Have You Written Your Will Today?
Chapter 160 I Met Those Two People Very Late

Chapter 160: Chapter 160 I Met Those Two People Very Late

After agitating Wu Shaoyin, Shen Hua did not stay for long either. She allowed herself to be pushed back by Xue Shuyue.

However, on her way passing the rockery, she overheard the whispering of maids from the residence.

"Has the Marchioness of Marquis Chengbo actually come?"

"How could it be fake? Although she sent over a greeting card, Madam had already ordered that no outside visitors be seen these days. Yet there she was, stubbornly not leaving outside, with intentions unknown. Unfortunately, given her noble status, she couldn’t be sent away, so Madam had no choice but to invite her in."

"Wasn’t she supposedly sick? After Princess You Ning’s affair, as her mother-in-law, she even had to go to the palace to ask for her return, and then the Princess got scolded by the Empress Dowager. How could she just casually pay a visit to our residence?"

Xue Shuyue, well accustomed to such oddities, pursed her lips and pushed Shen Hua away.

Shen Hua hadn’t heard enough!

Frowning, the girl slowly said, "Stop."

Xue Shuyue: ?

"I’m rather late in meeting those two."

Shen Hua stood up, calmly saying, "You wait here for me, I shall return after catching up with them."

Xue Shuyue: ??? You’re treating me like a maid!

The movement here naturally reached the ears of those gossiping maids. When Shen Hua went over, they had all vanished, obviously afraid of being punished.

Shen Hua could only droop her head and walk back dejectedly.

"Just for that bit of scandal from the Marchioness of Marquis Chengbo, you care so much?"

Xue Shuyue grudgingly spoke up.

"Lady Consort of Prince Gong has often visited the Marquis Mansion over the years, always meaning to compete with Madam. Now that a certain fox has seemingly enchanted my cousin, it’s spread outside and become a spectacle. Nonetheless, there’s no formal engagement yet, so naturally she’s seizing the opportunity to visit and mock us."

Shen Hua tried hard to piece together all the information, including what she had seen and heard as Xue Tuan, then seemed to ponder something.

"According to you, she’s killing two birds with one stone."

"? What do you mean?"

Shen Hua glanced at her with disdain. Simpleton.

"With her status, how could she keep feigning sickness? If word gets to the palace, the Empress Dowager may become irritated."

Whether truly sick or pretending, one or two days of illness is fine, but it cannot go on indefinitely. In the long run, the Empress Dowager would naturally be displeased.

This is the consequence of seeking to marry a Commandery Princess.

Xue Shuyue suddenly understood.

"That’s right! She’s so proud, yet she didn’t just leave; she lingered outside for a long time, and probably many passersby saw her. She must be doing this for the Empress Dowager to see."

"Right now, the Marquis Mansion is in a precarious position, managing to suppress the Princess’ scandal, and also pushing down Jing Mansion’s death case. She probably couldn’t be happier with such a situation."

The ’fox’ that she talked about, Shen Hua, didn’t feel guilty in the slightest about the recent city-wide uproar after getting drunk.

She even thought Cui Yun was considerate. By covering her face, he protected her reputation, ensuring no one would know it was her.

Indeed, such was expected of a cousin!

She indifferently said, "My cousin has a reputation for being indifferent to women, which is what has drawn people to gossip. In the end, people are just looking for novelty, and the world is more forgiving to men; in a few days, if our Marquis Mansion makes no further noise, likely no one will talk about it anymore."

Shen Hua: "By then, those who discuss Jing Mansion will continue discussing Jing Mansion, and those who mock the Marchioness of Marquis Chengbo will continue mocking her."

"What’s she so smug about?"

Xue Shuyue listened, stunned, but couldn’t deny being enlightened by a few words. She murmured, "You really are clever."

Shen Hua as a matter of course: "That’s natural, do you need to tell me?"

Xue Shuyue: ...

"I reckon Madam is going to be infuriated again this time. You haven’t seen the Marchioness of Marquis Chengbo, she’s really good at putting on airs. Last time I paid my respects to her, she hardly looked at me straight."

Not to mention her treatment of me, even with Qiao Si it wasn’t particularly warm.

"Always flaunting that she’s the Commandery Princess’ mother-in-law, as if our cousin’s wife couldn’t hold a candle to her, bah!"

Shen Hua didn’t believe that Cui Xuan could be bullied by outsiders in her own residence.

After all, born a noble lady, she had both confidence and backbone. The Marquis Chengbo’s wife couldn’t reap much benefit. Every visit to the Marquis Mansion ended without her getting any satisfaction from Cui Xuan.

The Princess Youning was known for her bad temper, and Shen Hua remembered seeing her spirit almost leaving her body once.

So, what was the Marquis Chengbo’s wife really after?

————

The matter regarding Cui Yun wasn’t just stirring up the inner court of the Cui Mansion; even Duke Fu’s residence was thrown into turmoil because of it.

Xie Xun was just about to leave the residence when he was stopped by the Duke Fu and his wife.

"Although the news of the Fifth Princess returning to the residence hasn’t spread, it is almost certainly true. Otherwise, that Cui lad wouldn’t have stirred up trouble at this critical moment. His conduct is usually impeccable—why would he act like this if not to show the Imperial Family? In my opinion, the Princesses of the Imperial Family are beyond our Xie Family’s reach as well."

Duchess Fu was anxious: "Your marriage must be settled as soon as possible. You’ve returned earlier this time, and the Emperor is unaware. If he found out, he would probably summon you to the palace."

It was no wonder the two of them felt this way.

Preventing problems before they occur is one thing; the Fifth Princess, born to the Empress, has an extreme personality and is unsuitable to be a wife is another.

Why should a son of the Xie family marry a Princess and ruin his own prospects?

Duke Fu: "That young Cui played his move steadily but didn’t inform us in advance. Although our families are not sworn allies, his situation is similar to yours; he should have allowed our Xie Family to prepare!"

Xie Xun suddenly understood.

What he witnessed last night was indeed a play staged by Cui Yun.

The people of the palace, the Xie family, and even the whole of Shengjing had become characters in this play.

Indeed a ruthless person.

"I have my considerations regarding this matter," he said.

Duchess Fu sighed softly: "You haven’t returned home for many years. With the barbarian invasion and the prolonged war at the frontier, although we won a great victory and successfully brought the Third Prince back, your mother has been worried every single day."

A battlefield is blind. She feared that with every new scar on Xie Xun’s body, his life would be in ever greater danger.

"Xun, these past years the wars have been fierce, and you’ve postponed your marriage again and again. Mother originally thought there was no need to rush a man of ambition, but now—"

Xie Xun fell silent.

"Mother will handle it."

He said indifferently, "At worst, if I really marry that Princess, what harm could it do?"

"Don’t speak of such disheartening things!"

Xie Xun smiled, "You two elders can make the decision. I’m ready to leave."

Duke Fu furrowed his brows.

"Keep a low profile. Don’t go looking for the Heir of Prince Gong again! He’s been increasingly reckless over the years. Also, don’t associate too closely with him; Prince Gong is considering you as a son-in-law."

The news of the Fifth Princess’s return to Shengjing was privately relayed to him by Prince Gong after today’s court session.

The intentions of Prince Gong were clear enough.

Xie Xun strode outside, "Understood."

After sending a message to the Ministry of Justice, he went to the Mingting Pavilion.

The private room was extremely secluded, but his sharp ears made it so he could hear everything happening in the adjacent room loud and clear.

"What, Mr. Wei, you’re actually getting married?"

"Your family must really adore you, promising you Lady Yan of the Governor Mansion?"

"You’re quietly making big moves, eh!"

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.