The tabby cat lying on the desk obediently nodded, rubbing its furry head against her hand twice. “That impostor said only by killing you can she replace all your fortune and become the Phoenix Maiden!”
Fang Qianxue felt a chill run down her spine, her fingers trembling slightly.
Although she understood the plot, many parts of the book were only briefly mentioned, so she had previously thought it was truly her Heart’s Blood that cured Xu Miaoyan’s heart condition.
Exchanging fates and borrowing destinies are the foremost forbidden arts of witchcraft, strictly prohibited by imperial decree in our dynasty. She never imagined it would happen to her!
Back then, to prevent her from being selected into the palace, her grandfather never publicized her Phoenix Maiden Destiny and had sealed it early with a golden hairpin.
How did Xu Miaoyan come to know all this?
So it wasn’t to cure her heart condition, nor was it for Lu Changqing. From beginning to end, Xu Miaoyan came to the capital with only one purpose—to kill her and exchange fates!
“Well done. This is your reward.” Fang Qianxue picked up a spoon, scooping the fish from the bowl onto a small white porcelain plate.
The tabby cat finished it in a few bites, then softly meowed twice.
“You want to follow me?” Fang Qianxue looked into the cat’s eyes and shook her head. “How do I know you won’t betray me? Perhaps you’ve repeated every word I said verbatim to that Madam Xu.”
“Meow!” The plump cat suddenly widened its eyes and loudly exclaimed, “She’s not worthy! That impostor isn’t fit to compare to a single finger of Snow Snow! Lu Changqing is just a useless fool, brainless and blind!”
“…” Fang Qianxue didn’t expect the cat’s cursing to be so satisfying and couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, now that you’re full, hurry back. I’ll call you when I need you in the future.”
The cat rubbed its furry head against her hand twice more before leaping off the windowsill in an instant.
“Madam! Lord Yan is here, saying he has a letter from the eldest young master!” Cuishuang hurried in, unable to hide the joy on her face.
“Second brother has written?” Fang Qianxue stood up excitedly. “Where is he?”
“Waiting in the outer courtyard’s flower hall.”
“Let’s go, come with me to see him.” Fang Qianxue smoothed her hair and led Cuishuang out.
Yan Fenghua, the Vice Minister of Justice, was her grandfather’s disciple and also a friend of Lu Changqing. After the Fang family’s misfortune, Lu Changqing hadn’t spoken a single word on their behalf. Instead, Yan Fenghua had worked tirelessly to pull strings, sparing the Fang family much suffering during their exile journey.
In the flower hall.
A stern man in a blue robe blew on the steam from his tea while asking the maid beside him, “I heard your master brought a woman back from Jiangning?”
The “exploits” of that Xu Miaoyan had already spread far and wide. A few days ago, Lu Changqing took her to the palace to meet the Empress, and Madam Xu being appointed as a sixth-rank “Silkworm Tending Official” was known throughout the court and the public.
There were even rumors in the capital that Lu Changqing and the Silkworm Tending Official behaved intimately and that he intended to divorce his wife and remarry. Yan Fenghua didn’t believe it.
Back when several disciples sought to marry Fang Qianxue, Lu Changqing nearly wore out the threshold of the Fang family kneeling before he won this marriage. Divorce and remarry? How could that be possible!
“Are you referring to Miss Xu, my lord? Miss Xu is truly an extraordinary woman!” The maid secretly observed the man before her, unable to look away. “She can understand Beast-tongue. Our old madam likes her very much.”
Truly worthy of being the capital’s renowned “Elegant Young Master”—no matter how long one looks, one never tires of the sight.
White tea mist lingered around the man’s brows and eyes, accentuating the sharp, chiseled features of his handsome and ethereal face. However, having overseen judicial affairs for so long, he had grown accustomed to a slight frown between his brows, lending him a somewhat stern and cold demeanor.
“It’s a pity your eldest master is no longer here, otherwise that Madam Xu could have become your head mistress,” Yan Fenghua remarked casually.
The maid smiled awkwardly. “Now… it could still be possible.”
The man’s long, sharply angled brows furrowed, immediately sensing something amiss. “What do you mean by that?”
“Has Lord Yan not heard?” Thinking that Lord Yan was the second master’s close friend, the maid decided not to hold back. “Our second master intends to practice Dual-lineage Succession and marry Miss Xu…”
Yan Fenghua was first stunned, then suddenly slammed his teacup down with a loud “bang.” “Preposterous!”
“Lord Yan, please calm your anger!” The maid hurriedly wiped up the spilled tea.
Just then, Fang Qianxue entered the drawing room. “What happened? Why are you so furious?”
Yan Fenghua had frequently visited the Fang residence since her youth, and the two were as close as siblings.
“This maid said Changqing intends to practice Dual-lineage Succession and marry that Madam Xu from Jiangning!” Yan Fenghua exclaimed. “Utter nonsense!”
“So it’s about this matter. It’s not nonsense—it’s true.” Fang Qianxue forced a bitter smile and took a seat in the chair opposite him.
The maid served tea to Fang Qianxue, replaced Yan Fenghua’s cup with a fresh one, and then hastily withdrew.
“Lord Yan, you must stand up for our mistress!” Cuishuang cried out loudly. “Our mistress has worked tirelessly all these years without a single fault, and now she’s being trampled upon! If that enchantress enters the household, our mistress will have to address her as sister-in-law and bow her head in deference!”