Chapter 26 Liu Tan's Sister
Morning light streamed through the carved wooden window, casting a slanting glow into the inner room. Huiyin knelt before the lacquered dressing table, while Yanniang held a wooden comb, gently combing her hair from root to tip.
She divided Huiyin's thick, black hair into three strands, twisted two of them into a double bun on top of her head, and left the remaining strand hanging down her back, securing it tightly with a silk cord dyed red with madder near her waist. Then, she inserted a painted lacquered wooden hairpin diagonally into the bun.
After tidying up, Yan Niang brought out a set of light blue gauze straight-hemmed robes. The gauze was breathable and gentle on the skin in summer. The light blue color made Huiyin's fair skin appear even more like jade, and her eyebrows and eyes were bright. However, her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of mist, as if she were close at hand, yet she felt as if she were a thousand miles away.
Yan Niang felt a little flustered. She opened the flat box in her makeup box, took out cinnabar paste and applied it to Huiyin's lips, then lightly dabbed crimson rouge on Huiyin's cheeks. This added a touch of liveliness to Huiyin, and her face in the mirror looked like fresh snow reflecting the sunset, giving her a more vibrant appearance than before.
"Huiyin, what are you going to do?" Yan Niang asked softly.
Huiyin got up and went downstairs, the jade pendant at her waist making a soft sound: "Go find Pingzhen. Only by finding him can we have a chance to turn the tide."
Yan Niang asked again, "Where is he?"
Huiyin walked to the entrance of the main hall and looked back at the lotus lake behind her. The scene of Xiao Fen'er being drowned in the lake last night seemed to appear in her mind. If she were Pingzhen, what would she do?
He Jiaying was still playing chess with her maid in the courtyard of the Linshui Pavilion when she saw Huiyin come down after getting ready. She waved and asked, "Song Huiyin, are you going out?"
Huiyin smiled gently at her, "Yes, do you want to come along?"
He Jiaying was momentarily stunned by Huiyin's smile. In her memory, Huiyin had never smiled at her like that before. Usually, Huiyin was indifferent to her, or she would scold and threaten her with a cold face.
She patted her dress, stood up, and smiled happily: "Great! What do you want to buy today? It's on me!"
Huiyin laughed for real this time, her eyes brimming with amusement: "I'm afraid you can't afford to hire me."
He Jiaying snorted, walked over to Huiyin, patted her bulging money pouch, and said smugly, "I'm very rich, I can easily support you."
In the years she's been at the Pei residence, the amount of money she receives for amulets during the New Year's Day alone is not small, not to mention the gold and silver jewelry bestowed by Empress Pei in the palace, and the gifts Pei Yu and Pei Yan give her during festivals. Just from Madam Pei alone, the money she receives is as abundant as water.
Unlike Huiyin's low-key travels, He Jiaying's journey was distinctly that of a noblewoman. She chose a vermilion-lacquered carriage drawn by two horses, the embroidered bird patterns on the curtains appearing and disappearing with the swaying of the wheels. Four maids with their hair in double buns followed closely beside the carriage, with two guards in blue robes trailing behind.
The carriage was completely enclosed, with brocade lining the walls. Only the front of the door was covered by a screen. It was fully equipped with a brocade mat and a wooden table. Huiyin sat at the door and lifted the screen to look around at the city and pedestrians.
A commotion drifted into the carriage, and He Jiaying leaned closer, puzzled, and asked, "What are you looking at? What's so interesting about these ordinary people?"
She noticed the stares from the women and men outside the window, which, though not malicious, made her very uncomfortable.
He Jiaying approached Huiyin and suddenly smelled a delicate fragrance emanating from her, a blend of the crispness of early spring plum blossoms and a hint of sweetness—it smelled wonderful. She slowly leaned closer, rested her head on Huiyin's shoulder, and gently inhaled the scent.
Huiyin felt a weight on her shoulder as a head leaned against hers. She glanced back at He Jiaying but said nothing, then continued to look around.
