Chapter 407: Chapter 407: Yan Zui Xuan

In a blink of an eye, several months have passed, and during this time, Xia Wenjin has been very busy.

Sometimes she would subconsciously turn her head, and not finding that boy with the sunny smile and pure gaze by her side, she would occasionally lose herself in thought.

However, as she became busier, she quickly suppressed this slight melancholy.

In another month, it would be the Emperor’s sixty-first birthday.

Xia Wenjin recalled that something had happened back then, which angered the Emperor to the point of spitting blood. His health then deteriorated, and he sent people to search the Jianghu for the Undying Poison Doctor, but unfortunately, he was never found, so his health remained poor.

Huangfu Yuxuan seized the opportunity and brought a Daoist. After taking his elixir, the Emperor’s health slightly improved, thus Huangfu Yuxuan gradually began to be valued by the Emperor.

This also laid the foundation for his eventual ascension to the throne.

Time flies, and the origin of the struggle for the throne is about to begin.

Xia Wenjin didn’t want to bother with these things.

She hated Huangfu Yuxuan, but she neither intended to return to the Capital City nor wanted any more entanglements with the Imperial Family. Perhaps this vendetta could not be avenged. If Huangfu Yuxuan were to become Emperor in this lifetime, she would not incite a nationwide upheaval.

National chaos would only lead to more deaths among the common people.

What was her personal vendetta worth? She couldn’t bear to have the people sacrifice their lives to settle her hatred!

Of course, it was also because she was somewhat disillusioned. Those princes, whether Prince Zhuang, Prince Xin, Prince Lu, or Prince Li, she had dealt with them all in her previous life. They were no better than Huangfu Yuxuan.

Since there was no candidate for Emperor who cared for the nation, it didn’t matter who became Emperor.

However, despite thinking this way, Xia Wenjin did not slack off.

Instead, she immersed herself even more vigorously in her own work.

In these months, she was very busy, but her gains were not small.

That day, she arrived within the borders of Yunzhou.

As she entered Yunzhou, she felt a bit dazed. That clear-eyed boy had invited her to Yunzhou more than once. She had really come, but realized she knew so little about Huang Zheng and had no idea where his home was. How could she easily find someone in such a vast place?

Fortunately, her trip to Yunzhou was for business.

Moreover, she knew Huang Zheng had gone to the Capital City. But that was several months ago, and she didn’t know if he had returned to Yunzhou by now!

The sudden thought made Xia Wenjin pause for a moment. Deep down, she still hoped Huang Zheng had finished his business in the Capital City and returned to Yunzhou. Why did she think this way?

Was it because she secretly hoped to see him again?

Xia Wenjin closed her eyes, dispelling the thoughts in her heart.

What was happening to her?

After Huangfu Yuxuan, she had already despaired of love, so how could her heart be moved again?

Moreover, he was such a wonderful young man, deserving of a better woman by his side!

When Xia Wenjin reopened her eyes, her mind had calmed. Looking up at the sun, it was nearing noon. Having hurried here, she was a bit hungry. She spotted a tavern ahead: time to fill her stomach before attending to business.

The tavern was called Yan Zui Xuan.

Even swallows flying by would get drunk; the name had a certain charm. Xia Wenjin looked at the four words inscribed with bold strokes above the entrance and chuckled.

Only then did she step into the tavern.

The waiter greeted her enthusiastically.

Xia Wenjin went up to the second floor and chose a window seat.

From above, the layout of the tavern resembled a square with an inner square.

The inner square represented the second and third floors. The second floor was open, while the third floor had private rooms. So, from the second floor, one could look down at the ground floor’s main hall, and conversations could be heard across levels.

It was lively and down-to-earth.

If one desired real peace, they could go to the private rooms on the third floor.

Dedicated waitstaff attended to the guests, and each level was divided into sections, each with its own waitstaff. The shopkeeper, behind the counter, appeared kind, though his smiling eyes betrayed his shrewdness.

Shortly after Xia Wenjin took her seat, the waiter brought her food and then went off to serve the next customer. The service was fast, with the waiter moving swiftly and efficiently.

As Xia Wenjin ate, various sounds reached her ears, from upstairs, downstairs, and even the street…

Amidst this bustling environment, Xia Wenjin felt not the slightest irritation.

Choosing such a place to eat was her intention, as only in such places could she hear all sorts of different news.

In the northeastern corner, a voice said, “You’ve heard, right? That Prince Liang, the former deposed Crown Prince, is said to have been framed!”

Xia Wenjin was taken aback. Could it be that even ordinary townsfolk knew about this?

By the timeline, the new Crown Prince, Prince Zhuang, was indeed about to lose his grip on the position, but it hadn’t been revealed in the Capital City yet, could it be now?

Was it happening early?

Was it because of her rebirth that some events had changed?

Another person at that table said, “I’ve heard that too. We have to talk about Haotian Village. Haotian Village is indeed powerful. If they hadn’t uncovered the truth about the Crown Prince being framed, this matter might have forever sunk into obscurity!”

“What do you mean framed? It’s a fact that he forcibly recruited women during disaster relief and committed family exterminations. All those orders were given by him, so what’s all this framing nonsense?”

“True, but I’ve heard someone took advantage of the deposed Crown Prince’s weakness for women and set a trap for him, so he deserves to die, but so does the one who set him up!”

“Right, and as they say, ’Even a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same penalties as commoners.’ For such a huge crime, killing so many people, he only lost his title as Crown Prince!”

“Be careful with your words; matters of the Court should be of little concern to us people of the Jianghu!”

“Isn’t Haotian Village also of the Jianghu? If Haotian Village hadn’t gotten involved, there wouldn’t have been such quick results. I wonder why Haotian Village got involved in Court matters this time!”

“I’ve heard about this too. Apparently, the Village Chief of Haotian Village took in a Court official as a son-in-law, so this is to help his son-in-law with his affairs!”

“You mean Chief Xia of Haotian Village? He’s a hero known for his righteousness, but he happened to have a spoiled and willful daughter. Whatever star she wanted from the sky, Chief Xia wouldn’t hesitate to get it for her. And they say she wasn’t content with a hero from the Jianghu and wanted a nobleman from the Court, dragging Chief Xia into Court matters! Children are indeed debts!”

“…”

Xia Wenjin: “…”

Alright, she admitted this was her fault, and she would bear it!

But how did Father truly get involved in this matter? This matter had clearly been orchestrated by Huangfu Yuxuan from the shadows. What method did he use to drag Haotian Village into it?

She thought that by leaving Haotian Village and not marrying Huangfu Yuxuan, the ties between Huangfu Yuxuan and Haotian Village would be severed, but she hadn’t expected the matter to persist?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep