Prince Chen, Baili Chen, was the most favored son of Emperor Mingxian of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Given his personality and the fact that he wasn't well-liked by the ministers, he shouldn't have been qualified to contend for the throne. However, this was in the past. Now, he was married to Ouyang Yue, and behind him was the powerful Princess Shuangxia, who held a pivotal position in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even Emperor Mingxian had to give face to this imperial aunt, having personally secured a princess title for Ouyang Yue. And that wasn't all. Ouyang Yue also had the Xuanyuan Army as her backing, and Ouyang Zhide's favoritism towards her was well-known. These two renowned generals of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with a combined military force of half the army, meant that if Baili Chen wanted, he could very well command them. Wouldn't this significantly increase his chances of seizing the throne?
Baili Chen hasn't shown any intention to vie for the throne yet, but he has too many favorable conditions. Anyone would have such ambitions if they didn't have them, but Baili Chen was born into the royal family, so he really doesn't have any such thoughts. The possibility of this happening is constantly decreasing.
At this time, Jiang Xuan once again showed great interest in Di Baili Chen. Coincidentally, she arrived in Da Zhou at this time and, without seeking out anyone else, focused solely on causing trouble for Ouyang Yue, almost affecting Ouyang Yue's position as the principal wife. Despite her crushing defeat in the competition, Jiang Xuan did not feel ashamed and resentful as most people would. Instead, she frequently visited the Chen Prince's residence. Although the rumors circulated that she always went to see Ouyang Yue, few people did not understand the saying "being near the water tower, one gets the moon first." Although going to the Chen Prince's residence was only to see Ouyang Yue, the Chen Prince was said to dote on his Princess Consort, which increased the chances of them meeting. Who could not understand Jiang Xuan's true intentions?
If Baili Chen becomes emperor in the future, even if Jiang Xuan's marriage to him cannot dethrone Ouyang Yue from becoming empress, the high rank of Consort or Imperial Noble Consort would be sufficient. Moreover, Jiang Xuan marrying Baili Chen would be a win-win situation. Although Jiang Qi is the eldest son, it cannot be said that he will be the final winner in the struggle. The other princes are also very outstanding and of noble birth. No one can guarantee anything before the outcome is settled. But a marriage between Baili Chen and Jiang Xuan would be very different. Not only would Baili Chen have a 50% chance of seizing the throne, but Jiang Qi would also receive a great boost. The best win-win situation would be for both of them to ascend the throne, which would also make the relations between the great powers even closer, which is very likely to happen.
So the news spread, and Jiang Xuan, as a princess of a country, actually went in and out of the Prince Chen's mansion many times in order to marry Baili Chen. Even if their relationship was completely innocent and there was a Princess Chen in between, Jiang Xuan, as the female lead, was still at a great disadvantage. Such behavior was also detrimental to her reputation and damaged the reputation of a princess of a country. Even if Baili Chen was unwilling, as long as the Daqian Kingdom put pressure on him, Princess Jiang Xuan would probably be determined to marry him.
Inside the Prince Chen's residence, Baili Chen coldly looked at Jiang Xuan: "I don't care what your purpose is, from now on, don't come to the Prince Chen's residence again, and don't approach me or the Princess. Leave now."
Jiang Xuan sat in the chair with a smile, looking up at Baili Chen with a cold gaze: "Prince Chen has quite a temper. It's just some baseless rumors, why are you so anxious? I don't even care. It makes it seem like Prince Chen has no sense of responsibility. Isn't that right, Princess Chen?"
In the hall, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue were sitting in the seats of honor, while Jiang Xuan sat to the lower left and Leng Caiwen to the lower right. Jiang Xuan was being stared at from three sides, but she had a faint smile on her face, which was very natural and showed no fear whatsoever.
Ouyang Yue looked at Jiang Xuan with deep eyes, but her expression remained indifferent: "Princess Jiang Xuan deliberately entered and left the Prince Chen's residence these days to give outsiders this opportunity to speculate. I wonder what her intentions are, or whether the rumors outside are mostly true."
Jiang Xuan smiled at Ouyang Yue, her charming eyes seemingly carrying a hint of seduction: "Princess Consort Chen, do you lack confidence in yourself? Well, you are pregnant now, and at this time a person's body begins to change shape, and you are not as beautiful as before. Moreover, you have kept Prince Chen confined for so long, no man could stand it. It is only natural that Princess Consort Chen would feel a sense of crisis with my appearance."
