Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1182 Destiny
Arriving at the gate of the courtyard, Nie Chi went forward and knocked on the door. After a while, the door opened and an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman came out.

The woman was surprised to see several carriages parked outside and many people. She asked cautiously who the visitors were and what they were doing here.
"Is this Mr. Yunzhuang's residence? We are from Nanjing. I am Nie Chi, a descendant of the Nie family from Suzhou Prefecture. This is Master Wang, this is Master Xie, and this is Master Wei from Songjiang Prefecture. We have come to visit Mr. Yunzhuang."

"Mr. Yunzhuang?" The woman was stunned for a moment, then shook her head and said, "You've got the wrong person. There's no Mr. Yunzhuang here..." As she spoke, the woman was about to close the door, and Nie Chi hurried forward to explain, "Mr. Yunzhuang is Mr. Yujing, or Madam Bian."

"Oh, you are looking for Madam Bian, why didn't you say so earlier? What about Mr. Yunzhuang? I thought..." the woman muttered. Nie Chi didn't hear the rest of the words clearly. He bowed and said, "Is Madam Bian in the mansion? We have come a long way to visit you. When we passed by Suzhou Prefecture, Mr. Zheng of the Zheng Mansion asked me to bring some things to Madam."

"This..." The woman hesitated, looked in the direction of Nie Chi's finger at the carriage, and then said, "Please wait a moment, I'll go ask Madam if she wants to see you." After that, she closed the door directly, and without inviting Nie Chi and the others in, she turned around and went back inside.

After a while, the woman came back and opened the door, apologetically saying, "Since the Zheng family has asked Master Nie and others to deliver something to Madam, please come in."

Hearing this, Nie Chi was very happy. Before leaving, he went to Zheng's house to meet the master of Zheng's house, the husband's family that Bian Yujing married. The Nie family and the Zheng family were old friends, and it was normal etiquette for the nephews and nieces to visit each other when they returned to Suzhou. Taking this opportunity, Nie Chi told the master that he was going to Songjiang Prefecture in the next few days and happened to pass by Xinyang. He knew that Bian Yujing lived in Xinyang and planned to visit her on the way. At the same time, he asked the master if he wanted to bring something to Bian Yujing, and if so, he could do it for her.

Nie Chi was also quite smart. He knew very well that Bian Yujing was not an ordinary woman, and he would definitely not be able to meet her if he went there rashly to ask for a meeting. But it would be different if he could go there under the pretext of going to the Zheng Mansion. Although Bian Yujing had moved out to live alone, they were still together and were still Mr. Zheng's legal wife. Moreover, she had given birth to a son for the Zheng family, and this could not be separated. As long as he used this excuse, the possibility of meeting Bian Yujing would be much greater.

As expected, when he mentioned the Zheng family, the other party's attitude changed. After asking Bian Yujing for permission, the woman invited them in. Considering that the other party was a woman, naturally not too many people could enter the courtyard, so in addition to Nie Chi, only Zhu Minlan, Xie Guangwei and Wei Anding entered the courtyard. The others took the things sent by the Zheng family from the carriage, put them in the courtyard, and then retreated and stood guard outside.

After entering the courtyard, Zhu Minlan's eyes were attracted by the flowers and plants planted in the courtyard. Before, he felt the elegance of this courtyard outside the courtyard, and when he entered the courtyard, he could directly see the ingenious layout of the courtyard and the elegant combination of the flowers and plants.

It must be said that the small courtyard was very well maintained. Although it did not have the kind of wealth and extravagance of the Nie family, and many things were ordinary farm stuff, it looked extraordinarily extraordinary under Bian Yujing's meticulous arrangement and care.

Just as he was watching with great interest, he heard light footsteps coming from the main house. Zhu Minlan subconsciously raised his head and looked in that direction, only to see a woman in her thirties walking out.

The woman was wearing a light green robe with no ornaments on it. Her hairstyle was not the popular heart-shaped bun, but the dragon-shaped bun from the early Ming Dynasty. There was only a simple jade hairpin on her head. She looked very ordinary, but her face was unforgettable. She had willow-shaped eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a high nose bridge and just the right lip line. She was such a stunning woman, especially her eyebrows with a hint of heroic spirit that ordinary women did not have. In addition, her temperament. When you see her standing there, you can feel her extraordinary breath, which is unforgettable.

