Chapter 008: Wood Hibiscus

In this life, Jiang Xuening never intended to have any further contact with Zhou Yinzhi.

But now, she has unexpectedly encountered Xie Wei…

She must protect herself.

Although Zhou Yinzhi is a petty man, the advantage of associating with such people lies in the fact that as long as there is something to gain, one can walk the same path and get what they need.

Today, she came to find Jiang Boyou, carrying a “Qiong Lin” as a ledger, and asserting authority over the servants in the house. This matter must have caught Xie Wei’s eye. Even though he is not particularly cunning, he is certainly not someone who can be called “unintelligent.”

In her previous life, she was truly naive.

She knew nothing about the capital and the imperial court.

At fourteen, just shy of fifteen, she was confused and lost about her fate and circumstances, unsure of what her unknown father and mother in the capital would be like. She also encountered the rebellion of Tianjiao, got trapped with Xie Wei in the wilderness, and her heart was filled with fear and panic. How could she have been in the right frame of mind to interpret the deeper meaning behind someone’s words while they were ill?

She had heard it all, but she truly forgot.

Later, she wracked her brains to recall, but only vaguely remembered phrases like “Shen Lang’s character is unworthy of great responsibility” and “The common people are human, and so is the supreme ruler.”

Even so, Xie Wei still tested her three times before letting it go. Although four years had passed in this life, after witnessing her actions today, he might reconsider and suspect that she actually remembered what he said, only pretending to be foolish to pass through unnoticed!

The courtyard in the afternoon was very quiet.

Thin branches hung down from the flower stand.

The westward slanting sunlight spread like red gauze over the corridor, in front of the steps.

Jiang Xuening instructed Tang’er to find Zhou Yinzhi, then sat in the corridor for a long time, finally calming down slowly.

There were three ways to handle the current situation:

First, continue to play dumb.

After all, she had just acted as she did—asserting authority and pretending to be foolish—but she had shifted the blame onto Yan Lin, telling Jiang Boyou that it was all Yan Lin’s teaching. She wasn’t worried about being exposed there; she feared that even if she killed someone and later said Yan Lin did it, Yan Lin would admit it.

Moreover, if there were no problems at the Marquis of Yongyi’s house, Yan Lin could protect her.

The question was, would Xie Wei believe it?

Second, follow the example of You Fangyin and seek to ally with Xie Wei.

This devil in the guise of a sage had been the greatest winner in her previous life, and aside from the Xiao family, the royal family, and the rebellious factions of Tianjiao, he was not bloodthirsty.

But there were issues as well.

Yan Lin had the Marquis of Yongyi’s house and military power. You Fangyin’s business empire stretched across the world, making her incredibly wealthy.

What did she have?

What abilities and leverage does she have that would make Xie Wei take notice and accept her defection?

The third option is to go all in and directly oppose Xie Wei.

She knows his biggest secret, even his ultimate plan, and she is aware of some political movements in the imperial court. With the advantage of having been reborn and possessing foresight, she could gain the upper hand in many future situations.

But the problem is—

Now, Xie Wei has become the imperial teacher, while she is still just a young lady of a noble family. The disparity in status and power is enormous. She fears that she might be killed before she even has the chance to oppose him. Moreover, Xie Wei’s wisdom is dynamic, whereas what she knows from her past life is fixed. How can she be sure that she can outwit him?

You Fangyin often said, “All roads lead to the capital,” but now, Jiang Xuening looks around and sees nothing but narrow, dead-end paths!

Of course, there is a fourth option.

Even though Xie Wei is powerful, he is still a man. In her past life, she used her feminine charms to manipulate men. This time, perhaps she could try to charm the brilliant imperial teacher as well.

If Xie Wei could become her subordinate…

But the moment this thought emerged, she shuddered and quickly suppressed it, telling herself, “No, I can’t entertain such a terrifying idea…”

Xie Wei, like Shen Jie, Yan Lin, Zhou Yinzhi, and even Zhang Zhe…

They are all different.

Jiang Xuening would never forget that in her past life, when she felt cornered, she had entertained such a thought: one night, she changed into a pale yellow palace robe, made herself look radiant and charming, and brought a bowl of soup from the imperial kitchen to the West Warm Pavilion. But when Xie Wei looked up at her, his gaze darkened, and with just a slight raise of his brow, he saw right through her. He gave her a faint smile and said, “Your Majesty, please maintain your dignity.”

That night, she was ashamed and humiliated, practically fleeing in disgrace.

Even now, when she thinks of that scene, Jiang Xuening still feels a strong impulse to dig a hole and bury herself. How could she possibly go through such an experience again?

Before someone like Xie Wei, it would be nothing but self-humiliation!

So, given her current situation, the best and most feasible methods are the first and second options. As for the third, Jiang Xuening has already associated it with a dead-end. She will never try to oppose Xie Wei unless absolutely forced into a corner where there is no other choice!

After thinking all this through, meeting Zhou Yinzhi becomes very important.

