Novel 王妃渴望復仇 Wangfei's Desire for Revenge

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by Lukha, Feb 28, 2019.

  1. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Thank you! I'll try my best to keep updating in a timely manner, but I'm in the middle of moving so it's a bit tricky right now. Glad you enjoyed the story and hope you can continuing supporting and reading! :blobmelt:
     
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  2. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 15 Part Two
    Su Jing Fei’s eyes flickered across the letter’s words. It looked like Zihuan was informed as usual; as expected of such a gossiping man. The Feng family’s spring festival celebration would take place at their residence next to the lake. “Send a letter of acceptance back.” She said, handing the invitation back to Zihuan. He bowed respectfully before leaving.

    “Jie jie is going to go?” Da Chun paused her eating, sounding worried. Hesitantly, she added, “Do I have to go?”

    “No, you don’t have to go. It’s better if you do not go since Feng Ruo Qian knows your face,” Su Jing Fei remarked as she began eating again. “But as the representative of the Su family in Fuo Lan, I will be going.”

    “Da xiaojie, it might be dangerous. If you go, at least take me with you.” Mu Tan said worriedly.

    Su Jing Fei thought about it. Although Mu Tan was disguised that night, her face was clearly visible to Feng Ruo Qian. There was a possibility he might recognize her. “No,” The young woman decided decisively. “It will be Yize and Si Qiang who will be going with me. Mu Tan, you will stay to protect Da Chun if anyone comes looking for her. Xiao Chen and Dongfan will be here to manage the household and keep an eye on Zihuan for me.”

    The yatou all agreed quickly with their xiaojie, although Mu Tan was still a bit hesitant to let her xiaojie go to the Feng residence without protection. But Su Jing Fei knew that the Feng family couldn’t do anything directly to her; or else, they’d risk ruining their spring festival, and she knew that a proud family like the Feng family would not like that at all. If anything, she’d have to keep an eye out for underhanded tricks. The people of this era are notorious schemers after all.

    After finishing their food, Da Chun and Su Jing Fei spent a little time together chatting. The young girl wanted to learn everything she could about her new life, family, and especially her older sister. Meanwhile, Su Jing Fei also learned that Da Chun was quite skilled at sewing. That was something that Su Jing Fei liked to do as a pastime but usually was not creative enough to make pretty looking designs. Da Chun promised to teach her sister a few things before she retired to her room for the night.

    The spring festival was in a few days, giving Su Jing Fei time to get caught up on how the businesses were doing. Apparently, they were doing pretty well. Nothing extraordinary, but the community service she provided to commoners had earned her quite the reputation. Dongfan had also noticed a few strange individuals scoping out the businesses; Su Jing Fei was pretty sure they were Feng family servants, checking out the properties on the Feng family’s behalf. Honestly, she didn’t care if they knew she had retaken the properties back. It wasn’t like she was hiding that. However, she knew she’d have to pay the Guo family a visit to have their help in finding reliable guards to protect Mudan-Yu, especially since Da Chun was residing with her now.

    She paid a visit to the Guo family, bringing along Da Chun and a few treats. “This one apologizes for being unable to visit more often.” Su Jing Fei spoke as she was seated with Da Chun beside her.

    “No need for apologies. This lowly one is happy to see Su xiaojie in good health!” Xie shi replied, having the servants quickly serve tea to the two young women.

    Su Jing Fei smiled kindly, setting the treats on the table. Once the box was in view, a small chubby boy came running towards them. “Jie jie!” came Mingyu’s cheerful voice. He barrelled into Su Jing Fei’s open arms, snuggling into her belly. “Jie jie feel better?”

    “I feel a lot better, especially now that I can come see Ming’er!” Su Jing Fei laughed, crouching down and pushing the boy’s scruffy hair out of his face. He looked at her with big curious eyes.

    “Jie jie snack?” He asked, pointing to the box on the table.

    “Yes, I brought snacks especially for Ming’er.” Su Jing Fei grabbed ahold of the box, pulling it open to show Mingyu the treats inside. He looked at them with an open mouth, drooling just a little bit. His hunger and desire were clearly displayed on that adorably innocent face. But suddenly, he caught sight of Da Chun, quickly hiding behind Su Jing Fei’s figure as he peeked at Da Chun shyly.

    “New jie jie…” He muttered, a little wary of Da Chun.

    Da Chun looked a little flustered, but she bent down as well and smiled brightly at Mingyu. “This lowly one greats young master Mingyu! I’ve heard so much about you. This lowly one is named Fang Dai Yu.” Da Chun almost stumbled on her name, but covered it up with a cough and a smile.

    “Jie jie sister?” Mingyu asked, looking between the two of them.

    Da Chun gave a surprised look, but Su Jing Fei merely quirked her eyebrow in amusement. The young boy was quite innocently perceptive; but those words could mean troublesome if anyone else had the same thoughts, so she was quick to dispel the idea. “This is Fang Dai Yu, a relative of my mother’s family.” Su Jing Fei let the lies flow smoothly as she grabbed a treat and gave it to Mingyu. He took it happily and began chomping away while still holding onto Su Jing Fei’s dress. “Here, go play with the new jie jie. She’s very nice. Why doesn’t Ming’er go show her your swing?” Su Jing Fei suggested with a smile.

    Mingyu perked up at the mention of playing, and he happily moved over to Da Chun’s side, tugging on her hand. “Ming ming has big swing! Jie jie come see!” He said in a muffled voice while still snacking.

    Da Chun knew her sister wanted a little privacy, so she happily followed Mingyu away. Xie shi commanded for her daughter to go follow them so Mingyu doesn’t make any trouble, and the young woman obliged and bowed quickly before Su Jing Fei as she ran to catch up to them. When it was just the two of them left, Xie shi dismissed the servants quickly, having realized that Su Jing Fei had wanted to speak in peace.

    “This lowly one is truly glad to see Su xiaojie in good health,” Xie shi reiterated her words, but there was tinge of concern in her expression. “This one hopes that it was not a similar incident as before?”

    Su Jing Fei trusted the Guo family, but she couldn’t exactly tell them everything as well. She didn’t know how far the Feng family’s influence reached afterall. “No need for Xie shi to worry about this one,” Su Jing Fei replied honestly with a small smile. “This one merely fell into the pond by accident and became sick with a cold.”

    Xie shi nodded, understanding that Su Jing Fei was hiding something but that it wasn’t something they would be speaking further about. The older woman had understood early on that Su Jing Fei was a rather mysterious person. She’d heard things, as many older women are prone to hear gossips; and she had known of Su Jing Fei’s situation before coming to Fuo Lan. However, the Su xiaojie was not as simple as people had made her to be. “Is there anything that the Guo family can help Su xiaojie with?”

    “This one merely has a few questions,” Su Jing Fei started out, comfortably sipping her tea. “This one was invited to the Feng family’s spring festival celebrations.”

    Xie shi was a bit confused at the direction of the conversation, but nodded in understanding. She knew that the city lord official invited all the noble and titled families to their spring festival celebrations. However, since the Guo family are merely merchants with no noble title, they were not invited despite their wealth and prestige within Fuo Lan. “Yes, it is a well known fact that the Feng family like to make close connections with other nobility. If this one is correct, it should also be a celebration for the Feng xiaojie’s coming of age as well.”

    “Yes, this one has heard as much,” Su Jing Fei replied. “However, this one is new to Fuo Lan and is a bit curious about the city lord official’s Feng family. When this one had met second master Li Guo Wang, my servant Si Qiang had mentioned that the city lord’s men were guarding the Guo manor. This one wonders why the city lord’s guards were present and not the city justice official’s men.”

    Xie shi was caught off guard by Su Jing Fei’s question. “When we had initially received the ransom letter at our home, but the city lord had received news about the carriage blocking the main road between Fuo Lan and the imperial city.”

    Su Jing Fei furrowed her brows. “Why would the city lord receive news about the carriage blocking the main road?”

    “Su xiaojie may not be aware since this is your first time travelling outside of the imperial city, but the city lord is tasked to keep the main road from Fuo Lan to the imperial city free and running smoothly for trade and travel purposes. This was delegated from the emperor himself.” Xie shi explained.

    Su Jing Fei nodded her head in understanding. That was pretty reasonable considering the important of Fuo Lan as the main trade city between Chu and Xinyi. However, there was something not right about that. She had thought about this for awhile, and it had sat at the back of her mind while she had investigated the Feng family and Da Chun’s whereabouts. “This one is curious as to how the city lord knew the carriage belonged to the Guo family.”

    Xie shi gave a surprised expression. “Well, it must be the family nameplate. I believe it had been recovered from the carriage.”

    “That cannot be, because it was my servant Si Qiang who had taken the Guo family nameplate from the carriage when we had discovered it first. That was the reason why we had investigated the carriage in the first place; it was because this one had met Han shi and Mingyu and knew they were from the Guo family.” Su Jing Fei spoke quietly, setting down her teacup and placing her hands carefully onto her lap. The speculation she had about the Feng family were becoming more plausible as she spoke. “My servant Si Qiang had presented it to the city lord’s guards at the door to allow him entry to speak to the Guo family, but it had been taken from him when he was interrogated.”

    “But that means…” Xie shi’s words trailed off nervously.

    “It means that the city lord’s men would have no way of knowing that the carriage had belonged to the Guo family since I had taken the nameplate first when rescuing Mingyu.” Su Jing Fei said calmly. “So the question then is, how did the city lord know that the carriage belonged to the Guo family?”
     
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  3. Haosin

    Haosin Active Member

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    Awesome! Take your time moving. Your readers like me will wait for the next update. *although i keep refreshing everyday to check*
     
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  4. zloi medved

    zloi medved Well-Known Green Tea Bitch

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    Whoa!! Good luck with your move! Moving is always kind of stressful and that you're still updating through that, however delayed, is admirable.
     
