She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 114: The Inescapable Fate, The Storm Arrives

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: The Inescapable Fate, The Storm Arrives

Xiao Hongshen saw her like this and snorted coldly, looking down on her from above.

"With your intelligence, you indeed wouldn’t think that you’ve done anything wrong."

If it weren’t for the ledger in this fool’s hands, he would have long since had her thrown into the Snake Den to feed the snakes—why bother indulging her to this extent.

Right now, the veteran ministers in the court had their eyes on him, and any little movement he made would become a memorial presented to the Emperor the following day.

Xiao Hongshen forcefully suppressed his anger, his whole body tense, the mole was in the same location as that person.

He felt nauseated once more when he looked at her pretentious posture.

"Without my command, you are not permitted to leave this room!"

Xiao Hongshen, furious, slammed the door and left.

Yun Ge was anxious and followed him out, but as soon as she reached the door, she was stopped by a hand.

"Miss Yun Ge, without the Prince’s command, you cannot leave this room for now."

Yun Ge looked at the other person’s bland expression and pursed her lips, "Fine, I won’t go out, I’ll just stand by the door and wait for the Prince."

Mo Shan looked at Yun Ge and inwardly cursed at her stupidity.

Sure enough, when the Emperor learned of this matter, he summoned Xiao Hongshen into the Imperial Study and sternly reprimanded him.

It was only some wasted fabric, and yet it caused Xiao Hongshen to lose face severely, much to Empress Zhang Lanyi’s satisfaction.

The weather was getting hotter.

The air was becoming more oppressive, heavy clouds gathered in the sky, giving the impression of an impending storm.

Yan Wanqing leaned against the window playing chess, listening to a thunderclap that exploded in the sky, followed by the urgent sound of galloping hooves, which made the piece in her hand drop with a tap onto the chessboard.

Listening to the sudden wailing that burst forth in the front courtyard.

Yan Wanqing slowly closed her eyes.

The inevitable was bound to come.

The unescapable fate.

The news of the defeat North of the Pass had arrived.

The news that all the male members of the Yan and Sun families had perished in battle spread throughout the Capital City amidst the thundering roars, covering everyone under a pall of gloom.

Cong Ge rushed in from outside, and in her astonished gaze, Yan Wanqing, who had calmly changed into white clothing, walked out.

Everyone was crying.

She saw Yan Zizhuo clinging to their mother’s leg, wailing for father and brothers.

She saw her fifth and sixth sisters hugging each other and crying into tearful figures.

She saw the grieving encompass each and every face of the servants and maids of the Township Manor.

Amid this suffocating sorrow.

Her gaze met her mother Sun Qinglian’s from across the space.

Their hearts’ fluke hope had not come true.

Heaven had not favored the women of the Yan Family.

Yan Wanqing lifted her heavy feet and approached the Palace Attendant who brought the news: "How much longer until my father and brothers return?"

With her hoarse voice sounding, the Palace Attendant looked at her pale and calm face, somewhat dazed.

This Commandery Princess Anping was a little too calm.

And not a single tear had fallen from the lady of the Township Manor.

The Palace Attendant hesitated for a moment, then replied, "They are on their way, possibly arriving in the Capital City in seven days."

"I see," Yan Wanqing nodded, "Thank you, eunuch."

She took a purse from her sleeve, stuffed it into the Palace Attendant’s hand, and then sent off the eunuch quite naturally.

"Mother, I’m going out to purchase the items we’ll need; I’ll welcome Father and brothers home in seven days," Yan Wanqing said to Sun Qinglian.

Sun Qinglian closed her eyes, then slowly opened them and said, "Go ahead."

All of this had been expected; if it was as her eldest daughter had said, then everything that followed could not be taken lightly or underestimated.

Sun Qinglian clenched her teeth and desperately tried to hold back the grief that was about to overflow from her heart. Today she had lost her husband and three sons, including her eldest son Yan Li’an, the third son Yan Yuanbai, and fourth son Yan Xingchao.

But as the lady of the Township Manor, she absolutely could not fall at this moment.

Sun Qinglian gripped the corner of her clothes tightly and shouted, "Everyone tidy up the Township Manor, in seven days we welcome them home."

On the streets.

Dressed in white, Yan Wanqing walked slowly on the sparsely populated street, with the thunder still rumbling in the sky, wind rising from the ground that made it hard to keep one’s eyes open, vendors had packed up their stalls in anticipation of the storm.

Only Yan Wanqing walked outside alone.

She moved like a ghost, taking steps forward deliberately, one foot after the other.

Behind her, Cong Ge and a group of family guards did not dare to follow too closely, fearing they might witness her discomfort.

