That day, Jiang Xuening returned to the manor very late.
After washing up and lying down on the bed that had already been prepared, it was already deep into the night.
The jasmine bracelet that Yan Lin had tied around her wrist was carefully removed and gently placed on her vanity. The faint, lingering fragrance drifted to her pillow, becoming extremely subtle and light, yet continuously seeping into her deep dreams.
However, when she rose early the next morning, the string of jasmine on the vanity had withered.
The originally plump petals drooped down as if they had lost all vitality and moisture, presenting a wilted appearance.
Winter jasmine, though rare and beautiful, ultimately wasn’t blooming at its best time.
Jiang Xuening stood before the vanity mirror, gazing down at it for a long while.
Then she picked it up and placed it in a small box for storing incense, setting it on the desk.
The palace had only given two days for this batch of selected study companions to return home to visit their parents, bid farewell to their families, and make preparations for residing permanently in the palace. The time truly couldn’t be considered sufficient—they had to re-enter the palace this very evening.
The maids and servants in the room were all helping Jiang Xuening pack her things.
She herself didn’t need to be particularly busy, merely sitting outside in the corridor in a daze, contemplating the current situation and her own circumstances.
Originally she hadn’t planned to enter the palace, but then encountered a group of “divine teammates” who forcibly got her selected as a study companion. Though the Jiang family’s status in the capital certainly couldn’t be considered low, compared to other prominent clans it was far inferior. In her previous life, her greatest support upon entering the palace had actually been Yan Lin.
But before long, the Marquis of Yongyi’s manor ran into trouble.
At that time, she had been incompatible with others to begin with, unable to get along with the other study companions due to her temperament. Moreover, because of the Marquis of Yongyi’s troubles, there were no shortage of people in the palace who took advantage of the wind’s direction and kicked her when she was down, so she suffered considerably for a period afterward.
Fortunately, later on she connected with Shen Jie.
After catching the eye of Prince Linzi, her circumstances gradually improved and no one dared bully her anymore.
In her previous life she had been foolish, completely unprepared for the events that occurred, which was why she suffered so much. Now, the outcome for the Marquis of Yongyi’s manor likely couldn’t be avoided, and entering the palace had become a certainty. She would have to live in the palace for half a year, and in this life she truly didn’t want to become too deeply entangled with the imperial family again. Therefore, the path of carefully courting Shen Jie’s favor to protect herself—that route absolutely shouldn’t be taken again.
But if that was the case…
In this life, what should she do to make her half year in the palace somewhat easier? Especially after that whole ordeal in the palace a few days ago, she seemed to have inadvertently become the person with the worst relationships, the most hated one again.
Zhou Yinzhi was too dangerous.
Using him before was unavoidable, but going forward she needed to be more careful.
But aside from this person, was there anyone else she could use?
“Sigh…”
Just thinking about it gave her a headache.
Jiang Xuening looked at the sky that not only hadn’t cleared after the rain but had grown even more overcast with early winter gloom, and let out a long sigh.
“I wonder how things are going on You Fangying’s end…”
You Fangying had already arranged things pretty well, only she was still somewhat uncertain.
After returning from Jiang Xuening yesterday, she had detoured midway to visit Xu Wenyi, though this time she hadn’t mentioned a single word about Shu region well salt or the tubular drilling wells. She sat for two quarters of an hour then left—
It wasn’t that she truly had any business with Xu Wenyi, but rather Jiang Xuening had instructed her to do so.
Something about “creating a smokescreen.”
At this moment, looking at the page of crooked, uneven characters she had written, her fingers couldn’t help but tremble, and her heartbeat quickened somewhat. She had taken to heart everything Second Miss said yesterday, and the idea of retaliating against You Yue and making her suffer consequences for her words and actions had indeed emerged in her heart. But in all her years growing up, she had never deliberately harmed anyone. The plan had been worked out carefully, but when it came time to actually do it, she inevitably felt some trepidation.
“She’s in her room?”
Just as she was hesitating and feeling apprehensive, hurried and chaotic footsteps suddenly came from outside, along with a voice laced with contempt asking a question.
Someone immediately answered outside: “Yes, she’s here.”
That coquettish voice immediately said: “Come, let’s go in and see just what she’s up to!”
