Nonsense! She’s Not a Bad Woman! - Chapter 99

Though the imperial garden was not yet in full bloom this early spring, the air was still heavy with fragrance.

All manner of rare and precious flowers, carefully cultivated in the hothouses, had been moved outside. Against the lingering coolness of the season, the imperial garden resembled a magnificent scroll painting—every detail exquisite, every stroke deliberate.

Clusters of noble ladies and young misses gathered in twos and threes, chatting and laughing. Yet if one listened closely, it was clear their conversations were nothing but shallow flattery—each using the chance to show off what new jewelry or fine fabric they had recently acquired.

A smile of satisfaction at one compliment, followed by another false courtesy in return.

Polite envy, dressed up in civility.

The moment Qiao Wanyan stepped into the garden, every gaze turned toward her. Without exception, eyes lit up with undisguised amazement.

It wasn’t as if these women had never seen the daughter of the Minister of Revenue’s household. Though her mother had been but a merchant’s daughter, being born of a royal merchant still placed her barely within the circle of acceptance.

Yet in the eyes of these great families, such a background was hardly worth befriending.

What set Qiao Wanyan apart was her father—not only the Minister of Revenue, who held true power in his hands, but also the patriarch of a century-old aristocratic clan.

If one were to speak of the most prestigious young lady in the capital, none could surpass her.

When she was still a child, the city had speculated she would surely become empress one day.

But fate had played its cruel tricks. He Yanli, once the most promising candidate for crown prince, had fallen due to his mother’s family’s disgrace. And the current Crown Prince, instead, favored her elder sister.

It had become nothing less than a laughingstock throughout the capital.

Now, the crowd’s gazes shifted briefly to Qiao Yihuan, who rarely appeared at such gatherings. In recent months, she had been seen more often thanks to the Tenth Princess bringing her along.

But though everyone in the city knew the Crown Prince fancied Qiao Yihuan, no one sought her out. Instead, they flocked to Qiao Wanyan’s side, pushing Qiao Yihuan to the margins where she stood awkward and out of place.

After all, whether Qiao Yihuan could ever truly become Crown Princess was still a question mark. Even if the Crown Prince willed it, with His Majesty and the Empress opposing, how could the position of Crown Princess possibly fall to an illegitimate daughter of a concubine?

Qiao Wanyan held her head high, graceful and poised as she exchanged pleasantries with the ladies. Her sharp gaze, however, landed unerringly on Qiao Yihuan’s flustered face, and a faint trace of mockery flickered in her eyes.

She made no move to perform a sisterly act, no gesture to draw Qiao Yihuan close and introduce her kindly to the circle.

Her silence seemed to say instead:

Look. This is the difference between you and me.

And yet, Qiao Wanyan herself found it bitterly ironic. Everyone knew the Crown Prince liked Qiao Yihuan, yet no one truly believed she would become Crown Princess.

In a gathering like this, who would waste their time befriending someone “useless”?

Had she not read that peculiar storybook herself, Qiao Wanyan too would have thought her sister’s so-called dream nothing more than a fleeting fantasy.

The world was absurd indeed—anything could happen.

“Greetings to Concubine Shu.” Someone curtsied, and the others followed suit, turning to look at the newly arrived figure.

Concubine Shu’s eyes swept across the garden, finally settling on Qiao Wanyan.

She gave her a once-over. Jealousy flashed briefly in her gaze before it was smoothed over with a warm smile as she approached.

“Wanyan, you’re here as well. The last time I saw you was a year ago. You’ve only grown more beautiful. I wonder—who in the future will have the great fortune of marrying you?”

Qiao Wanyan replied evenly, her tone neither cold nor warm:
“Why, naturally it will be someone blessed by fate.”

Concubine Shu blinked, momentarily startled. She had not expected the girl to respond so bluntly, with not the slightest trace of deference.

