The Supporting Female Character Enters the Game, the Crazy Crown Prince Slowly Falls Deeply in Love - Chapter 63

Jiang Yao’s attention shifted to the view outside the carriage window.

Since the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the number of patrol guards on the streets of the capital had increased significantly.

Even after several days, the city gates were still tightly controlled and inspected, with the official explanation that the culprit had not yet been apprehended.

Knowing who the culprit was, Jiang Yao craned her neck, wondering what transgression Xie Yunian had committed.

“What are you thinking, Ya’er? You were looking at me continuously just now,” Jiang Zhen noticed her gaze and asked softly.

Jiang Yao quickly shook her head. “Nothing, I just think Second Sister’s complexion looks much better today.”

Jiang Zhen heard this and smiled faintly. “People always change, don’t they?”

Jiang Yao was startled, but before she could think deeply about it, the carriage had already stopped in front of the Regent King’s Manor.

As soon as the three women stepped out of the carriage, a maidservant immediately greeted them and respectfully led them to the rear garden.

The rear garden already hosted many distinguished guests, gathered in small groups of twos and threes, speaking in low tones.

One of them spotted Jiang Ying, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She approached and took hold of Jiang Ying, asking in a hushed voice, “A-Ying, why did you come too?”

Jiang Ying looked at the newcomer, her eyes smiling. “You finally decided to come back?”

She then turned to the two behind her and explained, “Li Ningwan, shortly after marrying Commander Fu, followed him on a business trip. She must have just returned.”

She then turned back to Li Ningwan. “This is my younger sister, Jiang Yao—whom you’ve met—and this is my cousin, Jiang Zhen.”

“It’s been two months. How is it that Younger Sister Ya’er has grown even more graceful and charming?” Li Ningwan said with a smile.

Jiang Yao replied cheerily, “Sister Ningwan is the true beauty who eclipses the moon.”

Commander Fu is affiliated with the Embroidered Uniform Guard (Jinyiwei) and traditionally listens only to the Emperor’s command. The Li family is also a loyalist faction. Given that Li Ningwan is attending the banquet at the Regent King’s Manor today, she is likely here to probe the situation following the Emperor’s public fainting at the Mid-Autumn Banquet.

It seems that many people are considering switching allegiance due to the incident at the Mid-Autumn Banquet.

Li Ningwan was somewhat surprised by Jiang Yao’s compliment.

She was close friends with Jiang Ying and had often visited the Jiang Manor before her marriage. Although she hadn’t seen Jiang Yao many times, she knew the younger girl had always maintained a detached attitude towards everyone. Why had she suddenly changed her demeanor?

Despite her internal confusion, Li Ningwan did not press the matter verbally.

The group walked over to a stone table and sat down.

Li Ningwan quietly recounted interesting stories she had encountered outside the capital.

Jiang Yao sat quietly to the side, her gaze occasionally sweeping across the surroundings. It was the Chrysanthemum Viewing Banquet hosted by the Regent King’s Consort, yet the Consort herself was nowhere to be seen.

Jiang Yao felt a growing sense of unease.

As if confirming her apprehension, not long after, a maidservant stopped beside her, a respectful smile on her face. She slightly curtsied and said, “Third Young Miss Jiang, my mistress requests your presence.”

What must come will always come.

Jiang Yao sighed, stood up, and told Jiang Ying, “Elder Sister, I’ll go over for a moment.”

A hint of worry flashed in Jiang Ying’s eyes, and she instructed, “Go, be careful. Your elder sister will wait for you here.”

The unspoken meaning was that if anything unexpected happened, she should rush back here immediately.

Jiang Yao nodded, turned, and followed the maidservant away.

Shortly after she left, Jiang Zhen suddenly touched her earlobe and exclaimed, “Elder Sister! I think my earring is missing…”

Jiang Zhen stood up, urgently looking around on the ground.

Seeing this, Jiang Ying also rose and looked at the ground. “How could it suddenly disappear? Did it come loose when we were walking earlier?”

Jiang Zhen shook her head. “I don’t know, it was just here a moment ago.”