Ouyang Yue gave an "Oh," her expression remaining calm despite Jiang Xuan's provocation, showing no sign of being swayed. This surprised Jiang Xuan. After observing the Chen Prince's residence for so many days, she knew that the Prince and Princess were truly in love, their affection for each other leaving no room for anyone else. Given this, why would Ouyang Yue say such a thing? Was she truly confident in herself, or was what Jiang Xuan had seen all this time just an act, and that Ouyang Yue didn't love Baili Chen that much? This thought only flashed through Jiang Xuan's mind before her smile became even more alluring and passionate.
Ouyang Yue simply smiled at Jiang Xuan: "Princess Jiang Xuan, why don't you reveal your true purpose? It's really meaningless to speak in riddles like this with everyone here."
Jiang Xuan narrowed her eyes and said, "What outsiders say may not be untrue. Although I have no interest in Prince Chen, if it is for the sake of helping my brother, it would be a win-win situation for me to marry Prince Chen. My reputation is damaged now. If I were to ask Emperor Mingxian for my hand in marriage, do you think Emperor Mingxian would agree?"
"You dare!" Baili Chen roared, slamming his fist on the table. His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he stared at Jiang Xuan, his gaze like an icy sword piercing her entire body. Jiang Xuan instinctively flinched, but the next moment her face turned ugly. She was actually scared. What kind of princess was she? Was she easily frightened? She sneered, "Is Prince Chen threatening me? Let me tell you, I'm not easily frightened. Prince Chen and Princess Chen, have you thought it through? No one can stop me from doing what I want."
Ouyang Yue suddenly said, "Princess Jiang Xuan, you can say what your request is."
Jiang Xuan smiled and said, "Princess Consort Chen is indeed clever. Yes, I have a request. If you can agree to it, I will not say it. After all, it is my duty to think of my brother. However, I am not very interested in Prince Chen. If I had a choice, I would not marry him."
"Then please speak," Baili Chen said with a cold snort.
Jiang Xuan turned to look at Leng Caiwen: "This matter is of great importance. Are the other people suitable to stay here?"
Ouyang Yue said directly, "There are no outsiders here, so Princess Jiang Xuan, please speak freely."
Jiang Xuan hesitated for a moment, but after thinking about it, she said, "Then this princess will not beat around the bush. This princess wants to ask, did the mother of the Prince Chen, Leng Yuyan, leave any words or objects behind when she died?"
Ouyang Yue was taken aback. She hadn't expected Jiang Xuan to ask this question. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Princess Jiang Xuan, why do you ask this? But I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. My mother's death was quite tragic. She didn't want to return to the Leng residence and was taken back to the General's Mansion by my father, where she gave birth to me. At that time, I was too young and naive to know anything, so I had no idea what my mother had said. When my father told me the truth, he recounted the whole story without mentioning my mother's strange message. He only hoped to protect me as I grew up. Princess Jiang Xuan, have you perhaps met my mother?"
Jiang Xuan was about the same age as Ouyang Yue, so how could they have met? Jiang Xuan's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't believe that what Ouyang Yue said was the whole truth. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Actually, it's like this. Back then, when Aunt Leng was living on the border, some members of my mother's clan left Da Gan to do business, but they were robbed and killed en route. Aunt Leng happened to be traveling with her own guards, so she saved them. At that time, to express their gratitude, my mother's clan gave Aunt Leng a family heirloom jade pendant, saying that as long as she had this jade pendant, she could ask her clan to do something for her. Of course, they wouldn't agree to anything that went against the interests of Da Gan. Later, this matter was reported back to my mother's clan. Although my mother's clan are all people of great loyalty and righteousness, this sentiment is worthy of..." Praise is due, but to casually give away the family jade pendant is truly... At that time, they sent people to find Aunt Leng, hoping to quickly change their request and retrieve the pendant. However, Aunt Leng had disappeared by then. The maternal clan searched many places, thinking the family jade pendant was lost forever. Then they heard about Princess Chen's background. So, although I came on this mission with my brother, my true purpose is for that ancestral jade pendant. Aunt Leng's maternal love was great; she died, and the jade pendant must have been passed down to you. As long as Princess Chen can return it to its rightful owner, and as long as it doesn't harm the interests of the Great Qian Dynasty, I will do my best to help Princess Chen.”
