Chapter 120

Chapter 120: I Will Never Let It Go With Her

Grand Preceptor Wang and Chancellor Ji had always disagreed in the Imperial Court, yet because of his daughter, Grand Preceptor Wang still went in person to Chancellor’s Manor to ask Chancellor Ji to let Wang Liu Niang marry Lu Jing Yun as a co-wife.

Even Madam Wang had to speak kindly to Madam Ji.

Wang Liu Niang felt utterly disgraced; her name was already ruined, and even her face had been clawed by Ji Ru Zhen. If she did not marry Lu Jing Yun, she would have only one road left: death. Ji Ru Zhen at first refused to drink the tea she offered.

Grand Preceptor Wang said in a low voice: “Yi Yue, kneel.”

Before he left home, Grand Preceptor Wang had told Wang Yi Yue that if Ji Ru Zhen would not agree to let her be Lu Jing Yun’s co-wife, then she should hang herself with a rope. Wang Yi Yue, proud as the niece of Empress Wang, had always looked down on the noble ladies of the Capital. She even despised Ji Ru Zhen. She had never imagined that one day she would kneel at someone’s feet to offer tea. [Humiliation surged up like a tide.]

But Wang Yi Yue did not want to die, so she knelt and offered tea to Ji Ru Zhen. After finally drinking that cup, Ji Ru Zhen still kept a cold face.

In the end, Grand Preceptor Wang and Chancellor Ji exchanged a few polite, empty words.

Madam Ji took Madam Wang to stroll in the rear garden and chat. She asked, “Two days ago I saw the young miss from the Song Clan. She looks very much like someone. I wonder if Madam Wang has the same feeling?”

“You mean…” Madam Wang, after hearing Madam Ji, also felt that she had seen Song Chun Zhi somewhere before.

Madam Ji then mentioned, in passing, the third-ranked scholar from years ago.

Back then, when that third-ranked scholar rode a horse through the streets to celebrate, he charmed countless young ladies in the Capital.

Madam Wang and Madam Ji were of similar age, so of course they had both seen that third-ranked scholar. After Madam Wang brought Wang Yi Yue home, the more she thought about it, the more she felt Madam Ji would not have brought up Chun Zhi’s likeness to that scholar for no reason. She at once sent people to investigate.

Wang Yi Yue drew a portrait of Chun Zhi from memory. These last few days, Madam Wang had people searching everywhere for a portrait of that third-ranked scholar.

After running into Chun Zhi at the silk shop, Wang Yi Yue returned to the Grand Preceptor’s residence full of anger. As soon as she stepped in, a maid came to invite her to Madam Wang’s courtyard.

Wang Yi Yue asked, “What does Mother want with me?”

The maid replied, “Madam said you will know when you come.”

Wang Yi Yue quickened her pace. When she entered Madam Wang’s rooms, she saw that her mother had already sent all the house stewards and maids outside.

The moment she walked in, she saw her mother studying two paintings.

“Yue’er, you are back. Come look,” said Madam Wang. She had turned the Capital’s major studios upside down to find a portrait of the third-ranked scholar from Cheng’an Year Three.

“We found it!” Wang Yi Yue brightened and stepped forward.

One painting was Chun Zhi as drawn by Wang Yi Yue. The other was the third-ranked scholar from Cheng’an Year Three, Mu Qing Shan.

Their brows and eyes were remarkably similar, as if they had been carved from the same mold.

Wang Yi Yue said, “They look alike. They look too alike.”

Madam Wang said, “They do not only look alike. I already sent people to check. Mu Qing Shan did have a little daughter about the same age as Song Chun Zhi. Eleven years ago, Mu Qing Shan angered the Emperor, his house was seized, and he was exiled. His daughter Mu Zhi Lan vanished in a strange way on the road to exile…”

Wang Yi Yue said, “I sent people to look into the Song Clan. Song An Lan, the richest man in Dongzhou, has only one sister. Song Chun Zhi only came to Dongzhou last year.”

