Moreover, this involves the interests of many people. The reason it hasn't reached a point of no return is simply because Zhang Yu's attitude is tough enough and he has the support of a group of young officials.
But there are still many things that are difficult to eradicate, and many ideas that are difficult to change.
·
Chen Yifei's wedding was a few days earlier than Ning Wang and Ling Xiao's. Although it was a remarriage, it was a grand and lively affair, showing that the groom's family was quite accepting of the marriage. Song Shuhao and Zhang Yu had discussed it and decided to discreetly send a congratulatory gift to the wedding.
It wasn't until the day Chen Yifei got married that Song Shuhao learned that the man she was marrying was her childhood sweetheart. When Chen Yifei entered the palace, the man was heartbroken, but he gave up on his feelings and remarried under his parents' arrangement. Unfortunately, after his wife became pregnant, she was physically weak and accidentally miscarried, losing her life in the process. He then became a widower.
Heartbroken, the man had no intention of remarrying. It wasn't until Chen Yifei emerged from the palace and they met again that everything changed. Both were still young, and now they were husband and wife, living happily ever after, a union that deserved heartfelt blessings.
A few days after Chen Yifei's remarriage, Ling Xiao's wedding to Prince Ning was also approaching. On the eve of the wedding, after dinner, Prince Ning vowed to go back to rest early so he could come to pick her up early the next morning. Ling Xiao neither agreed nor disagreed, letting him do as he pleased.
Knowing full well that she would be dragged out of bed before dawn the next day to get ready, and still wide awake late into the night, she didn't call for help. Instead, she quietly got up and sat by the marble table in the courtyard, lost in thought.
The air was faintly filled with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus. The crescent moon was bright, the stars twinkled, and the chirping of insects came from somewhere, sometimes soft, sometimes loud, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, which only highlighted the tranquility of the night.
Ling Xiao had something on her mind, and the thought of it kept replaying in her mind, making her feel uneasy. She was practically half-lying on the marble table, her cheek pressed against the cool surface, staring blankly into the distance, into the darkness.
In the beginning, who would have thought it would come to this... She's still getting married. But it's her own choice, and she has nothing to regret.
She knew that her deception wasn't exactly fair to Prince Ning, but she couldn't explain it away. However, she was perfectly clear that if she gave in, for whatever reason, Prince Ning would agree; in terms of his feelings, she hadn't reciprocated much.
She knew about Nie Shaoguang's contact with the Shen family, and that Nie Shaoguang's actions must have been inspired by her. Ling Xiao thought, didn't he want an explanation? At least a reason. He was different from Zhang Yu; he wasn't a ruthless person.
Ling Xiao sat up straight, one hand supporting her chin, the other hand tapping the Dali Temple tabletop with her fingers, again and again, but without making a sound. She noticed someone approaching, but from the sound of the footsteps, she knew immediately that it was Zhang Ye.
"Lord Ling, are you thinking of me so much that the nights are unbearable?" Even though he lowered his voice, it still sounded somewhat abrupt in the silence. The Prince of Ning's voice rang out behind him, but Ling Xiao was neither startled nor surprised.
Prince Ning strode over and sat down opposite her, glancing up at Ling Xiao. In the darkness, their expressions were indistinct, hazy as if veiled, impossible to discern.
Normally, Ling Xiao would be in the mood to tease him and banter with him, and she was used to it, but tonight she didn't feel that way. Did he not feel anything at all? Ling Xiao thought it wasn't like that; he never said anything and was always very tolerant of her.
Ling Xiao was unusually silent. Prince Ning composed himself and quietly observed her for a while. Ling Xiao, unusually, lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze, pondering how to explain the matter clearly. The Emperor knew about Empress Shen's affair, and he certainly knew as well. At least on this matter, he deserved an explanation.
“It’s fine if you don’t want to say.” After a while, Prince Ning slowly spoke, his tone still relaxed, “There are some things I want to know if I investigate them myself.”
"For example?" Ling Xiao asked, a little curious. Would he know what she was thinking at that moment?
Prince Ning saw through her thoughts and quickly said, "For example, old grudges always have a reason." Although it took a lot of effort, he still managed to find out the truth.
Lingxiao is an alias, and Shen Wanru has also made mistakes.
Even though that sixteen-year-old boy came from a much lower social class than her, it was by no means a reason for her to humiliate him to the point of losing his life... It was just that she felt insulted for admiring her and expressing her feelings to her, and she could no longer tolerate this person.
