Chapter 25 "Look at her, she doesn't look like a proper young lady at all..."
The grass is lush and green, a gentle breeze is blowing. The peach blossoms are in full bloom, and the orioles sing sweetly, announcing the birthday of the Yan family's autumn geese.
Qian Yingyi got up very early and was dressed and made up by two maids. Then, she excitedly carried the birthday gift to Yan Qiuyan and rushed out.
Now that Chuntang and Xiao Daimao have fallen in love, Qian Yingyi has long been used to playing matchmaker.
Even when going out like this, she doesn't let Little Tortoise come with her. Chuntang stays at home too, saying that Yunteng Pavilion is busy with trivial matters and can't function without Chuntang.
Qin Lizheng was already waiting for her at the gatehouse. Hearing the sound, he turned his head and saw her skipping and jumping over from under the eaves.
Today, the girl wore a vest with a peony pattern, over which was a peach-pink long-sleeved shirt, and a light blue satin skirt embroidered with floral patterns. Her hair was styled in a bun with two thin braids behind her ears, tied with peach-colored cords. When she moved, the jeweled hairpins in her hair swayed gently, making her even more playful and cute.
"What are you standing here for?" Qian Yingyi nudged the guard's arm and urged, "Let's go!"
Qin Lizheng composed himself, watching her figure as she boarded the carriage without blinking, before pursing his lips and following closely behind.
When they finally arrived at the Yan family's residence, it was still early. Several maids and servants were waiting at the gate to greet them. As soon as they saw Qian Yingyi, one of the maids smiled and stepped forward, "Miss Qian, my mistress has been thinking of you last night. Please come in with me."
Qian Yingyi smiled and nodded, then climbed down from the carriage by the arm of a guard.
The maid led her into the house, but before she knew it, a gentle voice called out to her as they reached the hanging flower gate.
"Yingyi!"
Qian Yingyi turned around and saw Yan Ruheng walking quickly toward her.
Yan Ruheng was also quite eye-catching today. He wore a dark blue upper garment, with an almond-yellow sleeveless vest over it, and a headscarf on his head. His face was as handsome as jade, and a smile was always on his lips.
Strangely enough, Qian Yingyi found him especially handsome today, so she stopped and waited for him.
Yan Ruheng quickly walked to her side, his casual gaze lingering on the guard for a moment before he stared straight at Qian Yingyi with a gentle smile, "Yingyi, may I call you that?"
As they got closer, Qian Yingyi caught a faint whiff of citrus scent emanating from him, and her voice was light and cheerful as she said, "People often call me that, so it's fine."
Yan Ruheng glanced at her smiling face, his ears turning slightly red. He walked alongside her, casually asking about the small square brocade box in her arms, "Yingyi, is this a birthday gift you gave to Qiuyan?"
With each of us chiming in, the conversation began.
The dazzling light cast slanting shadows on the corridor, making the two appear like a perfect couple from a distance. Qin Lizheng followed behind at a leisurely pace, his expression gradually turning cold.
As they approached a wall, several maids carrying trays came by and bowed respectfully upon seeing the two. When they reached Qin Lizheng's side, one of the maids couldn't help but tease her companion, "Hey, don't you see? They're such a perfect match."
Another said, "Shh, don't talk about the guests!"
Despite saying this, she didn't cover the maid's mouth, but instead smiled and left with her.
Yan Ruheng and Qian Yingyi were chatting and laughing when they stepped onto a stone step.
Perhaps the wind was a bit strong, because a pebble suddenly appeared under his feet. Coincidentally, there was some moss on the stone steps that hadn't been swept away yet. He slipped as soon as he stepped on it, and if it weren't for the artificial stone next to him to catch him, he would have almost fallen to the ground.
A beam of light shone on Qian Yingyi's small face, making her rosy cheeks appear even more flushed. Startled, her eyelashes fluttered in confusion as she hurriedly asked, "Are you alright?"
Yan Ruheng calmed himself down, staring at the pebble no bigger than a finger joint, not paying it any mind. He turned to Qian Yingyi and smiled, "It's alright, I just wasn't looking where we were. Where are we?"
Qian Yingyi turned her gaze to her feet and laughed, "Then I'd better be careful when I walk. If I fall, all this outfit I'm wearing today will be wasted."
