Chapter 16

For a moment, everyone in the entire courtyard turned their gaze toward Xie Hengzhi.

Men and women, old and young, all looked at him with expressions of either shock or confusion.

You, the dignified Grand Scholar of Wenhua Palace, holding significant power and busy with state affairs, are actually going to handle this matter?

Not to mention, Zhou Ge Lao (Old Master Zhou), who had seven granddaughters at home, already felt a headache on his behalf.

Only Yi Ling, unafraid of stirring up trouble, worried that Xie Hengzhi might back out at the last minute and deliberately directed the conversation toward him.

“The princess’s red smoke purple is a gift from the Western merchants, while Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou)’s came from Yuyonglou (Yuyong Building). Both are authentic, without a doubt. my Lord, what should we do about this?”

Upon hearing Yi Ling speak, Xie Hengzhi didn’t show any sign of anger.

He merely turned his head slightly, casting a light glance toward her.

Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed to chill.

Yi Ling felt an ominous sensation rising in her heart and held her breath, meeting his gaze with a naïve smile.

Seeing her smile, Xie Hengzhi raised his eyebrows slightly.

Unlike his usual insincere smile, this time he seemed genuinely amused. His eyes sparkled with charm, and his gaze was entirely focused on Yi Ling, leaving the women in the courtyard dazed.

Yi Ling: “?”

Why is he smiling?

Before she could process this, Yi Ling saw Xie Hengzhi turn his head away.

His eyes swept over the princess and Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou), like autumn winds sweeping fallen leaves. The two women, who had been at odds just moments ago, now immediately shrank back, as timid as quails.

Before Xie Hengzhi could speak, Princess (country lord) of Wanning immediately said, “Such a small matter; there’s no need to trouble my Lord Xie.”

She quickly stole a glance at Xie Hengzhi but couldn’t discern his mood, making her feel even more uneasy.

Could he be upset that I didn’t give him enough face?

Yet, she couldn’t swallow her pride. After all, she had been an old rival of Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou) Rong Enhou for years. If she backed down now, wouldn’t it mean admitting defeat?

Today, this matter had to be settled in front of everyone!

Princess Wanning quickly came up with an idea and said, “Why don’t we let Mrs. Xie judge this?”

Yi Ling: “Ah?”

“Yes,” Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou) immediately followed up, “Mrs. Xie is a talented woman, well-read, and she has been here the whole time. She can make a fair judgment.”

Yi Ling blinked, confused. “How can I interfere with such matters? my Lord, what do you think?”

Xie Hengzhi lowered his eyes. “It’s up to Madam.”

“…”

With that casual remark, the hot potato was entirely handed back to Yi Ling.

Yi Ling stood there stunned, staring at the two pampered women, her smile completely frozen on her face.

She had dealt with these two before—nice people, but incredibly difficult. If anyone made them lose face, they would make sure that person’s life would be miserable.

In the public eye, Yi Ling was flustered but had to maintain her composure. She couldn’t glance around freely and could only catch Xie Hengzhi’s gaze from the corner of her eye.

He had completely blended into the crowd of onlookers, standing to the side with his arms crossed.

When he saw her glance over, he gave her a subtle nod of encouragement.

“…”
Yi Ling stood there for a long while, and the two women across from her began to grow anxious.

Princess Wanning: “Mrs. Xie?”

Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou): “Please give your judgment!”

Yi Ling lowered her eyes and thought for a long time before finally speaking with forced calm, “The red smoke purple produces the clearest sound, which cannot be faked. The princess and Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou) can throw the bracelets on the ground and see which one makes the clearest sound. That one will be the authentic one.”

Princess Wanning: “…”

Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou): “…”

What a nasty trick.

The two women clutched their bracelets, neither willing to move.

They suspected that Yi Ling was making things up, but didn’t dare to argue.

After a moment.

“Today is Mrs. Zhou’s birthday; how could we juniors be making a scene with smashing or throwing things?”

“Yes, yes, yes. The authenticity of the bracelets is a small matter. It’s more important to celebrate Mrs. Zhou’s birthday.”

The onlookers fell silent, and only Xie Hengzhi leisurely walked over to Yi Ling, looking down at her with a faint smile that could have been either genuine or mocking.