But there was none, Yan Wanqing remained calm from beginning to end, and after the shopping was done, she instructed the people to send everything back to the manor.

"Miss, aren’t you going back?"

Faced with Cong Ge’s question, Yan Wanqing shook her head.

"I still have matters to attend to." Someone was waiting for her to show up; how could she not oblige him?

"There’s no need for you to follow me," Yan Wanqing said, then stepped forward and walked on.

She was going to the residence of the Seventh Prince.

At this moment, dark clouds loomed over the city, with a storm imminent.

Yan Wanqing did not seek shelter. The more miserable she looked, the more Xiao Hongshen would trust her.

The rain poured down in torrents as she, clad in white, continued to step forward in the rain.

This strange behavior drew the attention of many commoners who opened their doors and paused to watch, but Yan Wanqing proceeded as if she sensed nothing, continuing on until she stopped outside the residence of the Seventh Prince.

In the midst of the downpour, she shouted loudly.

"Princess Anping requests an audience with His Highness the Seventh Prince!"

The gates were tightly shut, and Yan Wanqing stared fixedly at the door, showing no sign of backing down.

Suddenly, an umbrella was raised over her head.

Yan Wanqing turned and saw Li Family’s young Miss Li Chengxiang; she was somewhat taken aback.

With a look of pity, Li Chengxiang gazed at Yan Wanqing: "Commandery Princess."

Stepping out from under the umbrella into the rain, Yan Wanqing said, "This is the Commandery Princess’s affair, irrelevant to others. Miss Li, I appreciate your kindness, but it’s better to mind one’s own business than to meddle unnecessarily."

Li Chengxiang, having been spoken to quite directly, did not shrink away; instead, she stubbornly pressed the umbrella into Yan Wanqing’s hands.

"Both the Commandery Princess and Miss Yan Liuh are good people. I, Li Chengxiang, may not be very accomplished, but I do know how to repay kindness. Please wait for a moment, Commandery Princess," she said, then dashed through the rain to the main gate.

Li Chengxiang yelled to the people inside.

"Wa Chengnan, if you have a conscience, come out and see me!"

Inside, Wa Chengnan had not expected to hear Li Chengxiang’s voice, and for a moment he struggled to contain himself, but Chai You grabbed hold of him.

"It can’t be done. The Seventh Prince said we need to give Princess Anping a hard time."

Wa Chengnan pointed toward the exterior: "That is my wife by marriage, not any Princess Anping."

Li Chengxiang, having been very sheltered since childhood, could catch a cold from getting caught in the rain.

Wa Chengnan grew anxious.

Chai You held him firmly: "You’re divorced already, what wife by marriage."

"Let go of me!"

Chai You shook his head.

Wa Chengnan, growing impatient, stretched out his hand to jostle Chai You free, and just as they were scuffling, footsteps sounded from behind them. Xiao Hongshen appeared with a dark expression; the two men instantly pulled away from each other.

"Is she still outside the door?" Xiao Hongshen asked.

Chai You nodded: "The Commandery Princess has been in the rain for a while now."

Xiao Hongshen’s look was somber: "Humph, as long as she doesn’t die, it’s fine." With that, he turned and left.

A flicker of annoyance passed through Chai You’s eyes but quickly dissipated.

Meanwhile, Wa Chengnan was struggling to hold back: "Just open the door and let Li Chengxiang in, I won’t concern myself with Princess Anping’s well-being."

Chai You sighed softly: "As agreed, this is not my affair; if the Prince blames us—"

"I will take full responsibility!" said Wa Chengnan and immediately gestured for the gatekeeper to open the gate.

Before his eyes was the sight of Li Chengxiang, drenched like a drowned rat.

"Have you gone mad? What’s the point of following the Commandery Princess and making a scene!" Wa Chengnan snatched the umbrella from the gatekeeper and ran out, holding it over Li Chengxiang. Seeing her soaked through, he immediately shed his own clothes.

"Come on, let’s go inside."

Wa Chengnan extended his hand to pull Li Chengxiang, but she stood still.

"Go speak with the Seventh Prince. Just tell him the Commandery Princess wants to see him."

Wa Chengnan’s gaze fell on the pale and frail figure under the curtain of rain, full of helplessness: "If it were something I could influence, I would certainly speak up. But the Seventh Prince is occupied with state affairs now, and no one is allowed to disturb him arbitrarily."

"Then let the Commandery Princess come in to wait," Li Chengxiang suggested. Then, suddenly catching a glimpse of Yan Wanqing staggering and collapsing to the ground, she was so frightened that she pushed Wa Chengnan aside and hurried toward her.

"Princess Anping!"