Chapter 251: Chapter 251: Chaos Amidst the Mandarin Ducks

Leng Yu Yan returned to her own courtyard and saw a dubious red mark on her neck in the mirror.

She covered it with powder before heading over to the Old Princess Consort’s place.

The courtyard of her grandparents was quiet. As Leng Yu Yan walked in, she looked up to see her twin brothers sitting face-to-face, competing in a game of staring contest.

The two identically-looking young men were squinting hard to see who could last the longest.

Watching their comical expressions, Leng Yu Yan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

The two brothers turned their heads simultaneously, “Sister is back.”

“Third Brother, Fourth Brother, this game really shouldn’t be played.”

Lai Yuxing asked, “Why not?”

“Be careful, you might end up cross-eyed!” Leng Yu Yan walked over and sat beside them. “Where’s Grandmother?”

Leng Yusheng replied, “Grandmother is in the inner room.”

“Oh.” Leng Yu Yan nodded, sitting there and fiddling with her own fingers.

She truly couldn’t understand why, Ye Yiheng had played with her fingers?

Was it really that amusing?

Seeing his sister’s head bowed in silence, eyebrows slightly furrowed, and then noticing Xiaoshan’s eyes reddened as if someone had stolen his treasure, Leng Yusheng couldn’t help but ask, “Sister, did something unpleasant happen at the Eastern Palace?”

Leng Yu Yan shook her head, “No.”

She didn’t want to mention the incident about someone kissing her neck at the Eastern Palace.

On the side, Xiaoshan blurted out, “Fourth Master, after the Princess returned from the Eastern Palace, she met Prince Qing in the main hall. He said some very unpleasant things, and that’s why the Princess…”

“Xiaoshan!” Leng Yu Yan chided him, then quickly told her brothers, “It’s nothing, just a small quarrel.”

At that moment, the Old Princess Consort came out with a mixed fruit platter.

The twins exchanged glances, understanding each other’s thoughts.

“Grandmother, the two of us still have something to attend to, let sister keep you company for now,” Leng Yusheng stood up.

“Yes, Grandmother.” Lai Yuxing also stood and turned to Xiaoshan, “Xiaoshan, let’s go!”

Xiaoshan looked uncomfortably towards Leng Yu Yan, “Princess…”

Leng Yu Yan nodded, “Go ahead.”

It was suitable for Xiaoshan to mix with the two brothers as he was also a man.

The three of them hurriedly left the courtyard.

The Old Princess Consort sat down and pushed the fruit platter towards Leng Yu Yan, “Yan’er, eat.”

Leng Yu Yan picked up a piece of fruit with a two-tined fork and fed it to the Old Princess Consort, gently asking, “Grandmother, did Third Brother and Fourth Brother have something they needed to do?”

“They’ve been restless for a while; your arrival gave them an excuse to leave,” the Old Princess Consort said with a smile, “You’re always the most well-behaved, Yan’er!”

Leng Yu Yan gave a small smile.

During dinner, the twins returned.

“Third Brother, why didn’t Prince Qing fight back?” Leng Yusheng clenched his fist.

Lai Yuxing dismissed it, “He knows he’s in the wrong; how could he dare to retaliate?”

Leng Yu Yan then realized her brothers had gone to vent their anger for her.

They had originally not wanted to resort to physical violence.

However, after hearing Xiaoshan’s account of how Ji Qingyu had slandered their sister, their Northern blood boiled rapidly.

They quickly rushed out of their mansion, intercepted Ji Qingyu halfway, and unleashed a beating on him without warning.

Since the escort returning Ji Qingyu was from the Prince Zhenbei Mansion’s trusted aides, no one intervened to help Ji Qingyu, and he had no choice but to return to Marquis Jiangyang Mansion with a battered, swollen face.

Ji Qingyu had been severely beaten, and when Ye Yuan saw his condition upon his return to the mansion, she was startled.

With a swollen nose and face, the corner of his lip hung with semi-dried blood, and his robe was disheveled and covered in dust.

“Son, what, what happened to you?”

Ji Qingyu wiped the corner of his mouth and chuckled, “Fell off a horse, got hurt.”