“This red smoke purple is so amazing. How did you know about it?”

Yi Ling thought to herself, I just made it up, who knows? but her face remained calm. “I told you to read more books.”

Xie Hengzhi: “…”

–
The dispute between Princess Wanning and Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou) ended there as a trivial squabble among girls and was not mentioned again.

The onlookers dispersed, still laughing and chatting warmly.

Only Yi Ling remained downcast; her head lowered as she pondered.

She had been careless this time. Next time, she needed to think of a more clever way to trip Xie Hengzhi up.

With that thought, she looked up to steal a glance at him.

She didn’t expect him to be looking at her too, and as their eyes met suddenly, his gaze was so open and straightforward that Yi Ling, feeling guilty, quickly turned away.

She glanced around and, feeling like she had been caught, decided to move away from him, lest he see through her thoughts.

Taking advantage of someone approaching Xie Hengzhi to engage in conversation, he shifted his attention, and Yi Ling quietly moved away.

No sooner had she moved a step than the hand hidden in her velvet sleeve was suddenly grasped by someone.

Yi Ling tensed up and turned her head.

Xie Hengzhi’s movements were calm and smooth. While conversing with the person beside him, he took Yi Ling’s hand and pulled her back to his side.

Yi Ling: “…?”

Are we that familiar?

Yi Ling didn’t speak, but she struggled slightly.

Before she could break free, he slowly turned his head, giving her only a profile view, yet his eyes clearly conveyed a warning.

Yi Ling suddenly stopped moving.

Then, she slowly averted her gaze, no longer looking at him nor struggling.

But his hand was so warm.

Despite it being winter, after being held for so long, Yi Ling felt her palm begin to sweat, and she couldn’t help but want to pull her hand away.

But every time she had the thought of breaking free, Xie Hengzhi would subtly tighten his grip.

The two of them, one struggling and the other holding tight, gradually drew closer.

After a long while.

Yi Ling suddenly sensed something strange in the atmosphere behind her.

She turned around to see a young girl, still unmarried, with her hands pressed together and her eyes closed, bowing toward her.

“May I be as loving with my future husband as you two are. Please, please.”

Yi Ling: “…”

---

After the banquet, Mrs. Zhou, the birthday celebrant, grew tired and was supported by a maid to her room to rest.

Only then did Xie Hengzhi release Yi Ling’s hand.

The moment her fingers were freed, Yi Ling even started contemplating: Was it more uncomfortable being dragged off by Princess (Country Lord) of Yu’an, or pretending to be a loving couple with Xie Hengzhi?

Clearly, it was the latter.

She regretted coming here.
Feeling utterly exhausted, she was startled when Princess (Country Lord) Wanning and Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou) suddenly walked up to her, hand in hand.

The moment Yi Ling saw them, she immediately raised her guard.

When people act out of character, it usually means something is up. What were they planning?
Actually, the princess and Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou) didn’t have any ill intentions.

Although they had gained a new grievance today over the jade bracelet incident, both secretly wondered if they had offended Mrs. Xie in the process.

Since the incident, Mrs. Xie has been cold and indifferent, not even sparing them a glance.

If they were to continue showing discord, wouldn’t it be as if they were openly defying Mrs. Xie’s mediation?

Thus, they immediately adopted a conciliatory attitude, hoping to win Yi Ling’s favor.

What’s the best way to please a woman?

Of course, by letting her shine in her area of expertise.

“Mrs. Xie, I’ve heard of your great talent for many days. Today, I finally have the chance to meet you. Let us offer tea instead of wine and play the ‘flying flower game’!”

Yi Ling: ?

She knew today wouldn’t end well!

Flying flowers? Yi Ling was no scholar, and in recent years, her time had been wasted. Not only could she not compose poems on the spot, but even memorizing a few was a challenge for her.

Now, wearing the identity of the great talent, Business woman, exposing her lack of skills would be embarrassing. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself!

In her panic, she wasn’t sure why, but she glanced toward Xie Hengzhi.

Although the Zhou family’s banquet wasn’t extravagant, it still had the grandeur expected of a noble family.

Amidst the mountain of meats and the clinking of glasses, Xie Hengzhi sat calmly, holding a white jade cup with his evenly balanced fingers. He appeared as if a celestial being, completely detached from the noise around him.

