Seeing how pitiful Xia Zhenling looked, Xie Lanqi was tempted to let it go. But the moment she remembered how Zhao Jin had stubbornly stamped her with the label of “excellent wife” as if he were under some spell, she resolved that he absolutely had to see the truth.
“There is one thing I don’t understand, and I would like to ask Third Miss Xia for clarification. The moment you saw the phoenix hairpin in my hair, you immediately concluded that my family was flaunting wealth and disapproved strongly. Very well then, Third Miss Xia — if you truly do not chase after riches and feel that gold and silver dirty your eyes, why don’t you simply wear plain copper ornaments? Why go to the trouble of plating them with gold to pretend they are solid gold hairpins? Isn’t that just deceiving yourself?”
Xie Lanqi spoke slowly and deliberately.
“Plated with gold?”
Miss Deng and the others exclaimed in surprise. All of them came from wealthy families; their hairpins, rings, and jewelry were always solid gold, jade, or gemstones. They had never imagined anyone would use copper plated with gold to pass it off as real gold.
All eyes turned to Third Miss Xia. Her face had turned deathly pale, her lips bitten so hard that beads of blood appeared, yet she could not utter a single word in rebuttal.
Her appearance made it seem all too true. Miss Deng and the others were utterly shocked. They had never expected that Xia Zhenling — who came from a modest background yet had won their respect through talent and refinement, earning her way into their circle — would do such a thing.
“The Buddhists say that all phenomena arise from the mind; nothing exists outside the mind. What the mind thinks, the eyes see. To everyone else, this phoenix hairpin looks beautiful and lively. Yet only Third Miss Xia sees it as ‘wealth and extravagance.’” Xie Lanqi delivered the final blow. “In that case, Third Miss Xia, you are actually the one who craves wealth the most.”
“Not good.”
From inside the rockery, a handsome young man who had been listening with great interest muttered under his breath. He had slipped into the rockery cave for some quiet rest and an undisturbed nap, only to overhear the entire argument. If this young Xia girl, at such a tender age, could hide her true nature so deeply, her heart must be ruthlessly calculating. To salvage her reputation now, she might very well resort to extreme measures — even risking her own life to turn the tables.
Since he had been the one to obtain the invitation to the Jing’an Earl Manor in the first place, he decided to help once more. He could not allow the second miss of the Jing’an Earl Manor to suffer in silence. The handsome man quietly slipped out of the rockery.
By now, even the lingering sympathy Miss Deng and the other two had felt vanished. Their gazes toward Xia Zhenling became complicated and hard to describe. They even began to recall past details and incidents they had once overlooked — now, viewed from a different angle, those moments no longer seemed as innocent as they had thought.
“Sister Ling… pah, what kind of sister is she? Xia Zhenling — she’s probably nothing like the way she presents herself.” One of the girls, suddenly remembering something, looked at her with open contempt.
Even Miss Yuan fell silent. Her expression shifted as she stared at Xia Zhenling.
“You… slandering me with venom…” Xia Zhenling swayed unsteadily, hatred for Xie Lanqi burning inside her.
No one present was a fool. Once the thin layer of pretense was pierced, everyone naturally drew their own conclusions.
Xie Lanqi had no interest in wasting more words on her. As she stood to leave, she suddenly saw two maids dressed in the princess residence’s uniform running swiftly toward the pavilion. Their steps were light and quick; in no time at all, they reached the entrance.
Xia Zhenling, with her back to them, had not seen the maids approaching. Knowing that the reputation she had carefully built over years was about to collapse, a ruthless glint flashed in her eyes. She threw herself headfirst toward the pillar beside Xie Lanqi.
But the two maids were faster. One flicked out a long silk sash from her sleeve, wrapping it tightly around Xia Zhenling’s waist and yanking hard. The other leaped into the pavilion and pinned her arms down.
“Miss, have you watched too many operas and decided to imitate the tricks from the stage? Grand Princess Baotai loves the drama on the theater platform — she does not enjoy watching plays performed inside her own residence.” The maid’s tone carried a clear warning.