The two continued their conversation, neither of them taking the interruption to heart.
After passing through most of the house, they gradually arrived at the large garden where the banquet was being held. Yan Qiuyan was dressed in a very festive manner today, and when she moved, she was like a butterfly fluttering its wings. She was happily chatting with the elders of the family.
Upon spotting Qian Yingyi, Yan Qiuyan's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly grabbed her skirt and ran towards her.
Qian Yingyi quickly handed over the small brocade box she was holding, smiling as she took Yan Qiuyan's hand, "A birthday gift! I've never missed one!"
Yan Qiuyan chuckled at her, "Hmph, I won't open it now. You always like to give me strange things, and I'm treasuring them. I'll look at them when no one's around at night."
She looked up at Yan Ruheng and asked, "Hey, Third Brother, how did you two bump into each other on your way here?"
Yan Ruheng also presented a brocade box, smiling as he pursed his lips: "Perhaps... it's fate?"
The Yan family's large garden was filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs, and the air was filled with their fragrance. Although it was still early, some officials' wives who were on good terms with the Yan family brought their daughters and sons over, glancing at the garden from afar with curiosity and scrutiny in their eyes.
They seemed quite curious whether there was some unspeakable fate between the two who had come together.
Suddenly, there were more and more flickering glances.
Leaving aside the mockery and ridicule from the crowd, let's talk about Yu Minsen, who, having received his father's instructions, arrived at the Yan family early with his mother.
As the maid led her inside, she caught sight of a pale yellow figure behind the artificial hill. Her eyes immediately darted around, and she whispered, "Mother, I need to relieve myself. I'll go find a place to relieve myself first and then come back to you."
Princess Rui, though middle-aged, was still beautiful. She turned around and said, "Hurry up, I'll wait for you up ahead."
"...Okay, Mother, you go ahead."
Yu Minsen pretended to follow the maid to the other end, his ears perked up, keeping an eye on his mother's movements. Once he could no longer hear his mother speaking, he casually made an excuse to send the maid away, and then disappeared in a flash.
Before long, Yu Minsen ran to the secluded spot by the artificial hill. His ears were bright red, and he said breathlessly, "Yueyue, you're here too."
The slender figure in pale yellow turned to look at him, her eyes shy, and whispered, "If you can come, why can't I?"
"That's not what I meant!" Yu Minsen hurriedly waved his hands, staring at Guo Yue's beautiful face, and said, "I... I just didn't expect you to come so early."
He was still a little out of breath. Guo Yue looked up at him and suddenly pursed her lips. "When do you plan to tell the Princess about us? Judging from your out-of-breath appearance, I guess you came to find me without the Princess's knowledge. I know that the Princess wants to find a lady of a suitable family background for you. My father's official position is not high. He is just a minor prison warden. He is far from being able to meet the threshold of your royal family."
Her words made Yu Minsen flustered. He glanced at her face and then, mustering his courage, pulled her into his arms, saying firmly, "I only like you. No matter who Mother chooses for me, I don't want them."
Guo Yue felt a surge of joy in her heart and gently pressed her face against his chest, listening to his thunderous heartbeat.
Thinking of the Qian Yingyi and Yan Ruheng that he had just seen passing by from the other side, he said, "Qian Yingyi is here too. Humph, do you really hate her? I've heard some people outside say that you seem to hate her, but you actually admire her, and all that you did before was just to attract her attention."
Yu Minsen frowned repeatedly upon hearing this. After releasing her, he grabbed her shoulder again, staring at her intently and saying, "How could that be? Who told you that? Tell me, and I'll tear their mouth apart!"
Guo Yue pouted, "That's good, I don't really like her either."
Yu Minsen then relaxed his brows and hugged her again, saying, "Perfect, you don't like her either. Just wait a little longer, and after today I'll be able to stand up for you more often."
Guo Yue looked up from his embrace, somewhat suspicious: "What do you mean I should wait a little longer?"
Realizing he had let something slip, Yu Minsen awkwardly turned his head away, unsure how to respond.
Guo Yue was filled with doubts. After a while, she mustered up her courage and put her arms around his waist, her voice softening as she said, "Tell me."
