“This…”
Sure enough, after the Empress Dowager spoke, the Emperor and Empress were both left speechless, not knowing how to respond.
“Besides,” the Empress Dowager continued, “I think Qin Yan is quite good. He took great care of Changning for the past three years—kind, thoughtful, and meticulous. Since Changning no longer wants him and Jinyang has taken a liking to him, what’s wrong with granting the marriage?”
“Moreover, you both know better than I do the situation between Changning and Qin Yan. Though married for three years, Changning is still a virgin. There’s no need to judge the man so harshly.”
The Empress Dowager spoke with deliberate ambiguity, implying things clearly but tactfully.
“But… but…”
The Empress’s expression shifted repeatedly, clearly caught in a dilemma.
“What? Is there something else going on?”
The Empress Dowager frowned and looked at the Empress.
The Empress didn’t know how to explain. She couldn’t admit she was hoping to keep Qin Yan as a fallback for her own daughter—how could she say something like that? It would be shameful and certainly displease the Empress Dowager.
“Mother, it’s just that I feel Qin Yan isn’t worthy of my younger sister. There’s no hidden reason,” Xiao Yuanwu quickly interjected when he saw the Empress hesitate.
“Hehe, you’re quite the brother—more concerned about your sister than your own daughter.”
The Empress Dowager let out a cold laugh, her tone thick with sarcasm.
“Uh… what do you mean, Mother?”
“When Qin Yan first appeared beside Changning, he had no background or status. Yet you didn’t think he was unworthy of your daughter—you still granted the marriage.”
“And now, after three years of diligence and loyalty, suddenly he’s not good enough for your sister? As her brother, you seem to care more than you ever did as a father.”
The Empress Dowager exposed Xiao Yuanwu’s thoughts outright. His excuse of Qin Yan being unworthy of Jinyang was, to her, complete nonsense.
“Mother, I…”
Xiao Yuanwu, even if he was a fool, could hear the sarcasm. His face turned beet red, and he was at a complete loss for words.
“Your Majesty…”
At that moment, Xiao Yuanwu’s personal eunuch stepped into the hall and called out softly.
“What is it?”
“Your Majesty, Nanny Rong is here. She says she has urgent news about Princess Changning.”
“Nanny Rong? Fine, let her wait. I’ll—”
“No need. Let her come in directly. I’d like to hear what it is as well.”
Xiao Yuanwu had planned to excuse himself to go hear Nanny Rong’s report, but the Empress Dowager immediately cut him off. She looked at the eunuch and instructed him to call Nanny Rong in—she wanted to hear it too.
“Uh…”
The eunuch froze, unsure whether to look to the Emperor or the Empress Dowager.
Xiao Yuanwu also seemed surprised and looked toward the Empress Dowager.
“What? Am I not allowed to hear it?”
The Empress Dowager asked coldly.
“No, no. Of course, you can hear it, Mother.”
“You there, go bring in Nanny Rong.”
“Yes!”
Not long after, Nanny Rong entered the room with the eunuch. Seeing the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager all present, she quickly knelt and greeted them.
“Nanny Rong, it’s late. Has something happened to Changning?”
The Empress Dowager asked directly, wanting to know what brought her here.
Faced with the Empress Dowager’s question, Nanny Rong didn’t know how to answer. She paused, lifting her head to look at Xiao Yuanwu, unsure whether she should speak in front of everyone.
“The Empress Dowager asked you. Just say it.”
Xiao Yuanwu said impatiently, no longer concerned about hiding anything.
“Yes…”
“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Your Highness… Tonight, the Princess… the Princess stayed overnight at the residence of the Minister of Revenue, Ji Shou, and did not return to her own residence.”
“What?!”
At those words, all three were stunned. The Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager stared at Nanny Rong in shock, their expressions instantly turning grave.
“Nanny Rong, say that again. Where is Changning right now?”
“At… at the Ji residence.”
“Outrageous! Why would Changning stay at Ji’s residence?! What is going on here?”
The Empress Dowager panicked. After all, this was her granddaughter. To hear that Princess Changning spent the night at a man’s home—it was absolutely scandalous.
“What happened?!”
Xiao Yuanwu finally came to his senses and demanded from Nanny Rong with a darkened face.
Seeing this, Nanny Rong didn’t dare hide anything. She immediately recounted everything clearly.
“Ji Yuanyi fell ill today, and the Princess was worried for him. That’s why she chose to stay and look after him at the Ji residence.”
Nanny Rong pressed her forehead to the ground, drenched in cold sweat. She didn’t dare look at their faces—she could imagine how awful their expressions must be.
“Ridiculous! That girl has completely lost her mind. As a princess, how can she be so shameless—staying overnight in an unmarried man’s home? If word gets out, what will people say about her?”
The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table, clearly furious.
“This foolish girl! Even if she likes Ji Yuanyi, they’re not engaged yet, and she only just divorced for his sake. To act this impatiently—how will it look when people hear about it?”
The Empress was fuming as well.
“Outrageous! Guards! Go to the Ji residence and bring Changning back immediately!”
Xiao Yuanwu was equally livid. He understood just how serious this situation was.
“Wait—what are you doing?”
Just as Xiao Yuanwu was about to send people to fetch Princess Changning, the Empress Dowager stopped him.
“Mother, of course I’m bringing her back! Do you want her to stay there another night?”
Xiao Yuanwu was exasperated.
“Do you not realize what time it is? It’s already curfew in the Capital. If you send people now, you’ll only expose the matter. You’ll be announcing to the whole city that Princess Changning spent the night at Ji’s residence.”
The Empress Dowager rolled her eyes at him, finding him utterly reckless.
“She’s right. Your Majesty, now is not the time.”
“It’s curfew. The city is patrolled only by the Jinwu Guards. If we send someone now, we’ll definitely alarm them. And those guards are mostly young nobles—loose-lipped and unpredictable. If even one person leaks this story, Princess Changning’s reputation will be completely ruined.”
The Empress had also realized the issue. In the Great Phoenix Empire, curfew was strictly enforced. The moment they tried to retrieve her, someone would notice—and once the gossip spread, Xiao Wanyu’s reputation would be gone forever.