Chapter 76 – Inexplicable: An Edict From The Empress
“Fourth Younger Sister, let’s forget it if it was lost. Today is the big day for the captive-offering event by the heir-apparent of the Duke of Yan State.” The Third Princess finally raised her head and persuaded in a gentle voice.
“Third Elder Sister, are you saying we shall let go of this hairpin thing?” The Fourth Princess’s expression was softened, but she still looked rather displeased.
The Third Princess smiled and stood up. She took the hairpin from Wei Yan’s hand and raised it to take a look. Then, she said, “This hairpin only looks similar, but it’s not a real phoenix hairpin with a nine-branched tail.”
“Not real?” The Fourth Princess was surprised and took the hairpin over. When she saw that there was no crown on the phoenix’s head, she didn’t know what to say for a moment.
“Since Sixth Miss Wei did not violate the rule by wearing a real phoenix hairpin and Second Miss Wei’s hairpin was lost, it seems to be merely a misunderstanding. Let’s forget it and let the young ladies take their seats. The banquet will soon begin.” The Third Princess said gently, her smile as warm as the spring breeze.
Since the Third Princess had said so, the others did not dare to stay at the spot any longer. Therefore, the young ladies returned to their seats. No matter what, everyone regarded this Second Miss Wei’s base character with disgust from the bottom of their hearts.
Not only had she robbed her sister of her fiancée, but now she tried to slander her sister. A character like the Second Miss Wei was really a disgrace among aristocratic young ladies. Anyone could see that this hairpin incident was designed by the Second Miss Wei to frame the Sixth Miss Wei.
It was shocking that the Second Miss Wei, who had always looked dignified and properly-behaved, was in fact so vicious.
“Sixth Miss Wei, Second Miss Wei is after all your sister.” The Third Princess smilingly turned to Wei Yuewu in a gentle but persuasive manner.
“Yes. To maintain harmony between sisters, of course a younger sister should defer to an elder sister. I’ll do as you ask, Your Highness.” Wei Yuewu’s eyes flashed with a trace of thoughtfulness, but her face did not reveal anything. She respectfully and deeply curtsied to the Third Princess, showing that she would listen to her on everything.
However, as she lowered her head, she glanced at the Fourth Princess beside the Third Princess. She clearly saw that because of her words, the Fourth Princess’s face darkened, concealing a trace of cold and fierce anger in her eyes.
Over the past few days, Wei Yuewu had seen several times the Crown Prince taking with him the Third Princess instead of his own sister. Considering the Fourth Princess’s temper, she guessed the Fourth Princess had long since felt unhappy about the Third Princess. Everyone would feel aggrieved if her own brother treated other sisters better than herself.
Moreover, the Fourth Princess was obviously unwilling to suffer any losses…
Wei Yuewu bet that although she herself could suppress her anger, the Fourth Princess could not!
Wei Yan breathed a sigh of relief from the side. Now the Third Princess offered to mediate, this matter should come to an end. She glanced at Wei Yuewu with hatred out of the corner of her eyes. This little bitch escaped a disaster again! She would absolutely not give her any chance the next time!
“Defer to an elder sister? This elder sister is so mean that she framed her younger sister again and again.” The Fourth Princess had originally intended to let it go. However, when she heard Wei Yuewu saying that a younger sister should defer to her elder sisters, she changed her mind immediately. Although she was younger, her status was much nobler than that of the Third Princess.
When the Fourth Princess thought that the Third Princess had always shown such generosity in front of people that even her own brother said that she was no match for the Third Princess, she felt extremely unhappy.
Why must a younger sister listen to her elder sisters? Why must a younger sister give way to her elder sisters and put her elder sisters first? For what?
However, she couldn’t openly question the Third Princess about it. Therefore, at this moment, she took advantage of this matter to reprove Wei Yan, which was in fact, an indirect mock at the Third Princess.
“Your Highness…” Wei Yan did not dare to reply to the Fourth Princess, so she turned to the Third Princess and pleaded for help again.
“Fourth Younger Sister…” The Third Princess coughed softly, wanting to persuade again.
‘”Someone, drag Second Miss Wei away. Although framing her younger sister is a family issue of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang, since it happened in the Imperial Palace, I don’t mind taking care of it for the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang. Give her twenty strokes!” The Fourth Princess ignored the Third Princess and announced the punishment.
As she was born by Empress Tu, she naturally enjoyed an unusual status in the palace. As soon as she finished her words, some guards immediately came over and dragged Wei Yan away. Someone even came to gag Wei Yan so that Wei Yan’s cry for help was smothered in her mouth. They then moved swiftly and took her out to flog her.
Under such circumstances, there would always be some people who would stand out and plead for mercy for Wei Yan. But now, as Wei Yan was despised by all, not a single young lady stood out to speak for her. Even Li Yue’er shrank to the side and pretended not to see her. Actually, she was also blaming Wei Yan in her heart, because her name was tainted as well for Wei Yan’s failure to trap Wei Yuewu.
At this time, of course she chose to ignore Wei Yan.
She pretended that she did not dare to plead for mercy and only lowered her head without taking any notice of Wei Yan.
