Chapter 654 - 432: Sounding Out Xu Mingying

Chapter 654: Chapter 432: Sounding Out Xu Mingying

Mrs. Pan entered the gate and saw that the courtyard had been swept clean. Over a dozen pots of fresh flowers were arranged in a pleasing, artful disarray. Following the stone steps up, she saw Caiqin emerging from the house to greet her.

"This servant greets the Young Madam." Caiqin stopped and curtsied.

Mrs. Pan smiled and said, "Miss Caiqin, there’s no need for such formalities."

Caiqin rose and ushered Mrs. Pan inside. Upon entering, Mrs. Pan noted the simple and elegant decor, with no sign of extravagance. A faint scent of sandalwood drifted from an incense burner on the windowsill. On the table lay a Buddhist scripture, held open by a half-strung bracelet of Buddha Beads.

Just then, the curtain to the inner chamber stirred, and Xu Mingying emerged. She wore plain clothes, and a single ebony hairpin was tucked into her jet-black hair. Her expression was placid as she saw Mrs. Pan. "Sister-in-law, you’ve come."

"This subject greets Xu Ji." Mrs. Pan stepped forward and curtsied.

Xu Mingying took her seat and looked at Mrs. Pan. "Please, sit as well, Sister-in-law."

Caiqin served tea. After taking her seat, Mrs. Pan looked at Xu Mingying’s very cool expression and felt a pang of displeasure. However, she let none of it show on her face, which was wreathed in a warm smile as she spoke. "Your eldest brother and I knew you had come to the Imperial Awakening Temple to pray for your health, and we’ve been wanting to visit you for some time. It’s just that things at home have been incredibly busy lately, which caused the delay. You look a bit thinner. You must take good care of yourself, even here at the temple."

Xu Mingying ate a vegetarian diet every day, attended morning and evening prayers, and had to copy Buddhist scriptures. It was naturally quite arduous. She looked at her sister-in-law. "I’m doing well here. It’s not too difficult; I’ve gotten used to it. You mentioned that the family has been busy lately. What has been happening? Are Father and Mother well?"

"Father and Mother are well, and everyone at home is thinking of you. Just focus on taking care of yourself and don’t worry about us." Mrs. Pan smiled, then sighed. "You were busy coming to the Imperial Awakening Temple, and with everything going on, no one had a chance to tell you... Yan Liu is dead."

Xu Mingying froze. "Dead? Sister-in-law, what kind of joke is this? She was perfectly fine. How could she suddenly die?"

Hearing Xu Mingying’s words, Mrs. Pan scoffed internally. ’She was just a concubine. Is she really worth such surprise? Come to think of it, back at home, her relationship with Yan Liu wasn’t half bad.’

Though Mrs. Pan was inwardly disparaging, she recounted the whole affair from the beginning. In her telling, the matter was entirely Yan Liu’s fault. A mere concubine trying to use her favor to control the main wife? She should have considered her own standing. Her ambition was higher than the heavens, but her life was as fragile as paper. In the end, hanging herself was a fate she brought upon herself.

’Of course, that Song Qinghan is no saint either,’ Mrs. Pan thought, ’but she is the main wife, and her family is powerful. If Yan Liu had been truly clever, she would have seen her opportunity. Xu Anxing refused to consummate his marriage or be intimate with his main wife. As long as there was no legitimate heir, how could the future of Yan Liu’s own children be anything but bright?’

’All she had to do was act submissive and humble before Song Qinghan while secretly keeping Xu Anxing wrapped around her finger. She would have suffered some slights to her face, but she would have reaped huge benefits in private. What a pity. Her greed was insatiable. Secret gains weren’t enough; she wanted public glory too. But the Marquis Wenxin’s Mansion is not just for show. How could they simply turn a blind eye?’

’Even I didn’t expect Ning’an Bo to be so formidable,’ Mrs. Pan mused. ’He struck with the force of a thunderbolt, not only seizing Yan Liu by her weakness but also cowing that profligate Xu Anxing, who no longer dared to be as arrogant as before for Yan Liu’s sake.’

