The hidden bixi bracelet in her sleeve felt scalding hot, unsettling Yun Ying’s mind.
Coming to her senses, she realized she had been momentarily bewitched. How could she have taken her sister’s bracelet?
Yun Ying wanted to return the bracelet to its box, but as she reached out, she hesitated again.
A bixi bracelet of such fine quality… Her sister had many of them, likely too many to count, while she herself didn’t have a single one.
The words of her sister’s maid echoed in Yun Ying’s ears: “Recently, my lady has received so many things, they’re countless and impossible to sort through…” A small bixi bracelet would be utterly inconspicuous among piles of gold, jade, and jewels. If it went missing, perhaps no one would even notice?
Even if someone did notice, they wouldn’t suspect her.
Yun Ying quickly glanced around again—there wasn’t a soul in sight. Today, when she went to pay respects to her mother, she happened not to bring any maids with her.
What she had done was known only to heaven, earth, and herself.
So what if the bixi bracelet was discovered missing? So what if someone suspected her?
No one had seen it, and there was no evidence. Could they possibly search her courtyard based on mere suspicion?
The Prime Minister’s residence would never do such a thing. Neither her father nor her stepmother would allow it.
If her elder sister refused to let it go, her father and stepmother could simply give her another one. A bixi bracelet like this was something they could easily obtain, yet it was a quality she herself could never attain…
Yun Ying’s outstretched hand swiftly withdrew.
The bixi bracelet hidden in her sleeve—she couldn’t bear to put it back.
This was the first time she had done something like this, and Yun Ying was naturally nervous, but she wasn’t afraid. She was certain no one had seen her, and there would be no consequences!
Yun Ying hurried toward her own courtyard. At a fork in the path, a maid suddenly darted out from a side path like a rabbit chased by a dog, crashing hard into Yun Ying.
“Ah!” Yun Ying screamed, falling to the ground.
“Clang—” The bracelet hidden in her sleeve was flung out as she fell, striking the bluestone pavement with a crisp sound.
“Ah!” Ignoring the pain from her fall, Yun Ying scrambled to pick up the bracelet.
“Second Young Lady, Second Young Lady, are you all right? It’s all this servant’s fault!” The maid apologized repeatedly. Seeing Yun Ying reaching for the bracelet, the maid moved faster, picking it up for her.
Yun Ying’s heart tightened!
A sense of foreboding washed over her, making her hairs stand on end. Panicked, she tried to snatch the bracelet back.
But it was too late…
She heard the maid say, “Second Young Lady, did your bracelet break… Huh? Isn’t this our young lady’s bracelet?”
Yun Ying looked up, her face deathly pale, and realized the maid who had knocked her over was none other than Jin Ming, Yun Si’s personal maid from Drifting Cloud Garden!
“No… it’s not…” Yun Ying reached out to grab the bracelet, but Jin Ming held it tightly, refusing to let go.
“Second Young Lady, what exactly is going on?”
“Let’s go to the Prime Minister and Madam to clarify this.”
.
After that, Second Young Lady’s mind went blank. She had no idea how she ended up in the main courtyard.
She didn’t know when her father and stepmother… had arrived.
“Mother, why have you summoned me?” Yun Si arrived gracefully, looking surprised at the sight of Yun Ying’s ashen face.
“What… happened here?”
Yun Si’s surprise was not feigned; she was genuinely astonished that Yun Ying had taken the bait so quickly.
This was Yun Si’s first attempt, and she hadn’t expected to succeed on the very first try. She had prepared many more tricks in reserve… but Yun Ying turned out to be even more foolish than she had imagined.
Everything that followed unfolded exactly as Yun Si had anticipated.
Her mother and father questioned Yun Ying about why the bracelet from Yun Si’s betrothal gifts had fallen out of Yun Ying’s sleeve.
Yun Ying sobbed uncontrollably, refusing to admit she had stolen it and insisting she had merely picked it up by the roadside.
However, Jin Ming and Zhong Xia, a maid from the main courtyard, corroborated each other’s accounts.
Jin Ming said, “I was carrying the jewelry box to the main courtyard when I suddenly felt a stomachache. I handed the box to Zhong Xia and asked her to watch it for a while. I remember clearly that the tourmaline bracelet was placed right on top of the box at that time.”
Zhong Xia confirmed this: “I watched the box for Sister Jin Ming for a short while. When I saw a colorful butterfly flutter by, I went to catch it. Please forgive me, Prime Minister and Madam, but I only left for the time it takes two incense sticks to burn.”
Madam Zheng asked, “Was the tourmaline bracelet still in the box when you left?”
Zhong Xia nodded. “Yes, it was still there, right on top of the box.”
Madam Zheng continued, “And when you returned after the two incense sticks had burned, the bracelet was gone?”
