bookrebus Chapter 141 The Queen of Gossip
Chapter 141 The Queen of Gossip
He Mingyan blinked, playfully stuck out her tongue at the Empress, and made an extremely cute face. Her action instantly enlivened the originally solemn and dignified Phoenix Palace. For a moment, the palace was filled with cheerful laughter and a joyful atmosphere. The harmonious scene between the mother and daughter was like a heartwarming painting, which would make anyone who saw it feel envious.
The Empress gazed at her mischievous daughter with a smile in her eyes and asked softly, "I heard that Ze Jun also went yesterday?" Her voice was gentle and kind.
He Mingyan lowered her head slightly, covered her mouth with her hand, and let out a clear and melodious laugh. Then she replied coquettishly, "Mother, you can't hide it anymore! I knew you wanted to hear my little gossip." After saying that, she raised her head and looked at the Empress playfully.
The Empress laughed at He Mingyan's straightforward words and no longer concealed her thoughts, saying, "That's right, my dear daughter, tell your mother quickly!"
He Mingyan pursed her lips, suppressing a smile, and tilted her head to ask, "What would Mother like to hear?" Her big eyes blinked, revealing a hint of cleverness.
The Empress smiled and asked with great interest, "I heard that you spent the day with Zejun yesterday. How did you feel about it?" Her words were full of concern for her daughter's love life.
He Mingyan's lips curved slightly upward, her radiant smile as captivating as a delicate peach blossom blooming in spring. She softly said, "Compared to when I was little, there really is almost no change." As soon as she finished speaking, the dignified Empress, sitting beside her, gently raised her slender, willow-leaf-like eyebrows, a half-smile playing on her lips. She slowly said, "Is that all? Yan'er, you two haven't seen each other for eight whole years. With such a long time, who can guarantee that this boy's character remains unchanged? Perhaps he's already become morally corrupt." With that, the Empress's beautiful, deep eyes fixed intently on He Mingyan, as if trying to glean some clue from her changing expression.
At this moment, He Mingyan was extremely anxious, like an ant on a hot pan. She hurriedly waved her hands and argued, "Mother, how can you think like that! He is a dignified young general who has been fighting bravely on the border and has made outstanding achievements! Even Father praises him highly. He could never be the kind of person with bad character!" After saying this, He Mingyan pouted her pink and cute little mouth like a child, expressing her strong dissatisfaction and protest.
The Empress quietly observed the somewhat agitated He Mingyan before her, then suddenly chuckled softly, "Hehe, I see! I had overlooked that. Since his parents are such upright and kind people, their child shouldn't be too bad." Hearing the Empress's words, He Mingyan immediately beamed with joy, nodding hurriedly in agreement, "That's right, Mother, you finally understand!"
The Empress looked at He Mingyan with great interest, her smile growing even brighter. She asked with a slightly teasing tone, "Oh ho, look at you! Are you really that infatuated with him? You've only spent a day with him, and you're already so devoted to protecting him?" Startled by the Empress's words, He Mingyan snapped out of her daze. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly reached out and hugged the Empress's arm, like a spoiled kitten, pouting, "Oh, Mother~ please don't tease your daughter!" Seeing this, the Empress couldn't help but laugh out loud, saying between laughs, "Alright, alright, my dear daughter, Mother won't tease you anymore. Come, come, tell Mother in detail how you two got along yesterday? Was it a harmonious relationship?"
He Mingyan nodded slightly, and after a moment's thought, began to slowly recount the events of yesterday: "Actually, I recognized him the moment I saw him. But, well, humph, who told him to never contact me for so many years? So I deliberately gave him a cold shoulder. I was secretly angry and couldn't be bothered with this 'heartless man'!" He Mingyan paused here, glancing furtively at the Empress out of the corner of her eye, before continuing, "Later, Yao Yao was quick-witted. She suggested we go for a stroll in the garden to relax. She also thoughtfully told us that if we got tired, we could rest in the guest rooms. So, we went to the garden. Unexpectedly, not long after we entered, he came over and said he had something very important to tell me privately. I hesitated at first, but then I thought about our engagement, and finally decided to go with him to the guest rooms..."
He Mingyan lowered her eyes slightly and continued softly, "I was originally eagerly awaiting news from him, but as the days went by, I never received a single word. At that time, all sorts of guesses arose in my mind. I wondered if he had encountered a stunningly beautiful woman on the distant border, or if he had already forgotten about me." As she spoke, He Mingyan's voice trembled slightly, her eyes began to redden, and her mood became noticeably depressed, like a delicate petal blown away by the bleak autumn wind, instantly losing its vitality and withering away.
However, this sadness was fleeting. In an instant, He Mingyan raised her head, a proud expression returning to her face. She continued, "But as a princess, how can I tolerate such an ambiguous situation? Therefore, no matter what, I must ask him clearly and thoroughly. If he truly has someone else in his heart, I will absolutely not pester him or harass him relentlessly. On the contrary, I will definitely plead with Father to annul our engagement, giving him freedom and a clear sky, without any hesitation or delay in this matter." As soon as she finished speaking, He Mingyan deliberately raised her chin, revealing a stubborn yet arrogant demeanor.
