Wei Nian’s gaze toward Yun Xiangye seemed to carry icy blades. Naturally, Wei Nian did not consider Yun Xiangye worthy of being addressed as “cousin-in-law,” but in front of the Princess Royal, she dared not voice such thoughts.
“Mother.”
Gu Yan’s voice came from the doorway.
“Father!”
Seeing Gu Yan lift the curtain and enter, Xiao Nuonuo rushed over and threw herself into his arms.
Gu Yan held Xiao Nuonuo in his arms and smiled faintly, gently stroking her flushed little face, reddened by the excessive heat from the room’s fireplace.
“Cousin.”
Wei Nian’s eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at Gu Yan with reddened eyes.
Gu Yan met her tearful gaze and asked, “What’s wrong with Cousin Wei’s eyes?”
Yun Xiangye snorted softly upon hearing Gu Yan’s words. The force of those two slaps yesterday had indeed been too light.
Xie Zhixuan addressed Wei Nian directly, “Wei Nian, over the years, you have stayed by your grandaunt’s side, fulfilling the filial duties on behalf of your cousin and me. I appreciate this kindness. However, you are no longer young, and I think it is not appropriate to delay your marriage any further. You should return to the Duke’s residence today.”
Wei Nian replied with a choked voice, “Your Highness, I am not afraid of delaying my marriage. I only wish to spend more time with Grandaunt. She is getting older, and I fear she might feel lonely without my company.”
Gu Jingyu interjected, “Cousin, what are you saying? Grandmother has me and Jingru by her side, and now Nuonuo brings her joy as well. If anything, Grandmother might find us bothersome—how could she possibly feel lonely?”
Wei Nian, looking utterly helpless and pitiful with tears in her eyes, turned to Gu Yan. “Cousin… I only wish to stay and fulfill my filial duties toward Grandaunt.”
Yun Xiangye chuckled lightly. “Instead of fulfilling your filial duties toward your own grandmother, parents, and family, you insist on staying with your grandaunt? What kind of reasoning is that? It must also be my husband’s lack of filial piety, having been away from Chang’an for three years, forcing his own grandmother to rely on a grandniece for companionship.”
Gu Yan, holding Nuonuo, nodded in agreement. “Indeed, I have been unfilial. From now on, there is no need to trouble Cousin Wei.”
Hearing even Gu Yan speak this way, Wei Nian’s face was filled with grievance.
Xie Zhixuan said, “Wei Nian, I have already ordered a carriage to be prepared. You will be escorted back to the Duke’s residence shortly.”
Wei Nian’s face was full of reluctance, but she could only curtsy and say, “Your Highness, I shall go and pack my belongings.”
As Wei Nian passed by Gu Yan, her eyes fixed intently on his face. Gu Yan, however, remained focused solely on Xiao Nuonuo in his arms. “Cousin, Cousin Jingyu, I shall take my leave…”
Gu Yan’s gaze shifted to Yun Xiangye, who stood nearby with an unhappy expression. “Cousin Wei, wait a moment.”
Wei Nian halted, her face brightening with hope and joy as she looked at Gu Yan.
Gu Yan said, “Cousin Wei, aren’t you going to bid farewell to Xiangye?”
Wei Nian was taken aback. She turned to Yun Xiangye and said, “I shall take my leave now.”
Yun Xiangye tilted her head slightly. “Cousin Wei, won’t you call me ‘cousin-in-law’ before you go?”
Wei Nian clenched her fists tightly and forced out the words “cousin-in-law” from the depths of her throat before hurrying away.
Yun Xiangye smiled faintly and said to Xie Zhixuan, “Mother, I shall take Nuonuo and return to Qingfeng Garden now.”
Xie Zhixuan nodded. “Very well.”
Yun Xiangye took Nuonuo from Gu Yan’s arms, shot him a fierce glare, and hurried back to Qingfeng Garden with Nuonuo.
At the Duke of Wei’s residence.
Madam Yan looked at her weeping daughter in her arms and pulled Wei Nian close, her heart aching. “Nian’er, did your grandaunt not ask you to stay either?”
Wei Nian cried sorrowfully, “It was Her Highness the Princess Royal who told me to return to the Duke’s residence. What could Grandaunt possibly say in front of the Princess Royal? Wuwu… Mother… I really can’t accept it. If I had lost to Fu Anran or Lin Bolan, fine, but to lose to that woman from a small town in Jiangnan—I can’t accept it! Mother…”
Madam Yan’s eyes darkened. “Her Highness the Princess Royal actually acknowledged that Yun woman as her daughter-in-law?”
Wei Nian replied, “Yes.”
Madam Yan said, “That Princess Royal was herself a lowly merchant’s daughter back in the day. Even now, despite her high status, she can’t shake off her narrow-minded, humble origins. To actually acknowledge a daughter-in-law born from common folk—just wait for her and that daughter-in-law of hers to become the laughingstock of all Chang’an.”