He Jiaying no longer cared about the stares from those around her. She took Huiyin's arm and leaned affectionately on her shoulder.
Huiyin's gaze suddenly froze as she stared at the restaurant with pine branches and blue cloth banners hanging in front of it for a few moments. Then she said to He Jiaying, "Let's eat first. Let's go to that restaurant."
He Jiaying looked up and followed the direction she was pointing. It was an ordinary restaurant called Hejian Soup Fish Shop, with two floors. Fortunately, the entrance was relatively clean and there weren't many people. She nodded and called for the carriage to stop.
The two women alighted from the carriage, and Yan Niang, along with her maids and guards, immediately came forward to escort them into the restaurant. Old Zhang, the restaurant's owner, seeing this entourage, quickly dried his hands and greeted them with a smile, asking, "What would you ladies like to order?"
He Jiaying frowned. This was her first time in such a place. She looked around and saw that the restaurant had a front shop and a back workshop structure. In the back workshop, meat soup was simmering on an earthen stove, emitting a meaty aroma.
Inside the main hall, two long elmwood tables stood in the center, their surfaces blackened by years of grease stains. Several straw mats were placed around the tables as seats. She covered her face in disgust, looking at Huiyin with displeasure.
Huiyin didn't notice her movement and looked at Old Zhang, asking, "Are there any private rooms available?"
Old Zhang nodded repeatedly, bowing as he led Huiyin and the other woman toward the stairwell, his tone gentle: "Ladies, follow me."
The second-floor private room was much cleaner, with blue cloth covering the lacquered table, and orchid incense burning inside. The seating had also changed from cattail mats to soft coarse cloth cushions.
Huiyin sat down first and instructed Old Zhang to bring out one of the restaurant's signature dishes and a pot of berry drink. After everyone left, He Jiaying said unhappily, "Why did we have to come here when there are so many good restaurants?"
Huiyin asked, "Don't you like it here?"
He Jiaying frowned: "It's too noisy here." Sitting on the second floor, she could clearly hear the hawkers' cries from the street outside.
"The food here is excellent, no less delicious than Liangyuan Fu."
He Jiaying asked in surprise, "How do you know? Have you been here before?"
Huiyin poured her a cup of tea and said casually, "After the Song family fell from grace, where haven't I been?"
He Jiaying also thought of what had happened to Huiyin. She touched her face embarrassedly, obediently sat down, and stopped complaining. Soon, her attention was drawn to the shouts of vendors in the market, and she pulled Shuying to the window to take a closer look.
Huiyin led Yanniang downstairs and instructed the guard to stand watch at the entrance of the private room, saying they would return immediately. The guard, without suspicion, bowed and said, "Yes, sir."
Several men in short jackets were already sitting in the main hall, drinking soup. Yan Niang blocked their view and helped Huiyin to the back room.
The back door creaked open, revealing a slender figure standing there. His clothes looked familiar. He slowly turned around, his hair disheveled, his eyes red, and the stubble on his lips unusually noticeable. It was none other than Ping Zhen, who had left with Xiao Fen'er yesterday.
Yan Niang stopped and stood guard at the entrance to the back workshop.
Pingzhen's chest heaved as he glared angrily at Huiyin and demanded, "You're from the Pei family! Did you deliberately trick us into leaving the capital?"
Huiyin stepped forward and asked urgently, "Tell me what happened after you left the city?"
Pingzhen glared at her fiercely, utterly disgusted: "Still pretending? You and Pei Yu are in cahoots."
Huiyin felt a chill in her heart. The thing she feared most had happened. She had been trying to guess Pei Yu's attitude towards the Crown Prince and testing his limits. She never expected that he would actually kill Xiao Fen'er in order to protect the Crown Prince and Su Xin.
"No matter what you think, I genuinely wanted to send you away yesterday. You're still willing to come to me today, isn't it because you want me to help you get revenge?"
Pingzhen was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "This is what you owe me and Fen'er. You have to help me."
Huiyin nodded: "I'm not only helping you, I'm also helping myself."