Ouyang Yue listened intently, while Jiang Xuan stared at her intently, afraid of misreading any expression on her face. But Ouyang Yue listened attentively from beginning to end, her expression remaining unchanged. Only after Jiang Xuan finished speaking did Ouyang Yue reveal a hint of regret: "This is truly a wonderful opportunity to get the princess, empress, and even her maternal clan of the Great Gan Kingdom to grant me a request. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately, I was young at the time, and because of my longing, I asked my father more than ten times, but I never heard of any jade pendant. Since Princess Jiang Xuan has been searching for her mother's whereabouts, she must have heard of it. When my mother returned to the Great Zhou, she was robbed and killed on the road. If my father hadn't rescued her, she would have died long ago and wouldn't have given birth to me. Perhaps my mother truly possessed this jade pendant, but whether it was stolen or lost during her escape is unknown, though this is the most likely possibility."
She looked at Jiang Xuan with some hesitation, and finally sighed deeply. There were very few opportunities to control Jiang Xuan like this. Ouyang Yue shook her head and murmured, "If only I had this opportunity, I would definitely make Princess Jiang Xuan leave Da Zhou as soon as possible. You are already giving me a lot of headaches."
The troubles of the Prince Chen's mansion will certainly not be less because of Jiang Xuan. It is reasonable for Ouyang Yue to think this way. If there is really such an opportunity, and it is to exchange it with Jiang Xuan's ancestral jade pendant, why not do it?
Looking at Ouyang Yue's expression, Jiang Xuan was truly undecided. It seemed Ouyang Yue genuinely hadn't seen the jade pendant before, but she still asked, unwilling to give up, "Princess Consort Chen, you really haven't seen it? That jade is entirely emerald green, carved with a lifelike garden scene. The pendant isn't large, about a quarter the size of a palm, but the craftsmanship is extremely exquisite. The entire garden scene is perfectly integrated, yet it's so vibrant and lifelike. Even the nodding of the flowers, as if about to take flight, is incredibly detailed. Once you see it, you'll never forget it. Princess Consort Chen, you really haven't seen it?" Her eyes sharpened even more, her dark pupils holding an unparalleled intimidating gaze as she looked at Ouyang Yue. Anyone with a guilty conscience would find it impossible to escape that gaze; they would inevitably feel a hint of panic.
However, Ouyang Yue was deep in thought, her brows furrowed tightly. Finally, she rubbed her forehead and said, "I would never forget this kind of jade pendant after seeing it once, but I have searched my memory and I really have no recollection of it. Princess Jiang Xuan, can you be sure that even if this jade pendant was originally in my mother's possession, she was still wearing it when she returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
Jiang Xuan was taken aback, but her expression turned sour: "Just as Princess Chen said, the family heirloom jade pendant of my mother's clan is truly like finding a needle in a haystack, extremely difficult to locate."
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "To be honest, Princess Jiang Xuan's promise to me is indeed very tempting. How about this: when Mother returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty, she did not go back to the Leng residence, so it's unlikely that the Leng residence would know. However, she is living in the General's Mansion. Father has not yet returned to the border, and Princess Jiang Xuan's arrival is quite timely. Why don't I accompany Princess Jiang Xuan around for a while and ask Father if he has any clues? If we can really find the jade pendant, I will definitely ask for this favor."
Jiang Xuan's eyes flashed: "If that's the case, then that would be wonderful. However, I must first apologize to Prince Chen and Princess Chen. I acted too impulsively these past few days because of this jade pendant. This family heirloom is extremely important in any family. It represents the inheritance and prosperity of a household. Seeing how hard my mother has worked for this, I naturally wanted to do my part. I have no intention of offending you these past few days, so please don't take offense."
Ouyang Yue smiled warmly: "Princess Jiang Xuan, what are you saying? Princess Jiang Xuan's filial piety is worthy of the world's admiration. If the family heirloom really was brought back by Mother, she would definitely return it, given her personality, unless she is not by her side. If you can find it for Princess Jiang Xuan, Mother might be happy. Princess Jiang Xuan, please don't be polite."
"Then this princess will not stand on ceremony. How about I go to Prince Chen's residence again tomorrow to accompany Princess Chen to the General's residence?" Jiang Xuan's smile held a hint of negotiation.
“Alright, no problem! Princess Jiang Xuan, you may come directly tomorrow.” Ouyang Yue smiled sincerely, and a hint of joy flashed in Jiang Xuan’s eyes. She then took her leave.
