Chapter 12 – Humiliation: Won’t She Become Even More Arrogant?

As soon as they returned to the residence, a young maid came with news from the Treasure Pavilion. The new hairpins and jewelry ordered by the two young ladies of the Shen family had been completed, and the shop invited the ladies to come and try them on for adjustments as soon as possible.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xingwan went to invite Tang Lin’er to go with her.

Recently, Tang Lin’er had been keeping to herself, resting in bed to protect her pregnancy.

She placed great importance on this child. Everything she did—eating, dressing, daily routines—was focused on safeguarding the baby, afraid that the slightest mistake might harm the child in her womb.

If Shen Xingwan hadn’t come in person to invite her, she would have never agreed to leave the house.

The next day, Tang Lin’er dressed carefully and accompanied Shen Xingwan to the Treasure Pavilion.

The Treasure Pavilion was the most renowned jewelry store in the capital.

The shop had recruited many experienced jewelry craftsmen, and their products, whether in materials or design, were the finest and most fashionable. This made noble ladies and madams of the capital compete to place orders. Even concubines from the palace, displeased with the conservative styles from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, would specially send people to commission pieces.

As soon as Shen Xingwan and Tang Lin’er entered the shop, the proprietress immediately led them to a private room on the second floor, offering tea and refreshments.

After they were seated, a line of young maids entered with trays, presenting exquisite jewelry one by one for their perusal.

Among them, a golden phoenix hairpin inlaid with eight treasures was especially splendid. It lay quietly on a black velvet cloth, with red ruby tassels hanging from the phoenix’s beak, swaying gently and radiating a dazzling brilliance. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

“This is… mine?” Tang Lin’er was both surprised and delighted, hardly daring to believe it.

The proprietress smiled brightly, flattering her, “Of course it’s yours. This phoenix hairpin used seven taels of pure gold, with pearls, jade, and various gemstones. Its design is currently the most fashionable and perfectly matches your status as the consort of a prince.”

Tang Lin’er was overjoyed and wanted to touch it, but recalling that Shen Xingwan was still beside her, she awkwardly retracted her hand and looked at her.

Shen Xingwan smiled gently, stood up, and personally picked up the phoenix hairpin, carefully pinning it into Tang Lin’er’s hair.

Tang Lin’er was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, staring at Shen Xingwan in astonishment. “Elder Sister…”

Shen Xingwan meticulously arranged the dangling tassels, her smile deepening as she praised, “You are so beautiful, and this magnificent phoenix only adds to your splendor. It truly enhances your beauty, making you look peerless and stunning.”

“Elder Sister flatters me. Lin’er is unworthy of such praise,” Tang Lin’er said modestly, though her eyes couldn’t help glancing at the mirror, her hand reaching to touch the ruby tassels at her temple.

“Oh? You’re not even married into the family yet, and you dare to wear a phoenix? When you do marry in a few days, won’t you become even more presumptuous?”

A mocking voice came from outside, as a noble young lady in splendid attire strode in arrogantly, surrounded by several maids, her every gesture exuding haughtiness.

Tang Lin’er was stunned, momentarily frozen in place. However, Shen Xingwan recognized the newcomer and greeted her with a polite smile, “What a coincidence to meet you here, Sister Lu. May I ask if Lord Grand Commandant Lu and Madam Lu are well?”

Hearing this, Tang Lin’er quickly followed suit, bowing in greeting, “Greetings, Sister Lu.”

The newcomer was Lu Yuzhi, daughter of Grand Commandant Lu. She glanced at Tang Lin’er with a disdainful smile.

“It’s acceptable for Miss Shen to call me Sister, but what kind of thing are you to claim sisterhood with me?”

Tang Lin’er’s face instantly turned pale, and she stood frozen, not knowing how to react.

Seeing this, Shen Xingwan deliberately stepped forward two paces, smiling warmly as she said to Lu Yuzhi, “Miss Lu, that’s not quite right. Our Lin’er is soon to marry the Third Prince, just as you are. Isn’t it only proper for you to address each other as sisters? No matter her past status, in the future, you will both be consorts to the prince.”

These words thoroughly infuriated Lu Yuzhi. Her face flushed red as she retorted, “Don’t pretend to be so magnanimous in defending her. I know it’s because you rejected the Third Prince that I get to marry him. I don’t mind picking up what you discarded, but don’t you dare compare this lowly thing to me. She’s not worthy!”

