Pei Nianfang was left speechless, recalling the scene where Zhu Xian had pinned her down and given her a harsh lesson.
Her brother had told her that the fool from the Fu family had been thrown into the Capital Prefecture prison and locked up with hardened criminals awaiting severe punishment or execution. He was beaten every single day. She silently thanked her lucky stars that she had gone to apologize.
Miss Wang picked up a cherry biluo pastry and handed it to Jiang Yihuan.
“Miss Jiang, have a taste. See if you like it.”
Jiang Yihuan had come solely for the cherry pastries. She grabbed it with both hands and immediately started eating.
The noble ladies giggled behind their sleeves.
What dreadful table manners…
One of them teased, “Miss Jiang, Nianfang said you know how to dig wild vegetables and catch fish. The Wang residence has a lake. Why don’t you go catch one for us?”
Jiang Yihuan instantly grew angry.
“Why should I? I’m eating pastries, and you’re telling me to jump into the water and catch fish. Why are you so mean? You’re even meaner than Ink Chrysanthemum!”
Zhu Xian burst into laughter. She knew exactly who “Ink Chrysanthemum” referred to.
The young lady’s expression stiffened.
“Don’t think so highly of yourself! Your brother is a criminal and General Wei’s mortal enemy. Who knows? General Wei might throw you out one day.”
Nothing frightened Jiang Yihuan more than being abandoned by Wei Zhao.
Her eyes immediately reddened. Looking pitifully at Miss Wang, she whispered,
“…Big Sister… l-look at them…”
Miss Wang frowned.
“Miss Jiang is still young. Is it really amusing to tease her like this?”
She wrapped two pastries in her handkerchief.
“Miss Jiang, I’ll take you to the lakeside instead. We don’t have to stay here.”
“Okay!”
Holding one pastry in each hand, Jiang Yihuan skipped happily after her.
The Wang family’s lake was man-made, complete with a winding bridge and ornamental rockeries. It was quite picturesque.
Across the lake stood a young man and a young woman.
The man was handsome as polished jade, with elegant features and a naturally charming air.
While nibbling her pastry, Jiang Yihuan asked,
“Big Sister, who’s that man?”
A faint blush colored Miss Wang’s cheeks.
“He’s the son of Chancellor Cui’s family. He’s very talented at composing poetry.”
Just then, Young Master Cui recited aloud,
“I cross the river gathering lotus flowers;
The fragrant marsh is filled with sweet grasses.”
The young woman beside him answered,
“For whom do I gather them?
The one I long for is far away.”
He continued,
“The Milky Way is clear and shallow—
How far apart can we really be?”
She finished,
“Separated only by a stream of water,
They gaze at one another, unable to speak.”
They smiled into each other’s eyes, both shy yet affectionate—a picture of mutual admiration.
Miss Wang’s face darkened.
Jiang Yihuan looked puzzled.
“Isn’t that from Ancient Poems? I heard it while eavesdropping outside the village school. So… when Young Master Cui is having a secret romance, does he recite poetry too?”
Miss Wang was speechless.
The pair across the lake noticed them approaching and turned around.
When the young man saw Miss Wang, he hurriedly bowed politely.
Miss Wang deliberately turned her head away.
Jiang Yihuan praised him sincerely.
“Young Master Cui, you’ve memorized Ancient Poems really well.”
His gaze landed on the half-eaten pastry in her hand.
“And you are…?”
“I’m Jiang Qianli’s younger sister. I live with Wei Zhao now.”
Young Master Cui’s expression immediately changed.
“I know who you are! Your brother is an honorable man who despises Wei Zhao more than anyone. As his own sister, why would you willingly give yourself to your brother’s enemy?”
He had assumed Jiang Yihuan had been forced into it.
But his uncle, Vice Minister Qiao, had told him the silly girl was perfectly willing—and was even extremely satisfied with Wei Zhao.
Jiang Yihuan answered matter-of-factly,
“When I lived in the countryside, I only got one meal a day. Wei Zhao tricked me into coming to the capital, but now he feeds me three meals every day, plus a midnight snack. Why shouldn’t I stay with him? Since you’re my brother’s friend, why didn’t you help me instead?”
Young Master Cui found himself completely speechless.
After a long pause, he asked stiffly,
“Wei Zhao exiled your brother. Don’t you hate him? Don’t you want revenge?”
Miss Wang’s expression turned cold.
“Cui Jingzhi, enough! That’s a grudge between you men. Stop dragging this little girl into it. She’s already suffered enough because of her brother. Isn’t that enough for you?”
She was usually gentle and soft-spoken, so seeing her angry left Cui Jingzhi stunned.
The young woman beside him smiled.
“Miss Wang, are you angry? Young Master Cui and I were merely exchanging poetry. You’re getting married next year—you mustn’t misunderstand.”