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  5. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Thanks bb :blobmelt: I really gotta get caught up on my writing because I’ve used up all my reserve chapters :sweating_profusely:
     
  6. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Aw you’re too sweet!! Thanks!! :blobpats:
     
  7. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 16 Part One
    “This lowly one cannot remember if there is anything else that might identify the carriage as belong to our Guo family, but I will definitely speak with my husband about this matter,” Xie shi said in a low quick voice. “This lowly one thanks Su xiaojie for her insight on the matter!”

    Su Jing Fei shook her head lightly. “This one has been thinking about it for awhile and was only able to come by once I recovered.” She returned to finishing her tea as they spoke about other matters. “How has Ming’er been since returning home to Fuo Lan?”

    Xie shi gave a small smile. “Ming’er has been doing surprisingly well. However, he still cries most nights whenever he awakens to find that his parents are not at his side.”

    “I hope we are able to find Li Guo Wei and Han shi soon. It is not good for a young child to be separated from his parents too long.” Su Jing Fei said softly, recalling her own memories of a parentless childhood. She wished Mingyu would be spared the harshness of growing up without parents; however, she knew that Mingyu still had a loving family and close relatives to take care of him. That was something to be thankful for at least. “This one also has a question for Xie shi. Mudan-yu has a distinct lack of protection, and with all the current troubles surrounding Fuo Lan, this one hopes to find a reliable source of guards to watch over Mudan-yu.”

    “It is definitely not good to lack protection in one’s own home. This lowly one will procure a few reliable guards from the workhouse and send them to Mudan-yu.” Xie shi replied, but

    “No need to trouble yourself,” Su Jing Fei smiled. “This one will make a stop at a workhouse downtown to procure the guards personally.”

    Xie shi nodded in understanding. They continued chatting for a little bit until Ming’er and everyone else returned. Su Jing Fei and Da Chun took their leave, promising to visit again soon. However, instead of returning immediately to Mudan-yu, they stopped at the workhouse to procure a few guards hand-selected by Su Jing Fei herself. Then they stopped by each shop; first the medicine shop, then the accessories shop, and lastly the clothing shop. However, once they arrived at Lanhua, a commotion could be heard from inside the shop. Someone, a female’s voice, was shouting and causing a ruckus inside.

    “Da xiaojie, this lowly one will go take a look,” said Si Qiang from outside the carriage.

    “No need,” replied Su Jing Fei as the carriage rolled to a stop. “It sounds to be nothing but a customer making a ruckus. I will go take care of it personally.” Si Qiang parked the carriage, moving quickly to help his xiaojie off the carriage. Yize stepped out to stay by her xiaojie’s side; however, they were all surprised when Da Chun decided to come with as well. Mu Tan stood behind Da Chun, having been appointed by Su Jing Fei as her younger sister’s personal yatou.

    “I want to come,” Da Chun said firmly, giving Su Jing Fei a small smile. “If I don’t learn how to deal with a rude customer, then I won’t be able to help you with the businesses in the future.”

    “En,” Su Jing Fei replied. “You make a good point. Follow me then.”

    Si Qiang stayed with the carriage as the four women made their way inside the Lanhua clothing shop. As they arrived inside, no one was there to greet them; instead, they heard a loud shrill voice shrieking, “Take her outside and whip the truth out of her!” They came upon the scene of the shopkeeper being dragged by a man while two young women stood by and watched. The other workers watched helplessly from the sidelines, and Su Jing Fei could tell that it had to be a young noblewoman causing trouble. Who else would dare to be so commanding and authoritative in another person’s store?

    “For the moment, please unhand that woman until the issue has been resolved.” Su Jing Fei spoke in a firm voice to the guard who was trying to drag the shopkeeper out. He hesitantly paused, glancing back at the young woman dressed in light pink.

    The young woman was dressed quite well, so she certainly came from a family with money. However, her pretty face was bunched up into a haughty expression, glowering at Su Jing Fei when the latter had spoken. “Who do you think you are to obstruct me?” The young girl argued, looking displeased at Su Jing Fei’s calm expression as she continued to block the man’s path. “Push her aside and bring the girl out to be whipped!”

    Just as the man was about to forcibly push his way past, Mu Tan stepped forward and stopped him from coming in contact with Su Jing Fei. “You dare try to put your hands on my da xiaojie?”

    “Insolent servant! The Feng family will not tolerate this!” commanded the young woman in a vicious voice. The other workers looked terrified. “Take her outside and beat her as well!”

    At the mention of that family’s name, Su Jing Fei’s calm demeanor shifted, and her skin prickled with suppressed anger. She could feel uneasiness and fear coming from Da Chun and Yize. However, it was at these intense moments that Su Jing Fei found her outward expression to be rather deceiving. Her lips curved into a smile, and she stepped forward slightly. “And what exactly will the Feng family not tolerate?”

    “Stupid girl, this is the Feng family’s er xiaojie, Feng Eu Heng!” spat the older yatou at the young girl’s side.

    “Jie jie…” whispered Da Chun worriedly at Su Jing Fei’s side. Her hand tugged nervously at Su Jing Fei’s sleeve.

    Su Jing Fei reigned in her anger, giving Da Chun a gentle smile. “It’s okay. I’ll take care of it, so just stay by Yize’s side.” The young woman stepped forward and laid a hand on Mu Tan’s arm. “Stand down, Mu Tan. If Feng xiaojie has any complaints, this one suggests she give them to me. As the owner of a shop, responsibility naturally falls on my shoulders.” Su Jing Fei turned to the guard. “Release the young woman as I have taken responsibility for the matter.” The guard looked hesitant, but he let go of the shopkeeper who quickly scrambled to her feet and ran to Su Jing Fei’s side.

    Feng Eu Heng looked a bit surprised, realizing that the calm young woman before her was none other than Su Jing Fei! She’d heard from her family about the trouble this girl had caused, about the threat Su Jing Fei posed by taking back the shops from the Feng family. The girl was supposed to be bedridden with an illness, so Feng Eu Heng come by to make some trouble. She hadn’t expected to find Su Jing Fei walking around looking as calm and in good health as she did. However, her confidence only wavered for a second before she remembered all the things she’d heard about Su Jing Fei from the imperial city. “Hah, a girl with a horrible reputation such as yours still dares to go against me, the Fuo Lan city lord’s granddaughter?”

    Su Jing Fei smiled. “It seems Feng xiaojie forgets. What is Fuo Lan’s city lord compared to the Right Prime Minister of the Emperor?”

    Feng Eu Heng glared at Su Jing Fei; however, she didn’t have the words to refute the other young woman. She gritted her teeth as she replied next. “Then would the Right Prime Minister’s daughter like to explain how this happened to clothes I had ordered from your very shop?” She threw a piece of clothing in Su Jing Fei’s direction. It landed on the floor in front of them.

    The shopkeeper quickly ran forward, grabbing the cloth and holding it up in front of Su Jing Fei as she remained on her knees and bowed respectfully. “Xiaojie, please take a look! When this item was sold to Feng xiaojie, it was not in this state!”

    Su Jing Fei took the clothing into her hands. It appeared to be a pretty floral outer coat. However, upon further inspection, one could see the lining of the collar was ripped out to reveal little needles hidden underneath. This was clearly made with ill intent; however, there was no reason for her to abuse her power in this way to offend the Feng family. Therefore, there was only one conclusion; the Feng family was specifically looking for trouble with her. “The shopkeeper states that this piece of clothing was not in such a state when sold to Feng xiaojie. There is no reason for Lanhua to do this to Feng xiaojie’s clothing, so it can only be said that the alterations were made after being brought back to the Feng manor.” Su Jing Fei voiced her opinion honestly. “Please take back this clothing and investigate properly at the Feng manor.”

    “Nonsense!” argued Feng Eu Heng persistently. “This piece of clothing never left this one’s side, even when returning to the Feng manor. No one would have been able to alter the clothing without my knowledge! Therefore, it must’ve been done here at the shop before one had purchased it!”

    Su Jing Fei held back a sigh. It was like trying to reason with a child, and her patience was wearing thin. She knew that it was an unreasonable accusation against her shop; due to its immature nature, this scheme was most likely initiated by Feng Eu Heng herself. However, she wanted to spare the young girl further embarrassment, so she spoke the truth in her next words. “There is no reason why Lanhua would personally alter Feng xiaojie’s clothing with such wicked intentions. Feng xiaojie is mistaken, and this one urges you to return home to resolve the matter peacefully.”

    Both Feng Eu Heng and Su Jing Fei knew that Su Jing Fei had taken the shops back from the Feng family, thus causing trouble between the two parties. However, this was a private matter, and Feng Eu Heng’s accusations held no real threat due to its nonsensical nature. However, Su Jing Fei was not prepared for Feng Eu Heng’s next words.

    “There is a reason!” Feng Eu Heng stubbornly insisted. “Su xiaojie is jealous that I have caught the attention of an imperial prince while your own engagement to one was broken!” Feng Eu Heng gave a smug look, knowing just how much Su Jing Fei had coveted her engagement to the third prince Chen Hui Zhe. She had guessed that the broken engagement would be a sore spot to the other young woman, especially since it was quite damaging to one’s ego and reputation when rejected by a prince! However, she wasn’t expecting for Su Jing Fei to break into a smile, and she felt a cold chill run up her spine at the sight of it. Su Jing Fei was nothing like how the rumors had made her out to be! Where was the haughty, prideful, and childish young woman they spoke of?

    Su Jing Fei was unfazed by Feng Eu Heng’s words, keeping a refined manner as she continued to speak. “If Feng xiaojie insists on maintaining the accusations against this one, then there is no other choice than to seek a third party to give an unbiased judgment on the matter. This one thinks that calling for the city justice official shall do.”

