Chapter 35 Handsome Men Are More Beautiful Than Flowers

Chapter 35 Handsome Men Are More Beautiful Than Flowers

Xie Yan didn't want to waste time arguing with her and asked directly, "What's the matter with Bitao?"

Night had fallen, the moon was bright and the stars were few, and the courtyard was filled with the fragrance of flowers.

Xie Yan couldn't help but sneeze, and pointed at her flowers, "Move all these flowers away tomorrow."

"Then let's talk outside the courtyard!" Shen Nanzi knew that this meant she wouldn't agree.

"In the future, if you need anything, just have Wuying deliver a message. You don't need to come in person."

Xie Yan sneezed again and had no choice but to leave her courtyard in frustration.

"Flowers are not allowed in my Prince Jing's residence, didn't you know that?"

Shen Nanzi followed behind him. The night breeze was a bit chilly, so she pulled her collar up a little. "Actually, there have always been flowers in my yard. Didn't you notice?"

Little did Xie Yan know that there were always flowers in her yard, and he never wanted to enter her house. He always came and went in a hurry.

Every time they argued, they were red in the face, and he didn't care what was in her room.

Shen Nanzi stretched out her fair hand and pointed to the right, "There is a plum tree by my back window. It has been there since I married into the family, and now it is a thriving sight."

Shen Nanzi was about to say that he wasn't sensitive to every flower when he ruthlessly interrupted her.

"Dig them all up tomorrow!"

“That won’t do. You only come a few times a year. Why risk your life?” Shen Nanzi was furious and immediately disagreed.

"You are kind, but I haven't seen you show any mercy."

"You've really wronged me! I'm a good person!"

Xie Yanren chuckled, as if he had heard something extremely funny. "Shen Nanzi, what are you up to now?"

"You still kept Bitao, so at least you have some conscience. Even though she was a courtesan, she was still a life. But what's with you arranging for her to stay in my room?"

Shen Nanzi raised an eyebrow, brushed a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the night wind from her mouth, and yawned.

"Didn't she serve you countless times? I'm just being kind and returning the favor!"

Xie Yan didn't understand what she meant by "countless times" in her words, nor did she want to understand.

Seeing her nonchalant attitude, he knew she was doing it on purpose. "Shen Nanzi, you think that because I helped the Second Imperial Consort and her son in Chongde Palace, you deliberately caused this scene, right?"

Shen Nanzi gazed at him. In the darkness, his figure was graceful, and with the help of a little light, her flawless features could be clearly seen.

She's still stunning no matter how many times I see her, but he's her nemesis.

Like a poisonous, delicate flower, no matter how beautiful it is, you can only look at it and never want to possess it.

He shrugged indifferently. "Think what you want. My explanation is that I'm giving you back what you like, that's all."

Xie Yan noticed that she was no longer so confrontational, unlike before when she would fight him to the death whenever he questioned her.

Until he became enraged, resulting in a lose-lose situation.

She had a kind of nonchalant and open-mindedness about her, though it was hard to tell if it was an act.

He doesn't care anyway, as long as she doesn't stir up trouble behind his back or annoy him.

"You'd better do as you say. If I find anything else, I will not let you off the hook."

Shen Nanzi didn't respond to him, but instead looked up at the starry sky with a relaxed and leisurely demeanor.

Xie Yan was somewhat unaccustomed to her silence, as if her words had been dropped to the ground, leaving her feeling powerless.

He assumed she was just playing tricks again and quickly left.

After taking a few steps, he turned around and said, "None of those new maids are well-behaved. Sell them all off."

He couldn't understand what had gotten into her that she allowed those women to hang around him like that.

They were all posing and preening, their thoughts written all over their faces; they were even more annoying than Shen Nanzi.

He didn't want to waste his gaze on such a trivial matter, so he had no choice but to follow her previous idea.

It's best to live in peace.

After he walked away, Shen Nanzi turned around and stretched. "No good deed goes unpunished. Aren't people saying I'm jealous? That there isn't a single female mosquito in the Prince Jing's mansion?"

“Now that the Prince Jing’s mansion is full of beautiful young maids, he is not happy about it.”

When they are sold tomorrow, it must be solemnly declared that Prince Jing did not want them, and that they will no longer be her concern.

"I need to go to Chang Le Street tomorrow to get the flowers I like!"

Shen Nanzi felt wonderful at the thought of seeing her favorite flowers and plants every day in the future.

"Sure enough, it's so much more comfortable not to have your heart set on a man!"

＊

Xie Yan returned to his room, only to find that Bi Tao had already been taken away. He looked at the brocade quilt on the bed and frowned.

"Stone, change all the bedding on the bed. This set is never allowed to appear on my bed again."

Shi Tou nodded quickly, "Your Highness, please wait a moment."

"Furthermore, if the Princess sends any more women over, you must not allow them to enter." Xie Yan added, "No woman may set foot here."

"I remember!"

＊

At the end of Changle Street, there is a secluded courtyard.