“You girls really go too far — putting on such a realistic act. Come on, don’t just stand there. Help this young lady freshen up and change her clothes. Grand Princess prefers girls who are brightly dressed and full of cheer.” The other maid neatly retracted the silk sash and smiled warmly at the stunned group.
“Yes — the performances in Her Highness’s residence are simply too wonderful; we got completely carried away. Please, dear sisters, don’t mention our embarrassing behavior to anyone.” Miss Deng reacted quickly. Since Xie Lanqi could not step forward herself, she approached, slipped a small pouch into the maids’ hands, and spoke softly with a smile.
“Rest assured, young ladies — we maids saw nothing at all.”
Xia Zhenling’s arms throbbed with sharp pain. Her face ashen, she knew the situation could no longer be salvaged today. Suppressing her overwhelming hatred, she allowed Miss Yuan to gently touch her arm. Taking the cue, she stood up obediently and went to wash her face and change clothes.
The farce in the pavilion caused not even a ripple. Xie Lanqi returned to Madam Liang’s side. Though she sat on the viewing platform watching the opera, her mind was elsewhere.
Third Miss Xia would surely go complain to Zhao Jin. Fortunately, she had not been injured — Xie Lanqi had only thoroughly humiliated her.
Xie Lanqi thought to herself: Although she didn’t know exactly what Zhao Jin wanted from the Jing’an Earl Manor, the fact that he had endured the cold sarcasm and mockery from the earl and his wife without once suggesting breaking the engagement suggested that whatever grievances Third Miss Xia suffered would not affect his willingness to help the manor.
However, Third Miss Xia’s tears should be enough to make him finally understand clearly: Xie Lanqi was absolutely not an “excellent wife.” If she entered his household, she would surely torment the girl he truly cared for.
In this way, she could prevent him from blaming the Jing’an Earl Manor while also completely shattering any notion he had of marrying her as his virtuous principal wife. Xie Lanqi quietly gave herself a mental thumbs-up.
……
Two days after returning from Grand Princess Baotai’s residence, an imperial decree suddenly arrived from the palace.
“Summon Jing’an Earl Xie Hao to the palace for an audience.”
From top to bottom, the entire Jing’an Earl Manor waited in anxious suspense. Even the earl’s heir, Xie Yunqian — who had been kept in the dark until now — heard the news and returned from the academy to the manor.
Just as dusk was about to fall into full darkness, Jing’an Earl Xie Hao finally returned home.
Seeing the look on his face, the tension Madam Liang had held for days finally broke. Her legs gave way, and she sank into a chair. She wanted to laugh, but tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
“Husband.”
“It’s over. It’s all over, Madam.”
Madam Liang dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, quickly regaining her usual brisk energy. Beaming with joy, she announced that everyone in the household — from top to bottom — would receive an extra month’s salary as a reward.
The entire manor was filled with smiling faces. Only Jing’an Earl Xie Hao, after his initial smile, furrowed his brows again. It seemed that while one disaster had been resolved, a new worry had taken its place.
“Husband, what’s wrong? Did His Majesty impose some kind of punishment?” Madam Liang noticed at once and grew anxious.
“No.” Jing’an Earl tugged out a few strands of his beard in frustration. “Not only was there no punishment — His Majesty even praised our daughter for being well brought up.”
Even as he spoke the praise, his face remained clouded with worry.
“Then what exactly is the matter?”
Jing’an Earl looked at Xie Lanqi and sighed. “His Majesty not only spared us any penalty, but right in front of Marquis Anyuan Zhao Su, he called our Qier and that boy Zhao Jin a perfect match — a fine son-in-law and a fine daughter-in-law.”
A perfect match! How could such words be spoken casually? How were they supposed to keep their daughter from marrying now!
Xie Lanqi’s vision darkened for a moment. She heard her mother ask urgently, “Why would His Majesty praise Qier?”
“Yes, Father — how does His Majesty even know about me?” Xie Lanqi stared eagerly at Jing’an Earl, hoping she had misheard. She truly couldn’t understand. She lived quietly and kept to herself, never causing trouble — so how could the emperor possibly know of her existence?