When Madam Qin led Tang Ning and Qin Qianqian, each with their own thoughts, into Princess Qingping's residence, there were already quite a few people inside.
They either gathered together, talking and giggling while covering their mouths, or stood in front of the chrysanthemums of different colors placed under the corridor, admiring and discussing them, or gathered in front of the table in the courtyard, discussing and writing or drawing something on rice paper.
It must be admitted that these exquisitely dressed women stood in the meticulously decorated Princess's mansion, with various varieties of chrysanthemums everywhere, including the covered corridors, the artificial hills and streams, the Green Water Autumn Waves, the Jade Phoenix of the Jade Terrace, the Black Peony, the Jade Feather, the Rouge Snow, and the Kenroku Fragrance Yellow. Behind the crystal bead curtains in the rooms, there were even maids wearing veils playing the zither, the melodious music lingering in the air.
Even Tang Ning, who came from the mortal world, couldn't help but feel a sense of pleasure from the bottom of her heart at such a scene.
The arrival of Tang Ning and her two companions immediately attracted the attention of the other women present.
Some of the ladies who were on good terms with Madam Qin immediately led their daughters over with smiles and exchanged pleasantries. Other women, upon their arrival, exchanged knowing glances with their friends and then lowered their voices to begin talking amongst themselves. During their conversations, they didn't forget to throw in suggestive glances, their lips curling into a mocking smile.
Here we go again, here we go again.
Following behind Madam Qin with her head bowed and eyes downcast, Qin Qianqian thought to herself with resentment.
Ever since her true identity was revealed, whenever she goes out to attend a banquet, she always encounters these gossipy people. She can even repeat their conversations without having to listen in.
What? How dare she show her face here? She took the identity of a real young lady and enjoyed a life of wealth and luxury for fourteen years. If it were me, I would have left the General's Mansion long ago. But she is different. Her skin is as thick as a city wall. Not only does she refuse to leave, but she is also planning to take advantage of the General's Mansion to find herself a good husband!
What right does someone of her status have to attend a banquet? It only drags down the standards of the event. I heard her biological father is just a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan. She really thinks she's a rich heiress. What a generous and magnanimous heiress! If it were me, I'd like to see if she would dare to use my parents' money to dress herself up so extravagantly.
Fortunately, she was sensible and gave up the marriage. Otherwise, given her status, wouldn't she be afraid of shortening her lifespan if she really married the Prince of Jian?
...
All of this caused Qin Qianqian to go from being furious and resentful at first to feeling unwilling, numb, and eventually turning a deaf ear to it all.
Wei Jing spoke so lightly, but did he really know how much pain she had endured during the days he was away? She couldn't sleep every night, and even when she did fall asleep, she would suddenly wake up in fear that she would be kicked out of the manor at any moment. Her parents cared about Tang Ning, and her brothers also felt sorry for her. There was no one she could confide in, and no one could understand her.
She had no other choice but to give up the marriage in the end.
Will Wei Jing understand?
No, he can't.
He could only see her unreasonable behavior and irrationality, but he also saw Tang Ning's gentleness and understanding.
Oh.
Therefore, even though Tang Ning was successfully outmaneuvered by her today, she did not do anything wrong.
They forced her into this situation.
As for whether Wei Jing would find out or not, she couldn't care less, because according to Madam Qin's wishes, she would finalize her engagement today, and she didn't have time.
She didn't want to, didn't want to, and wasn't willing to marry into a poor family that had nothing but might still take concubines and maids.
Absolutely not.
Moreover, even if she used Wei Jing's token, she would still have to consider Wei Jing's people.
She refused to believe that once Tang Ning learned of Wei Jing's "scheming" against her, she could still be with him without any resentment and in a sweet and loving relationship, unless she was born despicable.
What Qin Qianqian can't have, no one else can have either.
Wei Jing is unwilling to give up, is that it? Then let Tang Ning give up voluntarily, how about that?
