634 Recognition (2)
From the looks of it, perhaps he had already recognized the other party with that glance just now. He just subconsciously did not know how to face it.
“Xiao Zhenting.” He introduced himself and cupped his hands in greeting. “Greetings, Prince Yan.”
Prince Yan’s indifferent gaze moved away from Shangguan Yan’s face and landed on this man’s face. It was difficult to imagine that Zijun would like such a fierce face. She was an exquisite woman. Everything about her, from the green bricks and red tiles to the flowers and plants, even her clothes, her jewelry, the tea set and plate she used, had to be so exquisite that it was rare in the world.
Yan Jiuchao took after her on this point.
Prince Yan could catch her eye back then because of his exquisite and handsome face. Not only was his face exquisite, but he was also considerate and meticulous. Needless to say, his taste and talent were good. He would not participate. Otherwise, how could there be a top scholar in the Great Zhou?
Xiao Zhenting was a rough person. He used rough sentences, used the largest bowl to eat and wine jars to drink. His hand was the size of a bear paw. The words he wrote were ten times bigger than others.
Shangguan Yan and Prince Yan were the so-called immortal couple. When she stood with Xiao Zhenting, they were like the beauty and the beast.
“Don’t blame her.” Xiao Zhenting stood in front of Shangguan Yan. Prince Yan stared at them without saying anything. He didn’t know what he was thinking. He was a rough person and didn’t know the twists and turns in a scholar’s heart, but he could feel that this man was uncomfortable.
On the way here, he had thought that he might meet Prince Yan, but he did not expect it to be so soon.
“I forced her to marry me. I have Cong’er’s antidote. If she doesn’t marry me, I won’t give it to her!” Xiao Zhenting said righteously.
Shangguan Yan tugged at Xiao Zhenting’s sleeve, indicating for him to stop talking nonsense.
Xiao Zhenting straightened his back. “I forced her to marry me!”
Prince Yan did not say anything. He lowered his eyes and turned to enter the house. The maidservant and Shadow Six looked at each other. The air was filled with an extremely awkward smell.
Shadow Thirteen was expressionless.
At this moment, Yu Wan’s carriage arrived. When she heard that Shangguan Yan was also here, Yu Wan brought the three little fellows over. It had just rained and the road was slippery. Yu Wan carefully carried her sons down.
The three little fellows ran over.
Yu Wan instructed, “Don’t bump into Grandma!”
Because Shangguan Yan had a “little brother” in her stomach, the three little fellows were looking forward to it and could not wait to touch the “little brother”.
Yu Wan wanted to say, “This is a little uncle and aunt, not a little brother or sister!”
The three of them arrived in front of Shangguan Yan and raised their heads to look at her stomach without blinking.
Shangguan Yan restrained the bitterness in her heart and smiled through her tears when she saw the three little fellows who had gained weight.
Yu Wan walked over. The atmosphere was so strange. Shangguan Yan’s eyes were as swollen as walnuts. Also, why were Shadow Six and Shadow Thirteen here? Weren’t they sent by Yan Jiuchao to protect Prince Yan?
“What happened?” Yu Wan asked belatedly.
Shadow Six pointed at Prince Yan’s courtyard. “The Princess Consort saw His Highness just now.”
“Ah…” Yu Wan’s eyes widened.
Back in the Capital, Xiao Zhenting had heard rumors about Prince Yan. It was a caravan from the south. As they had been to Qinghe Town, they had heard a lot of news about the Helian family and also brought news about the Prince Consort and the Queen Manor.
The news spread at the border was far inferior to the comprehensive news in the Capital. Moreover, it was many days ago. At that time, the Queen Manor had not been exposed for long. They only knew that the Prince Consort was Prince Yan of the Great Zhou, but they did not know that the Queen had forced Prince Yan.
Hence, there was a bad guess in the Capital. They said that Prince Yan faked his death, abandoned his wife and son, and went to Nanzhao to be the Prince Consort.
