“Does that mean that Nanmen Xu truly was Feng Jiu’er’s former fiancé? That they were truly together in the past?”

Emperor Ji’s words made Ye Luosha fully come to terms with this realization — that Feng Jiu’er had indeed once had another man in her life. Not the Ninth Prince, not Mu Mu, but an entirely different man.

The phrase “were together in the past” struck Emperor Ji as inappropriate, yet he couldn’t think of how to counter it. It was, after all, the truth — but these were all matters belonging to the younger generation. As he saw it, since Di Wuya didn’t mind, what business was it of his to mind?

Besides, what mattered most to Emperor Ji right now was uniting the two brothers and reclaiming the Di Family’s empire. These young ones and their romantic entanglements — as long as they didn’t disrupt the greater cause, that was enough. Everything else, he truly had no energy to dwell on.

But for Ye Luosha, this was an entirely different matter. While Feng Jiu’er was already entangled with both the Ninth Prince and Mu Mu, she had somehow also been carrying on with yet another man!

How could this be? Where exactly did she place Di Wuya and Mu’er in all of this?

“Yue girl, tell me — when did you see them embracing?”

Leng Yue was delighted. Ye Luosha was asking her directly, and all she had to do was state what she had witnessed.

“It was on the day Nanmen Xu saw you all off as you left the imperial city. The boat you were riding — the helmsman wearing the wide-brimmed hat on that boat was Nanmen Xu.”

“That day, Feng Jiu’er seemed to have been at the stern of the boat the entire time…” Elder Shi also recalled the events of that day, though at the time he had assumed Feng Jiu’er was staying with everyone to ensure the boat arrived safely at its destination.

He hadn’t imagined that behind these seemingly innocent actions lay a hidden secret.

“That’s right — she was at the stern the whole time. My foster father and I both saw it with our own eyes. She was wearing Nanmen Xu’s robe, and the two of them were together the entire time.”

“They were merely talking,” Emperor Ji said mildly.

Leng Yue shot him a resentful look and pouted. “My foster father now takes Feng Jiu’er’s side in everything. I don’t know what you’re thinking at all. Can it be that even when Feng Jiu’er betrays the Lord and the Young Palace Master, you still don’t care?”

“She did not betray—”

“Then what do you call embracing Nanmen Xu?” Leng Yue pressed her argument, refusing to loosen her grip on this matter for even a moment.

“I personally saw Nanmen Xu embrace Feng Jiu’er from behind. I am absolutely not lying — I can swear to it.”

She raised her hand, her expression solemn. “If what I said is not the truth, then may heaven strike me—”

“Enough. We’re perfectly fine. What’s the point of swearing oaths?” Emperor Ji shot her a glare, though not without a hint of helplessness.

Oaths were always vicious things. Why speak carelessly when there’s no need?

“So, it really did happen?” Emperor Ji’s behavior — though he had clearly been trying to speak up for Feng Jiu’er throughout — was entirely transparent to Ye Luosha. Whatever Leng Yue had said was absolutely the truth.

Her palms slowly clenched into fists. She hadn’t expected that while Feng Jiu’er appeared so devoted to Di Wuya on the surface, she had been doing things behind his back that so deeply wronged him.

She had previously worried about how Feng Jiu’er would one day choose between Di Wuya and Mu’er — but now she realized that perhaps this woman had never intended to choose at all.

She already had Di Wuya and Mu’er, and yet she still went and entangled herself with a former fiancé. What need did a woman like that have to choose anything?

She simply intended to collect every worthy man there was!

That girl looked innocent and harmless on the surface — but behind it all, how could she be so utterly shameless!

“These are nothing but baseless assumptions…”

“And is seeing it with one’s own eyes still a baseless assumption?” Leng Yue cut Emperor Ji off. This foster father of hers was being absolutely insufferable, always siding with Feng Jiu’er. Ye Luosha was easier to reason with.

Emperor Ji gave a low grunt and said no more. These minor matters, at any rate, would not change how he felt about the whole situation. That day, he himself hadn’t seen Feng Jiu’er do anything with Nanmen Xu — only that at the moment of parting, Nanmen Xu had briefly lost his composure.

But unlike Leng Yue, he hadn’t been watching that direction the entire time, so he hadn’t seen much clearly. By the time he looked over, Nanmen Xu had already let go of Feng Jiu’er.

Leng Yue still refused to let the matter rest. “I clearly and unquestionably saw them in an embrace. Feng Jiu’er was also wearing Nanmen Xu’s robe, and when they parted, Feng Jiu’er personally helped Nanmen Xu put his clothes back on.”

“And that embrace — it was a full, genuine embrace. You saw it too, foster father. Can you honestly say you didn’t?”

What she didn’t mention was that the moment Nanmen Xu had wrapped his arms around Feng Jiu’er, Feng Jiu’er had immediately moved to refuse — only that Nanmen Xu had let go of her first.

But regardless of everything else, the embrace had happened. There was nothing more to say about it.

Emperor Ji no longer wanted to continue this topic. “Yue’er, wheel me over. It’s time to set out.”

Leng Yue had no choice. She placed both hands on the back of Emperor Ji’s wheelchair, but still glanced back at Ye Luosha, as though she wanted to say something — yet ultimately said nothing.

That lingering, hesitant expression left Ye Luosha in an even darker mood.

“Palace Mistress, it’s time to depart. We should be going as well,” Elder Shi urged after Emperor Ji and Leng Yue had gone.

Ye Luosha looked at him, her emotions far from settled. “Old Shi… tell me — tell me! What are we supposed to do about this?”

Was she truly going to allow Feng Jiu’er to keep deceiving Mu’er and Di Wuya like this? This fickle and wanton woman — she couldn’t stand by and watch her tear two brothers apart.

“At the moment, the Young Palace Master has only just awakened. He still depends on Feng Jiu’er’s care. And given his current condition, there’s likely no one else who can look after him as she can.”

Elder Shi, too, disapproved of Feng Jiu’er’s conduct, but circumstances were stronger than personal wishes. What else could be done right now?

“Whatever the case, we’ll have to wait until the Young Palace Master has recovered before doing anything. Don’t you think so, Palace Mistress?”

Ye Luosha drew a slow, deep breath, then let it out gradually, and only with great effort did the surge of fury in her chest begin to settle.

Even so, a measure of anger still remained — real, burning anger. The two people she cherished most were being toyed with in Feng Jiu’er’s palm!

She was unwilling to accept it, could not bear it, and yet was powerless to act.

The main convoy was fully prepared and truly ready to move out.

Jiu’er went directly to the front of the carriage and took up the reins alongside Long Shi’yi.

When Ye Luosha approached, she saw Feng Jiu’er and Long Shi’yi sitting side by side — their shoulders not quite touching, yet the distance between them so very close.

She didn’t avoid even the slightest appearance of impropriety!

Before, she wouldn’t have thought anything of it — but now, after hearing what Leng Yue had said, whenever Ye Luosha saw Feng Jiu’er in the company of any man, the image was instantly unbearable to look at.

Even with a perfectly respectable gap between them, even with no physical contact whatsoever, she still found the sight grating and offensive.

Was this simply how she lived — utterly dissolute and without restraint? Was this truly Feng Jiu’er’s nature?