Chapter 64: Ask Clearly

Wei Jiao tapped the table impatiently.

"Why so slow?" he said, raising his voice toward the inner chamber. "Haven't figured out what to say yet? Need some help? We have plenty of people here who are experts at spinning lies."

With that, he waved his hand and called out a few names.

Several of the standing Embroidered Guard soldiers responded with strange, eccentric calls as they headed toward the inner hall.

"Coming, coming!"

Lady Ding'an's voice drifted from within, sounding tearful. When she emerged, her eyes were red.

"Please forgive us, Commander. Relatives meeting again, we were just discussing the past."

Wei Jiao's gaze shifted to Duke Ding'an, seeing his face pale, looking as if he had lost his parents.

Wei Jiao couldn't help but laugh. His gaze then moved to the young girl being led by Lady Ding'an, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.

At this moment, the eyes of everyone else in the room also turned toward the girl.

She had changed into a pale yellow dress and styled her hair in the Yingchun manner. Though her face remained as plain as ever, perhaps aided by the contrast of her clothing and hairstyle, her slender eyebrows seemed slightly more curved, her thin eyelids a bit softer, the tip of her nose a bit more upturned, and her thin lips held a hint of moisture. Her entire being was as elegant as a pear blossom.

The young guard from before was nowhere to be seen.

"A-Sheng," Liu Chan stepped forward to greet her, looking her up and down with joy. "You look much better in women's clothing."

Mo Zheng gave her a smile but said nothing. She could feel Liu Changqing's gaze sweep over her once before moving away, and the young man Cheng Yuan stared at her curiously for a few moments before returning his gaze to his junior sister. Only Wei Jiao remained fixed.

Wei Jiao stared at her, looking from top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, and right to left, his eyes circling her incessantly.

Even Lady Ding'an, watching from the sidelines, found it difficult to bear; she felt as though at any moment, Wei Jiao might strip the girl's clothes off.

This madman might actually do it!

She hurriedly reached out to tug at Duke Ding'an.

"Commander, this is indeed my sister's daughter," Duke Ding'an said hoarsely.

"You're from White Horse Town, then?" Wei Jiao ignored the Duke and continued to look at Mo Zheng, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't burn to death?"

Mo Zheng looked at him, her expression somewhat blank, as if she didn't quite understand what he meant.

Duke Ding'an and Lady Ding'an were momentarily stunned—that Wei Jiao actually knew about the matter in White Horse Town—but they were quickly relieved.

There was nothing the Embroidered Guard didn't know through their spying.

"Commander, the person you mentioned was my biological younger sister," Lady Ding'an said hurriedly, tears falling. "My sister and my niece have both passed away."

With that, she pulled Mo Zheng closer.

"This is the daughter of our uncle's sister. My uncle has two daughters."

"This cousin was quite pitiful; she passed away a few years ago. Her husband remarried and was a useless man who didn't care for the child. My brother wrote to us asking us to look after her, but we never expected..."

Yang Luo stepped forward to take over the narrative: "My master wanted to marry the young lady to an old widower, so the lady and I fled."

As she spoke, she also raised her sleeve to cover her face and began to weep.

Hearing this, Liu Chan gripped Mo Zheng's hand, her expression indignant. "So A-Sheng, you had such a father. No wonder you said it was better not to mention it."

Mo Zheng lowered her eyes. "I intend to establish my own household and no longer rely on him."

Lady Ding'an wiped her tears and scolded gently, "What do you mean, establish your own household? Our Yang family isn't without people." She then looked toward Liu Changqing. "Scholar Liu, this child fled her home, claiming she wanted to be independent, so she came to the capital. She met Miss Liu, and seeing that Miss Liu was ill and had an invitation, she used the invitation and Miss Liu's identity to take the exam for the Princess's Attendant."

Liu Changqing frowned, about to speak, but Liu Chan spoke first.

"Father, I did this of my own volition," she said. "I had no way to take the exam at the time and didn't want to come to the capital for nothing, so I was willing to let Miss Yang..."

Though she hadn't said it quite like that before, now that she knew A-Sheng's true background was so tragic, she wanted to speak up for her.

Someone tapped rhythmically on the table.

"Then why wasn't Miss Yang the one who went, but this..."

Wei Jiao said, his gaze finally shifting from Mo Zheng to Yang Luo, who stood a step behind. His eyes only circled her briefly before returning to Mo Zheng.

"...maidservant? In your house, even the maids can read?"

"I was originally born into a wealthy family, but when the family fell into ruin, I was sold into slavery," Yang Luo stepped forward and said loudly. "I did receive an education at home."

This was common in the New Dynasty and not surprising; with every new emperor came a new set of officials. As the new nobility and clans rose to power, they bought up the servants and even the female relatives of the fallen old aristocracy.

Wei Jiao said nothing, merely looking at Mo Zheng, as if waiting only for her explanation.

Mo Zheng raised her eyes to look at him, her expression calm. "I fled an arranged marriage. Fearing my family would find me, I had to hide my identity. Acting as a servant could avoid attracting attention, so I swapped identities with the maid."

