Shen Yanchuan raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Oh?"
His gaze lingered on Ye Chutang’s face for a moment.
This was their first time meeting since they parted ways in Shiluan City.
She seemed to have grown a little thinner. ’Then again, she’s had no shortage of trouble lately, and dealing with it must have been quite draining.’
But she had a naturally oval face, and having slimmed down only made her appear more ethereal and refined.
Ye Chutang looked over as well. Her clear, dark eyes curved into a slight smile as she nodded in greeting.
"Princely Heir, I trust you’ve been well."
A small head peeked out from the carriage, revealing a pair of large eyes strikingly similar to her own—as dark as grapes, glistening and bright.
’Young Master!’
A slight smile touched Shen Yanchuan’s lips. "Second Miss Ye, Xiao Wu. It’s been a while."
For some reason, Princess Qingyang felt like a bit of a third wheel.
Fortunately, Shen Yanchuan hadn’t forgotten her and quickly included her. "Talking about Murong Ye?"
Princess Qingyang: "..."
’I’d rather not!’
’I can do without that kind of concern!’
She shot him a reproachful glance and said pointedly, "We were talking about more than just him!"
’We were also talking about Ye Chutang’s younger siblings!’
Ye Chutang couldn’t see what was worth arguing about. Thankfully, the procession of carriages ahead started moving again. She gave a slight nod. "Princely Heir, please go on ahead."
Shen Yanchuan finally looked away.
As the carriage moved forward again, Princess Qingyang was still stewing. "What’s with you and my brother, ganging up on me like that? Whose side are you on, mine or his?"
Ye Chutang found the question a little odd but didn’t press the matter, skillfully deflecting it. "We’ll need to ask him for a favor later, so naturally, we need to stay on his good side."
Princess Qingyang was once again easily placated.
"I knew you were the best to me! My brother is unreliable; you’re the only one I can count on!"
’After all, she’s sitting right here in my carriage!’
After a moment’s thought, she lifted the curtain again and asked pointedly, "By the way, why did the carriage from the Dingbei Marquis Mansion come over just now?"
An accompanying guard explained, "To answer the Commandery Princess, it seems Consort Ru’s carriage up ahead broke down, which caused the delay."
Princess Qingyang paused. "Oh?"
’So that’s what happened.’
Still, she would never believe that her brother hadn’t slowed down on purpose.
"So, is Consort Ru’s carriage fixed now?"
"It wasn’t a major problem. It should be fixed by now."
Princess Qingyang craned her neck to peer ahead before settling back into the carriage. She sniffed. "An inauspicious start. With a temper like hers, some poor servant is bound to suffer for it."
But Ye Chutang just smiled. "Not necessarily. The Second Prince is also here today. She’s in a good mood, so why would she bother with such trivial matters?"
Even if only for appearances, she wouldn’t act petty in front of all the court officials during the autumn hunt.
Princess Qingyang considered this and agreed it was true.
"Prince Qi committed such a huge blunder, yet he was only put under house arrest for a month before being let out! Consort Ru is clearly still in favor... But wait, I think I just saw Xiao Lansi?"
Ye Chutang quickly put it together. "Princess Yuhe?"
"That’s the one." Princess Qingyang shrugged. "She’s been away from the Capital City for quite a few years. I heard she even had a hand in getting Prince Qi’s confinement lifted so smoothly!"
When it came to matters of the Imperial Palace, there was almost nothing Princess Qingyang couldn’t find out if she put her mind to it.
And that included matters concerning this Princess Yuhe.
Ye Chutang hadn’t heard of this before and was slightly surprised. "Really? I thought... she wasn’t in favor with His Majesty?"
"She isn’t favored, but she knows how to give the right gifts!" Princess Qingyang explained how the princess had presented an auspicious omen. "With Consort Ru backing her, everything else just fell into place."
Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow. "In that case, this Princess Yuhe must be exceptionally clever."
Princess Qingyang waved it off dismissively. "If she weren’t clever, how else would she have survived in the depths of the Imperial Palace?"
Ye Chutang glanced at her.
Most people thought Princess Qingyang was impulsive and reckless, someone who did nothing but stir up trouble all day. In reality, she saw many things with perfect clarity.
"She really went to great lengths, thinking up a scheme like that just to help Prince Qi out of his predicament."
Xiao Lansi has no support from her maternal clan. Attaching herself to Consort Ru’s faction is her best path forward.
"Besides, she’s now of marriageable age. I suspect her return to the capital has something to do with that, too."
No matter how much His Majesty dislikes this daughter, he can’t just leave her stationed outside the capital forever and ignore her completely.
"If Consort Ru arranges a match for her, she’ll marry far better than she could ever manage on her own."
Ye Chutang nodded in understanding.
’If that’s the case, it’s not hard to understand why Princess Yuhe did what she did.’
’But...’
Ye Chutang studied Princess Qingyang’s expression, her own gaze turning thoughtful. "You don’t seem to like her very much, do you?"
"It’s not that I dislike her, I just can’t seem to get close to a person like that." Princess Qingyang frowned at a memory. "Her personality... it’s like she has no temper at all, you know? We played together a few times when we were children, and I just couldn’t stand her disposition. After she left the capital, we never saw each other again."
At this, she pursed her lips. "But it’s probably because she lost her mother at a young age and His Majesty dislikes her that the Eldest Princess has such a soft spot for her."
This would also explain why the Eldest Princess had once specifically asked Ye Chutang to check Xiao Lansi’s pulse.
...
"That’s Princess Qingyang’s carriage, isn’t it?"
During a pause while her carriage was being repaired, Xiao Lansi, who was sitting inside, lifted the curtain to look back. She happened to see a particularly luxurious and stately carriage, and the insignia of the House of Yan Nan upon it proclaimed its owner’s identity.
She said with a smile,
"After all these years, her relationship with the Heir of Duke Dingbei is as close as ever."
Consort Ru was already in a foul mood because of her carriage. She couldn’t help but feel that having such an accident before they even reached the hunting grounds was a bad omen.
Hearing Xiao Lansi’s comment, she said listlessly, "She’s just an uncivilized brat. If it weren’t for her powerful father, how many people in the capital would give her the time of day?"
She had always looked down on the wild, untamable, and unruly Princess Qingyang.
The smile on Xiao Lansi’s face faltered slightly, and she lowered her gaze.
’It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the principle. But in this world, there were no what-ifs.’
’King Yan Nan had only one precious daughter, so naturally, he spoiled her rotten.’
But the feeling was fleeting. When she looked up again, her expression had already returned to its usual gentle, timid innocence.
"I thought I heard another voice coming from her carriage. It sounded like... a young woman?"
At this, Consort Ru’s expression grew even more peculiar.
The corner of her mouth twitched into a sneer.
"The one sitting in there is Ye Chutang."
Xiao Lansi paused, then feigned a hint of surprise. "No wonder."
’No wonder the carriage from the Dingbei Marquis Mansion had deliberately slowed down, just to exchange a few words with that woman.’