HLnovel Chapter 302 Unexpected
Chapter 302 Unexpected
Chapter 302 Unexpected
Learning from Gongsun Yuan about Anshihou's actions after her disappearance, Ye Pianran was filled with rage. Recalling the Emperor's decree betrothing her to Chunyu Yang as his princess, and Anshihou's eagerness to send people to the northern frontier to summon her back to the capital while concealing the fact that her birth mother had been divorced, her hatred reached its peak.
She disappeared in Xingzhou. Did he even care? Did he send anyone to search for her? She survived a near-death experience, earning the reputation of a "miracle healer" by struggling to stay alive in the northern frontier army camp. Yet, he couldn't wait to bask in her glory. Why? Just because he was her biological father, the one who raised her?
But the kindness of raising her had long been worn away by his repeated indifference towards her!
Upon learning that Gongsun Yuan had taken Ye Yankang with her when she left, and that he was now temporarily being cared for at the Northern Martial Prince's Mansion, her hatred for the Marquis's Mansion subsided somewhat.
Although the imperial decree granting her and Chunyu Yang a happy marriage, the thought of returning to the filthy Anshi Marquis's mansion and continuing to marry under the guise of the Marquis's legitimate daughter filled her with nausea. Especially since the Marquis's mansion was now under the control of Xu Pingyue and Ye Yingrou, she feared her life wouldn't be easy until her marriage.
Gongsun Yuan found Ye Pianran, but Ye Yanxun was still missing. Although he was an illegitimate son, he had been raised by Gongsun Yuan since childhood, and she had always treated him as her own. Upon seeing Ye Pianran, she naturally wanted to know Ye Yanxun's whereabouts. However, when she asked Ye Pianran, her expression turned extremely unpleasant.
Although she didn't want to hurt Gongsun Yuan's motherly heart, she knew that hiding Ye Yanxun's true colors at this point would be unfilial of her as a daughter. So, she recounted in detail what had happened in Xingzhou.
Ye Pianran told her that everything that had happened in the Marquis's mansion over the years—including Gongsun Yuan's miscarriage when she gave birth to Ye Yankang, Ye Yankang's mental breakdown, the slash on her face during her argument with Ye Bijun, Aunt Meng's miscarriage, and so on—was all related to Ye Yanxun. All he had done was to kill their main wife so that his birth mother could take her place.
Gongsun Yuan was utterly shocked upon hearing this, and could hardly believe that Ye Yanxun would do something so immoral. But as soon as she thought about how she had been divorced from the Marquis's mansion and how Xu Pingyue had been promoted from mistress to wife in the blink of an eye, she understood everything.
Over the years, since Gongsun Yuan had tacitly accepted Xu Pingyue's existence, she naturally knew that Xu Pingyue was unwilling to remain merely a concubine and had always competed with her for Anshi Hou's favor. Born into a noble family and the legitimate daughter of the Left Prime Minister's household, Gongsun Yuan had always disdained playing such tricks with Xu Pingyue. Since Anshi Hou's heart wasn't with her, she didn't force it. Her dedication to teaching Ye Yanxun stemmed from her clear conscience and had nothing to do with vying for favor.
But she never imagined that people could be so vicious. The child she had cherished and protected all these years was actually harboring thoughts of killing her at every moment.
Thinking of how Ye Yankang had become so mentally impaired because of her conflict with Xu Pingyue, she only regretted that she had never married into the Marquis of Anshi's mansion and never been a lady of the Marquis's household. Fortunately, she had taken Ye Yankang out of the mansion when she left; otherwise, it was uncertain whether Ye Yankang would have survived in the mansion during the six months she was away.
"Mother, now that you have found your daughter, please come back to the capital with me," Ye Pianran said softly, nestled on Gongsun Yuan's lap. "Grandfather has been exonerated and is no longer a criminal. If you can return to their side, they will surely be very happy."
Gongsun Yuan gently stroked Ye Pianran's temples, remained silent for a long time, and ultimately did not answer her questions.
Ye Pianran served Gongsun Yuan at the Guanyin Temple for three days and then asked Gongsun Yuan again to let her return to the capital. This time, Gongsun Yuan refused her, saying that he had promised to make donations at the temple for a full year, and now only half a year had passed, so he could not leave, otherwise the Bodhisattva would be angry.
In truth, Gongsun Yuan's decision to stay wasn't based on the promise she made to the Bodhisattva. Although she had seen through Ye Yanxun's character, the years of nurturing she had received couldn't be erased overnight. Even knowing it was impossible, Gongsun Yuan decided to wait another six months. If she still couldn't find Ye Yanxun after six months, it wouldn't be too late for her to leave Xingzhou.
Having decided to stay in Xingzhou, knowing that the mother and daughter would not be able to see each other for the next six months, Ye Pianran decided to spend more time with her mother. The mother and daughter, reunited after a long separation, whispered sweet nothings, reluctant to part. This deep affection made Chunyu Yang very envious. He himself was not in a hurry to return to the capital, so he stayed in Xingzhou with Ye Pianran for a while longer.
During the time she spent with Gongsun Yuan, Ye Pianran always felt that her mother was very sad. At first, she thought it was because she had seen through Ye Yanxun's true colors. Later, she overheard Gongsun Yuan's conversation with Ye Lingyue and realized that the reason was herself.
Leaving the Marquis of Anshi's residence, Gongsun Yuan felt a sense of relief, yet also a touch of regret. She was no longer the mistress of the manor; the Emperor had issued an edict bestowing Ye Pianran upon Chunyu Yang as his principal wife. Once the two returned to the capital, they would soon be married, and she feared she wouldn't be able to personally send her daughter off on her wedding day. Therefore, the more tender she felt with her daughter, the more sorrowful she became.
