationship with him, especially since Nan Xingchen was physically weak and held little real power under the Emperor’s suppression, always at risk of being eliminated by the Emperor.
However, everything changed after Wen Qitian did not die.
She could no longer delay. The Wen family believed Wen Qitian was dead, which was why they treated her as the true young lady. If they found out Wen Qitian was still alive, who would care about her then?
At that point, as a concubine-born daughter, not to mention marrying the heir, even marrying other young masters would only qualify her to be a concubine.
Wen Qitian was still alive, but she told no one, maintaining her previous lifestyle while subtly hinting to Nan Xingchen about marriage matters.
Nan Xingchen promised he would never betray the feelings between them.
And so, early this morning, he sent his steward to terminate the engagement.
Wen Hongbo was unaware that his daughter had been hiding something. His expression revealed neither joy nor anger, but in truth, he did not care much for Wen Qitian.
Though the person was dead, the engagement could not be voided. The Wen family had to cling tightly to the Prince Jia’s household, a powerful tree.
His gaze unconsciously fell upon the concubine-born daughter beside him.
Over the years, he had indeed felt some guilt toward Concubine Zhou and her daughter. If this concubine-born daughter could marry the heir, it would be a blessing she had cultivated in this lifetime.
Nan Xingchen, the heir of Prince Jia’s household, had fallen into a fire as a child, injuring his face. For years, he dared not show his true appearance.
The engagement had been maintained solely due to the betrothal arranged before birth, to avoid others accusing their household of being heartless and ungrateful.
Now, with Wen Qitian gone, Wen Hongbo considered playing a different card. He was unwilling to let go so easily.
Wen Hongbo’s face darkened. “The betrothal arranged before birth was agreed upon by both families. Whose orders are you following, Steward He? This is truly going too far.”
He slammed the table, his expression furious.
“Lord…” Steward He sighed and explained, “Recently, rumors spread about Miss Wen’s disappearance. Even if she is found now, it would inevitably invite gossip. Our household cannot afford to lose face. This matter reflects poorly on the upbringing in your household. Terminating the engagement is already showing respect to you and your wife.”
In other words, the prestigious Yongwenhou Residence could not even properly discipline a young lady, which was truly unbecoming.
Even if Wen Qitian were to return to Yongwenhou Residence in the future, their household would not dare to accept her.
Who knew what kind of people she might have encountered outside or whether her chastity remained intact.
Yongwen Hou did not expect him to be so blunt. He did not fully grasp the meaning of “even if she is found now” and waved his hand, ready to dismiss the guest.
Even if he did not like Wen Qitian, she was still his daughter. How dare a physically flawed heir speak so arrogantly?
Seeing both sides growing heated, Wen Jiyue could no longer sit still. Anxiously, she gave Concubine Zhou a meaningful glance.
Concubine Zhou stood up, walked to Yongwen Hou’s side, and gently patted his chest, speaking softly and sweetly, “Master, don’t be angry. Isn’t there still room for negotiation?”
After speaking, she turned to Steward He with a slight smile. “Our households have shared years of friendship. Why let a minor matter cause such a conflict? Why not have the Princess Consort and the heir come over in a couple of days to discuss this personally, to avoid damaging the harmony?”
In truth, Butler He’s visit was merely for show. The young master had already instructed him to find fault with the marquis’s household when breaking off the engagement, then grant them a favor by marrying the marquis’s illegitimate daughter.
Butler He discreetly sized up Wen Jiyue, pondering to himself.
This young lady stood gracefully beside Yongwen Hou, as elegant as a lotus emerging from water, her demeanor serene and lovely—far superior to that chattering legitimate daughter. No wonder the young master favored her.
Butler He had not come alone today. Outside the marquis’s residence, many people were already gathered, with the betrothal gifts prepared in advance.
Just as he was about to speak, a servant from the marquis’s household rushed in.
“My lord, the eldest young lady has returned!”
The entire marquis’s household was stunned, especially Yongwen Hou. Like Wen Jiyue, his first thought was—hadn’t Wen Qitian been skinned alive by the Emperor?
How was she still alive?
Yongwen Hou furrowed his brow, glanced at Butler He, and instructed the servant, “Have her wait in the side hall first.”
Meanwhile, in the palace, Nan Leli was distracted, frequently glancing toward the entrance outside, but there was no sign of movement.
He wearily rubbed his temples. “Zhang Defu, what time is it?”
Eunuch Zhang hurriedly scurried in from outside the hall.
“Your Majesty, it is already the third quarter of the hour of the Sheep.”
Nan Leli’s straight posture tensed, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the desk—a sign of his agitation or inner turmoil. Eunuch Zhang stood silently nearby, not daring to make a sound, when suddenly the Emperor said, “She has sought an audience with me many times, but I have ignored her, only because state affairs kept me busy.”
“?”
Eunuch Zhang dared not respond. Fortunately, Nan Leli wasn’t expecting a reply but was merely finding an excuse for himself. “Now that matters are settled, prepare the carriage to return to the palace. Let’s see what important matter she has. If it’s something trivial, I’ll charge her with disturbing the Emperor’s peace.”
Eunuch Zhang: “…”
Following behind Nan Leli, he hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, and finally sighed deeply in his heart.
Never mind, he is the Son of Heaven. Whatever he says is right, and the reasons he gives are right. What business does a mere servant have meddling?
The imperial dragon carriage swayed grandly back to Nanli Palace, but unlike usual, the palace was eerily quiet, with only palace servants busying themselves with bowed heads. There was no sign of the little tail that usually followed.
Nan Leli had a bad premonition, his expression suddenly darkening. The palace servants behind him could clearly sense an oppressive and terrifying aura.
The weather nearing the twelfth lunar month was bitterly cold, icy winds sweeping snowflakes from the eaves, which fell desolately to the ground, only to be ruthlessly crushed underfoot.
The door to the side hall was pushed open with a loud bang, startling Yue E and the others outside. Looking up, they saw a tall, dark black figure silhouetted against the light, his hawk-like eyes coldly surveying them as he demanded, word by word, “Where is Wen Qitian?”
【Author’s Note】
The tyrant panics: “Where’s my wife? She was right here!”
Wen Qitian: “No backbone. What’s wrong with visiting my family?”
The tyrant sulks: “Visiting your family without me?”
Tiantian: “Take this ‘heh’ and figure it out yourself.”
“…” Guilty.jpg