Chapter 4 For whom does Xie Yan warm his handkerchief?

Chapter 4 For whom does Xie Yan warm his handkerchief?

Xie Yan gripped his robe with his fingers, raised his deep eyes, and looked out through the car window.

The carriage from the Second Prince's residence was obviously going faster, and they were about to pass each other when the wind blew up the window, revealing a corner inside.

Inside sat a beautiful woman with a cool and aloof demeanor.

She wore her hair in a bun, held up only by a single jade hairpin, which made her appear even more elegant and refined, beyond compare.

Shen Nanzi quickly waved and greeted her with a smile, "Second Imperial Sister-in-law!"

A delicate hand lifted the carriage curtain, and the woman smiled faintly as a greeting.

"Is Second Sister-in-law also going to the Imperial Uncle's residence?" Shen Nanzi had been cooped up in the Prince's residence for several days and rarely saw outsiders. Xie Yan was also by her side, and she was happy.

"Yes." Xue Qingning nodded, and the carriage passed by.

Shen Nanzi watched as her carriage curtain slowly fell, then turned around and looked at Xie Yan, only to see that he was also looking out the window. She turned her head back before she looked back at him.

"Is the mourning period for my second sister-in-law over?" she murmured to herself. "Has my second brother been gone for three years?"

She remembered that the second prince died in winter, and the second princess's sister-in-law, dressed in mourning clothes, fainted from crying in the snow.

If the validity period has not expired, the princess will naturally be unable to attend the banquet.

"The Second Princess Consort grew up in a family with strict rules, so she must have already completed her mourning period. Back then, she married into the royal family with the treatment of a Crown Princess. It's quite a pity that she's like this now!"

Shen Nanzi felt that life was unpredictable and everything was beyond her control.

After waiting for a while, the people next to her ignored her.

Shen Nanzi was already used to his neglect and idly counted on her fingers.

"My brother said you're the most likely candidate to become the crown prince, right?"

When Shen Nanzi married him, the eldest and second princes were both alive, and Xie Yan, the third prince, had no chance of becoming the crown prince.

Now that both of them have passed away, the position of crown prince has naturally fallen into his hands.

"Women are not allowed to interfere in politics. Didn't your brother teach you that?"

Xie Yan lowered his eyes and glanced at her, who was dressed in bright colors, her lips painted with glossy, multicolored paint, making her look like a peacock.

"You think I can interfere in politics?" Shen Nanzi pointed to her own nose. Her brain couldn't even turn three circles. "You think too highly of me. I don't understand anything about what's going on in the court."

"Don't pretend."

"Xie Yan, if you become the crown prince, will you marry many women to fill your harem?" Shen Nanzi only cared about this.

When he was Prince Jing, he could have only one princess consort by his side, but that's no longer possible now that he's the crown prince.

Xie Yan: "Stop talking nonsense. You can't say such things carelessly. If someone with ulterior motives hears them, it will only bring trouble."

Shen Nanzi nodded. How could she not know that? But given the current situation, she couldn't help but think about it more.

If he became emperor, the first thing he would do was cut off her head.

In the carriage, which had been quiet for a long time, Xie Yan suddenly spoke up: "There are also the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Sixth Prince. It can't be me."

Shen Nanzi was surprised that he would speak to her, and her eyes lit up immediately. "Why?"

"Anyway, it won't be me, you can rest assured." He turned his head away, not wanting to talk to her anymore.

Shen Nanzi immediately covered her chest. "That's great!"

*

At the Prince's mansion, most of the guests had already arrived.

This Prince Rong'an is the Emperor's youngest brother, younger than many of the princes. He just turned twenty this year, and his marriage was arranged by the Emperor.

The emperor doted on her greatly, so all those who could come from Luoyang City had gathered there.

After Xie Yan got off the carriage, he shook off her and went into the mansion alone.

Shen Nanzi knew he had ill intentions and deliberately pointed out that the hairpin in her hair was missing a corner.

She searched the carriage for a long time before finally finding a bronze mirror, which showed that it hadn't fallen at all.

That wretched guy, he just doesn't want her to come along.

Shen Nanzi lifted her skirt and entered the Prince's mansion, originally intending to go find Xie Yan.

But as soon as she entered the mansion, she was led to the women's flower hall.

As soon as she entered the room, the previous noisy noise stopped abruptly.

The ladies and young women present either covered their faces with handkerchiefs, brushed their hair back, straightened their clothes, or ate snacks, but none of them spoke.

"Are you all talking about me behind my back again?"

Shen Nanzi found an empty seat and sat down. Her clothes were a bit heavy today, so she needed to catch her breath.

The women remained silent, looking frustrated and unable to express their anger or words.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Finally, a woman remembered her identity and came over to pay her respects.

Shen Nanzi didn't eat anything. She picked up a piece of pastry, put it in her mouth, and mumbled, "Whose wife are you?"

"Your Majesty, I am Lin, the wife of General Zhenwei."

"Yes, I understand. You may leave now!"

The other women knew that although Shen Nanzi was mentally unstable, she was not someone to be trifled with. Although Prince Jing neglected her, her brother held an important position.

Even a minor misstep could cause their husbands to face obstacles in the court.

He put away his previous contempt, put on a smiling face, and came over one by one to apologize.

Shen Nanzi was too lazy to engage in pretense with them; they were just a group of women who both envied and were jealous of her.

Having not seen a single person for many days, after eating and drinking to his heart's content, he got up and left.

But he didn't hear the sighs behind him.

"She's very imposing, a far cry from her previous humility and submissiveness. If I hadn't known her since childhood, I wouldn't believe that the current Princess Jing is the same person she was before."

"So what if he's all pomp and circumstance? He's still a pathetic person, living like a joke."

"She thought she was keeping it a secret and that no one knew about her bad relationship with Prince Jing."

"Extreme temperament is never a good thing."

"To place your affections on a man, especially a heartless one, is the most foolish thing to do. Love is an extremely luxurious thing, and you shouldn't touch it."

"When we were young, who didn't dream about things?"

Yes! Which young girl doesn't yearn for love? In the end, none of them marry the one they love, and they just live a life of mere survival.

*

The garden of the Prince's Mansion was extremely luxurious, with magnificent buildings and carved beams and painted rafters.

Shen Nanzi walked to a rockery, when suddenly, a woman's voice came from the other side.

“I saw Shen Nanzi in the flower hall, and Prince Jing actually brought her out to attend.”

"Nowadays, everyone outside is saying that she has gone mad, and Xie Yan has not been able to quell the rumors. It seems that Prince Jing has no regard for their marital relationship at all!"

Shen Nanzi heard a familiar voice, its tone contemptuous. "She thought she had won because she was the only legal wife in Prince Jing's mansion, but now everyone knows that Prince Jing has neglected her."

"He spends his days in brothels rather than go back to face her. He's wasted his good looks. It's a pity he doesn't suit Prince Jing's taste."

"She lost, utterly and completely, and lost all face."

"Heh, I thought she'd be doing so well! Now she's not even doing as well as me!"

She's not doing well, so why is Lin Ruyi so happy?

Shen Nanzi looked up at the sky. Today was a fine day with gentle breezes and bright sunshine, an auspicious day for eavesdropping.

A series of hurried footsteps approached, and Shen Nanzi's body twitched slightly, as if she wanted to dodge. She thought the person was coming towards her, but her movements stopped abruptly after hearing the voice from the other side.

“Sister Ruyi,” the person reported excitedly, “Prince Jing was warming a woman’s handkerchief. I saw it with my own eyes. That woman is not Shen Nanzi.”