Chapter 3: Rumors Are Not Necessarily True

The Marquis of Weiyuan’s Mansion.

Xie Mingshen had personally escorted Xie Jiu back.

Compared to Wu Que’s negligence and carelessness, he was far more cautious.

He did not depart in his carriage until he had seen with his own eyes the steward of the Marquis’s mansion ushering Xie Jiu inside.

Looking at the massive mansion before her, Xie Jiu felt a sense of resentment and unwillingness more intense than she had ever known. It burned so hotly in her eyes that she wished she could set the entire estate ablaze and reduce it to ash.

"My Lady, what should we do now?"

Chunrong and Qingfang both looked at Xie Jiu with faces full of worry.

The joy they had felt earlier upon escaping back to the Xie family had long since been washed away.

Even the two maids had realized by now that Xie Jiu had been conspired against by both her husband’s family and her own; there was simply nowhere left to run.

Where else could she go? The one who had sent her back into this pit of fire was her own biological father.

But she was not reconciled to this.

Why? Why should she be so obediently manipulated, schemed against, and treated like a plaything to be gifted to others to be trampled upon and toyed with?

Having lived a second life, was there truly no other way to change her fate besides death?

Xie Jiu’s eyes were bloodshot. As she looked at her own reflection in the bronze mirror, a madness suddenly rose from the depths of her heart.

"I want to enter the palace."

"My Lady, what are you saying!" Chunrong was shocked. "There must be another way. They might not know that you’ve already caught on. The Qiqiao Festival is still a few days away; we can still plan slowly—"

"My father has always been meticulous. Since he grew suspicious today, he will surely have Wu Que move the plan forward. I fear we have no time left." Xie Jiu pressed her lips tightly together.

Qingfang was also anxious. "But My Lady, when the new Emperor was still a vassal king, his reputation for lechery and cruelty was well-known throughout the capital. It is said that only a hundred days after the old Prince passed away, he held a banquet in his mansion, brought a local courtesan into his home to serve him, and even forced local officials to join in—killing those who refused. How can you entrust yourself to such a man!"

Yet, Xie Jiu’s face showed only the resolve of one who had made up her mind.

"To delay is to sit and wait for death. By burning the bridges behind me, perhaps I can carve out a path. You need not say more; I have already decided."

With that, she rose decisively, avoided the mansion’s eyes and ears, and headed toward the South Garden.

That was where the "Yangzhou slender horses" collected by Wu Que were kept.

The steward, Chen Shun, would send one into the palace every so often, and tonight happened to be one of those nights.

In the afternoon.

Wu Que returned to the mansion and, upon hearing that Xie Jiu had left that morning, was indeed nervous.

He specifically ran to the backyard to check on her.

Xie Jiu did not want to see him; she claimed to be unwell and remained behind closed doors.

Wu Que, still uneasy, forced his way into the room. Only after seeing that Xie Jiu was indeed still in the mansion did he let the matter rest.

Such behavior only made Xie Jiu sneer coldly in her heart.

Before long, Wu Que would regret why he had ever schemed to send her into the palace.

Wu Que did not investigate further; he merely ordered the mansion to be tightly guarded, forbidding Xie Jiu from taking another step outside.

Little did he know, when the steward used a small sedan chair that night to send a woman from the South Garden into the palace as usual, the face beneath the veil had already been quietly changed.

In the palace.

"Your Majesty, the beauty sent by the Marquis of Weiyuan has arrived."

Inside the Chengming Palace, the Chief Eunuch, Yang Zhi’an, bowed respectfully and reminded him in a low voice.

Behind the imperial desk, the new Emperor, Zhao Xingjin, dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold dragons, was reviewing the memorials in his hand.

Hearing this, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.

"The Marquis of Weiyuan is certainly thoughtful. He sends a beauty every few days; it must be hard for him to search for so many stunning women."

"Indeed," Yang Zhi’an chuckled. "If we speak of currying favor with Your Majesty, the Marquis of Weiyuan puts in the most effort."

"How could he not rack his brains? Do you know how many of these memorials are calling for me to strip him of his title?"

Zhao Xingjin tossed the memorial onto the desk, dark light surging in his long, narrow phoenix eyes.

