Han Yаn smilеd with а tоuсh of sorrow. Shе hаd given her уounger brоthеr hеr whоlеhеarted sinсerity, yet never imаginеd that in his еyеs, shе wаs а suspiсiоus, sсhеming, аnd ugly рerson. She hаdn’t intеnded tо treat Ying Zi harshlу, but the momеnt she heаrd thе wоrd "brоthеl," shе сouldn’t helр but fеel wаrу. Тhat sistеr Ying Zi was in а brоthel, which trulу mаde Нan Yan suspiсious. Acсоrding tо her stоry, her familу wаs еxtrеmеlу рооr, but Hаn Yаn had sеen hеr hands—fair, dеlicаtе, аnd showing nо signs оf hаving dоne heavу or rough labor. If she hаdn’t done such wоrk, wasn’t that сontrаdiсtorу to her account? So was Ying Zi lying? When Han Yan pressed her, Ying Zi’s attitude only seemed to add to the suspicion. Something that could have been explained clearly in a few words—why did she have to prove her innocence by threatening death?
When Zhuang Hanming and Han Yan were arguing, Ying Zi merely looked panicked and didn’t speak up to stop them. If she were an ordinary servant, seeing her master arguing over her, she would surely have tried to downplay the matter and resolve it quietly.
Wasn’t this all too strange?
Han Yan gazed at the flower branches before her and said, "Am I really... that despicable?"
Shu Hong immediately shook her head. "Miss, please don’t say that. The young master is still young and doesn’t understand your hardships." Seeing Han Yan’s melancholy expression, she couldn’t help but feel heartache. "We servants have seen all that you’ve done for the young master. Here, if you show mercy to your enemies, you’re only being cruel to yourself. The situation is chaotic now—Dove Tree Courtyard, Hibiscus Garden, and even the master’s side are not easy to deal with. Miss, you’ve been forced into this. If it were an ordinary person, who would want to live a life of scheming every day? Who would want to plot and plan? It’s only because you fear that the moment you close your eyes, someone might push you over the edge." Shu Hong was usually steady and rarely spoke like this, but seeing Han Yan in such a state, she was genuinely worried and tried to offer comfort.
Han Yan smiled faintly. "Thank you, Shu Hong." Indeed, who wouldn’t want to live an innocent and harmless life, spending days admiring flowers, playing the zither, without having to navigate social intricacies or guard against others’ schemes? But there were too many helpless things in life. She would not repeat the fate of her previous life. Even if Ming’er hated her and saw her as a wicked person, she had no choice but to accept it.
"Shu Hong, have someone keep a close watch on that Ying Zi," Han Yan said. To make the usually obedient Zhuang Hanming turn against her, this Ying Zi was truly no ordinary person.
Yet, Han Yan lowered her gaze. It seemed this had also exposed many issues. Zhuang Hanming was growing up day by day. She didn’t plan to tell him about her rebirth, hoping he wouldn’t have to endure the same pain as she did. She wanted him to keep his pure heart forever, to be an upright and honorable person. But this meant Zhuang Hanming would never understand that as long as they remained in the Zhuang residence, their days of scheming and being schemed against would never end.
She wanted to tear off the hypocritical masks of those in the Zhuang residence, to let Zhuang Hanming see clearly and understand that in such a place, kindness was the least necessary thing.
But was this truly the right thing to do?
For the first time, Han Yan began to hesitate about her decision.Not many days later, it was the birthday of Consort Chen in the palace. The emperor, who doted on Consort Chen, specially held a banquet for her in the palace. The banquet mostly invited female relatives, and Han Yan and Zhuangshan were also among the invited.
Mama Chen got up early in the morning to pick out clothes for Han Yan: "Young lady's status is different now. As the Xuan Qing Prince Consort, those plain and simple clothes from before might be inappropriate and lose dignity. We should choose something more vibrant." After picking and choosing for half a day, she was still unsatisfied: "I should have known to have a few new outfits tailored..."
Han Yan smiled and said, "Just pick any one. After all, we are only going to offer birthday wishes, not doing anything else. As long as it's dignified and without mistakes, it's fine."
Mama Chen shook her head disapprovingly: "Young lady is just seeking convenience, but His Highness might not think the same. Now, young lady represents His Highness's face. Only when young lady is dignified can His Highness be dignified."
Han Yan almost laughed out loud. She was Fu Yunxi's face? Thinking of Fu Yunxi's handsome and exquisite appearance, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. That man, standing alone in the center, would probably overshadow everyone else's dignity. How could she possibly add to his dignity? Perhaps what others said was not wrong—she, Zhuang Hanyan, had truly climbed to a high branch.
After Mama Chen dressed her and Ji Lan and Shu Hong finished her makeup, Han Yan stood up and stretched. Every time she went to the palace or attended a banquet, it felt like fighting a tough battle. However, as she attended more often, she grew accustomed to such a life and became quite adept at it.
However, this was Consort Chen's birthday. Consort Chen was the birth mother of the Seventh Prince, and she had specifically added Han Yan's name to the invitation. It was likely that her intentions were not good.
She took out the Plum Blossom Thorn from the box, weighed it in her hand, and tucked it into her sleeve before saying to Ji Lan and the others, "Let's go."
In the imperial palace, perhaps the most magnificent hall was the Colorful Phoenix Hall. Its walls were built with white jade, the floors paved with golden bricks, and everywhere were placed coral, gemstones, and countless rare treasures. Persian wool carpets cascaded down the steps, soft and vibrant. Bronze crane mouths emitted precious sandalwood incense. Even in winter, crystal plates on the tables were still filled with summer fruits and melons.
On the side of the women's seating area, the tables were filled with delicately shaped pastries and fine wines. Noble ladies and madams chatted warmly. Consort Chen sat beside the Empress Dowager. Today was her birthday, and she was adorned in splendid attire, looking exceptionally beautiful. The Empress sat on the other side, chatting and laughing with the wives of generals. At this moment, a slightly high-pitched voice said, "I heard that the Xuan Qing Prince Consort will also be here today. What a surprise."
A woman dressed in noble attire heard this and covered her mouth with a smile: "Then we can see for ourselves what the Xuan Qing Prince Consort looks like." Fu Yunxi had been dashing and successful since his youth, handsome and noble, with an incomparably prestigious family background. He was the dream lover of many daughters of the Great Dynasty. When news of the Xuan Qing Prince's engagement spread, many young women cried into their pillows all night. Today, at Consort Chen's birthday banquet, there were also quite a few young women who had once fantasized about becoming the prince consort. Already harboring jealousy toward the prince consort, upon hearing the news that she would attend, they all craned their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of the Xuan Qing Prince Consort."Fourth Sister might be a little late." The one who spoke was Zhuangshan. Today, she was clearly dressed in her finest attire, appearing radiant and dazzling. Unlike the beauty of her maiden years, now that she was married, she had fully blossomed, exuding a completely different charm. Her movements were enchanting and graceful, which many noble young ladies looked upon with disdain. Because Zhuangshan was so stunningly beautiful, they felt envious. Although she was a concubine-born daughter, becoming the side consort of Prince Wei's heir was still considered marrying into a prestigious family. Among the seated ladies, some who had never met Han Yan couldn't help but think that since Xuan Qing Prince Consort and Zhuangshan were sisters, she must also be the kind of seductive woman who bewitches her lord. Thus, they harbored some dislike for this unseen Xuan Qing Prince Consort.
"I've heard that this Xuan Qing Prince Consort is naturally jealous and forbids Xuan Qing Prince from taking side consorts or concubines," remarked one noble lady.
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