Meng Wan was unsure whether telling the Emperor was the right thing to do. She knew that the two men were of vastly different social standing, and she feared that the Emperor would find it difficult to accept. However, after discussing it with Huangfu Mi, they both agreed that it would be more appropriate to tell the Emperor the truth.
Because in their hearts, the emperor was benevolent and had a heart that could embrace the world. Even if it was difficult for them to accept it at first, as long as he knew that the two were truly in love, he would surely be moved. Therefore, Meng Wan and Huangfu Mi were betting on the emperor's benevolent heart.
As expected, after listening to Meng Wan's words, the Emperor fell into a long silence, seemingly shocked for a long time. He never imagined that his son would take a liking to an actress, let alone that he would take action against Huangfu Ming, who harbored ill intentions towards Chu Ningyan. He was quite taken aback at this moment.
Huangfu Yu, is he really protecting that woman with such sincerity?
He remained silent, as did Meng Wan and Huangfu Mi. A long silence fell over the vast hall. After what seemed like an eternity, Meng Wan and Huangfu Mi grew increasingly anxious, wondering what the emperor was thinking. Suddenly, the emperor spoke: "I know of this matter. I'm a little tired today and don't want to play chess with Wan'er. You may both return to your residences!"
Although no words were explicitly mentioned about the matter, the tone implied tacit approval. Meng Wan and Huangfu Mi were delighted, their eyes sparkling with smiles as they exchanged glances. They quickly kowtowed before expressing their gratitude and leaving. Once at the door, Meng Wan stopped, turning to look at the man beside her, her eyes crinkling with amusement: "Father, does he mean to observe the situation? He shouldn't... shouldn't object, right?"
"Hmm." Huangfu Mi nodded. "That's roughly the idea."
"That's wonderful." Hearing Huangfu Mi say that, Meng Wan was overjoyed and immediately grabbed Huangfu Mi's arm. Her joy was palpable, and it made everyone who saw her feel much better.
Holding her hand tightly, Huangfu Mi kissed it and said, "Yes, now you can finally get a good night's sleep, right? I really admire you. You worry about other people's affairs all day long. If I didn't know how much you love me, I'm afraid I would be mad at Fifth Brother."
"Tch--" Meng Wan pouted, "I just think about how hard Fifth Brother has worked. Besides, he's your Fifth Brother, isn't he? After you returned to the capital, he's the only one who truly treats you like a brother. So, I'm thinking of him. Isn't that right?"
"Yes, yes, the Princess is absolutely right." Huangfu Mi smiled and put his arm around Meng Wan's shoulder. "She always thinks of me. What good fortune I have to marry such a wonderful wife!"
He made a joke, which made Meng Wan giggle. She gave him a reproachful look but didn't say anything more. She simply let him lead her hand, and the two of them left Zhengyang Palace.
V54 Resurrected
This little girl loves to act cute, and Meng Wan is used to it. She reached out and pulled her into her arms. Looking at her young face, which was still quite delicate but undeniably beautiful, Meng Wan smiled and said, "Yes, it's been a month or so since I came back. Xiao Yun'er has grown into a beautiful young lady. I imagine that soon, suitors will be coming to our door so many that they'll wear down our doorstep."
Although young, Xiao Yun'er understood the playful tone. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she glared at Meng Wan with a pout, saying, "Sister, you're really something. You're married now, but you come here to nag other people. I don't want to get married. It's much better to stay by Aunt and Father's side. It'll save me from being separated from them after getting married. It's not easy for me to come back!"
Wow, you've got quite a lot of insights for such a young age!
Meng Wan and the Third Madam both smiled and reached out to pat Xiao Yun'er's head. "In that case, don't cry and beg to get married when the time comes. Just stay by my side with Master and me, so we won't get bored."
"Yes, in the end she became an old maid that no one wanted. Even if she wanted to get married, no one would want her."
Xiao Yun'er immediately protested, annoyed that the two of them were playing a joke on her. She grabbed Meng Wan's clothes and wouldn't let it go, which made the two of them laugh again. The laughter and chatter filled the room and reached Huangfu Mi's ears in the outer room. A smile appeared on his lips after a while.
Bringing her home was definitely the right decision. For the past two weeks, he had been worried sick seeing her looking so gloomy all the time. Now that he saw her smile again, his heart was at ease.
The two had dinner at the Prime Minister's residence and returned to the Prince's residence in the evening. Since they wanted to take a stroll, they dismissed the sedan chair and walked hand in hand along the road.
It was already evening, and there weren't many people on the street. The two walked among them, and occasionally a few pedestrians would pass by, all of them walking hurriedly, obviously in a hurry to get home.
