Chapter 3 Confrontation in the Hall: "Perhaps he's possessed."...
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Xue Rongyue was confused and looked at her as if she had lost her mind: "What does it matter to me whether your son is fat or thin? Am I going to steal his food?"
Madam Xu was furious: "What a heartless and ungrateful person! My son has been so worried about you that he can't eat or drink, yet you are so indifferent to it all."
After saying this, she wept again, looked at Princess Yu'an, kowtowed and said sadly, "Your Highness, I have been driven to the brink of despair. Lady Xue is heartless and ungrateful. She made a lifelong vow with my son but then abandoned him, causing him to fall ill from worry. As a mother, even though I am condemned as despicable today, I still want to ask Lady Xue, are you truly at peace with yourself?"
The unexpected accusations left Xue Rongyue and Princess Yu'an in disbelief. After exchanging surprised and doubtful glances, Princess Yu'an decisively said, "Go and invite Young Master Jiang."
When the old servant sent out by Xu was arrested, Jiang Langjun was by his side. The female official naturally wouldn't let him escape unscathed and temporarily placed him under house arrest in a side room. Now that he's been summoned, the process is quite swift.
A moment later, Jiang Shiyan was brought in by the female official.
Upon seeing Xue Rongyue, Jiang Shiyan abruptly stopped, his narrow eyes instantly turning red. His slender frame made his brocade robes appear loose, and his gaunt face looked even more haggard and sickly.
Xue Rongyue looked him up and down, then frowned: "I don't know him."
The moment he was placed under house arrest, Jiang Shiyan knew things were going badly. When he entered the hall and saw his mother kneeling and weeping, he felt even more guilty. Before he could kneel down to beg for forgiveness, he heard his beloved's heart-wrenching words. He felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing his heart, and he shed a tear in front of everyone: "...How did things come to this between us?"
He closed his eyes in anguish, but then comforted himself, saying, "I understand. You're getting engaged just to protect your reputation. I understand."
Seeing her son in tears, Madam Xu was furious and heartbroken. She said, "My son, even now, you are still so stubborn. You love her, but has she ever cared about your life or death? Wake up!"
With things having developed to this point, Xue Rongyue calmed down. She looked up again and carefully examined him, trying to find a clue in her memory. However, she had a bad memory, so she ordered her maid to fetch Jingnu.
Knowing that the key to breaking the deadlock lay with Jiang Shiyan, Xue Rongyue had no time to be angry at the coordinated performance of Jiang Shiyan and Xu Shi. She coldly said, "Whether you are putting on an act or having some other scheme, I do not know you. If you insist on accusing me, you can't just make things up without any evidence. Wouldn't that be ridiculous?"
Seeing that Xue Rongyue was determined not to admit it, Jiang Shiyan's brows and eyes were also tinged with shame and anger. Under Xu's desperate pleas, he took out a handkerchief from his bosom: "On the Lantern Festival, I was hit in the face by something filthy. You lifted the curtain and handed me this handkerchief, gently letting me wipe the filth off my face. This handkerchief is the token of our love."
Princess Yu'an stepped forward curiously. Before Xue Rongyue could get a good look, Jingnu, who had rushed over, recognized the handkerchief at a glance. After examining Jiang Shiyan carefully for a moment, she suddenly realized what was going on and whispered a few words in Xue Rongyue's ear.
Xue Rongyue first frowned, then looked surprised, and then looked puzzled.
After a while, she looked at Jiang Shiyan, half-realizing and half-doubting: "So you're the one who stopped the car that day. You've lost quite a bit of weight."
There were far more than a few; Jiang Shiyan, who stopped the carriage that day, was twice the size of the two men before him. Xue Rongyue had a poor memory to begin with, so it would be strange if she could recognize them. Fortunately, Jingnu had a photographic memory and was skilled at recognizing bones.
Jiang Shiyan gave a bitter smile: "You've finally acknowledged me."
Madam Xu retorted at the same time, "Isn't this all thanks to you!"