Baili Chen snorted coldly: "This is ridiculous. You must be tired after sitting with her for so long. Go back and rest for a while." He then looked at Leng Caiwen, only to find him seemingly lost in thought. "Caiwen, are you feeling unwell? Go back and rest for a while too."
"Ah, oh, okay!" Leng Caiwen paused for a moment, then looked up, her eyes regaining their composure. She nodded, turned, and left.
Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue didn't pay any attention and went straight into the inner hall. However, once inside, their pace quickened considerably. Back in the bedroom, Chuncao and Dongxue made up the beds for the two of them. After helping Ouyang Yue to bed to rest, they went out to keep watch so as not to disturb her. Chuncao also gathered some maids to give them some pointers and guidance, while Dongxue and Leng Sha kept watch for safety.
Back in bed, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue leaned against the headboard, but neither spoke for a while. After some time, Ouyang Yue let out a long sigh and asked, "Husband, do you believe Jiang Xuan's words?"
Baili Chen sneered: "I don't believe a single word she says."
Ouyang Yue's expression darkened slightly: "Yes, everything she said was a lie."
Baili Chen was taken aback: "How does my wife know she's lying?" Although Baili Chen didn't believe it either, how could the Empress's maternal clan be rescued by Leng Yuyan when they went on a business trip? Of course, her maternal clan would not reveal their true identities when they traveled, and perhaps they didn't reveal the relationship between the Great Gan and the Great Zhou. But were her maternal clan stupid? Wouldn't they be afraid of being discovered and gossiped about if they handed over their family heirloom to Leng Yuyan? This idea seemed unreasonable, but Baili Chen's experiences over the years had made him realize that there are many inexplicable coincidences in the world, yet they are still discovered. This possibility is not nonexistent, just very low, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
He didn't believe it was true simply because he disliked Jiang Xuan. Who knew what Jiang Xuan's purpose was in saying it? But since Ouyang Yue said it so confidently, she must know the truth.
Ouyang Yue tapped and knocked a few times on the bedside table in the corner, and a small dent appeared. It was a hidden compartment, which Baili Chen had told her about before. Ouyang Yue took out a small box, carefully opened it, and then took out a translucent emerald green jade pendant and handed it to Baili Chen: "Husband, take a look."
Baili Chen was stunned as soon as he held it in his hand: "Isn't this the jade pendant that Jiang Xuan mentioned? It's exactly the same!"
Ouyang Yue nodded: "Yes, she is right, but this jade pendant is not a family heirloom of the Empress's maternal family. It is a family heirloom of the Xuanyuan family. The Xuanyuan family has two treasures: one is the tiger tally, which is kept by men, and the other is the jade pendant, which is kept by women. This jade pendant was handed to me by my grandmother. Moreover, my grandmother once said that this jade pendant is related to a great secret and must not be known to outsiders, otherwise it will cause a great uproar. When I took it back, I hid it out of caution. After a long time, I forgot about it. I didn't expect Jiang Xuan to remind me."
Baili Chen's expression turned serious: "I have great faith in my great-aunt's character, and since this is the heirloom of the Xuanyuan family, Jiang Xuan is just talking nonsense. But how did she know about this jade pendant yesterday? How did she know that this jade pendant was on my mother, but she didn't know that it was the Xuanyuan family's jade pendant? And why is she so eager to get this jade pendant? What is that big secret?"
Ouyang Yue squinted: "Grandmother didn't say, perhaps because she didn't know, or perhaps because she didn't want to tell us and it would be dangerous. But it's obvious that Jiang Xuan might know something. Even if she doesn't, we should cooperate with her to dispel this doubt. Maybe we can resolve our doubts through this."
Bai Lichen frowned slightly: "This matter is fraught with danger at every turn. You must be careful at all times. Have Dongxue accompany you tomorrow. I will send two more maids from the Killing Alliance."
Ouyang Yue nodded, but a strange feeling swept through her heart. The white jade bracelet on her wrist clearly moved slightly. If it was just an accident once, it would be the second time. When the jade pendant and the white jade bracelet were close together, she felt a connection between them. Why was that? What was the connection between the two objects?
Bai Lichen said this is the Bai family's heirloom!
The next day, Jiang Xuan arrived as promised, and at the perfect time. Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen had just finished breakfast when she stepped in, which showed how eager she was to get things done. She probably hadn't even had breakfast herself. Ouyang Yue greeted her with a smile, but a dark undercurrent was swirling in her eyes...