Zhong Xia nodded again. “Yes.”
Madam Zheng then turned to Yun Ying. “And then this bracelet fell out of your sleeve?”
Yun Ying’s lips trembled, but she couldn’t utter a word.
Everyone in the room had already drawn their own conclusions about the truth.
Madam Zheng looked at Yun Ying with a pained expression. “Ying’er, you were born into the Prime Minister’s residence and have never had to worry about making a living like the poor. You’ve never lacked for food, drink, or daily necessities, and your clothes and jewelry have always been sufficient to maintain your dignity. Why would you do such a thing?”
“Where has all your education gone?”
“And what of your parents’ teachings, your aunt’s guidance—have you not taken a single word to heart?”
Yun Si reached out and took her mother’s hand. Her mother’s fingers were icy cold and trembling uncontrollably.
Yun Si had expected Yun Ying to make excuses or beg for mercy, but to her utter surprise, Yun Ying did neither.
Yun Ying actually admitted it!
“Yes, I was momentarily tempted and took one of my elder sister’s bracelets. But why did I do such a thing?”
“If Father and Mother would just look at how many fine things are in Elder Sister’s jewelry box and compare it to the state of my own, you would understand!”
Madam Zheng couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What did you say?”
“You… you think we’ve mistreated you?”
Madam Zheng was so furious she felt dizzy, momentarily at a loss for words. She could only blurt out whatever came to mind.
“The household allowance for a concubine-born daughter like you is only twenty percent less than that of your legitimate elder sister. You’ve never lacked for seasonal clothing or fresh fruits and vegetables.”
“Look across the entire capital—how many families give concubine-born daughters an allowance only twenty percent less than their legitimate daughters?”
“You envy Si Si for having so many fine things. But most of Si Si’s treasures were only acquired this year.”
“At the beginning of the year, when Si Si came of age, relatives and old friends all sent gifts.”
“Not long ago, the Rui Prince’s Mansion delivered eighteen loads of betrothal gifts.”
“You are two years younger than Si Si. In two years, when you come of age, you will naturally receive gifts as well. And when you become betrothed, you will naturally receive betrothal gifts too!”
Yun Ying, upon hearing her stepmother’s words, remained unconvinced: “Even aside from the coming-of-age ceremony and betrothal gifts, Elder Sister still has far more good things than I do!”
“Mother often gives Elder Sister things on a whim, yet never remembers me!”
Madam Zheng laughed in exasperation: “Those were all bought with my own private funds for Si Si, not a single coin came from the family treasury.”
“If you want them, have Concubine Qiao spend her own private money to buy them for you!”
Madam Zheng couldn’t even be bothered to mention that she had used her own funds to buy Yun Ying a few pieces of jewelry as well—though admittedly not as many as she had given Yun Si—yet Yun Ying had completely forgotten about it!
Madam Zheng’s heart grew utterly cold. Yun Ying was a concubine-born daughter, so naturally, her treatment differed from that of Yun Si. But she had always been a fair and generous stepmother, and her actions over the past decade left her with a clear conscience.
Never had she imagined that Yun Ying was rotten to the core.
Ungrateful, foolish, and greedy!
From now on, she would only fulfill her duties as a stepmother toward Yun Ying, without investing a shred of affection.
Madam Zheng turned to her husband: “How should Yun Ying be punished?”
Prime Minister Yun was also thoroughly disappointed in this daughter: “Confined to her quarters for six months, copying one volume of scripture daily.”
At this moment, Yun Si spoke up: “Shouldn’t stealing be reported to the authorities?”
Prime Minister Yun looked at his daughter in surprise.
Madam Zheng interjected: “Si Si, don’t be unreasonable.”
Yun Si put on a wronged expression: “The punishment for thieves in the magistrate’s office is far from this lenient.”
Of course, reporting it to the authorities was out of the question.
Yun Si wasn’t saying this to have Yun Ying sent to the magistrate’s office.
She simply wanted her father and mother to see how wronged she felt.
Prime Minister Yun saw Yun Si’s reddened eyes, her refusal to look at him or even acknowledge her mother, and knew she was deeply upset.
“Father will make it up to you… What would you like as compensation?”
“Shall Father buy you some jewelry?”
Yun Si turned her head away: “I don’t lack jewelry!”
Prime Minister Yun offered one promise after another, but Yun Si rejected them all.
Finally, Prime Minister Yun said: “Then shall Father take you out for some fun?”
Yun Si didn’t immediately refuse, showing a hint of hesitation.
Prime Minister Yun immediately sensed an opportunity and pressed on: “Where would you like to go? Mountain climbing? Or perhaps to see the waters?”
Yun Si smoothly replied: “Father will soon accompany His Majesty on the autumn hunt—could you take me along?”
“I can disguise myself as a boy and go with Father to the autumn hunt.”