chapter 77

Nangong Ning felt that her brain was not working properly. She knew very well that the reason why Lady Anli would target her and wanted to kill her was Jun Qianye. Apparently the emperor knew what his concubine wanted to do, but he still connived at her. Nangong Ning could not understand why the emperor didn’t stop Lady Anli. Now, the queen told her that the emperor and she wanted to hold a party to help her regain her good reputation and make people accept her as she was. All this was too complicated for Nangong Ning to understand.

Nangong Ning just thought about it for a while and decided not to consider. In fact, these things were Jun Qianye’s business. He had not even said yes to her “proposal,” and why had she thought so much about his affairs? What she had to do now was to play it by the rules, to leave the palace, and to escape from all these dangers. Thinking of this, she said, “My Majesty, thank you for thinking so much about me.”

Queen Xun nodded her head, and said with satisfaction, “I will send you out of the palace this afternoon.” “Thank you.” This time Nangong Ning’s tone was more sincere, for she really wanted to get out of the palace. In the palace, she was not yet able to defend herself, and had to be very careful all the time. It was so tiring for her to concentrate on everything happening around her! She spent the rest of the morning chatting with queen Xun. The queen showed her kindness from time to time and so Nangong Ning pretended to be very cooperative and tactful, expressing her gratitude sincerely.

After lunch the queen kept her promise. She arranged for Xun Xia and Xun Qiu, two maids whom she trusted, and a group of bodyguards, to escort Nangong Ning out of the palace.

Just after Nangong Ning left the palace, Jun Zixuan came. As soon as he entered the palace, he asked directly, “Mother, have you arranged someone to escort Nangong Ning out of the palace?” The Queen nodded, saying, “Yes, she has just gone. If you came a little earlier, you might have met her.” “Mother! I’m looking for her!” Jun Zixuan said, gritting his teeth. He could not find her! Couldn’t believe that she was in the palace and stayed all night in his mother’s palace!

Queen Xun looked at him and said, “Why do you want her?” Jun Zixuan answered, “Mother, you don’t know what she did. She gambled with the Nangong’ property and lost it all! Those possessions she used were what Nangong Luo intended to dedicate to me!” He even wanted to strangle her at the thought of it. Queen Xun looked at her son, sighing and saying, “Even if you find her, can you get the property back?” “I…… can’t.” He said, frowning. “So why are you so obsessed with finding her? How can you be so silly!” Queen Xun raised her voice and looked stern.

Jun Zixuan stared at his mother, puzzled. The queen said, “The most important thing for you now is to be a good crowned prince as your father hoped, which means you must do whatever your father wants you to do. Now your father has engaged Nangong Ning to your uncle, so you must think of Nangong Ning as your aunt. Now why do you try to find her? Have you decided to be against her, your aunt?” Jun Zixuan’s face changed. “Mother,” he said, who couldn’t help to ask, “do you mean I should treat her like an elder?”

“At least,” said queen Xun, with her dark and cold eyes, “take care that you do not make an enemy of her, until your father has made his decision concerning her. I am careful now and you must be as careful outside the palace as I am. Our Royal family has always been at odds with each other, and if we’re not careful, we may fail!”

Jun Zixuan felt very angry and unwilling. Should he be going to let her off so?

Queen Xun sighed softly, and said, “I don’t really know what your father meant either, but he asked me to hold a party in three days to help her regain her reputation, so I suppose your father has really decided to marry her to your uncle. As long as she marries your uncle, even if your uncle doesn’t like her, she’s still a princess. With that status, you’d better not contradict her explicitly.”

Jun Zixuan thought for a moment, and was obliged to admit that her engagement to the Regent had indeed been made by his father. Although he was already the crown prince, his father was still young and strong, so he should be careful not to lose his father’s attention and keep up with him; otherwise he might be replaced by his brothers. Thinking of that, Jun Zixuan nodded, saying, “Ok, I see. I will be very careful.” “Well, now you can leave, and I’ll go and see your father,” said queen Xun, getting up. There was little affection between the emperor and her, but the party three days later gave her a reason to see him. Only face to face, she could more easily guess what the emperor was considering, and could better pave the way for her son.

The queen’s bodyguards sent Nangong Ning straight back to the Regent Mansion. Nor did she make any objection to this arrangement, for she had indeed left from there yesterday. And she would like to go back to the Regent Mansion now, because there was something she wanted to take from there. The two maids of queen Xun did not enter the mansion. They just helped her to the gate and left. Nangong Ning entered the mansion and remained calm in her face.

Mr. Zong was already waiting for her. He looked her up and down and said, “Miss Nangong, are you all right?” “Nothing. No broken an arm or a leg.” Nangong Ning stretched out her hands, raised her eyebrows, and asked, “How are you, Mr. Zong? Your Lord did not treat you…” She hadn’t finished when she suddenly saw a man dressed in black coming slowly. She stopped talking for a moment, thinking to herself, why did he come out?

