Upon receiving the news, The Duke’s wife immediately sent out spies to investigate. Due to the Duke Residence’s established information gathering system, the details were well-uncovered by the time she personally reached the Princess Residence.
When she heard the reports, she expressed extreme surprise and suspicion about the authenticity of the information, "Su Rong was holding hands with Duanhua? They had dinner and went shopping together? Is it really Su Rong you’re talking about?"
The man replied, "The news is widely spread in the Capital City. It’s said to be Lady Su Qi, daughter of the Inspector of Jiangzhou. They say she’s the one who’s betrothed to the fourth young master from our Duke Residence."
After speaking, the man continued, "I had my doubts too, so I had several people find out about it. Everyone claimed it’s true. The Duanhua Princess directly addressed that lady by her name. They were seen by many people. There’s no room for fake news."
The Duke’s wife was still suspicious. The coach was already stopped, and she wondered whether she should go to the Princess Residence or not. After all, a significant quarrel between Zhou Gu and Duanhua a few days ago had strained the relations between the Duke Residence and the Princess Residence quite severely. Rushing over there now might indeed seem like provoking an interrogation.
The Duke’s wife continued, "Tell me everything in detail."
Having gathered comprehensive information, the man immediately elaborated the matter in detail to the Duke’s wife.
After listening, the Duke’s wife was profoundly astonished, "This indeed is rather unusual."
She asked the man, "You mentioned a young man accompanying Su Rong. Who is he? Did you find out more?"
He replied, "They said it’s Su Qi’s younger brother, named Fen Ling. When the guards from the Princess Residence tried to step in, he confronted them, effectively disabling them from moving. He must be a highly skilled martial artist."
The Duke’s wife immediately stated, "Su Rong doesn’t have a brother."
The man was stupefied too. Indeed, Lady Su Qi had no brother, only one full-brother and six half-sisters.
Feeling uneasy about the identity of Su Rong, the Duke’s wife contemplated for a moment before making a decision. She instructed her coachman, "Proceed to the Princess Residence."
Regardless of the circumstances, she had to pay a visit, meet that lady face-to-face, and verify whether it was truly Su Rong. Even in case it wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter. But if it were, it was imperative to find out what was going on.
As instructed, the coach proceeded towards the Princess Residence and soon arrived.
Upon arrival, the Duke’s wife got out of the coach, and her attendants immediately knocked on the door of the Princess Residence.
The gatekeeper of the Princess Residence quickly opened the door, saw that it was the Duke’s wife, and swiftly paid his respects. They then hurriedly sent someone to inform the residents of her arrival.
Despite the ongoing feud that had upset the harmony between the two residences, the gatekeeper did not dare to neglect the Duke’s wife’s visit.
Princess Qingping was dining with her husband, who was already startled after hearing his daughter had brought back Su Rong as a guest and had her settled in their quarters.
After hearing Princess Qingping’s account of her conversation with Duanhua, her husband stroke his chin thoughtfully, "If that’s the case, it might be a blessing in disguise."
Princess Qingping looked at her husband puzzled, "How could this possible be a good thing?"
Her husband sighed, "Duanhua’s stubborn personality is evident to us all. There’s no doubt she won’t just stand by and allow Zhou Gu to marry another woman. If the marriage between Zhou Gu and Su Rong proceeds as planned, Duanhua’s temper, would inevitably create a big fuss. Who knows what sort of trouble she might wreak. But if it indeed is Su Rong intending to break the engagement, it might be a good thing for Duanhua after all. At least for now, she won’t act recklessly."
"Even if Zhou Gu doesn’t marry Su Rong, he’ll marry someone else. As far as I can see, Duanhua is bargaining for something she can’t have." Princess Qingping had seen Zhou Gu’s clear contempt for Duanhua, which had greatly upset her. What was wrong with her daughter, that Zhou Gu could not appreciate her?
Her husband replied, "That may be true, but at least, if this marriage is indeed called off, Zhou Gu won’t be hastily seeking another and things won’t escalate quickly."
These past years, Princess Qingping had indeed had her fair share of headache dealing with Duanhua, upon hearing her husband’s words, she reluctantly admitted that he had a point and nodded in agreement, "That’s true."
Her husband continued, "Since she’s already residing here, we must do as Duanhua wishes and treat her with due hospitality. The Inspector of Jiangzhou, Su Xu, is someone who was promoted by the Crown Prince himself. He is quite capable, otherwise he wouldn’t have kept Xie Yuan with him in Jiangning, and Xie Yuan wouldn’t have followed him to Jiangzhou either. Now you could argue he’s part of the Crown Prince’s faction. Although the conflict between the Crown Prince and the second Prince is severe, it’s still uncertain who the successor will be. Whatever you do, don’t foolishly alienate the Duke Residence due to Duanhua and end up joining their side."