At this moment, the Empress, who had been listening quietly, finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "Did you really tell him that?" He Mingyan smiled and nodded, replying, "Yes, Your Majesty." Upon hearing this, the Empress frowned, her face showing concern, and slowly said, "Yan'er, wasn't your approach a little too direct? You've finally met, and you immediately ask such sensitive questions. How is he supposed to answer?" He Mingyan couldn't help but chuckle, playfully retorting, "Oh, Your Majesty, you're overthinking it! How could I be so foolish and ignorant? How could I throw out such a pointed question the moment we met? Of course, I know how to proceed gradually, so I naturally started by talking about other unimportant things!"
The Empress stared at her with suspicion, her lips tightly pressed together, not uttering a word. However, He Mingyan did not stop her narration because of the Empress's silence. She simply adjusted her posture slightly and continued in a detailed manner: "At first, I asked him about the matter of the families of border soldiers accompanying the army. Unexpectedly, he spoke fluently and eloquently, like a storyteller in the streets and alleys, describing in detail the specific circumstances under which various types of soldiers could accompany the army."
After a brief pause, He Mingyan frowned slightly, as if recalling the scene at the time, and then continued, "Afterwards, I curiously asked the soldiers who accompanied the army if they had many daughters or sisters at home. Unexpectedly, he still did not hide anything, not only telling me everything he knew, but also enthusiastically telling me many strange stories and local customs about the border."
At this point, He Mingyan gently raised her hand, elegantly picked up the teacup on the table, carefully took a sip, then put down the teacup and said slowly, "Mother, at that moment, when I learned from him that there were indeed many women on the border, and that their numbers were not small, an indescribable sense of loss welled up deep in my heart."
Hearing this, the Empress couldn't help but ask with concern, "So, faced with this situation, did you lose your temper with him?" Upon hearing this, He Mingyan's face immediately blossomed into a smile, and she gently shook her head, replying, "Of course not, Mother! I just felt a little bitter inside. Then, I simply told him directly that if he already had someone he liked, he could have been honest with me. But, Mother, can you guess? He actually admitted without hesitation that he did indeed have someone he liked. At that moment, I felt as if I had become a tree struck by lightning, completely stunned and at a loss for what to do."
Upon hearing this, the Empress frowned, her face showing surprise. She looked at He Mingyan in disbelief and asked urgently, "Did you so easily discuss canceling the engagement with him?" He Mingyan nodded slightly, indicating that it was indeed true.
Seeing this, the Empress couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, pondering to herself what had happened. Then, her gaze sharpened as she fixed on He Mingyan, and she pressed on again, asking, "And what happened after that?"
He Mingyan took a deep breath, composed herself, and continued, "When I heard that, I was naturally furious. I stood up angrily, intending to leave! But he actually stopped me. Mother, you don't know, the moment he stopped me, I was extremely angry. It felt like a raging fire was burning in my chest, about to burst out. So, I reprimanded him mercilessly." At this point, He Mingyan's voice rose slightly, as if one could still feel the anger she felt at the time.
After a brief pause, He Mingyan's tone softened, but a hint of lingering anger remained on her face. She gently bit her lip and continued, "However, the matter didn't end there. Just as I was preparing to break free from his grasp again, he suddenly confessed to me that the person he truly loved was me. Humph, I won't believe his lies so easily!" He Mingyan pouted indignantly, clearly harboring doubts about the man's confession.
At this moment, the Empress remained silent, listening intently to He Mingyan's narration, her gaze never leaving her delicate face. He Mingyan lowered her voice slightly, speaking softly, almost in a whisper: "Then, seeing that I was unmoved, he began to explain at length why he hadn't contacted me for so long. Not only that, he also told me that he didn't know any of the women stationed at the border, and that he had already publicly announced his engagement to the soldiers there." After saying this, He Mingyan's expression became somewhat complicated, as if she had fallen into deep thought.
At this point, He Mingyan took a graceful step and slowly turned to face the Empress. A hint of doubt flickered in her beautiful eyes, and her lips parted slightly, her voice soft yet tinged with unease: "Mother, do you think what he said is true? Will he really mention our engagement to the soldiers?"
The Empress nodded slightly, reached out her jade-like hand and tightly grasped He Mingyan's slightly cold, soft hand. With a kind smile on her face, she softly replied, "Yan'er, do you truly believe in him deep down?"
Upon hearing the Empress's words, He Mingyan trembled slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she stammered, "I... I don't know how to answer either." She lowered her head, seemingly unable to meet the Empress's concerned and expectant gaze.
Seeing this, the Empress gently patted He Mingyan's hand and continued earnestly, "Yan'er, since you have fallen for him, you should give him enough trust. You must know that for a husband and wife to grow old together, they must trust each other to have a long and happy life. If trust is lacking, even just a little, then when you encounter those with ulterior motives who sow discord in the future, your relationship will be as thin and fragile as a piece of paper, easily torn apart."
The Empress continued, "I know you've been apart for so long, it's understandable that you have some doubts. However, you're constantly worried, your mind filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts. If this continues, you'll only suffer in the end. Not only will your body be exhausted, but your mind will also be greatly tormented! In my opinion, if you truly have these questions, you should find a suitable opportunity to talk to him face-to-face and ask him directly. Don't keep them bottled up inside. If this continues, your relationship will likely be difficult to maintain in the long run!"