Chapter 1145: 1142: Avoidance

Chapter 1145: Chapter 1142: Avoidance

At least for now, she could use Duke Zheng to trip up Chu Heng with just a few words.

“Sister Ye, you still haven’t said why you want to leave,” Zhao Qingqing asked curiously, glancing back only to see a commotion arising and consciously leaving with Ye Muyu.

Ye Muyu said, “That Tang Beauty is an acquaintance, with whom I had some conflicts before.”

“Now that she has gained power, to avoid trouble, I will proactively keep my distance.”

“Sister Ye, with such a good nature, how could anyone have conflicts with you?” Zhao Qingqing found it unbelievable.

Ye Muyu: “…it’s just a lack of compatibility.”

...

“However, Sister Ye, it’s good for you to stay away. I heard that Tang Beauty is very assertive. Doesn’t she know that the Liu family has a poor relationship with the Qi family?”

“Knowing that and still associating with the Qi family shows she is broad-minded.”

Ye Muyu looked at Hong Mei, gently shook her head, and said, “That might not be the case, after all, perhaps only Duke Zheng likes her in the Liu family. Others are more hostile towards her, and to gain respect, she must network as much as possible.”

“However…” Ye Muyu put herself in Tang Rou’s shoes, feeling that her identity was her biggest restraint.

“But Qi Rong acknowledges her, mainly to displease the young ladies of the Liu family, not because he truly likes her. Moreover, being a concubine, other families’ legal wives would not want to associate with her,” Zhao Qingqing could not help but say.

“Maybe she has her ways, since we are different in temperament.”

“Perhaps.”

After descending from the mountain, the two of them had a vegetarian meal in the temple, rested for a while, and then called Chu Heng along with Lady Zhang and Magistrate Zhang, to descend the mountain together.

Ye Muyu came to know about the incident on the mountain two days later.

After Qi Rong favored Tang Beauty, Tang Beauty was slapped privately by a young lady of the Liu family. In support, Qi Rong invited Tang Beauty to attend the winter banquet hosted by the Elder Princess’ Mansion half a month later.

The news shocked the entire capital, as not everyone was eligible to attend the banquets at the Elder Princess’ Mansion. Even if Qi Rong invited Tang Beauty, without the Elder Princess’ Mansion’s response, it would not have been possible.

This meant that the Elder Princess viewed Tang Beauty with different eyes.

That evening, Ye Muyu discussed the matter with Chu Heng.

“If I remember correctly, in the thirteenth year of Yuankang, the Elder Princess’ legitimate grandson, Huo Yanyi, accidentally ingested Poisonous Herb and lost his life. Afterwards, the Elder Princess, furious, found out that an illegitimate grandson was responsible, and had Aunt Qiao, the beloved concubine of her own son, executed by caning, and the illegitimate grandson was sent away, stripping him of his wealth. Since then, the only son of the Elder Princes, Commandery Prince Huo Zixing, became estranged from the Elder Princess.”

“Until her death over a decade later, their relationship did not improve.”

“At that time, the incident caused quite a stir. However, the details were not as people knew them. For instance, Huo Yanyi did not simply die from eating the Poisonous Herb; he had toxins in his body since childhood which made him frail and led to his perennially poor health.”

“That Poisonous Herb was merely a trigger; such a single medicinal herb could not have killed a child outright.”

When Ye Muyu listened to this, she couldn’t help herself and leaned against Chu Heng’s chest. “No matter what, wasn’t it Aunt Qiao and the illegitimate child who harmed that child, Huo Yanyi? Doesn’t ‘a life for a life’ seem justified?”

“Why would the Little Prince be angry with the Estranged Princess Royal?” As she curled her fingers through Chu Heng’s hair, Chu Heng’s hand rested on her waist, and looking up at her from below, he, too, felt content.