She was a consort of the Emperor, yet this little miss dared to act so arrogantly in front of her…

But Consort Shu didn’t immediately drop her smile. She hadn’t forgotten what her mother had instructed her. For the sake of her family’s rise and fall, she had to do her part—to push Yu’er into marrying Qiao Wanyan.

If Yu’er married Qiao Wanyan, they would gain the support of Minister Qiao. Then what was there to fear from that illegitimate son stepping over them in the future?

Besides, the Crown Prince didn’t like Qiao Wanyan anyway. Even after she saved his life, he never once thought of making her his Crown Princess. That meant the Situ family still had hope!

“You are quite right,” Consort Shu said warmly. “When I was still a young maiden, I liked you very much. I often wondered what kind of man you would marry in the future to live a happy and fulfilled life.”

She paused, then added meaningfully, “I always thought, a delicate girl like you should marry someone who has eyes and heart only for you—who listens to you, treasures you. Only then would it be a truly blissful match.”

A young lady beside her giggled. “I heard that Consort Shu’s younger brother is still unmarried. He is also a fine young gentleman.”

The meaning behind her words was crystal clear.

Consort Shu was trying to play matchmaker—between her own younger brother and Qiao Wanyan.

But everyone knew: the Sixth Young Master of the Pingyang Earl’s Manor was the type of man that even if you offered him to noble daughters, they’d rather marry a dog.

Consort Shu truly dared to scheme!

Yet, she was the emperor’s favored consort—young, beautiful, and skilled at pleasing His Majesty. No one dared to openly offend her.

Qiao Yihuan silently observed. The same ladies who had fawned over her earlier were now mute as fish.

All gazes landed on her cousin, but most of them carried a mocking glint—waiting to see a joke unfold.

Yihuan sneered inwardly. So much for these so-called noble daughters of high families. Beneath it all, they were nothing but hypocritical and cold.

Qiao Wanyan, however, only smiled lightly. “Ah, yes, I’ve heard as well. The Sixth Young Master of Pingyang Earl’s Manor has yet to take a wife.”

Consort Shu, pleased at her tact, revealed a satisfied smile. “Indeed. The two of you are about the same age. If there’s a chance, you should meet and get to know each other. Being peers, you’ll surely find plenty to talk about.”

Wanyan’s smile looked obedient and demure, but the words that followed were anything but.

“But the Sixth Young Master doesn’t seem to lack for conversation partners, does he? If he wants someone to talk to, he has plenty of concubines in his backyard. And if he’s still unsatisfied, he could always pick a pretty face off the street and bring her home to chat slowly.”

Consort Shu’s expression stiffened. “What do you mean by that?”

Wanyan feigned surprise. “Oh? Does Your Ladyship not know? Just the other day, the Sixth Young Master forcibly dragged a young girl into his manor. When her brother went to demand her release, he beat the poor man half to death. All because he wasn’t happy about being asked to give the girl back.”

She clicked her tongue and sighed lightly. “The Sixth Young Master is far too busy to waste time chatting with me, isn’t he?”

The smile on Consort Shu’s lips froze completely.

Zi Yuan lowered her head, biting back her laughter, pressing her lips tight to keep from bursting.

Her young lady’s mischievous streak was simply too adorable.

Served her right. Who asked Consort Shu to deliberately put her miss on the spot in front of everyone? If Wanyan accepted, it would be shameful. If she refused, she would offend. It was clearly a trap.

Wanyan glanced at the Consort, who was barely suppressing her fury, and added leisurely,

“Speaking of which, that girl happens to be an acquaintance of mine—a friend. After making inquiries, I learned she had no wish to be a concubine. So I asked Father to help get her out of the Pingyang Earl’s Manor. She now works in the Imperial Kitchen.”

Wanyan curved her lips into a sweet smile. “Perhaps one day, Your Ladyship will get to taste her cooking. Of course, since Your Ladyship is such a generous and kindhearted person, you’ll surely take extra care of a poor girl who was bullied by your own younger brother… Wouldn’t you agree?”