The walls are gray, and inside are white walls and black tiles. Apart from a few rooms, the rest of the area is filled with flowers and plants.

Even in the dead of winter, the air here is filled with the fragrance of flowers.

One of Shen Nanzi's secret treasures is a small courtyard left to her by her mother, not far from the Jing Prince's Mansion, about half an incense stick's time away by carriage.

She selected several hardy plants that she had been longing for and had Liefeng carry them onto the carriage.

He admired the various flowers cultivated by the florist.

"So beautiful!" she exclaimed involuntarily.

"You're more beautiful than my wife."

Shen Nanzi turned around, and behind her stood a handsome man in flowing white robes, with fair skin, a beautiful face, and long, black hair.

She's so beautiful she doesn't look real, like a custom-made puppet.

Seeing him standing tall and elegant among the flowers, she couldn't help but recall the day he risked his life to save her.

Is your leg injury better?

He took a couple of steps, still a little unsteady, and smiled, "Almost there."

Shen Nanzi praised, "The recovery is quite good. Have you been able to contact your family?"

Ye Shuyin shook his head, "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for a while longer, Madam!"

“It’s alright, you can stay as long as you like.” Shen Nanzi had a feeling that he was a kind person.

"Miss!" Lie Feng arrived unnoticed, his tone carrying a hint of reminder and disapproval.

Shen Nanzi smiled at him, picked up a pot of lily of the valley beside her, and said, "Take this back with you too. Spring will come after the New Year."

Lie Feng looked unhappy, but he couldn't do anything about Shen Nanzi, so he had no choice but to leave with the lily of the valley.

"Brother Liefeng seems to have a prejudice against me." Ye Shuyin looked at Liefeng's back and frowned with some grievance.

Even when he's feeling sad, he looks so handsome. I really want to keep looking at him!

No one was in the mood to appreciate the flowers. Shen Nanzi bit her lip. So, she was quite fond of beautiful things!

After looking at it for a while, I finally remembered to answer him.

"Shuyin, don't take it to heart. He's like this to everyone else."

"So that's how it is! I thought he didn't like me." Ye Shuyin's disappointment disappeared, replaced by a faint smile.

Shen Nanzi felt that looking at handsome men greatly improved her mood; it was truly a wonderful way to nourish her heart and lungs!

She should visit him more often in the future.

Then he noticed the poppies behind him, growing lushly among the winter flowers.

It actually bloomed?!

"No, this isn't a winter flower, how could it bloom in the dead of winter?" she exclaimed in surprise.

I quickly squatted down to examine its flower stalk and leaves. "How robust it is! How was it grown?"

"I'll have to ask the gardener later," she said to herself, overjoyed.

“I raised this poppy,” Ye Shuyin said.

Shen Nanzi was surprised, "You raised it? How did you raise it?"

Shen Nanzi looked at Ye Shuyin as if she were looking at a treasure.

"Tell me about it!"

And so the two talked for half a day, and if it weren't for the gust of wind urging them on, they would have talked for who knows how long!

Shen Nanzi discovered that he was a great treasure, and Ye Shuyin was a born planting saint.

A casual remark from him could enlighten her.

Most amazingly, he can make flowers bloom whenever they want, regardless of the season, which is truly astonishing.

Shen Nanzi really wanted to keep him by her side for a long, long time, and teach him how to grow flowers.

Reluctantly leaving Chang Le Street, they returned to Prince Jing's residence.

Shen Nanzi was in a great mood and hummed a little tune as she looked at the well-arranged flowers and plants in the yard.

“Prince Jing did not allow Bitao to stay and serve him,” her aunt reported to her.

Shen Nanzi sat on the stone table, arranging a pot of orchids, without looking up. "Where is Bitao now?"

Her aunt stood beside her: "I don't know. She was taken away by Wuying that very night and isn't in the manor."

Shen Nanzi picked out a worm, her eyes filled with disgust.

"Perhaps he's keeping himself pure for Xue Qingning, since the previous ones were all substitutes for the real one."

Shen Nanzi exclaimed, "I never expected Xie Yan to be such a romantic! I really didn't realize!"

"It's good that the princess has come to terms with it." The aunt's eyes were red as she looked at her composed face, but she still felt that the princess was putting on a brave face.

After all, it's someone I've liked for so long; it's not easy to just cut ties like that.

The rumors circulating outside about Prince Jing and the Second Imperial Consort are now extremely offensive.

It's understandable that Princess Jing went mad; any husband who loves his sister-in-law would go crazy.

The tarnished reputations of Prince Jing and the Second Princess have ironically salvaged Shen Nanzi's reputation.

Many people say that Shen Nanzi has a good temper and has endured it for eight years.

Anyone in that situation would either fight to the death or hang themselves.

The incoherent words reached her great-aunt's ears, but she dared not utter a single word.

In a narrow alley, Lin Ruyi was cornered with nowhere to go.

She touched the wall behind her. "Prince Jing, what business do you have with me?"

