Chapter 168 The person he chose has good taste

The First Princess’s name was Gu Shiyan, and she carried no airs of royalty whatsoever. Ever since she arrived at the Marquis Zhenguo’s Mansion, she had been extremely easy to get along with, frequently inviting Shen Nanyuan over to share some tea. However, her relationship with her eldest brother felt somewhat less intimate than her bond with Shen Nanyuan.

The dynamic between the two of them was much like that of polite acquaintances—hardly close, yet not overly estranged either.

Wu Miaofu seemed quite eager to draw closer to Gu Shiyan. In the past, she rarely visited Shen Sian’s courtyard, but ever since the Grand Princess married in, her visits there had become quite frequent.

Gu Shiyan did not look very much like Xiao Yan; a faint resemblance could be traced in her brows and eyes, but it was only a fleeting impression at first glance. The longer one looked, the less she resembled him at all.

Shen Sian was growing increasingly busy, leaving him virtually no time to seek out Shen Nanyuan for chats and idle talk. Word had it that the atmosphere between the Third Prince and the Second Prince had grown rather tense lately, and with the Emperor’s health deteriorating day by day, certain people were starting to grow desperate.

Yet most of the turbulence was intentionally stirred up by the Second Prince’s faction to trip up Xiao Yan.

Although Shen Sian held no deep affection for the Grand Princess, whenever he occasionally found the time to visit the Shaohua Courtyard, he would ask her to spend more time keeping the Grand Princess company.

Gu Shiyan harbored no particular reticence when it came to court affairs. "Number Two is getting desperate," she remarked, taking a sip of tea as if discussing the most ordinary matter in the world. "He has been terribly arrogant since childhood, always assuming the throne belonged to him by right. Even when Number Five was still a formidable rival, he always maintained a look of effortless ease."

"That is also inseparable from the Consort Zhuang."

Shen Nanyuan nodded. "Indeed. Whenever I entered the palace before, I could tell that Consort Zhuang is a deeply overbearing woman; even the Second Prince has to listen to her."

"Consort Zhuang is no simple character," Gu Shiyan said leisurely. "Over the years, I have always suspected that Consort Zhuang was connected to Number Three’s disappearance, but I have never found any proof."

She continued, "Fortunately, Number Three has also sensed it, so I don't need to trouble myself with this matter anymore."

With that, her peripheral vision swept over Shen Nanyuan a few times. "I hear that your relationship with Number Three is quite extraordinary."

Hearing this, Shen Nanyuan was momentarily startled, but then replied with calm composure, "It truly is extraordinary. Did my eldest sister-in-law hear this from my eldest brother?"

Maintaining her usual expression, she went on, "Before the Third Prince returned to the palace, he stayed at the Marquis Zhenguo’s Mansion for a long time. I requested him for my Shaohua Courtyard to serve as my personal guard, never imagining he was actually the current Third Prince. Looking back, this is truly my supreme honor."

"Mmm," Gu Shiyan smiled. "No one could have foreseen it."

She did not pursue the matter any further, shifting the topic slightly. "Then, Nanyuan, whose side are you on?"

"You needn't mind me. Just tell me what's on your mind."

One was a person who had spent a long time lingering in her courtyard, while the other was the Second Prince, to whom she was betrothed... A flicker of deep interest arose in Gu Shiyan's eyes.

"Affairs of the imperial court are surely not subjects a woman like me should discuss," Shen Nanyuan said.

"It doesn't matter, we are merely chatting. Besides, the Marquis Zhenguo’s Mansion is entirely under General Shen's control; there is nothing to fear."

Shen Nanyuan: "..."

This time, she spoke the truth: "The Third Prince."

A smile instantly bloomed in the depths of Gu Shiyan’s eyes. She nodded, looking somewhat gratified, and muttered softly under her breath a moment later, "His eye for people is quite good."

Shen Nanyuan didn't catch it clearly. She tilted her head, looking at Gu Shiyan in bewilderment, only to see the latter smiling as she said, "Nanyuan thinks just as I do."

