Reborn Spoiled Girl Tames the Regent

After a few days, the truth could not be hidden forever. Although no one dared to discuss the royal scandal aloud, it still spread in private.

Jiang Mian made a special trip to Zuiyin Tower, only to find it closed.

According to the neighbors, Zuiyinlou closed down overnight, and no one was seen in sight, as if they had fled for their lives.

It seems that what A-Yun said is true; the Third Prince was behind Zuiyin Tower. Kidnapping her and then framing Ning Zhi to counterbalance the Crown Prince and expand his power—this is indeed something he would do.

The vermilion plaque of Zuiyin Tower had been taken down and placed in a corner, where it accumulated some dust. People passed by quickly, their eyes darting around, and no one paid any attention to this place.

The boatman rowed his small boat under the bridge, humming a tune and exchanging pleasantries with the passengers, just like the day she came to find Xiao Hengzhi.

It seems that it was here that day, amidst the noise of the crowd, that she and he briefly became husband and wife.

The streets and alleys are still bustling with people, but the Drunken Sound Pavilion is gone, and Xiao Hengzhi's shadow has gradually faded away. The scenes of the past seem to have been scattered among the crowds.

The chill intensified, and Jiang Mian looked up at the gray sky, hoping to see the first snowfall soon. But the sky remained overcast and endless, as if shrouded in a thick fog, making it hard to breathe.

She gradually grew accustomed to life without Xiao Hengzhi, finding it quiet and peaceful, like a blank sheet of paper without any ripples.

Occasionally, she would read storybooks, watch plays, and even have a few drinks with Wen Qian. The fun she had shared with Li Zhijing in her past life was now being done with his wife. The twist of fate left her with a touch of melancholy, but her days were still quite fulfilling.

But sometimes when she wakes up at night, her mind is completely blank.

Like a wind chime hanging from the eaves, it makes a crisp and cheerful sound when there is wind, but when there is no wind, it is silent, empty, and heavy.

These days she has also thought about Ning Zhi. Sometimes she dreams of the days she spent with him in her past life, and the bloody scene of him being disemboweled by Xiao Hengzhi and falling at the palace gate.

She did not forget what she had to do—to go to Ning Zhi's side, to be by his side, and to remove any obstacles.

Jiang Wan always felt that she liked Ning Zhi, and the days she spent with Ning Zhi were the best times of her life. She had no reason not to like him.

But whenever she actually had to take action, she always felt a heaviness in her chest and found it difficult to take a step.

She's lived so long, but when it comes to matters of the heart, she just can't see through them.

That day, she and Wen Qian returned from a stroll outside.

As I entered, I bumped into someone.

She looked up and saw that it was Jiang Xun who was bringing Duan Zhi'an out.

"Greetings, Grand Tutor." The two bowed.

Wen Qian stood to the side with her head down, her mind filled with the memory of Duan Zhi'an helping her out in front of everyone that day.

She had always wanted to thank him properly, but never had the chance. Now that she had finally run into him, she was so nervous that she didn't know what to say.

Jiang Xun said apologetically, "My daughter was impetuous and offended the Grand Tutor."

"It's alright. I happen to have a few questions I'd like to ask Miss Jiang, please..."

Jiang Xun was taken aback for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Then I shall take my leave." He glanced at Jiang Mian, signaling her to be polite and not to be impolite.

Jiang Mian looked at Duan Zhi'an with a hint of doubt: "What does the Grand Tutor want to ask you?"

She thought to herself that Duan Zhi'an had been leaving the palace far too often lately.

Ever since he made a grand announcement at the Wen family that he was Wen Qian's uncle, the capital city has been buzzing with rumors for a while. People have been praising him as a handsome and refined man, as well as his imposing presence. Even the street artists who painted the handsome man based on their imaginations, bearing the title of "Grand Tutor's Portrait," have seen many young women rushing to buy his work.

Wen Qian stood aside and, seeing that the two of them had something to say, said in a low voice, "I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave now."

"and many more."

Just as Wen Qian was about to leave, Duan Zhi'an gently called her back. He stepped forward, took out a handkerchief, reached out and wiped away a bit of rice flour from the corner of her mouth, and smiled slightly: "You're a grown woman now, why do you still get food all over your mouth when you eat?"

That was just a little bit of rice flour stuck to the corner of my mouth; you couldn't even see it unless you looked closely.

Wen Qian felt his fingertips brush against her lips through the handkerchief, and her face flushed. Her ears turned slightly red. She hurriedly took the handkerchief and said, "I... I can do it myself."

She hastily wiped her mouth, looked at the crumpled handkerchief in her hand, and said, "After I take it back and wash it clean, I'll send someone to deliver it to my uncle..."

She didn't know how to find Duan Zhi'an; he lived in the palace, and she couldn't get in at all.

Duan Zhian calmly replied, "I will send someone to the Prince's residence to fetch it on a chosen day."

Wen Qian nodded, her face flushed, and quickly left.

Jiang Wan looked at Wen Qian's back and then at Duan Zhi'an's teasing smile, feeling quite surprised.

This man was known for being indifferent to women; in both her past and present lives, she had never seen such an expression on his face.

The way he looked at Wen Qian was neither like the concern of an elder for a younger person, nor like he was deliberately teasing her; rather, it seemed like...

She was startled, shook her head silently, and told herself that she was overthinking it.

