After a meal filled with a subtle, uncomfortable atmosphere at the Han Manor, Madam Wu used the excuse of needing rest to have a matron by her side lead the three sisters to an arranged guest courtyard for a temporary stay.
Though the guest courtyard was cleaned reasonably well, its location was remote, and its furnishings were somewhat dated, failing to match the grand air of the main Han Manor.
Han Huiyu and Han Qingning felt anxious and uneasy in their hearts, increasingly sensing First Aunt’s cold attitude and their precarious situation. Han Shengyu, however, remained calm and unruffled, merely directing the maidservants to unpack simply and having guards return to Zhuangyuan Inn to fetch a few belongings, saying nothing more.
As evening approached, Han Shengyu was leaning against the window and gazing into the distance, pondering her next move, when she suddenly heard an extremely faint tapping sound outside the window.
With a stir in her heart, she gestured for Jixiang and Ruyi to keep quiet before softly pushing the window open.
Through the twilight, a familiar figure nimbly flipped inside through the window—it was none other than Han Jing, who had been missing for over a day. His clothes were somewhat disheveled, and fatigue showed on his face, but his eyes were as sharp as ever.
“Miss,” Han Jing lowered his voice, “I have returned.”
Han Shengyu sized him up from top to bottom; seeing that he did not appear to be injured, her heart settled slightly. She signaled for him to sit down and speak, while sending Ruyi to keep watch at the door.
“Where have you been all day?” Han Shengyu looked at him and asked.
Catching his breath, Han Jing said with a grave expression, “Early yesterday morning, I went over to inspect the residence. As expected, it was occupied by First Madam’s people—a capable household steward and his family were living there to manage the property. I originally intended to probe again at night, but on my way back, I unexpectedly saw the Second Prince’s carriage leaving the city, behaving somewhat suspiciously.”
Han Shengyu’s gaze narrowed. “You followed them?”
“Yes.” Han Jing nodded. “The Second Prince went to a side estate in the western part of the city, and what surprised me even more was that I actually saw… Eldest Miss Jintang there.”
“Han Jintang?” Han Shengyu was genuinely astonished this time. “Isn’t she bedridden with illness, unable to receive guests?”
“I definitely wasn’t mistaken.” Han Jing’s tone was absolute. “Though she wore a cloak that covered most of her face, the wind blew back her hood when she stepped down from the carriage, allowing me to see clearly. She and the Second Prince entered the side estate one after the other, staying inside for about half an hour before coming out. When the two departed, their expressions… did not look like those of people with deep enmity, but rather… appeared quite intimate.”
Han Shengyu lightly tapped her fingers against the tabletop, her mind working at high speed.
Han Jintang meeting secretly with the Second Prince? This was completely at odds with Madam Wu’s narrative that “the Second Prince violently pushed her into the water” and “she is critically ill”!
What on earth was hidden behind all this?
No wonder when she asked to see Han Jintang, Madam Wu made repeated excuses—it turned out Han Jintang wasn’t in the manor at all.
“After tracking the Second Prince back into the city, I went to meet my subordinates and learned that you had arrived. I originally wanted to return immediately to report to you, but I feared someone might be trailing me and implicate you, Miss. So I made a few detours around the city and only sneaked back after confirming it was safe,” Han Jing explained.
“You are as cautious as ever.” Han Shengyu smiled. “Get some rest first. We can talk more after you’ve rested.”
Han Jing acknowledged the order and withdrew without a sound.
Left alone in her room, Han Shengyu paced back and forth, the web of doubt in her mind growing ever larger.
What kind of game was the First Branch playing? Were Han Jintang and the Second Prince putting on a show for outsiders to see? But why? Lesser Consort Yang had specifically requested a daughter of the Han family to enter the capital—what was her true motive?
Early the next morning, Han Shengyu accompanied Han Huiyu and Han Qingning to pay their respects to Madam Wu.
Madam Wu still put on airs. After a few casual remarks, she said, “Since you have arrived, settle down in the manor with peace of mind. In a couple of days, I will take you into the palace to pay respects to Her Highness Consort Yang.”
Han Shengyu smiled faintly and spoke unhurriedly: “Thank you for First Aunt’s arrangements. However, with us three sisters staying in First Aunt’s manor, long-term intrusion might be inconvenient. Second Uncle and Father told us that the residence next door belongs to our own family; if we move back into our own house to live, separated only by a wall, it will also be convenient for First Aunt whenever you have instructions for us.”