The footsteps immediately grew louder and drew much closer.
Having lived in the manor for so many years and endured her oppression for just as long, how could You Fangying not recognize You Yue’s voice? She almost immediately folded up the paper on the desk and tucked it into her sleeve, nervously rising from her seat and looking toward the door, calling out: “Second Elder Sister.”
You Yue had just reached the doorway at that moment.
Before seeing her, You Fangying thought she would be too frightened to look directly at her as before, even trembling. However, when she actually appeared in her line of sight, what surfaced in her mind was yesterday’s image of Second Miss forcibly enduring grievance and bitterness—
Second Miss had already done so much for her, and in the palace she would be made difficult by Second Elder Sister because she had saved her. Now it was time for her to repay Second Miss and protect her.
Her heart suddenly settled.
You Fangying’s fingers hidden in her sleeve quietly clenched, also gripping that piece of paper she had previously placed in her sleeve.
She knew—the opportunity had delivered itself to her doorstep.
Today You Yue wore a vivid peach-red jacket and skirt. Because the weather had suddenly turned cold these past two days, she also very delicately carried a rabbit fur hand warmer, with both hands tucked inside. Standing at the doorway, she looked down at You Fangying with a sweeping glance, then scanned her shabby room in a circle. She actually found even walking in distasteful, merely standing before the threshold with a cold laugh: “I heard that yesterday you seemed to have left the manor?”
You Fangying immediately said: “No, no such thing.”
“No?”
You Yue’s face immediately darkened, and she directly shouted a question at someone behind her.
“Nanny Zhang, you come out and tell us—did it happen or not!”
A rough servant woman who looked quite formidable immediately stepped forward from behind her, pointing at You Fangying’s nose and saying sharply: “This old servant absolutely couldn’t have been mistaken. Yesterday when I went to the silk shop to purchase fabric for making your new clothes, I spotted this girl buying a bolt of finest silk and leaving the silk shop with one glance. Though this old servant’s age has advanced, my eyesight hasn’t failed once in all these years. At the time this old servant was puzzled—given Third Miss’s status in the manor, how could she produce such a large sum of silver to buy fabric? I only worried that something unclean had occurred in the manor, and didn’t dare not report back to Second Miss.”
You Yue then said: “A sum of silver happens to be missing from my room.”
Having said this, she looked at You Fangying with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
Upon hearing this, how could You Fangying not know what scheme they were plotting?
In the past, she would likely have already turned red-eyed with anxiety, constantly defending herself.
But now what she could think of was each clear step of what would follow. She only made her face appear as flustered as usual, saying: “It wasn’t me, I never took anything. I don’t even dare approach where Second Elder Sister lives—how could I go there to take Second Elder Sister’s money? You can’t make such slanderous accusations!”
You Yue had suffered quite a bit of grievance in the palace, but some of the details were too humiliating to publicize to others. She could only tell people that she had gotten into conflict with Second Miss of the Jiang family and suffered many wrongs, yet couldn’t act out.
She had prepared to suppress this anger, but who would have thought that even a minor concubine-born daughter in the manor would dare cause trouble?
She was just looking for somewhere to vent!
You Yue walked over and slapped her across the face. Though her features were delicate, they were stained with a layer of malicious cruelty as she said: “If you didn’t take my silver, then where did the money to buy fabric come from? Did silver fall from the sky? Someone come—turn this entire room of hers upside down and search it thoroughly!”
You Fangying had fallen into water and been ill for a spell some time ago, not to mention being mistreated recently. Her health wasn’t good to begin with. This slap was extremely heavy, immediately raising red finger marks on her face. Her whole person nearly fell headlong to the right side, and her head buzzed so loudly she couldn’t even speak.
The maids and servants immediately entered her room.
The teapot and cups on the table were all smashed, pillows and bedding pulled into a heap, and even the few decorative items were knocked over and thrown on the floor. The entire room, originally shabby but at least tidy, immediately became a complete mess.
Before long, a servant woman searched out several taels of loose silver and two fifty-tael banknotes hidden at the bottom of a clothes chest. She immediately cried out “Found it!” and presented them to You Yue’s hands as if they were treasures: “Second Miss, look!”
You Yue took them and looked, her pupils contracting.
