Chapter 46 (Bonus)

Chapter 46 (Bonus)

The following day.

Xu Duanyi slept in for an hour because she went to bed late last night.

When she woke up, she still had a bad headache.

She didn’t know if it was because of the lack of sleep last night, or if the Xi Feng wine had quite a strong aftereffect.

After finishing her morning meal.

Xu Duanyi sat in the eastern side room, reading a book.

Shiyu noticed that today, Xu Duanyi kept gazing absentmindedly at the peach tree outside the window, but she didn’t seem to be admiring the flowers. Feeling puzzled, Shiyu wondered aloud, “My lady, is something on your mind?”

“Hmm?”

Xu Duanyi turned her head, a look of confusion on her face as she looked at Shiyu, not understanding what she meant.

Shiyu, being straightforward, didn’t hide anything. With a face full of doubt, she said, “You seemed lost in thought all day today.”

Before Xu Duanyi could respond, Shiyu continued, “When you came back last night, you seemed a little strange too. Did something happen outside?”

As Shiyu spoke, she couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

Wondering if something did happen, why didn’t Bixi say anything to her?

Xu Duanyi, of course, wouldn’t tell her about what happened last night.

She specifically instructed Bixi, when they returned to Linfeng Pavilion yesterday, not to tell Shiyu and Xiu Yu about what had happened.

She didn’t want too many people finding out.

Actually, it wasn’t a big deal, but because she had a guilty conscience, she was feeling on edge…

At most, it would just make Xie Qingya dislike her even more.

I mean, she’d known this since the day she married into the family.

The tangle of unease in Xu Duanyi's heart quietly eased up quite a bit.

She let out a long breath.

Indeed, it was Xie Qingya’s recent kindness that had caused her to have unwanted thoughts, which made her lose control and get confused.

It shouldn’t have happened that way.

Luckily, they didn’t really see each other much to begin with.

Given time, Xie Qingya would probably forget about last night, and they could go back to how they were.

If they could just get along like before and exchange a few words now and then, Xu Duanyi would already be very satisfied.

"It's nothing, I was just too tired from being busy all day yesterday," she just made up an excuse to dismiss Shiyu.

Shiyu didn’t think anything of it.

Since she wasn’t the one on duty last night, she didn’t know that Xu Duanyi hadn’t been able to sleep until early morning.

At that moment, seeing the noticeable dark circles under her master's eyes, she simply assumed that Xu Duanyi hadn’t rested well. With a concerned expression, she said to Xu Duanyi, "Then you should rest well today. I’ll make sure to tell the others not to disturb you."

Xu Duanyi was just about to say yes.

She really wanted to rest today.

Just then, Xiu Yu walked in. She hadn’t heard the earlier conversation between her master and the other servant. After greeting Xu Duanyi, she passed on the message, "Master, the wife of the heir from the Duke’s estate is here."

Xu Duanyi remembered that her sister-in-law had mentioned she would visit today.

She thought it was just a casual comment, but her sister-in-law had actually come. It was probably because she had left suddenly last night that worried her sister-in-law.

Xu Duanyi didn’t want to waste any time.

Quickly gathering herself, she promptly told them, "Please invite Sister-in-law to come inside."

After Xiu Yu left, Xu Duanyi didn’t stay inside. After a quick tidy-up, she led some people to wait at the moon gate outside.

It didn’t take long for Xu Duanyi to see Ming approaching, surrounded by servants.

"Sister-in-law."

With a smile on her face, she walked towards her.

Ming, seeing her, also smiled and greeted her in return.

"Why are you waiting here? Aren't you afraid of getting sunburned?" Ming said, holding Xu Duanyi's hand.

As she spoke, she discreetly observed her.

Last night, Duanyi suddenly sent someone to relay a message, saying she had already left.

She asked the maid for the reason.

But the maid was someone who knew nothing about it.

By the time she and her husband went out to search for Duanyi, she had already disappeared.

Ming was afraid something had happened to her.

If it hadn't been so late last night, and if Duanyi hadn't been taken away by Prince Nan'an, they would have come to the Wangfu to check on her.