Princess Qingping glared at her husband, "I’m not foolish. The Crown Prince has a solid foundation. Haven’t you noticed how I’ve avoided provoking him all these years? Regardless of which son becomes the Emperor, I’m their maternal aunt. As long as I don’t offend them, they’re not likely to treat me with hostility."
"The fact that you are thinking this way is right." The groom heaved a sigh of relief, a smile escaping his lips.
Qingping watched the groom’s smile, somehow mesmerizing her, and suddenly asked, "Are you still angry with me?"
The groom paused, "Angry at you for what?"
Qingping struggled to speak, "For how I forced you into marrying me."
The groom did not respond.
The past remained a prickly thorn between them. Back then, he didn’t possess Zhou Gu’s status. Unable to resist the Emperor’s edict, coupled with Qingping’s tireless persistence that exhausted him, he felt helpless even if he wanted to refuse. As his parents’ only son, he couldn’t just die. He could only apologize to his fiancée. Thus, he broke off his engagement and married Princess Qingping instead.
Had he blamed her? At the beginning, indeed, he not only blamed her but also harbored resentment.
At that, Qingping’s face darkened and she remained silent. She was acutely aware of what she had done. In those days, she was no less extravagant and arrogant than Duanhua is now. The current emperor was her biological brother. How could she bear to watch the man she loved marry someone else? She insisted on getting what she wanted, even if he didn’t love her back. She was a princess, why shouldn’t she marry the one she loves?
Even when this ruined her reputation, turning the Capital City upside down and labeling her as a marriage wrecker; even when she smashed everything she could get her hands on in her room, followed by secret cries – she still clung onto him so desperately that it was almost a matter of life and death until she finally got him.
She admitted to being just as stubborn as Duanhua.
The groom looked up at Qingping, her mournful expression reflected in his eyes. He sighed, "After all these years, do you still not know how I feel about you? Why are you asking such a thing?"
Qingping abruptly raised her eyes, looking at the groom.
The groom said, "The only mistake you made was loving me too much. If anyone’s to blame, I’m equally at fault for catching your attention. Apart from your insistence on having me, you’re not so bad. You were able to offer a hundred thousand taels of silver, depleting all your savings, as compensation to your cousin. When I found out about it, I couldn’t blame you anymore."
Qingping was taken aback, "W-When did you find out about this?"
The groom replied, "After our grand wedding."
Qingping was shocked, "So, you found out so early? But we’ve been living together for so many years, and you’ve often been cold to me. Wasn’t that because you were angry at me?"
The groom reluctantly replied, "We might not get along perfectly and you can be unreasonable at times. Isn’t it understandable if I’m a bit cold at times?"
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Qingping said, "The colder you were to me, the more furious I got—I thought you were always angry with me, and I..."
The groom looked at her, nearly breaking into a smile, "Eventually, didn’t I realize that being tough with you wasn’t as effective as being soft? Moreover, you are really sincere with me—I couldn’t possibly remain indifferent for long. That said, let bygones be bygones. Our daughter has grown up, so why are you bringing this up?"
Feeling exuberant in her heart, Qingping chimed in, "If I didn’t ask you about this, would you have kept it from me forever?"
The groom responded, "I thought you knew."
"How could I know if you didn’t tell me?" A clear radiance spread across Princess Qingping’s face before it swiftly turned upset again, "Because you were often cold to me, do you know what people say about me outside? One day when I entered the palace, my aunt rebuked me for coercing you into marriage, and asked if I was happy and felt justified. I couldn’t muster a single counter-argument."
She was absolutely furious that day, but she couldn’t deny that Sheng An, the eldest princess, was stating facts. When she returned to the Duke Residence, the groom had just finished with his official duties and asked her what had happened. She felt so heartbroken that she didn’t treat him well, and merely said that she had severed all ties with the Duke Residence.
She naturally couldn’t tell him how her aunt had scolded her, and how she felt too embarrassed to hold her head high because of what she had done.
The groom looked apologetic, "I’m sorry. It’s my fault."
Though she was short-tempered, she treated him well. Even when she acted unreasonable and made him mad, she hated the cold. More often than not, she’d make up with him within a day. He would end up forgiving her after she’d pestered him enough. Over time, their relationship had become tumultuous, full of fights and arguments that left onlookers bemused.
Upon hearing his words, Qingping was on the verge of tears.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