    Feng Eu Heng was hesitant, but before she could protest, Su Jing Fei had already ordered Yize to take Da Chun outside and have Si Qiang get the city lord official. There was nothing left to do but wait for his arrival as the two young women stood apart from one another, observing each other carefully. Feng Eu Heng had taken notice of Su Jing Fei’s calm and cold demeanor. She knew that her accusations were a bit far-fetched; however, she wouldn’t have come if she wasn’t properly prepared to slander Su Jing Fei’s name. Once they purchased the clothing, Feng Eu Heng had ordered her personal yatou Shan to carefully remove the collar to add the needles. Then they had proceeded to resew the collar into place with thread that was identical to the previous thread used. Although her accusations were a bit far-fetched, there was no way anyone could deny that the clothing was not from Lanhua. Feng Eu Heng grew happy at the thought of the city justice official coming to arrest Su Jing Fei once the blame fell on Lanhua. That'll teach the stupid woman what happens to those who mess with the Feng family!
     
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  8. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 16 Part Two
    When the city justice official finally arrived, the older man looked just a bit irritated at having been called out to settle a dispute between two noblewomen. He had more important matters to attend to, but he couldn’t deny the request of xiaojie from such prominent families either. He hoped that the matter could be resolved quickly, but when he was briefed on the dispute between the two xiaojie, his brows furrowed further in irritation.

    “Please seek justice for this lowly one, city justice official!” spoke Feng Eu Heng in a soft voice that differed greatly from her shrill argumentative one from earlier. The young woman acted like she had truly been wronged, making herself appear weak and soft as compared to Su Jing Fei who kept her calm and refined manner.

    “Get me a similar piece of clothing from the shop,” commanded Sun Rong Shu to a nearby servant as he ignored Feng Eu Heng’s attempts to garner his pity. He had no use for emotions in his judgment; there was only truth and lies in the matter that would dictate his fair verdict. While the servant went to fetch another piece of clothing, the city justice official finally addressed the two xiaojie before him. “Since this city justice official has been called for, he will treat this matter seriously. Therefore, this means that whoever is found to be the true culprit will be arrested for their crimes accordingly.”

    Feng Eu Heng became a bit nervous at the city justice official’s words, but she tried to keep as calm as Su Jing Fei was. However, her posture was just a little too upright, and her hands were clasped just a bit too tightly in front of her. Su Jing Fei remained standing to the side with Mu Tan at her side; while she was relatively relaxed and calm, one could see the coldness in her expression that was unbefitting for a young woman her age. Her dark black eyes seemed pools of deep water, reflecting everything and nothing at once. Sun Rong Shu was just a little curious about this Su xiaojie he’d heard about before, and he was honestly impressed by her calm demeanor. Most other people would be pleading for his fair judgment, hoping to gain his pity and support through their words, but he saw no such attempt from the young girl. She had quite a refined air about her; Sun Rong Shu wondered if it was the effect of having grown up in the imperial city that caused Su Jing Fei to be so well-mannered. Either way, he wasn’t here to pass judgment on people’s characters; merely on their actions and the consequences stemming from them. In the meantime, he heard both young women tell their side of the stories and the circumstances leading up to his arrival.

    Once the servant returned, Sun Rong Shu was handed a similar piece of clothing; he began to inspect the clothing carefully. There was no doubt that the cloth and thread was the same as those used in Lanhua. Even the stitching was the same. However, as his fingers ran over the threading of the both pieces of clothing, he found something peculiar. “Would Su xiaojie please explain the process of how a piece of clothing like this would be made in Lanhua?” Sun Rong Shu asked as he stopped his inspection and turned his attention to Su Jing Fei.

    “Yes, this lowly one can explain,” Su Jing Fei said politely. “The fabric is measured and cut to form the shapes of the clothing. For this type of particular clothing, the collar of the robe is important in its shape and ability to define the wearer’s features. However, it is also important to be comfortable and not heavy on the shoulders for long-term wear. Therefore, Lanhua uses light materials to form the collar of the robe and the threading is thin and tight. To avoid the thread from undoing, a small bit of wax is melted and poured onto the ends of the thread and cooled.”

    Feng Eu Heng began to tremble fearfully; she had never heard of such a thing being done before! To have overlooked such a peculiar and insignificant method, she was truly afraid at the implications of what might happen if the city justice official found the small difference between the two!

    However, Sun Rong Shu was not a dumb man, and he had indeed already noticed the difference between the two clothing. On the robe obtained from Lanhua, there was a small amount of melted wax at the ends of the threads; it was imperceptible to the eye, but upon touch, he could feel the difference in texture. “This city justice official was called to infer a fair judgment in the dispute between Su xiaojie and Feng xiaojie. After careful observation, this one has discovered that the clothing from Feng xiaojie differs from Su xiaojie. Upon respect for the city lord’s Feng family, this one shall ask Feng xiaojie if she still wishes to accuse Su xiaojie of tampering with the clothing with ill intent to harm.”

    “That can’t be possible!” Feng Eu Heng said stubbornly, having forgotten her earlier demeanor. “This one has definitely been setup by Su Jing Fei! Why would this lowly one seek to harm herself? That doesn’t make any sense!” Just as she was about to argue some more, Su Jing Fei suddenly spoke up. Her calm voice irritated Feng Eu Heng to no end, but Feng Eu Heng was truly shocked to hear the other woman’s words.

    “This lowly one also agrees with Feng xiaojie. Why would Feng xiaojie seek to harm herself?” Su Jing Fei remarked at the surprise of everyone around her. “When wearing such a robe, the weight of clothing will bring the collar down on the back of the neck causing irritations on the skin. It will be quite itchy and uncomfortable, prompting most people to scratch at such an irritation. For a xiaojie to suffer through such a thing, the delicate skin would need to be treated or else the skin will remain red and irritated.”

    Sun Rong Shu knew what Su Jing Fei was implying. If Feng Eu Heng had truly worn the robe and suffered such an irritation, she’d suffer redness and marks on the back of her neck from the irritation; since Feng Eu Heng had claimed to return immediately to the store upon uncovering the needles hidden under the collar, that meant that she had no time to get the skin treated. Feng Eu Heng also realized this fact, glaring in Su Jing Fei’s direction. However, a cold gaze returned her anger, and Feng Eu Heng suddenly felt like prey caught in a hunter’s trap. Su Jing Fei kept the smile on her face as she calmly said, “Would Feng xiaojie please forgive our rudeness and let a servant examine your neck for the purpose of confirming Feng xiaojie’s accusations?”

    “I…” Feng Eu Heng stuttered, unsure of what to do next. She had merely come by to cause trouble for Su Jing Fei, not to become the victim of her own scheme!

    Sun Rong Shu wasted no further time, gesturing to one of his guards nearby. “Take the Feng xiaojie to the city jail and keep her detained there. A notice will be sent to the Feng family informing them of her imprisonment for false accusations and disruption of the peace in Fuo Lan!”
     
  9. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 17 Part One
    “No, this is wrong! I’m innocent!” shrieked Feng Eu Heng as the Sun Rong Shu’s guard stepped forward to detain her. “Su Jing Fei set me up! You have to believe me!”

    “Xiaojie!” cried the yatou Shan as her xiaojie was forcibly taken from her grasp. “Our xiaojie is innocent! Please! Er xiaojie!” The yatou sobbed, trying to grab ahold of Feng Eu Heng as she was being pulled away by the city justice official’s men.

    “This city justice official will send someone to the city lord’s manor to inform the Feng family of the circumstances that took place today.” Sun Rong Shu spoke with a sigh, feeling tired from wasting his time settling such a childish dispute. While he knew of the Feng family’s troublesome nature in throwing around power, Sun Rong Shu was actually surprised by the Right Prime Minister’s da xiaojie Su Jing Fei. He wasn’t one for listening to gossips, but his wife had mentioned to him about the matters within the imperial city that caused Su Jing Fei to come to Fuo Lan. He was initially prepared to deal with a lot more trouble, but Su Jing Fei’s demeanor had really contradicted her infamous reputation. Her calculative words were polite yet cut straight to the point. It was easy to have one’s guard thrown off when facing such an unassuming young woman, and he was just a bit wary of her sharp yet calm nature.

    “This lowly one thanks the city justice official for taking his time to come by to settle this matter.” Su Jing Fei bowed respectfully before the older man.

    “This one is merely doing his job,” replied Sun Rong Shu stiffly. He honestly didn’t know how to deal with people like Su Jing Fei. “We’ll be taking our leave then.” He turned around to command all the servants as they all left as quickly as they had come.

    Su Jing Fei watched the older man leave, stepping forward to take ahold of the altered robe that had been left behind. She was lucky that the Sun Rong Shu was a critical and meticulous man; otherwise, she wasn’t sure if he’d notice the small difference in the clothing like she had. However, she also knew that his honest and upright nature would definitely be wary of her own peculiar nature. She knew she could’ve put up a better facade, but somehow, it seemed like Sun Rong Shu would’ve seen right through her act. So she’d chosen not to act at all. At least, it turned out for the best and Feng Eu Heng was sitting prettily in jail for the time being. Su Jing Fei knew the act of detaining the Feng xiaojie was no real criminal conviction, but it was satisfying to see nonetheless.

    “Da xiaojie, it’s getting late. We should return home soon. Da Chun and the others must be worried.” Mu Tan remarked quietly at Su Jing Fei’s side, having noticed her xiaojie’s quiet reflection.

    “Yes, you’re right.” Su Jing Fei agreed, quickly wrapping things up so that they could head home. She gave all the workers the rest of the day off, and she also spoke briefly with the shopkeeper to give her a few days of rest time due to the rather traumatic nature of almost being whipped to death. However, the shopkeeper was extremely grateful for Su Jing Fei’s intervention and wanted to repay her; they eventually settled on having the shopkeeper take the next day off before returning to work.

