Chapter 5

Seeing that Rong Huan was angry, the two of them very tacitly shut their mouths.

Only afterward did Rong Yang realize that the argument had come so smoothly. It seemed that deep down, she really did dislike Jiang He…

At lunchtime, because the emperor was busy with political affairs, he sent someone to say he would not be coming. Rong Yang and Rong Huan looked at each other. Rong Huan knew very well that court affairs were almost entirely in Mother Empress’s hands. Father Emperor was probably busy deciding which consort’s palace to visit today and which talented lady’s bedchamber to visit tomorrow.

The empress returned to Kunning Palace in time for lunch. Although her face looked tired, when she saw Rong Yang, and then Rong Huan behind her, what she felt most was relief.

Jiang He obediently stepped forward to support the empress and said softly, “Aunt.”

As if long used to it, the empress patted her hand. “You came at just the right time. Serve the meal.”

Rong Yang: What a double-standard monster…

The enormous octagonal table was filled with all kinds of dishes.

“Yang’er, I specially instructed the imperial kitchen to make dishes you like,” the empress said, her words full of concern.

“Thank you, Mother Empress,” Rong Yang said lightly.

After the five of them quietly finished lunch, Rong Huan said she still had some matters to handle and pulled Jiang He away. Rong Yang had also intended to take her leave, but the empress spoke first, saying she wanted to talk with Su Yao.

Inside Kunning Palace.

The empress leaned high above on the phoenix seat, her gaze sharp and superior.

“You and Rong Yang have been married for two years. This is the first time she has brought you into the palace with her. I will give you two greeting gifts. The first is a pair of jade bracelets called Qingxin. The second is your father, Prefect Su. Three days from now, I will send someone to the Su residence to issue an imperial decree conferring upon your father the title of Marquis of a Thousand Households.”

Su Yao’s fingertips lightly tapped the wooden box containing the jade bracelets. Her pale-black gaze was indifferent to the depths of her eyes. She lifted her eyes to look at the woman standing in a high position and gritted her teeth as she asked the question in her heart.

“Why was it me?”

“With her status, she could have found a Kunze in the capital more beautiful and better than me. Why did you choose me?”

The answer the empress gave was cold and rational.

“I know you were unwilling to accept this marriage. But when the ruler wants a subject dead, the subject has no choice but to die. Prefect Su understands this principle, and so do you. You only need to know one thing: the Su residence takes pride in you. If you resent or hate anyone, then hate me and the emperor.”

“Heh. If you continue indulging her like this, have you ever thought that you may cause her to fall into a place of no return?” Su Yao sneered. Beneath her sleeve, her clenched fist revealed the hatred she had suppressed in her heart.

The high and mighty woman sighed softly.

She knew that the woman before her was no ordinary person. She also knew that her hatred far exceeded imagination. But fate could not be defied…

This tribulation was something only Rong Yang herself could resolve.

“Many things will have answers one day, but not now. Or perhaps read the original at bailiantales.comthe answer is already on its way.”

…

When Su Yao walked out of Kunning Palace holding the wooden box, she saw Rong Yang waiting sideways on the steps. Her long hair was slightly messy from the wind, and her red lips were pressed faintly together. No one knew what she was worrying about.

Hearing the sound, Rong Yang turned her eyes sideways and saw Su Yao holding the wooden box. Her lightly pressed red lips slowly relaxed, and the worry in her eyes disappeared in an instant. She said coldly, “So slow. Let’s go.”

Inside the carriage, Su Yao sat by the window. Her fingertips seemed to be casually rubbing her cuff, but her gaze occasionally fell on Rong Yang, who sat opposite her with her eyes closed in rest.

The carriage was especially quiet. The dull sound of the wheels and the voices of passersby drifting in from outside could be heard very clearly.

A gust of fresh wind blew outside. Rong Yang suddenly opened her eyes and happened to meet Su Yao’s gaze before she could withdraw it in time.

Su Yao froze slightly, then lowered her eyes.

The female lead was secretly looking at me?

Rong Yang calmly closed her eyes again, but she could still feel Su Yao’s strong gaze. A trace of doubt rose in her heart. What did she want to say?

“I want to go back to the Su residence.”

Her voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the noisy sound of the wheels.

Rong Yang froze. So she wanted to return to the Su residence.

Letting the female lead return home would definitely help lower the hatred value. But if I agree directly, it will go against the persona. How should I agree to her?

A long while passed.

Seeing that Rong Yang did not speak, Su Yao stubbornly raised her voice. “This time, whether you agree or not, I am going back to the residence.”