"You know better than anyone why I'm looking for you, don't you?" Xie Yan was wearing a dark blue brocade robe with a fitted waist.

The brocade was crisp and well-tailored, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist. In particular, the short knife at his waist, which he held in his hand, looked as if he could draw it at any moment to take a life.

Lin Ruyi stared at Xie Yan's breathtaking face and said, "What is Prince Jing saying? I don't understand!"

A flash of cold light, the blade gleamed, moving without wind, emitting a series of humming sounds.

Xie Yan merely drew his short sword and sheathed it, but Lin Ruyi seemed to have died once.

He's not like Shen Nanzi; he may look fierce, but he's genuinely vicious.

The Shuofang vassal state, which had been difficult to conquer for a long time, was captured by him in one fell swoop, with 101 cities in a row.

While everyone in the court was excited, they were also terrified by his ruthless methods, having heard that he had used every means at his disposal in those battles.

His stunning appearance was merely an outward appearance; at his core, he was the Prince Jing, a figure feared by his soldiers.

When Lin Ruyi heard about his achievements, her admiration for him reached its peak, and she felt that her life had not been in vain.

Although she was destined to be apart from him, she still harbored a secret love for him.

Only now did she realize how terrifying he was. Those rumors that had been circulating over tea and meals felt like a boulder pressing on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

He really would kill!

She swallowed hard, barely managing to maintain her composure. "Prince Jing, I was only one of the people involved in that affair; it wasn't entirely my doing."

Why do you want to get involved?

"Doesn't Prince Jing understand?"

"It's still about what happened back then. Did I say that if you keep bringing up the past, I will not let you off easily?"

"My life has been ruined, and I hate Princess Jing to the core. How could I let such a good opportunity slip by?"

“Prince Jing may punish me if he wishes.”

Another stubborn idiot who won't listen to reason. "Who else is involved?"

"I do not know."

"Who released those rats at the ice banquet last time?"

"I truly do not know."

Xie Yan tilted her head, and the invisible blade was already pressed against her neck.

Lin Ruyi's face turned deathly pale as she looked at his handsome face. "I am, after all, the Marquis's wife. Is Prince Jing bullying the Marquis who is bedridden?"

Xie Yan's face was cold and stern, his eyebrows slightly raised. "Even if your lord is full of vigor, if I want to take your life, I can do so without anyone noticing."

Lin Ruyi gave a sorrowful, cold laugh, "No wonder Princess Jing both loves and hates you. Even she can't win Prince Jing's pity, so what hope do I have!"

"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point!"

"I truly know nothing about the matter of the rats."

The invisible blade had already slashed through her collar, the chill seeping into her skin and reaching her very heart.

"I never intended to have any further trouble with Princess Jing, but someone offered me a bribe of five thousand taels, and now it seems I've been made a scapegoat."

There was some regret in her eyes, but even more fear.

The invisible blade pierced her neck, and blood flowed down the blade.

Finally, it turned into blood droplets, which dripped down one by one, landing on her lotus-colored coat.

“Even if Prince Jing killed me, it would still be the same. They used my hatred for Princess Jing to make me take the blame.”

Xie Yan straightened his jawline. "I will not kill you today, but you must release more information."

"The decision to allow the two imperial consorts and their son to attend the sacrificial ceremony was made solely by Prince Jing, and the two imperial consorts were completely unaware of it."

"If the whole city knows, I will let you go; otherwise, you won't be able to get through this year."

Lin Ruyi had no choice but to agree, otherwise they wouldn't be able to see the moon tonight.

After Xie Yan and the others left, Lin Ruyi took out a handkerchief and pressed it against her bleeding neck, mockingly laughing.

"Shen Nanzi, I have to tell you this good news. Look at what your good husband has done for the Second Imperial Consort!"

＊

A few days later, the Second Princess's reputation reversed.

Everyone is saying that Prince Jing is in love with the Second Princess Consort and that he made enemies of all the officials in order to express his love for her.

The Second Princess Consort had no intention of attending the sacrificial ceremony. She was dignified and elegant, and rarely went out. It was truly an undeserved disaster that she was implicated.

Prince Jing, a womanizer by nature, has now brought shame upon the royal family and has been severely punished by the emperor, who forbids him from participating in the sacrificial ceremony.

Meanwhile, another piece of news emerged.

The second imperial concubine sold her dowry and distributed all the proceeds to the wives and children of the 100,000 soldiers who had fought there.

He and his grandson Xie Hongrui lived frugally, dressed in simple clothes and ate simple food, in an effort to make up for the great mistake made by the second prince.

This will also allow the wives and children of 100,000 soldiers to have a prosperous New Year.

In no time, the Second Imperial Concubine's reputation soared, and her virtuous name spread far and wide.

＊

Inside the Grand Commandant's residence.

Shen Minghan's face turned ashen. "That Xie Yan! To go to such lengths for the Second Imperial Consort, where does that leave the face of the Shen family?"