    They returned to Mudan-yu quickly and were greeted by very worried and nervous expressions. Su Jing Fei took the initiative to explain, hoping to appease her younger sister’s worries. “The city justice official is an upright and honest man, and he was able to see through Feng Eu Heng’s scheme. There’s no need to worry about her causing trouble for us again. She’s most likely learned her lesson by now.”

    Da Chun was seated at a table with Su Jing Fei as food was being set out. Her expression still showed concern for her sister. “The Feng family are very powerful here in Fuo Lan… This one hopes jie jie can be careful around them. They are not good people.” The young girl fiddled nervously with her fingers, looking just a bit afraid.

    “I will be careful,” Su Jing Fei promised with a warm smile. “The Feng family may have power here in Fuo Lan, but they cannot do anything openly without receiving judgment from the city justice official.”

    “Yes, but what will jie jie do now that Feng Eu Heng has been sent to jail due to the dispute at Lanhua?” Da Chun asked worriedly. “Will you still go to the Feng family’s spring festival celebration?”

    “I have already accepted their invitation. It is common courtesy to show one’s face once already committed,” Su Jing Fei replied as the servants finally finished setting the table with food. “I am happy for your worry over me, but there is no need. Come, let us eat and then you can show me how to sew a bit before night falls.”

    Da Chun sighed, but she knew her sister was a very capable person. After being rescued from Xia-Wu, her sister has been nothing but kind and gentle towards such a simple and naive girl like herself. She couldn’t help but worry about her strong and brave sister, and Da Chun was well aware that the Feng family will not leave them alone no matter what. The least she could do was worry and warn her sister while spending as much time together as they could to make up for lost time. She was genuinely happy with Su Jing Fei in Mudan-yu, and she thanked the ancestors for answering her prayers.

    Su Jing Fei saw Da Chen eating happily, and she couldn’t help smile at the sight of it. Although she had planned to live a peaceful life in Fuo Lan, she knew that she had to show face to the Feng family and let them know that their tyranny will not break apart her family any more. She’d have to be very careful when attending the spring festival celebration; there was no doubt that the Feng family would seek revenge for Feng Eu Heng’s ruined reputation. She just hoped that all her preparations for the spring festival celebration will prove useful.

    Over the next few days, Su Jing Fei showed Da Chun the three businesses, so the two young women took many trips in and out of Mudan-yu; they explored Fuo Lan as well, seeming almost inseparable to everyone. However, on the morning of the spring festival banquet, Su Jing Fei sat alone at her dresser while carefully preparing for her entrance into Fuo Lan noble society. So far, she hadn’t interacted with any noble families despite having been in Fuo Lan for a few months now; no invitations and no boring parties for her, luckily. But this was an event that she couldn’t miss, and she couldn’t avoid interacting with others so she had to be meticulously dressed the part of a young noblewoman.

    The yatou helped their xiaojie into a plain purplish blue spring clothes that had been prepared by Lanhua; it was a surprising choice for their young xiaojie because the colors and design were quite old-fashioned, unlike the bright pinks and yellows that most young xiaojie wore. However, they were pleasantly pleased with their hard work when Su Jing Fei sat before them. Her long black hair was made up and pinned with the unique pin darts that Su Jing Fei were quite fond of. Although Su Jing Fei’s clothes were quite plain, she had quite a pleasant and appealing appearance.

    “Are you sure you want to wear those clothes, da xiaojie?” Xiao Chen inquired as she finished touching up Su Jing Fei’s hair.

    “Yes,” replied Su Jing Fei with a smile. “I think these clothes are quite suitable for me.”

    The yatou observed their xiaojie closely before agreeing that she was quite right. Su Jing Fei’s old-fashioned clothing only enhanced her calm and refined appearance without being too bright or eye-catching.

    “Have Si Qiang prepare the carriage.” Su Jing Fei said as she stood up. She had originally planned to bid Da Chun farewell, but since it was so early in the morning, she had decided to let the young girl sleep in for the day. With Yize at her side, Su Jing Fei quietly left Mudan-yu and headed to the Feng family’s residence near the lake. To her knowledge, the Feng family owned quite a few residences in Fuo Lan. It was a rather wasteful show of wealth and power in Su Jing Fei’s opinion, however. Su Jing Fei closed her eyes to rest a little bit, but it wasn’t long before she was awakened by the sound of Si Qiang’s voice.

    “Da xiaojie, we’ve arrived,” Si Qiang said from outside the carriage. “However, there appears to be a long line of carriages leading up to the residence.”

    As the carriage slowed down, Su Jing Fei lifted the ends of the window curtains to observe outside as they slowly approached the Feng family residence. There seemed to be quite a lot of noble families in attendance today. Men and women entered the residence in their separate entrances, so Su Jing Fei’s carriage geared towards the left side of the residence where the women gathered. As they finally approached the carriage, Si Qiang stopped the carriage to help his xiaojie. Su Jing Fei carefully stepped down from the carriage with Yize following close behind. Her gaze swept across the crowd of women who seemed curious of the unfamiliar xiaojie who had just arrived.

    “Stay close, Yize.” Su Jing Fei remarked quietly as Si Qiang left them to move the carriage. The young yatou looked a bundle of nerves, but she managed to relax a little as she stepped behind Su Jing Fei’s figure, away from the prying eyes of the women who watched them closely. They were in unfamiliar territory now, and she knew that as soon as she walked into the residence, the Feng family would no doubt begin their schemes of revenge against her.
     
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  10. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 17 Part Two
    Su Jing Fei walked forward and into the crowd, but a servant suddenly ran up to greet her. “This lowly one greets xiaojie and welcomes her to the Feng family residence. May this lowly one ask which family the xiaojie comes from?” All the other women had not been stopped, but that was understandable since the Feng family’s servants most likely did not recognize her.

    “This is the da xiaojie of the Right Prime Minister’s Su family.” Yize stepped up to announce her xiaojie.

    The servant gave a look of surprise before quickly bowing low before Su Jing Fei. “This lowly one apologizes for his rudeness!” Despite his words, he did not step aside to let her past. “This lowly one was instructed to bring Su xiaojie to meet the Feng furens and da xiaojie.”

    It appeared that the women of the Feng family were quite eager to meet her. “This one will follow. Please lead the way.” Su Jing Fei replied calmly as the servant began leading them through the crowd of women. They entered a large garden backyard where the women lingered to admire spring flowers; deeper into the garden, a seating area had been setup to receive guests. A grand table and seats were placed on a raised platform next to the general seating area, and there was no doubt that this was where the women of the Feng family seated themselves.

    “The da xiaojie of the Right Prime Minister’s Su family has arrived!” announced the servant as he stepped forward and bowed before his masters.

    The women at the table stopped talking, their gazes sizing up Su Jing Fei as she stepped forward to give her proper greetings. “I am Su Jing Fei, da xiaojie of the Su family. This one greets the Feng family furens and xiaojie.”

    An older woman looked at Su Jing Fei with unconcealed contempt, but it was the middle-aged woman who spoke first. “This one greets Su xiaojie and thanks her for coming to attend the spring festival celebrations. I am Zhao shi, furen of the first son’s family.” The woman smiled and spoke politely.

    Su Jing Fei’s eyes darkened for just a moment. If she was the furen of the first son’s family, then that meant she was Feng Ruo Qian’s wife! Su Jing Fei bowed respectfully, tilting her head down to conceal her emotions. “This one thanks the Feng family for their hospitality.”

    “Su xiaojie is too polite,” Zhao shi said with a light laugh. “Quite unlike my youngest daughter Feng Eu Heng who only likes to cause trouble. This one hopes Su xiaojie does not take the matters to heart. Feng Eu Heng is only a child after all.”

    The woman did not waste any time in throwing out the matter of Feng Eu Heng. If Feng Eu Heng was a child, then wasn’t she as well? If the outcome of Feng Eu Heng’s scheme had implicated Su Jing Fei, they would surely not say the same thing.“There is no need for Furen to worry,” Su Jing Fei replied with a smile. “It was merely a misunderstanding. This one is happy to know that Furen is so kind and understanding.”

    “Pah!” The older woman sitting further back made a sound of disgust. Clearly, she wasn’t quite so ready to play nice with Su Jing Fei in front of everyone.

    “Please forgive my mother-in-law,” spoke Zhao shi with a small smile. “She dotes on Eu Heng quite often and was very upset about the incident.”

    “It is no trouble.” Su Jing Fei replied politely. So the older woman was the Feng Lao Furen and the city lord’s wife. She looked to be quite an unreasonable and haughty woman, but Su Jing Fei knew that the real trouble would lie with Zhao shi. A woman who was married to a man like Feng Ruo Qian was no simple woman.

    “Since Su xiaojie is new to Fuo Lan, you must be quite unfamiliar with the noble families. If Su xiaojie does not mind, my eldest daughter can introduce you to a few xiaojie from noble families.” Zhao shi suggested just as a young woman stepped forward.

    The young woman had quite a beautiful appearance with her small face and porcelain skin; her delicate features seemed soft and kind, and her gentle voice complemented such an appearance. “I am Feng Eu Mei, da xiaojie of the first son’s family. This one hopes Su xiaojie will allow me to introduce you to some of my friends.”

    “This one thanks Feng xiaojie for her kindness.” Su Jing Fei responded with a respectful bow.

    Zhao shi urged them to go mingle, and Feng Eu Mei took the initiative to lead Su Jing Fei away from the seating area and back to the large garden. Once they entered the garden, Feng Eu Mei slowed down to walk beside Su Jing Fei, chatting in a friendly manner. They talked about useless things like clothing and jewelry, and Feng Eu Mei inquired a bit about the imperial city since she’d never been there before. However, it wasn’t long before their conversation was interrupted by a group of xiaojie who approached them. They greeted Feng Eu Mei politely and looked at Su Jing Fei curiously.

    “Who is this xiaojie?” asked one of the women in a rather rude tone.

    “This is the da xiaojie of the Su family. Her father is the Right Prime Minister.” Feng Eu Mei responded quickly.

