CWTGD Chapter 102 - Xiao Haitang raises an army to question the culprit

"In the house, there's a girl as fierce as a tiger. Tang Ning, you're scaring people," teased the Princess Consort of Cheng.

The room burst into laughter, including Aunt Jiang and the others. Song Tang Ning pouted, "Auntie!!"

She definitely wasn't scaring anyone!

Seeing the Princess Consort reclining on her cushion, her eyes crinkled with amusement, Tang Ning stomped her foot. "It's obviously my brother who lied! He said yesterday that he would stay in the mansion to recuperate, and I even promised Sister Qin that I would look after him properly!"

Who could have thought that right after he asked for leave, he would sneak into the palace while she was still asleep.

Tang Ning puffed her cheeks angrily. "Auntie, I'm going next door for a bit."

"Go ahead."

The Princess Consort waved her hand, letting the young girl rush off to find trouble with Xiao Yan. Seeing Tang Ning lifting her skirts and leading Hua Wu with a determined, spirited stride, the Princess Consort couldn't help but lean back on her cushion, laughing. "This girl truly treats him like an older brother to protect. She seems even closer to him than she ever was with that man from the Song family."

"That's because Lord Xiao is kind to her," Aunt Jiang remarked with a smile.

When Aunt Jiang had first moved out of the royal residence with the Princess Consort, she had been uneasy, especially wary of the infamous Lord Xiao Yan, known for his ruthless and tyrannical reputation. After all, this Jiyun Lane was Xiao Yan's place, and the rumors painted him as cruel, violent, and a murderer. She feared that he would be just as difficult to deal with as the rumors suggested and that he might use the Princess Consort and Tang Ning to his advantage. However, after spending a few days there, Aunt Jiang realized that although Xiao Yan was indeed aloof and intimidating, he was also meticulous and considerate.

Despite the scorn he received as a eunuch, there was an inherent nobility about him, and he conducted himself with impeccable decorum, completely unlike the arrogant and reckless figure portrayed by outsiders.

Aunt Jiang couldn't help but reflect, "I thought Lord Xiao would be hard to get along with, but he is actually quite different from the rumors. Even though Miss no longer has an elder brother, Lord Xiao seems better than the eldest son of the Song family. Considering everything, it's no surprise she is so protective of him."

"You've got a point. Xiao Yan is indeed a good one," agreed the Princess Consort. She, too, found it unexpected that the gentle and refined eldest son of the Song family turned out to be a scoundrel, while the supposedly fearsome Xiao Yan treated Tang Ning as if she were a precious gem. It was hard to imagine that even as sworn siblings, their bond resembled that of real siblings, perhaps even closer. She thought for a moment and then gently instructed Aunt Jiang, "I still have that ginseng root, don't I? Take it next door."

Since Xiao Yan treated Tang Ning well, they should acknowledge the favor.

Aunt Jiang quickly agreed, "I'll take care of it right away."

Seeing the Princess Consort in high spirits, lounging against her cushion, absentmindedly playing with the two peach blossoms she had brought in earlier that morning, Aunt Jiang hesitated before speaking again, "Princess Consort..."

"Hm?" The Princess Consort turned her head, noticing Aunt Jiang's hesitant expression. "What is it?"

Aunt Jiang lowered her voice and said, "The heir sent a letter this morning, saying that the Dowager Consort is ill."

The Princess Consort's expression remained unchanged. "She falls ill a few times every year. The servants and the imperial physicians will look after her; what does that have to do with me?"

Her relationship with the Dowager Consort had never been close. It wasn’t as if the Dowager Consort had made things difficult for her, but it was well known that Xie Tianyu was not one to blindly follow his mother's orders. There seemed to be a certain distance between mother and son, and their relationship remained superficially cordial. The Princess Consort always felt that whenever the Dowager Consort looked at her, there was a strange glint in her eyes, a subtle malice that she could never quite understand.

While they had lived at the royal residence, she had rarely set foot in the Dowager Consort’s quarters except when necessary. Their relationship was neither warm nor hostile, and she had no reason to dwell on it.

Aunt Jiang spoke softly, "This time is different. They say the Dowager Consort is quite seriously ill, and the Prince has also been in poor spirits lately."

The Princess Consort's hand stilled.

Aunt Jiang hesitated before adding, "The Emperor has confined the Prince's movements, and his official duties have been stripped. After the Dowager Consort fell ill, she has been bedridden, and the heir said the Prince pretends to be cheerful during the day while caring for her, but at night, he often ends up passed out drunk in your room, clutching the small portrait he once painted of you and crying."

The Princess Consort lowered her eyes. "He's an old man now, still crying without shame."

"Still, the Prince cares deeply for you," Aunt Jiang observed, noticing the slight softening of her expression beneath her cold words. She couldn't help but ask, "Princess Consort, you’ve been at Jiyun Lane for some time now. Do you truly not intend to return to the royal residence?"

The Princess Consort was silent. Not go back?

Xie Tianyu's face flashed through her mind, leaving her uncertain.

She and Xie Tianyu had been married for over a decade, and she had once been deeply devoted to him. If she hadn’t genuinely liked him, she wouldn’t have insisted on marrying into the royal family against her father's wishes when she had so many other choices.

The years at the royal residence were not always perfect, and there had been troubling moments, but Xie Tianyu had always been good to her. Even when she occasionally showed disrespect to the Dowager Consort, or when she got into conflicts with others, he always stood by her side without hesitation, protecting her. Their relationship was warm and affectionate, unlike the cold, formal unions between other noble families, who maintained only a polite distance. They lived as a loving couple, always together, sharing intimate moments. Those happy days were real.

Even if Xie Tianyu had deceived her, once the initial fury had subsided, it was hard to simply forget over a decade of marriage.

Not to mention, there was also Xie Yin...

The Princess Consort gripped the stem of the peach blossom. "Aunt, do you think I should go back?"

Aunt Jiang hesitated, "Do you want to go back?"

"I..." The Princess Consort bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't know."

She had feelings for Xie Tianyu and couldn't bear the thought of Xie Yin being criticized because of their separation. Besides, their marriage involved the royal family, and if she truly intended to leave, it wouldn’t be easy. The imperial family wouldn’t tolerate her tarnishing their reputation, and if things escalated, neither she nor Xie Tianyu would come out unscathed.

The Princess Consort lowered her eyes, gazing at the peach blossoms in her hand. She knew that it was unlikely she would truly break things off with Xie Tianyu, but returning without resolving her feelings left her reluctant.

She couldn't forget how, on that day in the royal residence, Xie Tianyu had deceived her so effortlessly, smiling as he feigned affection, even treating Tang Ning’s safety as a trivial matter. That memory was like a thorn lodged deep in her flesh, impossible to ignore, and made it difficult for her to consider reconciling with him.

She pinched the vibrant peach blossom. "I haven’t figured out how to face him yet, Aunt. I can't forget the way he lied to me."
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