Thinking of this, a flash of fierceness crossed Qin Qianqian's eyes. She gently lifted her chin, forcing a graceful smile onto her lips. She and Tang Ning stood on either side of Madam Qin, greeting the ladies who came up. Listening to Madam Qin's smiling and self-deprecating words, she showed no impatience whatsoever.
Unfortunately, even she couldn't tell which of these ladies who greeted her were the families that Madam Qin was looking at, which made Qin Qianqian feel a little anxious.
After an unknown amount of time, when Tang Ning and Qin Qianqian's smiles began to stiffen, a group of girls gathered together on the other side suddenly became lively.
After listening carefully for a while, Tang Ning realized that these people had grown tired of the chrysanthemums in the courtyard and wanted to take a stroll in the garden. They had also received permission from Princess Qingping, which made them cheer quietly.
Madam Qin, who had also heard the whole story, chuckled when she saw Tang Ning's eyes fixed on the group of pretty young girls. "Ningning, would you like to join them for a stroll in the garden?"
Upon hearing Madam Qin's question, Tang Ning immediately turned around in surprise, "I...can I?"
"Of course, look, they're all leaving now, you should hurry and follow them."
Madam Qin urged him on.
"Oh, okay, thank you, Mother."
Tang Ning replied with delight, and was about to take a step towards the people who had already reached the hanging flower archway when she suddenly stopped and turned her head to look at Qin Qianqian on the other side with some confusion, "Qianqian, aren't you coming with me?"
Before Qin Qianqian could even answer her question, Madam Qin spoke up for her, saying, "No need. I have some things to tell Qianqian. You can go ahead."
Hearing this, Tang Ning glanced at Qin Qianqian, who was standing silently with her eyes down, and then at Madam Qin, who had a gentle smile and encouraging eyes. She pursed her lips and said, "Alright then, since Mother has something to tell Qianqian, I'll head to the garden first. Qianqian, remember to come find me later!"
After Qin Qianqian smiled at her, Tang Ning headed straight for the hanging flower archway. Standing under the archway, she glanced back at her two relatives before smiling and chasing after the people who had already walked a short distance away.
As for her two maids, Chunmian and Chuntan, she didn't bring them. After all, several of the young ladies hadn't brought their maids either, in order to have more fun. Besides, everyone hadn't eaten anything this morning in order to get ready properly and to avoid being impolite at the banquet. Seeing that there seemed to be a lot of fruits and snacks laid out in the courtyard, she simply said that they would go over and have some first. As for admiring the flowers... well, she could handle all the trouble on her own.
Chunmian wanted to raise any objections to Tang Ning's suggestion, but unfortunately, her rumbling stomach betrayed her. Chun Tan was always very perceptive; no matter what it was, as long as Tang Ning brought it up, she would never ask any more questions unless she really felt that something was wrong.
Only after Tang Ning's figure had completely disappeared did Madam Qin look down at Qin Qianqian beside her and say gently, "Qianqian, come with me and greet the ladies."
"Yes, Mother."
Qin Qianqian, who was only just beginning to look at him, immediately clenched her hands, which were hidden in her sleeves.
On the other side, Tang Ning, who had finally caught up with the large group of people enjoying the flowers, had only been admiring the flowers with a smile on her face for a short while when she suddenly felt a flutter coming from her sleeve.
not good!
She forgot that Chirp was still hidden in her sleeve; it's amazing that the bird could stay there.
In response, Tang Ning only had time to quickly avoid the crowd and hurriedly release the bird from her sleeve. The little creature immediately struggled to fly out of her sleeve, even flapping its little wings, and chirped as it flew forward.
"Chirp chirp".
Tang Ning lowered her voice and called out to it, ignoring the other girls who were admiring the flowers with her, and hurriedly chased after it. But after hearing her call, the bird only paused briefly on a branch not far ahead. As soon as Tang Ning approached it, it immediately flew up again, flying a short distance before stopping again. After this happened several times, even if Tang Ning was slow-witted, she understood that the bird was clearly leading the way for her.