Such a scene brought peace to the heart. All the way, Meng Wan's lips unconsciously curved upwards. Thinking about the scene of the family gathering just now, she was in a great mood. She turned to look at Huangfu Mi beside her and said, "From now on, let's come home more often. Look how happy Father and Aunt are, and Xiao Yun'er seems to really like you as her brother-in-law. She keeps talking about you."
"And you? Are you happy too?" Huangfu Mi looked at her, his gaze gentle and tender.
Under such scrutiny, Meng Wan nodded: "Of course, if they're happy, I'm happy too."
"If you're happy, then I'm happy."
Meng Wan smiled again, her hand tightening around his grasp. Her gaze fell on the Changyin Pavilion not far away, and she asked, "What about Fifth Brother? Didn't you go to see him yesterday? Are you feeling better?"
"It's still the same. I had everyone throw away all the wine and even left Hua Jiuye there to watch over him. Everything's fine. It's just that the incident was too much of a blow, and Fifth Brother is still depressed. But I guess we can only let him figure it out on his own."
Meng Wan nodded. "It seems that's the only way. You should visit him more often when you have time and try to persuade him. The rest is up to him."
Huangfu Mi agreed, and then remained silent for the rest of the journey.
Because they walked so slowly, it was already dark when they returned. The two headed straight for the backyard, when suddenly someone appeared out of nowhere and blocked their way.
It was another woman with disheveled hair. Her features were obscured in the darkness, making her appear particularly eerie. Meng Wan, who was usually quite brave, was still startled. Instinctively, she grabbed Huangfu Mi's arm and pulled back, looking at the person there, and asked, "Who's there?"
The man remained silent, simply standing in the middle of the road, blocking the way without moving an inch. Huangfu Mi patted Meng Wan's hand to reassure her, then turned to look at the man, her brows furrowed: "Didn't you hear the Princess's question? Who are you? What are you doing dressed like this in the middle of the night? Don't you know any manners?"
Huangfu Mi was usually carefree and unpretentious, but when he put on a stern face, he was quite intimidating. Not only the palace maids and eunuchs in the mansion, but even Meng Wan felt afraid when she saw him. However, the woman still stood there, as if she had not heard him.
At this moment, Huangfu Mi was a little annoyed. He glanced at Meng Wan and gestured for her not to be afraid. He then made a move to go forward and check. Just then, another person suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ran straight to the woman from before: "Elder sister, what are you doing? Didn't I tell you to stay in the room? Why did you run out?"
The reproachful tone startled Huangfu Mi. Looking at the person, who else could it be but Liancheng? But what had she just called that long-haired woman? Eldest sister?
But Liancheng's elder sister, Qingcheng, clearly died two years ago, so who is she calling elder sister now?
In a daze, Liancheng noticed the two people on this side and the confusion in Huangfu Mi's eyes. She was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses and hurriedly dragged the woman next to her to kneel down at Huangfu Mi's feet.
Huangfu Mi was taken aback again. He looked at Liancheng, then turned to the woman and asked, "Who... is this?"
Meng Wan clearly felt his trembling and was wondering what was going on when Lian Cheng suddenly looked up, brushed aside the woman's loose hair, and revealed a face that could launch a thousand ships.
It was the face of a beautiful woman, with a pointed chin, willow-leaf eyebrows, and full red lips that, though bloodless, added to her delicate beauty. Not to mention men, even Meng Wan, a woman herself, felt pity for her upon seeing her!
She became increasingly confused, especially after seeing Huangfu Mi's astonished expression, which made her even more curious about the woman's identity.
However, he didn't say much. He just patted Meng Wan's shoulder under her gaze and said in a low voice, "Go back to your room first. I have some things to do here."
Meng Wan frowned instinctively but said nothing, simply nodding as instructed. Under his gaze, she passed by the two women. As she passed the long-haired woman, Meng Wan glanced at her again, only to find that the woman was also looking at her. Their eyes met, and something clearly flashed in her eyes. Even in the dim light, her heart still trembled. When she came to her senses and looked again, the woman had already lowered her head again, as if that glance had been nothing more than Meng Wan's illusion.
--
"Liancheng, what's going on? Who is this woman? Why does she look exactly like Qingcheng?"
After Meng Wan left, Huangfu Mi hurriedly told the two to get up. Looking at that face, his brows furrowed tightly.
In contrast, Liancheng was overjoyed: "Master, of course it's exactly the same, because this is my elder sister, Fu Qingcheng!"
"What?" Huangfu Mi exclaimed, "How is that possible! Qingcheng clearly fell off a cliff in an accident two years ago. Although her body has not been found, how could she not die after falling from such a height?"
"At first I didn't believe it either. I saw her on the street today and thought she looked exactly like my older sister, but then I saw this..."