Originally when she heard the report she hadn’t quite believed it, thinking You Fangying was nothing but mud that couldn’t be stuck to a wall, a complete waste—where would she get the ability to obtain so much money? But now the silver and banknotes appeared solidly before her very eyes, leaving her no choice but to believe.
A surge of anger immediately welled up in her heart.
She gripped the banknotes and silver tightly, only saying: “Good, good! Right under my nose you actually dare do such sneaky, thieving things! Some time ago that shameless Jiang Xuening protected you, letting you escape punishment. I never imagined you’d act as if you’d found a patron, even daring to steal my money!”
Several maids and servants immediately stepped forward to restrain You Fangying. She struggled violently, her bloodshot eyes wide as she shouted: “Even in court trials they require evidence! The loose silver has no markings, but the origins of these two banknotes are perfectly clear—they’re earnings I made from using the money my mother left me to invest in a business partnership! Even the money houses and banks can verify this. Second Elder Sister simply wants to put me to death, so why bother finding such a clumsy excuse? Whether money is missing from Second Elder Sister’s room—doesn’t she know herself!”
You Yue hadn’t expected her to actually dare talk back.
In the instant of being challenged, she almost didn’t react. Only then did she fly into a rage, immediately about to order someone to slap her mouth.
But unexpectedly, as You Fangying was restrained and struggling with the maids and servants, a folded piece of paper actually fell from her sleeve and landed on the ground.
Seeing it, You Fangying immediately tried to lunge forward and grab it.
You Yue’s heart stirred at the sight. She actually stepped forward and directly used force to stomp on her reaching fingers, even grinding down on them. Only then, with that cold smile playing at the corners of her mouth, did she pick up this paper under You Fangying’s gaze that seemed somewhat unwilling yet somewhat alarmed: “Tsk, let me see what some little lover has written to you…”
Saying this, she unfolded the paper.
The handwriting on it wasn’t particularly good, but it wasn’t difficult to make out.
You Yue scanned it roughly and was almost immediately stunned: Well salt, tubular drilling wells, Ren Weizhi?
Whether silver was missing from her room—she naturally knew best herself.
So regarding the source of You Fangying’s money, You Yue was also curious.
At this moment, seeing this page, she felt somewhat startled and uncertain for a time. But after calming down and thinking it over, she suspected that You Fangying had indeed received guidance from some “expert” and obtained a secret to making money.
A nearby maid was very curious and wanted to lean in to look: “Miss, what does it say?”
You Yue completely instinctively concealed the paper, not letting the maid see the content on it.
Her flickering gaze revealed several traces of greed. She didn’t make it public, only raised the corners of her lips as she looked at You Fangying staring fixedly at her, feeling extremely pleased internally, and said: “First lock her in the woodshed. Don’t let her constantly run outside and ruin our manor’s reputation!”
The rough servant women immediately dragged You Fangying away.
Because of this, You Yue was unable to see that the instant she turned around, all expression vanished from her face, leaving only cold indifference.
In the afternoon, approaching the hour of You, the Jiang manor’s carriage was prepared.
Perhaps because during the last palace selection, Jiang Xuening’s performance had been quite good, or possibly because on the day she just returned to the manor she had quarreled with her family and troubled Jiang Xuehui, this time when going to bid farewell, Jiang Boyou and Meng Shi didn’t say much—only reminding her once to be cautious in word and deed before letting her go.
When she arrived at the palace gates today, she was alone.
The second time entering the palace was different from the first. After all, they could be considered familiar with the environment now. Therefore, they didn’t wait for everyone to gather before proceeding. Rather, as each person arrived, a young eunuch would help carry the luggage brought into the palace and lead the way to Yangzhi Studio first.
Just as Jiang Xuening was stepping down from her carriage, a carriage happened to be approaching nearby.
It was actually Yao Xi.
Not having seen her for two days, she seemed to have grown somewhat thinner. When stepping down from the carriage, her brows were still furrowed. Raising her eyes to see Jiang Xuening, her gaze seemed somewhat frozen, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately she closed her mouth.
Jiang Xuening thus wondered—
In these two days after returning home, how had Yao Xi handled the matter of that marriage arrangement with Zhang Zhe?