Chapter 082
Chapter 82: Back from the Dead
Half a stick of incense later, Wang Mang left the study first to eat in his sister’s courtyard.
Xia Ping Yuan stepped out with his hands behind his back and looked at his daughter: “I’ll tell your mother, so she won’t worry.”
Xia Meng Yan nodded: “You should.” If they left the capital for the Lin family, they had to explain it to her mother. She touched her rounded belly, as if she could feel how hard things had been for her mother.
The next morning, a ragged man stood at a steamed bun stall. His clothes were torn by someone, but the fabric showed he came from a rich home.
The stall keeper greeted him with a smile: “Honored guest, want some buns? My pork buns have lots of filling and thin skin. You’ll want more after one bite.”
The man drooled. Hearing this, his eyes lit up, and he grabbed a bun to stuff in his mouth. It was fresh from the pot, hot enough to burn a tongue. He bit down and yowled.
“Dang it, what kind of lousy bun is this, almost burned me to death.”
Before the stall keeper could scold him for taking food without paying, the man threw the good bun to the ground. The stall keeper’s face sank: “Pay up.”
“Pay what? Your bun burned my tongue. You should pay me,” the man snapped as he pushed inside the stall.
The stall keeper shielded the cash box and snatched up a rolling pin: “What are you doing, trying to rob me in broad daylight,” he shouted to the people around, “look, everyone, he ate a bun without paying and is making trouble.”
People eating breakfast looked over and pointed at the man.
He snorted: “I’m not scared of your yelling. Either give me silver, or kneel and bow to me and admit you’re wrong.”
Today was truly unlucky. He had lost his only twenty taels of silver gambling. Without money, he had to make a scene here.
The stall keeper felt unlucky too. He hadn’t even made his first sale and already met a freeloader. He spat and shouted: “Hah, trying to cheat silver out of me? Dream on.”
Just then, men from the City Patrol Battalion walked over. They planned to grab a bite before going back to sleep, but someone was already calling out: “Officer, someone’s trying to scam me. I want to report it.”
The man hadn’t expected the City Patrol Battalion and tried to run, but the stall keeper grabbed him.
“Let go, let go,” the man struggled as the patrolmen ran up.
“What happened here,” one asked.
The stall keeper told them quickly. Before he finished, a patrolman stared and cried out: “Wang Ma Zi, weren’t you dead?”
Wang Ma Zi had lost at gambling, gone home at night, and beaten his wife and child to vent his anger. He ended up killing someone. Neighbors reported it, and this patrolman had been the one to arrest him. Later, Wang Ma Zi was sent to the Dali Court. A few days ago they’d heard he died inside. They hadn’t expected to see him here.
A patrolman beside him cursed: “You cur, how dare you fake your death.”
Seeing he was exposed, Wang Ma Zi kicked the stall keeper away and ran. He only took two steps before the patrolmen caught him and dragged him straight back to the Dali Court.
Within the time it takes one stick of incense to burn, word raced through the capital that the “dead” Wang Ma Zi had broken out of the Dali Court and been caught again.
When Xia Ping Yuan came home from morning court, the smile never left his face.
Madam Lin scolded without much heat: “All right, if you keep grinning, your face will crack.”
“Of course I’m happy. Our daughter is capable and hit two birds with one stone. You don’t know it, but His Majesty scolded the Chief Justice of the Dali Court until he was drenched in shame, and the Huo family too. His Majesty found out Huo Ying Zi bribed the jailers to break the prison and smashed his teacup on the spot. Even if the Northern Fortress Pass keeps sending victories, it won’t erase His Majesty’s grudge against the Huo family,” Xia Ping Yuan said, popping a bite of meat into his mouth and chewing in delight.
Wang Ma Zi had only managed to fake death after eating Lin Ye Lan’s food. In other words, the Huo family wanted Lin Ye Lan to fake his death and flee the capital. If such a plan stayed hidden, fine. But now that it was exposed, tsk tsk, both the Huo family and the Ping An Marquis Manor were in for it. His daughter had used that death-faking pill perfectly.
Madam Lin felt pleased too and echoed him: “Yes, yes, lucky you, to have such a capable daughter.”
