One moment Yu Xiang said she was inviting trouble, and the next a low-rank maidservant came to report that the Sun family had come again.
Because Madam Sun had dealt with the matter properly, the maidservant died and left a bloody letter. However, her family had refused to do her justice for the sake of five-hundred taels of silver and several dozen acres of good land. If it werenât for the continued blackmailing of the Sun family, the bloody letter would have been burned as well.
Shen Yuan Qi looked for that family several times, and as soon as he said the words âdemanding justiceâ, they immediately cried, kicked up a ruckus, and would rather die than comply. Shen Yuan Qi had no choice but to force himself to admit it. Who knew that once he admitted it, Sun Ming Jie refused to do so? He had long coveted Yu Xiangâs beauty and thought that since her legs were broken, he could do whatever he wished to do with her in bed. If he killed her, he could just claim that she died due to her debility and leave it at that. There was none a more suitable wife than her.
Hence, Sun Ming Jie refused to give up and sent the matchmaker to their manor three or four times to propose marriage. At first, they were polite. However, after Shen Yuan Qi was suspended for interceding on behalf of the Crown Prince, the Sun family became arrogant and changed their mind. They said that they wanted to take Yu Xiang as their concubine, which made Shen Yuan Qi so angry that he almost vomited blood.
Yu Xiang listened to a low-rank maidservantâs recap of the whole story in a few words. She advanced toward the hall angrily. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she heard the matchmaker laughing scornfully, âLord Shen, you should agree without delay. There would be no shop after passing this village.[1] Young Master Sun has now taken up a post in the Ministry of Justice. Not only is he handsome and personable, but he also has a bright future ahead of him. On the other hand, your young miss, what else can she offer except for her good looks? Not only is she unreasonably bad-tempered, but she also canât even walk right. Although she has recovered, she canât walk any better than a normal person. At least currently, you are the Secretary of the Da Li Academy. However, when the Emperor deports you in the future, it will be very difficult to marry off your young miss into a family like the Sun family.â
Because most of the officials siding with the Crown Prince were discarded by the Emperor, and as Minister of State was now in the Heavenly Prison with an uncertain future, a pawn like Shen Yuan Qi would sooner or later be deposed in the eyes of the world. Therefore, the matchmaker did not show any respect for Shen Yuan Qi, and had even shown some contempt for him.
Before Shen Yuan Qi could open his mouth, Yu Xiang laughed coldly and questioned, âWhere does he get the nerve to ask a minor official to be his concubine? Why donât we ask Madam Sun to meet the Empress tomorrow and ask if there is any precedent of a Xiangjun[2] becoming a concubine to a minor official of the sixth rank in the Han Dynasty? I will have a letter sent to the Empress asking for an audience, so go back and tell her that I will be waiting for Madam Sun at the palace gate tomorrow at midnight.â
The red brocade robe fluttered in the wind, and a strong fragrance wafted in the air, making one feel bewitched. The young womanâs beauty was unparalleled. At this moment, her eyes were flashing with raging anger, the golden lotus in the middle of her brow seemed to also be burning. This kind of beauty could almost take oneâs breath away, It was a beauty that was almost breathtaking, a mere glance at her could make the pupils feel like they were stabbed, and the pain was excruciating.
The matchmaker subconsciously stood up to greet her, fear replaced the arrogance on her face. She couldnât help wondering where an ordinary person could get some of the blazing fire like this young lady. When she understood the meaning of her words, she was even more frightened out of her wits.
The Yu and Shen families had declined, yet everyone had forgotten about Yu Xiangâs identity, Si Nong Xiangjun. Now that she mentioned it, the matchmaker remembered this and her heart secretly cried out in distress.
âIt is this slave who is arrogant. How can Xiangjun Niang Niang be worthy of a mediocre man like Young Master Sun? In that case, this slave will answer Madam Sun, and I beseech Xiangjun Niang Niang to not be offended.â The matchmaker apologised and retreated. But the matter of meeting the Empress in the morning was not something she could resolve, so she would leave that to Madam Sun.
It was fine to provoke anyone, one shouldnât provoke Third Young Miss of the Yu family whose reputation was infamous. Although she had changed her surname, her temper had not changed at all; in addition, she had the backing of the Ninth Princess.
The matchmaker was extremely remorseful. She was afraid that Yu Xiang would raise her whip and strike her up. Thankfully, Lord Shen stopped her, so she was able to escape unscathed.
âHow can you be a good person when that person is bullying you?â Yu Xiang shot a fierce glare at her elder brother.
âI am a literati, and a literati wonât spill blood when they kill. So let him be wild for a few more days.â Shen Yuan Qi gave a faint smile, and the aura of fury around him was no less than that of Yu Pin Yan.
[1] èżäșèżäžȘæć°±æČĄæèżäžȘćș(guĂČ le zhĂšge cĆ«n jiĂč mĂ©iyÇu zhĂšge diĂ n)- It is a metaphor that means it is a rare opportunity, and one wonât be able to encounter this opportunity after one missed it.
[2] äčĄć (xiÄng jĆ«n) â township princess. It is translated as âLady of a Villageâ or âLady of Third Rankâ. 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