In her previous life, she had taken over the Secret Intelligence Camp left behind in the capital by General Huo.
The Secret Intelligence Camp had once recorded that Prince Jing Xie Mingyi had a concubine named Jiuzhi by his side, whose martial arts were exceptionally high, and who had secretly killed many of his rivals for him.
The two had met precisely at the birthday banquet of the Weining Marquis Estate’s elderly madam.
At that time, Jiuzhi was injured and on the run, and Prince Jing saved her. In return, she followed him as a way of repaying the favor, and from then on, she obeyed his every command.
What Yan Zhuxing wanted to do was to seize Prince Jing’s life-saving favor for herself.
Right now, the only person she could trust by her side was Shuangli. She needed someone with formidable martial arts skills to accompany her.
Jiuzhi, being a woman as well, would be the most convenient to have by her side.
Moreover, she also looked down on Prince Jing.
He wanted to possess her body for his pleasure, yet also demanded her to risk her life for him.
Disgusting!
Just as shameless as the people of the Dingyuan Marquisate.
…
On the eve of the banquet at the Weining Marquis Estate, Wen Rushuang sent over a set of head ornaments and a robe made of moon-white Cloud Brocade.
Yan Zhuxing did not refuse and accepted them.
On the day of the banquet, Yan Zhuxing wore winter attire hastily made overnight by Jiuzhang Tang, and the jewelry she adorned was also gifted by the Empress.
Thanks to the daily nourishment of bird’s nest and ginseng soup, along with a shift in her mindset, Yan Zhuxing no longer appeared as gaunt as she had in previous days. Instead, she radiated a bright and vibrant glow from within.
A single glance at her could leave one momentarily dazed.
Yan Mingyue’s gaze was filled with jealousy.
When she had first been recognized by the Marquis’s Mansion, she had realized one thing: Yan Zhuxing was many times more beautiful than her.
She feared she would never be able to catch up in this lifetime.
She had thought that after suppressing her all these years, Yan Zhuxing would remain that disheveled and downtrodden figure forever.
Yet, after just a few days of nourishment, her features had become lively once more, faintly recalling some of her former radiance.
“Sister, why aren’t you wearing the clothes Mother sent you? Do you not like them?” Yan Mingyue couldn’t help but ask.
Yan Zhuxing glanced at her indifferently. “That’s right. Why ask when you already know the answer? Do you think the clothes and jewelry she gave me could compare to what Her Majesty the Empress bestowed?”
Yan Mingyue was left speechless.
Wen Rushuang suppressed the anger in her heart, tightened her grip on her daughter’s hand, and signaled her to say less.
Today, they were to play the roles of the loving mother and the wronged younger sister. They were the victims, and they couldn’t let anyone see through their act.
If Yan Zhuxing wanted to be arrogant, let her be.
When she showed such insolence in front of so many noble ladies, her reputation would be ruined.
“Alright, let’s get in the carriage,” she said in a low voice.
Yan Zhuxing boarded the carriage with confidence and then closed her eyes to rest.
Yan Mingyue reluctantly followed.
“The Marquess of Dingyuan’s Wife has arrived with the eldest and second young misses!” The clear announcement of the doorman echoed at the entrance of the Weining Marquis Estate.
Zhao Yunfei, who was accompanying her mother to greet the guests, muttered under her breath, “Mother, why did you invite Yan Zhuxing as well?”
Lady Qian, wife of Marquis Weining, lowered her voice. “Her Majesty the Empress has already shown her favor, and Second Miss Pei from the Weiguo Duke’s Mansion also seems to be on good terms with her. How could we show favoritism?”
With that, she stepped forward with a smile and exchanged pleasantries with Wen Rushuang and her daughters.
As soon as Yan Mingyue saw Zhao Yunfei, she beamed and approached her. “Sister Yunfei, it’s been so long. I’ve missed you so much.”
“It really has been a while. Why have you lost so much weight?” Zhao Yunfei also engaged in small talk with her.
“A few days ago, I fell ill.” Yan Mingyue explained timidly, glancing at Yan Zhuxing beside her.
“How could you suddenly fall ill when you were perfectly fine?” Zhao Yunfei also turned her gaze toward Yan Zhuxing.
“Ah, never mind, it’s nothing. Let’s go inside first. It’s been so long since we last met, I have so much to tell you.” Yan Mingyue hesitated, holding back her words.
“Alright.” Zhao Yunfei took Yan Mingyue’s hand and walked straight in, leading her to greet the other young ladies from noble families, leaving Yan Zhuxing standing alone where she was.
They thought they were isolating her, unaware that Yan Zhuxing actually needed such solitude.
The records in the Secret Intelligence Camp only mentioned that Prince Jing and Jiuzhi met at this banquet, with no specific location noted. She had no choice but to rely on luck and take a gamble.
“Keep an eye on Prince Jing for me. If he’s alone, remember to let me know.” Yan Zhuxing whispered to Shuangli.
“Yes.” Shuangli obediently agreed without any questions.
