As they were talking, Ren Yingying arrived.
"How could they be out?" Tang Zhuyun joked. "Why did Qu Nian let them out?"
She wondered if she was overthinking it, but she always felt that when Qu Nian looked at her, his gaze was always resentful, as if he was disgusted that she was competing with him for someone else.
Unlike my long-term relationship with Prince of Jin, this is something I haven't tried yet, it's still fresh and exciting!
People in the throes of love, we all understand.
Ren Yingying said smugly, "He left the manor early this morning; I slept in before coming."
Yuanyang stepped forward, opened the box in her hand, revealing six exquisite pastries inside.
Tang Zhuyun let Nanxing choose first, and said with a smile, "Quickly look at the baby in your belly, see what it wants to eat."
Nanxing picked up a piece, tasted it, and praised, "Yuanyang's cooking skills are getting better and better."
Yuanyang smiled shyly and retreated behind Ren Yingying.
Tang Zhuyun then asked Ren Yingying, "The Prince also went out early this morning. Did he have an appointment with Qu Nian?"
"A group date, a group date," Ren Yingying rolled her eyes.
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Nanxing asked, "Your Majesty, are you aware that the Prince Who Guards the South is coming to the capital today?"
Tang Zhuyun: "I don't know."
Now that everyone's scattered across the country, can we finally sit down at the same table?
"You didn't ask, so I assumed you knew," Nanxing said with a smile. "Pei Shen went today too."
It turns out that the old Prince Who Guards the South passed away last year, and a new king took office.
After a year of mourning, the newly appointed Prince Who Guards the South, according to custom, went to the capital to pay homage to the emperor—mainly to show his loyalty, and incidentally to receive a reprimand from the emperor.
Tang Zhuyun said, "This is big news."
The Prince of Jin didn't even mention it to her.
"Have the Prince Who Guards the South and the Prince had any dealings before?" she asked Nanxing.
Nanxing said, "I've met them, but I can't say whether they're good or bad; it's all about mutual benefit."
Tang Zhuyun actually breathed a sigh of relief, "It's good that we haven't made enemies."
"What, in your eyes your man is just a troublemaker who offends everyone?" Ren Yingying said casually.
Tang Zhuyun was unaware of the fleeting embarrassment on Nanxing's face.
"There's nothing we can do; excellence is just that dazzling, it attracts jealousy." Tang Zhuyun said with a proud expression.
Ren Yingying: "Hehe, besides being able to give birth, I don't see anything else outstanding about her."
Nanxing: "You'll see later that sometimes, just this one outstanding quality in a man is enough to make a woman unable to let go."
Ren Yingying: "... Are you sure we're talking about the same thing?"
Being able to give birth and being capable are two completely different things!
Tang Zhuyun watched as they led her onto the highway, and said irritably, "Even snacks can't shut you up."
Just then, Hanxiang suddenly entered and said, "Your Majesty, Zhao Kuo has returned and requests to see you."
Zhao Kuo was an attendant of the Prince of Jin; what did he want to see her for?
Tang Zhuyun was puzzled, but since there were no outsiders around, she asked Zhao Kuo to come to the courtyard to give her a reply.
Zhao Kuo knelt on the ground, head bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince has suffered a minor injury."
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhuyun immediately stood up.
Ren Yingying then asked, "Has the Prince Who Guards the South rebelled?"
Tang Zhuyun glared at her, telling her not to say anything out of line.
Ren Yingying muttered, "Tangbao, why are you glaring at me? You went to greet the Prince Who Guards the South and his entourage this morning, and now you're injured. What do you think about that?"
Zhao Kuo dared not look up, staring at the bluestone slab, and said, "The Prince and the Third Young Master of the Prince Who Guards the South's Residence are fighting, the two of them are at each other's throats..."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
He's so old, why is he trying to fight like a teenager?
And if she wasn't mistaken, the fight was taking place in the palace?
Do you want to die?!