This matter could have been hidden from Shangguan Yan, but there was news that the heir of the Prince Yan Manor had infiltrated Nanzhao to look for his biological father.
The Emperor summoned Shangguan Yan to the palace with an imperial edict and asked her if she had this matter.
Shangguan Yan was confused. She did not know that her son had secretly gone to Nanzhao, nor did she know that Prince Yan was still alive.
The Emperor did not believe that Prince Yan would betray him. It was most likely because the Little Princess of Nanzhao had used some method to seduce his biological brother. That was why he ordered Xiao Zhenting to go to war. No matter what, he had to bring Prince Yan back.
Before going to war, Shangguan Yan found Xiao Zhenting and said that she wanted to come too.
Xiao Zhenting did not ask why and brought her here without hesitation. Pregnant people should not be tired from the journey. She had been a mother before, so she knew this taboo better than anyone. However, she insisted on coming because she had a reason to come.
It was true that Shangguan Yan missed her son, and it was also true that she wanted to see Prince Yan.
“I just want to ask him why he didn’t want me and Cong’er back then.”
But when she really saw him, she could not ask him a word. He was not having a good time. He was thinner than she remembered. His face was so injured that Shangguan Yan did not dare to think about what had happened to him.
“When I first heard that he was alive and had married and had children, I really hated him to death.” Shangguan Yan sat in the room and said softly.
There was no third person in the room. Yu Wan listened quietly.
“He can abandon me, and I won’t pester him. But why did he abandon Cong’er too? I’m thinking that this man is too heartless.” Shangguan Yan paused, her throat a little swollen and painful. “But when I saw him today, I realized that I was wrong. He’s still the prince from back then.”
He did not change.
She was the one who changed.
She was no longer his Zijun.
Yu Wan did not know what to say. They were once the closest people in the world. They had the deepest tacit understanding and the strongest feelings. If not for Nangong Yan interfering, perhaps they would still be an immortal couple, or perhaps she would have long given birth to a few sisters and brothers for Yan Jiuchao.
But there were no ifs in the world.
Even though they had a deep relationship, their fate was shallow. The cruelest thing was not that she had never been loved by him, but that she had missed him.
Yan Jiuchao arrived at the courtyard at night. He returned to the Helian Manor first and learned from Zi Su and Fu Ling that Xiao Zhenting had come. Shangguan Yan had also come. Yu Wan brought the three little fellows to visit Shangguan Yan. They lived on Sishui Street.
Sishui Street.
Prince Yan also had a courtyard there.
Don’t let such a melodramatic thing happen.
Yan Jiuchao went to Sishui Street without another word.
In the end, this melodramatic scene still happened. His biological father and stepfather lived opposite each other.
Young Master Yan was in a dilemma on the path between the two doors for a while. He listened to the little fellows’ commotion on his stepfather’s end and finally pushed open his biological father’s courtyard door.
Yu Wan happened to be on her way to pick up the children from Xiao Zhenting and Shangguan Yan. The moment the door was pushed open, she bumped into her husband.
“Hubby?” Yu Wan was slightly shocked. Calculating the time, it was earlier than she had imagined. Could it be that he had rushed over to save the situation without stopping? Unfortunately, the drama had already started. Prince Yan, Shangguan Yan, and Xiao Zhenting had already seen each other awkwardly.
“What happened?” Yan Jiuchao pinched Yu Wan’s chin and looked at her reddened eyes. “You cried?”
Yu Wan said aggrievedly, “I just came from Mother’s place. I dropped two golden peas when I heard the emotional parts.”
Yan Jiuchao, who suddenly lost his sympathy: “…”
Yu Wan widened her wet eyes and asked steadily, “Yan Jiuchao, will you forget me one day?”
“What are you thinking about?” Yan Jiuchao slapped her forehead.
“Ah!” Yu Wan was in pain.
Yan Jiuchao stuffed the crab roe pastry he had bought for her into her hand, crossed the threshold, and walked to Prince Yan’s room.
