Chapter 423: Who Was It?
A princess losing an ear and nearly getting strangled to death, her vocal cords possibly suffering damage as well, this kind of thing, for an imperial princess that particularly cared about her appearance, the blow can be said to be fatal. In addition to a reputation of cruelly harming innocent children, in this lifetime, she can only just live on in degradation.
Speaking of this, Jing Wan also inwardly sighed. An ‘obedient person’ getting driven into a corner, when erupting, that was also quite scary. That’s why, on normal days, it was still best to leave a bit of leeway. For better or worse, that was her spouse, not an irreconcilable enemy, so why the need?
This kind of mood ruining thing, Jing Wan wasn’t in the mood to continue listening, “It’s better for me to go look for Cang Jin’s emissaries.”
Li Hong Yuan smilingly nodded.
Since she had the intention, Jing Wan immediately just let someone have the invitation sent to the inn.
Because this time for Cang Jin, it was with women in charge, and generally speaking, because they represented a country, coming in contact with Qi Yuan’s officials, that was only natural and expected, but Qi Yuan’s officials were a bunch of old men, so their certain ways of thinking were deep-rooted. In their eyes, women interfering in politics was just ‘the hen crowing at daybreak’. And similarly for the sake of avoiding rumors, they naturally won’t easily come in contact with them either. As for the other countries that aren’t tied by interest, majority also had similar thoughts. Cang Jin was located to the west of Qi Yuan and northwest of Southern Qi. Their other neighbors were just some insignificant small countries.
Cang Jin’s geographical location was special. With Southern Qi, there exist a natural moat, and with Qi Yuan, the two countries were relatively harmonious. As such, for the emissaries of the other countries, even the small ones, they were all relatively busy, yet only Cang Jin alone was very idle. However, they were also rather open-minded, using this time before leaving to freely purchase things in Qi Yuan’s capital. Cang Jin wasn’t as fertile and rich as Qi Yuan, their silk and chinaware also mostly coming from Qi Yuan. Moreover, it was even expensive, and the things may not necessarily be particularly good either. Now that there was the opportunity, and it wasn’t anything taboo either, and comparing the price, it practically couldn’t be cheaper, to not buy at this time, when will one wait until?
Under this kind of circumstance, the emissaries of Cang Jin received Jing Wan’s invitation card and naturally were very much surprised. However, it was clearly written on the invitation card, she was just interested in Cang Jin’s culture and history, as such, wanting to meet with the emissaries of Cang Jin.
As people that have been mingling in officialdom, although they were women, in essence, they were inherently the same as those sly old foxes of Qi Yuan’s official circle. Coming on a diplomatic mission to Qi Yuan, towards Qi Yuan, they naturally would try to understand in detail. In reality, among them, there were even those that specifically studied Qi Yuan, naturally knowing what the situation was like for Qi Yuan’s women. Under this kind of circumstance, they actually received an invitation from a qin-wangfei, even directly stating her interest in Cang Jin?! How was it just unexpected?!
Qi Yuan emphasized on male superiority, and as a descendant of the imperial family, they naturally were further like so. As the wife of this kind of person, to express interest in Cang Jin where women’s position was relatively esteemed, wasn’t that clearly slapping one’s own husband’s face? To put it unpleasantly, it was practically not abiding by the ways of a woman. Was this really okay?
However, the invitation was already sent over, and moreover, the other party’s status was esteemed. And similarly as women, there was nothing to avoid out of taboo either, so naturally there was no reason to refuse. In reality, they were also very curious about this qin-wangfei. If it was a woman from their own country, it would be strange to not think like this, but Qi Yuan’s women have always been taught to view their husband as the sky. To be like them, showing their faces in public, that was truly not allowed. People like them were absolutely the ‘bad example’ for Qi Yuan women. But now, with such an ‘out of bounds’ qin-wangfei appearing, how could they not be curious?
As such, their reply was also very quick, just setting a separate place to meet. After all, there were people coming and going from the inn, even having the other dozen or so countries’ emissaries. It was indeed not a suitable place for a qin-wangfei to go.
