According to Song Shiyun, after the banquet ended tonight, she was walking upstairs with Yan Changyue when they encountered Liu Xiyin, who was coming out of the bridal chamber near the staircase. She claimed that Liu Xiyin had taken a liking to her necklace and insisted on stealing it. When Liu Xiyin failed to snatch it away, she tried to push Song Shiyun down the stairs. In his effort to save her, Yan Changyue fell down during the physical altercation.
Weeping like a pear blossom bathed in rain, Song Shiyun showed the broken necklace in her palm. “Second Brother brought this necklace back from France. If Sister-in-law wanted it, I would have given it to her. I only said I had to ask Second Brother first, and then Sister-in-law tried to grab it. It’s all my fault…”
She spoke with such heartfelt sincerity.
Everyone else believed her too.
[Sister-in-law wanted to steal my necklace, it’s all my fault… Dear cousin, why don’t you look at my neck and tell me where I would have any room left to wear it?]
Yan Changye couldn’t help but turn his head to glance at her.
Indeed, while the little bride was not wearing her phoenix coronet, her neck was adorned with a pearl necklace, an agate necklace, a jadeite necklace, a gold necklace…
Compared to those, the tiny chain Song Shiyun held was not even as thick as the thread used to string her pearl necklace.
“…”
The little bride came from the countryside and liked to wear several necklaces at once, which was fine.
[This was all given to me by the Marshal’s Wife. She was so afraid I’d be angry because Yan Changye didn’t return to perform the wedding ceremony. Am I really that petty of a person? But cousin, your chain really isn’t much to look at.]
The little bride’s inner thoughts were so dense that they felt like a non-stop telegraph dispatch. Yan Changye’s ears buzzed. After a moment of thought, he took a step to the side, revealing Liu Xiyin from behind his back.
“What does… the Young Madam have to say?”
[What~ does~ the~ Young~ Madam~ have~ to~ say~ The Young Marshal is so busy with military affairs that he couldn’t spare the time to return for the wedding, nor could he remember his bride’s name. That is so reasonable.]
[It would be best if he only remembers the Ninth Concubine’s name. That way, I can make a beautiful escape.]
Yan Changye: “…”
Liu Xiyin had very fair skin and a sweet, obedient look. Her large eyes were bright and lively, showing not a single trace of anger or panic at the prospect of having her leg broken.
Hearing her dense stream of thoughts, he got the feeling that she was far more interested in watching him commit adultery with the non-existent Ninth Concubine than she was in clearing her own name right now.
Liu Xiyin looked up “timidly” at the people staring at her with various expressions. Finally, her gaze landed on the face of Song Shiyun, who was shrinking beside the Second Concubine, crying breathlessly.
[Is it finally my turn to speak? Good heavens, I finally have a part in this scene.]
After the Third Young Master tumbled down the stairs, everyone was busy sending him to the hospital and seeing off the guests who attended the wedding banquet. It was only after Marshal Yan returned that the mansion quieted down.
But on such a joyous day, with something like this happening, Marshal Yan was furious upon his return. Hearing Song Shiyun’s accusation, he immediately had Liu Xiyin brought down and ordered her to kneel.
Then, a crowd of concubines, the Marshal, and Song Shiyun all started chattering at once. No one asked Liu Xiyin a single question. Although the Marshal’s Wife tried several times to let Liu Xiyin defend herself, she was interrupted by the Second Concubine every time.
Originally, Liu Xiyin had planned to unleash her trump card directly, but since Yan Changye had arrived, she could finally lay down some groundwork first.
“It wasn’t me.”
Her voice was soft and gentle, unlike the excitement in her heart, sounding sweet and obedient to the ears.
The Second Concubine’s eyebrows arched sharply. “Does the Young Madam mean to say that Shiyun framed you?”
Liu Xiyin nodded slowly, speaking softly and politely, looking perfectly obedient. “Second Aunt, my cousin has indeed framed me.”
The Second Concubine shook Marshal Yan’s arm. “Marshal, Shiyun grew up before your eyes. You know her character. She has no grievances or enmity with the Young Madam, so how could she possibly frame her? She must have seen it, which is why she exposed her in front of everyone.”