Seeing his troubled expression, Guo Yue simply stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek with a "pop".
Yu Minsen's previously troubled expression suddenly turned red. After pondering for a long time, he finally whispered a few words to her, omitting the embezzlement and only saying that he would help Qian Yingyi and Yan Ruheng get together today.
Guo Yue suddenly realized what was happening. She lowered her eyelids, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, she whispered a few words to Yu Minsen.
Yu Minsen blinked. "This works too?"
She nodded, "Anyway, we're going to let them have their way. This method will both satisfy them and make her unhappy."
Without further thought, Yu Minsen reached out and gently stroked the tip of her round nose, then said reluctantly, "Mother is still waiting for me ahead. I can't stay any longer. We'll meet again at the banquet."
The old master of the Yan family, Yan Song, always doted on his granddaughter. Today, he deliberately postponed his official duties at the Ministry of Works and was talking with Yan Qiuyan in the large garden.
As they were talking, a troupe of actors arrived at their positions.
It just so happened that it was the same opera troupe that Yingniang belonged to. Since they had performed at the Qian family's house a few times, and Yan Qiuyan thought they were really good, she simply invited them to come over as well.
Gradually, the number of guests increased. Yan Qiuyan's mother, Zhang, was chatting with Princess Rui, but naturally she also made sure to mingle with the other officials' wives.
With a loud "bang," the gongs and drums resounded, and Yan Song selected "Drunken Scene at Wutai Mountain" for his granddaughter. The opera troupe soon began to sing along.
The garden was bustling with activity, with maids and servants constantly bringing out fruits and snacks, creating a truly joyful atmosphere.
After about half an hour, the opera troupe needed to take a break. Some of the young ladies then came forward to talk to Yan Qiuyan.
Qian Yingyi and Wen Ninglan were pushed aside, and couldn't help but smile at each other. Feeling bored, they walked towards the pond on the side.
"Hey, Yingyi, did you see that just now?" Wen Ninglan whispered in her ear, "Guo Yue and the Prince Rui's son have been exchanging glances. What do you think Guo Yue likes about him?"
Qian Yingyi shrugged indifferently, "I don't know, and it's none of our business. Why do you care about them? Their flirtatious glances weren't directed at us. It's such a joyous occasion, don't mention them, it's bad luck."
The two chatted and laughed all the way, but gradually, Qian Yingyi's expression became strange. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, and she asked, "Why do I feel like they're avoiding me?"
Wen Ninglan looked embarrassed and whispered, "Last time you shot an arrow at the young master at the Lin family's house, it wasn't your fault, but they all thought you seemed obedient but were actually quite fierce, so..."
Qian Yingyi choked, "So you've decided not to play with me? Tch, I won't play with them either!"
“Yingyi is right,” Yan Ruheng suddenly appeared behind the two of them, lowered his head slightly and stared at her, “There will be people who are sincere to play with you.”
Then, as if joking, he gently praised her, "You look as beautiful as a flower today, so don't get angry."
Qian Yingyi never resisted being praised by others. She accepted it generously and also reciprocated by saying, "You're beautiful too."
These words were so blunt that Yan Ruheng's face inexplicably flushed, and even his heartbeat quickened.
Staring at her open and honest expression, he felt a strange sense of guilt.
It was as if if he deceived her today, he would never see such an expression on her face again.
Ever since he returned from his transfer, he has been surrounded by hypocrisy, while she remains as pure as a sheet of paper untouched by ink.
Perhaps in that moment of struggle, Yan Ruheng composed herself and asked gently, "Then can we be friends?"
He thought he should start by being friends. Winning her heart might make him feel more at ease than deceiving her...
Qian Yingyi smiled and said, "Aren't we all friends?"
As they were talking, a young servant with red eyebrows and a pale face carrying delicacies passed by. He slipped and fell forward.
The delicious food was suddenly splashed forward, and Yan Ruheng's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly retreated to avoid it, but unfortunately, the pool was right behind him. He gritted his teeth, turned around in a moment, and managed to stagger away.
He just looked a bit disheveled.
Qian Yingyi patted her chest, fiddling with her handkerchief, looking slightly surprised. "It's really strange. You seem to be having a bit of bad luck today."
