Chapter 278: Affair (Part 1)
At that time, Wang Xuanji was suddenly stunned and couldn't help but look at her mother in the Buddhist hall.
She was worshipping Buddha with undivided attention and listening to a group of nuns chanting scriptures.
Huan Lingxian and Wang Xuanji knelt on the futon together and spoke slowly, "You are a wise man. Even before the Buddha, I will not lie. This concubine is not a kind person. You can live in the capital. If you go out and ask around, you will know the rumors outside. This concubine is entangled with the crown prince, and some even say that she has ill intentions towards the Prince of Yuzhang. Two years ago, this was the reason why the empress dowager was angry and banished her to Jiangzhou to reflect on her past."
Wang Xuanji looked at her coldly.
"You and I both come from noble families. How could we be like foolish women, chewing on those rumors in the market?" She said seriously, "They are all misunderstandings. Later, the Queen Mother also allowed the princess to return to the capital."
Huan Lingxian chuckled.
"She returned to the capital. Was it really the Queen Mother who forgave her, and not the Crown Prince behind the scenes?" She looked at Wang Xuanji and spoke earnestly, "I know you like the Crown Prince. That's why I came here to warn you. You must always be on guard against others."
Wang Xuanji's expression remained unchanged.
"Instead of telling me all this, why not tell me about your relationship with that Chief Clerk named Lü Qiuyan?" she said. "The rumors in the capital aren't just about Princess Yuzhang."
Huan Lingxian looked surprised, but not angry.
"He's just someone who works for me. I don't have many people to rely on at home, and he's the most reliable one." Huan Lingxian said, "However, he also knows the character of the Concubine very well."
This surprised Wang Xuanji, and she couldn't help but look at her.
"You know, the Concubine once traveled to Jingzhou with Lüqiu Changshi. Since then, Lüqiu Changshi has advised me to be more cautious of the Concubine. By the way, do you know my cousin, Lingxu Master Yu Yi? When the Concubine and the Crown Prince passed through Hengshan, it was the Concubine who suggested bringing him back to the capital. Since returning to the capital, the two of them have been seeing each other frequently. Because of this, the Crown Prince and Lingxu Master became estranged and angry with the Concubine."
Wang Xuanji's expression suddenly turned ugly.
"Nonsense," she said. "Where did you hear that?"
"Although the Huan family is far away in Jingzhou, they still have many informants in the capital." Huan Lingxian looked at the large Buddha in the hall and said slowly, "Is this nonsense? You can go and ask around and you'll find out."
After saying this, she put her hands together and kowtowed to the Buddha statue.
Wang Xuanji stared at her intently, motionless.
——
Cao Song quickly came to Sun Wei and reported to her, "General Chu said he has no news about the Crown Prince. However, he sent someone to inquire before dawn and will be back soon. Please be patient, Princess."
Sun Wei felt upset.
Not only because of Sima Jun, but also because of Huan Lingxian.
Someone who went to Xianglu Temple brought her a letter from Jingci.
The letter stated that Wang Xuanji and her daughter had indeed met with Huan Lingxian yesterday. Wang and her daughter arrived first, followed by Huan Lingxian. Fang had been worshipping Buddha, while Huan Lingxian and Wang Xuanji had been talking in the nearby Buddhist hall.
Jingci sat reciting scriptures not far from them, but she couldn't quite understand what she was saying. She only vaguely heard Huan Lingxian mention names like "concubine," "crown prince," "empress dowager," "Lüqiu Changshi," and "Master Lingxu." Furthermore, the letter said that Wang Xuanji had a very grim expression when she left.
After reading it, Sun Wei's face darkened.
Although I don't know what they said exactly, I can get a general idea just from these names.
Huan Lingxian and Sun Wei are already open enemies. Now she goes to find Wang Xuanji specifically. You don’t have to guess what her plan is.
This woman is crazy and can do anything.
Ah Ru also read the letter nearby and shook her head. "What will we do if Huan Lingxian continues to talk nonsense to others with this mouth of his?"
Sun Wei raised her hand and burned the letter. After a moment's thought, she said, "Although she's bold, she's still wary of her mother, Madam Yu. With Madam Yu watching, she wouldn't dare. That's why she took advantage of Madam Yu's absence to go see Wang Xuanji. These words are directed at the Yuzhang Palace. The Queen Mother is currently trying to bring the Wang family and the Yuzhang Palace together, and the past rumors are now forgotten. So if she knew Wang Xuanji was stirring up trouble, she would certainly not let her go. Madam Yu wouldn't dare offend the Queen Mother, nor would she engage in such a loss-making business."
A'ru said, "But now that Wang Xuanji has taken this step, there's no guarantee she won't take the next step. Princess, you still have to find a way to deal with her."
Sun Wei's eyes flashed coldly as he said, "Send a letter to the Yu residence. I want to see Madam Yu."
——
When Yu Yi first returned to the capital, Sun Wei came to the Yu residence two or three times under the pretext of visiting a patient. However, she did not like to show off and always traveled in a simple manner.
This time, she used the ceremonial guards of Prince Yuzhang's Palace.
As the host, Yu Yi personally greeted them outside the door.
After the greetings, Yu Yi said, "I've also heard about Ziheng's situation. Those people were just thieves who were intercepting people on the road every day. They shouldn't be a match for Ziheng. Princess, don't worry too much."
"Thank you for your concern, sir." Sun Wei said, "I came to your house to see Madam Yu."
Yu Yi was surprised: "I don't know what this is about?"
Sun Wei said, "It's about Lady Huan."
Yu Yi looked at her and said, "If my cousin has offended the princess, I will apologize to her first. Why don't you tell me the whole story? I will definitely teach her a lesson on your behalf."
"Thank you for your kindness, sir. This is a private matter between me and the Lady, so it is best for me to handle it myself. Please allow me to meet with Madam Yu. I have my reasons."
When Yu Yi heard Sun Wei's words, he knew that it was not appropriate for him to interfere, so he did not ask any more questions and invited her into the mansion.
Yu was already waiting in the hall.
After the greetings, Yu Yi took his leave.
When she sent the visiting card, she had already stated that she wanted to meet Yu alone, so Huan Lingxian did not accompany her.
Sun Wei lowered his head and drank tea without saying a word.
Yu sat nearby, observing Sun Wei's expression and realizing she had come with bad intentions. After a moment, she lost her temper and asked, "I wonder what brings the princess to visit?"
Sun Wei drank half a cup of tea slowly and then said, "I wonder where your daughter is?"
"My daughter is in the backyard, doing some needlework," Yu said. "If the princess wishes to see her, I will summon her."
Sun Wei sneered, "I heard that your daughter has made many friends since she came to the capital. All the ladies from the upper classes in the capital are friends with your daughter, and they have close interactions."
Hearing this, Yu felt a little relieved.
"So that's what happened," Yu said. "My daughter seems to enjoy socializing with young ladies her own age. I never stop her from going out to meet them. My Huan family has always been open-minded. Even our daughters take pride in their extensive knowledge and connections. I wonder why this has displeased the princess?"
Although the tone was gentle, it was quite sarcastic.
Sun Wei was not anxious. He simply said, "As an outsider, I have no way of judging the family's reputation. However, I heard some rumors today, and the source of them actually came from Lady Huan. I wonder if Madam Yu knows about this?"
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