Pingzhen asked, "What do I need to do?"
Huiyin walked to Pingzhen's side, stared at the pale-faced man, and asked one last time, "Are you really willing to give up everything you have now, just to seek justice for Xiao Fen'er?"
Pingzhen replied resolutely, "I would gladly risk my life."
"Alright, then go ahead and beat the drums and gongs, proclaim to the whole world your injustice, Xiao Fen'er's injustice, and ask the people of the world to give you justice."
Pingzhen pressed further: "And then?"
"We'll face off in court, but before that, we need sufficient evidence to prove Su Xin's guilt."
Yan Niang kept calling for Huiyin; they had been out for quite some time, and the two guards had already come down. Huiyin didn't have time to say much, quickly gave Pingzhen a few instructions, and then turned and left.
She hurriedly returned to the main hall with Yan Niang, just in time to run into the Pei family guards who had come looking for them. Upon seeing them, the guards came forward and stood in front of Huiyin with their gold-inlaid swords at their sides, blocking the gazes from those in the main hall who were scrutinizing Huiyin.
When Huiyin and Yanniang entered the private room, He Jiaying was enjoying the water shield and fish soup and mutton pie on Old Zhang's head. When she saw Huiyin, she quickly waved and swallowed the food in her mouth, saying, "Come on, it's really delicious!"
Huiyin sat down, picked up a wooden spoon, and tasted the fish soup. The taste was just like before. At that time, her mother was seriously ill and longed to eat a fish soup from her hometown. So Huiyin and Jingchuan traveled all over the east and west markets and found this shop.
The steaming water shield and fish soup in the earthenware bowl seemed to conjure up images of the beautiful Yunmeng Marshland her mother had described. The fish was delicate, and the broth was rich and flavorful. Huiyin had always longed to return to Jingzhou, to see the place where her parents had grown up.
Song's father had promised that he would take the whole family back to Jingzhou to pay respects to their ancestors before Huiyin got married. Unfortunately, this wish could not be fulfilled. Huiyin blew on the hot soup and swallowed it. She would go back to Jingzhou. She would take her father and mother back with her.
After finishing her meal, Huiyin didn't want to shop anymore. She had achieved her goal for the day and just wanted to get back to the case and find a breakthrough. However, He Jiaying was in high spirits and insisted on dragging her to Linlang Pavilion.
Huiyin also knew this place; it was the largest jewelry store in Chang'an, a favorite haunt of noble ladies and wives in the capital.
He Jiaying's eyes lit up as she muttered to herself, "I once saw a pair of hairpins with a pair of kingfisher wings fluttering at my aunt's place. The craftsmanship was exquisite and lifelike. They were so beautiful!"
“I heard that Linlang Pavilion recently received a new batch of jewelry. Shall I buy it for you?” He Jiaying rested her chin on her hands, gazing at Huiyin with sparkling eyes.
She had a charmingly innocent look, with a round face and big, dark eyes, which made her quite adorable.
Huiyin recalled her ferocious and crazy appearance before, and then looked at her now acting so ingratiatingly, and couldn't help but laugh: "I stopped blaming you a long time ago, you don't need to be so obsequious."
He Jiaying yelled as if her tail had been stepped on, "I'm not trying to please you!"
She lowered her head shyly and whispered, "I like the way you look when you're adorned with gold and jewels."
She propped her head up and looked Huiyin up and down, then suddenly shook her head. “You look too plain. You should be like before, wearing the most fashionable dresses and the most gorgeous jewelry, so that you can attract everyone’s attention as soon as you appear.”
Huiyin was amused by her head-shaking and swaying, and asked, "Have you seen me before?"
He Jiaying helped Che Bi up and sat down next to Huiyin. She leaned closer to her and said, "The first time I saw you was at a banquet. You and Wang Huan played a duet, and I was completely captivated by it."
Huiyin asked, "So you have a pretty good impression of me? Then why did you cause me so much trouble when I first entered the manor?"
