Chapter 175 - 174: Hope (96 Jin He Shi Bi+)
We certainly can’t kill off Princess Nanyan.
Ever since Princess Nanyan entered the door, Mu Lianhui hated her deeply, until Nanyan died for Li Luan, she wished she could dig up Nanyan’s bones.
Nanyan sighed softly, Du Yunluo was entirely correct, she had long offended Mu Lianhui completely.
No wonder Mu Lianhui said, "How could the Princess be someone who lets others point east and throw west," it seems Mu Lianhui knew her character very well.
She refused to let the princess control her life, so she dared to pull Prince Rui’s act.
Princess Nanyan lowered her eyes, a trace of bitterness flashing through her eyes, and said, "Miss Du, are you saying that the Lady is one of our kind?"
Du Yunluo remained noncommittal.
Princess Nanyan nodded to herself, "Indeed, in this way, many things make sense."
Du Yunluo thought the same.
Only with this answer can many things be clarified.
Du Yunluo knew Mu Lianhui’s temperament well.
In the past life, Princess Nanyan troubled her for so many years, in this life even if Mu Lianhui herself didn’t marry Li Luan, she absolutely wouldn’t want to see Nanyan’s happiness and contentment.
In Mu Lianhui’s heart, anyone could marry Li Luan, just not Nanyan, yet Nanyan ended up being Princess Rui, these days at Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, who knows how angry Mu Lianhui was.
That day in the Heavenly King Hall, Mu Lianhui said she always thought she understood Nanyan, but later found out she was wrong.
It shows the deep-seated grievances.
Du Yunluo quietly reminisced about the incidents at Guoning Temple once more.
Princess Nanyan advised Mu Lianhui not to trade sesame for watermelon, angering Mu Lianhui to turn and leave, but she was indeed shaken.
Sesame was Nanyan and Li Luan’s marriage, watermelon...
The watermelon in Mu Lianhui’s eyes was naturally the princely heir position of Mu Liancheng.
Attacking Princess Nanyan at Guoning Temple, without the confidence of retreating unscathed, could cause trouble worse than worth, making the Empress Dowager and Imperial Consort thoroughly annoyed with her, and the places where Mu Lianhui could assist Mu Liancheng would be much fewer.
Originally, Mu Lianhui intended to endure a little longer, but Princess Yunhua’s words provoked all her grievances.
When Du Yunluo went to the Empress Dowager’s room, they were talking about children inside.
Mu Lianhui did not interrupt, yet listened attentively, Princess Yunhua couldn’t understand the stories of children crying, laughing, and falling, but Mu Lianhui understood.
She had a son but only raised him to five years old.
The Crown Princess Consort and the ladies spoke of children’s antics, which were so clear to Mu Lianhui as if yesterday, because her memories of her son stopped at the age of five, the decades that followed she always recalled those five years.
Children-related topics undoubtedly stirred Mu Lianhui’s memories, yet Princess Yunhua claimed Mu Lianhui couldn’t understand them at all.
How could Mu Lianhui feel comfortable?
She bore old grudges against Princess Nanyan, fresh grievances with Princess Yunhua, new and old scores combined, it’s no wonder she schemed against Princess Nanyan.
If she ruined Nanyan that day, it would also mean ruining Princess Yunhua’s plan.
Considering Princess Yunhua’s nature, meddling with her possessions was more intolerable than confronting her directly.
Du Yunluo understood many things, yet also developed some doubts: "If the Lady didn’t want you to have your way, why in the Wangmei Garden’s plot against Prince Rui, wasn’t there any backup plan? She should have erased your chance too, rather than allowing the Empress Dowager to have ideas."
Princess Nanyan chuckled lightly, glanced towards Cining Palace, and said: "Because she didn’t know, I wasn’t the Empress Dowager’s first choice before."
Du Yunluo thought about it and understood too.
Mu Lianhui judged based on experience that after being excluded by the Empress Dowager, there were other candidates ahead of Princess Nanyan, yet she didn’t anticipate that in recent years, Nanyan’s efforts significantly raised her standing in the Empress Dowager’s heart, catching Mu Lianhui off guard.
"After all, she was away from the capital for three years, returning without fully understanding some matters," said Princess Nanyan.
In three years, numerous minor things accumulated, gradually pleasing the Empress Dowager more with Princess Nanyan, Mu Lianhui had no idea Nanyan had transformed when she returned, causing her to suffer a loss.
Opportunity favors the prepared.
Princess Nanyan prepared a lot, and when the opportunity appeared, she seized it.
"Miss Du," Princess Nanyan called her, "about you and the Lady..."
Du Yunluo didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
The affairs in Dingyuan Marquis Mansion remained mostly unclear to outsiders, even if Princess Nanyan knew Du Yunluo’s circumstances in a few years, she dared not conclude whether those were accidents or deliberate.
But in the past, since Mu Liancheng did get the title, and Mu Lianhui is someone living her life again, even if it was an accident before, she would make it deliberate in this life due to her temperament.
A title readily available, who could remain indifferent?
Much like Li Xiang and Li Luan, they never gave up the struggle for the throne.
Thus, Princess Nanyan was very concerned, after all, being "the same" kind of persons, she naturally didn’t wish for Du Yunluo to live a lonely life.
"As you imagine." Du Yunluo answered simply.
Those four short words made Princess Nanyan understand.
"Not easy to deal with," Princess Nanyan sighed, "However, much of this is our speculation, lacking real proof."
Du Yunluo nodded: "Even without real proof, we can’t not guard against her. Princess, as we guess her here, has she not guessed us?"
Princess Nanyan smiled brilliantly: "If she guessed, she also has no real proof."
Real or fake, both have doubts, both are probing each other.
Many changes across past and present lives, who dares say they definitely see further and think deeper than others?
Just do the best you can.
At the end of the garden corridor, a person walked leisurely.
From a distance, Du Yunluo couldn’t make out their identity, only saw a figure in red, when they got closer, realized he was wearing a round-collared dragon-embroidered robe, with a winged shan crown, face like jade, his peach blossom eyes holding amusement.
Du Yunluo hurriedly bowed: "Prince Rui."
Li Luan nodded at her, his gaze falling on Princess Nanyan.
Princess Nanyan stepped forward a few steps, softly asking him, "At the Empress Dowager’s..."
"Grand Empress Dowager couldn’t bear to part with you, gave me many instructions," Li Luan’s voice like a spring breeze, "Miss Du, go ahead, don’t keep Grand Empress Dowager waiting."
Du Yunluo agreed, smiled at Princess Nanyan, and then took her leave.
As she walked along the corridor, she turned her head to take another look.
Li Luan and Princess Nanyan still stood under the rockery, unknown what Li Luan said, Princess Nanyan smiling radiantly.
Du Yunluo unconsciously curved her lips, fortunately, she didn’t push Princess Yunhua’s hand, fortunately, she didn’t ruin Princess Nanyan’s effort this time, otherwise, when she understood Nanyan’s heart, it would be very hard for her to forgive herself.
A matter not of tolerance, nor of kindness, but because Nanyan was her hope.
Nanyan could change her life, so could she, Du Yunluo.
Even if another Mu Lianhui appeared before her, she would stop at nothing to overcome all obstacles.