Ha, Tang Ning's intuition told her that the little guy's destination was most likely where He Lanruo was.
Thinking of this, Tang Ning raised an eyebrow in her mind. She had been thinking about what reason to use to find He Lanruo, and even when she was admiring the flowers, she was thinking about it. Now, she didn't need to think about it anymore. The bird had given her a divine help.
Ah, she said that she loves these intelligent and adorable little animals the most.
It's as cute as the little system.
54088, who was the first to notice Tang Ning's inner thoughts, immediately blushed bright red in front of Tang Ning.
Led by the chirping of the bird, Tang Ning deliberately slowed down her pursuit until the notification sound of 54088 rang in her ears, at which point Tang Ning raised an eyebrow slightly.
They finally caught up.
After all, considering the time involved, even if it was a meeting, given Madam Qin's personality, she probably wouldn't have kept Qin Qianqian waiting too long. She didn't want to put Qin Qianqian in a difficult position, so she probably just gave a casual greeting and let Qin Qianqian out, while she herself enjoyed the flowers for a while.
Aside from the little accident involving Chuchu.
It was just the right amount of time, not too long, not too short.
At the same time, Qin Qianqian, who had finally escaped the scrutinizing gazes of the ladies who made her feel disgusted, also led her personal maid, Luyi, into the garden at Madam Qin's suggestion.
Unexpectedly, she had just spotted the group of people chatting and laughing while admiring the flowers, and was hesitating before taking a step towards them.
She suddenly saw Tang Ning leave the crowd and walk to the side alone.
On one hand, she was worried that Tang Ning's departure would affect her future plans. On the other hand, she was also really impatient with those women who had nothing to say to her except to laugh at her and ridicule her. So, without thinking, she took her maid and followed Tang Ning, intending to pull her back.
But who would have thought that the faster they chased, the faster Tang Ning ran, running around the garden aimlessly without any sense of direction.
Seeing this, Qin Qianqian, who was initially reluctant to call out to her, became impatient with playing the chase game with her. She moved her lips, about to call out to Tang Ning, when she suddenly heard Tang Ning's surprised voice ring out.
"Helan Ruo, what are you doing here?"
Helan, Ruo?
Upon hearing the name, Qin Qianqian instinctively pulled Luyi, who was also looking surprised, to hide in the nearby flower bushes. Then, she cautiously peeked out and, sure enough, the white-clad man lying on the artificial hill with a blade of grass in his mouth, pretending to sleep with his eyes closed in the sunlight, was none other than Helan Ruo.
But... what's going on?
Why does Tang Ning sound so familiar with this notorious playboy young master in the capital?
Tang Ning and He Lanruo...
When did they meet?
Most importantly, Tang Ning has only been in the capital for a few months, right? In these past few months, she has either been with Wei Jing or stayed at home, and has hardly ever gone out by herself. How did she get to know He Lanruo?
This is really strange.
Just as she was thinking of this, Qin Qianqian noticed Helan Ruo, who had been lying on the artificial hill. Hearing Tang Ning's voice, she immediately opened her eyes and looked at Tang Ning. Seeing her surprised and delighted expression, she chuckled and replied, "This is my mother's princess residence. Where else would I be if not here?"
Hearing this, Tang Ning was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "Oh, right, I forgot, Princess Qingping is your mother. But with everything so lively outside, why are you all alone..."
Hearing this, Helan Ruo sat up abruptly from the artificial hill, then leaped down and stood in front of Tang Ning. "I've always been a loner and don't like crowds. But you, you were enjoying the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, so why did you suddenly appear alone in such a remote place?"
"It's not just Qiuqiu. I had just gotten off the carriage when it suddenly crawled into my sleeve and stayed there. I almost forgot it was still hiding there when it suddenly started making a fuss again just now, and that's how it led me all the way here. Um... actually, I just knew it was bringing me here to find you, and I also had something I wanted to talk to you about, so I followed it here..."
After thinking it over, Tang Ning decided to confess and be treated leniently.
"What do you want to talk to me about? Is it your Jing-gege again?"
He Lanruo had a mocking expression on her face.
"no."
Tang Ning shook her head.
"No? That's rather strange. Apart from Wei Jing, I really can't think of anything else that could be in your head."
"I've already said no, can't you just let me finish?"
"Okay, okay, go ahead, I'm listening. Go ahead."
"actually……"
Tang Ning was about to speak when she suddenly realized that the area was a maze of passageways, and she immediately stopped. "Should we...speak here? What if someone walks by and sees us...?"
She hesitated.
Upon hearing this, Helan Ruo looked around and also felt that this place was a bit unsafe. He was fine, his reputation was already as bad as it could get, but Tang Ning was still thinking about her Jing-gege. If she were found standing with him, she probably wouldn't be able to explain herself no matter how hard she tried.
"I see. Come with me."
After frowning and thinking for a moment, Helan Ruo took the lead and walked forward.
Seeing this, Tang Ning quickly followed. But as soon as she passed under a tree, she accidentally looked up and immediately gasped.
He Lanruo, who was walking in front of her, turned around as soon as he heard her soft cry, and immediately saw Tang Ning standing a few steps behind him, blinking and rubbing her right eye frantically.
Seeing her like this, Helan Ruo walked up to her in a few steps and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
"I think something just got into my eye, it hurts so much..."
As she spoke, perhaps due to the intense pain and irritation in her eyes, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"It was like this before on the back mountain of Qixia Temple. Even though I was severely night-blind, I didn't say anything clearly, and I almost ran down the mountain. Now, I can walk perfectly fine, but things can still get into my eyes."
Even walking on a mountain path on a rainy day can result in slipping and falling, getting covered in mud. It's really...
He Lanruo was at a loss for words to describe the girl in front of him. Seeing that she could barely open her eyes, he had no choice but to gently lift Tang Ning's chin and say softly with a frown, "Alright, don't rub it with your hands, or it will hurt more. Let me blow on it for you and see if you can open your eyes a little..."
"Hmm."
After giving a muffled reply, Tang Ning forced herself to open her eyes wider, enduring the throbbing pain.
Soon, she felt a gentle breeze blowing towards her right eye.
One after another.
The man's serious and focused expression added even more charm to his already handsome face.
He didn't know how long he had been blowing on her, but seeing that Tang Ning hadn't blinked for a long time, He Lanruo stared at her wide-open almond eyes at close range for a long time before suddenly coming back to his senses. He hurriedly released his fingers from Tang Ning's chin, turned his head away, and coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment, "Cough, how are you now? Does it still hurt?"
"No...it doesn't hurt anymore..."
Tang Ning's voice was also a little stuttering.
"It doesn't hurt...it doesn't hurt, that's good. Didn't you say you had something to tell me? Then hurry up and come with me, lest you leave for too long and someone notices something is wrong. Hurry up."
"Okay, sure."
Seeing Helan Ruo finish speaking and walk away, Tang Ning, whose eyes were no longer hurting, nodded in response and quickly followed in his footsteps.
Watching the two figures gradually walk away, Qin Qianqian, who was hiding behind the flowers with her little maid, was so astonished that she could hardly close her mouth.
She had just witnessed something, and although she was too far away to hear what they were saying, actions don't lie. Tang Ning and He Lanruo were acting so intimately; Qin Qianqian couldn't convince herself that there was nothing going on between them.
Not to mention her, even the little maid Luyi, who was hiding to the side, was almost scared out of her wits.
Who is this Young Master Helan? Everyone in the capital knows him.
Unexpectedly, Miss Tang Ning actually...
Just as Greenery was thinking this, she suddenly saw her young lady looking at her intently. "Greenery, I have two very important things I need you to do. I can trust you, right?"