When Chunyu Yang learned of this, he concealed his identity as a prince and found a matchmaker in Xingzhou. With Gongsun Yuan as the honored one, he solemnly went through the entire process of betrothal, asking the name, accepting auspicious gifts, presenting betrothal gifts, setting the wedding date, and personally welcoming the bride. He and Ye Pianran then went through the wedding ceremony like ordinary people and got married.
After drinking the tea offered by Chunyu Yang and Ye Pianran, which satisfied her only regret, Gongsun Yuan could no longer suppress her inner bitterness and burst into tears. The day after the wedding, Gongsun Yuan gave Chunyu Yang and Ye Pianran each a red envelope, urging them to set off on their journey.
After bidding farewell to Gongsun Yuan, Ye Pianran and Chunyu Yang continued their journey back to the capital. However, they had only been away from Xingzhou for a few days when shocking news reached Chunyu Yang.
Chunyu Yang's birth mother, Consort Zhuang, contracted a serious illness in the palace, and her condition worsened, leading to her sudden death three days ago!
How could this be? Ye Pianran's first reaction was to question the authenticity of the news. Half a year ago, Consort Zhuang accompanied the Emperor on an autumn hunt in Xingzhou. Along the way, Ye Pianran used the Tai Su Nine Needles and the spiritual spring in her space to detoxify Consort Zhuang, which had greatly improved Consort Zhuang's health. Not only was Consort Zhuang immune to all poisons, but she was also not easily susceptible to colds and other serious illnesses. There must be something fishy about this.
Both of them felt that something was wrong, so they immediately set off for the capital at full speed.
However, what the two were unaware of was that the first person in the palace to contract the terrible disease was the emperor. Consort Zhuang was infected while serving the emperor. But for some reason, after Consort Zhuang was infected, the emperor's illness gradually improved, while Consort Zhuang's illness deteriorated rapidly, and she passed away within three days, beyond the reach of any medicine.
The emperor was grateful for Consort Zhuang's kindness in taking care of him at the cost of her life, so after her death, he posthumously conferred upon her the title of Imperial Noble Consort and granted her a grand burial in the imperial mausoleum.
Chunyu Yang lost the two cities of Li and Tong in the northern frontier, and the court was already very dissatisfied with him, with impeachments never ceasing. However, after the emperor issued this edict, the impeachments gradually subsided, and no one dared to speak out anymore.
After the two returned to the capital, Chunyu Yang rushed to the palace without even returning to his residence, where he saw the remains of Consort Zhuang in the mourning hall. Jingxuan, as the heir of the Northern Martial Prince, had been keeping vigil before the coffin for five days without shedding a single tear. But when he saw Chunyu Yang appear before him, he finally couldn't hold back and threw himself into his father's arms, bursting into tears.
Chunyu Yang held Jingxuan tightly and knelt respectfully before Consort Zhuang's spirit tablet to keep vigil for her.
Because Marquis Anshi had divorced Gongsun Yuan, Ye Pianran naturally did not want to return to Marquis Anshi's residence, so she went to Gongsun's residence instead. Gongsun Zhan and his wife were overjoyed to see their granddaughter alive and well. The three of them spent three days and three nights chatting by candlelight, lamenting the impermanence of life and the unpredictability of human nature.
Being in the capital, the grandfather and grandson naturally talked about the current situation in the city, but after careful analysis, they both felt quite heavy-hearted.
Having gained memories of an extra lifetime, Ye Pianran naturally knew the cause of the Xingzhou rebellion, but she couldn't tell Gongsun Zhanming. She only told him to be more careful in the future. Now that the Crown Prince had died unexpectedly, it was time to establish a new heir. She had been betrothed to Chunyu Yang by the Emperor to be his princess consort, but Chunyu Yang was the Emperor's eldest son and held military power, making him a very strong contender for the crown prince position.
Even though the Gongsun family had fallen from grace due to the rebellion of Prince Yue, they were still her maternal family. As long as she married into the Northern Wu Prince's household, the Gongsun family would have someone to rely on again. If the emperor favored Chunyu Yang as the crown prince, the Gongsun family could make a comeback and become a thorn in the side of others.
Gongsun Zhan naturally knew who Ye Pianran was referring to. Having held a high position for so many years, he had witnessed the court's increasingly chaotic state and was well aware of Chunyu Jing's ambitions. He and Shi Zhenghan had served as each other's left and right prime ministers. Over the years, he had managed to maintain his original intention of serving the emperor and diligently assist him, but Shi Zhenghan had long since strayed from his original intention and was now solely focused on supporting Chunyu Jing, hoping to gain even more wealth and glory for himself.
Despite his meticulous planning, he never imagined that this trip to Xingzhou would cause everything to spiral out of control, beyond any possibility of recovery. The fact that the Gongsun clan managed to survive this chaos was already a stroke of incredible luck; they dared not hope for anything more.
Gongsun Zhan told Ye Pianran that Chunyu Yang might have originally been a potential heir apparent, but his defeat in the northern frontier led to numerous impeachments in the court, and the ministers were very dissatisfied with him. In addition, his birth mother, Consort Zhuang, had died unexpectedly, and he had to observe mourning for her. This marriage would likely be delayed, which would be very detrimental to his chance to seize the throne.
Ye Pianran questioned Gongsun Zhan carefully, becoming increasingly convinced that Consort Zhuang had been murdered. Having experienced the pain of losing her mother, she could understand Chunyu Yang's grief. Whether he could become the crown prince was not important to her, and the postponement of the wedding was not a big deal. Even if he was stripped of his military power, she would stay by his side to the end.
She only regretted that she wasn't in the capital when Consort Zhuang had her accident, otherwise she would have been able to save her.