Both Prime Minister Shen and his wife knew about this.
He truly knew, Ling Xiao sighed softly.
Ling Xiao was not actually Ling Xiao, but Meng Lingshao. Meng's father worked for the Shen family with his family of four, serving as their personal physician. Meng Lingshao's older brother fell in love with Shen Wanru, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, and met a tragic end. When Meng's parents learned of their son's death, they rebelled in anger, but also met a bad end.
Meng Lingchao was the only one who survived, and that was purely by chance. She was fortunate to have been taken along by a concubine who had escaped from the Shen family mansion. The concubine raised Meng Lingchao until she was eighteen and wanted her to return to the Shen family mansion to take revenge, but Meng Lingchao chose to drown herself in the lake.
When he awoke again, Mengling Tiao was no longer in the world, but Lingxiao came into being.
Author's Note: Sigh.
This gossip about Baoqiang is heartbreaking; there's definitely a reason why he doesn't want to get married. =.=
Chapter 105 Update
But Prince Ning will never know that her alias Ling Xiao was not just to hide her identity.
Some things are best kept secret.
Like Ling Xiao, Prince Ning remembered what he had sent people to investigate. He was not in a position to comment, but he also couldn't be too harsh on anyone in this matter. If this matter could end here, at least it wouldn't escalate into a vicious cycle of revenge.
Although Prince Ning felt that this couldn't fully explain some things about Ling Xiao, it didn't seem that important. He knew that the person before him was a living, breathing person who actually had no ill intentions and was by no means an evil person. What did it matter if there were unspeakable secrets?
But Ling Xiao was troubled by this.
If he truly cared, he wouldn't appear indifferent; after all, he wouldn't willingly deceive or wrong himself. It's clear that Ling Xiao takes marriage very seriously, hence his reaction. Prince Ning then recalled that this person had once said she had no intention of marrying.
For a moment, Prince Ning thought to himself that it was rare to see Ling Xiao with a conscience, and he should perhaps seize the opportunity to "take advantage of the situation." So he took Ling Xiao's slightly cool hand, chuckled, and said, "No one can use this to blame you except yourself."
Without knowing the truth, different perspectives can lead to vastly different attitudes and comments on the same event. But what if he doesn't stand by her side? He can't allow outsiders to bully her either.
There was almost no moonlight, and the flickering light of three or four lanterns in the distance couldn't illuminate their small space. Even though his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Ling Xiao still couldn't quite make out Zhang Ye's expression. He just thought he was being silly, but he liked it.
Even with other reasons, she couldn't truly face Empress Shen's death without any inner turmoil. For her, it was ultimately torture, making it impossible to be calm and fearless. Therefore, many of her actions were also a way for her to atone for her sins.
But these things were still heavy burdens, and she didn't like to talk about them. Should she let go completely? Actually, so much time had passed, and gradually, it didn't seem as tormenting as before. Meng Lingchao's soul became more peaceful day by day, no longer causing her unbearable pain as it had at the beginning, but ultimately, she was willing to live.
Ling Xiao took Zhang Ye's hand in return and began to play with his fingers. She lowered her eyes, remaining silent for a long while before slowly speaking, asking Prince Ning, "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"
It seemed to be a statement that he could have the answer if he wanted to know.
Prince Ning raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "He really is quite conscientious tonight." Without hesitation or refusal, he almost immediately said to Ling Xiao, word by word, "I like you. Do you like me?" His speech was unhurried, which made it seem more solemn.
Ling Xiao's lips curved into a smile, and he nodded, answering firmly and without wavering, "I like it."
This answer did not satisfy Zhang Ye. He pursed his lips, glanced at Ling Xiao, narrowed his eyes, and said, "But Lord Ling, I feel that you don't love me at all."
Knowing what Prince Ning wanted to hear, Ling Xiao didn't buy it. She raised her voice and retorted, "Oh? Is that so? In that case, why not just cancel the wedding tomorrow?"
To prevent Ling Xiao from running away after speaking, Prince Ning had already swiftly grabbed her arm. Hearing her words, he felt even more resentful. He didn't let go, but stood up and leaned forward. With his other hand, he gently pinched and lifted Ling Xiao's chin before kissing her lips, muttering inwardly, "Heartless."
Ling Xiao laughed even more heartily.