Wan Shi Lou.
Xie Yanzhou was sitting in the private room carefully arranging a bouquet of flowers, which he had picked while training troops in the suburbs. Qianqian would definitely like them.
He was still wearing his official robes, and rushed over as soon as he finished his work.
At this moment, his face was filled with an expectant and joyful smile.
Knock knock knock—
There was a knock on the door, and he excitedly ran to open it, holding a bouquet of flowers.
“Qianqian, this is for…” His smile froze.
"Lin Fei? Where's Qianqian?" He looked behind Lin Fei.
It's empty; nobody's there.
Lin Fei glanced down at the bouquet and said solemnly, "The eldest young lady asked me to pass on a message to Xie Shisun. She stayed at the Yiming Hall for too long and went straight back to her residence. She said she would invite Xie Shisun to dinner again next time. She hopes Xie Shisun will forgive her."
A hint of disappointment flashed across Xie Yanzhou's eyes. "...Oh, I understand. Could you please take these flowers to her for me? Thank you."
Lin Fei nodded, took the bouquet, and turned to leave.
Xie Yanzhou stood quietly at the door for a long, long time...
The next day, around 7 a.m., the Prime Minister returned to his residence early, carrying two gift boxes in his hands.
He tossed it directly to the butler, saying, "Here, this is a reward for you."
He didn't want anything the second prince forced on him.
"Where is Madam?" This was the question that the Prime Minister asked every day when he returned home.
The steward, used to this, hurriedly replied, "Your Excellency, the Madam, the young lady, and the young master are all at Ningxiang Residence."
In Ningxiang Residence, Nan Yichu was excitedly discussing the hottest news from the capital.
"Now everyone in the capital is saying that the Second Prince has shallow literary talent, is easily angered, and is not a good match for the poet."
Nan Yichu paused, then suddenly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Also, there's a rumor that came from somewhere that the Second Prince raped a married woman four years ago, and that woman was pregnant at the time."
"You bastard! What are you saying?!"
Nan Xiang's stern voice suddenly rang out, startling Nan Yichu so much that she lifted herself off the ground for two seconds.
"Father, Father, Father!...Why are you back?" Nan Yichu moved and hid behind Nan Qianyue.
Nan Xiang walked over, his face full of anger, and pointed at Nan Yichu, scolding, "You brat, how could you say such foul language in front of your mother and sisters! Where did you learn all that studying?"
“…I, I was wrong.” Nan Yichu shrank back, not daring to stand up.
The Prime Minister's wife, sitting at the pearwood table, gave the Prime Minister a reproachful look. "Alright, Yi Chu is just worried about Qian Yue's marriage. These are just rumors circulating outside, not his own words. Why are you so anxious?"
The lady's words were like an emotional stabilizer. The Prime Minister immediately composed himself, walked over and sat down next to the Prime Minister's wife, covering her hand and asking with concern, "Yingshu, are you feeling better?"
The Prime Minister's wife rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not that fragile."
The Prime Minister smiled with relief, "That Lady Lou has been sent to a nunnery and won't be back for at least ten years. As for that old scoundrel, Grand Commandant Song..."
“Father.” Nan Qianyue gave Nan Xiang a wink, because the Prime Minister’s wife’s face had already darkened.
She certainly didn't want to hear anything about Commander Song.
Nanqianyue walked around the pearwood table and sat opposite, while inviting her younger siblings to sit next to her.
She smiled slightly and asked, "Why are you back so early today?"
The Prime Minister felt annoyed when he thought about how the Second Prince had been pestering him after court.
"I didn't want to be bothered by the Second Prince, so I made an excuse to come back early."
Nanqianyue nodded in understanding, "It's understandable that he's clinging to you; he originally married me to get your help."
"What did he say to you? Was it all just polite talk?"
Nan Xiang raised his eyebrows slightly, lowered his eyelids, and said rather awkwardly, "I didn't remember, I didn't listen."
He only felt a headache at the time and didn't hear a single word.
Nanqianyue and her younger siblings exchanged a smile, realizing that even their father could get lost in thought.
Nan Xiang coughed twice, straightened his expression, and said, "Those rumors outside are true."
"The woman's surname was Liang, and her husband's surname was Li. They were both scholars. Their ancestral home was Qingchuan County, and they were both from farming families. Four years ago, Ms. Liang followed Scholar Li to the capital to seek a better life. Through the introduction of an official under the Second Prince, she met the Second Prince at Lanyue Tower..."
The three siblings, who had migrated south, all rested their chins on their hands, listening attentively to Nan Xiang's story.
"In order not to hold Li Xiucai back, Liang took several jobs. One of them was to introduce and recommend dishes to guests at Lanyue Tower. Because she was very beautiful and could write and read, Lanyue Tower asked her to entertain distinguished guests."
"I understand! It was Lady Liang who hosted Li Xiucai on the day he paid his respects to the Second Prince!" Nan Yichu excitedly raised his hand, proud of his own wisdom.
But no one praised him; they all stared at him expressionlessly.
“…Ha, Father, please continue.” Nan Yichu awkwardly touched his nose.
The Prime Minister glared at him and continued, "That's right, it was Lady Liang who received her. The Second Prince saw that she was beautiful and, having drunk quite a bit, harbored evil intentions. The officials accompanying him naturally went along with his desires and had Lady Liang tied up and taken to a separate courtyard..."
"Doesn't Scholar Li care?" Nan Kezhi asked fearfully, clinging to her older sister's arm.
Nan Xiang sighed, "Naturally, he fought back with all his might, but was eventually beaten to death, and his body was dumped in the suburbs."
"And then what happened?" It was actually the Prime Minister's wife who asked.
The Prime Minister's expression immediately softened. "Later, Liang escaped, and the Second Prince's mother covered it up. She sent people to search for her for a year without success, and then assumed that Liang was dead. Now that the matter has been brought up again, the Second Prince will definitely take some action."
He then looked at Nan Qianyue and said, “Qianyue, don’t worry. The Second Prince has a very bad reputation now. If the truth about the Liang family case comes to light, your marriage will be off.”
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