Yan Ruheng was also slightly bewildered, "...maybe."
Just then, the opera troupe started performing again, and Wen Ninglan chuckled awkwardly, "Let's go back first. The servants who work here often pass by, and it wouldn't be good if we bumped into them again."
Qian Yingyi nodded, and the three of them set off together into the garden.
Only in that unnoticed corner did a guard gaze at them with cold eyes.
A clumsy-looking servant next to him recognized him and excitedly struck up a conversation: "You're a guard from the Qian family, right? I saw you at the Lin family's last time. You're really skilled. Hey, what are you looking at?"
Qin Lizheng remained expressionless, without even turning his head, and simply said, "Get lost."
The servant pouted, not daring to argue back, and could only leave feeling wronged.
Qin Lizheng stared at Qian Yingyi with indifferent eyes for a long time before finally looking away, glancing around and making eye contact with the inconspicuous servants in various directions.
A few days ago, he told Qian Yingyi the story he had deliberately made up, just to confirm one thing: if she saw the jade peach today, she would definitely remember this story and would definitely not accept it.
However, Yan Yu and his associates have too many underhanded tricks. Today, most of the officials' families in Jinling are present. If something were to happen, it wouldn't be impossible.
He had no choice but to arrange for his men to infiltrate the Yan family and take the place of the servant.
If the other party does anything detrimental to her.
He wouldn't mind making a scene today.
Thinking of Qian Yingyi's smile when she faced Yan Ruheng, Qin Lizheng's expression remained unchanged, but he turned his gaze back to her, like an invisible thin rope trying to tightly bind her.
The opera troupe continued singing "Drunken Scene at Wutai Mountain." Yan Wenying sat in the garden, smiling as she watched Yan Ruheng and Qian Yingyi return together. She secretly exchanged a glance with Princess Rui.
She then rose and moved gracefully to Yan Qiuyan's side, who was listening attentively to the opera. She said in a soft voice, "Good sister, I still feel bad about Yingyi being bullied at my husband's house last time. Do you still remember what I told you before?"
"I'm sending this gift through you. It's your birthday today, so she certainly won't refuse it."
Yan Qiuyan is straightforward. On one side is her older sister who has followed her around since childhood, and on the other side is her best friend. She is caught in the middle and naturally does not want the two sides to have any rift because of this matter.
She smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, Sister Yan, I remember."
Seeing that the banquet was about to begin, Zhang's beloved daughter secretly sent a maid to prepare the farewell ceremony. Within half an incense stick's time, the sky above the large garden was filled with kites. Yan Qiuyan was overjoyed, her eyes crinkling into slits with delight. "So beautiful!"
Zhang's loving gaze fell on her face, and she smiled, "It's your birthday today, Yan Yan, do you have any wishes to make?"
Yan Song laughed as well, "Just tell me! If it's something I can do, Grandpa will do it for you!"
"What wish could I possibly have?" With so many eyes on her, Yan Qiuyan felt a little awkward, so she pulled Qian Yingyi, Yan Wenying, and Wen Ninglan to her side and said with a smile, "I just want to stay with my good friends forever!"
Yan Song laughed at her for missing the opportunity, and everyone else laughed along.
"Wait! I have another wish!" Yan Qiuyan received a wink from Yan Wenying and hurriedly called to her maid, "Bring the things here!"
Before long, the maid returned, carrying a square sandalwood brocade box.
Yan Qiuyan smiled and took Yan Wenying and Qian Yingyi's hands, saying, "I have another wish: that my good friends can always be good friends."
As she spoke, she took the brocade box and pretended to open it. "Yingyi, I know you were wronged at Sister Yan's house before, and Sister Yan has always felt bad about it. If there is any misunderstanding, let's clear it up today. If we hold hands, we can still be good friends."
After listening for a while, everyone understood. After all, the matter concerning the Lin family had indeed caused quite a stir.
Qian Yingyi was somewhat surprised. In her heart, she didn't like being pampered and shown off in front of everyone, but since it was Yan Qiuyan's birthday, she didn't say anything and just nodded with a smile.
Little did anyone know that when Yan Qiuyan opened the brocade box—
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
There was nothing in the brocade box.