Shen Xingwan was about to speak again when the proprietress hurriedly stepped between the two, trying to diffuse the tension, “Miss Lu, please calm down. We are all here to look at jewelry. Let’s not ruin the mood. Allow me to accompany you to see the pieces you ordered.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuzhi became even more annoyed. She was inherently sharp-tongued and aggressive, and now she pointed at the phoenix hairpin on Tang Lin’er’s head, scolding the proprietress, “You must be blind and muddle-headed! Growing older and more useless by the day. How dare you let a side consort use pure gold? Such blatant overstepping—are you disregarding my status?”

The proprietress felt her heart sink, the smile on her face fading instantly.

When the Shen family placed the order for this phoenix hairpin, Tang Lin’er was still expected to be the Third Prince’s primary consort. All the jewelry specifications had been made accordingly. She had completely overlooked the fact that a side consort could only use gilt craftsmanship, not solid gold.

Tang Lin’er’s face turned deathly pale as she hastily removed the golden phoenix from her hair.

Lu Yuzhi sneered, “You old fool, pack up all the gold jewelry here and send them to the Grand Commandant’s residence.”

“This…” The proprietress was in a dilemma. She glanced at Shen Xingwan and Tang Lin’er, rubbing her hands anxiously, “All of these were ordered by the Shen family for Miss Tang. I’m afraid it wouldn’t be appropriate…”

“You stupid woman! I’m actually trying to protect you, don’t you understand? If someone accuses you of violating regulations with this overstepping, do you think your shop can continue to operate?”

“This… I… understood.”

Helpless, the proprietress compromised, and only then did Lu Yuzhi feel satisfied. She glanced triumphantly at Tang Lin’er.

“Don’t worry. No matter how much the Shen family paid for these, our Grand Commandant’s residence will pay double.”

With that, Lu Yuzhi snorted coldly and left arrogantly.

After sending Lu Yuzhi off, the proprietress turned around and looked apologetically at Shen Xingwan and Tang Lin’er, cautiously asking, “Miss Tang, please don’t take offense. Miss Lu has always been like that since childhood. Shall I take your measurements again and custom-make a new set of gilt jewelry for you?”

Tang Lin’er’s teeth clenched tightly, her chest heaving with anger as she turned and stormed out of the shop.

“This…”

The proprietress looked at Shen Xingwan with difficulty, “I truly apologize. I didn’t expect Miss Lu to arrive ahead of schedule today.”

Shen Xingwan chuckled and exchanged a glance with Feiyun.

It was simple. Lu Yuzhi had been deliberately lured here by Feiyun on Shen Xingwan’s orders.

“As for Miss Tang’s jewelry…” the proprietress asked, rubbing her hands anxiously.

“Just do as you suggested. We’ll still need to prepare some pieces. Make them in gilt.”

“Understood. Please rest assured. There won’t be any more mistakes this time.”

Shen Xingwan nodded, calmly descending the stairs and returning home.

On the way back, their carriage happened to arrive just as the Ministry of Internal Affairs delivered wedding supplies. Everything was prepared according to the official regulations, and the servants were busy inventorying and moving the items.

Among the numerous boxes and trunks, one item stood out as particularly special and instantly drew attention during the unpacking.

It was a pair of wedding dresses, both exquisitely embroidered with intricate craftsmanship. The only difference between them was the color—one was a dazzling bright red, while the other was a charming rose pink.

Just after being humiliated by Lu Yuzhi for her concubine status, Tang Lin’er happened to catch sight of that rose pink wedding dress as she alighted from the carriage. Her anger flared uncontrollably, and she stormed back to her room, stomping her foot in frustration.

Throwing herself onto the brocade quilt on the bed, she buried her face and sobbed, her delicate fists pounding fiercely against a porcelain pillow. Startled, Ruyi hurriedly rushed over to hold her hands, crying as she pleaded, “Miss, be careful not to hurt your hands. Why put yourself through this?”

Tang Lin’er choked out her grievances between sobs, “My parents died early, and without their protection, I’ve had to live under others’ roofs for years. I just want to secure a good future for myself—what have I done wrong?”

“Miss…” Ruyi’s eyes welled with tears as she bent down to embrace Tang Lin’er. “Miss, you’ve done nothing wrong. You’re the best young lady in the world.”

“I worked so hard to cling to the Third Prince. He even promised me that once I helped him gain the Shen family’s support and ascend the throne, he would marry me as Empress alongside her. It’s all her fault! Why does she insist on not marrying the Third Prince? Why does she have to block my path!”

