Chapter 3
Chapter 3
The old servant was Mama Liu.
She was one of my legitimate sister’s wet nurses and a long-standing fixture of the household. Aside from Cuihong and Cuilv, she knew my legitimate sister best.
At this moment, she had likely lost her wits, terrified by the fates of Cuihong and Cuilv. Despite being known for her maturity and steadiness, she blurted out the surname of an unrelated man.
The Young Master Xue that Mama Liu mentioned was Xue Zhaofeng, courtesy name Qiongxue.
He was currently the most sought-after Tanhua Scholar in all of the capital!
Young Master Xue was as elegant as a tree in the wind; his appearance truly lived up to his courtesy name. With ruby lips, pearly teeth, and an extraordinary temperament, he was like polished jade amidst the snow.
Two years ago, also here at Xiangguo Temple, my legitimate sister and Young Master Xue had caught a fleeting glimpse of each other in the crowd.
A year ago, as the son of Father’s old friend, Young Master Xue began frequenting the Marquis Manor after placing third in the imperial examinations as the Tanhua Scholar. Since then, the two families had remained in close contact.
Though Father came from a military background and had helped the Emperor win the throne on horseback, he deeply admired upright scholars. Thus, he was very fond of this young man.
Moreover, he had shared a life-and-death friendship with Xue Zhaofeng’s late father, so he was naturally willing to promote and support the young man.
He even intended to choose a suitable match for Tanhua Xue from among the concubine-born daughters who were of marriageable age.
This continued until the beginning of the year. During Father’s birthday banquet, my legitimate sister and Young Master Xue met in the rockery of the inner garden, only to be accidentally discovered by the matriarch.
I had been in the garden at the time, picking old loquat leaves to brew loquat paste for my concubine mother. I happened to run into the furious matriarch and hid in a daze, unexpectedly witnessing the entire scene.
Even though my legitimate sister and Young Master Xue had maintained a proper distance and behaved with decorum, with maids and servants present, it was still an overstepping of boundaries for a man and a woman to meet privately in a family like ours-especially for a legitimate sister who was the designated Crown Princess!
I knew it was bad. I secretly blamed the maids by her side for being so senseless as to not advise against it, even keeping watch with lingering looks.
On that occasion, the matriarch quietly sent the Tanhua Scholar away and pleasantly arranged for my legitimate sister to assist her in managing the affairs of the inner household.
But as soon as the birthday banquet ended, her expression changed instantly.
She ordered people to slap Cuihong and Cuilv’s mouths until they were mangled; for months afterward, neither could speak.
Though Mama Liu was elderly, she was still fined half a year’s wages and forced to do laundry for a month.
For the first time since birth, my legitimate sister was punished with kneeling.
She knelt in the ancestral hall for three days and nights. When she came out, she was grounded for three months.
From then on, Young Master Xue was not allowed to enter the private residence of the Marquis Manor.
If there were state affairs, they were discussed in the imperial court.
At that time, Father doted on my legitimate sister and cherished the young man, even blaming the matriarch for being too harsh.
He thought that because the Marquis Manor’s gardens were too large, Xue Qiongxue had simply lost his way and happened to encounter Baozhu, engaging in a polite conversation.
With maids and servants watching, what could possibly happen?
He felt such heavy punishment was unnecessary.
However, a young girl’s budding affection and the look in her eyes are harder to hide than my concubine mother’s nightly coughing.
Father was a man who spent his years on the battlefield; he didn’t understand the subtleties of romance, so it was normal that he couldn’t see it. But how could it be hidden from the matriarch?
How could it be hidden from the women of the inner household, whose hearts were as intricate as lotus roots?
If even a single word leaked out and the reputation of the future Crown Princess was damaged, the consequences would be unthinkable!
At the time, even the matriarch thought it was merely a young girl’s infatuation, a momentary spark that she had quickly snuffed out and would soon pass.
Yet my once plump and radiant legitimate sister grew visibly gaunt after being grounded, losing so much weight that her clothes hung loose. She eventually reached the point where she had no appetite for food or tea.
Word reached us that for some unknown reason, Tanhua Xue had also fallen seriously ill and was bedridden for a month before recovering.
This news nearly drove the matriarch mad.
But she could only grit her teeth and pretend not to know. Just like the three months of scorching summer heat, she had to endure the boiling anxiety in her heart and swallow it down.
Therefore, learning that the wedding date had been moved forward actually gave her a sudden sigh of relief.
Once her daughter entered the palace gates, there would be no possibility left for the two of them.
In high spirits, she decided to bring her daughter to Xiangguo Temple one last time-first to pray for blessings, and second to fulfill a vow.
She never expected something would go wrong.
This was a paper windowpane that was never meant to be poked through, but Mama Liu’s words just now had sliced the truth wide open, stripped it bare, and laid it right before the matriarch.
Indeed, even the matriarch suspected as much herself; otherwise, why were there no signs of a forced abduction in the room?
But the truth is hard to hear, and the one who speaks it is naturally an eyesore!
The matriarch did not look back. Her words seemed gentle, a string of prayer beads half-clutched in her palm as she straightened her back.
“Mama Liu, since you mentioned Young Master Xue, is there anything else you wish to say?”
Believing there was hope for her life, Mama Liu’s face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly reported: “Those two little wenches refused to speak, but this old woman knows. The day before we came to Xiangguo Temple, Cuihong and Cuilv left the manor with a food box, saying the Miss wanted to eat peach blossom pastries from Fang’s Old Shop. But I was cautious and saw clearly that the carriage was heading toward the West Market. Matriarch, the residence bestowed upon Young Master Xue by the Emperor is located right in the West Market!”
“If we send people to the Xue residence immediately to demand her back, we will surely get news of the Miss!”
I closed my eyes in despair.
If what Mama Liu said was true, it was equivalent to announcing to the world that my legitimate sister, the future Crown Princess, was having an affair with Tanhua Xue…
The matriarch finally turned around. After a long silence, she sat down with downcast eyes, the prayer beads already revolving in her palm.
When she opened her eyes again, they flashed like cold lightning and thunder.
“Men.”
The two servants, the twins named Dawu and Xiaowu, entered upon hearing the command.
They were orphaned twins who had grown up in the military camp and were now the matriarch’s most capable enforcers.
“Mama Liu has slandered the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Manor, the future Crown Princess. She should have been beaten to death on the spot. Out of consideration for her service as the Miss’s wet nurse, cut out her tongue and sell her off.”
My jaw trembled uncontrollably as the sound of pig-like squealing for mercy filled my ears.
Soon, the shrill cries coming from outside turned into a gurgling sound before abruptly stopping.
The matriarch’s voice seemed to drift closer, right beside my ear.
Like the whisper of a demon.
“Jingshu, among your many concubine-born sisters, Baozhu likes you the most. She always tells me that you seem dull and simple, but are actually keeping a low profile, possessing a heart of many apertures.”
“So, you tell me.”
“Where do you think your legitimate sister has gone?”