Mr. Zong saw his lord too, and so he went to Nangong Ning, whispered in her ear, ‘Miss Nangong, actually my lord has been……” Nangong Ning glared at him. Mr. Zong, too, fell silent. She knew that Lady Anli, who invited her to the palace yesterday, wanted to kill her because of Jun Qianye. Even if Jun Qianye wanted to get it over with, she would never allow. She could not calm down at the thought that she had almost been poisoned and burned to death by Lady Anli. She went over, stood in front of Jun QIanye, asking, “Your Highness, Lady Anli sent a box of gold and silver jewelry to you yesterday, didn’t she?”

Mr. Zong could not resist adding, “Yes, indeed. Those are in the storehouse.” Nangong Ning nodded her head and asked, “Are the 100,000 taels of gold sent over before, as well as those jewelry sent by Su Yuan later, also in the storeroom of the palace?” Mr. Zong interrupted again, “Yes, yes!”

Jun Qianye looked down at her, gave her a slight look, and then asked, “Why do you ask them?” Nangong Ning lifted her chin a little and said in a clear voice, “I’ll take them away.” “Take them away?” said Jun Qianye with his face changed slightly and his eyes darkened. Nangong Ning nodded, quite affirming about it. No matter where you were, you could do nothing without money. With the jewelry and gold, at least, she had some confidence to live along. Since Jun Qianye refused to marry and protect her, she had to find herself a new way to go. Although she had the Nangong family property, she was afraid to use them now, and there was no way to sell these assets, so she had to use the jewelry.

“You can’t take them,” said Jun Qianye. Her face changed. Subconsciously, she asked, “Why?” Jun Qianye turned away without answering her question. Stunned, she lifted her arm to try to catch him while Mr. Zong grabbed her and said, ‘Miss Nangong, what do you want to do?” Nangong Ning turned her head, glared at him, and asked, “Why can’t I take my things?” He looked at her with a look of resignation and said, “What are you doing taking those things?” She was very angry and asked, “What am I going to do that seems to have nothing to do with you!” Mr. Zong said earnestly, “Are you going to leave here when you’ve taken them?” “Of course,” Nangong Ning said, nodding her head, “it is of no use for me to stay here.” Jun Qianye had rejected her marriage proposal, and she would not really be 100 percent safe if she stayed at here, besides, she couldn’t predict what would happen at the party in three days, so she thought she had better run away.

“So think it over. Will my lord let you take those things away?” Mr. Zong patiently explained to Nangong Ning. “What do you mean?” Nangong Ning asked in shock. “Oh, my God, don’t you understand that?” Mr. Zong was very helpless. From her question he knew that she did not understand at all. Was it possible for him to say frankly? Nangong Ning snorted. And so Mr. Zong sighed, saying, “My Lord wants you to stay here.” Nangong Ning was stunned.

Mr. Zong continued, “My lord would not let you go, so just stay here.” Unconsciously, Nangong Ning asked, “Why?” She was in a state of confusion, and all thoughts were running up and down in her mind. Jun Qianye wanted to keep her here. Why? If he was really willing to protect her, then why did he reject her? Mr. Zong rolled his eyes and said, “Why do you still ask? Do you think you can defy my lord?” Nangong Ning was about to argue, and then she had to acknowledge that she couldn’t. She gave Mr. Zong a fierce glare and then walked quickly away. “Where are you going?” called Mr. Zong after her.

“To talk to Jun Qianye!” said Nangong Ning, malevolently deliberately. Mr. Zong’s face paled with fear, thinking, how dares she! She shouts my lord’s full name directly!

Nangong Ning went straight into the courtyard where Jun Qianye’s study was. Wei Chu saw her, stopping her, and said, “My Lord says he has no time to see you.” “What? Does he know I want to see him?” Nangong Ning asked, shocked. Instead of answering she, Wei Chu said, “Miss Nangong, please go back and rest.” Nangong Ning stared at him, but he did not answer her with a cold face.

Nangong Ning tried to look inside, but the door was closed, and of course she could not see Jun Qianye. Mr. Zong said that Jun Qianye didn’t let her take the money, for he hoped to let her stay here, but now she really had something to talk to him. Why did he refuse to see her? Finally Nangong Ning had to return to the courtyard where she lived with a look of sadness. As soon as she entered her room, she called out, “Su Yuan!” Su Yuan appeared in the room instantly.

She asked directly, “What is Jun Qianye doing now?” Su Yuan gave her a look which made her feel that she was an idiot, and said coldly, “Do you really think I can know what he is doing when the Regent keeps people away?” Nangong Ning gave Su Yuan a glare, saying, “If you can’t do it, just say so, you need not say something euphemistic!” Su Yuan’s face clouded at the words. Nangong Ning snorted, adding, “Go ask Wenren Yao how things are going about the Muhai firm.”

Su Yuan did not speak to her, but jumped up and disappeared in front of her.