CH 86.1

The room fell into a dead silence, some of the audience looked at Rong Xia, while the others looked at Ban Hua.

Ban Hua peered at him once, then lowered her head to continue with her tea.

Rong Xia’s eyebrows lifted up slightly, “Mine?”

Shi Feixian’s laugh was rueful, “If it was not yours, why would I go to a broken temple noone visits?”

“But Miss Shi, I’ve never written you a letter, nor will I ever do.” Rong Xia looked at Shi Feixian frankly, “Could you show me the letter?”

Shi Feixian sneered, “With what has happened now, you certainly won’t admit writing it.” She was a prideful person, there was only one person in the world who could make her do such thing, and that was Rong Xia.

In front of many people including Li Chengkai who was affiliated to Shi party, Shi Feixian was not afraid that Rong Xia would destroy the evidence. Without much hesitation, she took out the letter hidden in her bosom.

Rong Xia did not move to take it. Liu Banshan eyed Li Chengkai, after hesitating a moment, Li Chengkai reached out to take the neatly folded letter. He had seen Rong Xia’s handwriting before, so once he opened and glanced at it, he thought it did look like written by Rong Xia.

But Li Chengkai dared not say it, holding the letter in front of Liu Banshan, he said, “Liu-daren, see, this……”

Liu Banshan had a look, he smiled and shook his head, “This is not Rong-daren‘s writing.”

“What?” Shi Feixian snapped at Liu Banshan, “Impossible!”

It was impossible that she mistook Rong Xia’s handwriting, this was definitely his.

“Miss Shi, xiaguan likes Rong-daren’s penmanship so much. Over the years xiaguan has been collecting a few of Rong-daren’s works, but….” Liu Banshan turned to Rong Xia, “There are actually only a few of it around, many that were said to be Rong-daren’s are actually imitation.”

“This one looks very similar to Rong-daren’s, but an experienced appraiser could tell in one glance this is not written by the same person.” Liu Banshan told Shi Feixian, “Miss Shi, Dalisi has an appraiser whose skill was praised by His Majesty, xiaguan will have him called here now.”

Liu Banshan being that decisive had Shi Feixian half convinced already. She absent-mindedly gazed at Rong Xia as her brain gradually cleared up. Rong Xia had always been treating her coldly, how was it possible that he asked to meet her?

Her body swayed, Shi Feixian feebly sat down on the cold floor.

—

The old appraiser soon came, bringing with him something that Rong Xia had written. After a few looks, he shook his head, “This is written by someone else. Master Rong’s brush strokes are bold and forceful, the slight hook at the end gives off a striking ‘floating dragon and dancing phoenix’ effect. The writing on this letter is similar, but only in form, not in spirit, the writer lacks strength on the wrist so the strokes are somewhat hollow.”

“The writer should either be a lesser scholar, or a woman.” The old appraiser put the letter down and saluted the three of them, “This Old One has this opinion, but for more clarity, please Darens have other appraisers check again.”

“We have troubled Sir.” Liu Banshan saluted the old appraiser, then turned to Shi Feixian. “Miss Shi….”

“No need,” Shi Feixian looked up expressionless. “I believe you.”

Liu Banshan smiled, “In that case, please can Miss Shi prove that you were there just to meet someone?”

Seeing Shi Feixian’s astounded appearance, Li Chengkai shook his head inwardly. Most likely Miss Shi had found it difficult to do so. Everyone knew that Second Miss Shi had excellent penmanship, she could have written it herself to create an excuse.

It was also known that she had some affection for Rong-daren, it was completely plausible to use this excuse to kill someone. Who could tell what was the truth and what was not?

“Miss Shi, before the case is investigated clearly, we will have to inconvenient you to temporarily stay here for a few days.” Liu Banshan turned to Rong Xia and Ban Hua, “But please be assured, we will definitely not let the guilty go, or wrongly accuse an innocent.”

Shi Feixian didn’t answer. She could only blame herself for assuming the letter was Rong Xia’s without carefully examining the writing.

All she could do now was waiting for her father and brother to rescue her, but recalling that Father had silently turned his back while she was taken away, she had to laugh at her own thought. A Shi family miss was born to be sacrificed for the clan.

Her one extravagant greed was wishing to marry the man she liked, but it was a doomed wish, since the man did not like her back.

