Several ladies were talking in the inner room, while Tang Ning was outside greeting Fu Laiqing, Qian Qiyue, and the others. Along with them was Zhou Yuchang, the second daughter of the Marquis of Wenxing.
Zhou Yuchang's personality was the complete opposite of Qian Qiyue's. She didn’t seem at all like someone from a military family.
She spoke softly and gently, dressed in a Xiangzhu long skirt that swayed as she walked, her headpiece lightly swaying without moving much. Even when serving tea or pouring water, the tassels hung steadily by her fair, delicate face, making her appear more like the daughter of a scholar than someone from a martial family.
"I’ve heard A Yue mention the county princess many times and have long wanted to meet you, but I hadn’t found an opportunity before," Zhou Yuchang said sweetly. "Seeing you today, the county princess is indeed as beautiful as A Yue described—so approachable."
"A Yue always says sweet things to make people happy," Tang Ning said with a smile. "Sister Zhou, please don’t call me county princess. Just call me Tang Ning or A Ning, like A Yue does. I don’t have many friends, but I feel like we get along well. Feel free to visit me anytime."
Zhou Yuchang, slightly embarrassed, responded, "If I come often, A Ning, don’t mind. To be honest, I’ve been thinking about those books here, but since I wasn’t familiar with you, I didn’t dare to visit directly to borrow them."
Tang Ning laughed at the sight of her blushing cheeks. The daughter from the Marquis of Wenxing's family was quite reserved, and by honestly stating her intention, she felt more likeable.
She joked, "Sister Zhou, don’t be so polite. You haven’t seen A Yue coming over every now and then to enjoy food and drinks. I don’t mind, so of course, you can come and read books…"
Qian Qiyue turned around and pinched her cheek, "Well, little Tang Ning, how dare you tease me!"
Tang Ning dodged with a laugh, "I’m not, it’s Aunt Zhang who keeps talking about you."
Aunt Zhang was the cook in Tang Ning's household, and her food, especially meat dishes, was renowned for its variety and flavor. Qian Qiyue, who had a strong preference for meat, always left satisfied after visiting.
Qian Qiyue playfully tried to catch Tang Ning, but as she stood up, her foot caught the edge of a table, and she stumbled straight into it.
"Watch out!"
Fu Laiqing, sitting across from them, instinctively tried to reach out to help her but quickly withdrew his hand when he saw her face.
Seeing this, Qian Qiyue scolded, "What’s wrong with you? You’re avoiding me?!"
Fu Laiqing, shrinking back, said, "I didn’t see, it was an accident…"
"I spit!" Qian Qiyue spat at him. She clearly saw him reach out to help but retract it when he saw her, making her furious.
"Did you think I didn’t notice?" she scolded.
He awkwardly shifted, "Well… men and women shouldn’t touch each other…"
Qian Qiyue glared at him, "Keep making excuses!"
Fu Laiqing, embarrassed and unable to continue, remained silent. He really didn’t mean any harm. After all, the last person who "accidentally" touched Qian Qiyue nearly got beaten by her brothers and father.
Seeing Fu Laiqing looking like he wanted to shrink into the ground, Tang Ning quickly intervened, pulling Qian Qiyue back and asking, "A Yue, are you okay?"
Qian Qiyue glared at Fu Laiqing again, rubbed her arm, and said, "I’m fine. It’s just that this Fu person is really annoying."
Fu Laiqing mumbled, "I was only escorting my grandmother here…"
"Not talking to you!" Qian Qiyue snapped, looking fierce.
Fu Laiqing sighed deeply, feeling wronged but too afraid to speak.
Zhou Yuchang, seeing the situation, quickly stepped in to calm things down, and once Qian Qiyue was settled, she said, "Alright, Fu Langjun didn’t mean it. By the way, have you heard about the Fourth Prince falling from his horse?"
Qian Qiyue's curiosity was piqued. "The Fourth Prince fell? When did this happen?"
"Just yesterday," Zhou Yuchang replied. "Fu Langjun should know about it."
Seeing Tang Ning look at him, Fu Laiqing shifted uncomfortably and said, "It happened yesterday. The little princess of the Ji family hosted a polo match at the West Suburb racecourse and invited many people from the capital. The Fourth Prince accompanied his wife, who is close to the Ji family's princess."
"At the time, the Second Prince was also there, and for some reason, the Fourth Prince had a dispute with him. Both of them ended up on the field, and the Fourth Prince was thrown from his horse. Fortunately, someone nearby reacted quickly and managed to pull him out, or things would have been much worse." He paused and added, "Mr. Qian Qingran was also there."
Tang Ning looked at Qian Qiyue. "Was it your older brother?"
Qian Qiyue grinned. "Yes, it was my brother."
Qian Qingran had been sent to work outside early in his career, so he hadn’t been in the capital much. But he had returned recently for official duties and had been assigned to the Ministry of Works. His gentle and scholarly demeanor hid his impressive martial skills.
Qian Qiyue continued, "If my brother hadn’t pulled the Fourth Prince out of the way, everyone there would have been in trouble, especially my brother."
Qian Qiyue sighed. "But after all that, the Ji family hurried to disperse the polo match and sent the Fourth Prince back to the capital to see a physician. This morning, the Ji family sent people to our house to thank us."
She grimaced, "The Ji family’s Princess Wenqing was all sweetness this morning, calling me ‘A Yue, my sister’ and even tried to inquire about my older brother, which made me feel uncomfortable."
Fu Laiqing raised his eyebrows. "The Ji family's Princess Wenqing has taken a liking to Mr. Qian Qingran?"
Qian Qiyue immediately spit and glared. "Don’t jinx me! Someone like her as my sister-in-law? My brother would be miserable!"
"Anyway, the Fourth Prince has been unlucky recently. He fell and injured himself at his own residence not long ago, and now he’s fallen from his horse. I’ve heard that the Empress’s situation isn’t looking good either."
"Just the other day, a palace maid at Fengxi Palace died. They say she stole something from the Empress and killed herself, but there are rumors that she was actually hung in front of the Empress’s bedroom."
Zhou Yuchang was shocked. "Who did it?"
Qian Qiyue shook her head. "I don’t know, but I heard that Fengxi Palace replaced several of its servants, and two eunuchs were beaten to death. My brother didn’t tell me much about it either."
Fu Laiqing, who had been listening, seemed to be pondering. "Things have been happening to the Empress and the Fourth Prince ever since the Fourth Prince investigated the Lu family. It’s too much of a coincidence."
"Fu Laiqing, what are you looking at Tang Ning for?" Qian Qiyue demanded, noticing his gaze.
Fu Laiqing quickly looked away. "Nothing."
"Don’t get any ideas!" Qian Qiyue warned, her eyes narrowing.
Fu Laiqing sighed deeply, feeling wrongly accused.
"Miss Qian, I really wasn’t doing anything on purpose," he pleaded.
"Do I look like I believe you?" she shot back.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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