Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Miss Lin was our breakthrough.

According to her, Wang Ning’er and Yu Chaoying had not been on good terms lately.

On the day they composed poems, Wang Ning’er had gone to the rockery alone to think over her verses.

Yu Chaoying followed her with an ugly look on her face.

The two seemed to argue.

Afterward, Yu Chaoying stormed back in a huff.

But what they had argued about, Miss Lin did not know.

Once she finished, Miss Lin said timidly, “Could you… not tell anyone I was the one who said this?”

“I am only a concubine-born daughter in my family… My father dislikes it when I cause trouble outside…”

Miss Lin’s eyes reddened. Her tears hovered on the brink of falling, making her look terribly fragile and pitiful.

Yuan Nanshan nodded.

“Don’t worry. We won’t bring your name up unless we have to.”

Only then did Miss Lin give a soft nod.

When Yuan Nanshan and I walked out of the room, the dark clouds outside the window had gradually dispersed.

Sunlight poured in like a veil of golden gauze.

Yuan Nanshan lifted his head and let out a quiet sigh.

“What did you make of all that?”

I sneered.

“Not one of them is simple.”

Their fathers were all old hands in officialdom.

Naturally, their daughters were no ordinary sheltered young ladies.

Yuan Nanshan sighed. “No wonder the twists and turns of the inner residence are the most troublesome of all!”

“I will absolutely never take concubines in the future. All I ask for is some peace and quiet!”

“Forget it. I might as well live as a hermit with plum blossoms for a wife and cranes for children, and die alone.”

I glanced at him and said, “The Yuan family is a great aristocratic clan. I fear that may not be up to you, my lord.”

“Let us go see Miss Yu.”

Hers was the only statement left.

Yuan Nanshan hesitated for a moment and said, “She is… your…”

Before he could say the word “sister,” I cut him off.

“My lord, I am an only daughter. I have no sisters.”

Yuan Nanshan cleared his throat and said, “Between you and me, must you be so distant?”

“If you are unwilling to simply return to the Yu family like this, I can mediate on your behalf and have Lord Yu clear your mother’s name and acknowledge your status as his legitimate daughter…”

I narrowed my eyes and enunciated each word.

“My lord, I truly have no sisters.”

“The Yu family has even less to do with me.”

After a moment of silence, Yuan Nanshan sighed.

“Very well. When you have thought it through, we can speak again.”

I gave no reply and went to Yu Chaoying’s door.

Before we even entered, there came a crisp crash.

It sounded like a porcelain vase or something of the sort smashing to the floor.

When I stepped inside, sure enough, shards covered the ground.

Miss Yu, Yu Chaoying, glared at us furiously and cursed, “How utterly useless your Dali Temple is!”

“You let Wang Ping’an abduct the women of officials’ households, running wild with no regard for the law!”

“Once I see my father, I will have him memorialize against you most harshly!”

I looked at Yu Chaoying and sneered. “Since Miss Yu has nothing to say, we will go report back to General Wang.”

At the words “report back,” Yu Chaoying became wary.

“Wait. What did you find out?”

I spread my hands. “The other noble young ladies have all confessed. At the poetry gathering, Second Miss Wang quarreled with you. After being insulted and bullied by you, she lost all hope in a moment of despair and hanged herself.”

I pretended to let out a breath of relief and said to Yuan Nanshan, “With that, we can close the case.”

Yuan Nanshan played along with me. “Indeed. Our lives should be safe now!”

Seeing that we were about to leave, Yu Chaoying immediately panicked.

She shouted, “You are not allowed to go!”

“Explain yourselves. What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

I turned back and smiled. “It means exactly what it sounds like. Does Miss Yu not understand?”

Yu Chaoying glared at me, her face full of anger.

“You… You are abusing public office for private ends! Taking revenge under the guise of duty!”

“My mother told me about you. Let me tell you, the Yu family is not something a person like you can cling to!”

My expression did not change. I smiled and said, “I have never gone to your door, so how could I be clinging to you?”

“Even if Miss Yu wished to claim kinship with me, I would be afraid of earning General Wang’s wrath.”

With that, I made to leave.

Behind me, the young woman stamped her foot hard and said angrily, “I refuse to accept this! You listened to only one side and framed an innocent person!”

“Hey, don’t go! You have to at least hear me out first!”

Yuan Nanshan and I exchanged a look.

He mouthed to me, “Finally, we’ve met an idiot.”