She turned her head to look back along the path they had taken. “Elder Sister, I’ll go look for it. It might have fallen on the path we took to get here.”

Jiang Ying looked at Li Ningwan, then at Jiang Zhen, and hesitated for a moment. “Then go. Be careful, and don’t stray too far.”

Jiang Zhen acknowledged the instruction and hurriedly walked away, looking down along the path they had come.

For a time, only Jiang Ying and Li Ningwan remained by the table.

Li Ningwan looked thoughtfully in the direction Jiang Zhen had departed. “A-Ying, both of your sisters seem different from before.”

Jiang Ying was taken aback. “Ya’er is still the same as she was when she was little. As for Zhen’er… Her eldest aunt is pressuring her too much. I do not wish to interfere excessively.”

Everyone chooses their own path.

Li Ningwan nodded, then recalled her reason for coming today. “Then, A-Ying, do you know why the Consort is hosting this Chrysanthemum Viewing Banquet today?”

Jiang Ying was momentarily stunned, then shook her head. “Perhaps the chrysanthemums have bloomed, and the Consort is in a good mood and wishes to celebrate with everyone.”

Li Ningwan scoffed. “Are you going to pretend to be oblivious with me now? It’s not even halfway through the ninth month, and the chrysanthemums are only half-open. What is there to see?”

“Ningwan, you must not speak carelessly,” Jiang Ying’s expression hardened, and she lowered her voice.

Li Ningwan sighed. “You know what kind of person I am, don’t you? When I discussed this with you back then, didn’t you support me? Now that I’m back, are you treating me like a stranger?”

When she and Fu Yu first got married, Fu Yu was soon dispatched out of the capital for official business.

This trip meant he wouldn’t return to the capital for at least two months. Li Ningwan was unwilling to be separated from her husband so soon after marriage, so she simply disguised herself and accompanied Fu Yu out of the capital.

She had mentioned this to Jiang Ying, who had even found several travelogues for her.

“How could I treat you like a stranger?” Jiang Ying’s expression softened slightly, and she said softly, “It’s just that the situation in the capital is complex now. Some things… are truly inconvenient to say too much.”

Although the Emperor had awakened, he was still recuperating in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and it was said that his health was even worse than before. All court affairs had completely returned to the Regent King’s control.

Political winds were tight in the capital today. The Regent King was frequently holding meetings with several important ministers, and the Consort was also increasing her activities.

The capital was gripped by apprehension, with every household secretly trying to gather information.

A word spoken casually could be relayed to anyone’s ear tomorrow.

“A-Ying,” Li Ningwan suddenly spoke. “I ask you a sincere question. Since you are about to marry His Royal Highness Prince Jin, have you not considered what would happen if the Emperor…”

She lowered her voice. “If it really happens… what about our Li family…”

Jiang Ying’s face instantly changed color. “Ningwan! Are you insane? How can you speak such nonsense!”

“His Royal Highness is accustomed to a carefree life and never interferes in court disputes. Why would he step into this quagmire?”

“A-Ying,” Li Ningwan quickly restrained her hand when she saw her strong reaction. “I was only asking casually.”

Jiang Ying took a deep breath and spoke seriously to Li Ningwan: “Do not mention this again. His Royal Highness has never considered that position.”

Li Ningwan nodded, a hint of complexity in her eyes. “I know, but given that the Emperor is unwell and the Regent King is frequently taking action, even if His Royal Highness Prince Jin has no interest in power, his status is undeniable, and he will inevitably be targeted.”

Jiang Ying knew this all too well and whispered, “I will remind His Royal Highness to be extra careful.”

“Oh, right,” Li Ningwan brought up as if coincidentally. “Why did the Consort ask Younger Sister Ya’er to go over? I have not heard of them knowing each other.”

Jiang Ying explained, “The Consort met Ya’er once at the Xuan Yang Marquis’s birthday banquet. Perhaps she took an instant liking to her, which is why she specifically asked her to come over and chat.”

Li Ningwan then smiled. “Younger Sister Ya’er is intelligent and truly charming. It’s only natural for the Consort to want to speak with her, especially since even Young Master Xie treats her differently.”