What does it mean when the third and fourth sons of Prince Zhenbei Mansion stand up for Ah Yan?

It means all the accusations he hurled at Ah Yan just now were false!

There is no such relation between Ah Yan and Ye Yiheng!

Otherwise, why would the twins dare to beat him? Because they are in the right!

There’s nothing more delightful for him than this, getting beaten was what he deserved!

Eldest Princess was puzzled, how can someone be so happy after being tossed around in such a disheveled state?

Leaning closer, she smelled the strong scent of alcohol mixed with the dirty dust, and quickly fanned her nose.

“Stinks to death, go wash up and then have dinner.”

Ji Qingyu gladly agreed.

—

Two days later, Leng Yu Yan received news from Ye Yiheng’s messenger, saying Ye Zhenxian had convinced the Emperor and Empress Dowager, and Ye Zhenxian would soon be released.

Given Ye Zhenxian’s status, he was bound to be released sooner or later.

Now that Ye Jiu had spoken for him, it was like giving the Emperor and Empress Dowager a way out, saving face while protecting Prince Xian.

A few more days passed, and another message came from Ye Yiheng’s messenger: Ye Zhenxian had secretly returned to Prince Xian Mansion from prison.

Leng Yu Yan let out a cold laugh. He couldn’t flex his muscles in prison, but once back at home, he would undoubtedly indulge in excesses.

Thus, the day of revenge was near!

That evening.

Prince Xian Mansion.

Ye Zhenxian spent the night with seven women, yet still appeared spirited.

He couldn’t help but wonder, had he gained such stamina from being pent up in prison for too long?

After being persuaded by his staff, Ye Zhenxian finally took a rest.

Early the next day, he was energized and ordered all the women in the mansion to line up, ready to pick a few to his liking.

As he picked and chose, the image of Leng Yu Yan’s beautiful and enticing face and figure kept coming to mind.

He remembered being caught in the act at Cining Palace due to Leng Yu Yan’s retaliation. Having swallowed such humiliation, Ye Zhenxian silently vowed to savor Leng Yu Yan himself.

He wanted to dominate her completely and crush her under him.

—

At the same time.

After the morning court, the Emperor walked and asked Eunuch Ye who was supporting him, “How long have Prince Zhenbei and the Princely Heir been comatose?”

“Your Majesty, it has been twenty-one days.”

“You remember well.”

Eunuch Ye smiled, “On the eighteenth of August, your Majesty hosted a farewell banquet. After the banquet, Prince Zhenbei and his son fell critically ill, and today happens to be the twenty-first day, does it not?”

The Emperor nodded slightly. Lai Ran and Leng Yuyue, the father and son, had been in a coma for twenty-one days already. If they remained unconscious this long, even if they woke up, they would be invalids.

In that case, he had control over the marriage of Princess Beilan.

The Prince Zhenbei Mansion, consumed with caring for Lai Ran and his son as if they were living dead, would mean Leng Yu Yan marrying Ji Qingyu, and the entire household would have to remain in the Capital City.

In time, control of the vast military power of the Northern Garrison would fall into his hands!

Only a mere title would remain of Prince Zhenbei Mansion.

Considering this, the Emperor instructed, “Send someone to the Eastern Palace to summon the Crown Prince, to Prince Zhenbei Mansion to summon Princess Beilan, and also summon Prince Qing, along with the new heir recorded under the principal wife from Marquis Ningyuan’s Mansion, to all come to the palace.”

Eunuch Ye respectfully asked, “Your Majesty, you just mentioned Prince Zhenbei Mansion, I thought you intended to arrange a marriage between Princess Beilan and Prince Qing, so why summon the Crown Prince as well?”

“The Crown Prince always insists that the Crown Princess Consort should be no other than Leng Yu Yan, right? I want to teach him a lesson, he can’t always go against me!”

He intended to betroth Leng Yu Yan to Qingyu right in front of the Crown Prince.

And right in front of Leng Yu Yan, he planned to betroth the concubine daughter of the Leng Family to the Crown Prince.

The thought itself was immensely satisfying!

He wondered what expression the usually composed face of the Crown Prince would bear at that time?