Sheng Xiyan closed the account book without reading any further.
Fangfei breathed a sigh of relief when she saw this, and was glad that she couldn't understand it.
When Sheng Xiyan asked her to bring her makeup box, Fang Fei was no longer worried.
Sheng Xiyan didn't have many jewelry. Apart from the one she wore, most of them were bought for her by shi Xu when she was still alive. Some were also given to her by the lady dowager during festivals. She casually picked up a kingfisher hairpin with auspicious clouds on it that she seldom wore, weighed it in her hand for a moment, her eyes dimmed, and then she put it down without saying a word.
It seemed that not only the accounts had been tampered with, but also some of her jewelry had been replaced with fakes.
Sheng Xiyan picked out a red gold agate bead flower and handed it to Fang Fei who was standing beside her. She said in a very good mood, "This is a reward for you."
Fang Fei happily took it and said, "Thank you for the gift, young lady."
But as soon as she got the thing in her hands, the joy on her face immediately faded.
Sheng Xiyan smiled, "I remember this was made by Jin Yu Zhai. Four years ago, on my grandmother's birthday, my mother specially asked the people from Jin Yu Zhai to come to the mansion and make a set of pearl flowers for my sisters and me. Jin Yu Zhai's craftsmanship is from Jiangnan, and the workmanship is very fine."
Fang Fei curled her lips in disapproval and thought: It's just a fake, but he treats it as a treasure. How ignorant he is.
After Sheng Xiyan finished packing the makeup box, she asked Fangfei to put it away.
After dinner, Sheng Xiyan went to bed early.
When she was reborn, she was surprised and happy, but more than that, she was worried and anxious, fearing that this was just a dream and that when she woke up, she would be back to the same miserable state as in her previous life.
But this night, perhaps because she had finally gotten rid of that awkward marriage, Sheng Xiyan slept peacefully until dawn, and went to the main courtyard to pay her respects as usual.
After Old Master Sheng and Madam Sheng passed away one after another and the mourning period was over, the Sheng family split up, and now the Liu family is in charge of the Sheng Mansion.
In addition to his second wife Liu, Sheng Xing'an had three concubines. Liu gave birth to a son and a daughter, and the other concubines also had their own children.
Liu was wearing a scarlet jacket with ten kinds of brocade patterns on it. She was sitting on the Luohan bed in the main hall with a smile on her face, looking gentle and kind.
After everyone had paid their respects, Liu sent everyone away early, leaving only Sheng Xiyan behind, saying, "Today, the Yongning Marquis's Mansion will come to cancel the engagement, and your father will be back after the morning court session. Please sit here first and talk to me."
The marriage between Sheng Xiyan and the Prince of Zhenbei was personally arranged by the Queen Mother. After the Yongning Marquisate learned about it, they sent someone to deliver the invitation yesterday night to show their seriousness, saying that they would come to return the engagement letter today and the two families would officially break off the engagement.
Sheng Xiyan agreed.
She has bright almond eyes, skin like fresh snow, and eyebrows as dark as distant black. She is like a flower bud about to bloom, soft and tender.
Liu couldn't help but go to see her.
Liu could not see any sign of anxiety on her face.
Anyone with a discerning eye knows that the Zhenbei Palace is indeed noble, but the Zhenbei Prince is gone, so what good is it no matter how noble it is?
After she got married, she realized that life was going to be difficult.
Liu pressed the corner of her lips with a handkerchief and said, "Sister Yan, my father and I have selected four concubines for you. We will have someone send you the list of concubines soon." She deliberately mentioned Sheng Xing'an so that Sheng Xiyan would not be able to refuse.
Sheng Xiyan glanced at the clock and didn't respond.
Liu frowned and was about to use Sheng Xingan to pressure her again, but Sheng Xiyan changed the subject and not only did she not agree to stay with her, but she said, "Mother, please take Fangfei back."