"I was bewitched, and with someone around me instigating me, that's why..." He Jiaying said urgently, raising her hand to swear, "I swear, I really never intended to harm you with that evil spirit thing!"
Huiyin pulled down her raised hand and said seriously, "Do you know why I forgave you?"
He Jiaying asked, puzzled, "Because you are kind?"
Huiyin shook her head. "Just as you said, you never intended to kill me. Even the incident of falling into the lake was your own doing. Springtime lake water is not pleasant."
He Jiaying also remembered Huiyin jumping into the lake to save her. She stared at Huiyin's lips, slightly lost in thought. Shuying said that Huiyin saved her by kissing her.
Huiyin noticed that He Jiaying's gaze had become strange as she stared blankly at her, seemingly lost in thought. Huiyin raised her hand and waved it in front of He Jiaying several times before finally bringing her back to her senses.
What were you thinking about just now?
He Jiaying's face turned bright red, and she stammered, "Nothing, nothing!"
Huiyin stopped asking questions and instead asked about something else, something she had wanted to know for a long time.
"What kind of person is Liu Tan?"
He Jiaying stiffened. Here it comes, this question has finally come. She had a feeling that Huiyin would ask it.
He Jiaying moved a little further onto the brocade mat next to her and said perfunctorily, "She's just like those noble ladies you've met before, just like them."
Huiyin gazed at her quietly and uttered a single sentence: "Didn't you say she was very good last time?"
"I was talking nonsense! I was so angry that I lost my mind."
He Jiaying looked at Huiyin and said with utmost sincerity, "Really, I haven't had much contact with Liu Tan, but I can tell that she dislikes me. She's just pretending to be virtuous and kind on the surface."
Huiyin recalled Liu Tan's face. She was two years younger than Liu Tan. Liu Tan was a clan lady and usually only associated with ladies of similar status, such as the Langya Wang clan, the Nanyang Feng clan, the Qingzhou Dong clan, and the Shu clan, which were large clans that had existed for hundreds of years.
New clans like Huiyin's were not part of the alliances established by these centuries-old clans. She had never interacted with Liu Tan, but judging from her past, she was a poised, gentle, and elegant woman.
Huiyin wasn't surprised that Liu Tan looked down on He Jiaying. However, she was more interested in Liu Tan's personality and preferences. After all, Pei Yu liked her so much. If she could learn from her, would Pei Yu have any pity for her?
Huiyin was about to ask another question when the carriage stopped. He Jiaying eagerly slipped off the carriage and beckoned her to get down. Huiyin didn't dare ask any more questions and got off the carriage, lifting her dress.
A steady stream of fine carriages and ornately decorated cars drove into the market in front of the Linlang Pavilion, and the noble ladies who stepped out of the carriages were all adorned with golden hairpins and cloud-like hair.
The maid led the two to a private room on the third floor. Jewelry and ornaments were displayed in catalogs in various private rooms for the nobles to choose from. Once they liked something, the maid would take it to the private room for them to try on.
He Jiaying pulled Huiyin down to sit, and waved her hand, "Bring up your best jewelry."
The maid looked at the two young women in front of her. The young lady, who resembled Chang'e in the moon, had her hair styled in a double-heart bun, her earrings were made of green jade beads strung with gold chains, and her belt was embroidered with acacia patterns. She was clearly a married woman.
The young woman beside her had her hair styled in a parted bun, wore bright clothes, and had a charming appearance. She seemed to be a newlywed woman who had brought her sister-in-law to buy jewelry.
The maid had a plan in mind and said with a smile, "Please wait a moment, young lady, I will go and fetch it right away."
Before long, she entered the private room carrying a vermilion lacquer tray. At the head of the tray were various dazzling jewelry pieces, which shone brilliantly under the lights of the room.
He Jiaying eagerly went over to pick something out. After examining it for a moment, she suddenly frowned and said unhappily, "You're just trying to fob us off with this kind of stuff?"
Huiyin looked in the direction she was looking. The jewelry in the lacquer tray looked extremely luxurious at first glance, but in reality, they were all inferior goods, and some were even slightly mixed with other colors.
