Chapter 141 Fiancé
The waters of the capital are treacherous. Liu Yueli thought she had found a powerful figure, but little did she know that she might have only gotten herself into even greater trouble.
Luo Zhaohan took a deep breath, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of early summer flowers.
The good show has just begun. She is not in a hurry, she has plenty of time and patience to play with them slowly.
Luo Zhaohan walked away, his steps were very steady, not at all like someone who had just made a harsh remark.
In the flower hall, Liu Yueli was still slumped on the ground, her face covered with tears, and her carefully applied makeup was ruined.
The chilly air from the ground penetrated her body through her skirt, but she didn't feel it at all. Her mind was filled with Luo Zhaohan's eyes that were cold enough to freeze a person to death, and the words "take it slow".
"Take it slow..." Liu Yueli muttered, her whole body shuddered, and she suddenly got up.
No, she couldn't just sit there and wait for death! Luo Zhaohan must know everything. She had the evidence against her and could destroy her at any time!
She wiped her face with her sleeve in panic, her fingers shaking violently.
We have to find a way, we have to find a way! Luo Zhaohan didn't expose it immediately, so he must have some ulterior motive, or is he waiting for a better opportunity? Hundred Flowers Poetry Festival!
Yes, the Hundred Flowers Poetry Festival is coming soon. That is Liu Yueli’s most glorious time of the year, and there must be no mistakes!
Her mind was in a mess. She wondered if she should go and beg Luo Zhaohan, kneel down and admit her fault. But looking at her attitude just now, she didn't seem to be willing to soften her heart.
After a while, she became frightened again and wondered if she could... But as soon as this thought came to her mind, she shuddered.
Last time, I was lucky enough not to cause any loss of life. This time, Luo Zhaohan was clearly on guard. Could he still succeed? Moreover, if he failed...
The more Liu Yueli thought about it, the more frightened and confused she became, and she dug her nails into her palms.
On the other side, Luo Zhaohan did not return to his own yard, but turned a corner and went to the most secluded corner of the back garden of the mansion.
There is an old locust tree there with lush branches and leaves. There is a stone table and stone benches underneath. Usually, few people come here.
As she approached, a young man in a neat green shorts appeared from behind the tree with a look of anxiety on his face.
"Miss, are you alright? I saw Miss Liu's maid run off in a panic. Did you get her angry again?" the young man asked in a low voice, his eyes full of concern. This was the little mute that Luo Zhaohan had rescued from the outside world. Actually, he wasn't mute at all, but rather quite clever. His name was Aqi, and he only obeyed Luo Zhaohan's orders. He was the only person she could trust.
"Are you going to make me angry?" Luo Zhaohan chuckled and sat down on the stone bench. "She's probably scared out of her wits right now."
Ah Qi blinked, breathed a sigh of relief, and then became curious again: "Miss, have you confronted her?"
"It's not a complete loss, but it's enough to make her feel uncomfortable for a while." Luo Zhaohan said calmly, "A frightened rabbit will be more likely to panic and reveal its flaws."
Ah Qi nodded, seeming to understand: "Then what should we do next? The Hundred Flowers Poetry Festival is not long away."
Luo Zhaohan tapped his fingers lightly on the stone table. "The poetry gathering is indeed a good opportunity. Doesn't Liu Yueli value her talent the most? Every year, she relies on studying the exam questions in advance. This year, let's give her a bigger chance to shine."
She waved at Aqi, who immediately came closer. Luo Zhaohan whispered a few words in his ear.
Ah Qi's eyes lit up more and more as he listened, and he couldn't help but grin, but then quickly covered his mouth and nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, miss, I'll take care of this matter! I promise to do it properly, and no one will be able to trace it back to us!"
"Be careful, don't leave any traces." Luo Zhaohan warned.
"Understood!" Ah Qi bent down, nimbly got out of the bushes, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Luo Zhaohan sat alone under the old locust tree. The sunlight shone through the gaps between the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on her.
She was lost in thought. Revenge on Liu Yueli was only the first step. She knew that the incident six months ago might not be so simple. Liu Yueli was vicious, but also foolish. Could she have planned such a thorough plan on her own?
She subconsciously felt deep in her sleeve pocket, where she found a small, fine jade pendant. This was the thing she had clutched tightly in her hand before she passed out, something from the man who had pushed her down.
Who is the owner of this jade pendant? What is her relationship with Liu Yueli? What role did she play in this matter?
She wants to uncover these mysteries one by one.
In the next few days, the Shangshu Mansion seemed calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging underneath.
Liu Yueli claimed to be sick and hid in her yard, rarely coming out to see anyone. On the one hand, she was afraid of meeting Luo Zhaohan, and on the other hand, she was really scared. She had nightmares at night and was suspicious during the day. She saw everyone as if they were sent by Luo Zhaohan to harm her.
