"My Lord Husband, Jiang Gong Zi of the Jiang family has been sharing meals and sleeping with His Highness for ten days. His reputation is already ruined. His Highness did not bring up this matter, merely wishing to give you an opportunity. She dismissed her other consorts for you, and you should do something for her by taking Jiang Gong Zi into the estate to continue the royal lineage."
Qi Qianfan looked at the matchmaker in the hall, listening to his words, and felt a surge of blood.
That woman had been saying she was busy every day recently, returning very late at night, sometimes not coming home at all. He had always believed her, that she was busy as the Regent and had no time.
He never expected that she would get entangled with that man again.
While he was angry, he also felt sorrowful.
He knew her character well, yet he still involuntarily fell for her sweet talk, truly believing she had changed.
In just a few months, she had reverted to her old ways.
Qi Qianfan took several deep breaths, managing to suppress the turmoil within him, and said coldly, "Her Highness said at the time that all future marriages and concubine intakes for this estate would be decided by me. I will not allow anyone to enter the estate. If Jiang Gong Zi wishes to enter, it must be if Her Highness personally brings him in."
"You!" The matchmaker did not expect his attitude to be so resolute and immediately changed his expression. "It is the duty of a husband to continue the lineage for his wife. Yet, my Lord Husband, for your own selfish reasons, is preventing others from entering the estate. Such a jealous person will surely be tired of you by Her Highness one day."
"Insolent!"
Nangong Cai, who had been listening from outside for a while, could no longer hold back upon hearing this and strode in.
"Who gave you the right to speak so brazenly in front of my Lord Husband?"
Seeing her return, the matchmaker became somewhat flustered, but being eloquent, he immediately began to defend himself.
"Your Highness, I know I am mistaken. I am merely worried about the future of the estate having no heirs and worried for Your Highness. My Lord Husband is extremely jealous and unwilling to allow Your Highness to take concubines. Jealousy is one of the seven grounds for divorce. Your Highness should divorce my Lord Husband and remarry someone of perfect virtue."
Nangong Cai let out a scoff. "You are worried about the estate having no heirs? My estate having heirs or not, what concern is it of yours? There are plenty of people in this world without heirs. Since you like to meddle so much, do you also have to bear children for those who have none?"
No matter how thick-skinned the matchmaker was, he was still a man. Being spoken to like that, he was overcome with shame and anger.
"Furthermore, this person of perfect virtue you speak of, is he the grandson of the former Grand Tutor Jiang, Jiang Mu Yun, who blocked my carriage in the street, openly and brazenly in broad daylight, flirting and deliberately seducing me? Heh, such perfect virtue, it is truly rare to see."
The matchmaker's face turned ashen again.
As for Qi Qianfan, he was astonished by the attitude of the person before him.
He had witnessed how infatuated Nangong Cai was with that man.
She had even told him more than once that she would divorce him and marry Jiang Mu Yun as his consort. Yet now, in front of so many people, she was belittling him without reservation. Had something happened between them?
"Guards, escort this insolent and disrespectful wretch out."
Two guards immediately stepped forward, lifted the person on the ground, and dragged him out.
The man was probably genuinely scared, as he did not make a sound all the way.
Nangong Cai looked at the somewhat dazed person before her and lightly snapped her fingers in front of him. "Are you scared?"
"You don't need to take what he said to heart. His Highness and Jiang Mu Yun have absolutely no relationship. He ran to my carriage that day, and I imprisoned him for a few days under the charge of assassination. I did not see him once during that time. I swear to the heavens."
Qi Qianfan smiled, appearing unconcerned. "Whether Your Highness saw him or not is of no consequence to me."
"You don't believe me?"
He turned away and said nothing.
Nangong Cai turned his body towards her and said, "Lately, there have been too many scattered affairs. I was sometimes so busy in the palace that I lost track of time. The palace gates were locked, so I had to stay in the palace. I swear I have done nothing to betray you. If I break this oath, may lightning strike me."
"Enough." His tone was as calm as possible, though his heart burned like a raging fire. "How Your Highness conducts herself is not for this humble attendant to question."
"Didn't you just say you wouldn't let Jiang Mu Yun enter the estate?"
"I may not allow it, but Your Highness can still take him in. This humble attendant cannot control Your Highness."
Nangong Cai was filled with anger by his indifferent attitude.
She worried he would overthink things and had tried her best to be mindful of time. Even when busy, she would read memorials in the carriage, thinking of rushing back.
But there were times when she simply couldn't finish everything.
She wanted to try her best to make amends and improve their relationship, but the things she had done to him and the words she had spoken had made Qi Qianfan overly cautious. The slightest disturbance, and he would immediately retreat into his shell.
Thinking that the heart she had finally managed to open would close again because of Jiang Mu Yun, Nangong Cai was so angry she wanted to kill someone.
Clearly, he was arrested and imprisoned as an assassin, yet he claimed they ate and slept together, almost saying the Regent was fond of him and was about to marry him.
While angry, Nangong Cai's patience with Jiang Mu Yun reached its limit. After being reborn, revenge was no longer her top priority. What she wanted most was to make amends with the person before her.
Now, it seemed she couldn't delay either.
"His matter, I will handle it. If you are unhappy, I will stay out of your sight. After this is over, I will return to accompany you."
Qi Qianfan's heart ached, feeling as though it had plunged into a cold abyss.
Nangong Cai looked at his silence, sighed, and turned to leave.
Qi Qianfan watched her retreating figure, his eyes unblinking. After a long while, a clear tear slid down his cheek.
—
If Jiang Mu Yun spread rumors, Nangong Cai was even less hesitant.
Within a few days, the gossip outside had changed its tune. Previously, it was said they ate and slept together. Now, it was that Jiang Mu Yun had failed in his assassination attempt on the Regent, was captured, and to save himself, had abandoned his purity and consorted with the jailers in prison, which was why he was released.
"The pure and chaste Jiang Gong Zi willingly submitted himself to a lowly jailer." This was even more captivating than the previous rumors.
"The former number one young master of the capital, Jiang Mu Yun, sought after by noble ladies of famous families, failed his assassination attempt and, to save his life, consorted with jailers in prison, behaving despicably..." Sudancheng.com
"Jiang Mu Yun submitted to a jailer to save his life, willingly degenerating and becoming a mere concubine..."
"..."