Outside the carriage, it had grown much quieter. They must not be far from the Princess’s residence. Rong [unauthorized copy]Yang opened her eyes, her gaze landing on Su Yao’s calm face. From the corner of her eye, the fingers rubbing her cuff exposed Su Yao’s anxious mood.

Rong Yang suddenly said, “Tomorrow…”

Su Yao lifted her eyes in surprise and looked at her.

Realizing that her tone was wrong, Rong Yang corrected herself and returned to that cold manner. “Tomorrow, I will go back with you.”

Su Yao paused slightly and looked at her hard profile, her expression clearly asking, What are you going for?

The carriage stopped in front of the Princess’s residence, and the guards at the gate hurried forward to welcome them.

Rong Yang pretended not to understand Su Yao’s confusion and stepped straight down from the carriage.

Su Yao followed behind, watching Rong Yang’s back slowly disappear after entering the residence.

She had thought Rong Yang would refuse without hesitation, then humiliate her ​read the original at bailiantales.com​harshly, using the words she had said countless times before to shut her down.

“You married into the Princess’s residence. Your person and your life both belong to this princess. If this princess does not allow you to leave, you cannot go anywhere. If you disappear, there are still plenty of people in the Su residence!”

She had even mentally prepared herself. At worst, Rong Yang would whip her again. In any case, the result would not be much worse than now.

But no matter what, she had to return to the residence.

Unexpectedly, Rong Yang had agreed so easily…

Su Yao walked toward Fanghua Hall with furrowed brows, her eyes full of confusion and incomprehension.

After returning to Jinxiu Hall, Rong Yang had Xiaqing arrange for someone to deliver a visiting card to the Su residence.

When Su Lie received the visiting card, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

He hurried along beneath the lamplight, practically running as he turned through several corridors. He could not wait bailiantales.comto tell his wife in the rear courtyard this good news.

“Madam, Madam, Yao’er is coming back.”

Madam Su looked at each line written on the visiting card, and tears uncontrollably fell.

Seeing this, a trace of pain flashed through Su Lie’s eyes. He took Madam Su’s hand and comforted her. “Tomorrow, we will see our daughter. Madam, you must not let your worries go too far.”

“Mm. Master is right. This is a happy matter.” Madam Su took a deep breath and gently wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief before they could fall.

But the tears that had just stopped suddenly surged again like a broken dam. The more Madam Su thought about it, the sadder she became.

“Master, do you think we should not have agreed to this marriage?”

Su Lie sighed. “Madam, this marriage was never ours to decide. Do not take everything upon yourself.”

After Su Yao married, her connection with the Su residence was cut off. They had sent people many times to inquire about her, but those people could not even enter the gates of the Princess’s residence.

They had entrusted many connections to mediate, but in the end, their status was too low and their words too light. The other party stood in such a high position—how could they reach her?

The east grew pale like the belly of a fish. In a short while, sunlight slanted early through the windowsill and fell onto the ground.

Early in the morning, Rong Yang instructed Chunxi to casually bring two or three gifts. Going empty-handed seemed somewhat improper, but making it too grand would not fit the persona.

When Lanxin learned that she could return to the residence with Miss today, even her steps became much lighter. Following behind Su Yao, the corners of her mouth could not stop rising.

When Su Yao stepped into the front hall, Rong Yang had already been sitting there for a while. She had arrived quite early.

Rong Yang liked bright, gorgeous colors. Most of her clothes were mainly red, but today, she was rarely dressed in white. Her hair was simply fastened with a jade hairpin, yet it still could not conceal her cold and arrogant temperament.

Seeing Su Yao come out, she stood and walked outside.

Su Yao’s gaze fell behind her. Chunxi was holding two [unauthorized copy]brocade boxes. They were exquisite and gorgeous. Were those prepared for the Su residence?

Rong Yang stepped into the carriage and lazily leaned against the inner soft couch.

Her gaze unintentionally caught the instant Su Yao entered, and her heart moved slightly. Even though she knew Su Yao was naturally beautiful, she was still caught off guard by that face.

In the Su residence, Su Lie was the eldest son and also the only person in the family who held an official post at court. He had two younger brothers behind him, who did small business in the capital. Although they were not greatly rich or noble, they could still be considered free from worry over food and clothing.

Their large family all lived in a four-entry courtyard residence. After learning that Su Yao and the Fifth Princess were coming, Su Lie could not sleep all night. In the middle of the night, he ordered the servants to begin preparing food and arranging the courtyard. He personally handled every matter, busying himself until he was dizzy.