Yan Wenying's heart skipped a beat; she sensed something was wrong and quickly tried to find something to say.
Yan Qiuyan, however, was straightforward. Her expression gradually turned cold. She shook the empty brocade box and turned to ask the maid, "Where are the things inside?"
The maid was also astonished, shaking her head vigorously, "This servant...this servant doesn't know..."
Guo Yue stepped out from the crowd, craned her neck to examine the brocade box, a half-smile playing on her lips. "Oh, on such a fine day, have you been robbed?"
In official households, the most taboo thing is for things to be pawned or stolen. As soon as the topic of thieves came up, the faces of the ladies gradually became serious. One of them said, "Miss Yan, what was originally in here? In my opinion, whether it was lost or the maid accidentally put it somewhere, it must be found."
Yan Qiuyan said, "It's a jade peach."
Jade Peach? Qian Yingyi was taken aback, thinking that it was too much of a coincidence. She had just heard a story about it a few days ago.
Before she could think it through, the woman who had spoken said, "We must look for them. A family like ours cannot tolerate a thief in our own household!"
The young lady of the house was having her birthday banquet, but something went missing. Regardless of whether it was a thief or not, the rumors would be incredibly offensive. Yan Song's face also turned cold. He summoned the steward and ordered, "Go and call all the maids who serve the young lady. Ask them one by one."
It wasn't that I suspected the maids were thieves, but with so many ladies, young ladies, and young masters present, I had to maintain appearances.
The opera troupe's singing came to an abrupt halt because of this incident. Yingniang was originally very happy today, knowing that everyone present was an official's wife, and she had carefully given instructions to everyone in the opera troupe.
If they could win the favor of wealthy families today, the entire opera troupe would never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of their lives.
But seeing that the wives of officials did not look well, Yingniang became somewhat apprehensive.
Fearing that these ladies might be unhappy and look down on their opera troupe, he secretly winked at his companions, intending to take a few steps back and minimize his presence.
But Yu Minsen had incredibly sharp eyes. Seeing her acting suspiciously, he called out, "Hey! You actress! What are you hiding from?"
Princess Rui knew her son best, and the moment a thought crossed her mind, she sensed something was wrong. Things didn't seem to be developing in the direction the prince had instructed her to; that wretched boy must have come up with some wicked plan...
In the blink of an eye, all eyes followed Yu Minsen's finger and focused on Yingniang. The members of the opera troupe, fearing that they would be implicated, also quietly shifted their feet.
Yingniang was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat, her legs went weak and she couldn't stand up. "I...I didn't dodge."
Yu Minsen strode up to her, glanced at her back and forth, and said with a hint of disdain in his voice, "What are you panicking about?"
"Your Highness, don't point fingers at people randomly," Yan Qiuyan frowned and stopped him.
Yingniang was terrified, thinking he probably mistook her for a thief, and then she heard Yan Qiuyan call him "Young Master." Good heavens, where had she ever seen any "Young Master" before?
He was so frightened that he immediately lay prostrate on the ground.
Unexpectedly, at this very moment, a pink jade ball fell from her body, rolled twice, and finally stopped not far away.
Yingniang was startled and stunned, and instinctively shook her head frantically.
Yu Minsen smiled faintly, picked up the jade peach, weighed it in his hand, and his eyes suddenly sharpened. "I knew you were acting suspiciously! So you're the thief who stole this!"
Yingniang hurriedly cried out her innocence, "It wasn't me! I didn't steal it! I don't know how it fell off me! It really wasn't me!"
Her bewildered eyes scanned the faces of these distinguished guests one by one, finally finding a pretty face. She crawled over on her knees in a few steps, clutching the delicate hem of the dress and pleading, "Miss Qian, Miss Qian, please help me understand. I've sung at your house before, and nothing has ever been stolen from your house, has it?"
Qin Lizheng watched this unexpected event from afar, his brows furrowing slightly. Seeing that the actor's words were detrimental to Qian Yingyi, he silently raised his hand slightly.
Qian Yingyi was stunned by her being pulled, and quickly came to her senses. She hurriedly asked Xia Ling to help her up, and her eyebrows furrowed involuntarily, as if something was not quite right.