“I know. All of you can go.” Shi Feixian’s lips curled up in a sneer, “No need to show me your hypocritical faces.”

Ban Hua had been sitting on the side quietly, she rose and said to Rong Xia, “I am going back.”

“Wait.” Rong Xia stood up too, “I’ll take you home.”

“Rong Junpo,” Shi Feixian called out, grimly looking at Rong Xia, “Can you tell me, why would you rather marry a woman like Ban Hua than giving me one more look?”

Ban Hua paused as she heard that, looking back at Shi Feixian with a rather unsightly look.

In this world there were always people who thought that their own deep feelings made them entitled to demand a response. Failing to respond meant the other party must be cold and heartless, even if there had been a beloved one or a spouse, they still could not see the difficulty. It was to the point that no response was akin to a disrespect.

It never crossed their mind that demanding a response in an inappropriate setting was also an act of disrespect.

There were also people who were moved when shown a display of deep feelings and devotion, no matter how bizarre the display was. Such as now, Ban Hua could see some people there had been touched.

Indeed, witnessing a beautiful and fragile woman pouring out her heart to a man was dreamlike, a story worth written in books so everyone could lament her love. Could anyone not moved by such a scene be worthy to be a called a compassionate talent?

“Miss Shi,” Rong Xia stopped walking, “In Rong-mou‘s eyes, you and other misses in the Capital are the same, while Fule Junzhu is different.”

“Zaixia hopes you never ask this again in the future, or bring it up in front of zaixia‘s fiancee. It makes things difficult, and it upsets zaixia‘s fiancee.” Rong Xia’s chin was slightly raised, “Farewell.”

After Rong Xia and Ban Hua left, everyone gradually came back to their senses.

Right, Rong-daren and Fule Junzhu were bethrothed, was it appropriate to ask that question in front of everyone? Fule Junzhu and Rong-daren had good relationship, but it was a question that could potentially create problems out of the thin air.

Li Chengkai secretly cried in his heart. What was this all about, he was now in a dilemma with no room to advance or to retreat.

He had more or less been resenting the fact that Shi Chonghai had never valued him much. It was difficult for him to be completely devoted to Shi family’s cause.

—

Outside Dalisi, Ban Hua looked up at the sky, it was still a bit overcast. She asked Rong Xia, “Are you going back now?”

“I’ll take you home first.” Rong Xia climbed up his horse, “Just as I have something to talk to you.”

“About Second Miss Shi?” Ban Hua’s eyebrows raised, “No need. I believe there is nothing between you and her.”

Rong Xia looked at her in surprise.

Ban Hua couldn’t help laughing to see his face, “Men viewing women, and women viewing other women are different. I can see that you look at Second Miss Shi in the same way as you look at Vice Director Li.”

Rong Xia was stunned. After a long while he laughed, “Hua Hua trusts me that much?”

Ban Hua gave him a serious nod.

Rong Xia stared at her beautiful and clear eyes, a soft laugh escaped from his lips.

—

The news that a prime minister’s daughter was detained at Dalisi soon spread all over the Capital, the commoners started to talk about it animatedly. It was said that Miss Shi had hired killers because she was jealous of Fule Junzhu’s beauty, and when it failed, Count Cheng’an had ‘tossed his hat in fury for the beauty’ to sue Miss Shi at the imperial court, and on how he was willing to offend the super powerful Minister Shi by taking Second Miss Shi to jail.

T/N – 冲冠一怒为红颜 simply means furious. It’s from a poem ‘Yuan Yuan Qu’ by Wu Weiye who lived during the transition from Ming to Qin..

The conclusion was, Second Miss Shi was really too evil, Count Cheng’an was besotted to Fule Junzhu, Fule Junzhu was pitiful, she was begrudged for her good looks.

In these stories, Ban Huai the real victim did not exist.

Some people asked since Miss Shi was the number one beauty in Daye, why would she be jealous of Fule Junzhu? This very quickly got the speakers smacked on the face. The prince of Aipo had asked to marry the number one beauty Miss Shi to be his Wangfei, but during the banquet he called Fule Junzhu as Miss Shi.

What did that mean?

That meant in Aipo prince’s eyes, the number one beauty was Fule Junzhu, not Miss Shi.

