Chapter 5
I promised Chuntao I would not tell Father she had tried to kill me.
She, in turn, acted for me before Lady Xing, saying I was too watchful to be easily attacked.
She also feared the “hidden guards” protecting me, so for a while my life was peaceful.
When murder failed, Lady Xing and her daughter turned to another scheme.
One day, Li Yunzhen sent for me to try on clothes and jewelry.
Her maid opened chest after chest of old dresses and boasted,
“Our young lady may have worn these once or twice, but the fabric and styles are the very best. Even in the capital, an ordinary girl couldn’t afford them. Miss Shuang’er, I hope you won’t turn up your nose.”
She made it sound as though I was receiving a tremendous favor.
I pretended not to notice and smiled meekly.
“Thank you, little sister.”
Li Yunzhen frowned at the way I addressed her.
“Some people have no sense of their place. Father and Mother show them a little kindness, and they think they can take liberties!”
I looked at her in bewildered unease. My expression amused her.
“Stop looking so shabby and frightened. Here are some ornaments. Try these too!”
The maids stood in a row, each holding a piece of jewelry.
Li Yunzhen tried them on me one by one, until the last.
It was a complete set of ruby ornaments mounted in gold, including a jeweled collar. In the sunlight, they dazzled the eye.
Seeing my surprise, Li Yunzhen said smugly,
“Isn’t this set beautiful?”
I nodded.
“Little sister, something like that is far beyond me.”
She feigned astonishment.
“Did you think I was going to give it to you? Keep dreaming! Have you even looked at yourself?”
The maids and older servants burst out laughing. Li Yunzhen hid her mouth behind her handkerchief.
“I only brought it out to show you how far beneath a real daughter of this household you are!”
“You must be joking, little sister. Why would I covet your belongings? Father will naturally give me whatever should be mine.”
I met her gaze without either shrinking or showing arrogance.
With nothing more to amuse her, she waved the servants away with the jewelry, then had the clothes sent to my courtyard.
The whole residence saw that grand procession.
Before evening, an uproar broke out in Li Yunzhen’s courtyard.
When I arrived, even the minister and Lady Xing were there.
“I only meant to give my sister a few dresses today. But she took a fancy to my ruby ornaments and couldn’t bear to put them down. They are my favorites too, so I gave her other jewelry instead.”
Li Yunzhen’s eyes were red.
“But after she left, the ruby set was gone. The maids and servants searched the whole courtyard and couldn’t find it. I had no choice but to ask Father, Mother, and my sister to come.”
“You mean…”
There was disbelief in the minister’s voice.
“If it were simply mine, I wouldn’t mind giving it to my sister. We are sisters, after all. But the empress dowager gave me this set when I visited the palace that year. I couldn’t possibly give it away.”
She caught my sleeve as she spoke.
“Please give it back, Sister! Anything else you want, I can give you!”
So, unable to kill me, she resorted to a filthy trick to ruin the minister’s opinion of me.
Watching his face grow darker, I sneered inwardly. This time, Li Yunzhen had chosen the wrong approach.
I looked utterly terrified.
“I… I didn’t. Sister, Father, believe me. I truly didn’t.”
Apart from repeating those words, I offered no defense.
Lady Xing and her daughter exchanged a glance. Both thought I was scared out of my wits.
Then Li Yunzhen’s servants all began testifying at once to how much I had liked the ruby ornaments and how unwilling I had been to let them go.
The minister’s face was livid.
“Shuang’er, tell me the truth. Was it really not you?”
I fell to my knees, tears streaming down.
“Father, I may have grown up poor, but I dare not forget a word of Mother’s teaching. How could I steal and disgrace my good name?”
A complicated, inexpressible emotion flashed through his eyes.
“In that case, why not send someone to look? If nothing is found, Shuang’er will be cleared.”
Lady Xing stepped forward to “helpfully” smooth things over.
The minister was furious.
“Nonsense! Searching her rooms would ruin her reputation!”
“I’m not afraid, Father. Let them search. Your daughter has done nothing, so I have nothing to fear!”
Still on my knees, I moved toward him and caught the hem of his robe.
A nearly imperceptible gleam of pleasure crossed Lady Xing’s face. “My lord, you see…”
He studied me for a while, sighed, and had to nod.
Lady Xing quickly signaled. The servants swarmed into my courtyard.
She was so eager that she never noticed the disappointment in the minister’s eyes as he looked at her.