The Devious First-Daughter

Ning Xueyan didn’t stay long in the Empress’ palace before being excused. The Empress told her to drop the courtesy and take a stroll around the palace on this rare visit.

Commandery Princess Xianyun lowered her head and glanced sideways at her, asking if she needed to be accompanied.

Despite her offer, Ning Xueyan knew that she couldn’t leave with the Princess in the middle of her happy conversation with the Empress. Moreover, she was a consort while the Princess was the legal wife. It didn’t make sense for the Princess to keep a mere consort company while she strolled around the palace.

Ning Xueyan tactfully declined the offer and walked out of the Empress’ palace, where Lanning had been waiting at the door all along. Seeing her, Lanning naturally walked behind her. Ning Xueyan had told the Empress that she was just taking a walk, so the Empress didn’t assign any servants to her.

Hundreds of flowers in the imperial garden were in full bloom in spring, proudly exhibiting their vivid and beautiful colors. Ning Xueyan had stayed in the palace briefly during the Beauty Contest, but as a candidate, her movements had been restricted in every way. She wasn’t even allowed to walk around the imperial garden and take in the sights.

Moreover, the location of the Beauty Contest was some distance away from the Empress’ Palace, so she hadn’t seen the scenery here before.

Looking at the scenery was a far superior experience than playing politics in the imperial harem.

Ning Xueyan walked wherever her feet took her until she eventually came up to a comparatively narrow passage. The flowers here were weaved like brocade, with large branches and fresh petals swaying gently in the wind, and were much lovelier than the ones she had seen earlier. There were red, yellow, purple, white, and even rare pale blue flowers.

“Young Lady, there are people over there.” Lanning reached out to grab Ning Xueyan’s sleeve all of a sudden and pointed to a corner behind a flowering tree.

Ning Xueyan stopped in her tracks. She could hear a soft whining sound as if someone was crying. Her long, shapely eyebrows knitted. How could someone be crying out in the palace? Although this place was quite secluded and she couldn’t see who it was, she was doubtful that there was truly a secret place in the imperial garden of the palace.

She turned around, wanting to leave. Whoever the crying person was, it had nothing to do with her. Her current identity was Prince Yi’s consort.

Amidst the crying noise, a woman’s voice suddenly rang out. “Senior Nun, I… Can I really…?”

Senior Nun? Ning Xueyan’s heart skipped a beat and her footsteps hesitated. She knew about a senior nun named Jing Kong who lived in the Small Jing’an Temple in the palace. She had the intention to meet the nun on her trip to the palace this time. There were some doubts about her past life that she hoped the nun could clarify for her.

“Your Highness, let the past stay in the past. What’s the point of harping on it?”

That was indeed Jing Kong’s voice. Ning Xueyan’s ink-like eyes became unreadable. Senior Nun Jing Kong’s voice was particularly recognizable, with a distinct and deliberate slowness. Her voice would only become quick at moments of agitation or excitement or when she couldn’t control herself. Right now, her words sounded even more stretched out than ever.

The people inside were Senior Nun Jing Kong and an imperial consort. Judging from their conversation, they appeared to be close. Moreover, she couldn’t even understand some of their words.

“Senior Nun, will she forgive me? Have they forgiven me? I… I really didn’t want things to turn out this way.” Although the woman’s sobbing noise was soft, Ning Xueyan could hear how lost and sad she felt.

They were obviously discussing a secret, and even an unnotable secret in the palace could be life-endangering! Her mother had given her this advice in her past life. Right now, she could only repeat it to herself and shift her foot. It seemed that today wasn’t a suitable day to speak to Senior Nun Jing Kong.

She had just turned around when someone suddenly shouted, “Who is it?”

Ning Xueyan smiled helplessly. Unfortunately, someone had discovered her. She turned around again and respectfully greeted the people behind the blossoming branches, “I’m Prince Yi’s consort, strolling around the garden under the Empress’ orders. If I’ve accidentally offended you, please forgive me, Your Highness.”

A stern-looking older female servant emerged from behind the flower tree and walked up to Ning Xueyan. She looked her up and down before saying haughtily, “The person inside is Honored Consort Xia from Qiongfeng Palace.”

Honored Consort Xia from Qiongfeng Palace! It took Ning Xueyan a second to react. She titled her head before remembering Heng Yuqing’s words. The mysterious Honored Consort Xia, was the most favored consort from the previous dynasty.

Ning Xueyan took a couple of steps backward quietly, looking humbler than ever. “I didn’t know that the person is Honored Consort Xia. I apologize for disturbing you, Your Highness. I’ll excuse myself immediately.”

Her demeanor was so humble and innocent that it greatly pleased the female servant. She waved her hand, indicating for Ning Xueyan to leave, only to hear a delicate voice coming from behind. “Bring Consort Ning here!”

That voice was delicate, so much so that it felt like the owner was as frail as porcelain. This made Ning Xueyan even warier.

To think that a noble lady from the previous dynasty would have the chance to enter the palace! Moreover, she was also an imperial consort from the previous dynasty that was able to gain the favor of the current Emperor. This proved that Honored Consort Xia couldn’t be provoked.