    The women who were all initially curious turned to look at Su Jing Fei with haughty expressions, some giggled and whispered quietly. “This one heard that Su xiaojie used to be engaged with the third prince Chen Hui Zhe?” One of them asked. They suddenly began throwing questions at Su Jing Fei, not caring for her answers as they conversed among themselves.

    “But the third prince didn’t want her and instead protected the shu daughter of the Minister of Justice’s Jiang family!”

    “So the Su xiaojie just a castaway and used woman then?”

    The women all laughed and continued talking. Su Jing Fei glanced at Feng Eu Mei who still kept her kind expression and smile but said nothing. If this was all the Feng family had in store for her, she had severely overestimated them; as they had underestimated her it seemed. If these xiaojie wanted to gossip in front of her, of course she had not choice but to join in. Su Jing Fei turned to Feng Eu Mei with a smile. “Speaking of imperial princes, this one does recall that the Feng er xiaojie mentioned catching the eye of an imperial prince. Does the Feng da xiaojie know anything of the matter?”

    For just a brief moment, Feng Eu Mei’s face turned a bit red, but Su Jing Fei couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. “Feng Eu Heng is still just a child and is merely speaking nonsense.”

    “That’s right!” chimed one of the woman. “Feng Eu Heng is dreaming if she thinks the imperial prince Li Wei Sheng would favor her over Feng Eu Mei. Eu Mei is a thousand times more talented than any other xiaojie in Fuo Lan.”

    “Everyone is too kind,” Feng Eu Mei blushed, turning away shyly. “This one has only met the imperial prince a few times!”

    Su Jing Fei wanted to laugh at Feng Eu Mei’s contradictory words; one moment the women were insulting Su Jing Fei and in the next, they were praising Feng Eu Mei. That was truly a biased kindness. However, Su Jing Fei was quite curious about the latter statement. If Li Wei Sheng had met with Feng Eu Mei, then he’d definitely met with Feng Ruo Qian as himself prior to Xia-Wu. She had wondered a bit about Li Wei Sheng’s true intentions and motivations. In the movie Blossoms in the Wind, Li Wei Sheng had earned his title as the Emperor’s Left Prime Minister after returning from his travels around Chu; this was after the original Su Jing Fei had already been banished to Fuo Lan. She knew from the movie that he had gone on a secret mission for the Emperor, which is why the Emperor trusted him so much; but how was all of that connected to Feng Ruo Qian and Fuo Lan?

    Feng Eu Mei seemed in no hurry to leave as she chatted excitedly with the other women among the flowers. Su Jing Fei stood by with no real purpose and idly admired the flowers at her side. Every once in a while, someone would throw an insult in her direction, but seeing that she didn’t respond, everyone would grow bored. Suddenly, their loud voices quieted into whispers, drawing Su Jing Fei’s attention back from her thoughts.

    From across the bushes of flowers, Su Jing Fei could see the figures of young men strolling through the garden. So that was the reason these young women lingered here. It seemed that the garden was an area of intermingling between the two sexes, which was quite rare at celebrations. No wonder the xiaojie suddenly became soft-spoken with demure expressions. Their changes in attitude were like snakes pretending to be harmless sticks; quite funny to see.

    “Older brother!” Feng Eu Mei said happily as a group of young men approached them.

    The young man leading the group had Feng Eu Mei’s same eyes and Zhao shi’s high forehead, and he looked like quite an ambitious young man from first appearance. His clothes were of the best quality, and he wore heroic blues and silvers. Su Jing Fei had done her fair share of research and knew that Feng Ruo Qian had a son named Feng Ru Weng; with the confident way he walked and seemingly talked, this was no doubt Feng Ruo Qian’s son. However, she didn’t quite expect to see a familiar face among his entourage.

    The young man glanced at the group of xiaojie before him until he caught sight of Su Jing Fei. “This one is glad to see that Su xiaojie has recovered from her illness and looking well.” Li Wei Sheng said with a smile. He looked quite amused at seeing her.

    “This lowly one thanks the imperial prince for his concern.” Su Jing Fei said respectfully. Speak of the devil, she thought. His appearance could only mean more trouble for her.
     
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  11. Haosin

    Haosin Active Member

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    Thank you so much for the updates! Bless your heart.
     
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  12. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Uwaa, thank you so much for your kind support! :blobmelt:
     
  13. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 18 Part One
    “Who’s this?” asked Feng Ru Weng as he openly sized up Su Jing Fei with an interested gaze.

    “This is the da xiaojie of the Right Prime Minister Su Xuan Mo’s family.” Li Wei Sheng introduced her as though they were familiar.

    “This one greets young master Feng Ru Weng,” spoke Su Jing Fei with polite bow. “My name is Su Jing Fei.”

    Upon realizing who Su Jing Fei was, Feng Ru Weng’s face turned into a look of irritation. It was quite obvious that he did not hold her in high regard, despite her coming from a higher-ranking family than he. But with Li Wei Sheng present, they’d have to stick to the proper manners and pleasantries, so Feng Ru Weng gave her a lackluster greeting back.

    From her peripheral, Su Jing Fei caught a look of anger from Feng Eu Mei. It was quite obvious that the xiaojie had quite a crush on Li Wei Sheng. However, since she was still playing the part of kind and pure xiaojie, Feng Eu Mei could not say anything in regards to Su Jing Fei and Li Wei Sheng’s acquaintance. It wasn’t really all that special anyhow, so she wished he wouldn’t act so familiar.

    Feng Ru Weng was quick to change the topic however, and he began speaking to Feng Eu Mei, completely ignoring Su Jing Fei. She didn’t mind; her true purpose for attending the spring festival celebration was only to show face to the Fuo Lan noble families and gather a bit of information about the Feng family themselves. The young men and women chatted merrily among themselves, and Su Jing Fei observed quietly.

    However, it seemed Feng Eu Mei would not let Su Jing Fei off easy, seemingly holding some kind of grudge at the fact that Li Wei Sheng had greeted Su Jing Fei first over her. “Su xiaojie is about the same age as me, but she has already been engaged once prior. One can say she is quite the experienced, so this one hopes to learn a lot of things from her.” Feng Eu Mei gave her warmest smile, reaching over to grab ahold of Su Jing Fei’s hand and patting it gently. “This one hopes Su xiaojie will be able to stay in Fuo Lan for a long time.”

    Despite her pretty words of friendship, a considerable amount of insult was contained in those words, and some of the other young men and women snickered quietly because they were well aware of Su Jing Fei’s predicament. However, Feng Eu Mei was truly surprised as Su Jing Fei placed a hand atop of hers and gave a gentle smile in return. “This one has nothing to teach Feng xiaojie because one’s engagement was determined since childhood, so one did not have a say in one’s previous betrothal. However, Feng xiaojie is pretty, kind, and has come of age recently; there must be quite a few men hoping to impress Feng xiaojie in hopes of your hand in marriage. This one hopes Feng xiaojie can choose her husband wisely.”

    Feng Eu Mei suddenly felt rather uncomfortable at the affectionate touch, and she quickly pulled her hands away from Su Jing Fei, plastering a smile on her face as she thanked Su Jing Fei for her kind words. From all the information Su Jing Fei had gathered, it seemed the Feng family really regarded Feng Eu Mei highly since she was quite beautiful and talented; with such a daughter like her, there was no doubt the ambitious Feng family would hope to catch the eye of an imperial prince like Li Wei Sheng as a son-in-law. To become a phoenix was every young woman’s dream, and it seemed like Feng Eu Mei was no different.

    Suddenly, servants came through the garden to inform everyone that the spring festival celebrations were beginning, and it was time for the banquet. The young men and women made their way to the large banquet hall and were seated accordingly. Su Jing Fei was separated from everyone else and took her own seat at a quiet corner. At the front of the hall, Su Jing Fei finally spotted Feng Ruo Qian seated at a table with Feng Ru Weng at his side. Zhao shi sat across from them with Feng Eu Mei. At the head of the table sat an older man; he appeared to have gotten quite comfortable in his years as the girth around his weight stretched his robes quite tightly. His mouth was perpetually pursed from the weight of his cheeks, and he appeared to move with slow restrained movements. With the Feng Lao Furen sitting at his side, the man was no doubt the patriarchal leader of the Feng family, the city lord Feng Ruo Zhang. With all of them gathered together, it was quite tempting for Su Jing Fei to exact her revenge at the banquet right then and there. However, she still had to keep Da Chun safe, and striking out was not the best way to protect her younger sister. For now, she had to bide her time before she could possess the means to exact revenge on the Feng family. The first step, however, was to show the Feng family that she was not someone to be easily trifled with.

    The banquet proceeded without much fanfare; however, Feng Ruo Zhang did say a few words of celebration in regards to the spring festival. Cups of plum wine were brought out to everyone, including Su Jing Fei. She observed the wine carefully, glancing at the Feng family sitting at front and catching the eye of Feng Eu Mei who looked away quickly. From the looks of it, the plum wine wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

    Yize watched worriedly as her xiaojie downed the whole cup of plum wine. “Da xiaojie, this lowly one suggests you drink it a little slower. Especially since you aren’t used to drinking wine…”

    Su Jing Fei gave the young yatou a reassuring smile. “Thank you for worrying about me, Yize. However, you must keep an eye on the Feng xiaojie and gongzhi. They’ll definitely be watching to make sure this one has drank the wine.”

    Yize glanced at the front of the banquet hall, and sure enough, Feng Eu Mei and Feng Ru Weng were looking in their direction. She grew worried over the implications of their gazes, but she knew her xiaojie was already well aware of the possibility that they could have put something in the wine. Her master was too clever to not expect something like that from the Feng family; maybe they were hoping to humiliate her master or something. However, Su Jing Fei remained calmly sitting and eating as the food was brought out, so Yize chose to trust her xiaojie and not worry too much over the matter.

