Yongyan was moved by Yan Ning's tearful outburst. He grabbed Yan Ning's hand that was tearing at his clothes and gently persuaded her, "Yan Ning, this is also for the good of the Fucha family!"
Yan Ning slowly slid down the doorway, holding onto the railing. She looked at Yong Yan, whose eyes showed no pity for the three lives, as if they were nothing more than unrelated livestock that had perished.
She smiled sadly. Indeed, they were livestock; to these nobles and aristocrats, servants were nothing more than livestock. Zhao Xing told her that Mingxin and Rongxi would eventually return, but Zhuxiang would never return.
Zhu Xiang's delicate and loyal companionship made it impossible for Yan Ning to ignore her as she had with Ming Xin and Rong Xi. She trusted Fu Kang'an; he was merely venting his anger on them, and would release them once his rage subsided. But she didn't trust Yong Yan. The imperial power was an irresistible struggle for anyone, and the princes would do anything to seize the throne.
She also learned from Yongyan's actions that there were not only Yongyan's people in the Fifteenth Prince's residence, but also people from other princes, so he had to be absolutely sure of everything.
Why sacrifice human lives to protect one's own interests?
Yan Ning's face was stained with water, indistinguishable between tears and sweat, her complexion gradually turning as pale as the white brocade she wore. She raised her head to look at Yong Yan, her eyes filled with bloodshot anger, which contrasted sharply with her pale face, startling Yong Yan.
She said coldly, "If the Fifteenth Prince truly cares for the Fucha family, then let Yan Ning be dealt with as well! Yan Ning is the real culprit!"
Yongyan looked down at the certainty in Yan Ning's eyes. He was puzzled. She was just a servant girl. Why would she care so much that she would threaten her own life?
The asphalt slabs, bathed in the blazing sun, cast a soft, silvery light under the eaves of the hall, falling upon Yan Ning. She stared at him with blood-red eyes, and Yong Yan felt a pang of sorrow under her gaze. He tried to help her up, but she shoved him away.
Yan Ning wore a gold-inlaid jade bracelet on her wrist. Due to excessive force, a dark blue mark was left on her fair wrist, but this pain was far less than the pain of losing Zhu Xiang.
Seeing the blood seeping from Yan Ning's tightly clenched lips, which then slid down onto her white brocade gauze, I could see the blood dripping from them.
Yongyan couldn't bear to see Yan Ning develop a rift with him, so he glanced at a servant beside him. The servant immediately understood and timidly approached Yongyan. Yongyan whispered a few instructions in his ear, and the servant ran off.
Yan Ning immediately got up and followed the servant. Yong Yan, fearing that Yan Ning might have any mishap, also followed.
Upon entering the backyard, the servant hurried along the long covered walkway. Yan Ning's protruding belly ached slightly from the rush, and she slowed her pace.
Yongyan couldn't bear it and gently advised, "I've already sent servants to stop Eroli. You don't need to rush after her. Be careful not to hurt the baby in your womb!"
Yan Ning stopped and leaned against a pillar of the covered walkway. She was soaked in sweat, and her pale face looked as if it had been washed. Against the backdrop of the surrounding green trees, she had a graceful and elegant appearance, like a lotus emerging from the water.
Yongyan was somewhat stunned, staring blankly at Yan Ning, who was leaning against a pillar and panting.
Yan Ning glanced at her stomach; the slight pain made her uneasy, but she dared not trust Yong Yan any longer. She had to bring back a completely unharmed Zhu Xiang. She supported her stomach and took difficult steps forward.
Yongyan sighed softly behind Yan Ning; she could no longer believe he had gone this far. He hurried a few steps and scooped Yan Ning up in his arms.
Startled, Yan Ning raised a hand and slapped him. Looking at the five incomplete finger marks now clearly visible on Yongyan's face, she felt a pang of unease. He was, after all, a prince of the Qing Dynasty; how could he endure such humiliation? Yet, wasn't his action an insult to her and Fukang'an? If word got out, how could Fukang'an save face in the capital!
She turned her face away, refusing to look at Yongyan, and said coldly, "Fifteenth Prince, please have some self-respect!"
Yongyan took the slap for nothing, but he wasn't angry. He said with a calm and gentle expression, "If you don't want anything to happen to the child in your womb, then behave yourself! Don't worry, this matter won't get out of the manor!"
As he spoke, he picked up Yan Ning and strode forward. He was much faster than Yan Ning had been earlier, but because Yan Ning was preoccupied with Zhu Xiang, she kept her head down and remained silent.
From afar, the Fifteenth Prince's wife, Yuexian, witnessed everything. She tore at the silk handkerchief in her hand, and as Yongyan approached, a dignified and virtuous smile appeared on her face. Like a calm pool of water outside the covered walkway, wisps of indistinct white mist rose under the sunlight.
She curtsied and said, "This humble servant greets Your Highness!"
Yongyan stopped and nodded slightly to Yuexian. Just as he was about to walk past her, Yuexian grabbed his arm.
She glanced at Yan Ning, who was being held in Yongyan's arms, and smiled brightly, "I noticed it's hot, so I brewed some plum juice and chilled it. I was just about to send it to the study for the Prince to cool off. Now that I see Lady Fucha is here too, and pregnant women crave sour things, why don't we have some together?"
Yan Ning's heart was entirely focused on Zhu Xiang, but now, seeing Yue Xian blocking their way, she couldn't help but glance at Yue Xian again. She had seen Yue Xian before when the Empress Dowager passed away and she entered the palace to mourn, but had never really looked at her closely. Hearing her eloquent speech and charming appearance, Yan Ning felt a pang of sadness. At such an age, she had been pampered by her parents, and yet she was already married. If she had married into an ordinary family, it would have been fine, but marrying into an imperial family meant she would inevitably have to endure loneliness in the courtyard and spend her life scheming and plotting. Moreover, her husband was the future Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
Yan Ning gazed at Yue Xian, who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen years old. While not possessing a beauty that could shame the flowers and eclipse the moon, she was certainly pretty. Her light blue cheongsam, adorned with numerous pearl hairpins and ornaments, accentuated her air of a princess consort.
Her eyebrows and eyes were long and slender, and her bright smile resembled two crescent moons with a touch of playfulness that came with her age.
Yongyan glanced at the hand that was holding his arm, his tone unreadable, "It's hot, and the Fujin is weak, so she shouldn't go around. I'll go see her when I'm done with my work!"
Yuexian's smile froze as Yongyan spoke indifferently. She released her grip, curtsied, and watched as Yongyan carried Yan Ning away.
Seeing Yuexian's increasingly pale face as she walked further and further away, Yan Ning felt a pang of pity. "Your Majesty's feelings for you are so subtle, can't you see it?"
Yongyan stopped and looked directly into Yan Ning's eyes. He asked with some emotion, "Then can't you see my feelings for you?"
Yan Ning dared not look Yong Yan directly in the eye, so she lowered her head even further against his chest.
Before the two even reached the woodshed, Eroli, accompanied by a servant, knelt on the ground at a distance, holding the limp Zhuxiang in his arms, to greet them.
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