"Oh? You even sang at the Qian family's house?" Yu Minsen narrowed his eyes slightly, then suddenly realized, "I remember now, I think I just heard someone mention that your opera troupe used to sing at the Qian family's house. Because Qian Yingyi treated you well, it led you to sing at the Yan family's house as well."
Upon hearing this, Guo Yue whispered, "Yingyi, why are you getting along with actors? My family wouldn't dare use actors like that."
Officials' wives were already averse to theft, and some of the young ladies began to look at Qian Yingyi differently.
"Look at her, she doesn't look like a proper lady at all. She's the granddaughter of a third-rank official, yet she's associating with actors. Now look what's happened, she's gotten herself into trouble too."
"Exactly, if you ask me, maybe..."
The words that followed might have been unpleasant, but the young lady was quickly covered by her mother and pulled aside.
Yingniang's eyes were filled with tears and helplessness. Qian Yingyi stared intently, and at that moment, she finally understood something. She knew that Yingniang was greedy for small gains.
But she always trusted her intuition; whether Yingniang had actually stolen anything or not, she only needed to ask her to explain.
Even though several people gossiped about her to her face, Qian Yingyi remained calm.
She turned to look at Yu Minsen and said, "It's true that she sang at my house before, but the ladies are all here today, and the troupe behind her is an unknown opera troupe. If she sings well and pleases the ladies, she will naturally be more often seen in the house in the future. Why would she be greedy for such a small benefit?"
Yu Minsen laughed, "Then why would I wrong her? She's just an actress."
Qian Yingyi raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked a completely unrelated question, "I often hear my younger brother say that the young master likes to bully his classmates at the academy. Could it be that the young master has made a habit of framing people, so he is going to frame her as well?"
"What a joke!" Yu Minsen stared at her with a laugh. "The things all fell off her body, everyone saw it, why would I falsely accuse her?"
Qian Yingyi took half a step forward, her gaze inadvertently lingering on the young masters, and said, "Truth and falsehood are intertwined; sometimes what we see isn't necessarily the truth, and what we say isn't necessarily credible. The young master looks down on her for being just an actress, yet he hasn't denied that he often wrongs people at the academy. The young master..."
She smiled innocently, "So you're indirectly admitting that you've bullied your classmates quite a bit?"
Those young masters had indeed suffered at the hands of Yu Minsen to varying degrees, hence their less-than-ideal expressions.
A young master stood up to speak for Qian Yingyi, saying, "In my opinion, Miss Qian is right. The Yan family is such a large family. If they wrongly accuse someone, people will think that the officials are oppressing the common people."
Yan Song's brow twitched, and he immediately began to ponder it to himself.
Qin Lizheng listened with lowered eyes as Qian Yingyi lured Yu Minsen into a trap with each sentence. A smile crept onto his lips, and his clenched fist gradually loosened.
"Don't mention the academy!" Yu Minsen pointed at Yingniang and demanded, "Just tell me if she stole something, and if the thing fell off her!"
She was already incredibly lucky that a lady she knew would stand up for her. Yingniang clung tightly to Qian Yingyi as if she had a sliver of hope, repeatedly saying, "I didn't, Miss Qian, I really didn't steal anything. If I did steal anything, may I get sores in my throat and never be able to sing again for the rest of my life!"
But the more she tried to prove herself, the more others doubted her.
When the ladies saw that Qian Yingyi was speaking up for her, they became even more disapproving and kept shaking their heads.
A few more whispers that had been previously muffled suddenly resurfaced.
"Everyone can see that she stole it, is there any need to comment further? Qian Yingyi is probably going to ruin her reputation this time."
"Hey, you know, birds of a feather flock together, what if Qian Yingyi is one of them...?"
Yu Minsen raised his chin smugly, secretly exchanging glances with Guo Yue, both feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Qian Yingyi listened to those words with her eyes downcast, as if she found them too harsh. Perhaps her mind was not strong enough, so she turned her disappointed gaze to Yingniang.
Yingniang realized something and was very sad. In despair, she still shook her head desperately.
Then Qian Yingyi sighed and said, "Yingniang, the evidence is right here. Even if I wanted to defend you, with so many eyes watching, there's nothing I can do. I misjudged you. You're dishonest, and your performance as a female lead today was mediocre. Don't come to my house again. Admit your guilt and go."
