Chapter 149: A Big Opera

Chapter 149

A Big Opera

The royal marriage of Princess An Le was scheduled for early next year. As the most favored princess of the Emperor, this ceremony would undoubtedly be grand and magnificent. An Le hoped that by then, Nie Shuang would have given birth and recovered enough to attend the event. In the meantime, Princess An Le refrained from visiting the Hou Manor, as it was customary for the bride and groom not to meet before the wedding. Instead, Nia Shuang went out to meet her at the Tianfu Restaurant, bringing the children along because An Le had mentioned missing her niece and nephews.

Upon arrival, Xiao San helped Nie Shuang down from the carriage, her pregnancy now becoming quite apparent. Behind her, Xiao Tong and the wet nurses carried the children. As soon as they entered, all eyes turned toward them. Some people whispered behind their hands, while others displayed disdainful expressions. Nie Shuang immediately knew they were talking about her. The Tianfu House was a place frequented by the capital’s wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials, so these rumors likely didn’t come from common folk.

Even Xiao San noticed and exchanged glances with her mistress but said nothing. The waiter, knowing they had an appointment with the princess, quickly led them to a private room. While waiting, Xiao San whispered softly.

"Young Furen, when we walked in, why were they...?"

"What do you think? They were, of course, gossiping about me,"

Nie Shuang replied, unfazed. Baseless rumors would fade with time. There was no point in wasting breath to explain. The Hou Manor rarely engaged in social circles, and Song Ren had been busy with work lately, so he likely hadn’t heard the gossip yet. Otherwise, the Yong An Hou Manor would not be staying silent.

Shortly after, Princess An Le arrived. Upon seeing Nie Shuang with her three adorable children sitting attentively in the room, she beamed widely and, without any formalities, hurried over to sit close by.

"Sister Nie! I didn’t expect you to bring the kids. I haven’t seen you all in so long. I’m so bored being cooped up in the palace."

"By next year, you won’t be bored anymore, Your Highness. By then, you’ll have Second Brother to keep you company."

Nie Shuang teased. Rather than being bashful, Princess An Le burst into hearty laughter, completely pleased.

"You’re right, Sister Nie. I find Second Young Master so handsome—no matter how long I look, I never tire of him,"

An Le admitted openly. Now that she was confident Song Ren would be hers, she felt much more at ease. Although he had said some strange things during their last meeting, Princess An Le had long forgotten them, barely remembering her previous embarrassment. All she could think of now was how delightful it would be to gaze at him again.

Bao Bao, recognizing the pretty older sister, greeted her with a sound. When An Le turned to him, he smiled brightly and blinked cutely at her. The little boy remembered how, when he did this for his grandmother, it always earned him laughter from everyone and many hugs and kisses from his grandmother. As he had hoped, his efforts paid off. The princess, charmed by Da Ge’s cuteness, scooped him up and showered him with kisses, praising him for being utterly adorable. Bao Bao acted bashful from being kisses on the cheeks by the pretty sister, which only made Princess An Le laugh even more.

Nie Shuang watched them banter and smiled softly, reminding the children to pay respects to the princess. The little ones obediently followed their mother’s instructions. Seeing the three chubby children bow in unison, the princess was charmed and gently patted each of their little heads, praising them.

"Good. Such well-behaved children."

Xiao Hua Hua, who loved to talk, responded as soon as she heard the princess speaking to her.

"Hua...good...good..."

She said, patting her chest and smiling brightly that her eyes crinkled. An Le was instantly captivated by the girl’s smile and thought to herself how nice it would be to have such a cute daughter. She lifted Xiao Hua Hua onto her lap, just as the grandmother often did, leaving Da Ge to look on enviously, feeling a little upset that everyone seemed to favor Xiao Hua Hua.

"Sister Nie, Xiao Hua Hua’s smile looks just like yours. At such a young age, she’s already so beautiful. When she grows up, General Song will surely have headaches."

Meanwhile, Bei Bei had moved to sit next to his mother, clinging to her sleeve. Nie Shuang looked down and smiled at him, prompting Bei Bei to rest his head on her lap. He wasn’t interested in anyone else, content just to be close to his mother.

Once the meal was served, Xiao Tong and the wet nurses took the children to another table to eat the mild dishes prepared for them, leaving Princess An Le and Nie Shuang to have a more serious conversation.

"Sister Nie, there’s an unpleasant rumor going around about you in the capital,"

An Le said without beating around the bush. Nie Shuang wasn’t surprised as she was already familiar with the princess’s straightforward nature.

"It’s probably about the child I’m carrying, isn’t it?"

Nie Shuang guessed. In this era, nothing damaged one’s reputation more than questions surrounding a woman’s purity. She had faced similar slander from Ding Tao in Huangjing City. It disgusted her that some would stoop to such dirty tactics.

An Le nodded, her face full of anger.

"Now, the General is at the border, and you’re pregnant at this time. Someone started spreading rumors that the General went to the border alone, not taking you with him as previously announced. They’re saying that you, a woman who traveled to Huangjing alone, became pregnant and no one knows who the father of the child really is."

"We both know who’s likely behind this, don’t we?"

An Le nodded. Despite the power she held, she understood that punishing someone without evidence would lead to backlash from the court officials. Though bold, she was well-versed in courtly conduct.

"I had someone investigate, but the person only made vague accusations without mentioning any names. Otherwise, I would have already had the Minister of Justice take her in for questioning. For now, if we speak out, it will only look like we’re panicking."

Seeing An Le’s fierce reaction, Nie Shuang laughed, touched by how outraged the princess was on her behalf. She hadn’t planned to retaliate initially, but seeing the princess’s frustration made her reconsider. After thinking for a moment, Nie Shuang spoke.

"It’s not that difficult. Since she’s made vague accusations, not targeting anyone specifically, why don’t we repay her in kind? Someone like Young Miss Chen is terrified of public shame. She won’t be able to stay quiet if we push her buttons."

The princess immediately became excited when she heard that there was a way to get revenge. She asked excitedly,

"What’s your plan, Sister Nie?"

"If any noble families are hosting celebrations soon, why don’t you bestow a traditional opera troupe to perform at their event? I’m sure they’d be incredibly grateful."

Princess An Le’s eyes sparkled.

"Who knows, this opera might even become popular. It could tell the story of a young woman deeply in love, willing to do anything to be with the man she desires, even though he is already married. And even after being rejected by him, she doesn’t give up. Instead, she tries to win over his younger brother, only for the tale to end in tragedy. Don’t you think such a story would be intriguing, Your Highness?"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! When Chen Yuelan gets worked up and starts protesting, we’ll have evidence to strike back. Everyone knows she’s the one spreading those rumors. If she dares to slander you again, Sister Nie, we won’t hold back!"An Le’s enthusiasm made it seem as though the issue was personal for her. She immediately turned to the eunuch accompanying her, ordering him to take action. After that, she happily resumed eating, her spirits high. Ever since meeting Sister Nie, life had become so much more exciting!