"Princess Jiang Xuan is truly concerned about the Chen Prince's mansion. However, Princess Jiang Xuan is not yet married, yet she discusses these things with others. Is this some kind of special ritual of the Great Khan, where an unmarried woman commits adultery... Oh, this does not apply to Princess Jiang Xuan. You are no longer a virgin. Although you are not yet married, you are no longer a virgin, so it is natural for you to speak out." It cannot be denied that Ouyang Yue's mind was somewhat confused for a moment by what Jiang Xuan said, but she was not one to be insulted and mocked without fighting back.
What hurt Jiang Xuan the most, compared to what she thought she cared about most, was that her affair with someone was seen in public, which changed her future.
Sure enough, before Ouyang Yue could finish speaking, Jiang Xuan's expression was already extremely unpleasant: "Xuanyuan Yue, how dare you mention that!"
"Princess Jiang Xuan, what's wrong with you? Why are you so happy that you called me by my name directly? That's not very friendly." Ouyang Yue smiled, still looking puzzled. Jiang Xuan wanted nothing more than to rush up and slap Ouyang Yue hard.
Jiang Xuan's face was cold and stern: "Who exactly harmed this princess like this? You vicious woman, this is heaven's retribution for you. I'll watch how you die under the schemes of another woman. You wicked woman, I'm just waiting to see you have your fun."
Jiang Xuan and Ouyang Yue were already bitter enemies. The reason Jiang Xuan did this a few days ago was just to take the opportunity to disgust Ouyang Yue. Now that she had nothing left to hide, she naturally had nothing left to hide.
Ouyang Yue laughed: "The legitimate princess of Daqian, who is by Princess Jiang Xuan's side, is a role model for noble ladies of Daqian. She keeps using vulgar language. Is this how the imperial tutors of Daqian taught Princess Jiang Xuan to speak such crude words? It's truly an eye-opener."
"You bitch, how dare you say that!"
"Smack!"
"Bang!"
Suddenly, Baili Su threw the bowl in his hand, striking Jiang Xuan head-on as usual. Jiang Xuan was completely caught off guard and fell backward to the ground with a cry of pain. One of her two maids helped Jiang Xuan up, while the other angrily grabbed at Baili Su, saying, "How dare you! You dare to attack the princess! This is a capital offense!"
"Slap!" However, as soon as the maid stepped forward, she was slapped in the face by Ouyang Yue and fell to the ground, in roughly the same position as Jiang Xuan.
Jiang Xuan covered her head and stood up angrily: "Fine! You dare to attack this princess! You dare to attack this princess! Fine, fine, this princess will never let you get away with this! No matter who you are, you will all be punished!"
Ouyang Yue sneered, "What are you saying, Princess Jiang Xuan? You were having too much fun talking just now, and you were leaning back and forth on the ground without realizing it. Who attacked you? Don't make a fuss about this. This is disrupting the peace between our two countries. Prince Chen isn't someone you can just falsely accuse." As she spoke, she couldn't help but laugh sarcastically, "Even if it were true, Prince Chen is so small. How could he have the strength to throw something and knock Princess Jiang Xuan down? Wouldn't he be a superhero?"
"You still dare to argue? Everyone here saw it just now," Jiang Xuan said angrily.
Ouyang Yue glanced at the two maids beside her: "The two of them? They are both Princess Jiang Xuan's people. Given the previous conflict between Princess Jiang Xuan and me, it's not impossible that she would frame me for no reason. Two maids can't be considered witnesses. The witnesses should be from my Chen Prince's Mansion. There are at least ten maids here, and in terms of numbers, those from the Chen Prince's Mansion are more credible."
Jiang Xuan was furious, but suddenly fell silent, looking coldly at Ouyang Yue and saying, "Fine, you really do have a sharp tongue. I can't argue with you, but I can certainly laugh at you. What were you so proud of before? Your background? Your looks? Baili Chen's infatuation with you? Now I want to see what kind of confidence and arrogance you'll have when that confidante returns with Baili Chen. Men always prefer the familiar and dislike the old, and you'll be no exception. I'm just waiting to see you regret and suffer. Let's go!"
