Chapter 157 The Prince Returned
“May I?” Leng Chang’an bowed again, modest and gentle.
Qin Yunuan looked back to Leng Changxi. His eyes were cold but not rejecting. She nodded to Leng Chang’an and said, “Please, my brother-in-law.”
Leng Chang’an looked apologetic, “I heard about Ruyi and your conflict last night. Ruyi was wrong. She is a little arrogant, but not a bad woman. I hope you won’t take it personally.”
The conflict Leng Chang’an mentioned was that Ruan Ruyi united with Tang and vied with Qin Yunuan for three shops. It was just a trivial matter. However, Leng Chang’an took the initiative to apologize humbly. It made Qin Yunuan look like a woman who showed no mercy to those in the wrong when justice was on her side.
Qin Yunuan only nodded, “You are overly concerned, brother. My sister-in-law and I just had a little friction. It’s my fault to trouble you with all this explaining.”
Leng Chang’an nodded and then looked to Leng Changxi, “Have you heard about it, brother? The Seventh Prince was attacked at the Imperial Mausoleum.” Leng Chang’an said as he sized his brother up with his deep and indifferent eyes.
“Oh, I heard about that.” Leng Changxi answered with no extra information, not even a look at Leng Chang’an.
Leng Chang’an smiled awkwardly, “You are indeed well-informed.”
“It’s normal to have known what you could hear about.” Leng Changxi didn’t raise his eyebrows. He finished his words coldly, taking Qin Yunuan by the hand and left.
Having returned to their yard, Maner and Ting Xue helped Qin Yunuan and Qin Baochuan tidy up the room. When Qin Yunuan was finally alone with Leng Changxi, Qin Yunuan asked as she combed Leng Changxi’s dark long hair trailing over his shoulders, “Your brother seemed to care much about the Seventh Prince.”
Leng Changxi kept his eyes closed for a while and then said, “Not only it’s him, everyone in the court is worried about this matter. The dissenters tried to find ways to deal with it while the supporters were busy with how to remove the obstacles for the Seventh Prince.”
“I didn’t quite follow,” Qin Yunuan dissolved the hair bun and tied his hair up for Leng Changxi. “Although his birth mother was from a famous family, the seventh prince was expelled to the Imperial Mausoleum at a young age. Only once after the Spring Festival could he return temporarily to the Palace. Why were the people in the court so nervous about this seemingly lost prince?”
“Because of a rumor,” Leng Changxi turned around, holding Qin Yunuan’s small hand and kneading it repeatedly in his arms. “When the Seventh Prince Sima Qiu, was born, a profound Taoist claimed to see massive Dragon Qi in the sky above Imperial Concubine Shu’s palace. At that time, he asserted that the seventh prince would be the dragon among the people. At first, the emperor had great expectations for the seventh prince, and Imperial Concubine Shu was favored. The emperor sent the best teacher to teach the seventh prince calligraphy and horse riding since he was a child. If not for the case of witchcraft later, the seventh prince would have been the most powerful competitor for the throne.”
“So for today’s return, the Seventh Prince…” Qin Yunuan pondered.
“That’s right.” Leng Changxi replied firmly, “He would turn over the current pattern of fighting for the crown in the Royal City.”
“No wonder.” Qin Yunuan thought of Leng Shuang’s words suddenly. “No wonder Sima Ray would have such great movement, and the Grand Prince who never goes out of the palace also took Princess Saichun to the First Boite of the Royal City for the birthday banquet cakes. The birthday banquet of Queen Mother next month will be the first appearance of the Seventh Prince, am I right?”
“Clever.” Leng Changxi pinched the tip of Qin Yunuan’s nose. Then his hands moved downward, stroking her chin. His eyes fell on Qin Yunuan’s flat belly, and he said, “Nuan-nuan, when will we have a baby?”
Qin Yunuan has heard Leng Changxi’s request many times, but…
Thinking of the musk in the flower sachet, Qin Yunuan shivered with terror. When she went to the Old Madam’s place, Maner and Ting Xue were instructed to search carefully in the yard. The result shocked her. Not only the sachet, Qin Yunuan’s daily powder, pancreas for shampooing, and even close-fitting clothes was smoked in musk.
Sure enough, Qin Yunuan’s health was damaged in the backroom for several years, but she was later taken good care of by nurse Liao. Even her yearly fever was cured after she got married into Prince Ning’s Mansion. Leng Changxi was strong and the lovemaking was constant. It made no sense that nothing came up after the two had been married for months. The simple answer was that Qin Yunuan set up. Careful though she was, she was still trapped.
