Chapter 5
Chapter 5
I was raking in so much money that my eyes were practically sparkling with gold.
Then, a group of sword-wielding bailiffs stormed in and shut down my gambling den, claiming that private gambling was a violation of the law and public order.
The lead constable apologized profusely. “Someone reported this. I am merely enforcing the law impartially. I hope Commandant Zhou will show great magnanimity.”
In truth, he probably wanted to say that every debt has its debtor and I should go find the person responsible rather than giving him trouble.
Heh, did he think I didn’t know the Governor of the capital was Ye Qing’s uncle?
The gambling funds were confiscated into the national treasury. The cooked duck had flown right out of my hands!
That wasn’t all. When we went to Drunken Breeze for some wine, the girls refused to accompany us. Even Zhao Yu, Li Jingsong, and Ye Lan were shunned by association.
The proprietress of Drunken Breeze even rolled her eyes at us.
The four of us sat in a private room, staring at each other in dismay.
As we walked down the street in disgrace, the other three wouldn’t stop scolding me.
“It’s all your fault. Why did you have to provoke Ye Qing for no reason?”
“Don’t you know? He’s the ideal husband in the hearts of every girl in the capital. Now look at what you’ve done-the girls have blacklisted us too.”
“Exactly.”
Me: “…”
When I returned to the Princess Manor, the gatekeeper Uncle Liu told me that Lord Ye had visited. My mind was filled with confusion as I entered the front hall, where my parents sat with expressions of deep misery.
“What happened?”
My father looked over with a worried face. “Vice Minister Ye was here earlier.”
I raised an eyebrow. “To tattle?”
Did he say I flirted with him? Or that I was gambling?
“He said a great deal, citing classics and historical examples. His point was to tell us that the riches and honors of the capital are blinding. If we don’t discipline you soon, you will head down a path of no return, eventually bringing disaster upon yourself and involving the Imperial Family. Even cutting off your head wouldn’t be enough to restore the royal reputation.”
Me: “…”
My mother slammed her hand on the table and stood up with a look of determination. “Go to school!”
“…”
Chapter 9
I was fine with brandishing swords and spears, but dealing with ink and brushes was the death of me.
I got scolded for dozing off in class, scolded for not being able to answer questions, scolded for writing like chicken scratch, and scolded for not knowing how to write at all.
By the end of the day, my head was buzzing.
After three days, I was moved from the classroom of my peers to the classroom for ten-year-olds, and finally to the very back of the classroom for six- and seven-year-olds.
A dozen little runts looked at me as if I were some kind of exotic curiosity.
Some of my original classmates even mocked me and threw stones at me.
My fists clenched.
With a stomach full of fire and finally an excuse to vent, I gave them all a good thrashing.
Afterward, I was struck twenty times with a ruler by Teacher Liu, who called me incorrigible and a piece of rotten wood that couldn’t be carved.
Chapter 10
This was all thanks to Ye Qing.
Our grudge was officially set in stone.
I am a very vengeful person.
I crawled out of bed before dawn and led my group of brothers to lie in ambush on the road Ye Qing took to the imperial court. We scattered pebbles, set up tripwires, shoved long poles into the wheels of moving carriages, or simply snuck into the Ye Family stables to dismantle the carriage wheels.
I also took the opportunity to steal a pair of Ye Qing’s undergarments, wrote “Ye Qing’s Trousers” on them, tied them to a bamboo pole, and planted it at the entrance of the red-light district. It fluttered in the wind like a grand banner.
Supposedly, the girls flocked there to admire Ye Qing’s trousers, speculating on many things based on the level of wear and the frayed edges.
I did that part alone.
Xiao Yu and the others said it was too embarrassing and told me to go lose face by myself.
Ye Lan, Zhao Yu, and Li Jingsong stopped hanging out with me too, saying they were afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Heh, I wasn’t afraid!
What was Ye Qing going to do, beat me to death?
He didn’t beat me to death.
He used underhanded tactics.
He had someone pose as a thief to steal my purse, and I gave chase.
I was led into a deserted manor.
Ye Qing ambushed me from behind a door, captured me, and threw me into a dry well. He sealed the opening with a massive stone and kept me trapped there for an entire night!
Someone with less courage would have been scared to death.
Fortunately, I was brave.
Ye Lan had said his brother never showed his emotions and was a gentle, refined gentleman.
Heh. With those cold eyes, that stiff face, and a gloominess so thick it looked like black ink was about to drip from him…
A refined gentleman?
A murderer wouldn’t look as fierce as he did.
While he was at court, I climbed over his wall, plucked every single orchid in his courtyard, and clipped all their leaves.
I dumped the flowers and leaves onto his bed, scattered more across his bedroom, and left a message in my blatant chicken-scratch handwriting: “Young Master was here!”
It’s only polite to reciprocate!
The next day, as I headed out for school, I was intercepted halfway by Ye Qing, who was on his day off.
He tied me to a large tree in the school’s backyard for an hour. Then, he plucked the peonies Teacher Liu was cultivating and tucked them into my hair bun.
“Ye Qing!”
I struggled with all my might, growling in a low voice.
He remained unmoved, casually looking at the folding fan in his hand.
“You’re going to get me killed! Those are Teacher Liu’s favorite flowers!”
Ye Qing lifted his eyelids and glanced at me, his eyes full of disdain.
Then, he slowly snapped another peony from the branch.
He held it high and opened his hand.
The vibrant peony fell from his grasp and hit the ground…
My eyes nearly split with rage!
Only two had bloomed!!!
Teacher Liu talked about them every single day, bragging about how he had saved a peony plant and it had produced two flowers of national beauty and heavenly fragrance!
Every couple of days, he would recite the poems he had written for the peonies to us.
Ye Qing had plucked them both!
Footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard. Like a flash of lightning, he flew toward me. A blade flashed, the rope loosened, and he grabbed the rope, soaring out of the courtyard.
Teacher Liu walked in just in time to see me pulling the flowers out of my hair bun.
Me: “…”
Teacher Liu hit me ten times with the ruler, ordered me to copy the Thousand Character Classic five times, and told me to get lost and go home to write a letter of repentance.
Ye Qing and I are now irreconcilable enemies!