It was practically just immediately receiving a reply. Jing Wan’s bad mood finally improved. After happily consulting with her husband, and even preparing a small gift, she prepared to head out the next day.
Whenever Jing Wan shows a bit more care towards others, Li Hong Yuan certainly will be jealous. However, this time, he actually didn’t act up, and some things that Jing Wan wanted to know, he further recounted everything he knew.
Regrettably, the meeting time was still tomorrow, so after settling everything, there seemingly was nothing to do.
And regarding Princess Min Xiang’s matter, to want to not pay attention to, it seemingly also made one unbearably anxious. Forget it, she already knew about that extremely disgusting thing that Princess Min Xiang has done, so how Princess Min Xiang will end up, she should further know.
As for Noble Consort Su, after learning the devastating state of the situation in Princess Min Xiang’s manor, for a moment, she nearly fainted. However, in reality, it wasn’t much better than not fainting, desperately gasping for breath, her chest greatly heaving, unable to recover for a long while. And after recovering, the usually well-mannered person with good self-cultivation, for the first time, smashed her own palace, and then, without the slightest image, angrily cursed that unfilial child!
That ‘unfilial child’ wasn’t like in the past, what she used to scold Li Hong Yuan with, carrying a bit of doting, but rather genuinely, in its truest meaning.
Once this matter gets out, what the aftermath will be, Noble Consort Su couldn’t be more clear. And precisely because she knew, at this very moment, Noble Consort Su hated that she couldn’t personally strangle her own daughter to death. “That unfilial child, that unfilial child, if I’d long known it would come to this, then when she was born, should’ve directly drowned her to death. How come she didn’t get directly strangled to death?! It’d be cleaner if she’d died!”
(T/N: I feel like slowly over the course of the story Noble Consort Su’s true personality is showing little by little.)
The extremely angered Noble Consort Su, the people serving by the side simply didn’t dare to go forward to console.
historical
After violently venting, Noble Consort Su finally regained her rationality. Right now, it was useless to say anything, can only think of a way to have the matter smoothed out as much as possible.
Noble Consort Su violently began coughing, appearing as if her lungs were all about to be coughed out. The palace maid hurriedly poured her water, bringing over a medicine pill.
Noble Consort Su’s body lately hasn’t been well to begin with. This time, with the anger attacking the heart, to have not directly collapsed, it was definitely because her tolerance was super strong.
After recovering, “Inform Rui Qinwang, let him immediately rush to fifth princess’s manor, and have this matter understood clearly.”
“Your Highness, don’t worry, such a big matter, wangye certainly must know already. This while, perhaps he’s already at the princess’s manor.” The palace maid to the side consoled.
These words, Noble Consort Su naturally believed. The way that son handles matters, aside from occasionally advising a little, she has always believed in his abilities.
Speaking of which, to say that this matter didn’t have problems, Noble Consort Su absolutely won’t believe. After all, the distance from Min Xiang’s princess manor to the place where fifth fuma’s outside mistress resided, far exceeded the distance from the princess manor to the palace. When Princess Min Xiang took people to go catch them, someone had already rushed to the palace to report. Even if it wasn’t that easy to enter the palace, taking up some time, she still sent people out of the palace first thing. There was no reason for everything to already be over by the time they arrived at the princess manor. It was obvious, there was a hiccup in the middle. When things are too coincidental, it certainly won’t be a coincidence. Without a doubt, it was probably the same person that had this matter leaked to Min Xiang.
Recently, things have always been unfavorable. Moreover, it was obvious that it was becoming increasingly severe. Noble Consort Su kept feeling that there was an invisible hand controlling everything. Exactly who was it, who?
T/N: Noble Consort Su’s train of thought always amazes me, instead of thinking why she didn’t raise her daughter right, she defaults to why didn’t I drown my child when she was born.
On another note, I am working on a map for reference of the different countries surrounding Qi Yuan. It’ll come in handy in the later chapters when more conflict with the other countries break out. I’m not good with geography....