Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I had Yan’er come to the small Buddhist hall every day to keep me company while I copied scriptures and worshiped Buddha.

I also had the servants cut off all correspondence between Yan’er and Jiang Yuheng.

My Yan’er was a sheltered young lady of a noble household, one who understood the rules better than anyone. She would never do something as improper as meet a man in private.

With no one to deliver letters for Jiang Yuheng, I wanted to see how he would use his sweet words to deceive my Yan’er now.

To my surprise, less than half a month later, Jiang Yuheng came right to our door.

“Reporting to Old Madam, the young general from Zhenguo General’s Manor is outside requesting an audience! He says he has come to pay his respects to you and the eldest young lady.”

My son had accompanied my daughter-in-law back to visit her maiden family, so the manor held only me and Yan’er, a widow and an unmarried girl.

At those words, my fingers stilled on my prayer beads. I said coldly, “I will not see him!”

But then the gatekeeper went on, “Accompanying him… is the Prince Regent.”

Xiao Yuanche!!!

The color drained from my face in an instant, and the hand holding my prayer beads began to tremble.

“H-he-he… why has he come?”

That day, in a moment of carelessness, I had revealed my identity.

He could not have come to settle accounts with me, could he?

Hongshu, standing beside me, noticed something was wrong and said, “Old Madam, the Prince Regent is His Majesty’s own uncle. His power dominates the court, and I have heard he is ruthless and vindictive. He is not someone we can afford to offend…”

How could I not know that?

The first time I met him, I had already witnessed his ferocity.

I forced myself to calm down. That day, Xiao Yuanche had been drugged, overcome with desire, and out of his senses. He might not necessarily remember an old woman like me.

So I said, “Prepare tea. Invite the Prince Regent and the young general in.”

In the flower hall, I sat upright behind a screen, prayer beads in hand. I nodded toward the outside and had Hongshu serve tea to the guests.

“This old woman is a widow, so it is inconvenient for me to meet guests face-to-face. I must ask the Prince Regent to forgive my rudeness.”

My late husband had been the Marquis of Yong’an. In his day, he had followed the previous emperor and earned military merit.

Surely they would not make an old woman past fifty kneel and bow to a young man like him.

Xiao Yuanche, however, showed nothing unusual. He only said evenly, “It is no matter. It was I and Young General Jiang who came uninvited.”

I frowned. “May I ask what brings Your Highness and Young General Jiang to our Yong’an Marquis Manor?”

Jiang Yuheng was just about to speak when Yan’er’s voice sounded from outside the room.

“Brother Yuheng, why are you here?”

Jiang Yuheng rose, looking at her with worry all over his face.

“Yan’er, seeing that you are all right puts my heart at ease.”

“I wrote you letters these past days, but you never replied. I was worried something had happened to you!”

Yan’er frowned at that.

“Letters? What letters?”

“Grandmother fell ill a few days ago and kept me by her side to attend her. I suppose the servants forgot to bring them to me. I will look into it when I return.”

With that, her gaze landed on Xiao Yuanche beside him.

“And this gentleman is…?”

Jiang Yuheng immediately said, “Yan’er, mind your manners. This is His Highness, the Prince Regent.”

Yan’er quickly rose and curtsied.

“This common girl, Shen Yan, pays respects to Your Highness, the Prince Regent!”

Xiao Yuanche did not speak. He only nodded, and his gaze never once fell on Yan’er.

But I clutched my handkerchief tightly, terrified that Xiao Yuanche might notice something amiss.

In my previous life, it was Xiao Yuanche who had taken Yan’er’s innocence. Afterward, she married into the General’s Mansion and spent the rest of her life neglected by her husband.

I had not wanted Yan’er to repeat that fate, so I rushed to save her. Yet in the end, I was the one who somehow repeated her fate instead…

Yan’er’s brows and eyes resembled mine somewhat. Xiao Yuanche must not notice anything. He absolutely must not!

Just as my thoughts were running wild, Xiao Yuanche suddenly spoke.

“Where were you half a month ago, miss? Did you go to Baoguo Temple outside the city?”