Choosing sides
Jiang Yan was momentarily taken aback, then said seriously, "Young Master Chen, how should I put it? Even if in your mind I am still the 'Liu Ruyi' you know, the truth is that I am no longer the same person. Can you understand what I'm saying?"
Chen Run simply stared at Jiang Yan with a sorrowful expression.
Jiang Yan sighed heavily, "Young Master Chen, I truly cannot respond to you as I did in the past. All I can do now is... treat you as a friend. Do you understand what I mean?"
A faint, bitter smile slowly appeared on Chen Run's face.
"I understand, I understand. But I only want to remember one thing—you are my savior, the one who pulled me out of confusion and chaos!"
Then he hurriedly added, "But don't worry, Ruyi, I won't cause you any trouble, and I won't put you in any danger! I swear, I will never do anything to upset you again!"
Jiang Yan was extremely helpless and didn't know how to persuade him any further. She sighed and sat down next to Huang Ying.
The carriage moved slowly and gently, occasionally bumping along, making one's heart even more uneasy.
Jiang Yan originally wanted to go out with Chen Run to relax and have some fun, and also to inquire about Liu Ruyi. However, after what happened earlier, she lost all interest in continuing the outing. So, during the subsequent lotus viewing and walk, she was absent-minded and like a walking corpse.
Now, as she walked dejectedly towards the Prince Duan's residence with Huang Ying, Huang Ying asked her a question.
"Master, what's wrong? You seemed to have something on your mind."
Jiang Yan sighed, sounding weak and listless. "It's not that I look like I have something on my mind. I clearly do."
"Master, what happened? Tell me, and I'll help you analyze it."
Jiang Yan, lost in thought, stared blankly ahead and said, "Huang Ying, I have a vague feeling that we made a mistake by getting on Chen Run's bandwagon!"
"...Why?"
"Oh dear, we were so careless! We didn't expect his feelings for your young lady to be so deep! What if he later uses all that affection on me and pursues me relentlessly? What will we do then? I won't be able to reciprocate! And I don't want to hurt him because of what we've done!"
After pondering for a while, the oriole lowered its head and remained silent.
As soon as Jiang Yan and Huang Ying stepped through the gates of the Prince Duan's residence, Chunhua said, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort requests your presence at Peach Blossom Village."
Jiang Yan and Huang Ying couldn't help but exchange a glance.
"What is it, Your Highness?"
"Your Highness, I do not know."
"I have just returned from outside. Please allow me to freshen up before I go."
"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has been waiting for you for a long time."
Jiang Yan and Huang Ying exchanged another glance.
Jiang Yan stood there, pondered for a moment, and said, "Lead the way." He then led Huang Ying to Peach Blossom Village.
All the way, Jiang Yan was racking her brains trying to figure out why Xiao Yiqing was in such a hurry to invite her to Peach Blossom Village! In fact, she didn't seem to care too much about the scene she saw of her and Shangguan Zeyu having an affair. She shouldn't be asking her about it.
Is she going to be blamed for going out and having a wild time? But this was an order from Shangguan Zeyu; masters and servants in the mansion are free to leave the mansion.
So, does this mean he has the same purpose as Wang Qianqian, pressing her about "choosing sides"?
Since feudal society, taking sides has never been unusual. But everyone knows that taking sides means taking sides with the person in highest power. Shouldn't she be on Shangguan Zeyu's side? Should she side with them and oppose the person in highest power, Shangguan Zeyu?
With a troubled heart, Jiang Yan stepped into Peach Blossom Village.
"Your Highness, please wait a moment while I go and report."
After Chunhua walked away, Huangying whispered, "Master, the Princess Consort's visit to you is definitely not for anything good. Should I go find the Prince?"
Looking for Shangguan Zeyu?
Would a young man who had just had a fling with his own woman stand on her side now?
"No."
Not long after Chunhua entered the main hall, the obsequious laughter and flattery of the maids could be heard from inside.
"His Highness has bestowed so many gifts upon you, Your Highness, he must love you very, very much!"
"Congratulations, Your Highness! Your Highness is blessed with good fortune and virtue; you are sure to conceive the Prince's child in one fell swoop! The young master of this vast Duan Prince's mansion should rightfully be born to you!"
"Yes, yes, what other woman is worthy of her? Only you, Princess Xiao, the most beautiful woman in the Zhou Kingdom, are worthy of her!!"
