Chapter 40

Her silence made the man's eyes grow darker and darker, until Xiuhe's low voice came from the doorway, saying that Zou had come to take her back to the Jiang residence to recuperate.

The man stood up, his tone now icy cold, "Jiang Feiwan, I've said all I can. Are you sure you want to go your own way?"

Li Wan nodded, "Yes, my mind remains unchanged."

"good."

Xie Qi's dark, abyss-like eyes locked onto her. "If that's the case, then go. But Jiang Feiwan, let's wait and see who will have the last laugh."

After Xie Qi left, Li Wan slumped onto the stool as if all her strength had been drained.

As Zou Shi, supported by her nanny, stepped through the vermilion gate of the Marquis's mansion, she bumped into Xie Qi emerging from behind the screen wall. He was dressed in a scarlet official robe, with a jade belt around his waist, and was extremely tall and upright. However, the coldness in his eyes was enough to make anyone tremble.

“Son-in-law.” Madam Zou stopped in her tracks.

Xie Qi glanced at her indifferently, gave a deep "hmm" in greeting, and then strode out of the mansion.

Madam Zou stood frozen in place, not in the mood to blame her son-in-law for his rudeness. She thought to herself that her daughter must have really displeased Lord Xie that night, which was why she was making a fuss about divorce.

"Wan-jie, why are you arguing with your son-in-law?"

When Zou entered Yingyue Residence, she saw Li Wan helping Xiuzhu and Xiuhe pack their things.

"I'm sorry to trouble you to make this trip, Mother." When Li Wan saw Zou Shi, she didn't want to hear any more of her advice and said directly, "Father also agrees with the divorce, so Mother doesn't need to persuade me any further."

Zou was stunned by these words, and suddenly realized that the girl had lost her weakness and timidity, and her eyes and brows revealed a bit of coldness.

"Very well, let's go back to our residence and rest for a few days first, and then we'll talk about what happens next."

After Zou finished speaking, she added, "When you went back to your parents' home, did you inform Old Madam Xie about this matter?"

Li Wan nodded, "I went to the old lady's room yesterday, but she happened to be ill, so I didn't say much."

Thinking of the disappointment and sorrow in Madam Xie's weathered eyes after she heard that she wanted a divorce, Li Wan felt even more choked up.

Half an hour later, the Jiang family's carriage drove out of the long street, and the Marquis's mansion completely disappeared from sight.

Li Wan lowered the carriage curtain, her eyes downcast, and secretly gripped the white jade pendant with the character "Yan" on it.

The carriage stopped in front of the screen wall of the Jiang residence.

"Sister, watch your step."

Jiang Feiche personally helped her out of the car, his fingertips pausing when they touched her thin wrist.

Today he was dressed in a bamboo-leaf green robe, with his hair tied up in a jade crown. His eyebrows and eyes were as gentle as ever, and he looked like a well-behaved younger brother.

...

Li Wan stayed at the Jiang residence for two days.

During this time, she asked Jiang Feiche to find an excuse to invite the Third Prince to the Jiang residence.

Jiang Feiche glanced at her for a long time, then agreed without asking any further questions.

Three days later, just after Li Wan had finished lunch, Jiang Feiche sent someone to say that the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince had come to visit the residence.

Li Wan knew that Jiang Feiche couldn't invite Xiao Xian alone, so he asked the Sixth Prince to come along.

After Li Wan and Jiang Nanyue finished talking with the two princes, they secretly met Xiao Xian in a side hall.

Xiao Xian was dressed in a silver-white brocade robe embroidered with dragon patterns, with delicate eyebrows and light eyes, maintaining his usual gentle and refined demeanor.

Looking at his hypocritical and sanctimonious face, Li Wan felt a chill run down her spine.

"Wanwan." He walked over, put his arm around her shoulder, and called her by her nickname with a smile, "Why did you suddenly return to the Jiang residence?"

Li Wan subtly avoided his hand, turned sideways and sat down on the edge of the armchair, lowered her head to hide her emotions, and when she looked up again, her eyes were full of grievance.

"Your Highness, I wish to divorce Xie Qi."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xian's hand, which had not yet lowered, froze in mid-air. His eyes were full of surprise, but his expression remained gentle.

"What's wrong? Did Xie Qi bully you?"

He stood in front of her and whispered, "Wanwan, I know you've suffered, but for our future, please be patient for a little longer. When the time is right, I will definitely bring you back to my side and stay with you forever."

Li Wan's eyes welled up with tears. "Your Highness, Xie Qi is a deep and unpredictable man. I suffer every day by his side. Now that he knows I was once your man, he continues to torment me. I... really can't take it anymore."

"Very well." Xiao Xian suddenly took a step back. "You are the one I love, how could I bear to let you suffer? If you insist on a divorce, I will give up my status as a prince to take you away from the capital."

"Why do you want to leave the capital?" Li Wan asked him, looking up at him.

Xiao Xian turned around, her voice filled with disappointment, and said, "Wanwan, you don't understand. With Father Emperor seriously ill, the Crown Prince, with Xie Qi's support, took the opportunity to eliminate dissidents, especially targeting us princes. Without your help in finding out Xie Qi's movements, I could only be manipulated by others. If I don't leave the capital, I'm afraid I won't even be able to save my life."

"How could this be?" Li Wan let her tears fall.

Xiao Xian lowered her eyes for a moment, then sat down on the round stool next to her. "Has Xie Qi agreed to the divorce?"