When the Princess’s residence’s carriage arrived with its attendants, it was already nearly noon.

Everyone in the Su residence, from top to bottom, was waiting at the gate to welcome the two. The old madam stood at the front, with Su Lie and his wife behind her. Behind them were Su Zhifeng and Su Changhuan, the two brothers, along with several family members.

Rong Yang was the first to get out of the carriage. She did not walk away directly as usual, but stood beside the carriage instead.

The instant they saw Rong Yang, everyone in the Su residence knelt in unison.

“Greetings, Fifth Princess and Fifth Princess Consort.”

“Rise,” Rong Yang’s cool and distant voice sounded.

Everyone slowly stood, not daring to let their gazes linger too long on Rong Yang.

Seeing Su Yao come out, Rong Yang extended her hand, intending to help her down from the carriage.

Su Yao only found it strange, but seeing that everyone in the Su residence was waiting, she could only stretch out her hand and place it in Rong Yang’s palm.

Their hands clasped, palms touching. Rong Yang steadily supported her wrist, then released her the moment she had helped her down.

In the eyes of the Su family, this naturally looked like a scene of the princess doting on the princess consort. Perhaps the reason Su Yao had been unable to come back these past two years was due to unavoidable circumstances, and it was not necessarily because she was not favored.

“Princess, Princess Consort, you must [unauthorized copy]have had a tiring journey.” Su Lie came forward with Madam Su to greet them.

Rong Yang nodded and walked straight into the residence with Chunxi and Xiaqing, leaving time for Su Yao and her mother.

Actually, the original owner’s persona was very easy to maintain. In front of outsiders, all Rong Yang had to do was put on a cold, unpleasant face. No matter what improper thing she did, others would not dare to say much.

Just like now, leaving everyone from the Su residence standing at the gate somewhat at a loss.

Madam Su could no longer hold back. She grabbed Su Yao’s hand, her palm burning hot. The tears she thought had already dried up fell again at an inappropriate time.

“Yao’er, quickly let Mother look at you.”

Although Madam Su had dressed herself carefully, Su Yao still saw through her at a glance—the haggardness of her face, and the fine lines that had grown at the corners of her eyes and on her forehead after two years apart. Su Yao’s eyes gradually reddened. Her nose stung, and she tightly hugged the mother she had thought of day and night.

“Mother, Father, your daughter has been unfilial.”

Madam Su hugged Su Yao back, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.

Su Lie comforted them from the side. “Let’s go inside first. The princess is waiting inside.”

“Yes, go inside first.” Old Madam Su lowered her head to wipe her tears, her kind and gentle voice sounding.

“Grandmother.” Su Yao’s eyes were slightly red, and Lanxin hurriedly handed her a handkerchief.

“You’ve gotten thinner again.” The old madam held Su Yao’s hand and was unwilling to let go…

Rong Yang sat in the center seat of the main hall. Almost everyone in the Su residence was inside the hall. What should have been a noisy scene was instead unusually quiet.

Even the children who usually played and fought obediently stood to the side.

As the current Fifth Princess of the dynasty, Rong Yang was a favored child of heaven, arrogant and cold. From the inside out, she emitted a kind of pressure that made people fear her at a glance.

Rong Yang furrowed her brows slightly. [stolen content]Looks like as long as I’m here, they’ll feel restrained and uneasy.

Should I go out for a walk?

“This princess is somewhat tired.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the hall became even quieter…

“Arrange a room. I’ll go rest for a while…”

Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. They had thought the princess was about to leave.

“Then this official’s wife will arrange for someone to bring Your Highness to rest.” Madam Su called over the steward mama.

As soon as Rong Yang left, the hall filled with bustling voices. Only Su Ruoning, Su Zhifeng’s daughter, looked at Rong Yang’s departing back and could not return to herself for a long time.

“Chunxi, go to the garden,” Rong Yang said.

Chunxi nodded and stepped forward to say a few words to the mama leading the way.

The mama understood and led them along another path.

Madam Su kept holding Su Yao’s hand and never let go. The elders in the residence kept coming forward to ask after Su Yao’s well-being, so mother and daughter still had not had the chance to speak a few private words.

Rong Yang wandered through the garden out of boredom. The garden in the residence was very small, and she finished walking around it in one circuit.

Just as she was thinking of going to the pavilion ahead to sit for a while, a woman in green suddenly appeared among the flowers. She looked as if she were about to fall, and Rong Yang subconsciously reached out to pull her.