Mrs. Liu was slightly startled when she heard this: "Is Fangfei not serving you well?"
Fang Fei was startled and quickly looked at Liu, fearing that she felt that she had not done her job well.
Sheng Xiyan sighed and said, "My daughter is missing a pearl flower. It is made of red gold and agate. On my grandmother's birthday, my mother specially asked the people from Jin Yu Zhai to make it for my sister and me."
Liu understood. She glanced at Fangfei and asked in a deep voice, "Are you saying that Fangfei took your pearl flower?"
After a long silence, Fang Fei walked out from behind Sheng Xiyan, knelt down and kowtowed: "Madam, you are wise, I don't have it."
"Sister Yan, are you mistaken?" Liu frowned, her eyes moved to Sheng Xiyan, and she said in disapproval, "Fang Fei is a girl I have watched grow up. She is a good person and would never do such a betrayal."
She didn't even ask a few questions before she concluded that Sheng Xiyan was being unreasonable.
Fang Fei felt very aggrieved and pouted, "I do have a red gold agate bead flower, but that was given to me by the young lady yesterday! If you regret and want to take it back, you can just tell me why you slandered me!"
Fang Fei's eyes were filled with tears, and her face was filled with anger after being wronged: "I will go and get the pearl flowers, Madam will know at a glance!"
Liu's eyes darkened slightly, she nodded and said, "Okay. Aunt Sun, you can go with Fangfei."
Liu never asked Sheng Xiyan's opinion from beginning to end and made the decision for her.
Fang Fei followed Nanny Sun out angrily without even looking at Sheng Xiyan.
The incense burner in the corner emitted wisps of green smoke and a fragrant smell.
Liu seemed to have just remembered Sheng Xiyan at this moment, and smiled and comforted her: "Don't worry, Sister Yan, if Fangfei really dares to betray her master, I will definitely not let her off easily!"
Sheng Xiyan thanked him and said, "Mother has always been fair."
There was no fluctuation in her voice, but Liu could hear a hint of sarcasm in it.
Liu narrowed her eyes, somewhat unsure of her intention.
The room fell silent again, with only the sound of the tea lid hitting the teacup making a slight noise.
After about a cup of tea, Fangfei and Nanny Sun came back, bringing a pearl flower and an account book.
Madam Sun personally presented the account book and the pearl flower to Lady Liu and said, "Madam, I saw Fangfei take out this account book with my own eyes, and I have not altered it. It is recorded in the account book that the eldest lady gave Fangfei a red gold inlaid agate pearl flower from the Jinyuzhai yesterday."
Aunt Sun opened the account book to this page, which was clearly written in black and white.
Fang Fei stood below, her chin slightly raised, stern and unyielding.
Mrs. Liu glanced at the account book, nodded, and said, "I guess Sister Yan forgot about it for a moment. Fortunately, it was just a misunderstanding."
She ordered, "Madame Sun, take the pearl flowers and this account book to the eldest girl."
Nanny Sun responded and went up to Sheng Xiyan, respectfully handing her the pearl flowers and the account book.
"Madam." Fang Fei was not willing to give up, and said aggrievedly, "Please help me, otherwise, I'm afraid I'll hit my head and die."
Liu waited for her to finish her words before she soothed her softly, "Alright, alright, you are such a jerk. Your daughter didn't mean it. I'll give you another pair of pearl flowers later."
"But Madam," Fang Fei said with red eyes, pitifully, "I...although I am lowly, I am also a pure and innocent girl."
She wiped away her tears, looking as if only death could prove her innocence.
"Ah." Liu sighed, looked at Sheng Xiyan hesitantly, and said, "Sister Yan, you see... you can't force this girl to die."
The two of them sang in unison, and their implicit meaning was to make Sheng Xiyan admit his mistake.
Asking the eldest daughter of a legitimate wife to admit her mistakes to her personal maid is tantamount to trampling her face into the mud.