But now, seeing Duanyi, it didn't seem like she was in any trouble.

Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Duanyi could sense that her sister-in-law was looking her over, probably still worried about the incident from the previous night.

She smiled without saying anything and led the way to Linfeng Pavilion.

Along the way, Ming enjoyed the scenery with Xu Duanyi.

The scenery didn't leave much of an impression on Ming, but when she saw the exquisite and lovely tea and snacks, her eyes lit up. "These tea and snacks look really nice."

Beside her, Bi Xi smiled and replied, "It's Aunt Deng who knew you were coming and specially prepared them for you."

"Aunt Deng?"

Lady Ming, under the guidance of Xu Duan Yi, sat down on the bed by the window.

She looked at Bi Xi and asked this question.

However, as she managed the household finances and was skilled in socializing, she was generally aware of the personnel in the households with whom they had close ties.

Before Bi Xi could answer, she turned to Xu Duan Yi beside her and asked, "Is it the aunt who used to be with the Grand Princess?"

Xu Duan Yi was holding a bamboo spoon, serving tea to someone. Hearing this, she smiled and replied, "Yes, that's right."

After saying this,

she glanced at the tea and snacks on the table and instructed Bi Xi, "Go to the kitchen and tell them to prepare a few more boxes of pastries."

"The cooks in the Prince's mansion are excellent. When you return, remember to take some for your grandmother and Xile."

Xile refers to Lady Ming's two children.

Xi is the elder daughter, who is six years old this year.

Le is the younger son, who is also four years old this year.

Xu Duanyi was very fond of her little nephew and niece.

Every time she went to the Duke's mansion, she would bring something for both of them.

Hearing this, Ming naturally smiled and agreed.

Bixi waited for the two to finish speaking before she smiled and replied, "It's already prepared. Aunt Deng had previously instructed the kitchen staff. They will send it over shortly."

The meaning behind Bixi's words was clear.

Both Xu Duanyi and Ming understood her meaning.

Ming was drinking her tea, and when she heard this, she said to Xu Duanyi, "Seems like Aunt Deng treats you pretty well."

At this point, there were no outsiders around.

Between Ming and Xu Duanyi, they didn't need to use formalities or pleasantries.

She came today not just because of what happened yesterday, but also to check on how Duanyi was really doing in Prince Nan'an's mansion.

She meant to come earlier, but after Duanyi's wedding, Bao Zhu got married, too.

She got overwhelmed and ended up delaying it until today.

It looked like the people in the mansion really respected Duanyi.

But—

Ming was sharp-eyed and perceptive.

Ever since she entered the room, she felt that it didn't seem like anyone else lived there.

Although there were indeed some belongings of the Prince Nan'an.

It was easy to tell at a glance which items were used regularly and which items were not.

After being married for many years, how could Ming have failed to notice these details? Her heart sank a little. It seemed that Duanyi's relationship with Prince Nan'an was indeed as rumored.

However, she hadn't expected that the two of them weren't sleeping together.

But of course, this was not something that could be brought up.

She feared embarrassing Duanyi.

Moreover, Duanyi's marriage into Prince Nan'an's mansion was closely tied to their family.

How could she bring herself to talk to Duanyi about such matters?

As Ming worried, she heard Duanyi ask, "Did you come here because of what happened last night?"

Seeing that they were talking about the events from the previous night, Bixi quietly withdrew with the others.

To avoid disturbing their conversation.

Upon hearing this, Ming took a moment and looked up at Duanyi.

"Exactly."

Ming didn't try to hide anything.

Similarly, she also made sure not to let Duanyi see that she’d noticed something off in the room. She acted like she hadn’t found anything, put down her teacup, and kept talking with Duanyi.

"Last night, after we got the message and went out, you had already left."

"I heard the Prince came to get you?"

Xu Duanyi didn’t hide it and just nodded. "It was the Prince who came to fetch me."

"Yesterday, when I was trying to find you among the women, I ran into some scholars. One of them, Master Li from the Hanlin Academy, is sort of connected to me, so I had a drink with him."

