Chapter 097: I Just Hope She Isn’t Too Foolish

Chapter 097: I Just Hope She Isn't Too Foolish

On the day of the Crown Prince's estate garden banquet, the weather was splendid. A gentle breeze brushed past the blooming flowers in the garden—elegant orchids, noble peonies, and the vast expanse of lotus and cattail leaves covering the surface of the scenic lake. The entire garden was filled with a delightful fragrance, refreshing and soothing.

Groups of young ladies gathered together, while some family members of officials chatted in the flower hall. Though it appeared to be a casual gathering, everyone had their own agenda.

Outside the Crown Prince's estate, Ruan Qinghuan's carriage came to a stop. He An stepped down first and helped her out of the carriage.

The consort's attendant, Madam Xu, had been waiting for a while. Seeing them arrive, she hurried forward: "Madam He, you've finally arrived. The consort is waiting for you in the inner courtyard."

Ruan Qinghuan smiled kindly, "Thank you for guiding me, Madam Xu."

"Sister."

Ruan Qinghuan turned around. The Pei family's carriage had just stopped, and Ruan Xiaoyue stepped down. Ignoring Pei Chong behind her, she walked over with a bright smile, affectionately linking arms with Ruan Qinghuan: "What a coincidence to run into you, sister. Let's go in together."

Pei Chong approached and cupped his hands in salute to He An: "General Pei pays his respects to the Prime Minister, He An."

He An remained composed: "General Pei, no need for formalities. Please, after you."

Ruan Qinghuan glanced at Ruan Xiaoyue, uneasy with her sudden closeness. She tried to pull her arm away, but Ruan Xiaoyue held on tighter, her tone almost coquettish: "Sister, let's hurry."

Ruan Qinghuan suddenly recalled the last banquet at the Crown Prince's estate, where Ruan Xiaoyue had stood with Qi Siwei, trying to deliberately provoke her.

She couldn't help but inwardly sneer. Ruan Xiaoyue had always been overly ambitious, and her sudden friendliness likely hid ulterior motives.

Ruan Xiaoyue herself wasn't fond of pretending to be close with Ruan Qinghuan, but before coming, Pei Chong had repeatedly urged her to reconcile with Ruan Qinghuan, emphasizing that He An was the current Prime Minister and that being confrontational would do them no good.

If He An were to cause trouble behind their backs, it would be a significant loss.

Moreover, Pei Chong had repeatedly instructed her to stay close to Ruan Qinghuan, using the opportunity to get closer to the consort.

This idea appealed to Ruan Xiaoyue. If she could become a favored guest of the consort, her status would undoubtedly rise in the future.

Who would dare look down on her as a merchant's daughter then?

With so many people around, Ruan Qinghuan didn't want to engage with her further. Seeing Pei Chong and He An enter the courtyard, she followed Madam Xu into the inner courtyard of the Crown Prince's estate.

**

While the front courtyard was bustling with activity, the inner courtyard of the Crown Prince's estate was quiet, as the consort preferred tranquility. No matter what events were held in the estate, the rear courtyard was always off-limits.

The consort had finished her preparations. Chu Li stood behind her, gazing at the consort's reflection in the mirror with envy: "Cousin, your skin is as smooth as jade, and your beauty is like that of a fairy. How is it that we're sisters, yet the difference is so vast?"

The consort chuckled: "Didn't you always say as a child, 'I don't want to be as delicate as my cousin. I want to ride horses, wield spears, and roam the martial world'?"

Chu Li lowered her head in embarrassment: "I was just a child back then. How can those words be taken seriously?"

"Why not? Aren't you exactly like that now? You can ride horses, shoot arrows, and even have martial skills. I envy you."

"I don't believe you. You and the Crown Prince are always so sweet together. I can sense the sweetness even from outside the estate gates. How can you say you envy me? You're just being polite."

"Enough. I haven't even scolded you yet for speaking recklessly to His Majesty. That incident angered the Duke greatly. When will you ever grow up?"

