Chapter 031
Chapter 31: Find the Answer Yourself
The disdain in the Eldest Princess’s words was plain to anyone. Xia Meng Yan did not get angry. From the moment she divorced, she was ready to give others something to use against her. Whether it was the Eldest Princess or Huo Ying Zi, neither could harm her now. But without seeing Duan Yi Chen, she could not learn the truth about the matter of the Ping An Marquis Manor.
“You speak well, Your Highness,” Huo Ying Zi said, then turned to Xia Meng Yan with a worried tone: “Since you and the heir apparent are only friends, you should avoid suspicion. With your current status, you really should not wander about. If anything happens to the baby, you will lose everything.”
Xia Meng Yan stood, already knowing that with Huo Ying Zi present she would not see Duan Yi Chen today: “I heard from the serving lad at my gate that you waited at my door for the Marquis of Ping An. By that measure, I believe I am the one with more sense.”
“You…,” Huo Ying Zi began, face flushing.
“I am tired,” the Eldest Princess said, closing her eyes in a clear sign to dismiss them.
Huo Ying Zi had finally gotten an audience with the Eldest Princess and had achieved nothing; she was unwilling to go. “Your Highness, I…”
Xia Meng Yan smiled lightly and said as if concerned: “Since the Huo family’s side branch has already been driven out of the capital, where are you living, Miss Huo? Could it be the Ping An Marquis Manor?”
At that, Huo Ying Zi’s face went bright red. She bit her lip and said, “I live in the Huo family’s old house. If Sister Meng Yan has any misunderstanding, you can ask the Marquis of Ping An. Please do not make things hard for me here.”
“We are already divorced,” Xia Meng Yan answered evenly, “but for Miss Huo’s reputation, I can go with you to the Ping An Marquis Manor to explain.” She would leave, but Huo Ying Zi had to leave with her.
The steward nanny frowned and said briskly: “The Eldest Princess will rest now. You two young ladies should come another day.”
Xia Meng Yan bowed to the Eldest Princess, then turned to go. Huo Ying Zi bit her lip, dipped a hurried curtsey, and chased after Xia Meng Yan.
“Fools,” the Eldest Princess said after they left, opening her eyes with a listless look.
Both women held high status, yet here they were bickering over a man in front of her. Neither was fit for great matters.
As the nanny kneaded her shoulders, she asked carefully: “Does Your Highness plan to choose one of them to be your daughter-in-law?”
“I do not want to, but the one in the Imperial Palace will not agree,” the Eldest Princess said, her eyes turning sharp, as if she could swallow everything before her.
The nanny hesitated, but in the end kept her true thoughts to herself.
Standing at Marquis Xuan Ping’s gate, Xia Meng Yan glanced at the person behind her and smiled: “Miss Huo, shall we go to the Ping An Marquis Manor?”
Huo Ying Zi’s expression soured. Her eyes drifted to Xia Meng Yan’s belly, and a thought flashed through her mind. She raised her voice and said: “If you cannot let go of Brother Ye Lan, just say so. Do not use me as a shield.”
“Since you do not dare to face things openly, stop acting pitiful later,” Xia Meng Yan said with a cold snort. She turned to step into the carriage, when Huo Ying Zi called out from behind: “Fine, I will go with you to see Brother Ye Lan.”
Xia Meng Yan did not turn, but the corner of her lips lifted as she answered: “Good.”
In the carriage, Chun Yue fumed and said through clenched teeth: “She dares to provoke the eldest miss. When we get there, let the maids beat her to death.”
Xia Meng Yan chuckled and patted her shoulder, saying: “She is a rotten person. Why bother with her? The Ping An Marquis Manor is not a good place. If she wants to jump in, let her.”
Chun Yue still could not swallow her anger. She glanced at Xia Meng Yan’s belly. Inside was the Marquis of Ping An’s child, and yet that scoundrel still did not see his own mistakes.
“Watch my signal later and do not make a scene,” Xia Meng Yan said.
“Why? This maid is angry on your behalf,” Chun Yue muttered.
“I have serious business.”
At that, even though she was still angry, Chun Yue held it in.
As soon as the carriage stopped, a honey-sweet voice floated from outside: “Brother Ye Lan, I brought Sister Meng Yan. You two should explain things clearly. No matter what, think of the child.”