"Is this Bian Yujing? No wonder she was famous all over the world back then, she is indeed worthy of her reputation!" Zhu Minlan couldn't help but admire in her heart. Bian Yujing is not young anymore, she is already over 30 years old, and she is no longer the stunning beauty in Qinhuai. But Bian Yujing is still stunning and makes people sigh. One can imagine what she looked like back then.

Staring directly at a woman was impolite, so Zhu Minlan only paused for a moment before moving away. At this time, Nie Chi stepped forward to salute Bian Yujing, addressed him as Mr. Yunzhuang, and explained his identity.

"It turned out to be Master Nie." Bian Yujing smiled and nodded, her eyes fell on Nie Chi and said, "I met Master Nie in Zheng's house that year, but I didn't expect that after a few years, Master Nie has changed a lot. I didn't recognize him at first, so it's my fault."

"I dare not." Nie Chi blushed slightly when he saw Bai Yueguang. He was usually very calm but now he was a little nervous. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, then pointed at the things he had moved in and explained a few words. He then said that he happened to be passing by and brought them to Bian Yujing. After saying this, he remembered Zhu Minlan and others and introduced their identities.

Compared to the somewhat excited Nie Chi, Bian Yujing was much more stable. You have to know that her title of one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai was not gained casually. As a famous prostitute known throughout the world, Bian Yujing's life was extremely legendary. She was born into an official family but ended up in the dust. And she still had such a reputation. How could it be possible for an ordinary woman?

Besides, Bian Yujing had met too many people in her life, not to mention Nie Chi, a young boy, but also many high-ranking officials of the imperial court and even nobles of the royal family. Such a scene was not worth mentioning to Bian Yujing, but seeing Nie Chi's reserved look when he saw her, Bian Yujing couldn't help but secretly feel amused.

"My concubine greets you gentlemen. This is my temporary residence. I apologize for any inconvenience."

As soon as these words came out, Zhu Minlan and the others laughed and said that they had asked for a meeting without permission, and that they should follow the host's wishes. Then, Bian Yujing did not invite them into the house, but only asked them to sit in the courtyard, and asked the woman to serve tea, and personally made tea for them.

While drinking tea and chatting, Bian Yujing was very comfortable in such occasions, and her manners were generous and generous. In addition, she was very good at chatting and had excellent knowledge, which made people feel very comfortable during the conversation. Zhu Minlan had to admit that this woman was really extraordinary. No wonder Nie Chi had been thinking about her since he saw her for the first time. After talking about some gossip, Bian Yujing also learned that Nie Chi and others were studying in the Imperial College in Nanjing. Her expression moved slightly, as if she had thought of something.

After hesitating for a moment, Bian Yujing asked Nie Chi and others about the current situation of the Imperial College in Nanjing. Nie Chi naturally told them everything he knew. After talking about the Imperial College for a while, Bian Yujing suddenly asked about Wu Meicun and asked Nie Chi whether Wu Meicun was still serving as the dean of the Imperial College in Nanjing.

"Mr. Yunzhuang, Lord Wu is still in the Nanjing Imperial College, but he rarely gives lectures to students. He has been studying essays and poems in recent years."

"He's still the same." Bian Yujing smiled faintly, thought for a moment and asked, "Didn't he transfer to another position?"

"I don't know about this, but I heard that the court wanted to transfer him to Beijing to serve as an official, but Lord Wu refused. There were even rumors about Lord Wu being appointed as the chief priest, but I don't know the details."

Hearing this answer, a hint of joy flashed across Bian Yujing's brows, but she quickly returned to normal, and then asked about other things about Wu Meicun. After learning some things, Bian Yujing couldn't help but sigh in her heart. Although she didn't show anything different on the surface, Zhu Minlan noticed her disappointment.

It seems that Bian Yujing still had some expectations for Wu Meicun, but unfortunately Bian Yujing failed to fulfill her wish back then, and it is even more impossible now. To put it bluntly, their love is just Bian Yujing's wishful thinking. Bian Yujing has deep feelings for Wu Meicun and admires his talent. It is not easy for a woman to take the initiative to express her love under such circumstances.