Another question, then why previously it was tacitly agreed that Miss Shi was the most beautiful one in the world?

Quick witted people explained that Miss Shi was very good at attracting men, even Fule Junzhu’s second fiancee was attracted by Miss Shi.

In this version of the story, the brothel girl Yunniang was omitted.

In the mouths of the commoners of the Capital, the number of dog-blood stories of love and hate, affection and enmity was enough for compiling a storybook of million characters, and that was without repeating any. Some storytellers in tea shops were said to have made good money by making up adaptations of the stories.

—

Shi Chonghai could not contain his anger at the rumours, he ran to the Emperor to cry injustice. Unfortunately not everyone was like Ban Hua who always managed to come out with good results when complaining to the Emperor.

This time the Emperor did not care about giving the Crown Prince some face. Instead of helping Shi family save their reputation, he reprimanded Shi Chonghai in front of the officials.

Shi Chonghai was said to have failed in educating his children, that he was negligent and lacking discipline at work, and so on. He was not accused of any crime, but his face had dropped some lustre.

It had been so long since Shi Chonghai has suffered such humiliation. After the Court session, his legs were still trembling nonstop that two of his colleagues had to help him get into the sedan chair.

—

Xie Wanyu smiled to hear Shi family’s miserable state, she lightly drew a pair of uplift eyebrows on her face in front of the copper mirror, “What is there to be happy about. His Majesty still prefers the Crown Prince. He does let Shi family be embarrassed this time, but he won’t touch their core. This fun we can only watch.”

Despite the cold tone, the palace maid could see the vague smile on Xie Wanyu’s face, she understood at once and continued, “Wangfei, you don’t know, but what was said outside about Second Miss Shi is very unpleasant. If it was nubi, nubi would have died of shame long ago.”

“Oh?” Xie Wanyu put down the eyebrow liner, she turned to the palace maid, “What’s being said outside?”

The maid selected some rumours more suitable to be told inside the Palace. After listening, Xie Wanyu was in a very good mood, so the maid added, “It’s also said Miss Shi has directly asked Count Cheng’an why he was willing to marry a woman like Fule Junzhu, yet not willing to consider herself.”

Xie Wanyu’s smile was ambiguous, “And what did Count Cheng’an say?”

“Count Cheng’an said that in his eyes Miss Shi is just the same as all other misses in the Capital.” The attendant frowned, “So this means Miss Shi is nothing special?”

“No.” Xie Wanyu softly laughed, “This means, she has never been in his eyes at all.”

Count Cheng’an has always been aloof to women, he was never seen close to any woman except for that one time during His Majesty birthday. He walked side by side with Ban Hua in the snow, the ambience around them made it felt that anyone barging in on them was a crime against Heaven.

She was never been this happy for someone else’s misfortune like now. Lucky that she never told Shi Feixian of what she saw that day.

Didn’t Shi Feixian think she was so charming that every man in the world would bend over backwards for her? Now Xie Wanyu wanted to see, how many man would actually bend for her. Picking out a glistening, tender and alluring flower out of the porcelain vase, she started to giggle as her fingers plucked the petals off.

—

“What are you laughing at?” Jiang Luo entered the room. Finding Xie Wanyu in front of the dresser, he sat down lazily on a chair, “It’s Duke Chengguo’s birthday in a few days, remember to prepare the gifts.”

Xie Wanyu spread her hands, the petals fell to the floor. She wiped off the dampness from the flower petals with a handkerchief, with eyes lowered she said, “Your Highness, as it’s your maternal grandfather’s birthday, you need to go in person to show some sincerity.”

“I know this, I don’t need you to teach me.” Jiang Luo was a little impatient, “You just need to prepare the gifts, then accompany me.”

He loved beauty, Xie Wanyu was not beautiful enough so they had not spent many nights together. Seeing Xie Wanyu’s with her long hair draped over her shoulders today, he was suddenly interested. Walking up to her, he said, “Wanyu is very beautiful today.”

“Is it?” Xie Wanyu looked up to him, smiling, “Maybe because I am in a good mood.”

“Then you have to smile more.” Jiang Luo moved forward and gently took her hand.

The palace maids lowered their heads and tactfully withdrew in silence.

T/N – Duke Chengguo was the Empress’s father, Jiang Zhang’s & Jiang Luo’s maternal grandfather.