"I didn’t think it would be Xifeng wine. After drinking it, I got a little dizzy."

"Are you okay?"

Ming’s face changed when she heard this.

She had no idea.

Even though her husband mentioned Duanyi meeting the scholars last night, they had no clue she’d actually gotten drunk.

Xu Duanyi first gave her a reassuring smile, then said, "I’m fine. I had Bixi help me to the gatehouse right away, and later, the Prince showed up."

"Thank goodness..."

Ming let out a sigh of relief.

"When I saw you leave suddenly yesterday, I guessed that something must have happened, so I came over today to check on you. I’m glad, really glad."

Now that last night’s confusion has been resolved, Duan Yi is fine.

Ming put the matter aside for now and mentioned another reason for her visit: "Your cousin specially stayed in today to drag that scoundrel Xiao Yuanfu to the ancestral hall for punishment."

Xu Duan Yi had already guessed that Xiao Yuanfu would face such a fate.

Hearing this, she felt no particular emotion, only responding as usual: "Is everything alright?"

"What could go wrong?"

Ming scoffed, "His usual behavior has long been disliked by your cousin, who has wanted to give him a severe punishment for a while. If you ask me, someone like Xiao Yuanfu will eventually cause trouble. If it weren’t for your cousin, I really would have..."

Ming instinctively thought about the division of the family.

Her husband was an excellent man, capable and not fond of women, and she had never regretted marrying him after all these years.

But the chaotic accounts within the Duke Protector's family were enough to make anyone shake their head.

Not only was the matriarch old and confused, but she also had a particular fondness for extravagance.

The monthly expenses in her courtyard flowed like water, amounting to thousands, with everything needing to be the best.

If anything did not meet her satisfaction,

she would throw a fit.

Her mother-in-law was shrewd and calculating, yet never considered things thoroughly.

As for Xiao Yuanfu—

That’s even more true.

The women in his courtyard almost rival the women in a small imperial harem. It’s chaotic all day long, with no proper behavior.

And Father-in-law...

At his age, he’s still chasing women.

If it weren’t for Mother keeping a tight leash, his household might be just as bad as Xiao Yuanfu’s.

People on the outside think she’s living the good life.

Her husband spoils her, she’s got two well-behaved kids, and she’s in charge of the household finances.

Which lady of the house has it this good?

But who knows the sorrow she carries inside? She’s got sorrows she can’t put into words.

With these thoughts, Ming felt a deep sadness and fell silent, sipping her tea.

Xu Duanyi could guess her unspoken words.

She often visited the Duke’s mansion, so she knew well what her relatives were like.

Not to mention her sister-in-law.

Even she didn’t want to interact with them much on usual days.

She held Ming’s hand and gently patted it.

There was also a look of comfort in her eyes.

Ming saw the comfort in Xu Duanyi's eyes, and her heart warmed. The frustration that had been weighing on her mind dissipated a little.

"Look at me, telling you all this. Anyway, there's still my elder nephew keeping an eye on things. No matter how much of a rascal he is, he won't be able to stir up any trouble."

Ming summed it up in a few simple words and didn’t burden Xu Duanyi with the troubles from the Duke Protector's family.

She said with a smile, "We haven't had a chance to sit down and chat like this for a long time. Today, I must impose on you for a bit longer."

If she went back now, her grandmother and mother-in-law would definitely pester her again.

She had no intention of suffering like that.

Xu Duanyi could easily guess and said with a smile, "Of course. I'll have the kitchen prepare a few dishes that you particularly enjoy."

"That's wonderful," Ming said with a smile. "I've heard that the chefs at Prince Nan'an's mansion are excellent. I'm fortunate to get a taste today."

Although Ming said she would stay for a while longer, she didn't overstay her welcome at the prince's mansion.

After all, she had many affairs to attend to and it was already quite difficult to spare a few hours for herself.

She didn't want to go back and deal with those messy accounts, but she couldn't just leave them unattended.

She had to return.

After all, she was still the young mistress of the Duke Protector's household.