Jiang Xuan, I hope you can clear up the doubts in my heart! She always felt that her mother had a huge secret, a secret that would drive the world crazy!
☆、230, playing around like crazy!
According to Ouyang Yue's analysis, if her mother had any secrets, they must have come after she secretly married, because the Xuanyuan family's heirloom could only be known to her mother from her father at that time. She would never have had that opportunity to know while she was in the Leng family.
When Jiang Xuan questioned Ouyang Yue about the Leng residence, Ouyang Yue deliberately ignored it, and Jiang Xuan made no comment. This was enough to show that Jiang Xuan agreed with the assessment. Ouyang Yue secretly thought that Jiang Xuan probably knew more than just this; at least, even if she didn't know, the person behind her should know some details. However, because this matter was extremely confidential, given the importance her grandmother placed on the jade pendant, Ouyang Yue didn't think this information would be easily leaked. Whether her grandmother truly didn't know or pretended not to, the possibility of this information leaking was low. But how did Jiang Xuan or the person behind her know? This was something Ouyang Yue needed to find out.
Ouyang Yue, along with Dongxue and two other newly transferred maids who knew martial arts, followed Jiang Xuan to the General's Mansion. In the carriage, there were Ouyang Yue, Jiang Xuan, and their closest maids, a total of four people.
As soon as she got into the carriage, Ouyang Yue lowered her head slightly, her face showing a hint of weariness, seemingly drowsy. She slightly opened her mouth, her delicate white hand reaching out to cover it, and let out a long yawn, even managing to shed a few tears, demonstrating her exhaustion. This made Jiang Xuan, who had been wanting to say something, swallow her words in the end. As they neared the General's Mansion, Jiang Xuan saw Ouyang Yue's head begin to nod slowly. Dongxue quickly took a cloak and draped it over her. Ouyang Yue leaned against her shoulder, about to fall asleep. Jiang Xuan finally couldn't sit still any longer; if Ouyang Yue fell asleep, it might delay her plans. She was about to speak when she saw Dongxue raise her head.
Dongxue, who was always indifferent to people, was even more expressionless now. She said, "Princess Jiangxuan, please forgive me. Since the Princess Consort became pregnant, she has been very sleepy. Sometimes she sleeps for half a day. When we wake her up, she will have a headache and feel nauseous. Therefore, the Prince once ordered that anyone who disturbs the Princess Consort while she is sleeping will be severely punished. Of course, this is impossible for Princess Jiangxuan."
Jiang Xuan opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent. Yes, such a thing was naturally impossible for her; Baili Chen couldn't possibly do anything to her. However, if her actions truly affected Ouyang Yue's health, she wouldn't be able to find the Chen Prince's residence again if anything happened next. This matter was of utmost importance; her father had repeatedly instructed her to accomplish it before leaving the country. Although Jiang Xuan was a princess of Da Gan, she understood that a princess must also contribute to the country. No matter how many princesses in Da Gan were nearly as beautiful as her and quite talented, why was she considered the most beautiful? She was determined to fulfill this duty for her father, so that she might have a chance to influence her own marriage in the future.
Gritting her teeth, Jiang Xuan closed her eyes and waited.
After a while, the carriage arrived outside the General's Mansion. Those inside, knowing Princess Jiang Xuan and Ouyang Yue were coming, were already waiting. However, after a short while, they noticed the carriage hadn't moved, which was rather strange. Ouyang Zhide and Liu Shi glanced at each other but decided to do nothing and wait quietly. After all, when the invitations arrived, they had been quite surprised that Princess Jiang Xuan and Ouyang Yue had come together to pay their respects. How had the two become so close? In their view, Ouyang Yue was currently quite annoyed by Princess Jiang Xuan, yet they were now behaving so intimately; there might be something going on. Therefore, the two chose to observe and wait. The Ouyang Yue they knew was not one to suffer losses.
Inside the carriage, Jiang Xuan's expression darkened. Ouyang Yue's head was still drooping, resting on Dong Xue's shoulder, her breathing long and even; she had fallen asleep. Jiang Xuan tried several times to call for help, but Dong Xue stopped her. Dong Xue was a servant of the Prince Chen's residence and Ouyang Yue's closest confidante. Jiang Xuan's status was far higher, but unfortunately, she needed Dong Xue's help. If Jiang Xuan dared to show any disrespect to Dong Xue, she could forget about getting Ouyang Yue's favor. Dong Xue didn't want to disturb Ouyang Yue. In her words, if they did, all the servants who had come with her today would suffer. If the prince severely punished them or even put them to death, it would be something they couldn't bear. Even Princess Jiang Xuan didn't have the right to kill them outright, but the Prince Chen did. Everyone present understood whose opinion should be followed.