Yang Zhi’an bowed even lower. "Then, does Your Majesty wish to see the person sent by the Marquis of Weiyuan today?"

"I am tired today. Take her away." Zhao Xingjin waved his hand.

Seeing that Yang Zhi’an did not move, he could not help but look displeased.

"What is it? Speak if you have something to say. How dare you hide things from me?"

"This servant wouldn't dare!" Yang Zhi’an hurriedly knelt. "This servant only wanted to tell Your Majesty that the woman sent by the Marquis of Weiyuan today is extraordinary. She is... she is the Marquis’s wife, the Lady Xie."

Hearing this, Zhao Xingjin’s fingers, which had been tapping on the desk, suddenly paused. A look of intrigue appeared on his face.

"Heh. I heard there were four great beauties in the capital of the previous dynasty, and this Lady Xie is one of them. Wu Que is truly willing to pay a heavy price; he has even sent his own wife to me."

"Indeed. The Xie family is the head of the scholarly clans, and she is the legitimate daughter of the Chief Councilor. This servant thought Your Majesty might have an interest in seeing her, so I dared to speak out of turn," Yang Zhi’an said immediately.

Zhao Xingjin narrowed his eyes, and after a long moment, he spoke.

"Then... bring her in."

Yang Zhi’an acknowledged the order, rose quickly, and retreated with hurried steps.

Before long, Xie Jiu was led into the hall.

"My Lady, please go in yourself. This servant will take his leave."

Upon reaching the screen in the main hall, Yang Zhi’an stopped.

Xie Jiu nodded slightly. After he left, she took a deep breath, walked around the screen, and entered the inner chamber.

"This concubine pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Once inside, Xie Jiu did not dare to move recklessly. Without raising her head, she knelt down respectfully.

However, after a long time, she heard no response. Xie Jiu felt her scalp tingle, unable to tell if there was anyone in the hall at all.

After she had been kneeling for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a pair of dragon-patterned boots finally appeared at the edge of her vision.

"Look up. Let me see you."

The man’s frivolous voice sounded above her, accompanied by a gaze that swept over her body.

Xie Jiu felt the pressure on her body increase significantly. It did not feel like the rude appraisal of a lecher, but rather the oppressive scrutiny of a superior, as if he were trying to see right through her.

Under such pressure, her vigilance toward this new Emperor only grew.

Her intuition told her that the rumors might not be entirely true; the current Emperor was likely not a man blinded by lust.

Thinking of this, Xie Jiu immediately changed her original strategy. She withdrew the seductive air she had deliberately put on, and when she looked up, her face was serene.

Only her slightly reddened eyes revealed a hint of fragility, as if she were struggling to keep from showing her fear.

When he saw Xie Jiu’s face, Zhao Xingjin could not help but narrow his eyes.

The woman before him had moth-like brows and eyes like autumn water; her face was like a lotus, her skin as flawless as white jade, and her lips as red as cinnabar. Dressed in a peach-colored thin gauze, her graceful figure was faintly visible. She was truly worthy of the name "stunning beauty."

In particular, her forced composure was truly pitiable, and the lack of any coquettish or fawning expression on her beautiful face made her seem less vulgar and more noble, making one feel that they dared not treat her lightly.

However, the flash of amazement in Zhao Xingjin’s eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a playful smile.

"I thought the noble ladies of high-ranking families were all unyielding. I didn't expect you to be willing to compromise yourself like this." Zhao Xingjin looked down at Xie Jiu. "My Lady, are you truly willing to serve me? I have never tasted the flavor of another man’s wife."

As he spoke, he leaned down slightly and hooked Xie Jiu’s chin with one hand, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Xie Jiu had never been treated with such frivolity, and her eyes flickered, her heart pounding.

But after seeing his face clearly, she was no longer panicked.

Zhao Xingjin’s appearance was also superior. He had a pair of phoenix eyes with upturned corners, carrying a natural, roguish evilness. His nose was high and straight, his lips red and teeth white; he possessed a delicate, almost feminine beauty. Yet, because he was a martial artist, there was not a hint of softness about him; instead, he appeared heroic and resolute.