    After the banquet finished, Su Jing Fei was expecting to head home, but the Feng family seemed to have other plans. Feng Ruo Zhang suddenly stood up, announcing that the celebrations would continue on the lake where they had prepared a few large boats for everyone to mingle and enjoy the lakeview. As people started getting up and heading out to the boats, Su Jing Fei lingered a bit behind. She had only drank one cup of wine, but her body had begun to warm up a bit. Most likely the result of the drug that had been put in the wine.

    “Su xiaojie does not look so well afterall,” came a low voice from beside her. Li Wei Sheng’s polite smile never left his face as he continued speaking. “Perhaps Su xiaojie has not fully recovered from her illness.”

    Su Jing Fei bowed respectfully before him. Yize stepped away to give the two a little space. “This lowly one thanks the imperial prince for his concern. However, perhaps his concern is better suited for the Feng xiaojie.” She glanced ahead, having noticed Feng Eu Mei watching them with a dark expression.

    Li Wei Sheng didn’t bother to follow Su Jing Fei’s gaze and continued chatting without a care. “Does Su xiaojie dislike this imperial prince?” He seemed amused by the thought of it.

    She, however, was not going to play this game nor become his shield against Feng Eu Mei. “The imperial prince jests. This lowly one does not dare.” Su Jing Fei replied calmly, but she widened her steps, hoping to deter Li Wei Sheng from following her. However, Li Wei Sheng matched his strides to Su Jing Fei’s pace and kept up effortlessly. His annoying persistence irritated Su Jing Fei.

    “Perhaps Su xiaojie prefers master Shao over this imperial prince,” spoke Li Wei Sheng as his lips curved into a rather mischievous smile for just a moment. “Su xiaojie was not as cold to master Shao as she is to this imperial prince.”

    Su Jing Fei knew that Li Wei Sheng was clearly teasing her. ‘Shao’ was the name that Li Wei Sheng had used while disguised in Xia-Wu. A little fed up with keeping a polite facade, she replied with an honest answer.“This lowly one definitely can appreciate a man like master Shao. A man knows how to stop his pursuit in the face of opposition is a man who can respect a woman.” Meaning she wished Li Wei Sheng would leave her alone.

    Li Wei Sheng’s eyes flashed with amusement, chuckling just a little bit at her veiled insult within a praise. “This one also prefers the courtesan from Xia-Wu. She was quite enticing with her words.”
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2019
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  14. Sheep_y

    Sheep_y Active Member

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    Love this ❤️
    Thanks for the chapter
     
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  15. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 18 Part Two
    Su Jing Fei was about to retort something when she noticed Feng Eu Mei and Feng Ru Weng making their way to them. The polite smile returned to her face as she greeted them. Feng Eu Mei suddenly stepped forward, cozying up to Su Jing Fei’s side as she began speaking. “This one couldn’t find Su xiaojie so this one returned quickly to find Su xiaojie in hopes she wasn’t lost!” The pretty lies left her smiling lips effortlessly, and she feigned surprise when taking notice of Li Wei Sheng. Her cheeks became tinged with a pinkish hue, making her look quite innocent and cute. “Oh! This lowly one did not notice the imperial prince! Please for this lowly one’s rudeness!” She moved quickly to prostrate herself before Li Wei Sheng, dragging along Su Jing Fei whose arm was hooked in her’s.

    Su Jing Fei’s skin seemed to burn a little as her clothes rubbed against her skin where she was being forcibly pulled; however, her face was kept carefully neutral as she stood her ground and didn’t allow for Feng Eu Mei to pull her down as well. This unexpected strength from Su Jing Fei caused Feng Eu Mei to trip over her own feet and fall to the ground.

    “Su Jing Fei! How dare you push my sister!” Feng Ru Wang yelled angrily, moving quickly to Feng Eu Mei’s side to help her up.

    Feng Eu Mei’s face reddened as she hadn’t expected to be the one who fell so clumsily. She had hooked her arm into Su Jing Fei’s arm purposefully! With the drug they had given her, Su Jing Fei should be stumbling about like a drunken idiot right now! But the hateful woman was still standing and even conversing happily with the imperial prince! Feng Eu Mei was so angry that she wanted to give Su Jing Fei a hard slap right then and there, but she couldn’t in Li Wei Sheng’s company so she gritted her teeth and bore the humility with a strained smile. “It was an accident, older brother. Su xiaojie surely did not mean to push me.”

    Su Jing Fei smiled down at Feng Eu Mei. “This one does not dare to do such a thing. However, Feng xiaojie’s face seems a little flushed. Perhaps you’ve had a bit too much of the plum wine. This one will fetch you some water.” Before Feng Eu Mei could object, Su Jing Fei had stopped a nearby servant to ask for a cup of water. Once the servant returned, Su Jing Fei returned to the others; Feng Eu Mei was standing next to her brother tugging at his sleeve. It looked like Feng Eu Mei had tried to get them to leave Su Jing Fei behind, but Li Wei Sheng had waited for Su Jing Fei. Maybe he was a little useful sometimes, thought Su Jing Fei. She smiled at the three of them as she returned. “Here, hopefully this water can help Feng xiaojie feel better.”

    “This one already feels better!” spoke Feng Eu Mei quickly, refusing the cup as she kept out of Su Jing Fei’s reach.

    Suddenly, Li Wei Sheng spoke up, surprising them all. “If Feng xiaojie is refusing, then this one will help himself. I was feeling quite parched as well.” He began reaching for the cup from Su Jing Fei’s hands, but Feng Eu Mei was just a bit quicker as she suddenly grabbed the cup and downed the whole thing quickly.

    “This one suddenly felt thirsty! I thank Su xiaojie for her kindness,” Feng Eu Mei said quickly as she finished the cup of water and gave it to a servant to take away. “If the imperial prince is still thirsty, then this one will gladly bring you a new cup!”

    Su Jing Fei wanted to laugh at Feng Eu Mei’s eagerness to serve Li Wei Sheng; the young woman wasn’t quite as sly with her actions and words as she probably hoped to be. Feng Ru Weng noticed his sister’s awkward actions and stepped in to hopefully change the situation. “This one hopes the imperial prince does not take offense. My little sister is still quite spoiled after all, but she means no harm.”

    “There is no need to worry,” Li Wei Sheng replied with a polite smile. “The water was intended for Feng xiaojie originally. It was I who selfishly took advantage of the opportunity.”

    “This lowly one thanks the imperial prince for his kindness and understanding,” said Feng Ru Weng with a respectful gesture. “Please let this one repay for your kindness by accompanying you to the boats.”

    “Of course,” Li Wei Sheng replied with a smile as he returned the respectful gesture. “This one has heard many good things about the Feng family’s boats. Fresh air would also be nice.”

    Feng Ru Weng wasted no time and began leading them to the boats where everyone had gathered. The boats were much larger than Su Jing Fei had expected; they were similar to the large yachts of modern time rather than the small rowing boats that she had expected them to be. The Feng family’s wealth was quite clearly displayed in the beautiful crafted boats that swayed with the tides of the lake. Feng Ru Wang seemed quite proud as he strolled to the biggest boat and led them aboard, excitedly explaining to Li Wei Sheng the boat’s impressive design and features.

    Feng Eu Mei lingered beside Su Jing Fei, glaring at the latter with intense hatred. Su Jing Fei smiled back at her, and Feng Eu Mei felt her irritation grow. She had kept a gentle and kind demeanor in front of everyone for most of her life, and yet Su Jing Fei seemed to grate on Feng Eu Mei’s nerves like no other. If it wasn’t for Li Wei Sheng, Feng Eu Mei would’ve put Su Jing Fei in her place a long time ago!

    Su Jing Fei could see the anger in Feng Eu Mei’s strained expression, but she kept a calm demeanor, feigning ignorance. “Feng xiaojie’s face seems a little flushed. Perhaps, this one shall go fetch another cup of water.”

    Feng Eu Mei’s eyes flashed with anger at remembering the humiliation, but the young woman had seemingly reigned back her emotions as she replied in a soft voice. “This one thanks Su xiaojie for her kindness. Actually, this one hasn’t been feeling well for awhile and hopes Su xiaojie can accompany her to get some fresh air.”

    “Of course.” Su Jing Fei replied with a smile as Feng Eu Mei led them to a standing area near the edge of the boat.

    Feng Eu Mei seemed a little distracted as the boat began to take off from the lakeside, floating further into the lake. A bit of music could be heard from the livelier part of the boat; curiously, no one approached the two of them. “This one hopes Su xiaojie can forgive me,” Feng Eu Mei said in a gentle tone. Her face showed an apologetic expression. “This one has always admired the imperial prince, and so this one acted a little bit irritational earlier. I hope Su xiaojie can accept my apology.”

    Su Jing Fei wondered how much of the words did Feng Eu Mei actually mean. Her apology seemed quite strange, but her admission at holding feelings for Li Wei Sheng seemed honest enough. “Feng xiaojie does not need to worry. One does not hold grudges for such simple matters.”

    Feng Eu Mei felt a little frightened by Su Jing Fei’s words; the other woman’s smile always gave her an uncomfortable feeling, as though there was something dark concealed behind that polite facade. Feng Eu Mei gave a small smile, but her eyes looked beyond Su Jing Fei’s figure and to the servant who was steadily making their way towards them.

    The servant moved forward in a rush, making brief eye contact with Feng Eu Mei just before she reached them. With a quick shove, the servant pushed Su Jing Fei over the edge of the railing. However, she didn’t expect Su Jing Fei to step closer to Feng Eu Mei who had tried to distance herself; thus, when Su Jing Fei was pushed, Feng Eu Mei had gotten pushed as well, stumbling a bit before also falling over the edge of the boat.

    “Da xiaojie!” came the loud cries from Yize and Feng Eu Mei’s personal yatou as they watched their masters fall into the dark waters underneath.