“I wouldn’t dare to disturb you, Your Highness. I have something to attend to, so please excuse me.” Ning Xueyan felt instinctive defiance against Honored Consort Xia. Whether this consort truly wanted to see her or mentioned it on a whim, it didn’t feel right especially since she had accidentally overheard the consort crying earlier.

“Her Highness is asking for you. Hurry up and go over,” the female servant said impatiently. She reached out as if she was going to be rude and grab Ning Xueyan’s arm. Lanning immediately stepped forward to stop her.

“Mammy, please excuse us. The Prince will be unhappy if he learns that the consort is playing around.”

Lanning had mentioned Ao Chenyi in hopes that they would consider the Prince and stop making things difficult for Ning Xueyan.

“I’ll send someone to explain to the Prince. Consort Ning, come over here!” A soft voice came from behind. Evidently, Honored Consort Xia had heard Ning Xueyan’s words. Having said that much, Ning Xueyan had no reason not to stay. Either way, whatever secret that they were discussing previously, they wouldn’t be bringing it up in front of her.

Lanning led the way so she could remove the branches that blocked their path. After passing by the sprigs of plants, what Ning Xueyan saw was a space nearly independent from the imperial garden.

The peach blossoms were in full bloom, their petals fluttering in the wind as they fell to the ground. In a pavilion in the middle of a peach blossom forest sat a woman in a pink palace gown. She looked like she was in her early twenties. The pink gown that she was wearing made her look as lovely and beautiful as snow.

Ning Xueyan had seen quite a few imperial consorts. Both Honored Consort Ya and Honored Consort Shu were rare beauties with their own charms, but the beauty in front of her gave her the impression of fragility at first glance. Although she wasn’t as thin and weak as Ning Xueyan, her temperament was gentle.

Standing behind her was Jing Kong dressed in a plain gray cotton clothing.

Be it their clothes or conduct, they couldn’t look less harmonious if they tried. Compared to Honored Consort Xia’s gentleness, Jing Kong appeared terribly cold.

Jing Kong raised her head and watched Ning Xueyan as she walked over. She put her palms together in greeting before stepping to one side. She didn’t leave.

“Greetings, Honored Consort Xia,” Ning Xueyan said, paying her greetings.

“You’re Prince Yi’s new consort? Another pitiful one! Sit down and talk!” Honored Consort Xia waved her hand, indicating for her to stop her curtsy. She looked Ning Xueyan up and down before smiling gently. If it wasn’t for the tear stains on the corner of her eyes, no one would think that this mysterious and favored consort would cry here.

Strangely, instead of crying to the Emperor, she was crying to a nun. Ning Xueyan felt as if she had been misled by her first impression of the consort.

There was a stone table and several chairs inside the pavilion, with two cups of tea on it. Although Honored Consort Xia was seated, Jing Kong was standing and her cup of tea wasn’t touched at all. On the contrary, the consort’s cup was only half full.

The two palace maids behind the consort swiftly fetched another cup and poured tea for Ning Xueyan before retreating to one side.

“Your Highness, please allow me to excuse myself,” Senior Nun Jing Kong said, raising her head.

“Aren’t you going to sit down and discuss Buddhist teachings with me? I still have a lot of questions about our previous discussion that I need you to clarify,” Honored Consort Xia said softly, her delicate brows knitted into a frown and her eyes filled with gentleness.

“You’re already proficient in Buddhist teachings, Your Highness, but that’s all it is: proficiency. It doesn’t mean anything. You must understand that what lasts, lasts; what doesn’t, doesn’t. One mustn’t force it,” Senior Nun Jing Kong said flatly. Without saying another word to the consort, she put her palms together in greeting to Ning Xueyan and said, “Consort Ning, you were still Fifth Young Lady Ning when you came here. Unexpectedly, so much has changed since we last met. If you have any questions about Buddha’s teachings, feel free to come to me. Until then, peace be upon you.”

“Thank you kindly, Senior Nun.” Ning Xueyan stood up and respectfully curtsied to Senior Nun Jing Kong.

She had a lot of respect for this nun. Whether it was because of her mother’s repeated warnings in her past life or what Senior Nun Jing Kong had told her in her current life, she felt that Senior Nun Jing Kong was a trustworthy person.

In her past life, she was Ning Ziying, the Great Elder Princess. This was her greatest secret, as well as an earth-shattering one. Senior Nun Jing Kong knew her secret, yet she had never told anyone. This was enough to prove her trustworthiness.

Senior Nun Jing Kong nodded and said no more. She recomposed her expression, turned around, and left. She left behind a long shadow as she walked away under a light showering of petals. When the petals landed on her grey nun garbs, they unexpectedly made her look even colder.

Ning Xueyan’s ink-like eyes glinted as she watched Senior Nun Jing Kong disappear from her sight. She bit her pink lips as a moment of bewilderment filled her watery eyes. When she overheard their conversation earlier, she thought that their relationship would be a lot closer. But why did Senior Nun Jing Kong’s words sound strangely taboo?

“Please sit down, Consort Ning!” A soft voice reached Ning Xueyan’s ears and she turned around to see Honored Consort Xia’s lovely face beside her. Her gentle voice was imbued with mirth and her attitude was intimate too, lending her the charm of a lovely, delicate woman.