Perhaps influenced by him, Yi Ling, although flustered, managed to appear composed. She thought of a way to handle the situation.

“Today, I’m not the main guest. Besides, Mrs. Zhou has already retired to rest. We shouldn’t disturb the birthday celebrant.”

“This is no problem,” Zhou Gge Lao, in high spirits, waved his hand and said, “It would be a wonderful thing if Mrs. Xie could leave a piece of her writing in the Huxin Pavilion today.”

Since the host was being so considerate, the guests naturally had no reason not to show appreciation.

Yi Ling, unable to think of a way to refuse, stiffened and, under the table, subtly reached for Xie Hengzhi’s hand.

Under her sleeve, she grasped his hand tightly.

Xie Hengzhi glanced at her, raising his eyebrow, but said nothing.

Yi Ling didn’t openly ask for help but silently signaled him with her eyes, hoping he would understand.

Sure enough, Xie Hengzhi lowered his voice so only they could hear: “Don’t want to go?”
Upon hearing his question, Yi Ling knew it was settled.

For the first time, she gave Xie Hengzhi a grateful smile and nodded, softly saying, “It’s all my younger sister’s fault. I can’t act too arrogantly.”

Xie Hengzhi half-squinted, studying the woman before him.

They had known each other for over ten years, ever since their time at Jiangzhou Academy.

At poetry gatherings, she would either lack interest or be confident, but never like now—despite trying to hide it, there was still clear resistance in her eyes.

She was a completely different person.

Staring at her for a long while, Xie Hengzhi slowly pulled his hand from Yi Ling’s grasp.

Yi Ling, confused, looked at him without understanding.

Xie Hengzhi’s lips curled into a faint smile, as though to comfort her.

“Just give them a face and go; it’s fine.”

“…”

---

Princess Wanning and Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou) really wanted to witness Business woman’s talents.
They had prepared exquisite snacks, heaters to keep warm, and had even brought the Four Treasures of the Study, with educated maids standing by to record Yi Ling’s good lines.

Others also planned to show their talents, hoping for recognition.

But Yi Ling’s mind was completely blank.

Once everything was ready, Princess Wanning spoke first, “It’s the beginning of winter today.

Why don’t we use snow as the theme?”

When Fifth Miss (Rong Enhou) heard this, she smiled politely, but her heart was filled with mockery.

“Your Highness, although it is the start of winter today, snow is still far off.”

She looked around, and her gaze landed on the frosted pine needles behind Yi Ling. “How about we take frost as our theme?” 

As soon as the words left her mouth, Princess Wanning immediately thought of Yi Ling, who was known for her love of writing about “frost” and had the self-styled title of “Frost Holding Recluse.”

She wasn’t about to give the Fifth Miss an opportunity to flatter her, so she quickly rejected the suggestion. “Frost is fine, but I’m sure Mrs. Xie has grown tired of it. Why not try something fresh, like tea? What do you think?”

Before Yi Ling could respond, the Fifth Miss began arguing again.

They really didn’t have to go this far.

Yi Ling thought to herself, No matter what the theme was, she wouldn’t be able to write a single word.

Should she pretend to faint?

She closed her eyes, thinking it would be a good way to avoid embarrassment.

Just as she was ready to act, a loud, haughty female voice suddenly rang out.

“You few may not have much skill, but you sure know how to create trouble.”

The tone was high, and the tone filled with arrogance.

Before the person even appeared, it seemed everyone knew who had arrived, and they all rose to greet her.

Only Yi Ling was a step too slow, turning her gaze toward the voice.

As soon as she saw who it was, her vision almost went black.

If anyone in the capital made Yi Ling feel a sense of dread, Princess Yu’an would be second.

The truly terrifying one was the elegant and graceful Shen Shufang Shufang standing before her.

Although she was only nineteen and quite talented, her words could be deeply hurtful.

Moreover, she had an inflated sense of self-worth and despised those without culture. As an unmarried young lady, she particularly enjoyed targeting Yi Ling.

The nickname “Wealthy Girl” had been coined by her in public, mocking Yi Ling as unworthy of sharing a name with the Shang family.

God knows Yi Ling was born with that name; it was the Shang family who had later changed it!

Every time she remembered that humiliation, Yi Ling felt like crying her heart out.