Jiang Yihuan blinked in surprise.
“Young Master Cui, you’re Miss Wang’s fiancé? Then why are you secretly meeting another girl?”
Cui Jingzhi hurriedly explained,
“It isn’t a secret meeting. We simply felt inspired by poetry and exchanged a few verses.”
Miss Wang became even angrier.
Inspired by poetry?
Did he think she was blind?
Jiang Yihuan took another bite of her pastry.
“It’s a good thing you two weren’t inspired by lust. Otherwise you’d be taking your clothes off right here.”
“…”
Cui Jingzhi fell silent.
Miss Wang also had no words.
“Come on.”
Miss Wang pulled Jiang Yihuan away.
“Let’s go. Ignore them.”
Cui Jingzhi was her fiancé, yet he was openly flirting with Miss Xu at her family’s own banquet.
How could she not be furious?
Miss Xu hurried after them and grabbed Miss Wang’s arm.
“Miss Wang, if you leave like this, everyone will think badly of me. We have to clear this misunderstanding.”
Although gentle by nature, Miss Wang also had a fiery side.
She forcefully shook Miss Xu off.
“Miss Xu, you’re the one who acted improperly first.”
Miss Xu clearly hadn’t expected to be shoved away.
She lost her footing—
—and fell straight into the lake.
Miss Wang’s face turned deathly pale.
This is bad!
Her brother had recently dredged the lake and deepened it by another two feet. Falling in now was extremely dangerous.
“Cui Jingzhi! Stop standing there! Hurry and save her!”
Panicking, Cui Jingzhi replied,
“R-Right! I’ll save her!”
He threw off his outer robe and leapt into the lake with a loud splash.
So cold…
Miss Wang anxiously shouted from the shore,
“Cui Jingzhi! Stop freezing up! Pull her out!”
He wanted to…
But he couldn’t move.
His leg had cramped.
Meanwhile Miss Xu flailed desperately in the water.
“Help! Help me!”
Miss Wang shouted frantically for servants, but they were all busy attending guests in the banquet hall.
No one came.
Jiang Yihuan couldn’t find Zhu Xian either.
She was probably in the washroom again.
Seeing that Miss Wang was on the verge of tears, Jiang Yihuan suddenly jumped into the lake.
She rescued Miss Xu first.
Then she dragged Cui Jingzhi ashore as well.
Miss Wang stopped crying altogether.
She simply stared in stunned silence.
By the time Zhu Xian finally arrived, Jiang Yihuan’s face had turned deathly pale from exhaustion.
She collapsed on the bank, unable to get up, wrapped in Miss Wang’s outer robe.
When Old Madam Wei heard what had happened in the banquet hall, she nearly jumped to her feet.
Heavens above! Can that girl go one day without causing an uproar?
Madam Wang immediately prepared hot water so Jiang Yihuan could bathe and change clothes.
She silently endured Old Madam Wei’s scolding.
After all, Jiang Yihuan had rendered the Wang family a tremendous service today.
If Cui Jingzhi and Miss Xu had drowned in the Wang family’s lake, how could the family possibly have explained themselves?
Jiang Yihuan’s chest ached terribly.
As Old Madam Wei’s nonstop scolding echoed in her ears, she suddenly bent over and vomited.
Outside, rain drizzled like countless silk threads, weaving a transparent curtain beneath the eaves.
Raindrops pitted the bluestone pavement below.
Inside the Palace of Shouchun, the Crown Prince wore a grave expression.
“Grand Tutor, Father has recently begun searching for an old official. Can you guess who it is?”
“Who?”
“Sun Junchen.”
“The cruel magistrate Sun Junchen? Crown Prince Zhangde’s subordinate? Didn’t he die?”
Sun Junchen was notorious for his gloomy, solitary personality.
He had once served in the Court of Judicial Review and was said to have invented over a hundred different methods of torture.
Every criminal trembled at the mere mention of his name.
The late emperor had despised his cruelty and had even considered executing him.
Only Crown Prince Zhangde had protected him and guided him onto a better path.
After Crown Prince Zhangde died, Sun Junchen and his wife had supposedly perished together in a fire.
The Crown Prince said quietly,
“Someone has reported that the couple faked their deaths back then and escaped with a young child.”
Wei Zhao’s eyes widened in shock.
“…What?”
“The Sun couple never had children of their own. That child was most likely Crown Prince Zhangde’s surviving heir.”
Silence settled heavily over the hall.
Crown Prince Zhangde had once had two sons and a daughter.
After their deaths, the late emperor, out of guilt and compensation, posthumously granted his two sons the title of Prince and his daughter the title of Princess.
If the child Sun Junchen had taken away was one of those princes…
There was no way the Emperor could sleep peacefully.
Whether in the imperial court or among the common people, there were still many who remained loyal to Crown Prince Zhangde.