"Speak, why are you hesitating?"
Wang Qiancheng shivered, his voice a hurried tremor as he completed his sentence, "It's Princess Huian and Duke Jin Nan of Nanyu, at Suihua Pavilion, Suihua Pavilion..."
"You say my imperial sister... how?"
The Seventh Prince, Yu Chengxuan, stood up, his eyes darkening as he fixed on Wang Qiancheng. Wang Qiancheng swallowed, his scalp prickling.
The three distinct auras locked onto him, creating a suffocating sensation, as if he were sinking into a swamp.
He swallowed again, still not daring to speak too plainly, "A few of you, if you go and take a look, you will know!"
"Your Highness."
Ji Fei glanced at Yu Chengxuan. Something was amiss.
Nan Shiying clapped her hands, brushing off crumbs of pastry from her fingertips, and slowly rose. She lowered her head and said to Ji Jinmo, "My lord, since we have nothing else to do, shall we go and enjoy the spectacle?"
Normally, Nan Shiying, as a married daughter of the Nan Manor, would have to consider the family's reputation. However, neither the people of Linyuan nor the servants of the Nan Manor found her schadenfreude unusual. Nan Shiying and the Nan Manor were already like fire and water.
But the people of Dali, especially the envoys who accompanied Yu Chengxuan on his mission to Linyuan, were not fully aware of the animosity between Nan Shiying and the Nan Manor. Seeing Nan Shiying reveling in the unfolding drama, they worried there might be an unforeseen plot at play that they could not anticipate.
"Seventh Prince, we..."
"Let's all go!"
Yu Chengxuan raised his hand, cutting off the other's words.
Upon hearing the name Jin Nan of Nanyu, Nan Chaoyin's heart jolted. His normally impassive face almost cracked, revealing a flicker of shock and anger.
How could it be Yu Jin? How could it be Yu Jin!
"Alright!"
Ji Jinmo readily accepted Nan Shiying's suggestion and stood up, taking her hand. Beneath his wide sleeves, their fingers intertwined. As they passed Nan Chaoyin, Nan Shiying suddenly stopped and turned her head, asking, "Prime Minister Nan, where is Suihua Pavilion in the Nan Manor?"
The people of Dali exchanged glances. Could it be that Nan Shiying was not the daughter of the Nan Manor? How could she not even know where a pavilion within her own residence was?
Ji Fei whispered to Yu Chengxuan, "Seventh Prince, the relationship between the Princess Consort and the Prime Minister seems rather tense!"
Yu Chengxuan unfurled his fan, a smile on his face. "After being treated like pigs and dogs, could you still be amiable with those who treated you that way?"
"This..."
Ji Fei opened his mouth. Who was treated like a pig or a dog? Was it Princess Consort Nan Shiying?
How did the Seventh Prince know about these matters?
"Go ask around at the taverns and teahouses. These are not secrets difficult to uncover. The Princess Consort's relationship with the Nan Manor has long been a topic of public gossip."
Yu Chengxuan seemed to be speaking to Ji Fei, but in reality, he was addressing the Dali envoys. He didn't want them to speculate wildly, wondering if he had already planted informants in Linyuan.
The Dali delegation suddenly understood. No wonder the Princess Consort had that attitude towards the Prime Minister.
"This old minister will lead the way!"
Nan Chaoyin, at this moment, only wanted to understand why things had changed. Where had Zhang Silang, whom he had arranged, gone? Had Yuan'er meddled in this matter involving Yu Jin, or had someone else manipulated things from the shadows? It couldn't be that Yu Jin had stumbled into this by himself.
Nan Shiying raised her head slightly and let out a cold snort from her nose, "Then please hurry, Prime Minister. Delay could lead to unforeseen changes!"
"My Lord, Princess Consort, Your Highness, please!"
As Nan Chaoyin spoke, he led the way outside.
Along the route, young masters and ladies from various manors, gathered in small groups, saw the procession led by Prime Minister Nan Chaoyin heading in a certain direction. They exchanged glances and followed suit.
By the time everyone arrived at Suihua Pavilion, the procession behind Nan Chaoyin had grown to dozens of people.
Nan Chaoyin stopped, looking at the vast crowd behind him, his expression somewhat displeased. "Everyone..."
"Why has Prime Minister Nan stopped? We still don't know what has happened. If Princess Huian has met with any misfortune within your manor, can you bear the responsibility? Get out of the way immediately!"
Nan Shiying berated Nan Chaoyin as if he were a grandchild. He, the dignified Prime Minister of a nation, was being publicly reprimanded. Nan Chaoyin's expression changed multiple times, but in the end, he endured it.
He gritted his teeth and threatened, "Linyuan values filial piety. It would be best for the Princess Consort to respect the rules left by our ancestors."
Nan Shiying burst into laughter. Her beautiful eyes fell upon Nan Chaoyin, sharp as knives. "Filial piety? I apologize, but I have been orphaned since childhood. Even if I wished to be filial, I am powerless to do so!"
"You..."
Nan Chaoyin's face finally changed color. Nan Shiying's words were a curse upon him! He was standing right in front of her, yet she claimed to be orphaned? Was she saying he was already dead? Ha, indeed, she was truly a bastard child with no parents!
Ji Jinmo waved his hand, and a surge of killing intent, like crashing waves, swept towards Nan Chaoyin. His hair, stirred by an unseen force, was sliced off in strands by invisible blades, falling onto Nan Chaoyin's shoulders before being swept away.
Nan Chaoyin stared at his severed hair, his pupils constricting in shock.
"Nan Chaoyin, if you dare to show disrespect to this Prince's Princess Consort again, the next thing to be severed will not be your hair!"
Nan Chaoyin did not doubt Ji Jinmo's words. What he feared was not Ji Jinmo's threat, but that he hadn't sensed Ji Jinmo's action at all when his hair was cut. If the severed hair hadn't floated down, he wouldn't have even known the other party had made a move. If Ji Jinmo's target had been his neck instead of his hair, he would likely have been beheaded by now! This was what made Nan Chaoyin tremble with fear.
"This Minister thanks His Highness for his leniency!"
...
Hearing the commotion outside, Liu Cheng and a few others rushed down.
Seeing the vast crowd outside, they couldn't help but swallow, their hearts tightening.
Nan Shiying tidied her sleeves and pulled Ji Jinmo towards Suihua Pavilion. Upon entering the pavilion, she glanced at Liu Cheng and the others standing by the side, their hands hanging down like well-behaved babies, and asked with a smile, "Where is the Princess?"
Liu Cheng pointed upstairs, his voice trembling slightly, "Up... upstairs, in the private room!"
Upon hearing this, those who had followed, unaware of what had happened, had a change in their expressions. A private room? The Dali Princess in a private room? Could it be... At this moment, everyone had their own thoughts.
"Is that so!"
Nan Shiying drew out her words and walked towards the second floor, where she saw Nan Yuan'er guarding the entrance.
"My Lord, Princess Consort, this humble daughter..."
Nan Shiying had no time to listen to Nan Yuan'er's nonsense. She yanked her aside, and Nan Yuan'er was once again pulled to the ground. Nan Shiying did not even glance at Nan Yuan'er and pushed the door open to enter.