Chapter 495 – Nie Qingyun’s POV (2)

During the Southern Trip, she frequently came over to his room. Using Mingjie as a pretense, she would prepare tea for him and watch them play chess. When Mingjie left, the two of them didn’t have much to say to each other. Floundering for something to say, he ended up using Sangyu as a topic every time.

It was because the only thing they had in common was Sangyu.

“Is Sangyu living happily in the marquis’s household?”

“Does the marquis bully Sangyu?”

“What do you and Sangyu usually do?”

He really was trying his best to find something to talk about. However, for some unknown reason, Errong’s expression looked increasingly ugly. Eventually, the number of times she came over to his room decreased.

Looking at the endless river, Nie Qingyun felt very depressed. Had he done something wrong?

After a few days, Errong returned to her usual self of circling around him. This time, Nie Qingyun controlled his mouth. He wouldn’t say anything! He would just elegantly hold a chess piece and pretend to be cool!

As a result, Errong looked as if she wanted to cry. She only stayed for a short period before leaving. Once again, she didn’t come back for several days.

When Nie Qingyun was alone in his room, he couldn’t resist smacking his head against a wooden pillar. It was so hard to make a woman happy. What should he do?

Noble Consort Nie had brought them along on the Southern Trip to give them a chance to cultivate feelings, but the outcome was that their relationship was becoming increasingly strange.

Let’s just wait until they got married, once they got married, it would all work out.

—

Errong was a clever young woman. Although it had seemed like she and Chen-shi wouldn’t be able to get along with each other, she kept enduring and letting Chen-shi have her way after the wedding. Errong treated him exceptionally well too. Nie Qingyun’s worried heart was put to rest. He very shamelessly sunk into the newly wedded bliss.

His little, sweet wife was lovable and sensible. Every day, after leaving the imperial court, his steps would be faster than usual. Onlookers watched him in amazement and one asked, “Sir Nie, why are you in such a rush to go back? Is there a pressing matter?

Yes, a very pressing matter. He wanted to see her sooner!

Although his expression didn’t change, he kept up his quick pace as he turned his head and answered, “En, there’s an urgent matter.”

He had once thought he would have to spend the rest of his life compensating Sangyu for his mother’s crime, and he had been happy taking care of Sangyu too. But, now that he had Errong, Nie Qingyun felt as if he had suddenly found himself.

However, since he frequently showed an unsmiling face, Errong didn’t know what he was thinking, so she acted slightly cautiously.

—

Although he was very happy with his wife, he couldn’t forget the responsibility that he owed Sangyu. If something happened in Marquis Moyu’s estate, he had to be the first one to go over there. If he didn’t have time, he would let Errong go there first as his substitute.

—

Although it wasn’t frequent, Errong occasionally seems depressed. He didn’t know why. But, as soon as her eyes met his, she would smile as if there was nothing wrong.

—

Finally, one night, Errong softly asked him, “Do… Do you like Sangyu?”

Nie Qingyun was so startled by this question that he almost fell out of the bed, but he calmly grasped the curtain’s string in time. “Why would you ask this? Sangyu is my sister.”

Errong wryly smiled. “I keep feeling that you treat her better than anyone else. It’s not that I feel resentment. I have felt jealous of Sangyu in the past, but…”

Clenching her jaw, she didn’t continue her words. Instead, she closed her eyes and rested on his chest. “Never mind, let’s sleep.”

Nie Qingyun sighed. Why did other people misjudge his feelings for Sangyu? Even his father would sometimes say that he should clearly differentiate the boundaries of his feelings.

He wasn’t unclear about his feelings. The sister that he cared about the most was Nie Sangyu, and Ning Errong was the woman he loved the most.

Did everyone think he was an idiot?

—

Nie Qingyun felt relieved that Yuxuan and Sangyu’s relationship was progressing in a postive direction. Just as he was going to go home and discuss with Errong about having a child, Ning Yuxuan dragged him to a brothel.

“Why are we here?” Nie Qingyun normally didn’t come to places like this one. Looking at the distant dancers, he slightly furrowed his brow.

“Something big is going to happen in the capital,” Ning Yuxuan indifferently said, “There’s no way to save Nie Clan, but you can save Errong.”

Nie Qingyun found these words a bit laughable. How could something happen to Nie Clan? The third prince and the imperial noble consort were still around, there was the foundation that had been built over many years, how could…

But, there wasn’t any traces of humor in Ning Yuxuan’s eyes. “Errong is my younger cousin, that’s why I thought about saving her. If you care about your wife, you should listen to my advice.”

“What do you want me to do?” Nie Qingyun’s expression finally sunk.

“Divorce Errong,” said Ning Yuxuan lowly, “Once her relationship with Nie Clan is broken, she’ll be under the shelter of Marquis Jingwen’s household.”

Nie Qingyun’s face paled.

This was ridiculous. He and Errong had been together for so long. How could he divorce her just because of a few words from Ning Yuxuan? What kind of calamity could possibly happen to Nie Clan that he couldn’t protect Errong himself?

Nie Qingyun didn’t want to believe this at all, but Ning Yuxuan took out a secret letter.

“If the third prince ascends the throne, it won’t be good. It’ll be the start of political upheaval in the capital.” Ning Yuxuan looked at him and helplessly smiled. “It’s not a problem to tell you about the upheaval because even I can’t stop it from happening. You’ll be even more powerless to salvage this desperate situation.”

The second prince’s forces were already secretly rushing towards the capital. The oldest prince had taken the initiative to give way, so the third prince was set to ascend the throne, but he wasn’t guarded against external threats. As soon as he ascended the throne, he would probably be shot down by the second prince under the excuse that the third prince had killed the emperor to gain the throne.

Behind the third prince was the Nie Clan. Nie Clan’s sole supporters were the third prince and the imperial noble consort.

Nie Qingyun’s body stiffened. Remaining in that sitting position, he couldn’t move a muscle.