Wei Jiao let out a huff. "You certainly went to great lengths, playing the servant so convincingly that you took two knife wounds."

"If my identity were exposed and I were caught and sent back, it would be a death sentence," Mo Zheng said, her eyes indifferent. "Rather than dying at the hands of that old widower, I would rather die at your hands, Commander."

Wei Jiao laughed. "This is the first time someone has expressed a desire to die by my hand."

Mo Zheng's gaze drifted across his face as she replied, "At least the Commander is young and beautiful."

No one expected her to say such a thing. Duke Ding'an and Lady Ding'an were stunned, Liu Changqing frowned, and Liu Chan burst into laughter. Seeing his junior sister laugh, Cheng Yuan followed suit.

"Child, don't speak nonsense!" Lady Ding'an snapped as she regained her senses. How dare she flirt with this Wei Jiao?!

Wei Jiao leaned back against his chair, his eyes curving into a smile. "How is this nonsense? I am indeed young and beautiful; dying by my hand is indeed quite worthwhile."

Lady Ding'an didn't know how to respond to that.

"The identity of Miss Yuan was something I made up. Previously, my maternal grandfather sent someone to visit me, and I learned of my aunt's sister through a servant," Mo Zheng continued. "I used Miss Yuan's identity, combined with my own reasons for leaving home, to have my maid lie before the Commander."

Wei Jiao let out an "oh." "So, you didn't know that Miss Yuan had also fled an arranged marriage?"

Mo Zheng froze and looked at Lady Ding'an inquiringly.

Lady Ding'an reflexively countered, "No, of course not! How... how would you know?"

Wei Jiao's gaze remained fixed on the two of them, watching their reactions, his lips curling into a smile. "Oh, me? A while ago, I happened to encounter a carriage outside the city. The young lady inside was both crying and screaming. I've always been a helpful person, so I stopped the carriage to ask what was happening. I learned it was Miss Yuan, who is related to the House of Duke Ding'an, and had come to the capital to escape an arranged marriage, only to be captured and sent back by you, Madam."

Lady Ding'an's face flushed crimson.

Duke Ding'an glared at her. "I told you this would cause trouble."

"So, this Miss Yuan also..." Mo Zheng sighed softly, giving a self-deprecating smile. "It seems very few of us women have smooth marriages."

Wei Jiao sat up straight, looking intrigued. "I'm starting to wonder if there's something wrong with the feng shui of the House of Duke Ding'an? Why do all the women encounter bad men and try to flee their marriages?"

Hearing this, the Duke's originally pale face instantly turned red. "Wei Jiao, it is not your place to comment on our family's feng shui!"

Wei Jiao was not intimidated by the Duke's sudden outburst. He raised an eyebrow. "Why, am I not allowed to speak? Are you just angry because you're embarrassed?"

"You insult the women of my house and defame our reputation. I shall take this complaint directly to His Majesty," the Duke said venomously.

Lady Ding'an stopped him. "Enough, it was just one sentence, let it be." She then turned to soothe Wei Jiao. "Family matters are troublesome, and the Duke is in a foul mood. We ask the Commander for his forbearance."

Liu Changqing, who had been watching silently, finally spoke.

"I care nothing for your family matters, but impersonating another is a violation of the law," he said. "Since my daughter did not pass the exam, her name should not be in the Imperial Academy. I will go to the Academy tomorrow to explain the situation and bring my daughter home."

"That won't do! The young lady will be driven out of the capital and captured!" Yang Luo, who as a maid had no right to speak, cried out. She looked at Mo Zheng with an expression of grievance and anxiety, covering her face to weep.

Liu Chan also grew anxious and ran to her father's side, pleading, "Father, don't do this..."

Liu Changqing rebuked her, "How can I not? Impersonating another, even if one passed through their own merit, is not the way of a gentleman. What kind of place is the Imperial Academy? And she was selected as a Princess's Attendant; such conduct is a grave crime of deceiving teachers and the sovereign."

"Scholar Liu is right," Mo Zheng said, shaking her head at Liu Chan. "We acted on impulse before, though we knew it was wrong."

With that, she bowed deeply to Duke and Lady Ding'an.

"After entering the capital, I did not seek out my uncle and aunt because I wanted to be independent and no longer rely on my family. However, I have done something improper and tarnished my uncle and aunt's reputation."

She straightened up and looked at Liu Changqing.

"I will go to the Imperial Academy with Scholar Liu to explain the situation. I ask the Academy and the Princesses to hold me accountable; I will take full responsibility alone."

Yang Luo wiped her tears beside her. "Miss, that will make a huge scene."

Mo Zheng said calmly, "It is merely death. I had originally intended to hang myself on my wedding day; now I have simply lived a few more days."

A huge scene?

The Academy and the Princesses holding her accountable? That would inevitably be reported to the Emperor...

That wouldn't do. The faces of Duke and Lady Ding'an turned pale once more, and they spoke in unison

"Don't be hasty! Let us think of a way."