    Su Jing Fei felt her body pierce through the cold surface of the lake as she became submerged underneath. Her body burned at the water rushing across her skin, making her struggle to swim properly to the surface. She knew that the Feng siblings had spiked her drink with an aphrodisiac after the first few minutes of finishing the plum wine; luckily, she had brought along a countering drug that would interfere and dampen the effects of the aphrodisiac to a tolerable level. However, what she hadn’t anticipated was the dehabiliting effect of heightened sensitivity in her skin. She was sure she’d drown if she couldn’t push through the pain to move properly, but just as the air in her lungs ran out, a dark figure broke through the surface of the water, moving quickly towards her.
     
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  16. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 19 Part One
    The next moment of consciousness for Su Jing Fei was when she felt strong arms pulling her out of the water and onto hard ground. Her skin burned from the touch, but all she could do was cough up the water, gasping for air. The rescuer gently but firmly patted her on the back, but each touch burned so when her strength finally returned, Su Jing Fei pushed away the arm.

    “Don’t touch me.” Su Jing Fei gasped, clearing her hoarse throat.

    “No matter if you hate me or not, this imperial prince cannot let you die,” replied Li Wei Sheng in a cold voice, having finally shed his polite facade. His black eyes were dark as they watched Su Jing Fei. “Stop being stubborn and let me help you.”

    “You’ll help me if you stop touching me,” Su Jing Fei argued, glaring at Li Wei Sheng. “Unless the imperial prince possesses an antidote for aphrodisiacs, you’re of no help to me.” She also shed all notion of propriety and manners, a burning anger growing in her chest.

    Li Wei Sheng’s eyes flashed with an unrecognizable emotion, and Su Jing Fei prepared herself for his backlash at disrespecting royalty. But in the next moment, warm robes were wrapped around her shoulders. She hadn’t realized that her body was shivering terribly from the cold, but the immediate warmth soothed her nerves. “Thank you,” murmured Su Jing Fei as she clutched the robes around her shoulders. However, despite the gratefulness she felt, the overwhelming emotion that consumed her was anger. The Feng family were really trying their best to either see her humiliated or dead! She’d have to teach them a lesson soon!

    Li Wei Sheng watched Su Jing Fei’s bright round eyes darken into a pool of cold, and the young girl’s shivering stopped as her demeanor changed back into the polite calm facade of prior. Su Jing Fei was truly a mysterious young woman; to have suffered such a traumatic experience yet remain so calm, it required a considerable amount of willpower and strength. After hearing her words, Li Wei Sheng had guessed that the Feng siblings had probably drugged Su Jing Fei; they’d been acting rather hostile towards Su Jing Fei all night. He’d have to be stupid not to have noticed. “Why are the Feng family trying to kill you?” He asked in a low voice.

    Su Jing Fei caught the man’s curious gaze and tried to discern whether she could trust him or not. “Why did you not kill me back in Xia-Wu?”

    “Why were you in Xia-Wu in the first place?” Li Wei Sheng countered, his expression was carefully neutral.

    Su Jing Fei knew he wouldn’t answer her question so easily. “This one could ask the same thing of you.” Her dark eyes flashed with a hint of danger and caution, unwilling to yield to Li Wei Sheng for even a moment.

    Their conversation was interrupted as people came running to their side with servants carrying towels and crowding around Su Jing Fei. They all fell to the ground greeting Li Wei Sheng who quickly dismissed their greetings and commanded them to take care of Su Jing Fei. “Has a doctor been called yet?” Li Wei Sheng asked a nearby servant.

    “Yes, a doctor has been called. The city lord has ordered us to take Su xiaojie to a room to change into dry clothes.” the servant spoke respectfully before Li Wei Sheng.

    Li Wei Sheng nodded his head in acknowledgement, but he didn’t move away as he watched them help Su Jing Fei up and helped her move back to the Feng family residence. He walked back with them, and only left when another servant came to request his presence before the city lord. Without a second glance in Su Jing Fei’s direction, Li Wei Sheng immediately turned and left with the servant.

    In the meantime, Su Jing Fei was brought to a room where dry clothes had been prepared. Yize cried at the sight of her xiaojie, thankful for her xiaojie’s safety. “This lowly one was so scared! This lowly one is glad to see da xiaojie is safe!”

    The servants left them, and Su Jing Fei gave the young yatou a small smile as she stepped forward to wipe away the young girl’s tears. “There’s no need to worry now.”

    Yize nodded and quickly helped her xiaojie change into dry clothes. The warmth of dry clothes helped soothe Su Jing Fei’s nerves, and she let Yize help her tidy up her hair and dry herself down as well. After everything was done, Su Jing Fei was expecting the servants to return. However, no one came after quite a while, and Su Jing Fei felt that the quiet was rather ominous. Moving quickly to the door, she tried to open it but found it to be locked from the outside. Su Jing Fei furrowed her brows as she suddenly heard noises from the outside. It sounded like… men talking!

    “Da xiaojie, why would they lock us in here?” Yize asked worriedly.

    Upon hearing the men’s voices coming closer, she recognized one to be Feng Ru Weng’s voice. The steps of the two men sounded strange as well. One set of footsteps were clear and steady however, the other pair seemed to be irregular in stride, as though the man was fumbling with his steps. With the Feng family’s constant set of schemes and humiliation for Su Jing Fei the entire day, this was no doubt yet another one. “Come quickly and hide yourself here, Yize.” Su Jing Fei quickly moved the young yatou to hide in a dresser.

    The young yatou quickly followed her xiaojie’s command and did as she was told. Su Jing Fei closed the dresser behind the young girl before moving to rearrange the bedding to make it seem like someone was under the covers. Then she hid under the bed and watched the door carefully.

    The steps grew louder as the voices became more hushed and urgent. “Your sister says she actually likes me?” spoke a naive-sounding voice; his words were clearly slurred as the man tried to speak with difficulty.

    “Yes, she said she is impressed by Hou gongzhi and wished to speak to you in private. Now go quickly!” The door was opened as someone was forcibly pushed inside the room with the door shutting loudly behind them. Loud footsteps could be heard walking quickly away from the door.

    Su Jing Fei narrowed her eyes, watching the unsteady movements of a man as he stumbled over to the bed. “F-Feng xiaojie?” mumbled the young man in a confused voice. “Y-You’re in bed?” The man stumbled forward and fell onto the bed with a loud thud, and in the next few minutes, a loud snoring could be heard. Su Jing Fei crawled out from under the bed, dusting off her robes as she took a look at the man who was quite thoroughly passed out on the bed while cradling the blankets. Su Jing Fei moved quickly to the dresser and let Yize out. The young yatou took one look at the man on the bed and gave her xiaojie a look of alarm. “Da xiaojie, what do we do? They’ve locked us in here with a drunk man! That horrible Feng family is surely hoping to ruin your innocence!”

    “Yes, they’re quite ruthless bringing in a drunk man to a defenseless xiaojie’s room.” Su Jing Fei’s eyes darkened as she observed the young man on the bed. From what she had heard, the young man had clearly thought he was meeting up with Feng Eu Mei for a secret tryst. Su Jing Fei had recognized his surname, ‘Hou.’ The Hou family were a rich noble family with connections in Xinyi; it was quite well-known that he held a strong torch for Feng Eu Mei. She rather pitied the young man because it was quite obvious that Feng Ru Weng was using him to kill two birds with one stone. They had hoped he’d ruin Su Jing Fei while also getting rid of his proposal to Feng Eu Mei; most likely because they wished Feng Eu Mei to marry a certain imperial prince rather than just some nobody.

    “Yize, what happened after I fell into the water? Was Feng Eu Mei saved?” Su Jing Fei inquired.

    “Yes, this lowly one saw that Feng Eu Mei was saved by Feng Ru Weng; however, the Feng xiaojie was severely ill and unconscious so she was taken to a room to rest. Then this lowly one was taken to this room to wait for xiaojie’s arrival.” Yize replied quickly, keeping a wary eye on the snoring young man.

    Su Jing Fei nodded; it was good that Feng Eu Mei had been saved, for she had other plans for the young woman. Taking one of her hair pins out, Su Jing Fei stepped towards the door and began sliding the thin pin through the crack of the door in order to push out the lock. After a few minutes of tampering with the pin, the door finally popped open. “Do you know where Feng Eu Mei’s room is?”

    “Right next door…” Yize said in a quiet voice. “Surely, xiaojie cannot be thinking of…?”

    “This one is merely doing the Feng family a favor.” Su Jing Fei replied, giving her young yatou a smile. “If jade is not carved, it doesn’t turn into jewelry; a child needs to be taught.”
     
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  17. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Thank you so much for your support, Sheepy! :blobmelt:
     
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  18. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Chapter 19 Part Two
    On the other side of the Feng family residence, Zhao shi was dealing with quite an irritating headache. Her mother-in-law wouldn’t stop pestering her about taking care of the Su da xiaojie once and for all. “If Zhao shi wants this family to succeed, you must get rid of Su Jing Fei!” Feng Lao Furen sputtered angrily, pacing back and forth as they waited for the doctor to arrive.

    Due to the lake incident, the two women had to deal with other families quite quickly in order to appease the disruption of the celebrations. In the meantime, her father-in-law and husband had set out to appease the noblemen, especially the imperial prince. When her son and daughter had come to her with the scheme of drugging Su Jing Fei, she had been very receptive to the idea of getting rid of the girl once and for all; however, upon meeting the Su xiaojie, she found the girl to be quite alarmingly hard to read. She couldn’t tell if Su Jing Fei was truly a quiet and proper xiaojie or whether it was all a facade.

    “Mother, everything has been taken care of.” came Feng Ru Weng’s voice from the doorway as he entered the room. His sharp features were quite reminiscent of Zhao shi’s own scholarly appearance, and she rather adored her son so she was quite happy to see him.