Wen Qian is already married, so he certainly wouldn't...

"Miss Jiang."

Duan Zhian turned around, interrupting her thoughts, and looked at her calmly.

"What I wish to ask is, Miss Jiang, why do you know so much about the Third Prince's affairs?"

Jiang Wan was taken aback; his question was so sudden that it caught her off guard.

Duan Zhi'an raised an eyebrow. The letter Jiang Mian gave him to stop Jiang Xun from going to war clearly stated where the Third Prince was secretly embroidering a dragon robe and where it was hidden. Even how to find it was written clearly.

When he made an excuse to visit the Third Prince's residence, he was still somewhat suspicious, but the route he took was exactly the same as the one Jiang Mian had described.

He decided to investigate further, and sure enough, the dragon robe was already mostly embroidered.

The Third Prince was immediately terrified by this threat to his life.

Duan Zhian rubbed his fingertips, his piercing gaze pressing down on Jiang Mian, demanding that she answer his question.

Jiang Wan's mind raced. She remembered that in her previous life, after the Emperor learned of this matter, he had everyone in the Third Prince's household executed...

In an instant, he had already come up with an explanation.

She calmly replied, "A few months ago, I heard that the Third Prince's household hired many embroiderers, specifically those skilled in embroidering tourmaline beads. That craftsmanship can only be mastered by embroiderers who previously worked on imperial robes..."

"Which nanny?"

“Granny Zhang,” Jiang Man replied easily.

She was certain that everyone in the Third Prince's household had been executed.

Since she's dead and there's no way to verify it, she can say whatever she wants.

"Then how did you know where the dragon robe was hidden?"

“I slipped gold to that old woman; she told me.”

Duan Zhian squinted and asked again, "With just this little bit of information, you dare to come and negotiate with me? Miss Jiang, you're acting like a gambler."

"Didn't I win the bet?"

She blinked and smiled naturally.

Duan Zhian looked at her for a moment and felt that the woman's words and actions were confident and composed, with a hint of cunning that was hard to fathom, but her thoughts and courage were completely out of character for her age.

He had doubts, but knowing he wouldn't get any answers, he smiled and said, "Never mind. I haven't trusted the wrong person. I will keep my promise to Miss Jiang."

After saying that, he turned and got into the carriage.

Jiang Mian watched him walk further and further away, her heart sinking slightly. After entering the house, a maid came and led her to the study.

"Father." She pushed open the door. "What brings you here?"

Jiang Xun looked worried. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but after a moment he shook his head with a bitter smile. His hesitant expression made it impossible to tell whether he was worried or happy.

Jiang Wan frowned slightly: "Has something happened?"

"How do you think I treated Xiao Hengzhi in the past?"

She paused, the cold wind blowing in through the window cracks causing her loose hair to flutter slightly.

Jiang Wan walked to the window, closed it, and slowly asked, "Why did Father suddenly bring him up?"

Jiang Xun's tone carried a hint of annoyance as she pondered, "I just feel that although the Jiang family has been kind to him in raising him, they don't seem to have treated him very well over the years. If only your marriage to him had gone through back then."

Jiang Mian looked at her father's slightly furrowed brow and assumed that he was worried because she had not yet gotten engaged.

She stepped forward, gently patted his shoulder, and said softly, "Father, don't worry, it's not like your daughter won't get married..."

Jiang Xun sighed, "Never mind. Just now, the Grand Tutor said that the Empress Dowager is hosting a banquet and has invited the Jiang family to the palace."

"Enter the palace?" Jiang Mian was somewhat taken aback.

......

Wen Mansion, backyard.

Many of the fish in the pond froze to death.

Every summer, Madam Wen would have people send lotus lantern fish of various colors from Qingzhou.

These fish are expensive but very beautiful. The Wen family has kept many in their pond, but they are not cold-resistant, so every winter, a large number of them die in the pond.

The servants were busy scooping out the dead fish, preparing to replace them with more cold-resistant koi.

Madam Wen stood by the pool, shaking her head slightly, and sighed repeatedly, "If you ask me, she was just too impatient."

She turned and instructed the servants to count the number of koi.

Wen Yin stood to the side, stamping her foot, her brows furrowed with barely concealed anger: "Aunt, you have to help me."

Her face was sullen, and a hint of resentment appeared in her eyes.

A few days ago, she finally obtained the Empress Dowager's permission to annul her engagement with the Empress Dowager's grandson, but she has yet to receive a reply to the letter she sent to Xiao Hengzhi at the Jiang residence.

And today we received news from the palace that the Empress Dowager's grandson has been found!

Madam Wen glanced at her and shook her head: "How can I help? If we were to ask the Empress Dowager for a marriage again, it would inevitably create resentment towards the Wen family."

“But if you don’t take care of me, what am I supposed to do? You saw the banquet at home the other day, and there were hardly any handsome and suitable young men to choose from.”

Her eyes were red with anxiety, and she was about to burst into tears if she spoke any further.

Madam Wen felt sorry for her daughter, after all, she was her own daughter.

She said, "Don't be sad. I'll go talk to the master and see if he can come up with a solution."

Upon hearing this, Wen Yin stopped crying and smiled, quickly thanking him, her eyes regaining hope.

She was determined to seize any opportunity to see the Empress Dowager's grandson again, no matter what.