Chapter 149: A Background Both Noble and Pitiful

"Miss Yan!" Qin Wanru turned her head and looked at Yan Xulan, who was walking over with a smile.

"Would you like to take a walk together?" Yan Xulan asked with a smile, pointing toward a pebble-paved path.

"Alright!" Qin Wanru nodded. She was just wandering around anyway.

At this moment, the Grand Princess was going to deal with her grandson's affairs, and all the irrelevant people were leaving in twos and threes. There were quite a few people strolling about, most of whom were discussing the shameful incident involving the Marquis of Yongkang's Estate.

Being loathed and even driven away by Grand Princess Rui'an was truly a disgrace, and it severely damaged the reputation of the Marquis of Yongkang's Estate!

"Does the Second Young Miss Qin know who that child just now was?" Yan Xulan felt an inexplicable affinity for Qin Wanru, which was why she specifically stayed behind to talk to her.

"Who was he?" Qin Wanru was also quite curious.

In her previous life, her sources of information were limited, and she really didn't know much. She had only vaguely heard some gossip leaked by Qin Yuru and Lady Di. As for what Hao'er had said earlier, she hadn't understood most of it either.

He was clearly stated to be the grandson of Grand Princess Rui'an, so why was he a child without a father or a mother? And why had someone tried to harm him?

"He is the son of Princess Qinghua, the daughter of Grand Princess Rui'an, and also the only legitimate son of the former Heir of the State Duke of Xingguo," Yan Xulan said with a sigh. "He is such a pitiful child!"

"Why is he a pitiful child?" Qin Wanru knitted her pretty willow brows, instinctively feeling that there was a hidden story behind this. With such a lineage, this child was destined to be immensely noble; why evoke the word "pitiful"?

Yet, the mention of the former Heir of the State Duke of Xingguo seemed to stir some memories in Qin Wanru's mind. The so-called former Heir was not the current State Duke of Xingguo, but rather the older brother of the current State Duke.

"The former Heir of the State Duke of Xingguo married Princess Qinghua, but the Dowager Madam of the State Duke's Estate disliked Princess Qinghua. The former Heir requested an imperial decree to leave the capital with Princess Qinghua for the borderlands. They remained away for many years, and because the distance was so vast, it was difficult even to send news back. What actually happened remains unclear to outsiders. Then... when the rebellion broke out, the capital sent people to search for them, and in the end, only Princess Qinghua returned!"

"This child is the posthumous son born by Princess Qinghua. Because of severe hemorrhaging during childbirth, Princess Qinghua could not be saved and passed away prematurely!"

Yan Xulan sighed. "A child who should have been a favored son of heaven was reduced to an orphan without a father or a mother. I heard that although the current Dowager Madam treats the child fairly well, because of her long-standing poor relationship with Princess Qinghua, she does not pay much attention to him. Fortunately, Grand Princess Rui'an cherishes the child deeply."

*...Zhuozhuo... Zhuozhuo... Hao'er...* A flash of imagery suddenly crossed Qin Wanru's mind—an extremely blurry scene where a woman was holding her hand, seeming to say something to her. But she could neither hear clearly nor see clearly. Her heart felt as if it had been struck heavily by something, and an unspeakable spasm shook her core, nearly causing her to stumble and fall.

A sharp pain surged from the depths of her heart!

"Miss... Miss, what's wrong with you?" Yujie's voice sounded distant, so far away that she couldn't catch it clearly for a moment.

Qin Wanru stared blankly at Yujie, her gaze resembling that of someone gazing from afar at a completely different person.

Panicked, Yujie hurriedly reached out to support Qin Wanru.

Not knowing what had happened, Yan Xulan helped Yujie support Qin Wanru from the other side.

"Second Young Miss Qin, what's wrong?"

It took a long time before Qin Wanru heard her own voice. She looked back and saw everything clearly before her: Yujie was there, Yan Xulan was there. There were no strange, bizarre scenes, and no strange, bizarre voices calling out to her.

Everything receded like a tide, as if the pain from just a moment ago had merely been an illusion.

Taking a deep breath, her delicate, rosy face turned deathly pale, devoid of a shred of color. Anyone could tell she was not doing well at all.

"Second Young Miss Qin, are you really alright?" Yan Xulan looked at Qin Wanru with unease. Just a moment ago, Qin Wanru's delicate complexion had tinged with a rosy blush, but in this short span of time, her lips had turned pale.

"I'm really fine, just suddenly a bit dizzy!" Qin Wanru raised a hand to press her temples, looking somewhat powerlessly at the sun overhead.

"Then let's go sit down by the side!" Yan Xulan supported her toward a stone bench beneath a tree.

"Thank you, Miss Yan!" Qin Wanru sat down weakly, a trace of a smile appearing on her face as she rubbed her brow. Perhaps it was because she had been overthinking that she had suffered hallucinations for a moment.

"What are you thanking me for? I felt a strong affinity with you the moment we met, unlike Di Fenglan—we must be astrologically incompatible, the kind who quarrel the moment we lay eyes on each other!" Yan Xulan laughed heartily.

Her forthright demeanor sparked a sense of goodwill in Qin Wanru. Smiling slightly, she raised her watery eyes: "Miss Yan, may I address you differently?"

"Of course! You can call me Xulan, and I'll call you Wanru. How about that?" Yan Xulan had wanted to propose this for a long time, but hadn't found the right opportunity. Hearing Qin Wanru suggest it, she immediately agreed repeatedly, "Drop the 'Miss' this and 'Miss' that; it sounds so distant!"

"I'd rather call you Sister Yan!" Qin Wanru smiled slightly, assessing their relative ages and quietly adjusting the form of address.