By the afternoon, after finishing lunch, the two chatted for a while longer before Ming proposed to take her leave to Xu Duanyi.

Xu Duanyi knew Ming had many things to attend to and didn’t try to keep her. She only said, "Then let me see you out, sister-in-law."

"No need," Ming insisted on refusing. "It's hot out, don't get sunburned."

She noticed the dark circles under Duanyi's eyes and couldn’t help but frown. "You should get a good night's rest and not overexert yourself."

Xu Duanyi smiled and agreed but still insisted on accompanying Ming out.

Ming had little choice but to consent.

The two sisters-in-law made their way together towards the gatehouse.

On the way, Ming said to Xu Duanyi, "For the time being, you should avoid going to the Duke Protector's household. It's chaotic there, and you don't need the disturbance."

Xu Duanyi had no intention of going anyway and nodded in agreement.

Ming lowered her voice a little. "When it comes to Prince Nan'an, there's no need to worry. Your elder cousin will keep an eye on Xiao Yuanfu and ensure he doesn't offend the prince."

Xu Duanyi felt a weight lifted from her heart.

Her voice softened even more. "Thank you, sister-in-law, and thank my cousin for your trouble."

"There’s no need for such formalities between us," Ming said, holding Xu Duanyi's hand.

"Sister-in-law, you..."

Ming involuntarily started speaking.

When

their eyes met, Ming suddenly fell silent again.

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

Xu Duanyi, at this moment, was unsure what Ming was thinking.

Seeing her start to speak, only to stop halfway, she naturally asked.

"Nothing."

Ming came to her senses.

Looking at Xu Duanyi, she switched to a safer topic. "I just wanted to tell you that if Prince Nan'an treats you badly, you should let me know. You're not alone. Even if Lord Hou isn’t here, there's still me, your cousin, and aunt. We'll all protect you."

Xu Duanyi was deeply moved by these words.

Her heart warmed, and her eyes grew teary. Her heart overflowed with emotion.

"Sister-in-law, I understand." She said softly to Ming.

Seeing Xu Duanyi's bright smile, Ming felt even more pained.

She couldn't help but take Xu Duanyi's hand and sighed, saying, "If Prince Wen Zhao were still alive, things would be so much better."

If you were the empress now, you wouldn’t be in this situation.

Ming was filled with sorrow.

"Sister-in-law."

Xu Duanyi gently held Ming's hand, without saying much.

Ming realized she had touched upon a forbidden topic and quickly said, "I spoke out of turn; don't mind me."

Xu Duanyi naturally didn't mind.

She also wished her elder brother, the crown prince, were still alive. If he were, none of this would have come to pass...

Aunt wouldn't have become like this.

Xie Qingya wouldn't have fallen to such a state.

Even His Majesty...

Her elder brother, the crown prince, would have balanced all things perfectly.

After that, neither of them brought up the subject again.

Xu Duanyi saw Ming off to the screen wall and personally took a prepared box of pastries from Bi Xi's hands, handing it to Ming.

"If A Xi and Xiao Le like them, sister-in-law, just send a message, and I'll have the house prepare more to send over."

"This is what you gave them, they'll naturally like it."

Ming smiled and accepted the gift, then told Xu Duanyi, "When I have time, I'll bring them over to see you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Duanyi smiled and was happy to agree.

After exchanging a few more words, Ming boarded her carriage and left before Xu Duanyi.

Xu Duanyi watched the carriage leave and was about to head back when another carriage arrived at the screen wall. To her surprise, it was Zhang Ning's carriage.

Bixi also noticed it.

She couldn't help but wonder, "Why is my lady back so soon? It's not time for her to be back from school yet."

Xu Duanyi thought it was strange too.

Whatever the reason Zhang Ning returned at this time, she couldn't leave at a moment like this.

Xie Zhangning didn't know that Xu Duanyi was here.

So, when the carriage stopped, she got off with teary eyes, supported by Lotus, and was stunned to see Xu Duanyi.

"Sis... sister-in-law?"

She stammered, her mind went blank.