Liu wanted to suppress her as much as possible, undermine her self-esteem, and ensure that she would not be able to escape from her control after she got married.
Sheng Xiyan was used to such methods during the years she spent in the royal family in her previous life.
Sheng Xiyan saw it clearly back then, but she disdained to waste time on it. She thought she would not stay in the Sheng family for long and did not need to spend energy to manage it. However, she did not expect that neither the Sheng family nor the Yongning Marquis Mansion was a place for her.
Sheng Xiyan played with the pearl flower in her hand and sighed, "Mother, this is not my pearl flower."
Fang Fei couldn't help it and interrupted excitedly: "Nonsense, it's obviously true!"
"Yes." Mrs. Liu also said, "Sister Yan, it is clearly recorded in the account book."
"Master."
At this time, the voices of maids greeting were heard from outside the main hall. Then, the curtain was lifted and Sheng Xingan strode in.
As soon as he saw the situation in the house, he frowned and said in a cold voice: "What's going on? It's so noisy."
Sheng Xingan had just come back from court and asked for leave from the government office because the Yongning Marquisate would come to cancel the engagement.
He didn't expect to hear the chaos inside while he was still outside, which made his already bad mood even worse.
"Master."
"Father."
Everyone congratulated her, and Liu put on her most gracious smile and took the initiative to tell the whole story.
Sheng Xingan sat down on the Luohan bed, and his brows furrowed more and more as he listened.
"Ah." Liu personally brought the tea to him and said with some embarrassment: "But Sister Yan said that the pearl flower is not right..."
She looked at Sheng Xingan with a look that said "Sheng Xiyan is determined to make a fuss".
Sheng Xingan put down the teacup heavily and snorted, "It's unreasonable!"
In his opinion, it was Sheng Xiyan who was just making trouble and trying to make the family uneasy.
Sheng Xiyan seemed unaware and only asked, "Mother, are you saying that there is nothing wrong with the pearl flower?"
Liu nodded and said affirmatively, "Of course."
Sheng Xiyan was waiting for her to say this. She raised her eyelids slightly and looked at the two of them with her black and white almond-shaped eyes: "Mother ordered a red gold and agate bead flower from the Jin Yu Zhai for us sisters. But there is no Jin Yu Zhai mark on this bead flower, and..."
She used both hands to break the pearl flower into two halves with a "snap" sound, and then smiled helplessly: "It's obviously made of brass."
She took a few steps forward and handed half of the pearl flower to Sheng Xing'an.
Liu's eyebrows jumped and she felt a little uneasy, as if something was about to get out of her control.
"Bring me the oil lamp." Sheng Xing'an had someone light the oil lamp, and personally placed half of the pearl flower on the oil lamp to burn it. After just a few breaths, the cut was burned black, and it was indeed brass plated with gold.
Sheng Xingan held the pearl flower in his hand and looked at Liu expressionlessly. He asked without any fluctuation in his tone, "Is this what you ordered from the Jinyuzhai? Is it made of pure gold?"
Liu's heart beat faster.
Her mind raced, and before Sheng Xingan could speak, she shouted, "You bold servant! You even dared to steal the young lady's things!"
Fang Fei was dumbfounded. She didn't understand why Liu suddenly turned hostile. She couldn't help but said, "Madam, this pearl flower was given by the eldest lady! I..."
Aunt Sun quickly winked at her, "Fang Fei, why don't you leave now?"
Fang Fei knelt down unwillingly, tears welling up in her eyelashes. She looked so pitiful that anyone who saw her would feel soft-hearted.
However, Liu wanted to scold her severely.
The red gold and agate bead flowers were specially made by Liu at Jin Yuzhai's request. Several girls in the mansion had them, and the details were clearly recorded in the account book.
If she still insisted that this pearl flower was given to Fang Fei by Sheng Xiyan, wouldn't that mean that she had deliberately ordered a fake one for her! ?
Otherwise, why would the beads be made of brass?