The Devious First Daughter

Chapter 123. Encountering Honored Consort Xia

Ning Xueyan didn't stay long in the Empress' palace before being excused. The Empress told her to drop the courtesy and take a stroll around the palace on this rare visit.

Commandery Princess Xianyun lowered her head and glanced sideways at her, asking if she needed to be accompanied.

Despite her offer, Ning Xueyan knew that she couldn't leave with the Princess in the middle of her happy conversation with the Empress. Moreover, she was a consort while the Princess was the legal wife. It didn't make sense for the Princess to keep a mere consort company while she strolled around the palace.

Ning Xueyan tactfully declined the offer and walked out of the Empress' palace, where Lanning had been waiting at the door all along. Seeing her, Lanning naturally walked behind her. Ning Xueyan had told the Empress that she was just taking a walk, so the Empress didn't assign any servants to her.

Hundreds of flowers in the imperial garden were in full bloom in spring, proudly exhibiting their vivid and beautiful colors. Ning Xueyan had stayed in the palace briefly during the Beauty Contest, but as a candidate, her movements had been restricted in every way. She wasn't even allowed to walk around the imperial garden and take in the sights.

Moreover, the location of the Beauty Contest was some distance away from the Empress' Palace, so she hadn't seen the scenery here before.

Looking at the scenery was a far superior experience than playing politics in the imperial harem.

Ning Xueyan walked wherever her feet took her until she eventually came up to a comparatively narrow passage. The flowers here were weaved like brocade, with large branches and fresh petals swaying gently in the wind, and were much lovelier than the ones she had seen earlier. There were red, yellow, purple, white, and even rare pale blue flowers.

"Young Lady, there are people over there." Lanning reached out to grab Ning Xueyan's sleeve all of a sudden and pointed to a corner behind a flowering tree.

Ning Xueyan stopped in her tracks. She could hear a soft whining sound as if someone was crying. Her long, shapely eyebrows knitted. How could someone be crying out in the palace? Although this place was quite secluded and she couldn't see who it was, she was doubtful that there was truly a secret place in the imperial garden of the palace.

She turned around, wanting to leave. Whoever the crying person was, it had nothing to do with her. Her current identity was Prince Yi's consort.

Amidst the crying noise, a woman's voice suddenly rang out. "Senior Nun, I... Can I really...?"

Senior Nun? Ning Xueyan's heart skipped a beat and her footsteps hesitated. She knew about a senior nun named Jing Kong who lived in the Small Jing'an Temple in the palace. She had the intention to meet the nun on her trip to the palace this time. There were some doubts about her past life that she hoped the nun could clarify for her.

"Your Highness, let the past stay in the past. What's the point of harping on it?"

That was indeed Jing Kong's voice. Ning Xueyan's ink-like eyes became unreadable. Senior Nun Jing Kong's voice was particularly recognizable, with a distinct and deliberate slowness. Her voice would only become quick at moments of agitation or excitement or when she couldn't control herself. Right now, her words sounded even more stretched out than ever.

The people inside were Senior Nun Jing Kong and an imperial consort. Judging from their conversation, they appeared to be close. Moreover, she couldn't even understand some of their words.

"Senior Nun, will she forgive me? Have they forgiven me? I... I really didn't want things to turn out this way." Although the woman's sobbing noise was soft, Ning Xueyan could hear how lost and sad she felt.