Chapter 109 This bastard deserves to be punished!
Helian Feng's gaze fell on Xiao Nanyan.
But he lowered his eyes and fiddled with the wine cup, his fingertips leaving bluish-white marks on the inscription of the word "eternal". His face reflected in the wine flickered, as if smiling.
Behind him, a graceful woman stood there, her white dress flowing like still water, her eyes fixed straight ahead.
Su Wan, who was sitting diagonally opposite Helian Feng, felt both happy and shy when she heard the emperor's words. Her beautiful eyes looked at Helian Feng affectionately, hoping to meet her brother Feng's gaze.
However, from beginning to end, Helian Feng never looked at her.
Not to mention, from the moment he entered the room, his gaze always vaguely fell on the maid in white behind the Regent.
Su Wan clenched the handkerchief in her sleeve, her nails almost digging into her palm.
Helian Shu, who was standing by, noticed something and whispered in her ear:
"Sister Wan'er, have you heard that a while ago, a woman stayed in the Crown Prince's bedroom?"
Su Wan's eyes trembled slightly and he shook his head:
"Is this true? I haven't heard of it."
Helian Shu covered her lips and chuckled softly, twisting the wine cup with her fingertips and glancing at Xi Yan beside Xiao Nanyan:
"That's the beautiful maidservant in white behind Brother Yan. I heard her name is Xiyan. She was injured, and the Crown Prince stayed by her side, caring for her for a whole day and night without taking off his clothes. It's true, the Crown Prince has always been kind, and he's so compassionate to a maidservant. I'm sure that when you marry into our family, he'll treat you even more like a jewel..."
Su Wan's fingertips suddenly clenched the rim of the glass, and a few drops of wine swayed out, leaving dark water marks on her pink skirt.
She forced a smile and covered her lips with the cup, but she heard Helian Shu add:
"My sister is so beautiful, the prince must be very precious to her. Unlike some people, who are born to serve others, they have beautiful faces but can never be on the stage."
The sound of stringed instruments in the hall suddenly rose.
Su Wan looked at Helian Feng, his gaze still fixed on the maid, his eyes filled with tenderness. She felt as if the notes of the string music had become needles, piercing her eardrums again and again, causing her pain.
However, her father Su Lantian, with his mature and steady face, rarely showed a smile today.
He turned to look at his sister Su Xianrou, his eyes warming a little:
"Rou'er, His Majesty and the Empress are concerned about your health. Please take your time and take better care of yourself. Don't stay stuck in the Buddhist temple all the time."
Su Xianrou nodded gently: "Thank you for your concern, brother. I understand."
Su Lantian's gaze fell lightly on Xiao Nanyan again:
"Nanyan is a young man of talent. Although I, your uncle, am not very talented, I hope that you will unite with His Majesty and protect this vast land together! Come, drink this cup. Consider it a toast from your uncle."
Xiao Nanyan smiled: "Thank you, uncle!"
As he finished speaking, the stagnant atmosphere in the hall seemed to be blown away by the spring breeze.
Helian Cong smiled and clapped his hands, signaling everyone to have fun.
However, his gaze lingered on Su Xianrou.
Xiyan looked at the people present who were pretending to be happy, and felt a little sad:
Although Su Lantian was Xiao Nanyan's uncle, he was Helian Cong's trusted minister. Over the years, the main force that had held back Xiao Nanyan's power within the court was his uncle.
He actually wove an invisible web in the court:
The military farming order implemented by Xiao Nanyan would affect the interests of the tenants of the powerful families in the court, so the Censorate impeached him one after another for "competing with the people for profits"; in the allocation of military supplies for Xinzhou, Su Lantian always used the "empty treasury" as an excuse to withhold food and fodder, making it clear that he did not want Xiao Nanyan's military strength to increase; even the young generals recommended by Xiao Nanyan would be transferred to the bitter cold place as military supervisors by Su Lantian on the grounds of "lack of experience" during the imperial assessment.
She had seen a secret report in Xiao Nanyue's study.
It was mentioned that Su Lantian secretly leaked the salt railway line of the Xiao caravan to Nanzhao, causing the supplies transported to the border troops to be robbed three times.
And every time there was a dispute in the court, Su Lantian would always pat Xiao Nanyan on the shoulder and joke, "Uncle and nephew are one."
"Nan Yan, you are still young, so you should be more steady in your actions!"
This is not an uncle at all, but a soft knife stuck in Xiao Nanyue's heart. He speaks gently and laughs with her on ordinary days, but he can kill her when she is most vulnerable.
Xiyan didn't know whether the Concubine Dowager's desire to marry into the Helian clan was right or wrong. To her, one side was her husband's family, the other was her natal family. As for Helian Cong, they seemed to be inextricably linked... From her perspective, she really didn't want the two to fight each other.
However, with Xiao Nanyue's hatred for the Helian family deep in his bones, how could he be controlled by others?
I'm afraid that in this marriage, except for Helian Shu and the Concubine Dowager, no one is sincere.
Even Helian Cong, it is hard to say whether he was not testing Xiao Nanyue.
In this game, who is the chess piece and who is the chess player?
Manluo was not as meticulous and considerate as Xiyan. She felt the whole banquet was boring and uninteresting.
At this moment, she actually felt a little regretful. Why did she go to the palace when she had nothing better to do?
Watching others eating and drinking heartily, she felt hungry and her stomach was empty, and she couldn't help but feel greedy.
What made her particularly annoyed was Chu Jin's pair of cunning eyes, which would sometimes fall on Xiyan, and sometimes scan her body, sometimes in deep thought, and sometimes showing contempt.
She suddenly felt physically and mentally unwell.
It seems that this bastard still needs to be punished!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com