The maid was surprised that such a young lady had such discerning eyes; she had assumed the young lady came from an ordinary wealthy family. She quickly smiled and said, "It's not an excuse. The ladies are a little late; the good quality ones have already been sold."
He Jiaying pouted: "But the quality of these is too poor, not a single one of them is decent."
The maid smiled and said, "There is one item that you, young lady, will surely like, but the price is..."
"Stop keeping me in suspense, young lady. I have plenty of money. Go and get it." He Jiaying waved her hand dismissively.
The maid carried in a wooden box the size of a copper basin, carefully placed it on the table, opened the box, and inside was a hairpin with a blue phoenix chasing the moon.
The hairpin body is made of jade, and the head is shaped like a blue phoenix looking back at the moon, with its wings inlaid with jadeite, making it exceptionally lively.
He Jiaying was filled with amazement. She quickly called over Huiyin, who was standing nearby, wanting to put it on her.
Yan Niang removed the ornaments from Huiyin's head and inserted the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon hairpin diagonally into her hair bun. It was dazzling and eye-catching, and the beauty under the hairpin was even more stunning, exquisite and radiant.
The maid exclaimed sincerely, "You are the most suitable person I have ever seen for this hairpin."
He Jiaying was overjoyed and leaned close to Huiyin, showering her with praise and witty remarks.
Although the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon hairpin was beautiful, it was too extravagant and heavy, and could not be worn on many occasions. Huiyin did not like it, and she silently raised her hand to take it off.
Just then, an arrogant voice came from outside the private room: "I'd like to see if you dare to try and steal my things!"
The voice was unfamiliar to others, but He Jiaying recognized it all too well. It was Liu Tong, Liu Tan's younger sister, who had always been at odds with her since childhood and looked down on her in every way. Every time they met, Liu Tong would always have to give her a few words of advice!
Despite looking down on He Jiaying, Liu Tan, out of respect for the upbringing of a noble lady and the presence of Madam Pei and Pei Yu, put on an excellent show of politeness.
Liu Tong is different. She is the youngest child of the Liu family in Hedong. She was spoiled by her older brothers and sisters since she was a child. She is arrogant and domineering, and her words can make people angry to death.
He Jiaying had suffered at her hands many times before, and her anger flared up. She pulled down Huiyin's arm and shouted loudly outside, "Sister-in-law, no one but you deserves this Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon hairpin!"
She leaned closer to Huiyin and whispered, "It's Liu Tong, Liu Tan's younger sister. She's infuriating! Help me teach her a lesson!"
Huiyin: "..."
They really think highly of her. What is her status now? How can she go head-to-head with Liu Tong, who comes from a powerful clan? If it were before, she could have been dealt with in a few words. But now, with the affair between Liu Tan and Pei Yu, and her own awkward status, Liu Tong might become even more outrageous.
Before the two could think further, Liu Tong had already coldly lifted the green gauze curtain of the private room and walked in. Liu Tong was also a beauty; she had high brow bones and upturned eyebrows, and her gaze always seemed to contain a hint of mockery. Her nose was so prominent it was almost sharp, and her cheekbones were too high, adding to her meanness.
Her personality matched her looks. After scanning around and recognizing the people, she covered her mouth and giggled, "Who do we have here? It's just a down-on-his-luck family from the Pei family trying to freeload."
Liu Tong paused when she saw Huiyin. She recognized Huiyin; her reputation was legendary, known to everyone in Chang'an. However, she was unconvinced. Song Huiyin was merely beautiful; in terms of status, talent, and character, how could she compare to her elder sister?
Everyone knows that Pei Yu still longs for her elder sister, waiting for her to finish her three-year widowhood before rekindling their romance. But this Song Huiyin, shameless and willing to debase herself, has managed to seduce Pei Yu into taking her as a concubine. Liu Tong recalled the sarcastic remarks her friends had made recently.