"I'll call you Sister Wanru, or simply Wanru!" Yan Xulan laughed, thoroughly satisfied with Qin Wanru's choice of words, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

She evidently looked older than Qin Wanru and understood that Qin Wanru was too shy to call her directly by her given name.

"Sister Yan, is the Heir of the Marquis of Yongkang going to marry my eldest sister?" Qin Wanru asked with a smile, truly fond of Yan Xulan's straightforward temperament.

"Really?" Yan Xulan widened her eyes in astonishment. "Wasn't it said he had his eyes on the Ning family girl? It's long been rumored there would be a marriage alliance between cousins of the two estates!"

"The Ning family?" Qin Wanru asked nonchalantly. She asked because she recalled that in her previous life, Di Yan seemingly had no initial intention of marrying Qin Yuru. Later on, however, some accident occurred that forced Qin Yuru into marrying Di Yan, though this Miss Ning still remained by his side afterward!

"Yes, she's a somewhat distant relative from the maternal family of the Marchioness of Yongkang. Strictly speaking, she is a cousin of Heir Di. She is quite pretty, and I heard she grew up together with Heir Di. Why wouldn't she marry Heir Di? When I saw Ning Caixian earlier, it was still said they would be wed!" Yan Xulan said in puzzlement.

Miss Ning Caixian was a niece from the Marchioness of Yongkang's maternal family. Although not a close niece, Ning Caixian was exceptionally eloquent, which made the Marchioness of Yongkang dote on her. Having grown up alongside Di Yan, they shared a childhood bond, and rumors had long circulated that the two had an early understanding.

They were merely waiting for the right moment to formalize the match, a fact known to many!

"Then why wasn't it betrothed earlier?" Qin Wanru still found it strange.

"Previously, Ning Caixian had to observe a period of mourning for her grandfather. Her grandfather and the Marchioness of Yongkang's mother were full siblings!" Yan Xulan explained.

"What is this Miss Ning's family background like?" Qin Wanru asked after a moment of contemplation, sensing that there must be underlying reasons that led to the scandalous events of her previous life.

Because these matters were directly linked to the Qin family, Qin Wanru knew a little about them.

"The Ning family is passable, but they are not a prominent, noble family. The Marquis of Fengyang's Estate and the Marquis of Yongkang's Estate have always looked after her household. Her father is merely a minor official," Yan Xulan said, curling her lip slightly. "Usually, she's just good at putting on a front, making a tremendous fuss over the slightest grievance. Yet the Heir of the Marquis of Yongkang seems completely taken in by that routine!"

"Still, with someone like the Heir of the Marquis of Yongkang, he probably pities and cherishes any fragile beauty as long as she's somewhat attractive!"

Having finished her previous sentence, Yan Xulan added a malicious remark and laughed aloud upon finishing.

Qin Wanru pursed her lips and smiled as well. To those familiar with Di Yan, that was precisely the truth; he likely fancied any pretty face and was most prone to tenderly doting on women.

"Is your estate truly going to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Yongkang's Estate?" Seeing Qin Wanru smile in knowing agreement, Yan Xulan grew even more convinced that their minds were in sync, and she leaned in closer to ask.

"Lady Di and my eldest sister harbor that intention, though the Marquis of Yongkang's Estate has yet to make a final decision, I suppose!" Qin Wanru thought for a moment and spoke the truth.

"Hmph, for someone who is such an absolute heartbreaker to still be picking and choosing—he thinks far too highly of himself!" Yan Xulan said with disdain. Her eyes rolled, and she suddenly added, "That eldest sister of yours doesn't seem like a good person either. Earlier, the servants from her quarters were going everywhere spreading malicious gossip about you, claiming you seduced the fiancé originally arranged for her by the family, and then threw a tantrum refusing him, bringing shame upon the entire Qin family and all that!"

Yan Xulan had originally known nothing of this. It was only after witnessing the scene on the road that she sought out a few close young ladies to inquire, and upon asking, she discovered that the eldest young miss of the Qin family had constantly been tarnishing her own younger sister's reputation behind her back.

Before Qin Wanru had even arrived in the capital, these unfavorable rumors had already filtered in quietly, and vicious ones at that.

Qin Wanru had long since seen through the scheming of Qin Yuru and Lady Di. Hearing Yan Xulan confirm it made everything crystal clear: before she even set foot in the capital, they had swapped identities, shifting Qin Yuru's scandalous behavior onto her own shoulders to establish a preemptive narrative.

In the future, even if unfavorable rumors drifted over from Jiangzhou, it would be impossible to tell what was true and what was false.

Over such a vast distance, how could incoming news ever be considered accurate?

Lady Di and her daughter truly possessed ruthless calculations. The corners of her lips curved upward slightly, sketching a chilling edge across her thin mouth, while her fluttering eyelashes blinked twice as a plan swiftly formed in her mind.

Some matters would gradually unfold on their own, even without her intervention. Lady Di and her daughter had plotted exhaustively, yet right now, an opportunity had presented itself to tear away the hypocritical facades of this mother-and-daughter pair!

The two chatted for a bit longer, growing more and more congenial. Before they knew it, another hour had passed. The long-delayed banquet was finally about to begin, and a maid was sent over to invite them.

Walking together following the maid, they suddenly noticed a group of people approaching hastily halfway down the path, their expressions less than pleasant. Yan Xulan pulled Qin Wanru to a halt on the path, pointing far ahead at the woman leading the group: "Look, that is the current State Princess of Xingguo!"

Hearing this, Qin Wanru shifted her gaze to the face of the leading woman among the group. The moment she clearly saw the woman's face, a chilling, murderous intent welled up in her eyes.

She knew this woman!