However, if it's a fight, not a sneak attack, everyone will hold back, so there's no need to worry about anything going wrong.
This is a minor injury; it should be considered a minor injury.
Zhao Kuo said, "... I'm completely baffled. When Your Highness met with the Third Young Prince Who Guards the South's Residence, I didn't hear them speak, and then they just started fighting."
Tang Zhuyun:???
It was just a brief exchange of glances, like "Why are you looking at me?" and "What's it to you if I'm looking at you?", before the two grown men, disregarding their image and the consequences, started fighting in front of everyone?
How shameless of them!
Nanxing said that there was no prior animosity between them.
What exactly is the Prince Who Guards the South's Residence planning?
The Prince Who Guards the South's Residence? Tang Zhuyun suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had heard of it somewhere before.
Oh!
She suddenly realized, it was Duan Yu, the Duan Yu of the Prince Who Guards the South! Dali Duan Clan!
Ren Yingying, understanding her perfectly, excitedly asked, "Was the old Prince Who Guards the South very lecherous and fathered many children? What about the current prince? Does the Dali Duan Family of Dali have an ancestral secret technique called the Six Meridian Divine Sword?"
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Have they been transported to a world of martial arts?
Zhao Kuo looked bewildered. "The Prince Who Guards the South's Residence is surnamed Yuan, not Duan; if the Crown Princess wishes to find the Duan Family of Dali, then I can inquire for you..."
Tang Zhuyun: "No need to ask, don't pay attention to her, she's just talking nonsense."
Ren Yingying: "Oh."
She didn't recognize anyone with the surname Yuan.
Tang Zhuyun asked, "Where is the Prince now?"
"Still in the palace... I was thinking, should I come back and get some medicine to reduce the swelling?"
Tang Zhuyun was stunned. "You've been slapped in the face?"
Zhao Kuo hurriedly said, "His Highness was only slightly injured; it was that Third Young Master Yuan who was in much worse shape."
They were all beaten until their heads were swollen like pigs.
He was itching to join in the fight, but unfortunately, he didn't get a chance.
Tang Zhuyun could only find the medicine and let him take it away.
Ren Yingying couldn't help but roll her eyes and said, "You're really something, acting like a child."
Nanxing seemed lost in thought.
Young Master Yuan, isn't that Yuan Han, that little brat from back then?
Judging by his age, he's only seventeen or eighteen?
Zhao Kuo took the medicine and left.
When Qu Nian took over Ren Yingying, Prince of Jin had not yet returned.
Tang Zhuyun asked Qu Nian, who replied gloatingly, "It's better to wait for him to come back and explain to you personally, so he doesn't try to shift the blame later."
???
Qu Nian said, "Yingying, let's go."
Ren Yingying: "I'm not leaving. I haven't had dinner yet. Come pick me up after you've eaten."
Qu Nian left in grief and indignation.
It's okay, tonight is his.
Qu Nian's attitude just now convinced Nanxing of his guess.
"Your Majesty, I roughly know why Yuan Han fought with the Prince..." she said slowly.
Why? It can't be because of jealousy.
"The old Prince Who Guards the South, I know, had eight sons and five or six daughters back then," Nanxing said. "But the old Prince Who Guards the South only had two sons and one daughter. The eldest son is the current Prince Who Guards the South, the second son is Yuan Han, and the only daughter is Yuan Yi..."
A woman's sensitivity allowed Tang Zhuyun to accurately grasp the last name.
Yuan Yi?
"The old Prince Who Guards the South was in poor health. When Yuan Han was born, Yuan Yi was already eight years old and was learning to manage the household, and she also took care of Yuan Han... so the siblings had a very deep bond."
Tang Zhuyun had a guess in her mind.
"Has Yuan Yi met Your Highness?"
"Hmm," Nanxing said, "When the Prince Who Guards the South was the heir apparent, his situation wasn't very good either. The former Prince Who Guards the South and the Third Madam of the Xiao Family were sisters..."