Xue Rongyue ignored Xu Shi and continued to look at Jiang Shiyan, her brows furrowed in bewilderment: "That day, I was waiting for someone by the river. You were covered in filth and reeked of a foul stench, yet no matter which way my carriage went, you followed. I could only stick my head out and ask what you wanted. You said you wanted to borrow a handkerchief to wipe yourself. Not wanting to get entangled with you, I sent a maid to buy you a handkerchief. How did it come to be such a tender and affectionate thing in your mouth?"
Xu was taken aback, and Jiang Shiyan blushed: "Why are you slandering our past like this? You were so gentle and considerate back then."
With veins throbbing at her temples, Xue Rongyue suddenly felt that she couldn't explain herself.
Before anyone could start cursing, Jingnu quickly stepped forward: "Although several months have passed, I still remember some of the details. At that time, Young Master Jiang was persistent and acted rudely. Fortunately, my wife is kind-hearted. Seeing your disheveled state, she still ordered me to buy you a handkerchief. At that time, my wife wasn't the only one by the river. Many young ladies and gentlemen were there, and it was broad daylight. How could they have made a promise? Young Master An from the Duke's Mansion even sent someone to buy a set of casual clothes for him to change into. They can all testify for my wife."
After he finished speaking, the room fell completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Jingnu's words were firm and unequivocal, and since they involved several young men and women, Xu was taken aback. Her lips trembled, and she reached out uneasily to tug at Jiang Shiyan's sleeve.
Jiang Shiyan was silent for a moment: "But you did give me the handkerchief after all."
Xue Rongyue, unable to bear it any longer, snapped, "Because you really stank back then, really, really stank! And you followed me around like a fly!"
Princess Yu'an coughed twice: "Is there nothing else besides this?"
"Of course."
Jiang Shiyan stared into Xue Rongyue's eyes and recalled sadly, "Two months ago, in the plum garden, you gave me pastries from Xie Fangzhai. Usually, my favorite pastries are Xie Fangzhai's peony pastries, osmanthus cakes, white jade cream cakes, and lotus root starch osmanthus sugar cakes... The one you gave me was white jade cream cake, which shows that you specifically cared about my preferences."
Reminded by Jingnu, Xue Rongyue recalled the incident, her eyes wide with anger and disbelief: "At the time, I was resting in the plum garden with several ladies, enjoying some pastries, when you and several men barged in. Not only were you being inconsiderate, but you even asked us for pastries. Behind the screen, I assumed you were beggars, so naturally I wouldn't be stingy with a piece of pastry. Not only you, but everyone with you had a share. As for inquiring about your preferences..."
Xue Rongyue was so angry she laughed: "You've listed all of Xie Fangzhai's signature pastries one by one. Which one don't you like?"
Princess Yu'an: "......."
Things turned out completely unexpectedly for Ms. Xu. She was dumbfounded and looked at Jiang Shiyan in a panic, expecting him to explain, but her face was burning with pain.
Jiang Shiyan's face flushed red and then paled, and he said anxiously, "And on the day of the Spring Festival last month, when you saw me, you smiled at me and noticed that I wasn't feeling well, so you called a doctor for me. I took all the medicine that doctor prescribed, and I still have the prescription..."
This time, the time was close enough that even if they couldn't see each other's faces, Xue Rongyue remembered without Jingnu's prompting, and she couldn't even stay angry anymore.
Her expression was numb: "That day, you blocked the entrance to the garden, blocking the way. I told you to get out of the way, but you didn't move and kept smiling at me like an idiot. I thought you were some kind of fool who rushed in from somewhere, so I didn't bother with you. Since you took the medicine and kept the prescription, didn't you realize that the medicine was for treating the brain? Besides, I have never smiled at you. I don't have such good manners."
Princess Yu'an: "........."
Xu: "..."
Jiang Shiyan was struck dumb, unable to believe it: "At the river banquet at the beginning of the month, you...you spoke to me..."
Jingnu couldn't recall the matter, and Xue Rongyue was also clueless, so she asked impatiently, "What did I tell you?"
Jiang Shiyan gazed at me tenderly: "You...you came up to me and told me to go away, that if I looked again you would gouge my eyes out, but I know you were just shy..."
Princess Yu'an: "......."
Xu: "......."
Xue Rongyue: "......."