The smile on Madam Wu’s face froze instantly, a flash of harshness glinting in her eyes before returning to normal as she said coldly, “Oh? Is there such a thing? So many years have passed that I can hardly recall. Besides, that residence has been sitting empty all this time—how could it be fit for living? You had better settle down here with peace of mind.”
Han Huiyu and Han Qingning looked nervously at Han Shengyu.
Han Shengyu’s smile remained unchanged, yet her tone carried an indisputable firmness: “First Aunt is busy with important matters, so it is only natural that you might not recall clearly. However, your niece happens to have the property deed on her person.” As she spoke, she drew the deed Han Jing had given her last night from her sleeve and placed it softly on the table. “As for the residence, it just needs a bit of tidying up. If it truly proves unfit for living, it won’t be too late for us to return and trouble First Aunt then.”
Madam Wu stared in astonishment at that property deed; she had never expected that Second Brother and Third Brother would actually entrust the deed to a little girl to carry with her.
“Shengyu, you are young and do not understand the rules of the capital,” Madam Wu’s tone cooled by several degrees. “That residence has stood vacant for years; you don’t even know what kind of families live next door. If you move in rashly and offend someone of high status, or if your conduct proves improper, it will disgrace the face of our entire Han family! With our entry into the palace imminent, if Her Highness Consort Yang asks about it and learns that you are not staying with the First Branch but living alone outside, what would that look like?”
The smile wiped clean from Han Shengyu’s face. “Is First Aunt refusing to return our residence to us?”
Madam Wu’s expression shifted multiple times, her chest rising and falling slightly as she glared fixedly at Han Shengyu. This little girl wasn’t old, yet her tongue was exceptionally sharp.
“Is this how your parents taught you to speak to your elders? Absolute nonsense!”
Silence settled over the main hall, so quiet that a falling pin could be heard. Sweat broke out in the palms of both Han Huiyu and Han Qingning; had Han Shengyu not swept a glance over to signal them to stay put, they wouldn’t have been able to stop themselves from standing up.
Han Shengyu’s smile grew even sweeter. “First Aunt, we came to the capital for the sake of Cousin Jintang. Seeing now that First Aunt does not welcome us, then tomorrow we sisters shall return home, saving ourselves from having people point at our noses and curse us for lacking upbringing. Once we have learned proper etiquette, we will return to pay our respects to First Aunt.”
Madam Wu understood completely—this wet-behind-the-ears little girl was using the meeting with Lesser Consort Yang to threaten her!
Good, truly marvelous!
Compared to her own daughter, a mere residence was naturally secondary.
After a long silence, Madam Wu finally took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing her anger, and squeezed out a trace of a smile: “Since you insist on this, we shall do as you wish. That residence… I will have people go and clean it out right away, and you may move over tomorrow.”
Madam Wu acted swiftly, dispatching people that very afternoon to clear out the adjacent residence. Though fire burned in her heart, she still maintained surface appearances, assigning several coarse matrons to sweep and clean while adding some basic furniture and daily necessities.
The following day, Han Shengyu and her two sisters packed their luggage and moved into the residence that belonged to them. Though this house was not as grand and sprawling as the main Han Manor, its layout was exquisite, complete with pavilions, terraces, and towers. More importantly, they finally had an independent foothold of their own, no longer subject to Madam Wu’s restraint.
Standing in the newly tidied courtyard, both Han Huiyu and Han Qingning breathed a sigh of relief, their admiration for Han Shengyu growing even deeper.
“Shengyu, you are truly amazing!” Han Qingning praised from the bottom of her heart. “A person like First Aunt actually yielded.”
Han Huiyu, however, remained somewhat worried: “By being so unyielding, we have thoroughly offended First Aunt. In the days ahead, I fear she will not let matters rest easily.”
Looking at a red plum blossom bud about to bloom in the courtyard, Han Shengyu said, “She and we were never on the same path to begin with. Rather than making false pleasantries and being manipulated by others, it is better to draw a clear line from the start. Taking other people’s belongings and refusing to return them—does she still have right on her side?”
With that, she looked at Han Huiyu and Han Qingning. “Because we were staying next door, I feared you might not be able to hide your feelings, so there is one matter I didn’t tell you. Han Jintang isn’t sick at all—she was out meeting secretly with the Second Prince and wasn’t in the manor.”
“What?”
“Has she gone mad?”
Han Huiyu and Han Qingning spoke almost simultaneously, both well-behaved young ladies thoroughly shocked by such news.