Jiang Xuan was pulled up by two maids, huffing and puffing, but she left with an air of arrogance. She had achieved her goal. Ouyang Yue's constant bickering only showed her anger at Baili Chen having a lover—exactly what she wanted. She even planned to devise a way to deal with Ouyang Yue when that woman arrived. At crucial moments, she could even help that woman. She wouldn't be satisfied until Ouyang Yue was completely exhausted. She wanted to see how Ouyang Yue would ultimately die in this power struggle within the inner court, and Baili Su would suffer an even more gruesome death.
Of those who grew up in this inner courtyard without their birth mothers to care for and raise them, how many survived and thrived?
After Jiang Xuan left, the hall fell silent for a while. Suddenly, Baili Su said, "Mother, let's go!" He was already holding Ouyang Yue's hand, his big eyes filled with anger and determination. "Su'er will protect you."
The subtext is, "Let's go. I'll protect you. Even if not now, I'll shield you from the wind and rain in the future. This fickle man is better off without." Although Baili Su has feelings for Baili Chen, they pale in comparison to his feelings for Ouyang Yue. Here, he can choose the latter without hesitation, sharing joys and sorrows, life and death with her. Besides, Ouyang Yue's wealth is considerable. Not to mention that Meiyi Pavilion and Meiren Pavilion are top-tier shops in the capital, raking in money daily. Baili Chen has long since handed over his businesses to Ouyang Yue; now she is the one who holds real power in the Chen Prince's Mansion. If she were to leave now, Baili Chen would only be faced with an empty shell upon his return. Let him live with that shameless mistress and starve them to death!
Baili Su gritted his teeth in anger, his heart filled with resentment. How could his wretched father be so easily tempted? He was utterly useless. He had initially thought his father was quite nice, but now he would never speak to him again. Humph, let's see if he regrets it. Baili Su clenched his little fists, his eyes practically spitting fire with rage.
Ouyang Yue reached out and stroked Baili Su's little head: "Don't be angry, what she said isn't true."
"Ah? It's not true, the news has probably spread." Baili Su didn't believe it. Ouyang Yue waved her hand, and the servants carried away the breakfast. Only Chuncao and Dongxue remained in the room. Baili Su was right. Jiang Xuan must have a basis for saying that. Otherwise, it would be a matter concerning a prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It's not something that can be easily fabricated.
"You must trust your father. I know very well what kind of person he is." Ouyang Yue had to admit that although she trusted Baili Chen, she was still uncomfortable with this kind of news. However, she also knew very well that Baili Chen wouldn't do this so easily. They had been through so much together, even sharing life and death. How could they be so easily interfered with? Moreover, the way Jiang Xuan spread this news was very strange. How did Jiang Xuan know about this? She didn't even have any information about Baili Chen's plans yet. Jiang Xuan was a powerful princess. Even if she brought a lot of skilled men, she wouldn't extend her reach to Linzhou Prefecture.
The reason she learned of this news so quickly could be threefold. First, it could be fake news, but that's unlikely. If Jiang Xuan wanted to undermine her, there would be no need for an easily exposed lie; it would be pointless. Second, Da Gan might have already secretly planted many people throughout Da Zhou, people so powerful they could gather and report news from various places with incredible speed, even faster than Da Zhou's intelligence. This possibility isn't extremely low, and even if it were true, Jiang Xuan revealing this would expose Da Gan's secrets, which would be utterly foolish, making Da Zhou wary and potentially leading to war between the two countries. Third, Jiang Xuan could simply be being used. Someone might have used her to spread this news, and Jiang Xuan is merely a pawn in this affair—a pawn eager for revenge, easily controlled.
Of these three points, Ouyang Yue naturally leaned towards the third. It was precisely this person's meticulousness that made Ouyang Yue even more certain that the matter was false. If there was really no need for Jiang Xuan to come and disgust her, as long as Baili Chen brought the person over in a few more days, wouldn't she be even more devastated when she was completely unprepared? This eagerness to make her sad and angry meant that there was a greater than 90% chance that this was fake news.
Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes. What was this person's purpose in trying so hard to unsettle her?
"Fake?" Baili Su blinked, secretly relieved. At least his dad was somewhat sensible; otherwise, he really wouldn't recognize him when he came back.
