Chapter 117.2

How could Yu Xiang not understand the mindset of these people who would hit a person while they were down? She laughed coldly and said, “Then, I will have to offend Miss Xue today.”

Xue Jia Yu’s heart trembled as she heard Yu Xiang continue, “It’s a great blessing that I can reclaim my ancestry. However, in Miss Xue’s mouth, you have used the word ‘reduced’. This shows how lowly my elder brother is in Miss Xue’s heart and the miserable state it is to return to his side. Although my elder brother is now a fourth-rank official of the imperial court, I am afraid that he is still treated as a slave of the Xue family in Miss Xue’s heart…”

“No, I don’t mean that.” Xue Jia Yi hastily refuted.

“Then, why did you sarcastically say that I have been reduced to ‘such a state’? What is this level of ‘such state’? Can Miss Xue clarify?” Yu Xiang blinked and appeared very confused.

Xue Jia Yi’s cheeks flushed, stammered and was unable to explain.

Yu Xiang sneered, “I will not feel inferior just because I have returned to my Big Brother’s side, let alone feel ashamed because of my Big Brother’s experience as a slave. Miss Xue, you’d better be polite when you speak to me in the future. Although I am not the Third Young Miss of the Yu family now, I’m still Si Nong Xiang Jun.[1] Moreover, if we are discussing ranks, your parents would have to salute me.”

Xue Jia Yi’s red cheeks instantly turned pale and she was at a loss as to what to do. At this time, she heard Shen Yuan Qi’s gentle voice coming from not far away, “Xiang’er, it is time to return.”

Xue Jia Yi did not know how long he had been standing there and how much he had heard. She felt even more ashamed and indignant, so she picked up her skirt and hurriedly ran away. Tao Hong and Liu Lu focused on enjoying the flowers and did not stand up for their master, because they both knew that all the ladies of the capital were paper tigers in front of their master.

Shen Yuan Qi pushed his younger sister back to his room. He sat down and poured her a cup of hot tea with an unreadable expression.

Yu Xiang took a sip and said frankly, “Big Brother, although Old Master Yu treats you well, Madam Xue is wary of you from the bottom of her heart. There is no guarantee that she will not whisper something in Old Master Xue and Young Master Xue’s ears as time goes on. If you don’t covet the Xue family’s property, we’d better move out as soon as possible, lest our benefactors would turn into enemies.”

Shen Yuan Qi raised his eyebrows and asked, “What if I covet the Xue family’s property?”

“Then I can only say that water has clogged your head, and then advise you to think twice before you act. Why lose your great name over something like that? Don’t pick the sesame seeds and lose the watermelon.” Yu Xiang gave her advice in a patient manner as if she was talking to a child who had lost his way.

Indeed, the Emperor had valued him because he had no roots and because he knew how to repay his kindness and was merciful. If he claimed the Xue family’s property, he feared his future career would be cut short. Shen Yuan Qi had asked the question carefully, but when he saw how serious his sister was, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Once again, he realised the huge difference between Yu Miao Qi and his sister. Yu Miao Qi was unyielding ever since she was young, and she would tenaciously appropriate herself to others’ belongings and would never let go unless she was ready to give up. If he had asked this to Yu Miao Qi, her eyes would have lit up and actively scheme for him.

She was spoiled by her late parents, who always whispered in her ears that she was a noble person and would one day get the best in the world. However, it turned out to be changing her nature and eventually shaping her into the greedy, selfish person she was today.

It was the Shen family that had caused Yu Miao Qi to fail due to excessive praise. When he came to this conclusion, Shen Yuan Qi’s mood was hard to explain, and he could not say whether he felt more hatred or guilt.

The pair of siblings discussed the matter for a while and decided that living in the Xue household was not a long-term solution. Therefore, the following day they informed Old Master Xue and sent someone to clean up the vacant house.

Old Master Xue tried his best to persuade them to stay. However, due to Shen Yuan Qi’s determination and the fact that he had a family member by his side, he had to let them go. He did his best to arrange for Yu Xiang to return to her ancestry.

It took only a few days for word to spread that Yu Xiang was not a member of the Yu family, but rather the biological sister of Top-scholar Shen. The reason for this was fourfold: Firstly, her biological elder brother was also a popular person with the emperor and could not be easily offended; Secondly, the Emperor had not withdrawn her title of Si Nong Xiang Jun and even asked the Empress to give her gifts to appease her; Thirdly, the Ninth Princess would visit her everyday, and refused to leave until dusk, which showed that she was very close to her; Fourthly, the Crown Princess also sent several caravans of gifts to show her importance.

Although Yu Xiang had left the Marquis’s manor, her situation was not exactly deplorable, except for the fact that she missed Yu Pinyan terribly in the dead of night.

Yu Si Yu visited her a few times and told her that the Old Madam was too ill to walk. Yu Xiang immediately prepared a gift and went to visit her. However, she was stopped at the door, so she had no choice but to leave in a sad state. She was able to walk like a normal person, but she still sat in a wheelchair. It was unknown whether it was because she was lazy or something else.

Three months had passed. On this day, right after lying down, Yu Xiang fell into a strange dream: She was standing by a large and turbid river with surging waves. Not far away, came the sound of clashing swords, and the sound of gruesome screaming and killing. She raised her head and saw the gloomy sky. Damp vapour entered into her nostrils as a rainstorm suddenly arrived.

She walked forward in the heavy rain, and before she could take a few steps she saw several horses racing towards her, followed by many pursuers wielding scimitars.[2] She wiped the rain droplet on her face and stood on tiptoe to see the face of the man at the head of the fight. Only to see that he had been hit by an arrow in the back and had fallen off his horse into the turbid river with a strong current.

The soldiers at her side cried out in despair ‘Commander’ and jumped in quickly as they strived to swim towards the floating figure. The cavalry on the shore put away their scrimitars and drew their bowstrings. Their arrows raining more densely than the rain in the sky, leaving no plan to escape.

Yu Xiang stifled her horror and threw herself down to the river bank to see the familiar figure. Watching him slowly sinking before she awoke from her boundless fear and helplessness.

Reaching her hand to feel her forehead, she discovered that it was covered in a cold sweat. She felt pain in the pit of her stomach as if something was ripped from her heart. Yu Xiang panted and called out to Tao Hong and Liu Lu.

“Young Miss, what’s wrong?” Liu Lu asked in shock as she stared at the ghastly complexion.

“Pack our things. I’m going to the Western Frontier.” Yu Xiang nimbly rolled over and got out of the bed.

[1] 乡君 (xiāng jūn) – township princess. It is translated as “Lady of a Village” or “Lady of Third Rank”. It was usually granted to the daughter of dukes with eight privileges or daughter born to a secondary consort of beile. (Prince of The Third Rank, granted to the son of a qinwang or junwang and commonly used to refer to all Manchu princes.) Credits: Wikipedia

[2] 弯刀(wān dāo)- Scimitar.