But the smile in his eyes was truly hypocritical, making him seem more like a fox waiting for the right moment to bite through its prey’s throat.

There had been two vassal kings of different surnames in the previous dynasty. The old Emperor, dim-witted and suspicious, narrow-minded and vicious, had used the charge of treason to wipe out the entire family of one of them early on.

Yet Zhao Xingjin had managed to inherit his father’s title under such circumstances, preserve it, and then, when the old Emperor was weak, seized the opportunity to rise and conquer the world in less than two years.

Could such a man truly be seduced by a woman?

Seeing him now, even though he was acting the part of a lecher, Xie Jiu knew in her heart that she had bet correctly: Zhao Xingjin was not a man addicted to wine and women.

Therefore, facing Zhao Xingjin’s deliberate teasing, Xie Jiu first gave a charming smile.

"The Emperor is the master of all under heaven, supreme and noble. To serve the Emperor is a great blessing; this concubine is naturally willing."

At this point, she paused, withdrew her coquettish air, and became serious.

"But I have come here, more importantly, to make a deal with Your Majesty."

"A deal?"

Zhao Xingjin laughed out loud as if he had heard a joke. After laughing, his eyes swept over her as if she were a toy, his voice low and deep.

"You want to make a deal with me? That is rare. But I have no interest in making deals with you; I only have eyes for your stunning beauty."

"This concubine can help Your Majesty alleviate the worry of an empty treasury, if only Your Majesty will help me take revenge!"

Xie Jiu’s gaze was burning; she was not affected by him at all. Although she was kneeling, she straightened her back and met Zhao Xingjin’s eyes directly.

Not expecting her to be so serious, Zhao Xingjin was truly intrigued and said with a half-smile.

"Revenge? What revenge could a woman of the inner chambers possibly need my help with? However, if you can truly help me solve the problem of the empty treasury, I will naturally reward you with anything."

Hearing this, Xie Jiu did not care that he seemed to be joking; she laid out the cards she held one by one.

Zhao Xingjin was smiling at first, but as he listened, his expression tightened. By the end, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Xie Jiu had changed.

"These things are all detrimental to the Marquis of Weiyuan’s mansion. What kind of revenge do you want me to help you take?"

"The person I want revenge on is the Marquis of Weiyuan, Wu Que!" Intense hatred rose in Xie Jiu’s eyes.

Zhao Xingjin narrowed his eyes slightly. "He is your husband."

"He sold his wife for glory; he is immoral and shameless. I only regret marrying the wrong man. In my heart, he is nothing but an enemy." A layer of coldness covered Xie Jiu’s face.

"Why not seek help from your maternal family? A prestigious clan like the Xie family would surely not watch their daughter be bullied by her husband’s family," Zhao Xingjin said.

When he mentioned the Xie family, the fire in Xie Jiu’s heart burned even brighter. She gritted her teeth and said, "My father has long been in collusion with Wu Que."

Seeing the unmasked hatred for the Xie family on Xie Jiu’s face, Zhao Xingjin’s eyes darkened, and a chessboard suddenly appeared in his mind.

Following that, the coldness and skepticism on Zhao Xingjin’s face were swept away, replaced by a look of heartache and pity.

He reached out and pulled the kneeling Xie Jiu to her feet.

"It truly pains me. Wu Que is blind; he has such a beauty but does not know how to cherish her. From now on, stay by my side. I will surely treat you well."

Outside the hall.

Yang Zhi’an looked at the tightly closed doors and smacked his lips, a hint of mockery on his face.

"The Marquis of Weiyuan is truly unreserved toward the Emperor, a heart full of filial piety. He is even willing to offer up his own wife. Tsk tsk, among all the civil and military officials, who else has his level of willingness?"

The young eunuchs standing nearby all lowered their heads and chuckled softly.

A moment later, Zhao Xingjin’s voice rang out from within the hall.

"Pass on my decree: The Marquis of Weiyuan’s wife, Lady Xie, born of a prestigious family, is dignified, virtuous, and wise. She is well-versed in literature and etiquette. Effective immediately, she is specially summoned into the palace to serve as the tutor for Princess Wenxi!"