Entangled Love GL - Chapter 30
Duan Min and Yang Mei both hadn’t expected anyone to come and exchanged glances. Duan Min frowned slightly, expressing displeasure: “Why did you come in by yourself?”
Muyè casually sat down opposite Yang Mei and explained: “Min-jie, you can’t blame me. You didn’t close the door properly; it opened with just one knock. I called you and you didn’t answer, so I came in by myself. I certainly didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation!”
Duan Min didn’t believe her but was too lazy to argue over such trivial matters and was about to let it go. Yang Mei, however, was unwilling to back down and said unhappily: “Miss Mu, you knocked too delicately. Neither of us noticed at all.”
Muyè looked at her and giggled: “You were having such a pleasant conversation, how could you notice such a small thing? Miss Yang seems unhappy to see me. Did I interrupt something important?”
Yang Mei was about to explain, but Duan Min waved her hand to stop her, cutting off the topic: “Enough. What do you need?”
Muyè immediately turned to Duan Min: “Min-jie, I’ve come to ask you out. There’s a chrysanthemum viewing event at Qīngfēng Temple’s Suìhán Garden the day after tomorrow. Let’s go see the fun, shall we?”
Duan Min was a little hesitant. Muyè added: “Things have been busy recently, so it would be good to go out and relax now that it’s quiet! We haven’t traveled together yet.”
When Duan Min heard this, she thought that Muyè might be leaving in half a month, so she agreed: “Alright, there’s nothing much else to do anyway.”
Yang Mei quickly interjected: “Then I’ll go with you too!”
Muyè showed a surprised expression: “Miss Yang, do you have that much free time? Shouldn’t you be very busy as the Pavilion Head?”
Yang Mei had never found Muyè so annoying. She suppressed her anger and explained: “This Place Pavilion has been operating for decades, and everyone’s duties are very clear. The Pavilion Head is not as busy as Miss Mu imagines. It wouldn’t be a hindrance even if I occasionally neglected my duties. Miss Mu doesn’t need to worry about me.”
“I’m not worried about you for that reason,” Muyè glanced at Duan Min, who was standing nearby, “Min-jie told me last night that she doesn’t like you. I think those words still hold true today.”
Yang Mei was stunned this time. Her face flushed red and then turned pale. She didn’t know what to think and couldn’t utter a single word.
“Muyè!” Duan Min was angry this time. Her face was stern, and she said coldly, “What happens between her and me is none of your business. It’s not your place to speak. You should leave once you’ve said what you came to say.”
Muyè suddenly stood up and glared at Duan Min, also looking furious: “Min-jie, aren’t you harming her by being so indecisive? Do you really think that as long as you’re well, it doesn’t matter what happens to others?!”
Duan Min knew she was thinking of Shuǐ Yánghuā again and blaming Shuǐ Yánghuā’s death on herself. Her expression grew even colder, and she was too lazy to explain anything. She simply said: “You are right. I am just such a person. Since you are seeking justice for her, feel free to say whatever else you have to say!”
Yang Mei saw that Muyè was enraged and didn’t know what she might say. She quickly stood between the two, blocking Muyè and saying: “Miss Mu, calm down. You shouldn’t interfere with this matter! You saved my life, and I will always remember that, but if you continue to slander her, I cannot watch you defame her!”
Muyè angrily looked at Yang Mei, and then at Duan Min: “Fine, I won’t interfere! What does it have to do with me anyway!” She turned and walked away, slamming the door shut with a pa sound.
The room immediately quieted down. Duan Min sat down by the table, still holding Yang Mei’s jade pendant.
Yang Mei did not follow her.
After a while, Duan Min spoke first. Duan Min said: “Muyè is right…”
Yang Mei quickly interrupted: “Whether she’s right or not, can we just not talk about it anymore?”
Yang Mei desperately told herself: If Muyè had asked Duan Min if she liked her, she knew without a doubt that Duan Min would say no, so what was there to be sad about? Moreover, her defending her in front of Muyè this time was already unexpected.
Duan Min turned her head to look over. Yang Mei wanted to smile, but she still couldn’t. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Duan Min also felt a pang of discomfort. One moment she thought that a short sharp pain was better than a prolonged dull ache, the next moment she thought her attitude had always been clear, what more needed to be said. Then she wanted to ask what Yang Mei was truly thinking. In the end, she just nodded, returned the jade pendant to her: “It’s late. You should go back and rest too.”
After seeing Yang Mei off, Duan Min calmed down, feeling that Muyè was being strange today.
How could she be such a thoughtless person, coming to interfere in such a matter for no reason? And why was she so harsh and unforgiving towards her, getting angry and flustered? Muyè’s attitude towards her seemed neither dislike nor like.
Duan Min suddenly raised her hand to touch her cheek, thinking self-deprecatingly: Are there many people who look like me, making her remember someone?
The next day, Muyè disappeared early again and didn’t return at noon.
Duan Min was a little worried and originally planned to go find her in the evening, but she first waited for Ràolǜ.
Ràolǜ had secured Prince Xuān’s permission and would henceforth serve Duan Min.
Duan Min let her and Líng’ér live in the adjacent side room, telling her not to come to her room unless necessary. Ràolǜ agreed and went to tidy up, and Líng’ér went to help.
Duan Min waited by the window for a while longer and finally saw Muyè entering from the back door of Jìng Yuán. However, as soon as she opened the room door, Ràolǜ was standing outside.
