Chapter 14 Bewitching the Fourth Generation

A chilling hatred surged within her chest. Fangru stood at the foot of the brightly lit steps of the Prefectural Government's mansion, took a deep breath, and suppressed all the humiliation, resentment, and despair of her past life, leaving only one crystal-clear thought: In this life, she would never be a pawn again, and she would never submit to Zhou Ling again!

She straightened her back, like a tempered sword, carrying all the sharpness and coldness accumulated in her previous life, and stepped once again into the hypocritical clamor of the Xuanji Banquet.

The sounds of string and wind instruments remained as glamorous as ever, and amidst the clinking of glasses, the powerful and wealthy engaged in tacit probing and currying favor.

The trajectory of fate seems to have a stubborn inertia, and the tests arrive as expected.

Zhao Minglan, the daughter of the Minister of War, still had that coquettish and affected demeanor. She "accidentally" carried a full glass of bright red wine and stumbled straight toward Fangru, her face still bearing that hypocritical apology.

She was already prepared to enjoy watching Shen Fangru's panicked and disheveled appearance, her clothes soaked, and she had even thought of the sarcastic remarks to follow.

However, the scene she envisioned did not appear.

In the split second before the wine was about to spill, Fangru's eyes suddenly sharpened. Instead of backing down, she flipped her wrist and, with a faster, more accurate, and more ruthless technique, splashed the slightly cool fruit wine in her glass back into the glass!

With a "whoosh!" sound.

The wine was splashed precisely onto Zhao Minglan's face and clothes!

Her meticulously applied makeup instantly smudged, and a large dark stain appeared on her expensive brocade dress, dripping down in a sorry state.

"Ah!" Zhao Minglan was caught off guard and cried out in surprise, the shrill sound instantly shattering the harmonious atmosphere of the banquet.

Fangru didn't even glance at the face contorted with shock and anger. She simply placed the empty wine glass on the tray of a passing servant, her tone calm and even, yet carrying a chilling and domineering edge: "You slipped. Miss Zhao, you can't even walk steadily. You'd better practice more at home, so that next time... you won't fall even harder."

This starkly different reaction and sharp words stunned everyone who knew her usual temperament.

Where is the gentle and even somewhat timid Shen Fangru now?

At this moment, Su Wanqing lifted her skirt and stepped forward quickly with an incredulous look on her face, asking in a low voice, "Fangru, what's wrong with you today? Why are you so angry?" Her eyes were full of concern and confusion.

Fangru turned to look at her and saw her friend looking perfectly fine and with vibrant features. The image of her friend being paralyzed in bed after taking a knife for her in her past life was like the sharpest thorn, piercing her heart.

She hardened her heart, suppressing the surging bitterness and the warning that almost escaped her lips, and said in an unprecedentedly cold and hard tone: "Miss Su, today's banquet is not a good one. Staying away from me will not do you any harm."

She had to push her away; she couldn't let her get caught up in this deadly vortex again.

However, Su Wanqing, who was unaware of what was going on, was taken aback by Fangru's sudden coldness. Her almond-shaped eyes, which were always full of affection and smiles, were instantly filled with disbelief, grievance and a hint of offended anger.

Fangru had helped her before, so why did she say such harsh words to drive her away today?

"Shen Fangru!" Su Wanqing's voice rose a few decibels, filled with obvious hurt and anger. "What... what do you mean by this? I was just trying to be kind and concerned for you, and you're so ungrateful? Do you think everyone is trying to harm you just because you spilled wine on Zhao Minglan?"

Her chest heaved slightly, clearly indicating that she was quite angry.

The surrounding gazes were like needles, piercing and magnifying the embarrassment.

Su Wanqing was adept at navigating the world of romance and social interaction, and had long since honed her skills in dealing with all sorts of people.

However, such a ruthless and direct expulsion is still extremely rare. The last time I experienced such undisguised coldness and embarrassment was when I was with the aloof and unpredictable Emperor Zhou Ling.

But he was, after all, a monarch, whose might was unpredictable, so she could only swallow her grievances in silence.

But at this moment, these ruthless and cold words came from Shen Fangru, whom she had just tried to protect and even had some curiosity and goodwill towards!

This made her feel more bewildered and frustrated by a lack of understanding than any contempt from anyone else.

"Fine, very well!" Seeing that Fangru still had a stiff face and showed no sign of explaining or softening, Su Wanqing's pretty face flushed slightly with anger. She flicked her sleeve and said, "Since that's the case, then I've been meddling in other people's business! Miss Chen, please do as you please!"