Unfortunately, Wu Meicun failed Bian Yujing. Therefore, although Wu Meicun is a talented and romantic man, he is actually a complete scumbag. Facing Bian Yujing's courageous confession, it is understandable if Wu Meicun agrees or refuses, but Wu Meicun does not give a direct answer. He does not want to break up with Bian Yujing, nor does he plan to marry her. He wants to live one day at a time and "have the best of both worlds". Isn't this the behavior of a scumbag?
It was for this reason that Bian Yujing finally broke up with Wu Meicun, left Nanjing, married a businessman, and gave birth to a son for him. But even so, Bian Yujing still couldn't forget Wu Meicun in her heart. Perhaps, just like Bian Yujing in Nie Chi's heart, Wu Meicun was also her white moonlight. After that, Bian Yujing moved out of Zheng's house and came to live here. I'm afraid she couldn't let go of Wu Meicun in her heart.

Thinking of this, Zhu Minlan couldn't help but feel a little emotional, and felt that Bian Yujing, who was even more infatuated, was not worth it. It wasn't that he was attracted by Bian Yujing's beauty. Although Bian Yujing's face was still extraordinary, after all, it was a pity that the beauty was getting old.

And what is Zhu Minlan's identity? He is the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, the heir to the throne. There is no way he has anything to do with Bian Yujing. He came here today just because he was a little curious about Bian Yujing and wanted to see with his own eyes what this strange woman looked like.

To be honest, Bian Yujing gave Zhu Minlan a very good first impression, and during the conversation, he could also feel Bian Yujing's talent. Such a talented and beautiful woman was rare in the Ming Dynasty, and her fame was well-deserved.

However, in Zhu Minlan's view, Bian Yujing's biggest weakness is probably that she can't forget Wu Meicun. Wu Meicun hurt her so deeply, but she still cares about him to this day. Even a wonderful woman like Bian Yujing can't escape the entanglement of emotions, which is regrettable.

After drinking a few cups of tea and chatting for about half an hour in the courtyard, Bian Yujing stood up to see the guests off.

After all, all the people who came were young men, and Bian Yujing's identity was different. It was not easy for her to accompany Zhu Minlan and others to drink tea and talk with her current identity. It would be a bit inconvenient if it lasted for a long time.

When leaving, Nie Chi was obviously reluctant, but he still politely bowed to Bian Yujing and said goodbye. When Zhu Minlan was the last one to say goodbye to Bian Yujing, he glanced at her frowning face, and his heart moved slightly. He stepped forward and said, "It is a pleasant surprise to meet Mr. Yunzhuang today, and I also drank his tea. I am really grateful for this hospitality. It is fate that we can meet. I wonder what plans you have for the future."

"What other plans do I have? Time flies and life is only a hundred years. It's not bad for me to live here now. It's quiet and casual here, and I can live out my life here." Bian Yujing sighed.

Zhu Minlan thought for a moment, took out something from his bosom, and handed it over, saying, "Meeting is fate. I give this to you, sir. If you see Mr. Meicun, you can show it to him. Maybe it will help you fulfill your wish."

"This..." Bian Yujing was stunned, not quite understanding what the other party meant, but seeing the clarity and kindness in Zhu Minlan's eyes, it didn't seem like he was joking with her. She hesitated for a moment, and subconsciously took the thing Zhu Minlan handed over. When she picked it up, she found that it was a jade pendant, but this jade pendant was different from ordinary jade pendants. It was made of fine mutton-fat white jade. Not only did it have dragon patterns on it, but it was also tied with a bright yellow ribbon. Upon seeing this, Bian Yujing almost exclaimed. She was a person who had seen the world, so she naturally understood the extraordinaryness of this jade pendant.

Zhu Minlan saw Bian Yujing come back to her senses, smiled and nodded to her, turned around and left. Looking at Zhu Minlan's back, Bian Yujing had lost her usual composure, holding the jade pendant tightly in her hand, her body trembling slightly, and her face showing an expression of surprise and joy.

(End of this chapter)