Chapter 67 Yan Cang, he insulted me!
Chu Yunjin was somewhat puzzled.
The Empress Dowager treats the驸马 (the驸马) well, isn't it just because he's the husband of the Eldest Princess? She treats her son-in-law well, and he's grateful, so naturally he treats her daughter well in return.
But it seems that the eldest princess did not mean that?
“In those years, I adopted three children, Shiyu, Shijie, and Jingyi. The Empress Dowager treated them even better than the princes and princesses. I used to think that the Empress Dowager loved me and therefore extended that love to the three siblings as well.” The princess chuckled softly, with a hint of self-mockery in her voice. “I must have been out of my mind before, which is why I was so self-righteous and lived in a self-deceiving fantasy.”
A sudden inspiration seemed to flash through Chu Yunjin's mind.
She felt she might have grasped something crucial, but...
“You told me yesterday that my inability to conceive all those years might have been due to the actions of the Imperial Son-in-Law. When I returned to the banquet yesterday, I recalled everything that had happened over the years. The old doctor Zhang who examined me was invited by the Imperial Son-in-Law, but he used to be a royal physician, and the Empress Dowager trusted him immensely.” As Princess Ning’an spoke, the smile on her lips faltered, and a dark glint appeared in her eyes. “If the old doctor Zhang lied to me, perhaps it wasn’t necessarily at the behest of the Imperial Son-in-Law. Is it possible… that the Empress Dowager is the mastermind behind it all?”
Chu Yunjin's heart skipped a beat: "Empress Dowager?"
If the Empress Dowager is truly the mastermind, then... wouldn't it be incredibly easy for Consort Wen to scheme against Princess Ning'an?
No wonder...wait, something's not right.
The Empress Dowager is the mother of the eldest princess. Why would she scheme against her own daughter?
Moreover, the original book says that after the Empress Dowager's death, Prince Consort Wen plotted to kill the Eldest Princess, which is enough to prove that Prince Consort Wen was wary of the Empress Dowager... or perhaps there were other reasons.
As Chu Yunjin was thinking, Wen Jingyi walked in from outside and bowed to Princess Ning'an: "Mother."
"The Princess Consort of Yan is also here," Princess Ning'an reminded her. "Don't you know we should pay our respects?"
Wen Jingyi's face stiffened.
She hated Chu Yunjin to the core, wishing she could slap her twice and bow to her.
But she didn't dare.
She hadn't settled the score for the slap Chu Yunjin gave her yesterday, and last night her mother made her kneel and copy the Classic of Filial Piety until midnight, her legs aching as if they were about to break. She would remember this score clearly and settle it with Chu Yunjin sooner or later.
She turned around and curtsied to Chu Yunjin: "Greetings, Princess Consort of Yan."
Chu Yunjin smiled and said, "No need for formalities."
She noticed that Wen Jingyi's face was pale and her eyes were heavy with fatigue, guessing that she must have been severely punished last night.
Even though Prince Consort Wen doted on this daughter, he couldn't save her from the Princess. It seems that the Princess's residence wasn't completely under the control of the father and son.
“Jingyi has been spoiled by me and her husband all along. If she has offended anyone, please forgive her,” said Princess Ning’an.
Chu Yunjin said, "The princess is young, so aunt can teach her slowly."
"Yes." Princess Ning'an nodded. "I hope you will think about what I just told you and give me an answer when you get back."
Chu Yunjin understood her intention.
She wanted Yan Cang to help her investigate the Empress Dowager's secrets, but she couldn't be too direct in front of Wen Jingyi, so she had to keep some things to herself.
Chu Yunjin stood up and said, "Auntie is pregnant, so please rest well. I won't disturb you any longer."
Princess Ning'an said, "Jingyi, see the Princess of Yan off for me."
"Yes." Wen Jingyi replied, then said to Chu Yunjin, "Princess Consort of Yan, please."
Chu Yunjin smiled faintly.
The two turned and walked out. As soon as they stepped out of the room, Wen Jingyi's face darkened, looking as if she was ready to fight someone at any moment.
"Did you suffer last night?" Chu Yunjin asked, turning her head to look at her from a distance. "You look unwell; you probably didn't get a good rest last night."
Wen Jingyi sneered: "Thanks to you."
"I'm honored," Chu Yunjin said with a smile. "I hope you'll have a chance to turn the tables."
Wen Jingyi's eyes were cold and sinister, sweeping across her face like a venomous snake, before she gave a cryptic sneer: "Sooner or later, I'll make you pay back with interest."
Chu Yunjin nodded: "We'll wait and see."
As they were talking, two young men walked towards them.
Chu Yunjin turned her head to look.
One of them was Wen Shiyu, the heir of the Princess's mansion, whom Chu Yunjin had met before. The other person was unfamiliar to her; he wore a brocade robe and a jade crown, had an effeminate appearance, and stared intently at Chu Yunjin, giving off a rather hostile impression.
"Greetings, Princess Consort of Yan." Wen Shiyu bowed with a half-smile and took the initiative to introduce her, "Wen Heyun, the eldest son of Prime Minister Wen and my cousin."
As Wen Heyun walked up to Chu Yunjin and bowed, his voice, low and filled with vicious humiliation, said, "You shameless slut, I'll make you taste my tricks sooner or later."
Chu Yunjin's eyes turned cold, and without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
Snap!
The sound was crisp and clear.
Wen Heyun's expression darkened instantly: "You bitch—"
"Yan Cang!" Chu Yunjin's eyes reddened, and she ran ahead past Wen Shiyu and Wen Heyun. "He called me a shameless woman who sleeps with anyone!"
The world seemed to fall silent in an instant.
Wen Shiyu, Wen Heyun, and Wen Jingyi all turned pale, turning incredulously to look in the direction Chu Yunjin had run off to.
The next instant, it felt as if all the blood in my body had been frozen.
The three were unable to react.
Yan Cang, dressed in a black robe, stood there, having arrived at some unknown time.
It was as if a demon had descended from the sky.
Behind him followed his personal bodyguard Qingchuan, as well as four guards carrying swords.
At this moment, his expressionless yet imposing demeanor made him seem like a grim reaper from hell, emanating a chilling aura of murderous intent.
Wen Shiyu's legs went weak: "Yan... Your Highness Prince Yan?"
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