The Third Princess did not expect the Fourth Princess would directly order guards to drag Wei Yan away. Furthermore, in Wei Yan’s case, the punishment of twenty strokes was not unjust. Therefore, she could not make further arguments but only sighed and smiled bitterly at Wen Tianyao, who was sitting in the seat of honor. She shook her head helplessly to show that she couldn’t help.
Wen Tianyao glanced at his own younger sister with some vexation. In his opinion, there was no need to keep a high profile in handling this matter. After all, the most important person today was Yan Huaijing. Furthermore, there were also people from the other vassal states. Such a scene would only be considered a laughing stock in the eyes of outsiders.
Wei Yuewu noticed the interaction between the brother and the sister. A trace of coldness lingered in her eyes. The Fourth Princess was no match for the Third Princess. Previously, the Third Princess had not behaved kind-heartedly to her in the tent. It could be seen that the Third Princess was an extremely crafty person. Otherwise, the Crown Prince would not think more highly of her than of his own sister.
However, Wei Yuewu didn’t think that this had anything to do with her. Her eyes unconsciously turned aside and happened to meet that pair of handsome, elegant eyes that were deep and clear and seemed to be able to see through everything. She involuntarily lowered her head slightly.
This heir-apparent of the Duke of Yan State was truly unfathomable…
When the banquet was over, it was one or two hours past the noon. The young ladies went to board their carriages and were ready to leave.
Wei Yuewu was also preparing to depart when she was called by a palace maid. There were a few other young ladies who stayed with her. None of them knew what was happening, but it turned out that the one who asked them to stay was the Empress, who hadn’t attended the banquet!
When Lady Zhang knew that Wei Yuewu was asked to stay by the Empress, she told Wei Yuewu that a carriage was left for her and she would take Wei Yan back to the mansion first.
Wei Yan was beaten heavily. When she was carried into the carriage, Mo Huating was coincidentally around, but he was a little afar. However, one could tell that Mo Huating had no intention to come to see Wei Yan. He only glanced at her and turned his face to another direction, as if he had not seen the injured Wei Yan.
Such behavior of his was indifferent, but no one would blame him. After all, this Marquis Jing Yuan was a “righteous” person. He was forced to agree to marry that Second Miss Wei and even sacrificed the engagement settled by his mother. Under such circumstances, no one would think that his behavior was unreasonable even if he went further.
No one knew that when Wei Yan’s plot against Wei Yuewu was found out, he went to beg Zhaoyi Tu…
“Is that… the Sixth Young Lady of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang? The one who I heard was untalented and plain-looking?” Qi Yunhao, the heir-apparent of the Duke of Qi State, stared blankly at Wei Yuewu with stunned eyes as he watched her leaving with other young ladies. He couldn’t help but ask Chu Fangnan, the heir-apparent of the Duke of Chu State.
When the Third Princess and Fourth Princess were dealing with the matter, they were right at the side. They had gained a good sight of the looks of the young ladies from aristocratic families.
Of the four dukes’ mansions, the two of them were the first to arrive in the capital. They had the same status and similar conditions, and both loved romantic affairs. Therefore, after a few banquets, their acquaintance developed quickly into close intimacy in which they could exchange their minds freely on everything.
Although they hadn’t been in the capital for a long time, the rumor about Wei Yuewu’s lack of talent and beauty had spread so far and wide that the two newly-arrived heirs-apparent also knew about it. Therefore, they were utterly amazed when they saw Wei Yuewu.
Although she was a little small and off colour and even a little too thin, one could tell from every perspective that this Sixth Miss Wei would definitely grow into a gorgeous beauty after two or three years. If such a beauty was called ‘plain-looking,’ what was the criterion for ‘beautiful’ in the capital?
“Marquis Jing Yuan has really suffered a huge loss.” The heir-apparent of the Duke of Chu State could not help but nod his head. He felt that Mo Huating had truly suffered a bloody misfortune to have rescued that vicious bitch, who was not only inferior to the Sixth Miss Wei in appearance but also cheap and vile. Most importantly, he had even broken off the engagement with the Sixth Miss Wei for that woman.
No matter what, Mo Huating had suffered a huge loss!
One could not easily meet a girl as charming as Sixth Miss Wei!
“Stupid. He should have let that woman burn to death to avoid subsequent trouble.” The heir-apparent of the Duke of Qi State thought Mo Huating too indecisive and sighed for him.
“However, this is going to be a favor for…” The heir-apparent of the Duke of Chu State was not just a dandy who only knew how to seek fun. He raised his head and nudged the heir-apparent of the Duke of Qi State, signaling him to look at Yan Huaijing at the side.
The heir-apparent of the Duke of Qi State was unconvinced. He straightened his sleeves and said to the heir-apparent of the Duke of Chu State in a lowered voice, “That’s not necessarily the case. I heard that the heir-apparent of the Duke of Lu State doesn’t have a wife yet. Besides, neither do us.”
As the heirs-apparent in the dukedoms, their positions were the same. Speaking of this matter, even if Yan Huaijing had some advantage in appearance, he might not necessarily be the winner of the belle.
None of the heirs-apparent had a wife by now. This of course was not coincidental…
Wei Yuewu did not know that a competition was secretly going on among the heirs-apparent. At this time, she was kneeling in front of Empress Tu, together with other young ladies. She was fully alarmed because the edict from the Empress came too strangely. She must be careful in dealing with the situation.
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