"You must trust your father. He loves you so much, how could he leave us so easily?" Ouyang Yue patted Baili Su's head. She not only had confidence in Baili Chen, but she also had confidence in herself. Regardless of how many vixens were out there, there weren't many who could compare to her. Besides, Baili Chen was a very strange person; there weren't many who could catch his eye. Having grown up in the palace, he had seen too much hypocrisy. There were many beautiful women in the palace, but even more vicious ones. Someone like him, raised inhuman circumstances, was wary of everyone. When he first met her, he originally had the idea of cooperation and exploitation. It took them a long time to get together. Warming this man's heart wouldn't be easy. For someone like him to have a confidante so soon after arriving in Linzhou Prefecture—the person spreading this news clearly didn't really understand Baili Chen. But Ouyang Yue now had another worry.
"Dongxue, send someone to find out the prince's whereabouts immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness." Dongxue's face showed a hint of joy. She was momentarily stunned by what Jiang Xuan had just said. The prince and princess usually had such a good relationship, but suddenly she was told that the prince had a confidante and was about to bring her back to make things difficult for the princess. One was her former master who had nurtured her, and the other was her current master whom she had sworn to follow. Dongxue was very conflicted. For a moment, she even wondered who she should choose. Finally, just as the scales began to tip, she heard Ouyang Yue's resolute words and felt a deep sense of emotion.
Everyone says that the prince dotes on the princess too much, but how fortunate the prince is to receive such wholehearted love and trust from the princess. If the prince were to betray this, then he would not be worthy of the princess's love, nor would he be worthy of her admiration and following.
At the same time, as clever as Dongxue was, she immediately understood from Ouyang Yue's order that since someone dared to spread such rumors, something must have happened on the prince's side. The matter might not be true, but the situation there might not be good. Since Dongxue believed Baili Chen, but Baili Chen was powerless to refute such rumors under these circumstances, it meant that there was a possibility that he was in danger!
Dongxue's expression immediately straightened, and she ran out quickly!
However, before they could find Baili Chen's whereabouts, his so-called confidante arrived first.
That day, Ouyang Yue was strolling around the mansion with Baili Su when Chuncao walked in with a livid face and angry eyes. Ouyang Yue was greatly surprised: "Jiang Xuan is here again?"
"Your Highness, there is a woman named Meiju outside requesting an audience. She says she is... says she is the Prince's concubine..."
Ouyang Yue stopped in her tracks: "But the prince has not returned."
"She's holding a jade pendant belonging to the prince, saying it's a token of their love. The prince is away on business and hasn't returned yet, so he sent people to bring her back to settle her in," Chuncao hurriedly added. "Two of them are guards the prince took with him, sent by the emperor. And that woman is truly despicable. Before I could even say anything, she was already crying her eyes out, and instantly a crowd gathered in front of the mansion, pointing and whispering. I'm afraid if the princess doesn't let her in, who knows what they'll say about her. That woman is clearly no good. I really don't know what the prince is thinking. That woman... is nowhere near as good as you, princess!" Chuncao was somewhat angry. Originally, she didn't quite believe it, but now that the woman had come to the mansion, brazenly displaying Baili Chen's jade pendant and accompanied by two of Baili Chen's former guards, it seemed to others that this was Baili Chen's doing.
Ouyang Yue smiled: "Alright, if she wants to see me, let her in. Bring her in."
“But Your Highness…” Chuncao hesitated for a moment, seeing that Ouyang Yue showed no sign of compromise, she waved her hand and sent another maid to lead the person in. Soon, a woman dressed in light pink gauze, with a graceful walk, a beautiful face, and an aloof aura, entered, led by two men in black.
When the woman entered, her eyes first swept over the carved beams and painted walls, a hint of fondness flashing in her eyes at the beautiful and luxurious hall, before she looked at Ouyang Yue. Upon seeing Ouyang Yue, she immediately narrowed her eyes and began to scrutinize her. Mei Ju's back was straight, and her scrutinizing gaze was quite blatant, which seemed extremely impolite. However, when she saw Ouyang Yue, who was smiling at her with a beauty that rivaled even the moon goddess, a dark glint clearly flashed in Mei Ju's eyes.
"How dare you! You don't even kneel before Princess Chen! Beat her!" Chuncao shouted, startling most of the people in the hall. However, Chuncao was Ouyang Yue's personal maid, and even the head steward in the mansion had to give her some face, so her words were naturally very forceful.