Luo Zhaohan, however, acted as if nothing had happened. She paid her respects every day and took walks as needed. Occasionally, when Madam Liu said something sarcastic, she would just pretend not to hear. Her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, which made Madam Liu feel a little uneasy.
I feel that after this incident of misfortune, this girl's temper seems to have become even more gloomy and unpredictable.
Liu Yueli held it in for a few days, but she couldn't stand the suspense any longer, so she finally gritted her teeth and sent her most trusted maid, Bizhu, to secretly find Luo Zhaohan, trying to test his attitude, or even to see if she could give in and see if she could save her life.
Bizhu found Luo Zhaohan tremblingly, and before she could say a few words, tears came down. She confessed and begged for mercy on behalf of her young lady.
Luo Zhaohan was leisurely trimming a pot of orchids with a pair of small silver shears. After listening to Bizhu's tearful performance, he didn't even look up. He just said lightly: "Go back and tell your young lady that if she really knows she is wrong, she should stay quiet. Don't provoke me again. Maybe I can... let her live a few more days in peace."
This sounds like a relief, but if you think about it carefully, there is no guarantee at all!
Bizhu went back covered in dust and dirt.
After hearing the reply, Liu Yueli felt even more uneasy.
Does that mean there's going to be a final reckoning after a peaceful life? This Luo Zhaohan is like putting a knife to her neck, but he won't chop it off, just grinding it every day!
While she was in a state of panic, the rumors about the Hundred Flowers Poetry Festival were quietly changing.
Rumors spread from nowhere that the Liu family's second daughter, Liu Yueli, had been studying hard behind closed doors recently, delving into obscure ancient books, and her poetry skills had improved greatly. She was sure to make a splash at this year's Hundred Flowers Poetry Festival and win first place.
The rumor was so convincing that even the maid in Liu Yueli's own courtyard heard about it and ran over to congratulate her foolishly.
When Liu Yueli heard this, her face turned pale!
This is not congratulations, this is putting her on the fire!
She did have some idea of the possible topics for the poetry competition and had secretly prepared a few poems, but winning first place? How could she even dream of it? There were so many talented women in the capital. If word got out, wouldn't that just bring her hatred? If her performance wasn't satisfactory, wouldn't she become a huge joke?
"Who?! Who is gossiping outside!" Liu Yueli was so angry that she smashed a teacup.
The first person she suspected was Luo Zhaohan!
But when people were sent to investigate, they found that the source of the rumor was so complicated that they couldn't trace it back to Luo Zhaohan.
Liu Yueli was so angry that her heart ached, but she was helpless and could only think even harder about the poetry meeting. The pressure was so great that blisters appeared on her mouth.
The day before the poetry reading, Aqi came quietly to reply.
"Miss, everything has been done. Our people have accidentally let Miss Liu Er know about the poems she prepared, her biggest rival, the arrogant young lady from the Zhao family in the Hanlin Academy. There will be a lot of fun to watch at the poetry gathering tomorrow." Aqi reported with a smile.
Luo Zhaohan nodded, not surprised. Liu Yueli's methods were nothing more than those.
"Also," Ah Qi lowered his voice, his expression becoming more serious, "I asked an old craftsman on the black market to look at the pattern on the jade pendant you mentioned. He said it's very unique, a bit like the patterns that came out of the palace, but not entirely. It has a bit of the totemic flavor of the ethnic minorities in the southwest. Ordinary people would never dare to use it, nor could they afford it."
In the palace? Southwest?
Luo Zhaohan frowned slightly. This was a much larger and more complicated situation. The person Liu Yueli had hooked up with was probably someone quite important.
"I understand. Let's put this matter aside for now and deal with tomorrow's poetry meeting first." Luo Zhaohan suppressed the doubts in his heart.
"Yes, Miss. Tomorrow you will..." Aqi was a little worried. His young lady had been busy recuperating and investigating cases for the past six months. Would she still have the mind to write poetry?
Luo Zhaohan saw his worry and smiled slightly: "Don't worry, your lady, I never fight a battle without preparation."
She was reborn, and her mind was filled with more than just memories of her past life. It was more than enough for a poetry gathering.
…
The next day, the Hundred Flowers Poetry Festival arrived as scheduled. It was held in the huge garden of the royal villa on the outskirts of the city. Flowers were in full bloom, the breeze was fragrant, and young men and women from various families gathered there, dressed in elegant clothes, and the scene was very lively.
Liu Yueli forced herself to be energetic and dressed up to look stunning. But along the way, she felt like everyone was looking at her strangely, as if they were expecting something, or watching a show. Her heart was pounding like a rabbit in her chest.
