spouse
Shen Qianqian is like the wind; she comes and goes as she pleases, and no one cares about her.
Jiang Yan is an exception. She has been kicked out of the palace for three days, and people still pity and sympathize with her.
Seeing that she was lying in the rocking chair with a sad expression, not moving at all, Huang Ying said.
"Master, are you worried about Madam Shen again?"
"Sigh, I really feel sorry for her! She was so devoted to the prince, but in the end, she suffered such a fate. It's heartbreaking!"
"Master, just as you guessed, Madam Shen must have been tricked. This result is already quite good."
"The saying 'ruthless monarchs have always been heartless' is absolutely true."
"Alas, Madam Shen didn't know her place and angered everyone. It's only a matter of time before she gets punished. That's how it is in the Prince's mansion. If you're not favored, you get bullied; if you are favored, you still get bullied."
Jiang Yan sighed again: "What you said is true, but I still find it hard to accept. Although Madam Shen is just a lady, she has been in the Prince's mansion for several years, and has served Shangguan Zeyu for more than just a day or two. She is even pregnant with his child. How could he be so affectionate and make vows of eternal love with her one moment, and then turn around and drive her away the next? They were husband and wife for a day, after all. How could he be so heartless? Doesn't he feel sad or in pain?"
Huang Ying sighed and stopped what she was doing.
“Master, such heartless acts are common in the Prince’s mansion and within its high walls. The head of the family is never short of servants, and good girls are eager to marry him. No one considers anyone else as their only one. The only thing you can be true to yourself is to find a way to make your life smooth and happy.”
Jiang Yan couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Yes, this is the consequence of being too emotional. You lose your body, your heart, and then you have nothing but regret."
She is now even more determined in her stance: act only for the sake of the goal, without putting her heart into it.
With Shen Qianqian gone, Wang Qianqian and Wu Lanyu became closer, and she also had a closer relationship with Princess Xiao Yiqing, seemingly going to Peach Blossom Village whenever she had free time.
Jiang Yan remained secluded, focusing solely on recuperating her health.
Everything that happened outside Pear Blossom Residence was inquired about by Oriole.
That day, after breakfast, Jiang Yan picked up the storybook he had read dozens of times and was about to curl up in his recliner again when Huang Ying said...
"My lord, I ran into the princess's maid Chunhua yesterday. She asked me to tell you that a tea party will be held in the back garden the day after tomorrow evening, and you must attend."
"They didn't say who would be going?"
"...It should be Madam Wang and Madam Wu. The other three ladies, Minglan, Haoyue, and Qingshuang, have already been dismissed from the mansion."
"When did this happen?" Jiang Yan was quite shocked.
“It’s been several days. At that time, you were weak, so I didn’t mention it.”
"What does Your Highness mean?"
"It should be. I heard that the princess personally oversaw it, so it should be true."
"...What do you mean? Weren't they a gift from the Empress Dowager? How can they be dismissed so easily?"
"I heard that the Prince did not favor any of the three ladies. In addition, I overheard a servant boy from the front courtyard, who was in charge of Steward Cui's household, saying that the Prince and the Empress Dowager did not get along, which may be the reason."
Do you have a bad relationship with your mother?
Why?
Because they have never had children?
Or is it like in novels, where he has a bad relationship with his mother because she is biased towards his older brother?
...Could it be about the throne again?
Thinking of this, Jiang Yan suddenly became alert and clear-headed.
If Shangguan Zeyu truly harbors ambitions and desires to seize the throne, then he will inevitably compete with the Emperor, the most powerful and capable man in the Zhou Kingdom.
If we win, that's fine.
But if they lose... the Prince's mansion will surely confiscate their property and punish them.
Wouldn't everyone in the Prince's mansion, including her, be beheaded?
Even though she disliked this Zhou Kingdom very much, she had to live her life as it came, no matter how shameless she was.
No, she had to deal with Liu Ruyi's matter quickly so she could find a way to leave the palace as soon as possible!
"Huang Ying, I have a rather personal question to ask you." Jiang Yan looked at Huang Ying excitedly.
Huang Ying paused for a moment, put down the silk cloth and needlework in her hands, and walked towards her. "Master, please speak."