Chun Yue lifted the curtain and helped Xia Meng Yan down.
When Lin Ye Lan saw Xia Meng Yan, he sneered. [Playing hard to get?] he thought. [Yesterday you acted proud; today you deliver yourself to my door and still claim you do not care about me.]
“There is nothing to explain. She imagined it herself. I cannot help that,” Lin Ye Lan said, deliberately not looking at Xia Meng Yan. He turned to Huo Ying Zi with concern and added, “Do not be afraid of her. I will protect you.”
Disgust rose in Xia Meng Yan’s chest. A flash of her miserable death in her last life struck her, and her heart ached so hard it was hard to breathe. [Some pain cannot be forgotten, even after rebirth. In my last life, I threw myself at him. I brought that end upon myself. Now, I only love myself.]
She smoothed her clothes and looked up at the blackened main gate.
She had angered Huo Ying Zi on purpose so she would come to the Ping An Marquis Manor and investigate the missing two hundred thousand taels of army funds. [If my guess is right, Emperor Xuan Ming and the Huo family or Lin Ye Lan reached some kind of deal. I need to prepare early.]
“Your manor is burned to this state, and you two still have time to flirt,” Xia Meng Yan said as she walked forward, rubbing ash from the gate between her fingers before flicking it off with a small wave toward Lin Ye Lan. “I hear the repairs are being paid entirely by the Ministry of Works. How nice. The marquis saves another pile of silver.”
Grinding his teeth, Lin Ye Lan said, each word heavy with threat: “Xia Meng Yan, for the child’s sake I will not argue with you. But if you keep provoking me, I do not mind using my hands.”
Xia Meng Yan strolled into the Ping An Marquis Manor and said in a lazy tone: “Hitting your former wife is exactly the Marquis of Ping An’s style.”
“You…,” Lin Ye Lan’s eyes narrowed. He finally saw that Xia Meng Yan had come to laugh at him. The manor lay in ashes, and he had to borrow an outer residence from Marquis Xuan Ping. [Is she trying to say that without her silver, the Ping An Marquis Manor would not even have a place to live?]
“Brother Ye Lan, please hurry and explain everything to Sister Meng Yan,” Huo Ying Zi said anxiously. “If this keeps going, I will not be able to eat or sleep.” As her words fell, she saw Lin Ye Lan stride into the manor after Xia Meng Yan.
Huo Ying Zi froze. It should not have gone like this. She hurried to follow and said tremulously: “How could it burn so badly? It is fortunate the old madam is safe, or Brother Ye Lan would feel guilty forever.” Lin Ye Lan gave her shoulder a pacifying pat, but his eyes were fixed on Xia Meng Yan.
Xia Meng Yan appeared to wander aimlessly, yet she drifted toward Grand Madam Lin’s courtyard. In the neighboring yard stood four or five people who looked as if they were cleaning, but they had not actually cleared much.
Pointing to a nearby tree, Xia Meng Yan said as if idly: “I heard from the manor servants that when the fire broke out, everyone ran, and only Grand Madam Lin was left lying under this tree. Who would have thought the Lin family’s eldest master was so filial that his first move was not to save his mother, but to rush into the next courtyard to check the old madam’s private vault.”
The people in the neighboring yard paused and exchanged glances, then bent their heads and kept working.
Lin Ye Lan stormed up to Xia Meng Yan and snapped: “If you want to sow discord, find a better excuse. How could an elder son not save his mother?”
Xia Meng Yan tapped her own lips and gave a short laugh: “Does the marquis not have a mouth? Ask a servant and you will know whether I speak the truth.”
In her eyes he saw open mockery, as if she were saying, So simple. Did I need to remind you?
“Someone, bring all the servants from the old madam’s courtyard,” Lin Ye Lan ordered.
The steward had been overseeing the work. Hearing the command, he hurried off to summon the attendants.
Lin Ye Lan paced into the neighboring yard. The people inside watched him warily. Xia Meng Yan ignored them and did not meet their eyes as she said: “When the old madam built this yard, I also gave silver. If you sweep up anything from before, I deserve a share.”
The workers tightened their grip on their brooms, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.
Lin Ye Lan strode forward and yanked Xia Meng Yan by the arm, saying in a low, fierce voice: “Playing hard to get has its limits. Xia Meng Yan, if you keep this up, there will be no way back for you.”