Her tone became even more sarcastic: "Heh, they're not a clan after all, they're really uncivilized, actually allowing a mere concubine to go out and show her face in public."
With a furious expression, He Jiaying stood up abruptly and shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? What my family does is none of your business!"
Liu Tong ignored her completely, looked at Huiyin with interest, and ordered, "You are not worthy of wearing this hairpin, take it off."
Huiyin remained seated, a smile on her face: "I've heard that the Liu family of Hedong is a prominent clan, and that the women raised in the family are all virtuous, graceful, and elegant. But after meeting Miss Liu today, I realize that the rumors are not true."
Liu Tong could tell that Huiyin was mocking her, but she wasn't someone who cared about her reputation. Liu Tong stepped forward and reached out to snatch the hair crown from Huiyin's head.
Yan Niang, who was standing beside Huiyin, grabbed her hand tightly with all her might.
Liu Tong felt a sharp pain in her arm, as if it were about to break. She cried out twice and staggered backward. The maid behind her quickly supported her.
Liu Tong pointed at Huiyin and roared, "Take the hairpin off her head!"
Upon hearing this, the two burly maids behind her immediately rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward menacingly. Yan Niang and He Jiaying stood in front of Huiyin at the same time, glaring at the two of them.
The maid of Linlang Pavilion was sweating profusely. She couldn't afford to offend any of the people here, so she quickly begged the ladies to stop.
The private room was in an uproar, and the ladies from the other private rooms also came over to watch the commotion. Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Huiyin raised her hand, smashed a ceramic cup, and shouted at everyone to stop.
"stop!"
Huiyin stood up, pushed aside Yan Niang and He Jiaying, and stared coldly at Liu Tong: "Don't you understand the principle of first come, first served? This thing was shown to us first, and you can only get it if I don't want it anymore."
Liu Tong scoffed, "I'm going to take it anyway, what are you going to do about it?"
Huiyin: "Wait until tomorrow when the censor impeaches you, and your third brother, who just received an official position through hereditary privilege, loses his post. Then you'll know what to do."
Liu Tong paused, turned around, and indeed saw several wives of imperial censors present. Although the Song family had fallen, Song Huiyin's father still maintained some connections within the Imperial Censorate. If she could truly persuade those censors, it would be a real problem.
He Jiaying snorted twice, put her hands on her hips, and said, "If you dare to take it, I'll go back and cry to my aunt and cousin. You've humiliated me like this, I'll make you pay!"
Liu Tong's chest heaved with anger. The servants behind her stepped forward to dissuade her, but in the end, her face turned bruised and purple. She gritted her teeth and said, "It's just a hairpin! I have all sorts of good things. You can have this junk!"
He Jiaying smiled smugly and shouted, "Check, please!"
The maid breathed a sigh of relief, took the abacus and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "Miss, the total is three hundred taels of gold."
He Jiaying stared blankly at her purse. So much cash! Oh no, she hadn't brought much cash with her today. With a pained expression, she leaned closer to the maid and whispered, "I don't have that much on me. I'll send someone back to get it, or you can ask someone to go to the Pei residence to ask for it?"
The maid said with difficulty, "...Our Linlang Pavilion has a rule that we don't allow credit!"
Liu Tong was so angry that her chest ached. After waiting for a while, she found that He Jiaying did not pay the bill with money, but instead whispered something to the foreign merchant with an embarrassed expression.
She was secretly delighted: "Someone can't even afford to pay, yet he talks big about buying things. It's laughable."
She raised her eyebrows triumphantly and said, "If you can't afford it, then get out of here. Yuan Nu, go pay the bill!"
The maid in green, with her head bowed, stepped forward carrying a box of gold ingots. The maid looked at He Jiaying, then at Liu Tong, caught in a dilemma.
Huiyin pulled He Jiaying aside and asked, "What's wrong?"
He Jiaying said with a bitter face, "I didn't bring enough money. Could you lend me some?"
Huiyin: "..." Does she look like she has any money? She and Yanniang can't even scrape together a single piece of gold.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
