Chapter 118 (1/2)

Chapter 118: Stories of the Past

Everyone was stunned into silence when Jun Huang walked out of the room. Had the turquoise she wore transformed her into an unmatched beauty, or had she elevated the robe into the perfect embodiment of the melancholy sky? What was indisputable was that everything else paled in comparison to her. It was as if she was the only person left standing in the world.

The housekeeper snuck a few glances at her. Gentleman Feng is a man, he thought, but I've never seen anyone so beautiful. He is indeed an extraordinary person with no match in the world.

”What's wrong?” asked Jun Huang. The housekeeper had been staring at her during their trip to Prince Chen Manor. It wasn't obvious, but Jun Huang could feel his eyes on her.

The housekeeper's face turned red in mortification. He was more than forty years old for heaven's sake, and yet here he was, feeling bashful because of Jun Huang's polite but aloof smile. He shook his head and continued forward.

Inside the manor, Jun Huang could see Qi Chen and his two consorts at the door. Nan Guyue wore a blue dress that wrapped around her body like petals of an unbloomed flower. The dangling ornament on her hairpin chimed as she walked. Wei Lanying's face was still pale from the illness she had only just recovered from. Her yellow dress was rendered poignant by her air of sadness. The ta.s.sels in her hair dropped to the side of her ears. She sported a more adorned look than Nan Guyue.

Qi Chen had not dressed too differently for the occasion. He wore a dark blue silk robe and a simple white jade cap. He was startled at the sight of Jun Huang as she greeted him. It boggled his mind that Jun Huang could made such a common color so elegant.

”This gentleman has kept Your Highness waiting,” Jun Huang said softly.

Qi Chen's head jerked up and his eyes flicked to the side. He huffed out a silent laugh. He had made a fool of himself.

They exchanged some pleasantries. Jun Huang asked Nan Guyue if she was feeling well and if the child was healthy. Jun Huang then turned to Wei Lanying and politely asked if she had recovered from her illness.

In reality, their minds were preoccupied with different thoughts that had nothing to do with what they were talking about. The smalltalk was merely an illusion of diplomacy.

The coach had been prepared. Qi Chen led them in. They set out for Prince Duan Manor.

It only took the time it would take for a pot of tea to brew for them to reach their destination. Outside the manor, there were already a line of officials waiting to enter. It was a clear indication of how much the officials respected Prince Duan.

The housekeeper at Prince Duan Manor had been waiting at the door. He approached them when he spotted Qi Chen and bowed at him. ”The prince said to let Your Highness in directly.”

Qi Chen nodded before helping Nan Guyue into the manor. He reminded her to watch her steps, his eyes soft and considerate. From the outside, they looked like the perfect couple.

But Jun Huang knew it was merely an act for the courtiers. Qi Chen had always been pretentious.

It wasn't long before she started to get bored. At the time being, not a lot of people had been allowed to enter. Qi Chen was busy engaging Prince Duan in a pleasant conversation.

Jun Huang remembered Prince Duan. She had a.s.signed someone to investigate him. It was said that Prince Duan was completely free of ambitions or desires, and that he was a prince who was content with being a prince. Today, though, for reasons she could not explain, Jun Huang had a feeling that Prince Duan wasn't as indifferent to power as people said. He must have a hidden agenda.

If Prince Duan was ambitious, though, why wasn't the emperor more wary of him? Jun Huang could not figure out the answer. She said a few words to Qi Chen to excuse herself and went outside to get some fresh air.

Prince Duan Manor was intricately designed. Every part of the architecture had a feel of quaintness to it. Decorating the hallway were a number of palace lamps made of colored gla.s.s. Not far from her was a fake mountain. It felt as if she had walked into the land of the celestials.

She followed along the path and went deeper into the manor. She wanted to see for herself if any secrets lay within this place.

Opportunities were awarded to those who put in the time and efforts. Not long after, she heard a conversation between two old women. They must have worked in this manor for years.

”Good heavens, Lady Fu has suffered a miscarriage!” one of them said.

The other laughed and responded, ”What's so surprising about that? It's not the first time something similar has happened. Many consorts and concubines live in this manor, but none ever give birth to a child successfully.”

”You are right,” said the old woman. ”It is odd that among all the women who have gotten pregnant before, none were able to produce an offspring.”

”Yes, yes. Ever since the prince parted with that woman, this manor has not seen any newborns. I heard she is doing just fine in the palace.”

Snap! With her attention solely on the conversation, Jun Huang accidentally stepped on a twig, alerting the two old women. Jun Huang's heart started to pound in frenzy.

Before the old women could find their way her, a pair of strong and callused hands pulled Jun Huang into an artificial cave behind the fake mountain.

”Who's there?” One of the old woman was approaching. Jun Huang could see her delicately adorned shoes. Jun Huang didn't know who it was that stood behind her. Neither did she knew if the old woman would spot her. Nevertheless, she managed to keep herself silent. The only thing she could hear were her thundering heartbeats.

She held her breath. A rac.o.o.n jumped out of nowhere and landed at the old woman's feet. The woman relaxed her guard and picked the rac.o.o.n up.