Meiju was taken aback. Just as she was about to kneel down, Dongxue rushed over and kicked Meiju in the back of the knee.
"Bang!" A heavy thud sounded as someone knelt down, and Mei Ju's face turned pale instantly. However, she bit her red lips and forced back the groan of pain. The two men in black behind her were stunned for a moment, but they only glanced at Ouyang Yue and said nothing.
"This humble concubine greets Princess Consort Chen." Mei Ju gritted her teeth and spoke slowly, her posture finally showing some respect.
"Hmm." Ouyang Yue also glanced at Mei Ju. This woman did indeed have a superior appearance. Beautiful women are often arrogant, and Ouyang Yue agreed with this. However, Ouyang Yue sneered inwardly at this woman. If she couldn't even compare to this woman, then she really had no reason to be angry. She had far more advantages than the woman. If she still lost under these circumstances, then there was no point in fighting. "Hurry up and call someone. What do you want to see this princess?"
Upon hearing this, a strange blush flashed across Mei Ju's face. Baili Su, sitting next to Ouyang Yue like a little adult, looked at Mei Ju with anger in his eyes. This woman was too good at pretending. It was disgusting to look at. Just now, the way she looked at everyone in the room was greedy. What was she pretending to be arrogant about? She was so hypocritical.
"Your Highness, I met Your Highness in Linzhou Prefecture. Your Highness had official business to attend to, so he sent me back first, so that I could get acquainted with you and have a proper chat with you, Your Highness." Meiju said, a dreamy look on her face.
Ouyang Yue's expression remained calm: "I am an only child and have no sisters. You'd better not call me that. As for what you're saying, I know nothing about it and have no proof whatsoever."
Mei Ju was not surprised by Ouyang Yue's answer at all. Any woman who finds another woman vying for her man would try her best to stop her and deny it. Mei Ju had expected this. She calmly took out a dragon-carved jade pendant from her bosom. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, very few people could wear things with dragon patterns. Apart from the emperor, it was only the princes and dukes. Only members of the royal family could wear such items. And this jade pendant was indeed one of Baili Chen's jade pendants. He was wearing it when he left.
In ancient times, it was forbidden for men and women to exchange gifts privately. This was considered a private exchange and could also be regarded as a token of love. Taking out this item would already confirm that there was a 70% chance of a relationship. If there was really no relationship, Baili Su would naturally not give this item to a woman.
Chuncao's face instantly darkened. She grabbed the jade pendant and handed it to Ouyang Yue, who examined it closely in her hand before holding it up to the sunlight. Meiju watched with a cold smile, wondering how the Princess Consort of Chen would react. Chuncao's earlier tearful plea had already forced the Princess Consort of Chen to see her. If she were driven away, the Princess Consort of Chen would inevitably be branded a jealous woman. In powerful families and royalty, reputation was paramount; if Chuncao wanted to preserve her own standing, she would have to accept her. Chuncao wasn't afraid of Ouyang Yue's schemes. If she died in the palace, her reputation would be even worse. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would know that dealing with her now was not a wise move.
“It’s very similar to the jade pendant that the prince has.” Ouyang Yue glanced at it and said calmly, but the look in her eyes as she looked at Mei Ju was unexpectedly deep. Ouyang Yue’s fingernail slightly scratched the dragon head of the jade pendant, and then the smile on her face deepened.
"Your Highness, this humble concubine would never dare to utter a single falsehood."
"Oh, so the princess really took you in?"
Meiju blushed immediately and remained silent, but her lowered head was an admission of consent. Ouyang Yue looked closely at Meiju and said, "Then the prince really has good taste... Hehe, good. Since the prince has taken a liking to her, this princess will naturally keep her. Chuncao, take this girl to the guest courtyard to stay for now, and we will make a decision when the prince returns."
Meiju's expression changed slightly, and she said, "Your Highness, how can this humble concubine stay in the guest room? Sister, you still cannot accept this humble concubine? This humble concubine will definitely behave herself and respect Your Highness from now on. Please accept this humble concubine."
Ouyang Yue laughed: "This is Miss Meiju, right? Before the prince returns, I, the princess, cannot make all the decisions. Only after the prince returns and determines your rank can I determine your status. Otherwise, if I arrange things for you arbitrarily, it would be a serious taboo. You might lose your life before the prince even returns."