Lotus was surprised to see the princess here too. After helping her lady stand steady, she hurriedly bowed her head to greet Xu Duanyi.

The smile on Xu Duanyi's face froze the moment she saw Xie Changning's red eyes.

"What's going on?"

She strode directly toward Xie Changning, looked at her red eyes with a furrowed brow, and asked in a solemn voice, "Who bullied you?"

This was the first time Xu Duanyi had ever shown this side of herself to Xie Changning.

Xie Changning was startled.

But upon realizing it, she became even more afraid to let her sister-in-law find out.

She unconsciously hugged the music book her sister-in-law had given her even tighter. She shook her head at Xu Duanyi and stammered in reply, "N-no one b-bullied me, it's j-just that... t-today, I w-wasn't paying attention in class, and the teacher scolded me."

Her heart raced.

Already not good with words, she became even more stammered at this moment.

After she finished, her face turned red.

Xie Changning was still afraid that Xu Duanyi would be angry, so she hurriedly added, "S-sister-in-law, p-please don't be angry. I-I will be obedient from now on."

There's no way Xu Duanyi believed her.

Seeing Xie Changning so anxious, her eyes began to well up with tears again.

Knowing how timid Xie Changning was, Xu Duanyi feared she might scare her into silence, which would only make things worse. She sighed inwardly and finally softened her expression, saying gently, "I see. So that's what happened."

"She said to Xie Changning, 'You should go back and rest first.'"

After that, Xu Duanyi asked Xie Changning, "Would you like me to accompany you back?"

Xie Changning hurriedly said no.

She had deliberately returned early because she wanted to avoid being seen by her family and stirring up any trouble. Having been spotted by her sister-in-law, she was already extremely nervous, afraid that her thoughts would be seen through.

She dared not have her sister-in-law accompany her back.

She had originally been worried that her sister-in-law wouldn't let her leave so easily. Unexpectedly, Xu Duanyi readily consented.

"You should go back and rest. I'll come see you later," Xu Duanyi said.

After that, Xu Duanyi asked Fuqiu to assist Xie Changning back first.

As soon as the mistress and her servant left, Bi Xi frowned and said in a low voice, "I believe this matter is not simple."

Xu Duanyi, still watching Xie Changning's departing figure, responded, "Changning loves to read the most. How could she possibly not have been paying attention in class?"

She then asked Bi Xi, "Did you see the book she was holding earlier?"

"The sheet music you gave her?" Bi Xi replied, not understanding the underlying mystery behind her master's question.

Bi Xi appeared puzzled.

"The young lady carries this music score with her every day when she goes out, and I didn’t notice anything unusual about it."

Xu Duanyi said, "The surface of that music score is wrinkled today."

"What?"

Bixi was taken aback.

She hadn’t spotted this detail earlier.

Xu Duanyi looked at the departing Zhangning and said in a low voice, "Zhangning has always taken great care of this book, and these wrinkles on the surface are definitely not her doing."

"Something must have happened at the school today."

Thinking back to her previous suspicions, she realized...

At that time, she believed that since Zhangning, apart from attending school, stayed in her own courtyard, she should focus on the people around her.

She had suspected that perhaps some malicious servant or maid in the mansion was secretly mistreating Zhangning.

But after investigating for some time, she found nothing.

Nor did she see anything unusual about Zhangning.

At that time, she thought she might have been mistaken, and maybe Zhangning just didn’t like being touched by strangers.

Now it seems her initial suspicion was correct.

It is very likely that something has happened at her school.

It was not clear what exactly had happened to Zhang Ning, but Xu Duanyi's usually gentle and smiling face showed no trace of a smile at this moment.

As Zhang Ning's figure disappeared in the distance, Xu Duanyi spoke to Bixi first, "Later, go call Lotus over."

Zhang Ning couldn't be forced to speak.

As Zhang Ning's personal maid, Lotus surely knew about these matters.

After spending some time in the royal residence, Bixi had genuinely grown fond of the young lady of the Wang family. Naturally, she couldn't just stand by and watch her be bullied. She quickly agreed.