Dongxue was worried that Ouyang Zhide and Liu might get cold if they waited too long, so she sent someone to inform them that the princess was asleep and that they should go back to their room and wait until the princess woke up. Ouyang Zhide and Liu exchanged a glance and obediently went inside. Jiang Xuan, on the other hand, had a gloomy face and glared angrily at Ouyang Yue.
Jiang Xuan's carriage was naturally quite luxurious. Even in the Great Zhou Dynasty, her carriage was far superior to those of ordinary noble families, and it certainly didn't look cheap. The carriage was very spacious; it could easily seat eight or ten people. Now that four were sitting inside, Ouyang Yue could sleep however she wanted. Since the carriage had already stopped, Dongxue carefully placed her on the chair, which was covered with a blanket. She stood guard beside her to prevent Ouyang Yue from falling off while sleeping. There was a charcoal stove in the carriage, and plenty of tea and fruit were prepared, not much different from what she had in the mansion, except that the chair was much smaller than a bed. So Ouyang Yue slept very soundly, which made Jiang Xuan's face gradually change with anxiety.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, seeing that Ouyang Yue still showed no signs of waking up, Jiang Xuan finally couldn't help but say, "When is Princess Chen going to wake up? It's getting late. Let's get her up. We have important matters to attend to today."
Dongxue, seeing Ouyang Yue sleeping soundly, calmly looked at Jiang Xuan and said, "Princess, once the Princess Consort was woken up during her sleep by some trivial matters in the mansion. She then fell into a deep sleep for a whole day. During those days, her morning sickness was particularly severe, and even the imperial physicians couldn't help her. She couldn't sleep all night, and her deep sleep only made things worse. At that time, the Prince had them hanged and decreed that anyone who dared to wake the Princess Consort at that time would have to answer to him with their heads. Princess, you are the eldest princess of the Great Khan, and the Prince can't interfere with you, but the three of us servants would not be able to live in peace. For the sake of our lives, unless Princess Jiang Xuan kills us first, we will never allow such a thing to happen." As she spoke, Dongxue knelt before Jiang Xuan, appearing to be a righteous and chivalrous person. Jiang Xuan could only swallow her words. To overstep her bounds and kill the servants of the Chen Prince's mansion for a family bracelet would damage her reputation, and the matter would spread, causing even more trouble. She absolutely could not do that.
“We can’t just keep waiting like this indefinitely. What if Princess Chen falls into a deep sleep and never wakes up?” Jiang Xuan couldn’t help but say.
Dongxue's expression darkened slightly: "The princess is a lucky person, how could she fall asleep and never wake up? Princess Jiangxuan is overthinking it."
Jiang Xuan then realized she had gone too far, gritted her teeth, gave a soft hum, and said nothing more.
However, to everyone's surprise, Ouyang Yue hadn't woken up even after an hour. Jiang Xuan was so anxious that her face turned ashen, but she was repeatedly rejected by Dong Xue. As proud as she was, how could she tolerate it? She waved her hand in a huff and sent the carriage back home. Of course, Jiang Xuan wasn't too angry yet. She first sent Ouyang Yue back to the Chen Prince's Mansion. After Baili Chen and his men helped Ouyang Yue back to the mansion, she returned to the post station in a huff.
The first day ended in failure.
the next day……
The third day...
The fourth day was the same. Every time, Ouyang Yue was either asleep or had some other reason for not being able to accompany Jiang Xuan. Even when they arrived at the General's Mansion, the two of them could not enter. Jiang Xuan always thought that Ouyang Yue simply did not want to take her there. Then she found two nannies who were very experienced in pregnancy and childbirth to accompany her. They found that Ouyang Yue was indeed just sleepy. Now even Jiang Xuan could not do anything about how to deal with her.
Every day when Jiang Xuan returned to the post station, she was furious and her face turned ashen. Every time she returned empty-handed, which made Jiang Qi a little anxious: "Royal sister, what's going on? So many days have passed and there's still no news. This is really wasting our time."
"Who says otherwise? It's just that Ouyang Yue is pregnant and always has problems. What can I do about it?" Jiang Xuan said resentfully.
