Chapter 154:
Xie Wanning pursed her lips, suddenly turning her head to look toward the men’s side, where the Xie Family was seated. She saw her own elder brother holding a wine cup, lowering his head to lightly sniff it, seemingly unaffected by the surrounding clamor.
But her heart couldn’t help but stir.
Perhaps having looked too long, Xie Yanyu also lifted his eyes to look this way. Seeing it was his own younger sister, a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyebrows and eyes.
Xie Wanning: “……”
She had such a wonderful elder brother, already twenty-one, yet how was he still so oblivious.
Did he like the Commandery Princess or not!
Having made up her mind, she planned to find an opportunity to properly ask him what kind of heavenly beauty he liked.
On the field, after consecutively taming two fierce beasts to death and matching two pairs of marriage fates in the process, the atmosphere reached an unprecedented fervor, but the next fierce beast was late in arriving.
Beside the beast taming field, on the opera stage, drums sounded, and everyone turned to look, only to see the famous opera troupe from the Capital City taking the stage.
Several maidservants handed over play scripts, inviting everyone to select a few plays they wished to see, saying it was to relax and liven things up first.
Though the beast taming performance was spectacular, it was indeed too stimulating. Watching a few plays to relax was something the guests naturally wouldn’t refuse.
Laughter and cheerful voices filled the hall without end,
but Xie Wanning could no longer sit still.
She was truly worried sick for her own elder brother.
Turning her head again to look at Pei Yuxuan beside her, this young lady who had just received the flower branch showed not a trace of shyness on her face. Propping her cheek, she gazed toward the opera stage with a completely relaxed demeanor.
……Yet there was no hint of joy at all.
Xie Wanning’s head ached even more. She rubbed her temples, feeling extremely irritated, and simply made an excuse to rise and leave her seat.
This manor was the private property of Princess Duanyang, vast in area with scenery absolutely worth seeing.
And now, in the season of warm spring and blooming flowers, the views were especially picturesque and breathtakingly beautiful.
Along the long garden path, pink flower petals bloomed tenderly, their faint fragrance refreshing the mind and spirit.
Compared to the stifling atmosphere just now, Xie Wanning felt much more at ease in her heart.
She strolled in the garden and, seeing the courtyard full of blooming peach trees, grew even fonder of the place. She began mentally planning when to come here for a short stay.
She would personally brew a few jars of wine and bury them under the peach trees, to be dug up after a few years……
Thinking this way, her smile deepened. Raising her hand to pluck a peach flower branch, she suddenly heard a faint rustling nearby.
She thought it was a passing servant, but the next instant, a familiar voice reached her ears.
Xie Wanning paused slightly and walked a few steps toward the direction of the voice, peering intently that way.
Under the dense tree shadows, a tall, slender man gripped a young lady’s arm and strode quickly toward this side.
It was the Second Prince, whom she had met once before, and Cao Ying’er, who had also come to the banquet today. Cao Ying’er was even struggling.
Thinking of the letter Pei Yuqing had shown her……
Xie Wanning’s heart jolted. She instinctively hid behind the tree, not daring to stumble upon such a sordid affair.
The footsteps soon approached. Xie Wanning saw the Second Prince impatiently drag Cao Ying’er to the side of the rockery, a secluded and shaded spot where even passersby wouldn’t look.
But she had arrived early, and unluckily, her hiding spot faced directly toward them.
In this situation now, she was caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat, forced to witness this illicit tryst.
Cao Ying’er was still struggling, but the Second Prince had already pinned her against the rockery stone. With one hand, he tore open her lapel and impatiently reached inside, his mouth spouting filthy flirting words.
Though his voice wasn’t loud, Xie Wanning, not far away, heard every word clearly. For a moment, she felt both disgusted and repulsed, wishing she could vanish on the spot.
Yet over there, they showed no sign of stopping. Cao Ying’er dodged the Second Prince’s approaching lips and said, half-angry and half-not, “Imperial Consort Shu specially sent word a few days ago. I’m soon to be your elder brother’s woman—how dare you treat me with such impropriety?”
Xie Wanning was somewhat astonished.
At the end of last year, Grand Secretary Chen was thrown into prison. After trial by the three halls, his crimes were confirmed as ironclad. This spring, the Chen Family was utterly confiscated, their tree fallen and monkeys scattered. Naturally, their daughter’s marriage to the First Prince was called off.
After this blow, the First Prince’s soaring momentum in court suffered a heavy setback. With Lu Ziyan, this legitimate prince, emerging out of nowhere, it became difficult for Imperial Consort Shu to pick and choose among the noble ladies of the Capital City for her son again.
But she hadn’t known that her aunt had taken a liking to Cao Ying’er, the daughter of the Minister’s household.
That said, in terms of background, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Minister’s household was a suitable match for a prince’s principal consort. If not for……
Xie Wanning suddenly startled to realization, abruptly recalling that His Majesty knew of the Second Prince defiling numerous noble ladies, including Cao Ying’er, right?
How could He allow His eldest son to take her as principal consort?
Or perhaps, this was still just Imperial Consort Shu’s own intention, not yet conveyed to His Majesty.
As she pondered this, the Second Prince over there laughed upon hearing her words. “Young Lady Cao is so eager to marry, and This Prince won’t ruin your prospects.”
With that, he forcibly gripped Cao Ying’er’s chin and lowered his head to kiss her. After their lips and tongues entwined for a moment, he teased, “If you truly marry him, then in the future when we meet, you’ll be This Prince’s elder sister-in-law.”
Compared to a mere tryst, toying with his elder brother’s woman seemed even more thrilling to him. His hands hurriedly hiked up Cao Ying’er’s skirt hem and groped wildly.
“You shameless adulterer!” Cao Ying’er pounded him with a fist and chided, “Let me go quickly—someone could come here anytime……”
Toward the end, her tone suddenly trembled.
The Second Prince laughed. “If I’m a shameless adulterer, then what are you?”
He pulled her hand downward. “I can’t let you leave now, dear sister-in-law. Come, help your little brother out.”
Cao Ying’er’s face flushed with shame, yet she still resisted. “Here… no…”
The Second Prince wouldn’t hear it. “Everyone’s listening to the opera, and this place is secluded. As long as sister-in-law keeps her voice down, who would come?”
With that, he directly lifted his own lower hem and dropped his trousers.
Seeing the two over there becoming increasingly indecent, Xie Wanning felt both ashamed and furious. She quickly averted her eyes. Her hand gripping the tree trunk dug deeply into it, but she didn’t dare make a sound, only able to wait for them to finish and leave quickly.
But just as she averted her eyes, she heard the Second Prince’s lustful voice. “My darling…… quick……”
Before she could wonder what he meant, soon, indescribable sounds rose from over there, each one piercing her ears.
“Worthy of…… Lord Cao’s daughter, so clever and quick-witted……” The man’s voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of encouragement. “Yes…… just like that……”
Xie Wanning’s brows furrowed sharply as she glared back.
The Second Prince’s clothes were intact, his back leaning against the rockery stone as he stood. Only his trousers hung at his ankles……
While Cao Ying’er, at some point, had her clothes loose and disheveled, her collar wide open.