Madam Wang said, “And Chun Zhi drifted into Linshui Town eleven years ago and was taken in by the Lu Clan. The timing lines up exactly.”

Mother and daughter of the Wang Clan exchanged a look.

“If Song Chun Zhi is really Mu Qing Shan’s daughter, then she is the descendant of a convicted official. Eleven years ago she would have been reduced to the lowborn register. The good and the lowborn cannot marry, and she absolutely cannot become Princess Consort of Chang’an,” said Wang Yi Yue through gritted teeth.

Madam Wang said, “The hardest part now is proving that Song Chun Zhi is Mu Qing Shan’s daughter.”

Wang Yi Yue said, “Let’s tell Aunt. Aunt has always opposed Prince Chang’an marrying Song Chun Zhi. If Aunt learns Chun Zhi is the daughter of a convicted official, she will act.”

Madam Wang hesitated and said, “But this marriage between Chun Zhi and Prince Chang’an was personally bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor. I fear even Her Majesty the Empress may not be able to stop it…”

“Aunt has always wanted a daughter of the Wang Clan to become Princess Consort of Chang’an. I can’t do it anymore, but there is still my sister,” said Wang Yi Yue, biting down hard. “Song Chun Zhi has ruined me. I will never let it go with her.”

Madam Wang said, “Madam Ji was the first to say Chun Zhi looks like Mu Qing Shan. She fed us this on purpose. She must want to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.”

“Mother, even so, I can’t care about that now,” cried Wang Yi Yue. “Song Chun Zhi has made me like this. I want her worse than me.”

Madam Wang held Wang Yi Yue in her arms. Even though she knew Madam Ji meant to use them, things had reached the point where they had to move.

After thinking again and again, Madam Wang told Wang Yi Yue: they would report this to Empress Wang and see what the Empress would do.

That same afternoon, a letter from the Grand Preceptor’s residence entered Wutong Palace.

On the other side, in Song Manor:

When Song Wan’er and Chun Zhi returned, Song An Lan had just come home.

Song Wan’er told her elder brother how someone had snatched a bolt of silk from them at the silk shop, then lifted her chin and asked, “That shop claims to be the biggest in the Capital. Elder brother, should we buy it?”

Song An Lan smiled and said, “If it is the biggest silk shop in the Capital, the business must be very good. It will not sell any time soon.”

“Then forget it.”

Song Wan’er did not make things hard for her brother. She told him they had run into Wang Yi Yue. That sixth miss of the Wang Clan had had her face clawed to ruin and might never recover.

Song An Lan listened with patience and told his sister, “Do no harm, but be on guard.”

He added that if they met Wang Yi Yue in the future, it would be best to keep their distance. People in this world are mixed good and bad. Someone like Wang Yi Yue, who lived on a cloud and then suddenly fell to the ground, might go crazy and seek revenge.

Song Wan’er nodded and said, “I didn’t argue with her or provoke her. When sister said to leave, I left.”

“Good,” said Song An Lan, patting his sister’s head.

He then ordered people to send the most fashionable fabrics in the Capital over to Song Manor for Song Wan’er and Chun Zhi to choose.

In truth, many things could be ordered straight to the house, but Song Wan’er and Chun Zhi stayed home all day. They needed to get out more. Song An Lan thought that next time he should arrange more people to go with them.

While the siblings were talking, the gatekeeper hurried in to report: “Someone from the palace is here again!”

At once, Song An Lan took Chun Zhi and Song Wan’er to meet them.

A palace eunuch entered and announced, “By the Empress’s verbal command, Song Clan’s Miss Song Chun Zhi is summoned to enter the palace and have audience.”

Chun Zhi felt her heart drop. [A bad feeling hit her.]

Song Wan’er whispered, “Why does my sister have to enter the palace again?”

Last time there had been nothing good.

Song An Lan slipped a silver note to the eunuch and said, “May I ask why Her Majesty suddenly summons my sister?”

This eunuch did not even take the note. He pushed it back to Song An Lan and said with a stiff face, “Do you think Her Majesty’s meaning is for you to guess?”