While the couple laughed till they couldn’t close their mouths, Lin Ye Lan in the Dali Court prison saw Wang Ma Zi brought in again and went dumb.
When he learned the chicken leg had a death-faking pill on it, he regretted it to the bone. “How can this be? Impossible. It’s all fake.”
“If Ying Zi really wanted to save me, why didn’t she tell me? This was all the Huo family’s plot.”
He didn’t dare think further. He had already shifted all the blame onto Huo Ying Zi, which also explained why he had suddenly gone mad and bitten her. But now even Huo Ying Zi was trapped in suspicion. Who could still save him?
He didn’t want to die. He still had so many things to do. [Right, Xia Meng Yan.]
Lin Ye Lan pounded on the cell door and shouted until his voice cracked: “I want to see Xia Meng Yan. I want to see her.”
The jailers had been punished by their superiors and were full of anger. Hearing his yelling, they grabbed cudgels and beat him: “This is the Dali Court. Think you’re still a marquis? If you keep shouting, I’ll kill you.”
When Xia Meng Yan released Wang Ma Zi, she had already guessed the follow-up. Now her mind was full of her maternal grandfather, so she paid little attention to outside news.
Two days later, Xia Ping Yuan invited her to eat.
“Huo Ying Zi is confined at home for half a year. Ping An Marquis is stripped of his title, given thirty strokes, and exiled to the Frontier Garrison,” Xia Ping Yuan told his daughter at once, passing on Emperor Xuan Ming’s decree.
Xia Meng Yan was a bit surprised: Huo Ying Zi only got half a year?
Seeing his daughter’s thoughts, Xia Ping Yuan explained: “The Eldest Princess begged for Huo Ying Zi, so His Majesty chose a light warning.”
“The Eldest Princess?” Xia Meng Yan searched her past life. The Eldest Princess and Huo Ying Zi had never crossed paths. Why was everything different now? [Did my rebirth change Huo Ying Zi’s path in love?]
“As expected. The Huo family’s merit overshadows the throne. Huo Ying Zi is their legitimate daughter. His Majesty wants her kept in the capital as a hostage. Lately he asked the Eldest Princess to pick a suitable match. Who knows which family will be unlucky and have to marry the Huo family,” Xia Ping Yuan said, secretly glad he had no son. Otherwise, the emperor would likely set a trap for him.
Xia Meng Yan kept silent. Her guess was right. The emperor had started to guard against the Huo family. Only, in this matter, which side would the Eldest Princess choose?
After the decree, no one dared delay. Ping An Marquis—no, Lin Ye Lan—didn’t even enter his home. Shackled, he was sent out of the city at once. Grand Madam Lin and the first branch were kicked out by Marquis Xuan Ping. The original Marquis Manor was sealed. With nowhere to stay, they could only sit in an inn for now.
Just when people thought the matter was over, Emperor Xuan Ming announced at morning court that the Chief Academician of the Hanlin Academy was old and had been allowed to retire. Xia Ping Yuan would take the seat. In an instant, the Xia family stood in the wind’s very eye.
People brought up Xia Meng Yan’s marriage again, and the Lu family led the way.
“Big Miss, the Lu family’s eldest young lady sent an invitation, asking you to visit and admire flowers,” Chun Yue said, opening the card and setting it by Xia Meng Yan’s hand.
Without looking, Xia Meng Yan said: “Refuse it. When Father was slandered, the Lu family kept their distance. Now that Father has been promoted, they come running. Tell them my belly is big and it’s not convenient to go out.”
“Yes,” Chun Yue answered and left with the card.
Nanny Song began to pack for leaving the capital: “Madam of the Lin family already wrote to the old master. We’ll bring two midwives with us.”
“Good. I’ll follow your lead,” Xia Meng Yan said, her gaze falling on the ledger Wang Mang had brought back. In only two months, the shop was already making a profit. Thinking of the Huo family’s plans, she decided to warn her maternal grandfather to keep a low profile when they reached the Lin family. Otherwise, even a good shopkeeper might get poached by the Huo family.
“Big Miss, the maidservant—” Chun Yue rushed in, flustered. Before she could finish, someone behind her stepped past her into the room. “You can’t go in,” she protested.
Xia Meng Yan looked up with a small frown: “Why are you here?”