Luo Zhaohan arrived a little later, wearing only a plain light green dress, with her hair tied up in a loose bun and a white jade hairpin inserted in it. There was no unnecessary decoration on her body. In this occasion where everyone was competing for beauty, she looked particularly fresh and refined, and attracted attention.
Many people had heard that the two young ladies of the Shangshu Mansion seemed to have some disagreements, and their eyes moved back and forth between them, full of inquiry.
The poetry reading began, and the topic was given. It was indeed about flowers, but the flowers proposed happened to be some relatively rare ones, and the artistic conception was difficult to grasp.
Liu Yueli was delighted at first, as she had prepared for this topic!
She took a deep breath and was about to copy down her carefully polished poem when she caught a glimpse of Miss Zhao from the opposite side looking at her with a hint of sarcasm on her lips.
Liu Yueli's heart suddenly skipped a beat!
Could it be...
She looked at Luo Zhaohan again, only to see that Luo Zhaohan had a calm expression and had already started grinding ink, as if he was confident.
Liu Yueli's hands began to tremble. She suddenly didn't dare to write her poem!
What if, what if Miss Zhao also knew about this? What if she got angry right then and there? I'd be finished!
But if she didn't write this song and composed another one temporarily, she would have no confidence that she could surpass the others!
For a moment, Liu Yueli was so anxious that sweat broke out on her forehead. She held the pen but couldn't put it down. Her face turned red and white, and she became the focus of the whole audience without realizing it.
On the other side, Luo Zhaohan had already started writing calmly, with ink dripping on the rice paper and the handwriting clear and elegant.
As the poems flowed out one by one, the surroundings gradually became quiet, and occasionally a few suppressed exclamations could be heard.
On the high platform, several great scholars in charge of commenting also nodded frequently with expressions of appreciation.
Liu Yueli knew without even looking that Luo Zhaohan was really going to become famous this time.
Her vision went dark, and she felt the gazes around her piercing her like needles, filled with ridicule and contempt. The reputation of a talented woman that she had worked so hard to maintain, the thing she was most proud of, was easily shattered by Luo Zhaohan at this moment!
And all this is just the beginning.
Luo Zhaohan finished writing the last sentence, put down his pen, raised his head slightly, and his gaze passed through the crowd and fell on Liu Yueli, whose face was as pale as death.
She said nothing, but just smiled very faintly.
Liu Yueli saw it clearly. There was no pride or boasting in that smile, only a cold and indifferent look as if everything was under control.
Liu Yueli felt a chill rushing from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She could no longer hold on, her legs went limp, and amidst exclamations, she fainted at the poetry reading.
The scene suddenly became chaotic.
Luo Zhaohan stood there, looking at Liu Yueli who was surrounded and frantically being rescued, his eyes calm and unwavering.
This is just the beginning.
My dear sister, let’s slowly settle our accounts one by one.
…
Fiancé? Pei Ji?
Liu Yueli was stunned and almost didn't react. That's right! How could she have forgotten about this!
Luo Zhaohan is no longer the helpless orphan she once was. She is now engaged! Her fiancé is still the famous evil spirit in the capital, Pei Ji!
The Pei family is a truly powerful family. They hold real power and even the emperor has to give them some face.
Pei Ji himself holds an important position at a young age and is in charge of the dreaded Xuanying Division. It is said that anyone who enters that place will be skinned alive if not killed.
He has a cold temper and acts ruthlessly, and is known in the capital as someone who is not easy to mess with.
Just now, she was so worried that Luo Zhaohan would bring up the past that she completely forgot that there was such a huge Buddha standing behind her!
In an instant, a light of almost grasping at a life-saving straw suddenly burst out from Liu Yueli's eyes, which were still filled with tears.
Yes! She could go and ask Pei Ji for help! No matter how cruel Luo Zhaohan was, he couldn't disobey his fiancé, right? Men always had to save face. How could he let his fiancée make enemies at random?
What's more, a family like the Pei family must value reputation and interests more. As long as she surrenders and gives her some benefits, maybe Pei Ji can suppress Luo Zhaohan in turn and put an end to this matter!
As soon as this thought came to her mind, Liu Yueli's heart beat faster. The fear and despair she had just felt were suddenly diluted by this sudden hope.
She quickly wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief, and tried to force a decent smile, her voice tinged with anxiety: "Really? Sister Zhaohan is willing to take me to meet Lord Pei? That's great! I should have gone to meet my future brother-in-law a long time ago..."
As she spoke, she quickly tidied up her messy dress and hair, fearing that she would leave a bad impression on Pei Ji when she met him later.
Luo Zhaohan saw her arrogant and respectful attitude and sneered in his heart, but his face remained expressionless. He just glanced at her lightly and said, "Let's go."
After saying that, she turned and walked away, her steps neither too fast nor too slow, just enough for Liu Yueli to keep up.
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