Jiang Yan smiled and carefully looked her up and down before speaking.
"Do you have... someone in your heart?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Ying blushed instantly: "Master, what are you saying?"
"Don't look down! Looking down means I'm right!"
Huang Ying blushed, her eyes clear, and she looked up.
"Judging from your expression, you really don't have anyone you like." Jiang Yan smiled slightly, then lowered her voice, becoming serious and mysterious, and asked again, "Where is your young lady?"
Huang Ying's expression tensed up for a moment, as if she were being interrogated by an enemy.
Jiang Yan hurriedly said, "Don't be nervous, don't look at me like that. I wanted to... I won't lie to you! I wanted to know if your young lady had someone she liked, and then... you could say I was using her to help investigate the matter of your young lady's wrongful death." And then help me find a way back.
"No," Huang Ying answered decisively.
"Are you sure you don't? Or are you mistaken?"
“My lady, I think I mentioned this to you before, but you may have forgotten. I swear to God, the young lady has no one in her heart!”
"Sigh! But I always feel... that your young lady couldn't possibly not interact with other people, could she? Even though you said she's always staying indoors."
“Really, my lady, I’m not lying to you. When the young lady is in Fangfei Garden, she’s either reading, writing, painting, or watering the flowers and weeding.”
Jiang Yan couldn't help but bite her upper lip, pondering as she spoke.
"Think about it carefully again. Is there anything else special about her, such as... she doesn't do certain things often, but she knows how to do them?"
Huang Ying thought blankly for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution.
Jiang Yan gave up hope on her and pondered when to meet Shangguan Zeyu and ask him to allow her to leave the mansion for a while, and then find an opportunity to inquire about what she wanted to know.
Just then, Huang Ying suddenly exclaimed, "I've got it!"
"What?" Jiang Yan stood up excitedly.
“This servant remembers, I think I’m not mistaken, every month on the fifteenth night, Miss flies kites… That night, Miss wouldn’t let this servant serve her, and she went to bed very, very late. Yes, that’s right, this servant isn’t mistaken, that’s exactly it.” Huang Ying’s eyes brightened instantly.
"I see..."
A young lady from a respectable family staying up all night on the fifteenth of every month to fly kites—this is something that inevitably sparks the imagination.
Could flying a kite be a way to send a message?
People used to like wild geese to carry messages, and of course they would also use kites to send messages.
If that's the case, then Liu Ruyi must have hidden a letter!
If we can find the letters she hid, we can confirm that she does have someone she loves. Even if it's not someone she loves, we can still help her!
"Huang Ying, bring out everything your young lady brought into the palace! I want to examine it all!"
Jiang Yan never expected that Liu Ruyi would have so few things!
"Just these two things?"
A white magnolia hairpin and a folding fan with the character "润" (run) written on it.
“As I told you before, Miss only brought three things with her. Besides these two, there is also a jade exquisite ball. You have already given the jade exquisite ball to Madam Wu.”
"I have heard you mention her, but she is, after all, the eldest daughter of the Liu family! Even if she is known to the public as an illegitimate daughter, she shouldn't be this shabby, should she?"
That's enough!
People who transmigrate have a devoted male lead, a loving second male lead, and a cheat code; at the very least, they have endless gold and silver treasures to enjoy.
She's lucky; she transmigrated here but has nothing!
"Who gave this white jade hairpin to your young lady?"
The hairpin looks elegant and tasteful; it certainly didn't come from an ordinary family.
Huang Ying scratched the back of her head, struggling to think.
But after a moment's recollection, nothing came to mind.
"And what about this folding fan? Your young lady is from a respectable family; she would use a round fan or a folding fan for women. This folding fan is clearly for men! And this character 'Run' written in the very center of the fan, that can't be your young lady's nickname or courtesy name, can it?"
"No. The young lady's nickname is Guiyuan, she doesn't have a courtesy name."
"That's it!" Jiang Yan excitedly opened the folding fan to look through it, then closed it again to examine it closely. "This man whose name contains the character 'Run,' or whose courtesy name contains the character 'Run,' must be the person we're looking for!"
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