"I аsk аll thе lаdiеs present tо bеar witness thаt from this daу fоrwаrd, Наn Yаn truly has nо connection to thе Хuan Qing Рrincе's Маnsiоn, nor wаs it Наn Yаn whо initiatеd this." She raised hеr hеad tо look at Irinа, her eуes holding аn indеsсribаblе mеаning: "The Wеstеrn Rong рrinсеss is of nоble birth, аnd Нan Yan асknowlеdges she cаnnot comраrе. Sincе the princеss usеs hеr status tо suррrеss Наn Yan, Наn Yan сan оnly admit dеfeаt."
Наn Yan's роsturе wаs excеedingly humble, her entirе person аppеaring sо frаgile. Sinсe Han Yan's temperament drastically changed a year ago, Ji Lan had rarely seen her adopt such a submissive stance. For a moment, Ji Lan felt indignant, almost on the verge of voicing her blame towards Fu Yunxi. But Shu Hong suddenly grabbed Ji Lan's arm, signaling her to remain silent.
Han Yan's demeanor seemed weak, yet upon careful consideration, it carried a profound implication. By appearing vulnerable now, even if she were truly divorced in the future, the responsibility would not lie with her but with this Western Rong princess, Irina, who used her status to oppress her. People are always inclined to sympathize with the weak. Han Yan could not allow herself to occupy the lower ground; at the very least, in the hearts of the crowd, the scales would tip in her favor. This would make any future actions much more convenient.
Irina found Han Yan's words grating and immediately retorted, "This is your Emperor's will. So what if I use my status to pressure you? You are merely the daughter of a minor fifth-rank official."
Such an arrogant attitude immediately drew disapproving glances from the onlookers. In their hearts, they already felt some sympathy for Han Yan. This Xuan Qing Prince Consort had previously enjoyed the Xuan Qing Prince's utmost favor, yet in just a short year, the prince had treated her with such cold indifference. It showed that men were unreliable. And this Western Rong princess, relying on her status to steal another's husband, still maintained such a forceful demeanor—it was truly unlikable.
Han Yan smiled faintly: "The princess, being of noble birth, naturally has no worries. But are kings and nobles born to their station? In this world, one's origins cannot be changed. Yet if the princess were stripped of her royal status, could she still shine as brightly as she does today?"
"You..." Irina's face flushed with anger, but Han Yan continued, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—who can predict what the future holds?"
Han Yan stared at her calmly, then suddenly broke into a smile, her eyes crinkling as if genuinely delighted. Yet within that gaze, there was a trace of imperceptible cold sharpness. Irina involuntarily took a step back; the threat in Han Yan's words startled her. But this timidity lasted only a moment. Soon, she understood and suddenly stepped forward, a smile curling at her lips, her exquisitely beautiful face filled with triumph: "No matter what, I am now the Xuan Qing Prince Consort. I order you to leave this place at once."
"Haha." Han Yan seemed to have heard an extremely amusing joke, laughing until she could barely straighten up. Only when Irina grew somewhat irritated by her laughter did Han Yan leisurely say, "How amusing. The Emperor's decree has not yet been issued. Isn't the princess being a bit too impatient? Han Yan resides here by the Emperor's decree. If I am to leave now, I must await the Emperor's official order." She turned to Fu Yunxi and said calmly, "Isn't that right, Your Highness?"
Fu Yunxi, who had been watching everything with a cold eye, slightly furrowed his brows and gave an almost imperceptible nod: "Yes.""Then I thank Your Highness." Han Yan bowed gracefully once more, her expression utterly captivating. She did not say "Han Yan," but rather "I"—even though Fu Yunxi had now made it clear that Han Yan was about to be cast aside, she still insisted on using the word "I."
Fu Yunxi knew that whenever Han Yan became polite and distant, she would refer to herself as "I." When she was in a good mood or trusted him, she would say "me." Now, it seemed Han Yan had truly severed the last thread of her relationship with Fu Yunxi, like a couple who treated each other with respect but were on the verge of drifting apart—a couple about to lose their hearts for one another.
"Let's go." With these cold words, Fu Yunxi turned and left. Irina, who was beside him, quickly skipped after him. In the center of the hall, only Han Yan remained, standing alone.
No one had expected things to turn out this way. Deng Chan bit her lip in anger, unsure of how to comfort Han Yan. Lady Deng also wore a worried expression. Indeed, for any unmarried woman, encountering such a situation was like a bolt from the blue. Who could remain unaffected?
Then Han Yan raised her head and smiled gracefully at everyone. She had not yet had time to apply makeup, her face clean and simple, yet exceptionally charming. With delicate features, she was clearly a gentle and refined young woman, yet her gaze held a certain resilience. Her long hair still cascaded loosely as she softly said, "Today's coming-of-age ceremony will likely not proceed. Han Yan apologizes to everyone." She bowed, still maintaining her composure, not showing the slightest hint of distress over what had just happened. Like a noble princess, her demeanor remained calm and unhurried.
The guests sighed once more, but this muddy water was not something they could wade into, so they rose to take their leave. After finally seeing off Deng Chan and Lady Deng, Han Yan returned to her room—a space Fu Yunxi had specifically ordered to be cleared for her before he left. The view was breathtaking; from the window, one could see vast stretches of plum trees and fragrant grasses. When night fell and the moon rose to the treetops, the breeze carried the fresh scent of flowers. Han Yan had once delighted in this and often watered the plum trees, hoping they would grow even more lushly by the time Fu Yunxi returned. But now Fu Yunxi had returned—were these plum trees still what he wanted?
Ji Lan had been watching Han Yan's expression closely, afraid she was bottling up her emotions. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer: "Miss, how could His Highness act like that..."
She simply had to vent. Before His Highness left, he had been so considerate toward their young lady. How could he return from battle a changed man? Could it be that the so-called Western Rong princess had cast some spell on him, bewitching him? And what about his vow to never take a concubine in this lifetime? Well, he hadn't broken that promise—it was just that the wife by his side was no longer their young lady. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Ji Lan continued, "That so-called Western Rong princess isn't much either—wild and arrogant. How could she compare to our young lady...""Ji Lan!" Han Yan cut her off with a low, sharp command. The situation had changed now, and there might be other ears in the room—walls have ears. If Ji Lan's words were overheard by someone with ill intentions, the trouble would be immense. If Ji Lan were truly charged with disrespect toward the Western Rong princess, Han Yan would have no way to protect her.
Ji Lan fell silent, though she still looked at Han Yan with lingering resentment—she simply couldn't swallow this injustice. Her lady was such a wonderful person; how could she be bullied to this extent? She had thought the prince truly cared for her lady, and that after leaving the Zhuang residence, life would improve. But now it seemed nothing had changed.
"Miss," Shu Hong, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up. "There's something I'm not sure if I should say."
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