Xiao Heng finally withdrew his gaze from Qiao Nian's retreating figure and looked at the Prince of Ming. A hint of coldness glinted in his eyes. "Does Miss Qiao know about the Prince of Ming's affairs?"
The Prince of Ming, who had originally intended to mock Xiao Heng, suddenly changed his complexion.
Thus, the one looking triumphant became Xiao Heng. "So she doesn't know. Isn't this what the common people call a fraudulent marriage?"
"How dare you!" the Prince of Ming snapped, glaring fiercely at Xiao Heng. "You dare to slander me! Don't think that just because you've won a few military achievements and gained the Emperor's favor, you can ride roughshod over me!"
"Your Highness need not be so furious," Xiao Heng said, a faint smile curving his lips. The contempt in his eyes seemed to trample on the Prince of Ming's dignity.
Gone was the Prince of Ming's previous gentle and amiable demeanor. His handsome features were even tinged with a hint of distortion. "Even if it is a fraudulent marriage, so what? Xiao Heng, you can try to deceive her too. See if she'll still pay you any attention!"
At these words, Xiao Heng indeed lost his smile.
The smile froze on his face, looking rather unsightly.
The Prince of Ming let out a cold snort. "Anyway, this Lin Nian, oh no, Qiao Nian, I'm determined to marry her! General Xiao, it would be best if you keep your distance from her in the future, to avoid unnecessary gossip."
With that, the Prince of Ming flicked his sleeves and left, leaving Xiao Heng alone in the Imperial Garden. The chill around him caused a few red plum blossoms to flutter down.
Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the mansion, Qiao Nian remained silent throughout.
Lady Lin looked at her, her mind filled with thoughts of Qiao Nian three years ago.
Three years ago, Qiao Nian had a restless personality. Even when sitting in the carriage, she would chatter non-stop. Every time they went to the palace, Lady Lin, as her mother, had to give her a long list of instructions, fearing that she might say something wrong.
But now, Qiao Nian's mouth seemed to be sealed with gold. She rarely spoke.
So much so that Lady Lin had to think hard about topics to get her to talk.
Fortunately, today's topic wasn't hard to find.
"Nian Nian, what do you think of His Highness the Prince of Ming?"
There was a hint of unease on Lady Lin's face. After all, although Qiao Nian had left with the Prince of Ming today, she had returned first.
Qiao Nian's expression was indifferent, and neither Lady Lin nor Noble Consort De could discern anything from it.
Now that Noble Consort De wasn't present and only the two of them were in the carriage, Lady Lin finally dared to ask this question.
However, Qiao Nian didn't answer Lady Lin.
As if struck by a thought, she raised her eyes to look at Lady Lin. "Can Lady tell me the truth? Why did Noble Consort De choose me?"
Although she had asked the Prince of Ming this question before, the answer he gave her didn't seem credible.
Upon hearing Qiao Nian's question, a flicker of panic crossed Lady Lin's face. "Silly girl, of course it's because you're well - behaved. Moreover, Noble Consort De and I are bosom friends, and she watched you grow up. She knows you're kind - hearted and adores you. It's quite reasonable for her to choose you."
This answer from Lady Lin was even less believable than the Prince of Ming's. Moreover, the panic she had just shown didn't escape Qiao Nian's notice.
This made Qiao Nian understand that there was more to the Prince of Ming's decision to marry her.
She averted her gaze and fell silent. After all, even if she asked further, Lady Lin probably wouldn't tell her the truth.
But her silence made Lady Lin nervous. She hastily began to explain. "Nian Nian, I know what you're thinking. The Prince of Ming has a noble status, and you feel that since you're not the Lin family's biological daughter now, you're not worthy of him, right? But no matter how noble he is, he's just an idle prince with no real power. He only has an empty title. And even if you don't have the Lin surname, you're still the daughter of your father and me. You have the entire Marquis' Mansion to back you up."
Hearing these words, Qiao Nian wanted to laugh, but waves of bitterness washed over her heart, and she couldn't manage a smile.
Lady Lin took her hand. Knowing that she had chilblains on her hands, Lady Lin's touch was gentle. "Admittedly, the Marquis' Mansion's status isn't what it used to be, but even a broken ship has three thousand nails. If the Prince of Ming wants to return to the capital in the future, he can only rely on the Marquis' Mansion."
At this point, Lady Lin let out a soft sigh. "Of course, I do have my own motives. Xiao Heng is young and promising, and he has achieved many military merits. The Xiao family is now at the height of its power in the court. But you know how much the Emperor is wary of the Marquis' Mansion. So, if we want Yuan'er to marry into the Xiao family smoothly, you can't marry into any powerful family. This Prince of Ming is the best choice."
Qiao Nian understood.
Ultimately, her marriage was the result of a balance of interests among several parties.
The Marquis' Mansion wanted to attach itself to the Xiao family, and the Prince of Ming wanted to rely on the remaining influence of the Marquis' Mansion. Naturally, her lifelong event wasn't that important.
"I see," she said softly, feeling a sense of relief.
If Lady Lin's answer today had been the same as the Prince of Ming's, Qiao Nian would have felt uneasy. But now that she knew, she realized that this marriage of hers was still a calculated move.
She had originally thought that Lady Lin started calculating after Xiao Heng said that he could only marry Lin Yuan after she got married first. Now she thought that it probably started after the Dowager Lady went to the palace to plead with the Empress to let her leave the laundry bureau.
Or perhaps even earlier.
This made sense. It was in line with their attitude towards her.
If they had insisted that it was just because they liked her and wanted the best for her, she would have felt even more uneasy.
Perhaps her sense of relief was too obvious. Her voice was gentle, but it pierced Lady Lin's heart like a knife.
Lady Lin's eyes turned slightly red. "Nian Nian, will you blame me?"
Qiao Nian shook her head. "Thank you, Lady, for telling me the truth."
Her tone was sincere. She was truly grateful for Lady Lin's honesty at this moment.
But the more sincere she was, the more Lady Lin felt guilty towards her. The redness in her eyes deepened, and by the time the carriage stopped outside the Marquis' Mansion, Lady Lin's tears had fallen.
Qiao Nian was at a loss seeing Lady Lin cry.
She didn't understand what was going on.
She had done nothing. In fact, she had agreed to this marriage, fulfilling their wishes. So why did Lady Lin suddenly start crying?
Qiao Nian thought that in this regard, Lin Yuan was probably like Lady Lin.
She didn't get off the carriage and just sat there waiting for Lady Lin.
Lady Lin was also aware that she had lost her composure. She quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. "I lost my composure. Let's get off the carriage."
"All right," Qiao Nian replied indifferently and got off the carriage first.
Just then, Lin Ye walked out of the mansion. When he saw Qiao Nian, his brows furrowed. He intended to go up and talk to her.
After all, he had been outrageously wrong on New Year's Eve.
But before he could get close, Lady Lin also got out of the carriage. Her red eyes were still filled with tears, clearly showing that she had been crying.
Lin Ye's heart tightened. He rushed forward, grabbed Qiao Nian's arm, and yanked it hard. "What did you say to Mother?"
He demanded harshly, instantly condemning her.