Jiang Qi frowned and asked, "Can you be sure that Ouyang Yue really had something to do?"
“I didn’t believe it at first either, but after having someone examine her, it’s clear that Ouyang Yue is weak and suffered serious injuries at the General’s Mansion, so her symptoms are more severe than those of a typical pregnant woman. Baili Chen was worried about her and always stayed at the Prince Chen’s Mansion to take care of her, even skipping the morning court sessions whenever possible. I heard that Ouyang Yue always stays in her room, only engaging in a couple of rounds of casual conversation with Leng Caiwen and not doing much else. It’s questionable whether she can even give birth smoothly. Perhaps she really does have the intention, but she does have some issues herself,” Jiang Xuan snorted.
Jiang Qi's eyes narrowed: "This matter should be handled sooner rather than later. If something is discovered, it will be very disadvantageous for us. No matter what, you must go to the General's Mansion tomorrow and find out the truth."
Jiang Xuan snorted lightly: "If you ask me, the General's Mansion doesn't know anything either. If this jade pendant is really that important, then Leng Yuyan was clearly using Ouyang Zhide back then. Why would she hand this over to him?"
Jiang Qi shook his head and said, "It's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't. We are determined to get this thing."
Jiang Xuan paused for a moment: "Elder brother, what exactly is this jade pendant related to? I've wanted to ask you this for a long time. I hope you can tell me. Once my curiosity is piqued, I can't sleep until I find out."
Jiang Qi pursed his lips, reluctant to explain, but seeing that Jiang Xuan was already clutching her handkerchief as if nothing had happened, he knew that his younger sister was very clever. If she wanted to use this to manipulate him, he couldn't do anything about it. Besides, at least they were of one mind, so he said, "I don't know much about this matter. Father was only vague at the time. When I asked him for more details, he stopped talking. I can only say that this jade pendant is related to the rise and fall of a country. I don't know the specifics."
"The rise and fall of a nation?!" Jiang Xuan was stunned, and finally couldn't help but scoff: "Father is really too superstitious. How can a small jade pendant play a crucial role in determining the fate of the nation? It's just wishful thinking. Our Great Gan is prosperous, Father is benevolent and wise, and the people are also very strong. According to this logic, wouldn't the Great Zhou, or even a small country like Miao Jiang Hei Chi, also be able to turn the tide if they obtained this jade pendant? How is that possible? They are far inferior to Great Gan."
Jiang Qi, however, said with unusual seriousness, "Royal Sister, it's better to believe in something than nothing. Anything that affects our grand plan for the next century must be eliminated. We must be able to deal with this." Seeing that Jiang Xuan still seemed unconvinced, Jiang Qi continued, "Royal Sister may not believe it, but have you considered why the Miao Jiang Holy King suddenly appeared in the Great Zhou? This Miao Jiang Holy King has always been very mysterious. Even the Miao Jiang Kings have only met him a limited number of times in their lives. Some Miao Jiang Kings never even saw the Miao Jiang Holy King from the time they landed until their abdication and death. And when the Miao Jiang Holy King appears, he always appears unpredictable and mysterious." He appeared remarkably young, leading some to wonder if the Miao King possessed some secret art or elixir of immortality, granting them eternal life. There's no evidence to support this claim. Why would someone like him care so much about the competition for the most beautiful woman on the Langya Continent? Was he just bored? That might be a plausible reason, but it's rather weak. Even if he was just bored last time, why did he bring a whole group this time? It's incredibly audacious, and clearly aimed at the Great Zhou Dynasty. I can't help but suspect that he actually knows the origin of this jade pendant, and his goal this time is to seize it from us.”
Jiang Xuan's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and her previous indifferent look vanished. Regardless of how much she believed the jade pendant could change the fate of a nation, according to Jiang Qi, since the Miao King also cared so much, she had to handle this matter properly beforehand, leaving no room for error. Even if it was just superstition, the jade pendant couldn't be obtained by anyone other than them.
“Brother, I understand. You can rest assured that I will definitely get this jade pendant. Tomorrow, I will force Ouyang Yue to go to the General’s Mansion to find out the truth.”
The next day, Jiang Xuan arrived as promised. Ouyang Yue was already waiting at the door, with Baili Chen beside her, his face dark. He kept pulling at Ouyang Yue's fox fur coat, wanting her to wear as many warm clothes as possible before he was satisfied. Seeing Jiang Xuan get off the carriage, Baili Chen's face darkened even more, clearly showing resentment. Indeed, his wife had been dragged around and tormented by this woman for five days, and the matter wasn't even finished. This woman was truly something else.