Leng Changxi noticed Qin Yunuan’s worrying. He also knew the result after Maner and Ting Xue searched thoroughly in the yard this afternoon. He held Qin Yunuan tight in his arms, cupping her face and said, “It’s my fault. I knew how craving you are for a kid of our own. Now that Baochuan settled down here, I won’t let this happen again. Believe me.”
“Um.” Qin Yunuan hugged Leng Changxi back.
That night, Qin Yu Nuan was very tired and fell asleep early. When she woke up the next morning, Maner suddenly whispered to Qin Yunuan that Leng Changxi and Princess Ning had a big argument last night. Nobody dared to mention this because Third Young Master had always been filial to Princess Ning. They never contradicted each other, and nobody knew what happened this time. And they suggest Qin Yunuan not to greet Princess Ning at her palace.
Soon the birthday banquet for Queen Mother arrived. The nobles in the Royal City carefully prepared for the birthday ahead of time. Queen Mother was graceful and luxurious. She had seen every good thing, so those who want to make a good impression on her could only make the present novel. Some people heard that Queen Mother liked flowers and birds. They sent a variety of flowers and thrush birds. Some heard that she believed in Buddha and asked the eminent monks of those ancient temples to copy sutras. In short, they all had strange tricks.
Qin Yunuan was early when she arrived. She happened to see Prince Fu Sima Han and Qin Yuzhao who went along. The two hadn’t met ever since Qin Yunuan got married into Prince Ning’s Mansion. The brief encounter was a surprise to the sisters.
“Sister.” Qin Yuzhao was no longer the poor girl who could only wear left clothes. There was an exquisite pearl and white jade pin in her hair. She was wearing a gorgeous dress with many of begonia flowers embroidered on the cuffs. She could tell that Sima Han treated her well.
“Yuzhao.” Qin Yunuan smiled happily. She spotted Qin Yuzhao’s court dress at first sight, which meant that Qin Yuzhao was also a noblewoman just like her. “Let me see, did Prince Fu help you with your awarded grade?”
“Hum.” Qin Yuzhao nodded with happiness on her face, “He had a long talk with the emperor, saying that I wouldn’t be bullied after this going out alone. I didn’t know whether the emperor showed empathy for his botched tender or was just bored, but I was awarded a title of six grades.”
Qin Yuzhao didn’t express how good Sima Han was, but sweetness and happiness flew in her eyes and words.
“Right.” Qin Yuzhao seemed to realize something, “I returned to the Mansion days ago. My father said that he had driven you out the family, was that true?”
Qin Yunuan smiled. It was not at all a shame in her heart to be driven out of the genealogy by Qin Zhi. She had the blood of the Shangguan Family. Though nobody knew at the time, she felt blessed to have a dignified and elegant mother like Lady Yang and a kind grandpa like Shangguan Yi.
“Exactly. I could no longer go into the Qin Family Ancestral Hall and Temple, and Baochuan couldn’t attend the family academy from now on,” Qin Yunuan finished, watching Qin Yuzhao bow her head regrettably. Qin Yunuan gave her a smile instead, “But as a daughter of a concubine in the Qin family, I have never been valued by my father. There were few opportunities to enter the ancestral temples and ancestral halls, and Baochuan is already preparing to enroll in the Imperial College, the family academy could never compete with that. Yuzhao, I live a better life after leaving this fire pit.”
“I know.” Qin Yuzhao was the same. She was looked down upon in the Qin Family, but Prince Fu treasured her, “But you didn’t understand.” Qin Yuzhao gave Qin Yunuan a look and then said, “I guess you don’t know yet. My mother had asked a matchmaking woman to arrange a relationship between my sister and Second Master of Prince Ning’s Mansion, who had lost his wife three years ago. They would get married on a good day.”
Qin Yuzhao was talking about Qin Yuwan. The Second Miss, who once would die for Shangguan Rang, would get married soon. Moreover, she would be marrying Leng Changxi’s second brother. Nobody knew what would happen when the sisters become sisters-in-law.
“I heard.” Qin Yunuan nodded with no further expression. The banquet was readily prepared at the grandest and most exquisite courtyard in the palace— Xianxi Courtyard. The golden pillars held the hall up high, making it majestic and solemn. Only nobles came. Qin Yunuan followed Princess Ning and seated on the east side. Leng Changxi sat near the emperor, talking to him from time to time. Everyone can see how much the emperor valued the first general of Qi.
Princess Ning seemed pale and haggard. Qin Yunuan accompanied her by her side. In her mind, she recalled the last time when Maner said that Leng Changxi and Princess Ning had an unreasonable quarrel. It seemed that the matter still affected Princess Ning.
After almost everyone arrived, the banquet was about to start. The eunuch who guarded the door suddenly voiced, “The Seventh Prince is here.”