Tang Lin’er sat up abruptly, hatred flashing in her eyes. “If it weren’t for her obstinate defiance of the imperial edict, how would I have ended up with my reputation ruined, reduced to a concubine, and insulted by a wretched woman like that! It’s all her fault!”

After sitting in silence for a long time, Tang Lin’er suddenly stood up, rummaged through a cabinet, and took out an exquisite brocade box. She opened it, revealing a golden lily pearl hairpin, then pulled open her dressing case and dug out a small box of fragrant powder from its deepest corner.

Dipping her fingertip in rose dew, she carefully kneaded the powder into tiny incense pellets and meticulously embedded them into the stamens of the golden lily flower under the window’s light.

“Ruyi,” she called.

Tang Lin’er placed the pearl hairpin back into the brocade box and handed it to Ruyi. “This is a pearl hairpin I bought from the Treasure Pavilion long ago. Since I am unworthy of wearing pure gold, take it and give it to Shen Xingwan. She is the principal consort, she deserves to wear it. I’ll congratulate her in advance for a blissful marriage and many children.”

Ruyi nodded and obeyed, delivering the box to Shen Xingwan’s room and dutifully repeating Tang Lin’er’s words of blessing before returning to report.

Feiyun handed the brocade box to Shen Xingwan. Shen Xingwan took out the hairpin and examined it—it appeared perfectly normal.

But she didn’t believe for a second that Tang Lin’er could be so kindhearted. To offer sincere blessings right after being humiliated? That was laughable.

She ordered Feiyun to summon a trusted physician to inspect it thoroughly. The physician brought the golden lily pearl flower to his nose and inhaled deeply, immediately frowning.

“Well?” Shen Xingwan asked.

“There seems to be musk mixed into this hairpin,” the physician replied.

“Are you certain?” Shen Xingwan raised her eyebrows. “Have you checked carefully?”

Not daring to be careless, the physician meticulously inspected and sniffed the hairpin again before confirming, “I have practiced medicine for many years and often use musk to promote blood circulation. I could never mistake its scent. This hairpin definitely contains musk. Prolonged wearing would harm a woman’s fertility.”

Shen Xingwan nodded in acknowledgment and rewarded the physician with silver before dismissing him.

Feiyun puffed up her cheeks angrily, snatching up the hairpin with the intention of throwing it away. “That Tang girl pretends to be so gentle and kind, but her mind is this filthy. Truly, one can never judge a book by its cover. Ugh!”

“Wait.”

Shen Xingwan stopped her from discarding the hairpin, smiling as she advised, “Evil will meet its own retribution. Such a fine item would be a pity to waste. Think of a way to send it along with the other jewelry Tang Lin’er ordered from the Treasure Pavilion to the Grand Commandant’s residence.”

“Yes.” Feiyun’s eyes sparkled as she accepted the task and hurried off.

That very night, the lily pearl hairpin was displayed on Lu Yuzhi’s dressing table, alongside a phoenix hairpin.

However, Lu Yuzhi was no fool. Coming from a noble and influential family, she quickly noticed something unusual about the hairpin.

She ordered someone to check the Treasure Pavilion’s records, and sure enough, this particular lily pearl hairpin had been custom-ordered by Tang Lin’er and was sent out from the Shen residence.

“Very well, Tang Lin’er. You’re really forcing my hand to make life unbearable for you.”

Lu Yuzhi gnashed her teeth, tore the golden lily pearl hairpin to pieces, and coldly instructed her servants to prepare a special gift to be delivered to Tang Lin’er.

When Tang Lin’er heard that Lu Yuzhi had sent her a gift, she was completely puzzled as to what her intentions were.

It was already late at night when a young maid quietly left the brocade box and withdrew. Ruyi brought over a lamp to help Tang Lin’er open the box and see what the gift was.

“Why would she give me a gift?” Tang Lin’er asked suspiciously as she untied the silk ribbon.

Ruyi smiled and said, “She probably realized she went too far last time. After all, Miss, once you’re married, you’ll still be a side consort and are already carrying the eldest son. That’s precious. In the future, you’ll see each other often. She must be regretting her actions and trying to make amends.”

“Well, that’s more like it.” Tang Lin’er smiled as she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box.

“Ah—!”

Both mistress and maid screamed in horror, dropping the brocade box.

A blood-soaked, black-furred dead kitten tumbled out, its lifeless, hollow eyes staring directly at Tang Lin’er.