Just as she was about to turn away in a huff, leaving the annoying Shen Fangru behind, a voice with obvious sarcasm lazily interrupted.

"Oh, what's going on here? Sisters fighting?" Lin Yueyao, the daughter of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, strolled over slowly, waving a round fan. Her gaze swept between the still angry Su Wanqing and the expressionless Shen Fangru, her face showing amusement at the spectacle.

She had clearly witnessed everything that had just happened and was now deliberately coming to add fuel to the fire.

She first looked at Su Wanqing with feigned sympathy: "Miss Wanqing, your kindness has been taken for granted. Some people are just from a small family, but they look down on you."

These words were ostensibly meant to comfort Su Wanqing, but in reality, they were a blatant attempt to accuse Fangru of looking down on others, implying that she was arrogant because of her social status.

After speaking, Lin Yueyao turned to Fangru, covering her lips with her fan, and laughed contemptuously: "Miss Chen, you are quite the show-off today! But this way of throwing wine and venting your anger is really unbecoming of a noble lady in the capital. Anyone who doesn't know better would think that some shrew from the streets has infiltrated this Xuanji Banquet."

She deliberately raised her voice to ensure that everyone around her who was listening could hear her taunts clearly, attempting to completely condemn Fangru for her rudeness and disrespect, and to shatter the little bit of intimidation she had just established.

Lin Yueyao's deliberately exaggerated sarcasm was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up even more whispers around her.

She proudly raised her chin, waiting to see how Shen Fangru would be embarrassed.

However, Fangru simply turned around slowly, her gaze calmly falling on Lin Yueyao. There was no trace of anger or embarrassment in her eyes, but rather a scrutinizing look that was almost pitying, which made Lin Yueyao feel inexplicably uneasy.

"Miss Lin seems particularly concerned about my words and actions?" Fangru spoke, her voice not loud, yet strangely suppressing the surrounding noise, clearly reaching everyone's ears. "I just wonder, behind this concern lies righteous indignation for Miss Zhao, or..." She slightly drew out her words, her gaze sweeping meaningfully over Lin Yueyao's overly extravagant attire and her deliberately positioned seat near the throne, "...something else, but unable to get what she wanted, and thus becoming angry and ashamed?"

Lin Yueyao's expression changed slightly: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

"I'm talking nonsense?" Fangru chuckled lightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "If I remember correctly, at the small banquet in the palace on the fifteenth of last month, Miss Lin specially imitated the Jiangnan Flying Fairy Hairstyle that His Majesty had praised, and even 'accidentally' spilled wine in front of the Emperor, hoping that His Majesty would take a second look. What a pity..." She shook her head with feigned regret, "His Majesty was discussing politics with the envoy at the time and didn't even lift his eyelids. Such 'effort' didn't earn her the slightest favor, so it's no wonder that Miss Lin is so angry today, thinking that everyone she sees has ulterior motives."

These words were like a thunderbolt, leaving Lin Yueyao stunned and her face turning red and white in turns!

These details, especially the embarrassment caused by His Majesty's almost dismissive reaction, are a deep-seated shame that Lin Yueyao never wanted anyone to see!

She even repeatedly reassured herself afterward that no one had noticed. How could Shen Fangru, this usually mild-mannered and even somewhat taciturn woman, possibly know?! And how could she dare to be so cruel, tearing it apart so brutally in front of all the prominent ladies of the capital!

Fangru's expression remained calm.

She was not born with a love for gossiping or revealing others' shortcomings.

These subtle awkwardnesses were simply the result of her keen observation skills, honed during her previous life as she struggled to survive in the cannibalistic court and elite circles.

Like collecting fragments, she unintentionally remembered many things about many people, originally only for self-protection, never intending to use them as weapons to hurt others.

However, this life is different.

If gentleness and forbearance would only plunge her and those she cares about into the abyss again, she wouldn't mind sharpening her words as well.

The surrounding noble ladies fell into an eerie silence, their faces a mixture of shock and barely suppressed excitement.

Immediately, someone couldn't hold back and let out a very soft "pfft" laugh, which was like lighting a fuse. Uncontrollable low chuckles immediately rose and fell from all directions.

Those gazes, which had been scrutinizing Fangru, instantly shifted to mockery and amusement at Lin Yueyao. It turned out that her targeting of Shen Fangru stemmed from her resentment at Lin Yueyao's failed attempt to seduce the Emperor!