’Song Qinghan is not a good person, but she is fortunate to have such a good family.’

Although Mrs. Pan was supposedly telling the truth, her words were inevitably biased. She painted Yan Liu’s mistakes in the worst possible light while downplaying the formidability of the Song Family.

For a moment, Xu Mingying was in a daze. ’Yan Liu is dead, just like that?’

Yan Liu had once been a maid by her third brother’s side. She was pretty, a sweet-talker, and very thorough in everything she said and did. Not only did her third brother dote on her, but her mother and even she herself had thought well of her.

Later, when Song Qinghan married into the family, Xu Mingying found her haughty demeanor incredibly grating. At that time, the Song Family was not yet prominent. Song Yunzhao, though favored, was only a Noble Consort, and Mr. Song was not yet the Marquis Wenxin. Yet Song Qinghan had already been acting as if she owned the world...

Looking back on these past events, Xu Mingying felt a sense of dislocation, as if it had all happened a very long time ago. The Song Family of today was a world apart from what it once was.

And Yan Liu was dead.

"What about Yan Liu’s two sons?" Xu Mingying asked her sister-in-law.

"With Yan Liu gone, they were naturally sent to the main wife’s courtyard to be raised. We couldn’t possibly have Mother look after them." Mrs. Pan shook her head in resignation. "People really need to recognize their own station. If Yan Liu had been smarter, she wouldn’t have tried to suppress her third sister-in-law after the family property was divided. Did a mere servant like her truly think she could become the main wife? Well, now it’s over. She got a quick death, but it’s a pity for her two children. It will be a misery for them to have such a mother when they grow up."

After her lament, Mrs. Pan put on a smile. "But let’s not talk about such unpleasant things. Yan Liu is gone, and now your third brother and sister-in-law can live together in harmony. Our family will only grow more prosperous. The main reason I came today was to see if you need anything here. Just let the family know. Now that I’ve seen you, I can report back to Mother."

Hearing her sister-in-law’s words, Xu Mingying’s expression softened. "Thank you for your concern, Sister-in-law. Everything is fine here. Please give my regards to Father and Mother when you return, and tell them not to worry. In a little while, once my health has improved, I’ll be able to return to the palace."

Mrs. Pan seized the opportunity to furrow her brow, a hesitant look on her face. She said softly, "Returning to the palace is a good thing, of course."

"Sister-in-law, you frown the moment I mention returning to the palace. What is the meaning of this?" Xu Mingying said, displeased.

Mrs. Pan pressed her lips together, her expression one of helplessness. "It’s just that there was a heavy downpour a few days ago, and a little palace maid serving Feng Xiaoyuan of Yanqing Palace slipped and fell into the water. I just feel the palace isn’t very peaceful this year. If you plan to return, it might be wise to make some inquiries before you go back."

"Slipped and fell into the water?" Xu Mingying’s face was full of surprise. "What happened to her? Was she rescued?"

"I heard they almost didn’t save her. The rain was coming down so hard. If a eunuch hadn’t happened to be passing by, who would have known someone had fallen into the pond? You could say she was very lucky to have escaped with her life."

"As long as she’s alright. Back in the palace, I often felt restless and couldn’t sleep at night. But here, I’ve been sleeping well." Xu Mingying shook her head. "You have a point, Sister-in-law. When it’s time for me to go back in a while, I will check the situation before setting a date."

Mrs. Pan had now said everything she came to say. She carefully observed her sister-in-law’s expression and, seeing nothing unusual, smiled. "I won’t disturb your peace any longer. If you need anything, be sure to send a message to the family. I’ll find a way to get it to you."

Xu Mingying replied, "I am here to listen to scriptures and cultivate my mind. I don’t need anything. You need not worry, Sister-in-law."

Mrs. Pan nodded quickly. "As you wish. I wouldn’t want to interfere with your purpose here."

With that, Mrs. Pan started to leave. As she walked, she added, as if an afterthought, "I’m going to see if Madam Jiang and Madam Fu are finished. If they are, we can all head back together."

Xu Mingying froze upon hearing this.