Yan Zhuxing found a maid from the Marquis’s Mansion and, using the excuse of admiring the flowers, asked her to show her around.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yunfei took Yan Mingyue to the pavilion in the center of the rear garden.
A group of people were very interested in the incident where Yan Zhuxing had filed a complaint with the Metropolitan Prefecture, accusing the servants of the Marquis’s Mansion of bullying her. Without Yan Mingyue even needing to bring up the topic, they began asking about it.
Tearfully, Yan Mingyue began to recount the excuse she had long prepared.
“Ever since I was brought back home, my sister has felt that Mother favors me, so she would frequently inflict injuries on herself to make Mother feel sorry for her.”
“When Mother made clothes for her, she would pretend to be modest and give them to me, but behind my back, she would always scold me for taking what was hers, bullying me even more harshly.”
“I endured it for a long time until my brother discovered she had been mistreating me and taught her a lesson. But then she threatened to kill herself, injuring herself all over to make my brother feel sorry for her.”
“Later, Father became furious and sent her to the old courtyard to reflect. But then she made a scene at the Metropolitan Prefecture. My parents were afraid that telling the truth would damage her reputation, so they had no choice but to accept her version of events and punish the servants…”
“To appease her anger, my mother ordered a full forty sets of clothes for her from Jiuzhang Tang.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the maids couldn’t help but gasp in surprise.
Forty sets of clothes—some from lower-ranking families or less favored young ladies couldn’t even get that many made in a year.
“This seems to be true. The day before yesterday, my mother invited a seamstress from Jiuzhang Tang to our home, and the seamstress said they had received a large order from the Dingyuan Marquisate. When I wanted to order new clothes for the New Year, I was told I’d have to wait.” The daughter of the Minister of Revenue suddenly spoke up.
“Heavens, forty sets of clothes must cost at least a thousand taels of silver.” Another person chimed in.
Yan Mingyue nodded, forcing a smile of resignation. “As long as it makes my sister happy, my parents are willing to spend as much silver as needed.”
“And what about you? How many sets of clothes were made for you?” someone else asked.
Yan Mingyue held up five fingers, then lowered her head.
She wasn’t lying. Although her mother had already ordered fifteen sets of clothes for her from Jiuzhang Tang when autumn began, this time, she had indeed only ordered five.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunfei became indignant.
“She grew up under your mother’s care, enjoying all the wealth and luxury of the Marquis’s Mansion. Yet, not long after you returned, she bullied you like this—it’s simply outrageous. She has forty sets of clothes, while you only have five. What on earth does she have to complain about? Come on, let’s go settle the score with her!”
“Forget it, Sister Yunfei. If we make a scene, I’ll be the one who suffers when we get back.” Yan Mingyue reached out to stop her while wiping away tears.
“Don’t be afraid, I’ll stand up for you.” Without another word, Zhao Yunfei was about to take Yan Mingyue to confront Yan Zhuxing.
As they stepped out, they happened upon Yan Zhuxing leaning against a corridor pillar with a maid, whispering closely.
Just as Zhao Yunfei was about to make a scene, Yan Mingyue suddenly grabbed her wrist from behind, raising a finger to her own lips with a soft “shh.”
The two held their breath and pressed against the wall, faintly catching words like “Prince Jing” and “alone.”
They exchanged a glance, the storm of shock reflected in each other’s eyes nearly overflowing.
Could Yan Zhuxing’s purpose in attending the banquet today be Prince Jing?
Yan Zhuxing sensed prying eyes and turned to see Zhao Yunfei and Yan Mingyue hiding behind.
Before she could speak, Zhao Yunfei stepped forward to reprimand her first.
“Yan Zhuxing, you’ve lived in luxury at the Marquis’s Mansion for over a decade, yet now you can’t even tolerate the slightest bit of pity the Marchioness shows Mingyue? You bully her at every turn—such narrow-mindedness is truly disgraceful.”
“I bully her at every turn? Did she tell you that?” Yan Zhuxing raised an eyebrow, looking at Yan Mingyue.
“No, Sister, I didn’t say anything.” Yan Mingyue wore a panicked expression. “We came to tell you the birthday banquet is about to start, so don’t wander off.”
Then she forcibly pulled Zhao Yunfei away.
Yan Zhuxing saw right through her clumsy act.
Zhao Yunfei had come specifically to stand up for her, no doubt stirred up by her provocations.
“Stop.” She stepped forward and grabbed Yan Mingyue.
“Ah, Sister, I’m sorry, please don’t hit me.” Yan Mingyue immediately covered her face, feigning fear.
Seeing this, Zhao Yunfei misunderstood, thinking she was often beaten at home.
Instantly furious, she shoved Yan Zhuxing aside.
“What do you think you’re doing? This is the Weining Marquis Estate, not a place for you to throw your weight around. How dare you hit someone right in front of me?”
Without a word, Yan Zhuxing lifted her foot and kicked Yan Mingyue squarely on the backside.
Yan Mingyue fell flat on her face.
The scene left Zhao Yunfei and the maids stunned.
They hadn’t expected the eldest daughter of the Dingyuan Marquisate to actually dare to strike someone right here in the Weining Marquis Estate.