Chapter 26: Catching a Thief
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“Please wait, Madam,” Madam Xi’s gaze was filled with meaning as she stopped Pei Jiao Jiao.
“What more do you want?” Pei Jiao Jiao’s tone carried a trace of displeasure as she glared at Madam Xi with venom in her eyes.
Madam Xi shook her head, her expression calm but firm. “I mean no offense, but this concerns your reputation and dignity. I must stop you.”
She pointed at the exquisite hollow gold hairpin adorning Pei Jiao Jiao’s temple. “Madam, where did that hairpin come from?”
The hairpin’s intricate golden filigree shimmered, a true masterpiece of craftsmanship.
For a brief moment, guilt flashed across Pei Jiao Jiao’s brow, but she quickly straightened her back. “It was a gift from my husband. A treasured heirloom from his family. Why? Is the Marchioness Zhongyong’s household so poor it cannot afford such an ornament?” She sneered, her voice biting. This hairpin had been a gift from Marquis Zhongyong to commemorate Lu Jing Huai’s success in the Scholars’ Examination.
Madam Xi’s eyes turned icy. “Curious. How could something from my dowry end up on your head?” Her voice was sharp, like a blade unsheathing. “Deng Zhi, report to the authorities!”
The light in her eyes froze like winter frost. That hairpin was from her private treasury. Lu Yuan Ze had gone too far. He not only consumed her resources but used her dowry to sustain his mistress. Today, she would not rest until he was brought to account.
“No! Don’t report it to the authorities!” Pei Jiao Jiao’s delicate voice turned shrill with panic, though it nearly cracked in her effort to maintain composure.
“This hairpin was gifted by my husband’s family! What evidence do you have to claim it as yours? You cannot simply slander me without proof!” Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill, her fragile demeanor stirring the pity of onlookers.
Her petite frame exuded a captivating charm, her watery eyes pulling at heartstrings. Compared to Madam Xi’s dignified beauty, Pei Jiao Jiao’s allure was more delicate and vulnerable.
Madam Xi’s maid, Deng Zhi, dared not leave her side. Instead, she quietly sent someone to report the matter to the authorities.
Madam Xi’s tone turned frigid. “Evidence? That hairpin was designed by me when I was fifteen. I sketched it myself and had it crafted. There is no other like it in this world!”
“I still have the design drawing in my manor. Would you like to see the evidence?” Her voice carried a biting irony. “Or perhaps you’ve never examined it closely. That hairpin is the token of love between the Marquis and me. Inside, our names are engraved, as a testament to our eternal affection.”
She spoke with bitterness. She had designed it at the height of her youthful infatuation, only to burn herself in the flames of love and see her sincerity buried in ashes. Her chest ached as if pierced by needles.
Just then, a small hand gently wrapped around her finger.
[Mother, don’t be angry. If you harm your health, your enemies will be pleased.]
Madam Xi looked down at her daughter, Chao Chao, and smiled faintly.
It wasn’t long before the constables arrived.
Pei Jiao Jiao’s face turned pale, her maid glaring at her with a warning look. This maid was one of Lu Yuan Ze’s placements, both to serve and to spy on her.
The constables entered, their leader stern-faced. When he saw Madam Xi, he bowed respectfully.
Madam Xi held a third-rank imperial title. Those stationed in the capital knew well who could not be offended. She was the legitimate daughter of the esteemed Grand Tutor and the younger sister of the current Vice Minister of Rites, Xu Yi Ting. The Xu family’s rise had been meteoric, turning fear into respect among the capital’s elite.
Deng Zhi stepped forward, covering her mouth as she laughed lightly. “This maid reported the theft. The hairpin worn by this lady belongs to my mistress, part of her dowry. How it ended up on another’s head is a mystery.”
“But surely this lady, the mother of the renowned young grandmaster, Lu Jing Huai, couldn’t possibly be a thief?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
The onlookers whispered among themselves. The celebrated young scholar, Lu Jing Huai, was widely admired but had risen by stepping on the reputation of Lu Yan Shu.
Pei Jiao Jiao’s face burned crimson, humiliated by the crowd’s derision.
“I didn’t steal anything!” she snapped, glaring daggers at Madam Xi.
[She’s just jealous of my genius son!]
Deng Zhi wasted no time. She reached up and yanked the hairpin from Pei Jiao Jiao’s hair. The sharp tug tore strands of hair, but Deng Zhi showed no remorse. She tossed the hairpin to the ground and stomped on it, bending it slightly to reveal the engraved names, “Lu” and “Xu.”
The crowd gasped.
“It’s true! This hairpin belongs to Madam Xu! Her name is right here!” Someone exclaimed, pointing to the engraving.
The crowd turned on Pei Jiao Jiao, their whispers cutting like knives.
“Could it be? The mother of a young grandmaster is a thief?”
Pei Jiao Jiao trembled with rage, shouting, “No! It’s not true!” Her voice cracked, desperation overtaking her. Her son’s reputation was on the rise; he was even connecting with influential patrons. This scandal could destroy everything.
Deng Zhi snorted. “If you didn’t steal it, why was it on your head? If you’re innocent, call your husband to verify your claim.”
Pei Jiao Jiao bit her lip, terrified. She dared not speak Lu Yuan Ze’s name.
The onlookers jeered. “Why won’t she call her husband? Seems there’s more to this story.”
“She’s dressed so elegantly, yet she stoops to stealing dowries? Shameless.”
Another sneered, “Could her son’s success be built on stolen wealth?”
Standing at the gates of the Golden Quality Tower, the scene attracted passersby, each adding their opinions.
Deng Zhi muttered just loudly enough to be heard, “Didn’t Lu Jing Huai just get engaged to the Jiang family? And he offered plenty of gifts. Stolen ones, perhaps?”
Pei Jiao Jiao’s heart pounded.
The constables hesitated, caught between the powerful Xu household and Pei Jiao Jiao’s son’s rising influence. Lu Jing Huai was the star pupil of the Soaring Elegance Academy and rumored to be the headmaster’s favored disciple. It was said he had the talent to achieve the rare Triple Crown of Excellence.
The constable leader sighed. “Madam, please come with us to resolve this matter.”
Pei Jiao Jiao froze. If she left, her reputation would be irreparably tarnished. Her maid tugged her sleeve, whispering that staying would only make things worse.
Pei Jiao Jiao finally relented, her steps heavy with reluctance. Deng Zhi, representing Madam Xi, accompanied the constables to the court. Madam Xi sent Ying Xue to retrieve the design sketches and dowry list for evidence.
With the matter resolved, Madam Xi returned home leisurely, stopping to buy a gift for Chao Chao along the way. Yet, as soon as she stepped into the Marquis’s Manor, she was summoned to the Virtue and Kindness Hall.
Nanny Lin intercepted her with a hostile glare. “The Old Madam is napping. You’ll have to wait.”
Madam Xi’s expression did not waver. Years ago, the Old Madam had also imposed “rules” on her when she first married into the family. Back then, Lu Yuan Ze had persuaded her to be patient, claiming the Old Madam had endured hardship raising him and his siblings alone.
She had endured, even standing in the scorching sun until her vision blurred. But now…