Seeing Baili Chen's expression, Jiang Xuan was also frustrated. If she could, she wouldn't want to go through all this trouble. It was all because Ouyang Yue had been delayed by various matters for the past four days; what could she do? Jiang Xuan walked over with a somber face. Ouyang Yue yawned, but smiled brightly and said, "Princess Jiang Xuan, I'm truly sorry. I originally intended to help you, but unfortunately, my health is currently such that unexpected things keep happening, which has delayed your important business. I feel guilty, but you can rest assured, I will definitely accompany you to the end today."
Jiang Xuan's eyes widened, but she swallowed back all the words she wanted to say. Ouyang Yue was pregnant, yet she still accompanied her every day. Even if things didn't go smoothly, she had no reason to blame her; otherwise, what kind of behavior would that be? Besides, Ouyang Yue shouldn't have done anything. Even if she said it was a family heirloom of the Empress's maternal clan, it was their own people who gave it away in the first place. Leng Yuyan simply didn't want to return it, and there was nothing they could do about it, especially since Leng Yuyan was dead. Ouyang Yue was already doing her best to help find it, but she still felt incredibly aggrieved. She had spent four days running around in vain, accomplishing nothing, yet she couldn't even utter a word of complaint. When had she, a dignified princess of the Great Gan Dynasty, ever suffered such humiliation? How hateful!
But she had nowhere to vent her grievances, so she had to keep them bottled up inside, which was so painful!
"You need to take care of your health. Doing things for others is better than doing things for yourself. I really don't know how you can be so foolish." Baili Chen said to Ouyang Yue with a hint of reproach. He was speaking to Ouyang Yue, but his eyes were full of reproach as he looked at Jiang Xuan. The latter's lips twitched under his gaze, but she had no choice but to say, "Please rest assured, Prince Chen, this princess will definitely protect the safety of Princess Chen."
Baili Chen snorted coldly and helped Ouyang Yue into the carriage. Jiang Xuan, the dignified princess of Da Gan, was ignored. She gritted her teeth and angrily got into the carriage, not bothering to be polite with Baili Chen at all.
Inside the carriage, as soon as Jiang Xuan boarded, Ouyang Yue took out a purse, opened it, and sniffed at what was inside. This startled Jiang Xuan: "Princess Consort Chen, what is this?"
Dongxue, her face somewhat grim, said, "When the Princess Consort returned to the manor these past four days and regained her senses, she realized that her oversleeping had delayed Princess Jiang Xuan's affairs, and she felt extremely guilty. So she tried everything she could, and finally came up with the idea of putting a bunch of mint leaves in this purse to refresh herself. Our Princess Consort is too kind-hearted. It wasn't even her own business, yet she took it so seriously, neglecting her own health. No wonder the Prince is so dissatisfied. Princess Jiang Xuan has no idea, but yesterday the Prince and Princess Consort even had a big argument because of this. It was a fierce argument, and our Princess Consort was so aggrieved that she kept wiping away tears. Even I, watching from the side, felt so wronged. Tell me, what did our Princess Consort do to deserve this? She is so innocent!"
Dongxue is usually as talkative as Chuncao, but both maids are clever. When they really want to target someone, they become even more adept at using Ouyang Yue's skill of insulting without using vulgar language. Look at how Jiang Xuan's face turned red and she looked embarrassed, which shows the effect of Dongxue's sarcasm.
Helping her with this matter—regardless of whether Jiang Xuan truly felt guilty towards Ouyang Yue—was at least unjustifiable. If it were to affect Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's relationship, then Jiang Xuan should reconsider. Jiang Xuan twitched her lips and said, "Princess Consort Chen is indeed kind-hearted and approachable, treating others' affairs as her own. Such kindness is truly rare. Princess Consort Chen has worked tirelessly to help me these past few days, and I do feel somewhat guilty. Regardless of whether this matter succeeds or not, I will certainly prepare a generous gift to express my gratitude."
Ouyang Yue smiled repeatedly: "Princess Jiang Xuan, you are too kind. It was just a small favor for me. There is no need for you to thank me so much in front of Princess Jiang Xuan."
Jiang Xuan quickly shook her head: "Princess Consort Chen, please don't refuse, otherwise you'll be looking down on me."