Chu Li fell silent. Her decision to privately bring up the matter of divorce with the Emperor had indeed infuriated her father. If it weren't for her mother and sisters-in-law intervening, she would have faced a family punishment.

As the two spoke, they got up and walked out. Just as they stepped outside, they encountered Ruan Qinghuan and her sister coming around the corridor. Seeing the two so close, Chu Li frowned, while the consort's expression remained unchanged.

"You've finally arrived. If you hadn't come soon, I would have sent someone to fetch you from the Prime Minister's residence." These words were directed at Ruan Qinghuan, but Ruan Xiaoyue stepped forward first, bowing respectfully: "Your humble servant, Madam Pei, pays her respects to the consort. May the consort be at peace."

Ruan Qinghuan didn't bother to compete with her and simply curtsied: "Your servant is late. It is inexcusable to have made the consort wait."

"I was just talking to you, don’t take it so seriously." After saying this, she walked around her and approached Ruan Qinghuan. After a few steps, she added, "You may stand up too."

By the time Ruan Xiaoyue stood up, the others were already gone. Seeing the three of them heading towards the front courtyard, she hurriedly followed.

Ruan Xiaoyue and Chu Li were on either side of the consort, leaving her to follow behind. Just then, Madam Xu came over and pushed her aside. Ruan Xiaoyue, feeling displeased, glared at Madam Xu.

Madam Xu immediately asked, "Is something wrong with your eyes, Miss Ruan?"

Ruan Xiaoyue was caught off guard by her direct questioning and stammered, "I, I just got something in my eye."

"I thought I’d upset you, Miss Ruan, with that glare. If it's just something in your eye, then this old servant need not apologize."

Ruan Xiaoyue: "..."

Ruan Xiaoyue glanced at the consort and stopped in her tracks without thinking.

Despite this little incident, the consort acted as if she hadn’t noticed and continued chatting with Ruan Qinghuan. In a moment, the three of them turned the corner of the corridor, leaving her behind.

Chu Li turned back and gave Madam Xu a thumbs up: "Madam Xu, I really like you."

"You’re too kind, I don’t deserve such praise."

"Why not? My cousin has always treated you well, so no outsider should dare bully you." She then looked at Ruan Qinghuan: "Sister-in-law, your sister’s fake affection is so obvious. What is she really up to?"

"She clung to me as soon as we met at the gate. I guess she wanted to curry favor with the consort."

The consort asked, "I heard the Ruan family has split?"

Chu Li was surprised: "Really? When did this happen? How come I didn't know?"

"The consort is very well-informed. It has been settled, and in a couple of days, the second uncle's family will move to another residence," Ruan Qinghuan replied truthfully.

The sudden split in the Ruan family was bound to spark a lot of rumors. Some thought the main branch couldn't tolerate the second branch, others thought it was about money, and some even believed it was because the main branch had connections with the Prime Minister's residence, using the opportunity to drive out their siblings...

As one of the top wealthy families, people always hope for some hidden conflicts, leading to a variety of rumors.

"Don't overthink it. I heard this from Ji Lingchuan."

The consort and Ruan Qinghuan got along well. Back in the peach garden, when the Crown Prince secretly plotted against He An and Liu Yueru, she remained calm and composed, showing her wisdom and grace.

"Ji Lingchuan’s mouth is worse than a gossip’s tongue," Chu Li said, her spirits lifting at the mention of his name.

The consort glared at her, and she immediately fell silent, her mind filled with teachings of proper speech and behavior.

Ruan Qinghuan was not flustered: "This matter has caused quite a stir in the city, but I think it's a good thing."

The consort nodded: "The Pei family has been quite active lately. I heard they sent several large boxes to the residence of the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Jiang Jie. Today, your sister tried to use you to get close to me, probably because Pei Chong is worried about being implicated by the Crown Prince and is looking for a way out."

"If they haven't done anything wrong, they won't be implicated. As for the Pei family's affairs, until the case in Lu City is settled, everything remains uncertain," Ruan Qinghuan sighed. "I just hope she doesn’t do anything too stupid."

This "she," of course, referred to Ruan Xiaoyue.