    “Thank you, my son,” said Zhao shi adoringly as she helped her son to a seat. “Once Su Jing Fei is taken care of, this family will be able to rise with no obstacles. Your gugu(*aunt) has promised that your gufu(*uncle-in-law) will take you as a disciple and sponsor you when everything has been taken care of.”

    Feng Ru Weng’s eyes shined brightly as the future prospects of moving to the imperial city. “This one will work hard to earn gugu and gufu’s favor!”

    “The doctor has arrived!” announced one of the servants. “The imperial prince and the city lord Feng Ruo Zhang and the first master Feng Ruo Qian also have arrived!”

    Everyone moved quickly to greet the men as they arrived and entered the premises. At the head of the group was Li Wei Sheng and Feng Ruo Zhang who walked beside each other while conversing. “This lowly one thanks the imperial prince for getting an imperial doctor to come. My granddaughter Feng Eu Mei is a delicate young woman, and this lowly one is very worried for her health. This lowly one thanks the imperial prince for his concern for her.” Feng Ruo Zhang spoke heartily as they entered the room.

    Li Wei Sheng smiled politely. “For such an unfortunate event to occur on such a joyous occasion is rather concerning. This one hopes to help the two xiaojie recover from such a terrifying experience. It is one’s duty as a member of the royal family to take care of one’s loyal subjects.” His words expressed neutral concern over Feng Eu Mei and Su Jing Fei, causing Feng Ruo Qian to become a little worried about his initial plan to have Feng Eu Mei win over Li Wei Sheng’s favor.

    Feng Ruo Qian had initially hoped that his eldest daughter Feng Eu Mei could capture the attention of this imperial prince; however, he’d seen Li Wei Sheng take the initiative to converse with Su Jing Fei as though they were well acquainted. On top of that, the Hou family have been pestering to hear his reply to their betrothal request between their eldest son and Feng Eu Mei. There was no way he was letting his most beautiful and talented daughter marry a simple nobleman, even if the Hou family had all the money in the world. It was power that could truly change his family’s fate from a low-ranking city official’s family to one which had birthed a phoenix! His plans would definitely not be foiled by the stupid da xiaojie of the Feng family or the son of the Hou family!

    “How are the two xiaojie doing?” Li Wei Sheng asked, looking towards Zhao shi and Feng Ru Weng.

    “They have been settled into rooms,” Zhao shi replied with a small smile, but the furen’s expression suddenly became filled with sadness and concern as she continued speaking. “However, my Mei’er has suffered quite a shock and scare and is still bedridden! This lowly one’s heart aches for my poor daughter!”

    “Then we shall waste no more time,” Li Wei Sheng spoke in a firm tone. “Take us to their resting chambers so that the imperial doctor can help the xiaojie.”

    Feng Ru Weng eagerly led the group of people to the courtyard where the two women were resting. However, his steps were quick, and he made sure to unlock the front door to Su Jing Fei’s room before anyone else arrived to notice. Once everyone was present, Feng Ru Weng was quick to lead them into Su Jing Fei’s chambers; he couldn’t keep the grin off his face, but the rest of the Feng family managed to keep their happy emotions hidden. Of course, they were all well aware of the scheme they had to get rid of both Su Jing Fei and the Hou family all at once. They couldn’t wait to see the result of Su Jing Fei’s humiliation! However, upon entering the room, Feng Ru Weng noticed that something was wrong. He didn’t see either Su Jing Fei or the Hou gongzhi anywhere in the room!

    Li Wei Sheng’s eyes darkened as he took notice of the empty room. “The Feng family dares to disrespect this imperial prince by wasting his time?”

    “No! This lowly one does not dare!” spoke Feng Ruo Zhang quickly, hoping to appease the young man. The city lord turned to his eldest grandson and glared at him quite fiercely. “Stop playing your games, boy! Where is the Su xiaojie?”

    Feng Ru Weng looked flustered and utterly shocked at Su Jing Fei and the Hou gongzhi’s disappearance. “This lowly one truly does not know! This is the room that the Su xiaojie was brought to rest while waiting for the doctor to arrive!”

    Zhao shi suddenly had a very bad feeling in her gut, but before she could say anything, Feng Ru Weng rashly ran out of the room to check on Feng Eu Mei’s room next door. He was genuinely worried that Su Jing Fei had broken out and done something to Feng Eu Mei who was already in an incredibly vulnerable state. The group of people quickly followed Feng Ru Weng to the room next door as he pushed the doors opened and rushed into Feng Eu Mei’s room.

    “What is the meaning of this?” shouted Feng Ruo Zhang angrily as they came upon the scene.

    “Mei’er!” cried Zhao shi as she watched Feng Ru Weng pull a man out of the bed while a young woman fumbled to pull her robes around herself. Feng Eu Mei gave her mother a look of confusion, having finally broken out of her half-unconscious state of mind; the last thing she remembered was falling into the water and then having a very nice dream where her and the imperial prince were…

    Feng Ruo Qian angrily marched forward, grabbing the stumbling man by the collar and pulling his face upwards to take a good look at the man who had sullied his daughter. It was none other than the Hou gongzhi! “How dare you force yourself upon my daughter, Hou gongzhi!” Feng Ruo Qian roared angrily, shaking the man fiercely.

    “I-It wasn’t forced!” stuttered the man who had slightly sobered up from his previous drunken state. “Feng xiaojie called me down here to meet with me secretly!”

    “Impossible!” argued Feng Ruo Qian as he threw the boy to the ground, turning his head to glare at Feng Ru Weng. “You were supposed to protect your sister! How are you so inept at such a simple task to have allowed such a humiliation?”

    The color drained from Feng Ru Weng’s face, and he lost all of the previous composure he had before. He fell to his knees before his family, shaking his head. “It must be Su Jing Fei! She must have done this!”

    Feng Ruo Qian’s face twisted in anger. That stupid Su xiaojie had actually caused his family to lose face like this? She was asking for death! “Go find Su Jing Fei!” He ordered the servants who stood idly nearby.

    “There’s no need,” replied a calm familiar voice from the doorway. “This one has just returned and wonders what the first master has need of me for.” The crowd parted to reveal Su Jing Fei walking in with a graceful demeanor, bowing respectfully before her superiors.

    As Feng Eu Mei became increasingly aware of her own circumstances, a deep hatred for Su Jing Fei burned in her heart. It was supposed to be Su Jing Fei who suffered a terrible humiliation, not her! But somehow, her water had been drugged, and she had found herself in such a terrible state, especially since the imperial prince was now witness to her humiliation! “Su Jing Fei, you wretched woman! You drugged me!” shouted Feng Eu Mei in shrill voice filled with anger. She shed the facade of her previous demeanor, wanting to get justice for herself at having her scheme turned against her.

    “Su Jing Fei, explain yourself quickly!” yelled Feng Ruo Qian as he pointed his finger at her.

    Su Jing Fei kept a calm composure, politely returning Feng Ruo Qian’s angry words with a gentle and soft tone. “This one is unsure of what the first master means. This one has just returned after fetching a coat from one’s carriage.”

    “You!” Feng Ruo Qian took a threatening step forward, but Su Jing Fei met his angry glare with a cold and imposing gaze. The man paused briefly, a little surprised at the young woman’s frightening composure. This was no ordinary naive xiaojie!

    “This lowly one begs the imperial prince to seek justice for my daughter!” cried Zhao shi as she prostrated herself before Li Wei Sheng. The Feng Lao Furen also fell to her knees beside Zhao shi, begging the imperial prince to seek justice for her granddaughter.

    It was at this moment that Feng Eu Mei realized that Li Wei Sheng was present in the room, having been too preoccupied with her humiliating state to have noticed him in the back of the crowd. Her face reddened, and she clutched the robes tightly around herself. Her gaze flew to Su Jing Fei who was standing calmly to the side, and Feng Eu Mei wanted nothing more than to slap that righteous-looking expression off Su Jing Fei’s face!

    “This imperial prince shall hear your words,” spoke Li Wei Sheng, reaching down to help Zhao shi and the Feng Lao Furen off the ground. “Let us first have the imperial doctor examine Feng xiaojie and Su xiaojie for any injuries. Then we will discuss matters.”

    “This lowly one thanks the imperial prince for his kindness!” cried Zhao shi as the two women stood up, moving to the side as the imperial doctor stepped forward.

    Everyone else left the room, including the Hou gongzhi who was dragged out. The imperial doctor was left to examine both Su Jing Fei and Feng Eu Mei in peace while everyone else gathered at a nearby family hall, waiting to hear the imperial doctor’s examination results.

    It seemed quite a long time of waiting before the imperial doctor returned. The two xiaojie followed behind him while servants trailed behind. Feng Eu Mei was redressed in properly and had fixed her hair as well; however, her face was deathly pale as she moved to stand beside her mother. Su Jing Fei stood quietly to the side as the imperial doctor stepped forward.

    “This imperial doctor has examined both xiaojie carefully. Su xiaojie has suffered a bit of bruising where the water had made impact with her body. Despite this, however, it is only minor injuries and Su xiaojie will recover with rest and healthy food to flush out the bad blood and cold in the body.” The imperial doctor spoke in a calm manner, politely stating the results of his examination for all to hear. “In regards to Feng xiaojie, falling into the water seems to also have caused a bit of superficial bruising on the skin, but this will also heal with rest and healthy foods. However, for the second matter, after an examination of the body, pulse, and external factors, one has also concluded that the Feng xiaojie is no longer a virgin.”
     
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  19. lati84

    lati84 Active Member

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    Hi, i keep checking for updates..hope you will have some spare time to update soon.. great work btw
     
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  20. Lukha

    Lukha Well-Known Member

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    Hi, sorry I totally forgot to inform my readers on here, but I’ve been taking a bit of time to recover from an illness and won’t be updating a new chapter until this weekend, most likely tomorrow sometime. Thank you for your patience! :blobmelt:
     
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