Meiju's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery. This Princess Consort of Chen seemed to be not very clever. She had just entered the manor and was already trying to give her a hard time. Wasn't that just petty and narrow-minded? "But... I am, after all, the Prince's person. If I am arranged to stay in the guest courtyard, it will not only be bad for the Prince, but also for the Princess Consort's reputation. How can I do anything that would be unfair to the Prince and the Princess Consort?"
“Originally, you were chosen by the Prince. Since there were no other people in the Prince’s mansion, you were very likely to become a concubine. Unfortunately, not just anyone can live in the concubine’s courtyard. If you overstep your bounds, it will be a capital offense. Are you sure you want to live there, Miss Meiju?” Ouyang Yue said with a half-smile.
Meiju was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Everything is up to Your Highness to handle. This humble concubine will obey your orders."
"Chuncao, how about this, take Miss Meiju to the backyard first, give her a courtyard, and send two maids to serve her. Don't neglect Miss Meiju."
“It is the Princess.” Chuncao said coldly, “Miss Meiju, this way please.”
"Thank you, Your Highness." Meiju smiled and replied, then got up and left with Chuncao.
Ouyang Yue glanced at the two men in black who had come with her, then waved for the servants to leave, leaving only Dongxue: "It really was His Highness who personally sent you to escort Meiju."
The two men exchanged a glance, then knelt down one after the other. One of them replied, "Your Highness, it was actually this woman who came to me with the prince's jade pendant. I did not hear the prince mention it."
"Oh, didn't you hear the Prince say anything? You brought people back to the capital without permission. You've got some nerve." Ouyang Yue said calmly, squinting at the two of them.
“Princess Huichen, actually… actually, the Prince disappeared a few days after arriving at Baiyun Temple. Then this woman returned with the Fifth Prince’s jade pendant. After discussing it, we escorted her back, hoping to find out about the Prince. But it seems that she really doesn’t know where the Prince went,” another person said.
"The prince has disappeared?!" Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow.
"Well... actually, the Prince accepted Lord Xue Heng's invitation and stayed at the Xiuge Pavilion for three days before suddenly leaving at night and disappearing without a trace. However, there were signs of a fight on the way." Ouyang Yue frowned as she listened: "Didn't the Prince have anyone to protect him when he went out? How could he disappear like this? And you still dare to come back to die!"
The two men turned pale, but there was nothing they could do.
Back then, Baili Chen, Leng Sha, and two-thirds of his men went to Xiuge in Lincheng. They didn't return that night but sent someone to say they stayed in the city. The next day, someone went to look for them, but was told that Baili Chen had chosen a Qingling, who was quite famous, named Mei Ju. Because Mei Ju was very famous, she caused quite a stir in Lincheng. They were just servants and didn't dare to question their master's actions. However, a few days later, they suddenly heard that Baili Chen had left Xiuge and then disappeared without a trace. When the people guarding Baiyun Temple came out to search, they only saw signs of a fight on the road. As for Baili Chen, Leng Sha, and the people he had taken with him, they were nowhere to be found. At this time, Mei Ju came to them with Baili Chen's jade pendant. After discussing it, they decided to leave a few people at Baiyun Temple to wait for Lingyun Tianshi's pills. The two of them then escorted Mei Ju back.
They asked many times along the way, but Meiju only said that she heard Baili Chen seemed to have something to do, and after making a vow with her, he left in a hurry. As for where he went, Baili Chen didn't say, and she didn't dare to ask. In addition, the matter between Meiju and Baili Chen in Lincheng had caused quite a stir before, and Meiju still had Baili Chen's jade pendant in her hand. They were half-believing and half-doubting, but losing Baili Chen's whereabouts was their dereliction of duty, and they could not shirk their responsibility for it.
The two men lowered their heads and remained silent. Ouyang Yue looked at them and knew that they truly did not know. Moreover, these two were the secret guards that Emperor Mingxian had sent to Baili Chen. She could not bypass Emperor Mingxian to deal with them: "Now that the people have been delivered, you may both return home."
"Yes, Princess Consort Chen." They knew nothing more than that; they had to return to the Empress to report to Emperor Mingxian.