Greenery, looking at Qin Qianqian with such trust in her eyes, seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes immediately lit up.
"I know that besides the women's banquet in the East Garden, there's also a men's banquet in the West Garden. What you need to do is find A-Jing in the West Garden as soon as possible and bring him here. I must let A-Jing see what kind of face Tang Ning, whom he considers pure, innocent, understanding, gentle, and deeply devoted, really is. Ha, she likes A-Jing while seducing Helan Ruo, hehe..."
"Once you bring A-Jing here, immediately find an excuse to separate from him. Then, find a maid named Qiu-Ling among the servants in the Princess's residence, understand? It's best to casually mention Tang Ning's location near her, understand?"
Qin Qianqian explained things carefully, and Luyi listened even more attentively.
Although she didn't understand how her young lady knew the maids in the Princess's mansion, Luyi, who had grown up with Qin Qianqian since childhood, always obeyed her orders.
Besides, there's not enough time now, so she can't waste any more time asking these irrelevant questions. She should just do as her young lady tells her to do.
Watching Luyi carefully leave, Qin Qianqian took a deep breath and immediately chased after Tang Ning and He Lanruo in the direction they had just gone.
Tang Ning, Tang Ning, she never imagined that she was such a fickle and scheming woman, but it's not too late to find out now.
As for Qiu Ling, well, she was a spy planted by the Prince Jian's Mansion in the Princess's Mansion.
She was also the key figure she contacted who wanted to push Tang Ning into the water.
She had to prepare for both possibilities. If A-Jing didn't notice anything amiss between Tang Ning and He Lanruo, or if the two had already separated, given A-Jing's current trust in Tang Ning, he probably wouldn't believe her even if she and Luyi told him the most outrageous things.
Therefore, it is still necessary to do things that damage Tang Ning's reputation.
Anyway, the people she brought to rescue Tang Ning had already been arranged.
A poor, pedantic scholar who repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and was addicted to gambling and womanizing.
Of course, it would be even better if Helan Ruo were still there at that time, and couldn't stand it, and went into the water to save Tang Ning.
If Tang Ning wants a good-for-nothing playboy, she might as well just give him to her.
The most interesting thing is that if the two of them go into the water together to rescue Tang Ning, then they will probably have to fight over one wife, which is extremely interesting to think about.
As Qin Qianqian followed Tang Ning and imagined all sorts of possible fates, her eyes grew increasingly intense, and even her breathing became more and more rapid.
If Tang Ning hadn't been prescient enough to know that she couldn't even handle such a small matter, and had 54088 conceal her aura and whereabouts, she probably would have been discovered eight hundred times over by Helan Ruo, who had practiced martial arts since childhood.
Tsk.
Meanwhile, Qin Qianqian suddenly realized that He Lanruo and Tang Ning, who had been walking ahead, had vanished without a trace.
Suddenly panicked, Qin Qianqian hurriedly ran out of her hiding place, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find any trace of Tang Ning.
Just then, Qin Qianqian, who was extremely anxious, suddenly heard a conversation coming from a room not far in front of her. Because she was too eager to catch Tang Ning's weakness, Qin Qianqian didn't even have time to distinguish whether the voice belonged to Tang Ning or not, and subconsciously went over.
No sooner had she reached the door than a powerful force suddenly came from behind, shoving her into a room that exuded a strange fragrance.
The moment Qin Qianqian smelled the fragrance, before she could even react, she fainted instantly.
At the same time, Tang Ning, who had followed He Lanruo to the lakeside inside the mansion, immediately smiled.
"What are you laughing at?"
He Lanruo asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Hmm? Nothing, just some happy things that came to mind."
Tang Ning smiled gently.
What did she do? Was it to help Helan Ruo avoid some risks she was supposed to encounter?
After all, that room was prepared for Helan Ruo by other people in the story!
Anyway, it has nothing to do with her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com