Chapter 481 (2/2)

When they returned to the capital, Pengxin was holding Aixin. When she stepped into the estate, she felt much more confidant than her previous self.

She no longer needed to learn how to embroider or how to cook. Holding her three-ring sword in the other hand, she watched Luoqi and the other women standing before her and trembling in fear.

”Madam?”

Smiling, Pengyue pointed at her young daughter. ”This is my daughter. Her name is Aixin.”

Luoqi furrowed her brow. ”How could a name be recklessly chosen? Since she's the general's daughter and the daughter of the main wife, her name has to follow the generational naming rule...”

”Let's just call her Aixin.” Ning Mingjie came in from behind. As soon as Pengxin saw him, she didn't care about anything else. Putting her sword and daughter down, she went forward and hugged his arm. Little Aixin also stumbled forward to hug Ning Mingjie's leg.

Ning Mingjie dryly coughed, and Pengxin let go of him and properly stood by his side. With the elegant demeanor of the main wife, she said, ”General, since you're back, let's go eat.”

Just as Luoqi was about to speak, Ning Mingjie had already nodded his head. ”Let's eating in the main hall. It's been a long journey back. After eating, you should go rest.”

”En.” Smiling, Pengxin nodded.

Luoqi and Xianglan's expressions didn't look good. They hadn't seen the general for three years. During this time, Madam had been alone with the general. How could this be good?

Gritting her teeth, Xianglan said, ”Public opinion is powerful enough to obscure right and wrong. Anything can be grounded down to dust. Who cares about what happened during the past three years? The rest of our life is much longer than three years. Why wouldn't we be able to win against her eventually?”

---

Nuanyu quietly observed Ning Mingjie in the garden.

He looked the same as before. He was just indifferently sitting there. Nearby, Pengxin was looking at the fruits on a tree. It looked as if she wanted to climb up the tree to pick a few fruits. It clearly looked as if Ning Mingjie hadn't been paying attention to her, but he stood up, walked over there, and quietly exchanged a few words with Pengxin. Then, he jumped up and picked two fruits that weren't ripe yet.

Pengxin laughed. Ning Mingjie curved his lips upwards, then he sat back down near her.

”He seems different,” Nuanyu quietly said.

”What did you say?” Xianglan hadn't been able to clearly hear her.

Nuanyu pursed her lips, but only silently shook her head.

Sometimes, a man's heart could be divided into many pieces. During that time, you could still compete for his affection. Although you couldn't dredge up his entire heart, you could still get a few fragments.

However, once that man wholeheartedly love someone, it wasn't possible to compete anymore. Once that heart was given away to someone else, it wouldn't be transferred to someone else later.

Looking at that woman from afar, who was dressed in riding attire, Nuanyu sighed, turned around, and left.

Luoqi was still discussing with Xianglan on what they should do to counteract the effects of Madam and the general spending three years together.

---

In the depths of the inner court, women would always compete for a man's favor.

For those women that spent their lives competing and only getting a high status and wealth as a consolation prize, but unable to receive a man's love, their endings were perhaps the most tragic ones.