Dongxue frowned and said, "This...it can't be true, can it?" Dongxue felt a little uncomfortable.
Ouyang Yue gently rubbed and squeezed the jade pendant, saying, "That jade pendant is fake."
"Fake? It wasn't given by Father. This woman is lying," Baili Su said hastily, and Dongxue's eyes also turned towards him.
"It is true that it is a jade pendant specially used by the royal family, but this design is not unique. I once accidentally dropped the prince's jade pendant on the ground, and half of the dragon head broke off, but the one in her hand is intact." Ouyang Yue said calmly, holding her teacup and still having the mood to drink tea.
"Oh, it really is fake. This woman has some nerve. I'll get someone to beat her up!" Baili Suqi's eyes widened in disbelief.
Dongxue also said incredulously, "Then why did the princess still let her into the mansion and let her stay in the backyard? And listen to the conversation between those two, the prince and her... they..." They've been staying there for several days, so there must have been something going on.
"If that were true, why would she try to deceive me with a fake jade pendant?" A cold glint flashed in Ouyang Yue's eyes. "Have someone secretly keep an eye on her every move. I noticed her steps were heavy; she's not a martial artist. I'll keep an eye on her to see what she's up to after sneaking into the Prince's mansion."
"Yes, Your Highness, this servant understands." A hint of murderous intent flashed in Dongxue's eyes. Having tricked her way into the palace, no one would believe that Meiju had no ulterior motives.
That night, no matter how much Baili Su tried to reason with her, she wouldn't listen and insisted on sleeping with Ouyang Yue. Lying in bed, Baili Su's eyes were wide open when she suddenly said, "Mom, don't you really have any suspicions at all? The mistress has come knocking on our door."
"What, you have so little confidence in your mother? You think she's worse than that woman? You still can't compete with her?" Ouyang Yue said with a smile.
"Don't you really have any doubts about Dad? I heard they've been living together for a few days now?" Baili Su pouted, clearly having some doubts. He was still so young, and no matter how smart he was, he was still quite clueless about these things. He just felt that the evidence this woman had and the words of the other two people seemed to suggest that Dad had betrayed Mom.
"Rumors stop with the wise. Didn't you notice? They revealed something when they were talking: starting from the second day after your father went to Lincheng, they didn't actually contact him. It's all just rumors. Whether your father disappeared that day or disappeared a few days later as they said, no one can be sure right now."
"Huh? Dad wasn't with her those few days, where did she go? Is she in danger?" Upon hearing this, Baili Su frowned deeply, his face full of worry.
Ouyang Yue smiled and tapped his forehead: "Don't worry about it. Your dad is so capable, how could anything happen to him so easily? It's getting late, go to sleep."
"Hmm, haa~" As soon as he said this, the child's body couldn't take any more fuss. Baili Su yawned, blinked his eyes for a while, and then closed them and fell asleep.
Ouyang Yue was so happy for Baili Su, but she had a faint worry in her heart. That night, she suddenly felt a pang of fear. Could something have happened to her husband? She clenched her fists slightly and spent another sleepless night.
Mei Ju's arrival immediately caused a stir in the capital. Baili Chen was ordered by Emperor Mingxian to find medicine for the Empress Dowager's health, but before he even found the medicine, he was found indulging in debauchery and taking a concubine. Not only that, it is said that Baili Chen suddenly disappeared for some unknown reason. Some people speculated about what Baili Chen was doing. Did he know that he had gone too far and was afraid of being severely punished when he returned, so he went into hiding?
Some people think that Baili Chen might have done something shady in secret, which is why he left his new beautiful wife unattended, had someone escort her back, and then disappeared himself.
Some people heard that there were signs of a fight at the time, and that something might have happened to Prince Chen. Anyway, there were many different opinions, and Prince Chen's mansion was put in the spotlight for a time. What really shocked the people of the capital was the news that came from Linzhou Prefecture a few days later.
He rode his horse wildly into the city, covered in dust, and fell off as soon as he arrived in front of the Prince Chen's residence. The servants of the Prince Chen's residence immediately helped him up, but the man gasped for breath and said urgently, "Prince Chen... His Highness Prince Chen has passed away!"
"What?! Prince Chen is dead?!"