“Miss Duan, is something the matter?”
Duan Min felt somewhat relieved knowing Muyè was back. Seeing that Ràolǜ looked like she had something to say, she said: “Have you finished tidying up? Why don’t you come in and sit for a while?”
Ràolǜ nodded and followed Duan Min into the room, carefully locking the door.
Seeing her behavior, Duan Min also closed all the windows and poured her a cup of tea: “Sit down. Do you have something to tell me?”
Ràolǜ did not sit. She stood close to Duan Min and said softly: “Miss, I have nothing to repay you with, but I heard some news and I’m telling you. I hope Miss can be prepared and stay safe.”
Duan Min’s heart tightened, knowing that Prince Xuān must be taking action. She said: “You don’t owe me anything; don’t overthink it. I am naturally grateful that you can tell me what you know.”
Ràolǜ did not argue and immediately got to the point: “Recently, there have been many rumors in the palace, saying that twenty years ago, the Empress actually gave birth to a girl. She bribed palace staff while the Emperor was away on a military expedition and exchanged the child for a boy, who is the current Crown Prince.
“This rumor has been around for several days. Logically, both the Emperor and the Empress should have heard it, but strangely, no one has stopped it. Prince Xuān believes this matter is true.”
Ràolǜ paused briefly, then continued: “Prince Xuān has a personal maid who is my cousin. I told her earlier that I was coming to serve you, Miss, and she strongly advised me against it, saying that you look very much like the Empress. Prince Xuān has been observing you for a long time, and these past few days, he has even sent people to secretly guard Jìng Yuán. He might be coming to find you soon.
“Furthermore, two days ago, I went to offer incense with a few sisters from the palace, and I heard that last month, envoys from the Northern Míng Kingdom came to discuss a marriage alliance. Because there is no suitable princess, the matter has not been finalized, and the Emperor is very worried.”
Ràolǜ looked at Duan Min at this point, pursed her lips as if to encourage herself: “I’m guessing wildly, but if I were Prince Xuān, I would probably try to pass you off as a princess and present you to the Emperor.”
Ràolǜ stopped speaking here and bowed her head in obedience.
Duan Min was quiet for a while and said: “Thank you for telling me these things. I won’t be completely unprepared if Prince Xuān comes to find me. Your guess makes sense, and I will think about it carefully.”
As soon as Ràolǜ stepped out the door, someone pushed open the window and flipped in. Duan Min focused her gaze, and it was Muyè.
Duan Min sighed inwardly: “Were you not intentionally eavesdropping this time either?”
Muyè’s expression was dramatically different from usual, appearing very cold. Her eyes were fixed on Duan Min: “So you are a princess. I’ve been disrespectful.”
Duan Min was stunned for a moment, then understood: “Were you investigating me these past two days?”
“Yes,” Muyè did not conceal it. “Yesterday morning, I learned from Yúnniáng that your father, Duan Yǒucháng, was originally an imperial physician in the Imperial Academy of Medicine, with the original surname Qí. He might have a residence east of the Imperial Palace…”
Duan Min frowned: “How could she tell you these things? She promised to keep it a secret for me.”
“She did it for your own good. She hasn’t told Prince Xuān.” Muyè did not explain further, continuing: “Don’t interrupt me. Listen.”
It turned out that after Muyè got the news from Yúnniáng, she immediately went looking. After much effort, she finally found an empty residence in the East City and a few old people. From the old people, she learned that the residence was bought many years ago by an imperial physician. The imperial physician rarely lived there himself, always letting a scholar named Lín live there with his wife and son.
It was exactly twenty years ago that the scholar had another son. But on the third or fourth night, something happened. Someone heard cries and shouts from their house in the middle of the night, but when they went back during the day, no one answered the door. Since then, the scholar’s family and even the imperial physician had never reappeared.
After finishing her inquiries, it was already last night. Muyè wanted to come and tell Duan Min, but Duan Min was talking to Yang Mei, so she overheard the matter of the jade pendant. Today, she went to inquire near This Place Pavilion about the jade pendant, learning that it was a tribute from the Southern Kingdom decades ago, a pair, one given to Princess Zhāoyuán, and the other to the Empress. Strangely, everyone at This Place Pavilion rumored that the jade pendant was a jade pig dragon, and no one knew it was a swallow.
Muyè came back tonight to find Duan Min again, and thus overheard what Ràolǜ had said.
Muyè poured herself a cup of tea and drank it in one go: “The imperial physician who left the palace, the newborn son of the Lín family, the jade pendant only you recognize. These things didn’t connect originally, but adding the rumor of the fake Crown Prince and your resemblance to the Empress…
“I suddenly realized just now that if the matter of the fake Crown Prince is true, all this can be explained: Twenty years ago, the Empress gave birth to a girl. Around the same time, Scholar Lín had a son. Imperial Physician Qí helped the Empress switch the children. Then the Lín family’s son became the Crown Prince, and the imperial physician took the princess out of the palace. Imperial Physician Qí was a trusted confidant of the Empress, so it’s not surprising that he knew about the jade pendant. Later, he had a change of conscience and told you everything.
“You said he was concerned about five people. The two surnamed Lín are probably the two children of the Lín family. The two whose names cannot be spoken, I guess are the Emperor and the Empress. The last one, Xiǎo Niàn, is probably not very important, perhaps his daughter.”
Muyè stared at Duan Min, her expression more serious than ever: “Min-jie, don’t you think my guess also makes sense?”