Su Rong went straight to sleep when she returned home yesterday. After dinner, she went back to her room and continued sleeping until noon today, finally waking up after having slept enough.
Ye Guixue’s guess was right. Now that she had slept and fully rested, she did not appear tired anymore but was energetic instead.
When Ye Guixue arrived, she had just finished her lunch and was listening to Fen Ling report that Crown Prince Yan Li had stopped Ye Guixue’s carriage and invited him to a restaurant, without knowing what the discussion was about.
After Fen Ling finished, noticing Su Rong deep in thought, he said: "My lady, could it be that the Crown Prince is planning some mischief through Second Young Master Ye?"
Su Rong nodded, "That’s probably his plan."
Fen Ling scoffed lightly, "This Crown Prince truly doesn’t know what he’s doing."
"Indeed, he doesn’t." Su Rong took a sip of tea, "Guixue looks down on Yan Li and won’t be disturbed by him."
Of course, Fen Ling knew this too. In a short period of time, he almost understood Ye Guixue’s character as well as Su Rong did. Ye Guixue, being the person he was, wouldn’t fall for Yan Li’s schemes. What struck him was curious about was what Yan Li wanted from Ye Guixue. Speculating, he asked, "My lady, could it be related to you?"
"Of course it’s related to me." Su Rong didn’t leave him guessing. "Crown Prince Yan Li is somewhat stubborn. Just by how he doesn’t understand me, he assumes he’s right. This can be seen when the Crown Prince’s wife invited me over to the Crown Prince’s residence as a guest. He’s quite impatient, not as composed as the second prince, Yan Lin. His wife, Princess Ning Yao, also doesn’t compare to the Second Prince’s wife Zhang Wan."
Fen Ling blinked, "If we were to compare Crown Prince Yan Li with Second Prince Yan Lin, Yan Lin would indeed be better at biding his time and using others as pawns. But both of them still fall short of the Crown Prince."
Su Rong laughed, "Well, that’s natural."
Otherwise, the emperor would not have been so wary of Crown Prince Yan Huisheng for so many years.
She put down the teacup and rapped on the table, "What’s the situation at Prince Rui’an’s residence today?"
"Prince Rui’an personally led a team to investigate the Buddha Temple." Fen Ling reported, "Young Master Xie was shocked yesterday and is still recovering at home."
Su Rong said: "I’m afraid Xie Lin isn’t just recovering from the shock, but is also planning a revenge against the people who plotted against him."
Fen Ling chuckled, "My lady sees clearly. I sneaked into the Prince Rui’an’s residence and saw that Young Master Xie was interrogating in the prison. If he is not appointed to the Ministry of Justice after the examination, it would be such a waste of his investigative skills."
Su Rong thought about Xie Lin and how one should not judge a book by its cover.
While the two were talking, a servant reported that the Second Young Master Ye had arrived. Fen Ling immediately stood up, "You sit, sister. I’ll go and receive him."
Su Rong nodded.
Fen Ling briskly walked out of the drawing room, and soon left the courtyard to welcome at the main entrance.
Ye Guixue was being led in by a servant, and on seeing Fen Ling, he nodded in greeting with a smile, "First, let me pay a visit to Lady Shen!"
When there are elders in the house, it is proper etiquette to greet them first.
Fen Ling replied with a cheerful "Alright," and led Ye Guixue to meet Lady Shen.
Lady Shen was mending slippers for Lord Shen when she heard that Ye Guixue had arrived. She quickly put down her work and welcomed him out.
Ye Guixue greeted Lady Shen, "Auntie!"
Lady Shen hurriedly put a stop to his formalities warmly, "Please don’t stand on ceremony and come inside."
Ye Guixue walked into the room with a smile.
Fen Ling traipsed in behind him.
Lady Shen had seen Ye Guixue at the Duke Residence and had immediately approved of his good character and talents. Now that she was seeing him again up close, she was all the more impressed. This man was truly worthy of being chosen by Su Rong, whom the King of Nanchu was grooming to become his wife.
A maid brought tea and Lady Shen invited Ye Guixue to sit down and have a pleasant chat. Ye Guixue responded to everything unstiffly, with warm kindness and politeness. Unlike the distant aloofness she observed at the Duke’s Residence, his demeanor was now more welcoming, showing the familiarity of a younger generation towards their elder.
Lady Shen understood that this was due to the relationship between Su Rong and the Shen family. Now that she was living in the Shen residence, it made Ye Guixue feel more at ease.
She had a lively conversation with Ye Guixue, and also briefly inquired about the well-being of his parents at home. She mentioned Ye Guixue’s mother, whom she had met years ago in Capital City, and expressed the wish that she should return to meet old friends.
Knowing that Ye Guixue had come to see Su Rong, Lady Shen didn’t want to take up too much of his time and asked Fen Ling to lead him to Su Rong.
Fen Ling got up with a smile, leading Ye Guixue out of Lady Shen’s courtyard.