"Your Highness, judging from what the Prince said, he will be staying at our Peach Blossom Village more often in the future. We servants are truly happy for you!"
...
At first, Jiang Yan wasn't angry when she heard their chatter, but when she heard the maid say that Shangguan Zeyu would often come to Peach Blossom Village in the future, her heart couldn't help but clench.
Huang Ying was much angrier than Jiang Yan, and said, "Your Highness has been busy with state affairs these past few days, how could he possibly have time to come here? Humph! Who says that having a child is something that can be done so easily? Nonsense! Your Highness, please don't take it to heart!"
Jiang Yan felt bitter inside and couldn't help but give a wry smile, but she said...
“Huang Ying, you’re wrong! Isn’t it only natural for a prince’s wife to have a child for him? We should be happy and pray for them.”
"Master! They're clearly saying these things to anger you!! Why are you still siding with them?"
"Didn't you say they were deliberately trying to upset me? If I get upset, wouldn't that be playing right into their hands? Okay, okay, don't be angry, it's not worth it!"
Although Jiang Yan smiled nonchalantly, her heart was aching deep inside. She knew, she was absolutely certain, that she had fallen for someone she shouldn't have and had gotten herself into trouble she shouldn't have gotten into.
Xiao Yiqing made Jiang Yan stand in the courtyard for quite a while before having Chunhua invite her into the house.
Jiang Yan had only heard the unfamiliar voice of a maid earlier, but upon entering the room, she discovered that Wang Qianqian was also there, and upon seeing her, she had a defiant and determined look on her face.
"My sister greets Your Highness, the Princess."
"Please sit down."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
After Jiang Yan sat down, Wang Qianqian said sarcastically, "Consort Liu's arrival is perfectly timed!"
Jiang Yan ignored her, only giving her a cold glance before looking at Xiao Yiqing, who was admiring her plum-red nail polish with a smug expression.
"Your Highness, is there something you need me to do for you that you summoned my sister here?"
Xiao Yiqing was very arrogant, not even raising her eyelids, and lazily said, "Didn't Madam Wang already tell you?"
Sure enough, it was because of the issue of "choosing sides" that Chunhua blocked her way at the door!
Jiang Yan didn't feign ignorance. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Your Highness, you and the Prince are deeply in love, and everything you do is surely for his sake. I dare not compare myself to Your Highness, but what you say is indeed true. I have no support in the front and no family behind me. No matter where I am, I am useless. Why should Your Highness trouble yourself?"
Xiao Yiqing sneered, but still didn't raise her eyes: "No need for high-sounding words!"
Wang Qianqian said, "Consort Liu, you are intelligent and kind-hearted, so I suppose there's no need for Her Highness the Princess to say anything more, right?"
Jiang Yan took a deep breath and calmly asked, "Is there something Your Highness needs that only my sister can do?"
Xiao Yiqing was only focused on admiring her fair and smooth hands, and upon hearing this, he only showed a hint of disdain and mockery.
Wang Qianqian smiled and said, "Consort Liu, I'll be frank. Don't you know why your father, Liu Xiangyi, is so close to Prince Su?"
Prince Su?
Jiang Yan knew nothing about the Prince Su's affairs, only that he had arbitrarily transferred border soldiers back to the capital, and that they were currently stationed just a hundred meters from the city. Did they think she was plotting a rebellion?
A chill ran down Jiang Yan's spine.
"Since my sister has married into the Prince's Mansion, she is naturally a member of the Prince's Mansion. Her relationship with her maternal family has faded, and they don't visit each other much. I really don't know what Madam Wang said."
Wang Qianqian sneered, "Is that so? It's nothing anyway. When the Emperor comes to punish us, Consort Liu will be implicated as well." Then, feigning a sense of loss, she looked around and sighed, "At that time, this Peach Blossom Village, this entire Prince Duan's mansion, and even the Prince himself, will all be doomed because of you!!"
Jiang Yan had no interest in palace intrigue at all; she was only thinking about how to leave the Prince Duan's mansion and return to the modern world. Little did she expect that even so, she would still be dragged into the mess.
"As Madam Wang said, since it's a crime punishable by death, why does my sister treat her own head so lightly? My father is merely an official in the same court as Prince Su, and they have official dealings. Why is such a deadly charge being pinned on him? Madam Wang, this matter is of utmost importance and must not be spoken lightly, otherwise it will bring disaster upon the Prince and the Duan Prince's Mansion!"
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