Xie Qi only agreed to let me return to the Jiang residence first.

Li Wan quietly observed Xiao Xian, and when she said there was still a chance for things to turn around, he visibly relaxed.

“Since Wanwan has decided to divorce, I will request permission from my father to return to my homeland soon. No matter what the future holds, I will… do it.”

"Your Highness."

Li Wan was utterly disgusted by his lies, yet she had no choice but to put on an expression of reluctance.

“You have planned for so many years, how can you give up everything for me? I just…” Li Wan bit her lip, hesitantly, “I’m just afraid, afraid that I will be trapped in the Ningyuan Marquis’s mansion forever, and also afraid that you will forget me.”

"No, it won't happen." Xiao Cheng's eyes were full of sincerity. "I said before that you only needed to stay by Xie Qi's side for two years. Half a year has passed now. In a year and a half, I will definitely bring you back to my side."

Having started the conversation, Li Wan curled her fingers and continued, "You've been saying that Xie Qi will lead troops into battle in two years, but things in the court can change in an instant. How can you be sure that things will develop correctly? What if your information is wrong?"

"Furthermore, Lin Youke seems to be a very shrewd and calculating person. Is his information reliable?"

Xiao Xian pondered for a few moments, "Even if Wanwan doesn't believe Lin Youke, does she not believe me either?"

Li Wan dabbed the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, looked up and stared straight at him, "Your Highness, it's not that I don't trust you, I just want a promise that can put my mind at ease."

Xiao Xian frowned. "What does Wanwan want?"

"You said that Lin Youke and your mother both knew about this news. I don't believe Lin Youke, but if Consort Xue said it herself, I will be at ease."

"You want to see my mother?" Xiao Xian asked in surprise.

“Yes.” Li Wan nodded, a suitable shyness appearing in her eyes. “I want to see Your Majesty not only to confirm the time limit you mentioned, but also because I… want to know Your Majesty’s attitude towards me. If she doesn’t like me, then my relationship with you in the future will probably still be bumpy.”

Li Wan stared at Xiao Cheng's hesitant eyes, her face full of sorrow, "Your Highness, I only ask for peace of mind, is that not enough?"

Xiao Xian thought to herself that this was troublesome, but if she didn't calm her down now, all the effort she had put into her would be wasted. So she had no choice but to say, "Wait for me for a day. I need to go back to the palace and ask my mother about this matter."

"Okay." Li Wan nodded emphatically.

After leaving the Jiang residence, Xiao Xian went straight into the palace.

Upon entering Shou'an Palace, Consort Xue was leaning against a chaise longue by the window.

The woman, barely thirty, still looked as beautiful as a young girl, her pomegranate-red palace dress making her complexion appear even whiter.

When Xiao Xian entered, she happened to see Lin Youke sitting on the embroidered stool in front of the couch. His pale face carried his usual sickly air, and his slender, bony fingers held a travelogue as he read sentences in a hoarse voice.

Disgust flashed in Xiao Xian's eyes.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Consort Xue lazily raised her eyes: "What is it?"

Xiao Cheng stopped at a distance, briefly explained Jiang Feiwan's desire to see her, and said, "Mother Consort, you might as well meet her."

Consort Xue paused, then turned her gaze to Lin Youke, "What does Ake think?"

Lin Youke raised his eyelids and glanced at Xiao Cheng indifferently, "Jiang Feiwan is a fickle woman. Her actions after marrying Xie Qi are even more suspicious. I'm afraid she has already turned against Xie Qi. It would be better to abandon her now."

"So, you want to just kill her?" Xiao Xian's tone rose slightly.

Lin Youke remained calm and said, "This method is the safest."

Xiao Xian sneered, "Then all the effort I've put into her over the past few years is wasted. What, are the things I've done so insignificant that you can give up everything with just a word from Young Master Lin?"

As soon as Xiao Xian finished speaking, the palace fell silent.

Consort Xue glanced between the two of them, then stood up and chuckled, “She’s just a little girl. It’s good for me to see her. If she proves useful, I’ll keep her. If she has ulterior motives, we can just find another excuse for Xie Qi to die.”

"Your Majesty is wise," Lin Youke said first, bowing his head.

Xiao Xian and Lin Youke took their leave together, walking side by side on the wide blue brick path of the palace.

Xiao Xian glanced sideways at Lin Youke, "A man from outside the palace who enters the inner palace is punishable by death according to the law. Aren't you afraid, Second Young Master Lin?"

Lin Youke smiled faintly upon hearing this: "With the Imperial Concubine protecting me, what is there for me to fear?"

One sentence made Xiao Xian's face darken slightly, and he turned and left.

Lin Youke watched his departing figure, about to laugh, but couldn't help coughing out. Then she slowly straightened up and walked slowly out of the palace.

At this time, inside Shou'an Palace.

Consort Xue remained leaning against the couch when a palace maid softly asked, "Does Your Highness wish to rest?"

She slowly shook her head, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the handkerchief that Lin Youke had just used.

The embroidered patch on the handkerchief depicts a delicate orchid, which, like the person in question, carries an inescapable air of illness.

"Go and find the Ganoderma lucidum that the Emperor bestowed upon us before," she suddenly ordered. "Have someone deliver it to the Lin residence tomorrow."

After the palace maid left, she looked out the window. The spring scenery outside the palace was beautiful, but she felt that the palace was a little too quiet.