With Yin Yuyao's confirmation, Chen Xiao, relying on her years of experience reading novels and the truth that novels are based on reality, deduced Ning Ci's situation. Just as she was about to tell her, Xi Xi beat her to it.
She then earnestly asked Yin Yuyao, "Does Ning Ci hold a special place in Ni Chengli's heart? Ni Chengli was constantly beaten and scolded when he was young, and Ning Ci, being the Empress's niece, would naturally be frequently in and out of the palace. Did Ning Ci do something while Ni Chengli was imprisoned in Fengxian Hall that made Ni Chengli feel something... like the so-called 'white moonlight' in novels?"
Yin Yuyao was surprised for a moment, then shook her head with a laugh.
Xi Xi rarely mustered the courage to guess, but was immediately discouraged by this denial. She was a little disappointed. How come the host guessed correctly, but she couldn't?
Seeing Xixi's adorable little face, Yin Yuyao laughed before speaking, "Xixi guessed right, it's just that cliché white moonlight trope from novels. You two are truly inseparable, both loyal novel lovers, right!"
Upon hearing this, Xi Xi immediately looked up, her eyes shining. She had actually guessed correctly, just like her host. She was so smart!
Yin Yuyao's emotions had been worn away by the years, but after meeting Chen Xiao and Xi Xi, she gradually became more flesh and blood, no longer as lifeless as before, and she gradually started to smile.
Even now, she couldn't help but laugh at Xixi's antics, and casually remarked, "Xixi is so cute. I wish you were the real S back then."
This casual remark, devoid of any negative emotions and filled only with simple感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection), left both Xixi and Chenxiao silent.
Yin Yuyao didn't take it to heart and continued telling them the story: "Ning Ci is a few years older than Ni Chengli. When Ni Chengli was first imprisoned in Fengxian Hall, Ning Ci happened to be in the palace. The Emperor and Empress actually felt a little sorry for Ni Chengli after treating him that way, but they didn't take back the punishment just to save face."
Chen Xiao: What a convenient excuse of saving face! So realistic...
"The Empress was worried about Ni Chengli, so she ordered Ning Ci to visit him at Fengxian Hall. Ning Ci was kind-hearted and had a good relationship with the Empress, so she obeyed the Empress's order and went to Fengxian Hall, where she met Ni Chengli. Out of kindness, she even brought Ni Chengli some food. Ni Chengli appeared indifferent, but in reality, he had already been captivated."
XiXi: Oh my god, I'm captivated! So classic...
"In Ni Chengli's world, this is the first time someone has been kind to him, and it is the so-called family member he hates the most. His feelings about this are very complicated, so on the surface he coldly accepted Ning Ci's kindness, but in his heart he cared more and felt more genuine towards Ning Ci."
“After that, every time he was imprisoned in Fengxian Hall, he would see Ning Ci, and his attitude towards Ning Ci became better and better. Until one day, Ning Ci said that he hoped to see him in another place. Even though he knew that this was the Empress’s order, he tried to ‘change’ and was no longer imprisoned in Fengxian Hall.”
"He and Ning Ci began to see each other on other occasions. He treated Ning Ci very well. The emperor and empress asked him if he had any feelings for Ning Ci, because he never treated anyone like that. He neither admitted nor denied it, but only said that he was not good enough for Ning Ci."
Chen Xiao and Xi Xi: ? ? ? The sun has risen in the west??
Seeing the obvious disbelief and doubt between the two, Yin Yuyao recalled the scenes of her time with Ning Ci and sighed, "Ni Chengli is not wrong to say that, because Ning Ci is just that good. He only realized his own shortcomings after discovering Ning Ci's goodness."
"I have lived for over a hundred years, and I have gradually forgotten many people from the past, but Ning Ci is the one I can never forget. She is a truly kind, good, and beautiful person, a woman with a very strong inner self, my best friend in this life, and my guide."
Ning Ci not only received high praise from Yin Yuyao, but also received special treatment from Ni Chengli, which made Chen Xiao and Xi Xi very curious. Why would this Imperial Concubine Shu be willing to stay in the inner palace?
But Yin Yuyao's next words cleared up their doubts: "Ni Chengli's feelings for Ning Ci are different, but whether there is love in that relationship is only known to the two of them. When Ning Ci came of age, she was bestowed the title of Princess Hehui, and the Empress personally chose a husband for her, marrying her in a grand ceremony to General Longxiang. General Longxiang was a subordinate of the Prince of Pingyang and was also the youngest general at the time."
Ning Ci's marriage was not happy, as General Long Xiang had homosexual tendencies, though he kept it a secret from the world. After Ning Ci married him, General Long Xiang did not show that he disliked women, and treated Ning Ci like an ordinary couple. Ning Ci soon became pregnant, and the emperor and empress were overjoyed, bestowing many gifts upon her.
The good times didn't last long. When Ning Ci was about to give birth, a man came to her door and told her all about General Long Xiang's affairs. Only then did Ning Ci learn the truth. She immediately aborted the child, returned to the capital, and told the Emperor and Empress the whole story. General Long Xiang was executed for deceiving the Emperor.
Ning Ci had only been married for a year, and her child was forcibly aborted just before birth, damaging her health and making it difficult for her to conceive again. Even though the Emperor and Empress kept it a secret, there were still those who dared to gossip about it behind her back. After Ni Chengli found out, those who had been gossiping about it disappeared without a trace, and soon no one in the public mentioned the matter anymore.
"So now you know why Ni Chengli is targeting Prince Pingyang so much. The distinction between ruler and subject is just a pretext. The real reason is because of how General Longxiang treated Ning Ci. In addition, General Longxiang was promoted by Prince Pingyang himself. He doesn't believe that Prince Pingyang is unaware of General Longxiang's homosexual tendencies. Due to his stubbornness, he has a bad impression of Prince Pingyang, and he also has a bad impression of Prince Pingyang's family."
...Chen Xiao clicked his tongue a few times, somewhat speechless, and said, "What does this have to do with Prince Pingyang? Just because Prince Pingyang is General Longxiang's nominal mentor? Rongchao doesn't tolerate homosexuality and the pleasure of mirror-grinding, so General Longxiang certainly wouldn't tell Prince Pingyang! He even dares to commit the crime of deceiving the emperor, so why wouldn't he dare to deceive his mentor? Ni Chengli's values must have been warped since childhood, right?"
Xi Xi commented succinctly and precisely, "This is the classic villainous ideology in novels."
Before transmigrating, Yin Yuyao had never read this type of novel, rarely went online, and had never met this kind of person, so she didn't really understand Ni Chengli's true thoughts.
If she were engrossed in novels, she would have seen through Ni Chengli's true nature at a glance when she transmigrated.
Unfortunately, she only gradually understood this later.
“It was rare for a woman in Rongchao to remarry. Even though Ning Ci was of noble birth, she did not remarry for the next five years. During this time, the Empress was constantly looking for a husband for Ning Ci, but either the Empress was not satisfied with the man, or the man was not satisfied with Ning Ci’s infertility. In short, Ning Ci’s marriage was delayed for five years. It wasn’t until Ni Chengli was fifteen years old that he asked the Empress for Ning Ci’s hand in marriage.”
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