If it was the former âYu Xiangâ, she naturally would be willing to swap the not very useful lantern for a set of exquisite ornaments. However, the current Yu Xiang was nevertheless willful and she would rather throw or break her own stuff than allow others to own it. She merely looked at the young girl with a slight smile, âWho are you? Do I know you?â
The young girlâs complexion turned ghastly pale with her mouth opened yet unable to respond.
âYu Xiang, this is the elder sister, Fuâer, who is engaged to our elder brother. You donât even recognize our future elder sister-in-law?â Yu Si Yu marched forward as she explained.
It would have been better if she didnât explain. The young girlâs expression became more awkward once the words were out.
Yu Xiang quickly rummaged through âYu Xiangâ memories where a moment later, she managed to ferret out some information from a corner of her mind. This elder sister Fuâer was the second Di daughter of Duke Jingguo manor and she indeed had a marriage contract with Yu Pin Yan. She had visited Marquis manor twice or thrice in the past years but when the dispute in seizing the peerage title got intensified later, she didnât come anymore. Yu Xiang had never met her, so she naturally would not recognize her. From her recollection, she knew that her grandmother was furious with this granddaughter-in-law who intended to break off the engagement then, that she had fallen sick for more than a month.
As long as her grandmother was unwilling to agree, the title of future elder sister-in-law wouldnât be hers. She could have stood out to defend this younger sister-in-law, yet she waited till the conflict intensified before she came forward to curry favors from both sides. This person was somewhat a schemer and it was not surprising that very year, she had resorted to the game of waiting for the highest bidder.
The impression Yu Xiang had of this young girl hit rock bottom all at once and she sneeringly remarked, âWhen my thing is being snatched, elder sister Fuâer didnât get me out of predicament yet you are now the mediator. Wanting me to remember your favor by using a set of ordinary jade hairpin to swap my priceless palace lantern, this plan is truly sound but you are taking me as an idiot to be fooled! You are now helping others to swindle the younger sister-in-lawâs thing, how would you be if you are to marry into the family in the future! You would surely tortured the younger sister-in-law to death! Itâs the truth though, you are indeed a heartless and faithless person else when my elder brother was in a sort of difficulty, you didnât even help a little but was even thinking of rescinding the relationship. I donât think I can count on you at this moment.â
The way Chang Ya Fu handled this was not unworkable, but it was merely more inclined towards Qinghe Junzhu and she didnât even overlook to curry more favors for herself. If it was others, perhaps they would have reluctantly agreed but as it happened, Yu Xiang could endure anything except suffered personal losses. One would have to be prepared for having oneâs face scratched bloody if one was thinking of snatching her thing.
With her lips pursed, eyes blinking that a great deal of teardrops spilled out when she choked with emotion, âA group of able-bodied including my future sister-in-law and my blood-related elder sister are ganging up to bully the crippled me, isnât this pushing me to death? Fine. Since there is no meaning to living, it will be better to hurl myself into the river to appease all of you!â After she finished the words, she rolled her wheelchair with great difficulty and slowly rumbled towards the river as her whole-being suffused in unspeakable grief.
Tao Hong and Liu Lu anxiously made whining noises but they were still being pressed on the stone table by the two old pozi, unable to move.
Qinghe Junzhu had truly suffered a fright. She was evidently sharp-tongued and overbearing a second ago yet in the next second, she was grieving and weeping. She became completely disheartened that her rapid changes of expression was even faster than flipping a page of the book. What was she thinking of doing? Drowning herself in the imperial gardenâs river? Everyone would be dragged into trouble!
Just as she intended to stop her with her outstretched hand, another much quicker rapid change of expression appeared. She merely saw the anxious Little Qiuâer unwaveringly pulling Yu Xiangâs sleeve while bawling with her mouth wide open as well as simultaneously crying and mournfully shouted, âElder brother, come here quickly! Someone is bullying Qiuâer and forcing lotus seed cake to death.â
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Who is the lotus seed cake that you mentioned⌠you canât secretly give others nicknames behind their backs! Yu Xiang was actually only playacting but when she heard the grievous sound of Little Qiuâer, she was somewhat unable to pretend anymore. With both eyes still brimming with tears, she gapingly looked at her.
It looked as if the whole of Xihe Garden would be able to hear this resonant voice! She was only thinking of scaring this group of children to make them retreat yet now, it seemed this matter had thoroughly been blown out of proportion. Well, she had better hastily think of how to discredit the others and exonerated herself in front of the Empress! Fortunately her elder brother had saved the Crown Prince and she was a crippled as well as accountable, so she shouldnât be on any losing ground. She was afraid of offending Prince Yu manor which might cause trouble for her elder brother in the future.
She wiped her face as the woeful expression on her face instantly changed between laughing and tearing.
Seeing how insensible these two people who not only didnât offer the festive lantern to her on their own accord but instead stirring up more trouble, Qinghe Junzhu became agitated and threateningly said, âToday is the Empressâ birthday, yet one of you dejectedly wailing and the other wanting to drown herself in the river. You are just intentionally creating bad luck for the Empress! Donât you know the proper etiquettes and where are your family upbringing?â
âStop stirring up more trouble, are you seeking death!â Everyone voiced out to dissuade.
âYu Xiang, donât implicate the Marquis manor even if you want to die! Come up!â Yu Si Yu was blowing her top up. This temperament of Yu Xiang was truly getting more and more unscrupulous, she was making trouble without even looking at the occasion!
âWhy donât you personally ask my Emperor Father and Queen Mother if Little Qiuâerâs family upbringing is good or not?â A deep low voice emitted from the back of the crowd. Qinghe Junzhu hastily turned her head to look and terrifyingly startled.
The Crown Prince just stood there with his hands clasped behind his back. Though the corner of his mouth was hitched with a gentle smile, fury flames were churning inside his icy-cold eyes. Behind him, Marquis Yongle walked out with an extremely gloomy expression.
âElder brother!â Two little girls pathetically cried out with hands reaching out to their elder brothers.
The Crown Prince and Yu Pin Yan each carried their precious younger sisters and left. As if they had just seen a ghost, the group of noble girls hurriedly stood aside to make way for them and helplessly looked at their figures gradually getting further away.
Tao Hong and Liu Lu broke free from the old pozi, lifted their skirts up and chased after them.
âIâve been told that the Empress has the intention to select a study companion for the Ninth Princess. You must carefully performâŚ.â These words that her mother told her suddenly appeared in Qinghe Junzhuâs mind before they left home. She had snatched the palace lantern of the Ninth Princess. That was the beloved precious Ninth Princess of the three most powerful people in the Great Han Dynasty â the Emperor, the Empress and the Crown Prince! How would this end?
Qinghe Junzhu could only feel extreme fear when she pondered over it.
When Yu Si Yu and Chang Ya Fu turned their heads, they caught sight of the unfathomable expression Old Madam standing at the river embankment that both of their faces turned deathly pale.
âOld Madam, this, thisâŚâ The wife of Duke Jingguo who had just mulled over a stomach full of praises for her daughter couldnât even spit out half a word at this moment. Those criticisms that Yu Xiang had just spoken out were truly devastating! What tortured the younger sister-in-law to death before getting married? What was being heartless and faithless as well as unable to count on? Old Madam raised her eyebrows when she heard those words. She would have rushed over if it wasnât for the narrowness of the river embankment which was the hindrance. As she couldnât rush over, the Crown Prince and Marquis Yongle instead arrived a step ahead. Now the situation was getting more serious.
What evil luck had they barged into! Duke Jingguoâs wife was feeling both angry and worried.
âThatâs all. Thereâs nothing interesting.â Old Madam sneered as she turned away.