Cai Wei instructed people to send Xiang Yun back, and she returned to the Royal Study as well.
At this ti, Nangong Yi had just finished the morning court session and was behind the dragon desk, reviewing official docunts. Seeing Cai Wei return so early, he was quite surprised.
Cai Wei didn’t hide anything from him and recounted the events that had just happened. At the end, she sighed and said: "I always thought Zhao Gui was clever and quick-witted, but I didn’t expect her to employ such low-level tactics. Anyone a bit attentive could see through this, and yet she still thinks of herself as clever, believing she’s acted flawlessly!"
Nangong Yi said: "How good could the child raised by Jin Guifei be? I’ve told you before, but you never believed , always saying I was prejudiced against her. Do you believe it now?"
Cai Wei said: "It’s not wrong to pursue happiness and to want to be superior, but when soone already has a beloved, using such tactics just seems a bit shaless!"
"Has a beloved? Are you saying Wanyan Jingchen has a beloved?"
Nangong Yi put down his pen, curious, and said: "Which noble lady’s family is she from? Tell quickly!"
"Soone you would never have thought of!"
Cai Wei habitually sat on his lap, picked up the tea cup from the dragon desk, took a sip, and deliberately teased him.
Nangong Yi, his interest piqued, urged her: "Quickly tell , who is it? Is it you?"
"Pop—"
The tea she just drank sprayed out, Cai Wei put down the tea cup, coughed violently without any concern for her image, struggling for breath.
Nangong Yi patted her back while scrutinizing her with a sour expression: "If it’s not, it’s not. Why be so agitated? Acting like this, it’s as if you have a guilty conscience!"
After coughing for a while, Cai Wei finally caught her breath. She sat up straight, grabbed Nangong Yi’s cheeks, and pulled them fiercely, saying: "What am I guilty about? And what baseless jealousy is this of yours? The one she is interested in is your forr daughter-in-law. Not to ntion , a married woman, even if all the noble ladies of Great Jin were sitting there, she wouldn’t give them a glance, her heart is only set on Xiang Yun!"
Nangong Yi rubbed his sore cheeks and said in surprise: "How could it be her? Lady Wu is a divorcee, isn’t she?"
Cai Wei snorted coldly: "That’s called true love. True love does not regard status or distinguish between the noble and the lowly. Unlike so people, who profess their love with their lips, yet make sobody else a concubine – truly shaless!"
Nangong Yi, realizing that Cai Wei was referring to the past when he wanted her to beco a concubine, felt embarrassed and said sheepishly: "Madam, what’s said is said, but there’s no need to bring up old scores. Besides, didn’t I reform my ways after acknowledging my mistake? What’s the point of dwelling on the past now?"
Just as Cai Wei was about to speak and further berate him, a eunuch suddenly ca to report that Duke Li Guo requested an audience.
Upon hearing this, Cai Wei slid off Nangong Yi’s lap and headed to the east room.
Back in the east room, she entered the boudoir in Space and, as usual, took her noonti nap.
Every night, exhausted by a man’s ceaseless demands, her body could not withstand the sa as a man’s iron-clad endurance, capable of attending court, handling politics, reviewing docunts, and practicing martial arts after being active all night...
She always woke up late in the morning, feeling as though she’d been run over, so her noonti nap was essential unless sothing urgent ca up. No matter what, she had to get so sleep!
Outside Space, Duke Li Guo, having completed the formalities, sat on the chair with a flushed old face, looking troubled and unsure how to start talking to Nangong Yi.
Nangong Yi, noticing the old man’s unease, curiously asked: "Uncle, do you have sothing on your mind? Why do you look like this?"
Duke Li Guo hesitated for a long ti, and though his pride was at stake, he ultimately couldn’t resist his love for his grandson. Biting the bullet, he revealed Mo Zili’s desire to divorce, adding at the end: "This matter isn’t just Zili’s wish, but also your maternal grandmother and your uncles’ and aunts’ wish. See what you can do. Maybe, find an opportunity for them to reconcile!"
After Nangong Yi listened, he responded with difficulty: "Grandfather spoke too late. The daughter of the Wu Family already has an owner."
Duke Li Guo, startled, said: "Impossible? How could such a big event escape my notice?"
Nangong Yi said: "I just found out as well!" He then recounted the infatuation Wanyan Jingchen had for Xiang Yun.
Hearing this, Duke Li Guo was struck as if by thunder, his old face turning ashen as he murmured: "So there truly was... a secret love affair between them..."
At this mont, his concerns were not about the potential negative impacts of Wanyan Jingchen and Wu Xiangyun’s secret love affair on Duke Li Guo’s Mansion, but rather, what to do about his grandson if these two were to be together?
Zili was nearly driven insane for the sake of Wu Xiangyun. Stubborn since childhood, he wouldn’t turn back even if he ran into a south wall. If he learns that there’s no chance with Xiang Yun, wouldn’t he go utterly mad?
Seeing Duke Li Guo’s grief-stricken face, Nangong Yi consoled him: "Grandfather, logically, since Wanyan Jingchen has set his heart on the lady of the Mansion of Marquis Jian’an, I should grant the marriage right away to further the good relations between our two nations. But since you’ve already spoken, and Zili is also my cousin, I won’t grant the marriage for now. I’ll give each of them three days to vie for her; in three days, I’ll let the lady of the Mansion of Marquis Jian’an choose for herself. Whoever she chooses, I will grant her marriage according to her wishes. Grandfather, what do you think about this?"
If Wanyan Jingchen marries Xiang Yun, that’s a significant event for the alliance of the two states, a matter of great importance. For Nangong Yi to give them a chance to compete was already a considerable concession. Hence, Duke Li Guo couldn’t say anything more and had to leave with a heavy heart.
When Cai Wei woke up from her nap and ca out of Space, Duke Li Guo had already left, and the man was still reviewing the seemingly endless docunts. Cai Wei brewed a pot of health-preserving tea with Lingxi River’s water for him, and had Chun Liu deliver it. She also called for Huan Qiu and asked about Ning Huaixiu’s recent condition.
Huan Qiu said: "Her injuries have healed a lot, and she can walk around now. But her deanor is downcast, always looking unhappy and dejected."
Cai Wei replied: "Call her in for . I have sothing to say to her."
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