Why had she been forced to face this woman again after dying once?

And today, with the Empress returning to the palace, why wasn’t Shen Shufang with her and instead came to the Zhou residence?

Yi Ling could no longer maintain her calm facade and shakily stood up, offering a formal but weak greeting.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

She didn’t dare lift her head and only noticed the green satin gown and golden skirt sweeping the ground as it entered her line of sight.

Shen Shufang stopped in front of Yi Ling, looking down at the young ladies kneeling in greeting, and coldly said, “With your little bit of knowledge, do you think you deserve to play the Flower Game with Mrs. Xie?”

Yi Ling: “?”

The others dared not breathe a word, all bowing their heads in silence.

Shen Shufang continued, “Mrs. Xie’s talents are far beyond yours, and yet you’ve invited her here to play drinking games. How utterly disgraceful.”

Yi Ling: “…”

Well, it wasn’t that serious, was it?

After Shen Shufang’s remarks, the girls who had been eager to join in quickly dispersed, not daring to provoke the Princess Consort any further.

So when Yi Ling raised her head again, Shen Shufang had already turned around to help her up, smiling warmly.

Even in broad daylight, her eyes seemed to sparkle with stars.

“I wrote a few poems recently, and today I finally have the honor of meeting Mrs. Xie. Could you kindly give me some advice?”

So she had been waiting for her here?

Well, this was certainly easier than writing a poem herself.

Even if she couldn’t lay an egg, surely she could critique one?

Though Yi Ling still couldn’t quite stand Shen Shufang’s face, she finally managed to maintain an appropriate expression and nodded.

Shen Shufang smiled in delight and immediately ordered her maid to bring out a piece of gold-flecked paper, unfolding it carefully and presenting it like a treasure.

The delicate, neat characters flowed smoothly, but they seemed at odds with her haughty demeanor.

But as Yi Ling closely examined the content, the fake smile she had been holding froze at the corners of her mouth.

“How do you like it?”

Shen Shufang eagerly asked, “Is there anything that can be improved? I feel some of the words still need refining.”

“No need for any changes,” Yi Ling said, forcing a smile. “The poem is excellent.”

“Really?”

Shen Shufang’s eyes lit up. “Then what makes it so good? Could you explain, Mrs. Xie?”

What was good about it?

It was good because out of the twenty characters in the five-character quatrain, four of them were rare characters Yi Ling didn’t even recognize.

“Mrs. Xie? Mrs. Xie??”

Faced with Shen Shufang’s questioning, Yi Ling gritted her teeth, her smile stiffening.

Since she had been put in this position, all she could do was…

---

The Zhou residence’s Liuxi Pavilion had two floors.

The eaves curved gently, with artificial mountains and corridors surrounding it. It was a quiet and elegant place, often used by Zhou Ge Lao to receive guests.

The second son of the Luo family sat at the chessboard, playing against Zhou Ge Lao. Each move seemed like a difficult decision.

It wasn’t because Zhou Ge Lao’s offensive moves were so overwhelming, but because Xie Hengzhi was sitting behind him, leaning on the back railing. Though he usually didn’t speak while watching the game, the second son of the Luo family knew that Xie Hengzhi was paying close attention to the game.

The second son had just entered the Hanlin Academy last year, and his father was a high-ranking minister. His future seemed bright.

But how far he could go depended on that person behind him.

Therefore, every move he made was carefully calculated, hoping to impress Xie Hengzhi with his ability.

But as expected, Zhou Ge Lao, being seasoned, made his move, and the second son immediately realized he had been too hasty, falling into a trap.

The game was lost, and the second son of the Luo family awkwardly turned to glance at Xie Hengzhi.

But Xie Hengzhi had already lost interest in the game.

His eyes were lowered, seemingly looking at the fish swimming in the pond below, but his thoughts had already drifted to the backyard.

It had been over half an hour, and there had been no movement from that side.

Usually, when she was this quiet, she was either sleeping or…

A servant hurriedly ran up to the Liuxi Pavilion.

When he found Xie Hengzhi, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Thank you, my lord! Your lady, she… she…”

Xie Hengzhi glanced up: “What happened to her?”

The servant replied: “She fainted!”

Xie Hengzhi: “…”

Not surprising at all.