After they left, Lady Shen said to the wet nurse beside her: "This second Young Master Ye is really good." She paused, and added, "Too good, in fact."
There’s an old saying that no one is perfect. But right now, it seems that second Young Master Ye is all around fitting.
The old nanny attending her quietly reminded her, "Second Young Master Ye has a rather cold temperament. In his bones, he must be a cold person."
The implication was that he was not perfect in every way.
Lady Shen nodded in understanding and laughed, "Isn’t that right? Cold people often keep their hearts unconquerable. If it was some other common girl, she would undoubtedly be unable to bear it, but Su Rong, that little girl has a cold temperament herself, a match made in heaven."
People with cold natures are often rational and have a sense of proportion in their actions. They would never harm others or themselves.
Ye Guixue arrived at Su Rong’s courtyard, seeing her standing at the door to greet him. Despite the chill in the early winter air, she was not heavily dressed. Seeing her, he noticed her face and knew immediately that she had rested obediently and was incredibly well-rested.
His eyes warmed, and he quickened his pace to near her, softly asking, "Why aren’t you waiting inside?"
"I came out to welcome you," Su Rong smiled, tilting her head to size up Ye Guixue, "You look nice in what you’re wearing today."
Fen Ling exclaimed impatiently, "Sister, if you want to compliment someone, compliment him, not his clothes."
Su Rong glared at Fen Ling, shooshing him, "What’s this got to do with you? Be quiet and step aside."
Fen Ling promptly closed his mouth.
Su Rong gently cleared her throat, leisurely circling Ye Guixue as she said, "I was going to say you look handsome. I don’t know why I ended up saying your clothes look good."
Ye Guixue chuckled lightly, his earlier blush subsiding, with only a hint of red creeping up his earlobes, he complimented Su Rong, "You look nice too."
Su Rong curled up one corner of her mouth, "Let’s go inside."
The two of them entered the house. Fen Ling wisely played the mute, exclusively taking care of serving them tea, striving to be invisible.
Su Rong was quite satisfied and signaled Ye Guixue to drink the tea.
After Ye Guixue had a sip of tea, he recounted his visit to the palace today, his conversation with the Emperor as well as the Emperor’s attitude. Su Rong listened and nodded, somewhat surprised, but considering her mother had allegedly grown up with the Emperor, she wasn’t terribly shocked.
Ye Guixue continued: "When I left the palace, the emperor had summoned the Elder Guardian into the palace, and not long ago summoned the Minister of the Revenue. He seems to be making preparations for the prospect of Dawei starting a war over you."
Su Rong nodded, "The Emperor does seem somewhat responsible."
Ye Guixue then broached the subject of the Crown Prince intercepting him, repeating the Crown Prince’s exact words to Su Rong.
Hearing this, Su Rong rolled her eyes, "This Yan Li, he is really oblivious about his own stupidity."
If it weren’t for the Emperor’s favor, in comparison to Yan Huisheng, Yan Li wouldn’t even stand a chance with his little finger. To seek cooperation, sow discord, and even threaten people, he would first need to have Ye Qiuying under his control for it to be effective. His empty words showed that he still dared not act rashly towards Ye Guixue. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Ye Guixue nodded, admitting his point, "He is simply a fool."
Su Rong looked at him and laughed, "Guixue, you don’t have to report every detail to me. I have come to understand you a bit. I know your nature and even your disposition. I may not understand everything fully, but I trust your character. The husband the Nanchu King chose for me, his own daughter, is certainly no mistake. Even if I don’t trust you, I should trust him as my biological father, who would not push me into a fire pit."
Just from the fact alone that Nanchu King has kept the palace vacant for many years, it is apparent that he was deeply infatuated with her deceased mother. And naturally he loves her, his only daughter, to the same extent. He would likely love to bestow upon her all the goodness in the world.
Her understanding of this was solid even though she hadn’t seen him yet.
Ye Guixue smiled faintly, "I want to tell you. Just as you have been honest with me."
Su Rong laughed, "Alright!"
She used the lid of her cup to sweep away the leaves floating in her tea, and with a serious face, said, "If we were to leave Capital City, if you trust him enough, you should place Little Qiuying in the Eastern Palace."
Ye Guixue was startled, "Put her in the Eastern Palace?"
"Yes," Su Rong nodded, "Throughout Capital City, if we leave, I can only trust that the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace can ensure her safety."
After pondering, Ye Guixue nodded in agreement, "Okay."
Indeed, there was no safer place than the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace. Once he left, if she were about to head to Nanchu, it would imply that she had helped Crown Prince Yan Huisheng to clear most of the obstacles. In any case, the barriers from the Crown and second Prince would have been dealt with by then. Other princes, still not fully grown, should not be worth fearing. As for the Emperor, by the time the situation had deteriorated, he would understand that the only person capable of inheriting and securing his throne and maintaining stability would be Crown Prince Yan Huisheng.
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