She continued, "Number Two has only the throne in his eyes. He is not only arrogant, but also unscrupulous in his methods and vicious in his mind, never once regarding the common people. In the past, his competence truly stood out among the imperial princes, which is why His Majesty indulged him so much. Now that everything has changed, he must have realized it too."

Gu Shiyan sighed. "There is nothing more to be said. I only hope he will not remain stubbornly blind."

Judging by Gu Shiyan's words, she seemed to have already taken it for granted that the throne belonged to Xiao Yan.

And yet, reality was indeed heading that way.

Only, she probably did not know that Xiao Yan was likewise somewhat unscrupulous in his own methods.

Just as the two were speaking, the voice of Qingrui suddenly drifted in from outside: "The Eldest Miss is here."

While discussing these matters, their voices had been kept very low. Upon hearing this, Shen Nanyuan immediately fell silent, raising her head to look toward the distance at Wu Miaofu, who was walking over slowly with a beaming smile.

"Eldest Sister-in-law," Wu Miaofu said with a surprised arch of her brow. "Eldest Sister is here too."

Wu Miaofu continued, "I had nothing to do today, so I personally prepared some white fungus and lotus seed soup, hoping to bring it for Eldest Sister-in-law to taste. I didn't expect Eldest Sister to be here as well..."

Shen Nanyuan waved a hand. "It's fine. Give it to my eldest sister-in-law to drink; I happen to have no appetite for it."

Gu Shiyan's gaze swept lightly over the two of them a few times. Watching the white fungus and lotus seed soup that Wu Miaofu took out from the food box, she said calmly, "It looks rather decent."

Wu Miaofu’s brows curved upward. "I started stewing it early this morning. Would Eldest Sister-in-law care to try some? I don't know if it suits your palate. Back in Yunzhou, my parents always liked the white fungus soup I made the best."

Shen Nanyuan raised an eyebrow slightly, pondering that she had been at the Marquis Zhenguo’s Mansion for so long, yet this was the first time she had ever heard Wu Miaofu boast about her culinary skills with white fungus soup.

She had never offered any before; yet not long after the Grand Princess married into the mansion, Wu Miaofu had already begun to fawn over her.

Shen Nanyuan sat back, watching with detached amusement. Gu Shiyan took a single sip, her expression revealing neither pleasure nor displeasure. Wu Miaofu's heart tightened slightly, and she asked nervously, "How is it?"

"The taste is quite good."

Hearing Gu Shiyan say this, Wu Miaofu's heart settled just a bit, and she smiled brightly. "If Eldest Sister-in-law likes it, just tell me whenever you want to drink it in the future, and I will make it."

"There's no need for that," Gu Shiyan pushed the bowl slightly away. "Such tasks are meant for the servants, and the chefs in this courtyard stew it quite well too. There's no need to trouble you, Cousin."

Wu Miaofu’s smile froze for a moment before she nodded in response. "I almost forgot, the chefs in Eldest Sister-in-law's courtyard were all brought from the palace; their skills are naturally better than mine."

Gu Shiyan did not refute this statement, leaving Wu Miaofu somewhat crestfallen and embarrassed.

Pressing her lips together, she glanced at the Grand Princess, who was conversing with Shen Nanyuan. Knowing that if she stayed here now, Gu Shiyan's attention would never be on her, she decided it would be better to return when Shen Nanyuan was not around, and accordingly stood up.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, Eldest Sister, I shall take my leave first."

"Go on then," Gu Shiyan said. "I won't keep you here for a meal."

Just as it happened to be lunchtime, Wu Miaofu had only taken a few steps when a sentence drifted to her ears:

"Stay and have lunch here, Nanyuan. I'll instruct the kitchen to make some of your favorite dishes."

"Alright," Shen Nanyuan replied with a beaming smile. "Thank you, Eldest Sister-in-law, I was just getting hungry."

Wu Miaofu: "..."

She gritted her teeth in fierce resentment, feeling convinced that Shen Nanyuan's words had been spoken entirely for her benefit.