“Hmph, everyone in the capital knows you’ve already lost your virtue to Xie Zhengyang. He only turned to Miss Jiang after discovering you couldn’t bear children.” Wan Qingling spoke with such conviction it seemed she had witnessed it herself.
“Rumors breeding rumors. Since you didn’t see it with your own eyes, you’re simply slandering me. Don’t think I won’t report this to the Empress and ask Her Majesty to uphold justice for me. If that happens, a simple apology won’t suffice.” Huo Ningyu invoked the Empress’s authority to intimidate her.
Earlier in the Empress’s palace, Her Majesty had been as gentle as always. This indicated she didn’t believe those rumors.
Wan Qingling was frightened off. She snorted coldly and left.
She intended to tell her mother and use her elder sister’s continued closeness with Huo Ningyu as an excuse to have her severely punished at home.
Watching her walk away, Wan Qingdai let out a long sigh.
“My second cousin appears to have my best interests at heart, but her true intentions are likely different.”
“You recognizing that is good. She wants to tarnish your reputation. My name is already sullied, and since you’re close with me, your reputation would suffer by association. That’s her goal. Fortunately, you don’t despise me.”
Huo Ningyu linked arms with her, their intimacy unmistakable.
“How could I despise you? I know you’re innocent.” Wan Qingdai spoke with utmost sincerity. She had never believed those rumors.
“Let’s go.” Huo Ningyu could already imagine how many scornful looks she would endure in the palace today.
The Nan Chu Kingdom was rich in waterways, and the Imperial Garden featured a large lake spanning over ten acres.
People gathered in small groups—both men and women—but they were separated by areas. The southern shore was for women’s activities, while the western shore was reserved for men.
However, this wasn’t absolute. Some bolder women, especially those from military families who had entered the palace with their brothers, would venture over to the men’s side to join the excitement.
The games the men played were more thrilling—Cuju and archery.
The two arrived outside a pavilion where a Pitch-pot game was set up.
Several young ladies were playing.
“Watch me—this time I’ll definitely make it!” A clear, bright voice rang out from the circle.
Then came a clinking sound.
“Ah, still missed.” Everyone expressed disappointment.
At that moment, a young woman in red turned around and spotted Huo Ningyu and Wan Qingdai approaching.
“Huo Ningyu, you’re not allowed here!” It was Chen Fangli.
Her shout drew everyone’s attention toward them.
“If you can play, why can’t I?” Huo Ningyu continued walking forward.
“You’re unlucky and shameless. No one wants to play with you—don’t dirty everyone’s eyes. Leave now!” Chen Fangli waved her hand as if shooing away a fly.
“Huo Ningyu, I don’t like you either. Go away.” The daughter of the Grand Princess, Huilan County Princess, also shouted arrogantly.
The fifteen-year-old girl’s rosy cheeks were flushed with anger.
“Greetings, County Princess Huilan. To judge my innocence based solely on rumors about things I’ve never done—isn’t that too harsh?” Huo Ningyu performed a respectful curtsy without subservience or defiance.
“I don’t care whether you did it or not. Your reputation is ruined, so you’re not allowed to play with us.” County Princess Huilan was utterly unreasonable.
“Ningyu, forget it. Let’s go play somewhere else.” Wan Qingdai tugged at her sleeve.
Huo Ningyu saw the row of young ladies, all glaring at her as if she were some filthy contaminant.
Damn that Jiang Ning! A single rumor had turned everyone against her.
But she paid it no mind. Today was the perfect opportunity to clear her name.
She only needed to wait for the right moment.
Huo Ningyu also glared fiercely at the group of girls before leaving the place with Wan Qingdai.
As it turned out, wherever they went, they were unwelcome.
At one spot where people were playing Touzi, the players scattered the moment they saw her approaching.
Just as well, two people could play.
But playing with just the two of them wasn’t much fun.
After a short while, they found it dull and unexciting.
“Qingdai, let’s take a walk along the lake,” Huo Ningyu suggested.
She knew that incident was about to happen.
“Alright.”
The two strolled along the lakeside.
Heading east.
“Ningyu, look, several imperial grandsons and young masters are playing Cuju over there,” Wan Qingdai spotted a group of six- or seven-year-old children playing in the distance.
“All you attendants, get lost! You’re in the way!”
From afar, Huo Ningyu heard a child scolding.
The attendants of the imperial grandsons indeed stepped back.
Without those bothersome people around, the six children played even more wildly.
The ball was kicked far and near.
They had to retrieve it from time to time.
Each of them was drenched in sweat.
Two of the children ordered their attendants to fetch them some water.
Huo Ningyu chatted idly with Wan Qingdai as they slowly walked toward the group of children.
But her eyes were fixed on a small figure.
This small figure was the wildest and most enthusiastic player. Whenever there was a chance, he actively ran to retrieve the ball.
It seemed as though he was usually kept under strict control and, finally having a chance to play, he intended to make the most of it.
In just a short time, Huo Ningyu saw him retrieve the ball five times.
Once again, she watched him run after the ball.
This time, however, the ball headed toward the lake. The small figure chased it to the lakeside.
Seeing the ball about to fall into the lake, the small figure anxiously tried to catch it. He crouched down, slipped through the railing, lunged forward, and grabbed the ball.
Huo Ningyu’s heart leaped into her throat.
Fortunately, he caught it.
But as the child stood up, his foot slipped, and he tilted backward, falling straight into the lake.
Even the stone he had stepped on fell into the lake along with him.
The other children, stunned by the sight of him falling into the water, were too shocked to cry out for help.
The attendants who had gone to fetch water had not yet returned.
Only two attendants, whose masters were unknown, remained.
As soon as they saw the child fall into the water, without a word, they jumped into the lake to rescue him.
“Oh no, the Third Imperial Grandson has fallen into the water!” Huo Ningyu exclaimed, sprinting toward the spot where the child had fallen.
Strangely, the two attendants who had jumped in first seemed to be entangled by something. No matter how hard they swam, they remained in the same spot.
Meanwhile, the struggling child drifted farther from the shore.
Wan Qingdai followed closely behind, running and shouting, “Someone has fallen into the water!”
Huo Ningyu sensed something was wrong. There must be something unusual beneath the surface where the child had fallen.
She tore off her Bei Zi, disregarding the cold, and jumped into the water some distance away from where the child had fallen. She swam desperately toward the child.
The Nan Chu Kingdom was located in the south, and many women knew how to swim.
Huo Ningyu, with her playful nature, was naturally no exception and was quite skilled in the water.
The spot where she entered the water was some distance from where the child had fallen, and she noticed nothing unusual. Picking up speed, she quickly reached the child.
She extended an arm and pulled him close.
“Lingzhe, the Heir, don’t be afraid,” Huo Ningyu comforted him gently.
Thanks to her timely arrival, the child had not lost consciousness.
The boy had already swallowed an unknown amount of water and was panicking, unsure of what to do.
Seeing someone holding him, he suddenly felt as if he had found support and burst into loud sobs. After crying twice, he began to cough.
“Your Highness, please don’t cry. This humble subject will take you ashore now,” Huo Ningyu said, treading water as she tried to place the child on her back and have him hold onto her neck.
But the child was too frightened to calm down.
She had no choice but to free one hand to support him under his arms, using her other hand to paddle through the water toward the shore.
By now, quite a crowd had gathered along the bank.
In the distance, a figure came rushing over urgently.