Hearing Madam Yan’s words, Wei Nian said, “Mother, how can you speak of Her Highness the Princess Royal like that?”
Madam Yan retorted, “What kind of Princess Royal is that Xie woman? She wasn’t even born in the palace—who knows if she’s truly of royal blood? Her lowly origins can never be changed. Back then, she even looked down on your second aunt becoming her brother’s wife and chose a Yangzhou Skinny Horse singer as her own brother’s wife instead.
Now, this Xie woman looks down on my daughter but chooses a low-born common girl as her daughter-in-law. There will be plenty of ridicule coming her way in the future. Just wait and watch the spectacle.”
Wei Nian said tearfully, “But Mother, I really can’t accept it. I’ve liked Cousin for so many years, and that Yun woman even mocked the rules of our Duke of Wei’s residence today.”
Madam Yan sneered, “That Yun woman dares to mock our Duke of Wei’s residence? Nian’er, in a few days, we’ll host a banquet at the Duke’s residence and invite that Yun woman over…”
Wei Nian asked, “Mother, why would we host a banquet and invite her?”
Madam Yan chuckled lightly, “Since Yun dares to mock you and the Wei family’s rules, we must make her lose all face in front of Chang’an’s noble families!”
Night fell.
After Yun Xiangye coaxed Nuonuo to sleep, she saw Gu Yan arrive. He picked up Nuonuo and handed her to Nanny Cao, instructing her to take Nuonuo to the small side room.
With only the two of them left in the room, Yun Xiangye saw Gu Yan lying beside her and pushed him, saying, “Go sleep in the study.”
Gu Yan frowned. “You’ve already hit me. Yesterday, you said Cousin Wei didn’t call you ‘sister-in-law,’ but she just did. You couldn’t tolerate those four maids, Zhuyi and Lanyi, and today you drove them away too. What are you still throwing a tantrum about?”
Yun Xiangye took a deep breath. “What tantrum? Why didn’t you introduce me as your wife in front of your colleagues at the Linlang Restaurant today?”
She looked at Gu Yan. “You must think I’m ugly and unattractive, embarrassing you in front of your colleagues.”
“Where are you ugly?”
Gu Yan looked at Yun Xiangye’s face. She was very fair, perhaps due to Jiangnan’s frequent rainy weather, her skin was like white jade.
Gu Yan had grown up surrounded by beauties. His mother was famously known as Chang’an’s number one beauty, and his aunts, uncles’ wives, and sisters were all rare beauties in the world.
Yun Xiangye wasn’t as stunningly beautiful as his mother at first glance, but she was the kind of beauty that grew on you. When Yun Xiangye smiled, her almond-shaped eyes curved charmingly.
He still remembered that day on the boat, the lake shimmering under the sunlight, and Yun Xiangye’s graceful, smiling figure on the deck.
Gu Yan said, “You’re not ugly at all. You’re quite beautiful.”
Yun Xiangye’s anger dissipated by more than half upon hearing Gu Yan’s words.
After all, any girl would feel a surge of joy upon hearing someone praise her beauty.
Her tone softened slightly as she questioned Gu Yan, “Then why didn’t you tell your colleague from the start that I am your wife?”
Gu Yan replied, “First, I was afraid you were still upset with me. If you brought up the matter of divorce in front of my colleague, wouldn’t I lose all face? Second, when socializing with colleagues, I worried you might not be accustomed to exchanging pleasantries with those officials, so I didn’t mention it.”
Yun Xiangye let out a light hum, reluctantly accepting his explanation. “You said earlier that I drove Zhuyi and Lanyi away. It wasn’t me—it was the Princess Royal who sent them away.”
Gu Yan said, “Regardless of who sent them away, now that they’re gone, you won’t have to feel jealous about them anymore.”
Yun Xiangye frowned. “I’m not jealous over you. If you truly had other women around, I wouldn’t bother dealing with them. After all, if you’re unfaithful, driving away one maid will only bring another. Why would I waste time being jealous? I’d simply ask for a divorce.”
Gu Yan sighed in frustration. “Can you stop mentioning divorce? You know neither of us can bear to part with Nuonuo.”
Yun Xiangye bit her lip. So, the reason Gu Yan refused to divorce was all for Nuonuo’s sake.
Gu Yan reached out and wrapped an arm around Yun Xiangye’s waist. “Nuonuo is almost two years old now. Let’s have another child…”
Yun Xiangye retorted, “You deceived me for three years, never caring about how I felt following you into this noble household. Yet, you could instantly notice the tears in Cousin Wei’s eyes. After treating me with such disrespect, why would you think I’d easily agree to have another child with you?”
Gu Yan sighed helplessly, muttering under his breath, “Truly, women and petty men are the hardest to deal with.”
Yun Xiangye stood up, took the fox-fur cloak hanging nearby, and draped it over her shoulders.
Gu Yan frowned and asked, “It’s already dark outside. Where are you going?”
Yun Xiangye replied, “To tell the Princess Royal that you called her difficult to deal with.”