With that light pull, the woman’s whole body fell into Rong Yang’s arms. A strange floral fragrance rushed into her nose, and Rong Yang pushed her away in disgust.

Xiaqing and Chunxi stepped forward to block the woman and asked, “Who are you?”

“This humble woman is the second young lady of the Su residence, Su Ruoning.” She looked flustered, clearly not expecting Rong Yang to dislike this tactic.

“I had no intention of disturbing the princess’s leisure. I just happened to come to this garden and accidentally stepped on a stone, which is why I startled Your Highness.”

Just happened to? Accidentally? If I hadn’t seen this kind of plot so many times in books, I might really have believed you.

Rong Yang coldly glanced sideways at her, then turned and left without saying a word. Only the fragrance clinging to her clothes made Rong Yang somewhat irritated.

Su Ruoning seemed unwilling to give up and wanted to step forward to say something more…

But Xiaqing silently stopped her.

After wandering from the garden to the courtyard, Rong Yang slowly walked through corridor after corridor. So this was the place where the female lead had grown up…

Along the way, the maids and servants lowered their heads of their own accord the moment they saw her from afar.

After walking around, she suddenly noticed a fishing platform built beside a small pond. Rong Yang immediately became interested. She had never tried fishing before.

In the Su residence’s hall, three large tables were filled with dishes. Today’s chef had been specially invited from Dengque Tower. It was said that the chef there had once worked in the imperial palace.

People said his dishes were both beautiful and delicious, with seventy percent of the imperial kitchen’s flavor.

“Yao’er, go invite the princess over for the meal,” Su Lie instructed softly.

“Mm, Father.” Su Yao turned and took Lanxin with her as she walked outside.

“Where is she?” Su Yao asked.

“The servants reported that she is at the lotus pond.” Su Yao paused. Didn’t she say she was tired?

“Miss, today that person is so normal it’s abnormal…” Lanxin whispered.

Su Yao stopped walking, her gaze falling on her palm. It seemed as if there was still some unauthorized copy remaining warmth there. Her fingertip pressed slightly harder.

She was indeed so normal that it was abnormal.

When they arrived at the lotus pond, Su Yao silently approached her. Her gaze lowered slightly as she looked at the person seriously staring at the fishhook.

The pond reflected that person’s face. The faint shimmer of the water softened her expression. Her face did not look as cold-blooded and heartless as usual, and her posture was no longer high above everyone else.

When Chunxi saw Su Yao come over, she understood tacitly and pulled Xiaqing aside.

“Chunxi, are there no fish in this pond?”

“I haven’t seen even a single shadow of a fish!”

Rong Yang’s lazy gaze stared at the movement in the pond.

Sensing something unusual behind her, she turned sideways in confusion. “Chun…”

The words she had not yet spoken were taken back the moment she saw Su Yao.

She stood beneath the sunlight, her entire body glowing faintly with golden light. Was this the female lead halo?

“Why are you here?” Rong Yang put away her unnecessary expression and said coldly instead.

“To eat,” Su Yao said indifferently.

“Oh.” Rong Yang stood. “Next time you appear, say something. You’re like a ghost.”

“You…” Su Yao suddenly spoke.

Rong Yang stood and brushed past Su Yao, walking forward. Hearing her voice, she stopped.

“What?”

“Why don’t you just say it directly? What exactly is your purpose?” Su Yao lifted her eyes. Her voice was soft but firm.

Rong Yang held her hands behind her back, turned around, and looked at Su Yao. Her slightly reddened eyes gave her cold brows and eyes a trace of vividness.

“What purpose does the princess consort think I have?” Rong Yang asked.

“Do you want to make me embarrass myself in the Su residence?”

“Or do you want to humiliate me in front of everyone in the Su residence?”

“Or perhaps hurt my father and mother…”

“No matter which it is, if you dare…”

Su Yao clenched her palm. Her hoarse voice carried endless hatred. Her red lips parted slightly.

“If you dare, even if I die, I will definitely drag you, Rong Yang, down with me.”

The Su residence was her bottom line.

Rong Yang furrowed her brows and slowly closed in.

“Su Yao, stop imagining things. If I wanted to do something, I would simply do it. There would be no need to go through such trouble.”

“You…” The faintly familiar floral fragrance on Rong Yang’s body interrupted what Su Yao was about to say.

Su Yao’s expression instantly turned as cold as frost. She had always been extremely sensitive to scents. This floral fragrance was not Rong Yang’s own. It belonged to someone else.