Madam Jiang returned to the Marquis Manor and casually asked where Duan Mingxi was. A maid replied, “The eldest young lady just left the manor. The eldest young lady of the Duke Wei Mansion invited her out for tea.”
Madam Jiang’s steps faltered, and her expression darkened further.
Duke Wei Mansion… the maternal family of Duan Wang.
Now that Mingxi was engaged to Duan Wang, her status was rising steadily, and everyone treated her with reverence. But what about her own daughter, Huirou?
Because she was constantly suppressed by her own sister, she now barely even left the house.
The more she thought about it, the more distressed she felt. With Jiang Sujie’s situation weighing on her mind, Madam Jiang also began to seriously consider Huirou’s marriage. She had to find a good match for her daughter, no matter what.
Duan Mingxi had arranged to meet Xu Nanxi at Yuxian Tower, but unexpectedly, they ran into Yao Yunyi and Liu Yunhua, who were out shopping. The four of them decided to sit together.
“I wonder what’s happening in the palace. Do you have any news?” Yao Yunyi asked, looking at the others.
Liu Yunhua shook her head and said, “What news could there be? Even if something happened, they’d suppress it. Who would dare let anything slip?”
Even if rumors were to spread, it would take a few days.
“I really didn’t expect He Wanyi to go this far. What do you think she’s after? Her elder sister is Jin Wangfei, her brother-in-law is Jin Wang, and she herself is from a noble family. Her marriage prospects wouldn’t be bad.”
“No matter how good, she still couldn’t marry into the royal family.” Xu Nanxi scoffed. “Besides, I suspect there’s more to this matter than meets the eye.”
Luckily, Chu Qingying wasn’t here. Otherwise, this would be most distressing for Yu Wangfei—after all, it was her biological sister. it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to discuss this in front of her.
“What do you mean?” Yao Yunyi asked, her delicate brows furrowing as she lowered her voice. “Do you know something? Tell us.”
Xu Nanxi glanced at Mingxi before speaking, “Think about it. Before this scandal broke, who was suffering the most? Besides, Yu Wang is your cousin. if you don’t have any inside information, how could we?”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Yao Yunyi choked on her words, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
She turned to Mingxi and asked, “Mingxi, what do you think?”
Mingxi looked at her and replied, “There’s nothing much to say. Palace affairs are not something we can casually discuss.”
Yao Yunyi almost rolled her eyes. She huffed, “So what if Yu Wang is my cousin? That doesn’t mean I have control over what happens in his household.”
Come on, he was her cousin, not her own brother—of course she knew how to keep her distance.
“You really don’t have any clues at all?” Liu Yunhua asked suspiciously.
Yao Yunyi’s face darkened. “How would I have witnessed such a disgraceful scandal?”
Oh wow. She even used the phrase “disgraceful scandal”—clearly, she was furious.
Liu Yunhua quickly tried to calm her. “I was just asking. No need to get upset. I thought you might have some insight since you associate with the ladies of the Xingan Marquis Manor.”
“Insight? All I feel is embarrassment.” Yao Yunyi covered her face. “Tell me, what was my cousin even thinking? He Wanyi isn’t particularly beautiful, nor does she have an overwhelming presence. What exactly did he see in her?”
Hearing this, Mingxi silently speculated—so the Guangxiang Marquis Mansion truly had no idea about this matter. otherwise, Yao Yunyi wouldn’t be this oblivious.
With that in mind, an idea flashed through her mind, and she asked, “From what you’re saying, the Guangxiang Marquis Mansion was completely unaware?”
Yao Yunyi sighed. “If we had even the slightest hint, my family would have advised my cousin against it or at least informed my aunt. It wouldn’t have escalated to this point.”
Yao Yunyi understood Mingxi’s personality well. Suddenly recalling what Xu Nanxi had said earlier, her expression changed drastically, and she stared at Mingxi. “Mingxi, you’re the smartest among us. Did you figure something out?”
Yu Wang’s stance was different from Duan Wang’s. This matter involved conflicts between the Crown Prince’s faction and other royal members. Even though Mingxi and Yao Yunyi were close friends, some things could be said and done, while others couldn’t be spoken or acted upon too openly. She couldn’t drag Xiao Muchen into unnecessary trouble.