Xue Rongyue's face flushed red instantly. She drew her long whip from her waist and said angrily, "I think you're deliberately making fun of me!"
Hastily pulling Xue Rongyue back, Princess Yu'an looked at Madam Xu, and after hesitating several times, finally couldn't help but speak: "Now that Master Songfeng is in seclusion in the Taoist temple, why not ask him to come and take a look at Young Master Jiang? Perhaps he is possessed by an evil spirit."
The bewildered Madam Xu suddenly realized her mistake and thanked him profusely, saying, "Your Highness is so kind."
Now she no longer felt the anger and shame she had before; instead, she felt a wave of unease.
In the past, she had only heard her son's account, and with a woman's handkerchief as evidence, she believed him without a doubt. But today, after hearing the details...
It's likely that he's been possessed by an evil spirit.
Jiang Shiyan was struck dumb, stunned for a long time, unable to accept it. He pulled his sleeve from Xu's hand, strode forward forcefully, and growled, "On the Lantern Festival, under the Bodhi tree in Puming Temple where people pray for marriage, weren't you waiting for me?!"
Xue Rongyue was taken aback upon hearing this, and her expression immediately darkened.
Jiang Shiyan's chest heaved as he gasped for breath, unwilling to believe that Xue Rongyue was heartless towards him, yet yearning for an answer, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Xue Rongyue.
Seeing this, Princess Yu'an gave a wink to the female official serving in the pavilion, fearing that Jiang Shiyan would lose his composure after Xue Rongyue gave her answer. However, Xue Rongyue did not speak again even after the female official had been close for a long time.
Princess Yu'an was surprised, and Jiang Shiyan saw hope in this. He took two more steps forward and pressed on, "That day in Chang'an, it snowed heavily, and there were very few worshippers in the temple. Tell me, if you weren't waiting for me, then who were you waiting for?!"
Under interrogation, Xue Rongyue's face turned ashen, her gaze dark, but she remained silent.
For a moment, the atmosphere inside the pavilion became as solid as lead, like a taut bowstring.
Even the female officials couldn't help but observe Xue Rongyue's expression. Jingnu, standing beside Xue Rongyue, lowered her head in sorrow, unable to speak.
Seeing this, Jiang Shiyan was filled with grief and indignation. His laughter was bitter, and tears rolled down his cheeks again: "You still won't admit it? You clearly love me, yet you're willing to hurt me like this today..."
Princess Yu'an's brow twitched, and Madam Xu also became confused.
After much deliberation, Princess Yu'an pulled Xue Rongyue aside, wanting to call her into the inner room to ask her the truth. However, Jiang Shiyan persisted, "You can deceive others, but you can't deceive yourself. You clearly love me both..."
“That day, she came to keep my appointment.” Before Jiang Shiyan could finish speaking, a clear and indifferent voice came from outside the pavilion, like shattered jade falling onto a plate. Then, a tall and slender figure walked in with a calm and composed gait.
Xue Rongyue suddenly raised her head, her body stiffening involuntarily.
Strands of golden light streamed through the embroidered window, their brilliance already concealed by layers of twilight gauze draped with red butterflies playing with pearls. Yet, even so, the moment the pavilion door opened, Xue Rongyue was still dazzled by the sunlight.
As the footsteps drew nearer, the figure with the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix emerged from the sunlight, its outline becoming increasingly clear.
Sunlight streamed onto Qin Jin's crimson brocade robe embroidered with golden cranes. The vibrant attire did not overshadow him; instead, it accentuated his refined and noble features, adding a touch of unrestrained and romantic spirit.
He was tall and strong, with an exceptionally handsome appearance. Born into wealth and privilege, he possessed an innate and noble air, as pure and elegant as a jade tree.
Princess Yu'an realized what was happening.
After all, there are very few people in the world who dare to disregard her orders and break in without permission.
Before she could even show any joy, Princess Yu'an was stunned by those casual words, her eyes wide and mouth trembling: "On the Lantern Festival, you and Second Mother made a promise to meet under the marriage tree?!"
A note from the author:
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Xue Rongyue: Whose fault is it that he's starving and thin? Me?? I beg Heaven to judge the loyal and the treacherous!
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