Chapter 22
Chapter 22
The palace maid wore a stern expression, her voice cold and severe as she urged, “Follow me.”
Xing Shuwei followed.
After passing through two archways, they entered a brightly lit room.
Princess Jin’an and Lady Pei occupied the seats of honor, while Dowager Lady Pei and Pei Xuanfei sat below them on the right.
Xing Shuwei approached Princess Jin’an and curtsied respectfully.
Since Princess Jin’an did not speak, she could not rise.
“I just showed the Princess your calligraphy,” Pei Xuanfei said, unable to contain herself.
Xing Shuwei acted as though she had heard nothing and did not spare her so much as a glance.
Infuriated at being ignored, Pei Xuanfei rose and moved to Xing Shuwei’s side.
“Of all the brothers and sisters in the Duke’s estate, Eldest Brother taught only you to write. Eldest Brother truly treats you well!”
Xing Shuwei raised her eyes slightly and looked at her with her limpid, watery gaze-
As expected, Pei Xuanfei was plotting no good.
“We are guests at Princess Jin’an’s residence. Weiwei does not understand why the Eldest Young Lady would mention such things,” Xing Shuwei said, feigning bewildered helplessness.
Pei Xuanfei replied, “Naturally, I want to tell the Princess that Eldest Brother treats you best.”
“Everyone in the Duke’s estate treats Weiwei well. Weiwei will remember this kindness until her dying day.” Xing Shuwei continued playing dumb.
Losing patience, Pei Xuanfei picked up the sheet of rice paper from the table and held it toward her. “Stop spouting all that. Just tell me whether you wrote these words.”
Xing Shuwei answered, “I did. Is there some problem?”
“Hah. No one in the entire Duke’s estate dares approach Eldest Brother’s court without permission. Yet you…”
Pei Xuanfei smiled in triumph.
“This handwriting is the best proof that you often enter and leave Eldest Brother’s court.
“If you did not pester him every day to teach you to write, how could your handwriting be identical to his?
“Moreover, the line you wrote is something a woman would write to her lover.”
Dowager Lady Pei had already explained every word to her, so Pei Xuanfei now knew what the sentence meant.
“Eldest Brother has simply treated you too well. It made you so bold and reckless that you would openly write such a frivolous verse even at Princess Jin’an’s residence.”
Pei Xuanfei failed to notice how Princess Jin’an’s expression suddenly darkened at her words.
Xing Shuwei glanced indifferently at the rice paper without responding.
The room abruptly fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
For a moment, Pei Xuanfei began to feel uncertain.
What was that wretch Xing Shuwei doing?
Should she not be guiltily arguing in her defense by now?
What sort of reaction was this?
Xing Shuwei remained in her curtsy, silent throughout.
“Your Highness, Xuanxuan does not mean to speak out of turn, but look at her. Eldest Brother shares no blood with her. She is only Grandmother’s grandniece, yet she and Eldest Brother are so close…”
Pei Xuanfei had truly been driven senseless by rage. Before, she had still intended to keep up appearances before the Princess. Now she abandoned even that pretense.
“What nonsense are you saying?” Lady Pei reprimanded her. “Today is a joyous day for the Princess.
“What propriety is there in spouting nonsense here?
“How does Lady Qian usually teach you to behave?”
“Kneel and apologize to the Princess at once.”
Lady Qian was the Third Madam, Pei Xuanfei’s mother.
Unconvinced, Pei Xuanfei turned and looked resentfully at Lady Pei. “Eldest Aunt, you cannot help this wretch deceive the Princess.”
She still bore a grudge against Lady Pei over the incident at the Shen residence.
“You! Kneel!” Lady Pei’s expression darkened further, and her voice rang with icy severity.
She was the mistress in charge of the Duke’s estate.
If Pei Xuanfei were allowed to continue causing a scene, the Princess would think her unfit to manage the household.
Seeing this, Dowager Lady Pei gave Pei Xuanfei a meaningful look.
Though reluctant, Pei Xuanfei hesitated before finally dropping to her knees with a thud.
“Enough,” Princess Jin’an finally said. “There is no need to damage the harmony of your family over such a trifling matter.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Xing Shuwei.
Xing Shuwei raised her eyes at just the right moment, looking pitiful with her watery gaze.
She spoke timidly. “Naturally, there is no need for Your Highness to trouble herself over something fabricated from nothing.
“Simply compare this commoner’s handwriting with the Eldest Young Master’s, and the truth will become clear.
“Weiwei is merely a commoner and is truly of no importance. But if Weiwei does not prove her innocence and some groundless speculation displeases Your Highness, then Weiwei deserves ten thousand deaths.”
Although Xing Shuwei’s handwriting resembled Pei Xianjing’s, few people had seen samples from both of them. It was more like a rumor circulating through the Duke’s estate.
No one even knew how the rumor had begun.
After speaking, Xing Shuwei drew a folded sheet of paper from her sleeve and gracefully presented it to Princess Jin’an.
Ever since Pei Xianjing moved to Qiansheng Pavilion, he had lived as though cut off from the world.
He had indeed forced Xing Shuwei to practice writing with her right hand. Her own mother had failed to change the habit, but Pei Xianjing succeeded.
If she had written with her right hand, Pei Xuanfei’s scheme would indeed have succeeded.
As for the medicinal cuisine prescription meant to nourish Lady Pei’s health, naturally, Pei Xianjing had not written it.
Xing Shuwei had written it with her right hand.
It happened to be tucked inside her sleeve and now proved useful.
The line she had written today, however, was meant for Shen Yanqi.
Had Shen Yanqi understood her meaning?
Even if he had, was he interested in her?
If he held no interest in her, she would not waste time on him.
But whatever the answer, she still needed another opportunity to test him.
Princess Jin’an’s maid accepted the paper from her.
When she unfolded it, the two styles of handwriting were indeed entirely different.
After Pei Xianjing’s remark that day, Princess Jin’an had truly entered the palace and asked her imperial father to show her one of his memorials.
The handwriting on the paper before her was indeed identical to that on the memorial.
Princess Jin’an glanced again at the sheet of rice paper Pei Xuanfei held-
The handwriting on it was completely different!
“In that case, you wrote those words for one of the young masters attending today’s banquet?” Princess Jin’an’s expression immediately softened considerably.
Xing Shuwei blushed and replied, “It is said, ‘A graceful maiden is a gentleman’s ideal mate.’
“The reverse is also true. This commoner thought herself clever. Please punish her, Your Highness.”
Princess Jin’an smiled. “How could I blame you for such a harmless thought in a young woman’s heart?”
“Rise.”
Xing Shuwei inclined her head and said gratefully, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Which family’s young master has caught your eye?” Princess Jin’an asked. “You may tell me. I will decide the matter for you.
“Lady Pei tells me the Eldest Young Master regards you as a younger sister.”
Xing Shuwei nodded slightly. “The Eldest Young Master has only one younger sister, the Eldest Young Lady.
“Perhaps he feared she would be lonely on her own and thus honored Weiwei by finding her a companion.”
Xing Shuwei stood where Pei Xuanfei had been standing and lowered her eyes to look at her.
To Pei Xuanfei, the crescent curve of her smiling eyes was unmistakably a provocation.