Yingniang was so shocked by these words that she stumbled back two steps and fell flat on her backside onto the floor tiles.
Qian Yingyi's tone suddenly changed, and the ladies not only disagreed, but also covered their mouths with handkerchiefs as if they were dirty.
"Oh, so they're just pretending. They were so insistent on protecting this actress before, but now that they have nothing to say to make amends, they're busy changing their tune."
"What do you mean by 'fierce inside'? I think it's nothing special."
Yan Ruheng couldn't stand it any longer and took two steps forward to defend Qian Yingyi. Unexpectedly, Yu Minsen, carried away by his smugness and secretly pleased that he had finally won against Qian Yingyi, said, "A mere actress is indeed not suitable to appear in a respectable household. I've been listening for half a day, and I didn't find her singing particularly good. She's even called a Qingyi (a type of female role in Peking Opera), I really don't know how she was promoted..."
"Your Highness, please wait." Qian Yingyi suddenly interrupted him, "May I ask Your Highness, what kind of opera did we listen to today?"
Yu Minsen sneered: "Drunkenly causing a ruckus at Mount Wutai, huh?"
Princess Rui had been listening for half a day and had already figured out what was going on. She thought to herself that something was wrong and wanted to step forward to cover Yu Minsen's mouth, but she was not as fast as Qian Yingyi.
Qian Yingyi nodded. "So it's 'Drunken Scene at Mount Wutai,' but I don't recall any roles in this play requiring a female lead (qingyi) to perform. Yingniang is playing a young female lead (huadan) this time, only reciting some narration. Judging from what the young master just said, it's the first time he's heard this opera troupe perform..."
She took half a step forward, and seeing Yu Minsen laughing happily, she seemed to be influenced by him and laughed along, "How did the young master know that she sang Qingyi?"
Yu Minsen then came to his senses, his expression changed, and he immediately tried to argue back!
Little did he know that Qian Yingyi pressed him relentlessly, throwing out a question with every step she took that left him completely bewildered.
“Speak up, Your Highness. Only Qiuyan, Lanlan, and I know that Yingniang sang the role of a young lady.”
"Your Highness, how did you find out?"
"The opera troupe has many costumes, and they are often placed on top of the trunk. Yingniang just came to my house a few days ago to sing Qingyi, but today she is singing Huadan. It is only natural to put the Qingyi costume on top of the trunk."
"Could it be that the young master took the jade peach first and then put it in Yingniang's changing room, which is how he saw her costume?"
"What does the young master want with this jade peach? Could it be that he has been misled and intends to sabotage Qiuyan's birthday banquet?"
Qin Lizheng found it amusing, never expecting her to have such a quick mind.
Qian Yingyi stopped in front of Yu Minsen with her last step, slightly raised her chin, a hint of coldness appearing in her eyes, and said in a very soft voice: "Young Master, you've been playing us for fools, what exactly do you want?"
"I...I..." Yu Minsen was flustered and couldn't give a reason.
Guo Yue told him that Qian Yingyi should be taught a lesson. All they had to do was slander Qian Yingyi for frequently associating with this dishonest actress, and others would naturally distance themselves from her. Since Yan Ruheng wanted to marry her, he would naturally protect her in public, thus fulfilling his father's instructions.
But Qian Yingyi is incredibly sharp-tongued! Yu Minsen hesitated for a moment, then glanced at his mother who was glaring at him fiercely.
Princess Rui, not having time to settle scores with him, quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "Oh dear, it's nothing serious. Now that the item has been found, we can just send that thieving actor away. What do you all think?"
She has always had a voice among the wives of officials, and she figured that if she stepped in, she could quell the matter first.
However, they underestimated Zhang's love for her daughter. Although Zhang had chatted with Princess Rui earlier, it was because there was no discord between them. But Qian Yingyi's words just now had awakened her.
Regardless of whether the actress committed theft or not, her daughter's birthday banquet was ruined by that little tyrant, Prince Rui's son!
Then, with a faint smile on her lips, Madam Zhang said, "Your Highness is mistaken. This theft happened in my house, so I should investigate it thoroughly. Just as that young master said, it would be bad if the people outside said that my Yan family was abusing our power. What do you think, Your Highness?"