[Second Concubine, don’t you know that exposing someone always fails in the end? Noble Lady Qi’s exposure of Consort Noble Xi’s affair ended in an utter defeat. I will definitely not be like Noble Lady Qi and expose Yan Changye and the Ninth Concubine in the future. In fact, I’ll even cover for them. It would be great if they just let me watch quietly from the side.]
[Then does that make me Huanbi?]
…Yan Changye couldn’t help but press his temples.
The Second Concubine was in her early forties but was extremely well-preserved, looking to be only in her early thirties. Dressed in a pink and white qipao with a high-quality fur shawl over her shoulders, her mature feminine charm was embedded in her every movement. When she spoke, her voice was sweet enough to melt one’s bones.
Song Shiyun also looked at Liu Xiyin in disbelief, her eyes red. “Sister-in-law, Shiyun’s mother died early, so I could only stay at the Marshal’s Mansion. By saying that Shiyun framed you, do you wish to drive Shiyun out and leave Shiyun homeless again?”
Marshal Yan favored the Second Concubine. However, seeing Yan Changye pressing his temples in annoyance, he pulled his hand away from the Second Concubine’s embrace and said to Liu Xiyin, “Eldest daughter-in-law, this father is not a biased person. You claim Shiyun framed you, but do you have proof?”
[The evidence stage is finally here! I’m ready! Let you old antiques of this era witness the power of science and technology!]
An old antique? And what was the power of science and technology?
Yan Changye lowered his hand from his temples and stared at Liu Xiyin, finally catching onto a possibility: Could his little bride not belong to this era?
Indeed, that string of empress, noble consort, and noble lady in her heart no longer existed in this day and age.
Was she from the past or the future?
Had the emperor been restored in the future?
Yan Changye’s brows knitted even tighter.
Everyone else looked at Liu Xiyin as well.
With effortless ease, Liu Xiyin uttered two words: “I do.”
Song Shiyun’s face turned pale.
Marshal Yan did not like his current wife, but only because she was the younger sister of his late first wife. His first wife had accompanied him all the way from his days as a bandit to his rise in wealth and power, eventually dying on the battlefield. Before her death, she had entrusted her younger sister to him.
Marshal Yan thus granted the Marshal’s Wife the dignity of the legal wife. However, over the years, as Marshal Yan’s status rose continuously, the couple had not developed much affection for each other.
In the past, he hadn’t liked Yan Changye either, favoring the children born of his other concubines instead. But as Yan Changye grew up and gradually gained prestige in the military, Marshal Yan had no choice but to give him face and consider his feelings.
Sitting down on the sofa, Marshal Yan reached out his hand. “Bring it here for me to see.”
From her wide sleeve, Liu Xiyin pulled out a small, horn-shaped metal object. The small horn sat on a base, resembling a miniature gramophone, except there were two metal buttons on the base. She presented it to Marshal Yan with both hands.
[Just thinking about what’s going to happen next makes me want to laugh.]
Liu Xiyin looked at Song Shiyun, the corners of her mouth twitching upward uncontrollably.
The Second Concubine asked, “What kind of evidence is this?”
Liu Xiyin couldn’t help but smile, quickly pursing her lips when she realized it, which made her look shy and embarrassed to the onlookers. “Marshal, Madam, Young Marshal, and Aunties, have you ever listened to records?”
Listening to records, watching movies, and visiting department stores were the most fashionable trends at the time.
Marshal Yan’s dislike for Western novelties was limited only to rules and etiquettes; the Marshal’s Mansion lacked none of the Western objects meant for enjoyment.
In fact, the mansion housed a gramophone.
The Second Concubine said, “Young Madam, the Marshal asked you to produce evidence of Shiyun framing you. If you want to listen to records, you can have the Young Marshal accompany you in the future. Why the rush right now?”
[Because the things played by this gramophone sound much better.]
Yan Changye’s sharp gaze swept across the Second Concubine’s face before landing on the small gramophone in Marshal Yan’s hands.
Was this really a gramophone?
Having traveled far and wide for many years, Yan Changye had never seen such a small gramophone, and moreover, there was no record on it.
How was his little bride going to use this as evidence?