"You...you're spouting nonsense! You're slandering me!" Lin Yueyao trembled with anger, pointing at Fangru, her words incoherent, unable to find any strong words to refute her, because every word she said was true!

Fangru was too lazy to argue with her anymore. She just glanced at her coldly, as if she were looking at a clown: "Whether it's slander or not, Miss Lin knows best in her heart. Let me give you a piece of advice: instead of wasting your time spreading rumors, you should go back and practice your manners. Maybe you can 'sprinkle wine' more gracefully next time."

"Pfft!" This time, even the noble lady who had been pretending to be reserved couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Lin Yueyao felt her face burning, as if she had been stripped naked and humiliated in public. She couldn't stay any longer. Amidst mocking gazes and low laughter, she stomped her foot hard, covered her face with her fan, and practically fled.

After successfully dismissing Zhao Minglan and Lin Yueyao, Fangru's aura of coldness and unapproachability intensified, causing those who had originally wanted to watch the spectacle or approach her to back down.

She paid no heed to the stares, took a deep breath, and with lightning speed, scanned the crowd of people clinking glasses and laughing.

Wanqing has already left in anger and is temporarily safe. At this moment, she must race against time to find that key person, Zheng Yu!

Information from her past life flashed through her mind: the White Sun Society, the Shadowless Ones, the conspiracy of the Xuanji Banquet... Only by finding Zheng Yu, who recognized the Shadowless Ones, and capturing this traitor first, could she grasp the chips to change her fate!

She remembered Zheng Yu mentioning that he had studied the files of the "Shadowless One" and remembered the man's physical characteristics.

Only by finding him, identifying and capturing the Baiyang Society spy who had infiltrated the banquet, and offering this tremendous achievement as a bargaining chip, could she have the leverage to exchange Gu Zhou's life from Zhou Ling!

She will no longer beg, no longer exchange her body and freedom for something.

In this life, she will take the initiative.

If Zhou Ling doesn't agree, she will join forces with her father and her cousin's connections in the Ministry of Personnel, and mobilize all available court officials to put pressure on him!

She was determined to force Zhou Ling to release the person!

Fangru's sharp gaze swept across the crowd like a falcon, quickly locking onto her target: Zheng Yu, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, was talking quietly with a colleague by a pillar not far away.

At this moment, Zheng Yu, dressed in a dark official robe, stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his handsome face seemingly covered with a layer of frost.

His sharp eyebrows, high nose bridge, and thin, tightly pursed lips gave him an aloof and unapproachable air.

His eyes were particularly striking, as black as ink and as sharp as a knife. When he looked at someone, it was as if he could peel away all pretense and see straight to the inside. It was these eyes that earned him the title of "Iron-Faced Yama".

He exuded an aura of rigor, coldness, and unquestionability, which was completely out of place amidst the noisy banquet around him.

Without hesitation, Fangru stepped forward, disregarding etiquette, and interrupted their conversation. She nodded slightly to her colleague, then grabbed Zheng Yu's sleeve and forcefully pulled him to a corner.

Caught off guard, Zheng Yu stumbled as she pulled him. His handsome face instantly turned frosty, and his brows furrowed tightly, clearly showing his extreme displeasure at this sudden offense and rudeness.

He forcefully brushed Fangru's hand away, his voice so cold it could drop ice shards: "Miss Chen?" His tone was clearly distant and questioning, obviously surprised and displeased by the sudden appearance of the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. "What is it that requires such haste?"

Ignoring his cold face, Fangru took a step closer, lowered her voice, and spoke with unprecedented urgency and certainty: "Lord Zheng, listen! There are spies from the White Sun Society infiltrated into the banquet, and the 'Shadowless One' is among them!"

Seeing Zheng Yu's pupils shrink slightly, but his face still showed utter absurdity and disbelief, she immediately added crucial details: "Think carefully back to the Ministry of Justice's file and portrait of him! Hooked nose, a shallow scar about an inch long on his left eyebrow, and left-handed! He must have disguised himself as a servant or a low-ranking official to infiltrate the area. Send people to investigate secretly immediately; we'll surely capture him!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yu's expression changed from dissatisfaction to utter disbelief, as if he were listening to a fairy tale.

He looked Fangru up and down, his eyes sharp as knives, trying to find traces of mischief or madness on her face.

A note from the author:

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