Chapter 202

Chapter 202: Did She Regret It?

The rumor that the Princess Qing Ning was choosing a new husband after her divorce, only to be scorned and rejected, spread through capital city in no time, pushed along by people with hidden motives.

Qi Shu Xian was on city gate duty that day.

He stood tall and straight, his face handsome. Even in the plainest sentry uniform, he still looked different from everyone else.

“General Qi!” Several sentries coming to change shifts saw him, and their eyes immediately filled with zeal.

Qi Shu Xian’s brows tightened slightly, almost imperceptibly. “I’m not any kind of general anymore. Just call me by my name.”

One of them insisted, “Even if you’re not a general now, in our hearts you’ll always be General Qi!”

They had all heard about his brilliant strategies in the Cang Nan battle. Because of that, they were furious that he had been punished and sent to guard the city gate.

That was war merit he had earned with his life on the battlefield, yet he was dragged down because of two ignorant women.

The more they thought about it, the more unfair it felt, and the next thing they wanted to say made them feel even more satisfied.

One of them said, “There’s something General Qi might not know yet. That Princess Qing Ning who begged for a decree to divorce you is choosing a husband again…”

“Who?” Qi Shu Xian’s gaze snapped still, and the knuckles gripping his sword hilt tightened without him noticing. “Choosing what?”

The man swallowed, startled by his eyes, and then continued, “Princess Qing Ning. She divorced you, and now she actually wants to pick a husband again, among the sons of noble and official families.”

Qi Shu Xian’s throat felt glued shut. “She… picked who?”

The man curled his lips. “Who could she pick? Every household that was chosen refused her!”

Was that so?

Qi Shu Xian’s grip loosened slightly.

Another sentry added, “She doesn’t even think about it. So what if she’s a Princess? She’s a divorced woman. What talented young gentleman from a good family would look at her?”

A third chimed in, “If it were me, I wouldn’t choose her either. There are so many young ladies from good families. Why would I insist on picking a secondhand good?”

They said it all to flatter Qi Shu Xian.

Even though he was stationed here as a city gate guard now, he was still the heir apparent of the Duke’s Manor. And yesterday, when Third Prince’s carriage passed through this gate, Third Prince had even gotten out and spoken to him.

Maybe Qi Shu Xian would be reinstated again someday. If they gained favor with him now, and he helped them later, they would save themselves decades of struggle.

They watched Qi Shu Xian’s face carefully.

Sure enough, when he heard that Princess Qing Ning had been rejected, his expression looked a little better.

Qi Shu Xian had no attention to spare for their calculations.

How long had it been since Sheng Zhi Wan divorced him, and she already wanted to marry again?

Yet she did not even think about it. What kind of man would be willing to marry a divorced woman like her?

Now she was rejected while choosing a husband, and that was simply asking for humiliation.

With those thoughts, after his shift ended, Qi Shu Xian could not help passing by the Princess Residence.

But the main gate of the Princess Residence was shut tight. Even if he stood there, he could not see anything, much less meet Sheng Zhi Wan.

Qi Shu Xian lingered not far away for a moment before turning back to the Duke’s Manor.

The moment he returned to Xiao Lan Courtyard, Meng Yang hurried up to him. “Heir Apparent, I’ve already figured out the formula for extracting perfume essence!”

Qing Liu’s face was full of smiles as well.

Qi Shu Xian rubbed his temples and reminded her again, “From now on, remember not to call yourself ‘this concubine.’ We’re inside the manor now, but if outsiders hear it and it reaches the Empress Dowager, what then?”

Meng Yang’s smile froze. “This servant forgot…”

Meng Yang quickly said, “Heir Apparent, I made the perfume essence, and I want to go out and see Third Highness.”

She had stayed inside for days just to research it. Only if Third Highness saw her value could she trample Sheng Zhi Wan underfoot in the future.

She showed the refined perfume essence to Qi Shu Xian.

Qi Shu Xian did not know much about these things, but just by scent, it truly smelled better than what was sold on the market.

Qi Shu Xian said, “Give me the formula. I’ll send it to Third Prince’s residence.”

Meng Yang bit her lip. “But there are many details in extracting it. This servant should tell Third Highness personally.”

Qi Shu Xian nodded absentmindedly. “Then wear your veil hat properly.”

His mind was elsewhere, and he did not want to talk to her much.

After Meng Yang finished preparing, the two of them got into the carriage together.

Along the way, Meng Yang talked nonstop about the future of her perfume essence, but Qi Shu Xian kept thinking about Sheng Zhi Wan remarrying. He only responded once in a while.

Meng Yang thought he was unhappy because he had been stripped of his post.

They arrived at Third Prince’s residence.

Meng Yang presented the refined perfume essence. Third Prince had only just smelled it when Qi Shu Xian suddenly spoke, “Your Highness, about Zhi Wan remarrying… was that related to you?”

Meng Yang froze.

Remarrying? Sheng Zhi Wan… was going to remarry? Who could she even marry?

Then Meng Yang realized something else. The reason Qi Shu Xian had been distracted the whole way and barely spoke to her was not because of losing his post.

It was because of Sheng Zhi Wan.

The moment she understood that, Meng Yang’s fingers clenched hard under her sleeve.

Sheng Yuan Hao raised his brows. “Qi Shi Zi heard it too? Yes, it was indeed I who brought it up to Imperial Father, and Imperial Father thought it was right as well. Women should do what women ought to do.”

Sheng Yuan Hao shook his head. “I just didn’t expect that everyone the Empress Dowager chose would refuse her. Looks like families with good conditions won’t work. We can only look further down.”

Look further down?

Qi Shu Xian’s face turned ugly. “Must she marry?”

He liked Sheng Zhi Wan.

Back when he was young and his heart first stirred, Sheng Zhi Wan had been the first and only woman to enter his heart.

Even now, he still remembered the way the girl had stood on tiptoe in the Plum Grove to smell the blossoms.

He had once sworn in his heart that he would treat her well.

She had loved him so much, and for the sake of marrying him, she had thrown everything on the line.

So even though they were divorced now, deep down, he still thought of her as his wife.

His wife – how could she marry someone else?

Sheng Yuan Hao did not know what Qi Shu Xian was thinking. He answered bluntly, “Yes.”

Sheng Yuan Hao continued, “The memorial Wang Ye sent in didn’t only impeach Qi Shi Zi and Miss Meng. It also mentioned the gratitude of the commoner of Ji Zhou toward Qing Ning.”

Sheng Yuan Hao asked, “Qi Shi Zi wants to hear it?”

Sheng Yuan Hao seemed to find it absurd, so he laughed and did not wait for Qi Shu Xian to answer. “If Wang Ye hadn’t stopped them, the commoner of Ji Zhou would have built a living shrine for Qing Ning – a living shrine, for a Princess. That’s something never seen before.”

Sheng Yuan Hao shook his head. “She’s an imperial clan Princess. Her silver, to put it plainly, is still the imperial clan’s silver.”

Sheng Yuan Hao said, “Now she used that silver to do good deeds, and the commoner only know her. They don’t thank the Imperial Court, and they don’t thank Imperial Father.”

Sheng Yuan Hao concluded, “So… women should just do what women ought to do.”

Qi Shu Xian listened, and it felt like a heavy stone pressed down on his chest.

So it was not that Sheng Zhi Wan wanted to marry. She was only forced to look at candidates because of His Majesty’s wishes.

But she was a divorced woman. Even if she met people, those young men from good families would not accept her.

Thinking of that, Qi Shu Xian’s feelings turned unbearably complicated.

He wondered what kind of mood Sheng Zhi Wan was in now.

Did Sheng Zhi Wan… regret it?