Princess Rui's face stiffened, and anger welled up inside her. Remembering the prince's instructions, she had no choice but to maintain a polite smile.
She said, "Mrs. Yan is right. Then I think... perhaps the opera troupe wasn't careful enough. Today there's a banquet, and the maids are busy, so it's common for them to accidentally put the wrong box in. If the opera troupe had checked carefully before changing costumes, there might not have been such a misunderstanding!"
With just a few words, the theft was turned into a "misunderstanding".
“Your Highness, that’s not how it works,” Qian Yingyi replied earnestly. “The maids can still tell the difference between a square box and a trunk that’s half a person tall.”
At this point, the entire garden was at a standstill.
Princess Rui turned to look at Qian Yingyi, thinking to herself that no wonder her son had repeatedly lost to her; even she herself had almost been provoked into falling into her verbal trap.
After a long pause, Princess Rui smiled again, her voice softening further, "Good child, why go to such lengths? Letting this actress go today, even if we don't accuse her of theft, wouldn't be unfair to her. Your grandfather is the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works in Southern Zhili; your family is like ours, worlds apart from this actress..."
Princess Rui paused at this point.
Some less perceptive people thought she was advising Qian Yingyi, since they often interacted within the same social circle and were all the same kind of people, so there was no reason for her to go against the majority for the sake of an actress.
As for the clever few, they naturally understood that Princess Rui was secretly cursing Qian Yingyi for being an oddball, and that this was precisely to force Qian Yingyi to back down.
Even Qian Yingyi herself could tell.
She lowered her eyelids and remained silent.
Qin Lizheng picked up a pebble in his hand, secretly plotting when to throw it into the princess's mouth, which was full of nonsense.
"Princess Rui really has a silver tongue!"
Suddenly, a graceful figure leaped in through the moon gate outside the garden, cracking a thin whip on the ground. Her face was covered with a thin layer of powder, her eyes were sharp, and she wore a white crane-patterned stand-up collar robe with a ribbon fluttering in the wind behind her head.
Three more people came up behind her.
The woman walking in front wore a light blue cloak and no makeup. She casually raised her hand as someone helped her. The young man supporting her had sharp features and a cold air about him. When his gaze fell on Princess Rui, a hint of chill gradually appeared in his eyes as well.
The remaining one wore a dark blue robe with two waist tags and a large hat, the bead of which made his already handsome face appear even more gentle.
Qian Yingyi didn't turn around, but her hands gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her heart overflowing with joy.
The woman who led the way quickly arrived behind Qian Yingyi, staring coldly at Princess Rui through Qian Yingyi's shoulder, her thin whip circling back and forth twice in her hand.
"I'd like to hear just how wicked my sister can be, according to Princess Rui."
The crowd stared at the four of them in astonishment. After a while, they gradually came to their senses and became uneasy again.
How could they forget Qian Yingyi's background?
My grandfather and father were both high-ranking officials of the third rank in this dynasty, my maternal grandfather was the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and my elder brother was already a compiler in the Hanlin Academy at a young age. His career was sure to be smooth, and he might even enter the Grand Secretariat in the future. My elder sister married into the Marquis of Zhongyi's family, and her brother-in-law was even more outstanding, having already entered the Ministry of Revenue and held real power.
Is it because Qian Yingyi has stayed in Jinling for too long... that they subconsciously felt that she had no one to rely on?
The woman with the whip gently patted Qian Yingyi's shoulder, then changed her expression to tease her younger sister, "Your older sister is right in front of you, aren't you going to turn around and hug her?"
Qian Yingyi remained standing there with her eyes downcast, her hand gripping her skirt clenched into a fist.
After a long while, he slowly raised his head.
She raised her hand and pointed to the ladies and young women who had previously gossiped about her.
Then he turned to look at the four people who had rushed over.
"Brother and sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law..." Her eyes were filled with tears, and she felt truly wronged. "They bullied me."
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Author's note: Yingyi's inner thoughts: Yay, my support is here!
The surface of the device: [Crying uncontrollably]
I've completely fallen in love with the cinema!
By the way, the plan to lure and capture the guards is about to begin.
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