However, that didn’t mean they couldn’t form strategic alliances from certain angles.
Yu Wangfei had entered the palace to take down Consort Xian and Yu Wang. Xiao Muchen had surely collaborated with Consort Shu to fan the flames.
Since Yao Yunyi claimed the Guangxiang Marquis Mansion was completely unaware, that actually made things easier.
Mingxi put on a hesitant expression and seemed to struggle with whether to speak.
It wasn’t that she wanted to deceive Yao Yunyi, but she knew that once Yao Yunyi returned home, she would surely report this to Guangxiang Marquis. And Guangxiang Marquis was no fool—every word and expression had to be carefully measured.
She wanted to align with Guangxiang Marquis, not turn him into an enemy.
But their cooperation had to appear unintentional; Guangxiang Marquis couldn’t be made aware of any manipulation.
Otherwise, in the future, when Xiao Muchen and Yu Wang inevitably clashed, Guangxiang Marquis might look back and feel he had been tricked—his wariness toward them would soar.
That wouldn’t be ideal.
Seeing Mingxi’s expression, Yao Yunyi became even more anxious. “Mingxi, do you actually know something? Tell me!”
“I can tell you, but just listen and leave it at that,” Mingxi sighed.
Now even Liu Yunhua sensed something was off. She stared at Mingxi and asked, “Mingxi, what exactly is going on?”
Xu Nanxi suddenly recalled something her cousin had mentioned in passing. A thought clicked in her mind, and she said to Yao Yunyi and Liu Yunhua, “Ah, you two are so caught up in this that you forgot—Mingxi’s Third Uncle works at the Imperial Horse Bureau.”
The two of them hadn’t thought of that.
Liu Yunhua looked at Xu Nanxi. “So when you mentioned something suspicious earlier, were you referring to this?”
Yao Yunyi’s expression shifted dramatically as she turned to Mingxi. “Mingxi, are you saying my cousin was set up to take the fall?”
“Watch your words! Yu Wang is a royal—how could he be a scapegoat?” Liu Yunhua quickly interjected. Still, she turned back to Mingxi, her tone urgent. “Mingxi, does this really have something to do with that?”
“I’m not too sure about the rest, but I did hear my Third Uncle mention that before Huang Zhangyin took over the Imperial Horse Bureau, Lu Zhangyin’s accounts were indeed unclear. Now, Censor Zhong is conducting a thorough investigation. Additionally, Lu Zhangyin has close ties with Duke Cao, though the specific findings have yet to be revealed, so i can’t make any reckless assumptions.”
Yao Yunyi and Liu Yunhua were both daughters of prestigious families. While they might not have paid much attention to such matters, they had certainly heard their elders discuss them at home.
The Empress and the Crown Prince were indeed in a precarious situation lately. if Third Master Duan had insider information that Lu Zhiliang and Duke Cao were involved in illicit dealings, then the Empress and the Crown Prince…
The two of them instantly turned pale.
Yao Yunyi even broke out in a cold sweat. So, her cousin’s scandal with He Wanyi had been orchestrated to shield someone else?
if His Majesty’s attention was focused on her cousin, the Crown Prince’s pressure would be significantly reduced. The Empress and Duke Cao would then have more room to maneuver and might even escape with minimal consequences.
But her cousin would be doomed.
A Wangye being accused of illicit relations with a woman? His future would be ruined.
Yao Yunyi abruptly stood up and said to the others, “Mingxi, I have to go back and tell my Father. My cousin has fallen into a trap.”
Mingxi quickly said, “Hey, this is just my personal speculation. There’s no concrete evidence. You mustn’t mislead the Marquis—if anything goes wrong, I can’t take responsibility.”
Yao Yunyi couldn’t sit still any longer. She immediately replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything clearly to my Father. I won’t implicate you. The fact that you’re even telling me this is already a huge favor.”
Hearing this, Mingxi felt a slight pang of guilt. She grabbed Yao Yunyi’s hand and whispered, “At this point, the Empress and the Crown Prince will undoubtedly hold their ground. It won’t be easy for Yu Wang to get out of this. Right now, your family must work together with Consort Xian and Yu Wangfei to weather this crisis.”
Yao Yunyi was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood. “Thank you, Mingxi. I understand now.”
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