Whether it’s because of the upcoming involvement of the Marquis of Yongyi’s house in the case of Prince Pingnan, or simply to make herself more useful and gain leverage.

But Jiang Xuening never received word from Zhou Yinzhi.

Tang’er hadn’t returned yet when a maid came walking from not far ahead. Upon seeing Jiang Xuening sitting in the corridor, the maid immediately smiled and approached her, greeting her with a curtsy. “I was just about to look for the second young lady, but didn’t expect to find you here. The madam heard that your father has summoned the people from your room for some sort of commotion. She’s not sure what’s going on and asked me to invite you to meet her and ask about it.”

This maid served by Meng Shi’s side.

Jiang Xuening didn’t have much impression of the maid but could guess the situation from her words.

However, just after the sudden encounter with Xie Wei that had made her heart uneasy, and now wanting to see Zhou Yinzhi, it was rather inconvenient for someone to show up and ask her to see Meng Shi. She wasn’t in the best mood, and her expression wasn’t exactly pleasant either. She simply replied indifferently, “Understood, I’ll go now.”

Meng Shi was talking to Jiang Xue Hui in her room.

When news of Jiang Xuening going to see Jiang Boyou to deal with the situation of the servants had reached them, both women were somewhat surprised.

Meng Shi knew that Jiang Xuening had not returned the previous night, so she decided to call for her now. First, she wanted to inquire about the situation, to understand what her daughter, raised by a concubine, was thinking. Second, she felt that even if there were no rules, there had to be limits. How could an unmarried young lady stay out for an entire night?

Not long after, Jiang Xuening arrived.

She wasn’t particularly close to her biological mother, Meng Shi, and Meng Shi didn’t like her daughter’s lack of discipline and unruly nature. This made their relationship distant. Upon seeing Jiang Xue Hui in the room, Jiang Xuening’s greeting became even more perfunctory. She simply said, “Daughter greets mother.”

Jiang Xue Hui was completely ignored by her.

Upon hearing this, Meng Shi immediately sensed that Jiang Xuening harbored some resentment toward her daughter, Jiang Xue Hui. Her fine, delicate brows furrowed even further, but she didn’t speak out. She simply said, “Get up. What’s going on today? Why did you suddenly cause such a ruckus with the maids and servants?”

Jiang Xuening answered, “They’ve been undisciplined in the house for a long time, and today, they grew even more outrageous. I mentioned it to Yan Lin when I went out yesterday, and he taught me a way to handle them, so I took action when I got back. If I have disturbed you, it is my fault.”

Normally, when people mentioned Yan Lin, they would address him as “Young Lord” or “Young Master Yan.” Even Jiang Boyou and Meng Shi, who were of higher status, would do so, as the Marquis of Yongyi was a powerful family with control over the military and deep favor from the emperor. Not just anyone could afford to treat him lightly.

But Jiang Xuening, on the other hand…

She simply called him by his name, which showed just how indulgent he was toward her.

Meng Shi’s brows furrowed even deeper as she listened.

Although Yan Lin came from a prestigious family that ranked among the best in the capital, second only to the Shi family of the Duke of Chengguo, he was also a bold and reckless person who did not always act with caution.

Ning Jie’er had been relatively obedient when she was first brought back.

But ever since she met Yan Lin, she had been dressing as a man and going out under the guise of “Master Jiang’s Young Master” to mix around, with the entire household helping to cover for her!

Meng Shi felt that it was time to say something: “In the past, when you went out with Young Master Yan, I thought it was excessive, but since your father had tacitly allowed it, I didn’t interfere. However, leniency is not the same as indulgence. Ning Jie’er, you must be clear on this. As a young lady, staying out all night, fooling around every day—if this gets out, you’ll have Young Master Yan to cover for you, and since you’ve done it, I assume you don’t mind the rumors. But your sister is still of marriageable age. If your reputation is ruined, others will always associate it with the Jiang family’s young ladies. What will people say about your sister?”

Meng Shi’s words made sense.

If Jiang Xuening’s actions were to be exposed, it would indeed cause trouble for Jiang Xue Hui.

Rationally, Jiang Xuening knew that her mother wasn’t entirely wrong. But deep inside, she felt a surge of resentment. Her hand, resting at her side, subtly clenched into a fist. She lowered her eyes and replied, “Mother is right. I will be more careful in the future.”

Meng Shi could tell from her indifferent tone and expression that she was not taking the matter seriously. Her anger flared, and with a sharp motion, she slammed her teacup down, about to scold her.

Jiang Xue Hui, witnessing the tense atmosphere, could not help but feel a slight pang of worry. She sighed inwardly, realizing that while her mother was acting out of concern for her, this kind of harsh criticism was only pushing Jiang Xuening further away from them. She also feared that the blame might end up falling on her, so she quickly intervened, grabbing Meng Shi’s hand to stop her.

“Mother, you must understand, in the past, Ning Jie’er might not have listened even to Young Master Yan, but now she’s willing to take responsibility and manage things in her own room. This shows she’s becoming more mature and steady. If Young Master Yan can help her improve, why should you still be concerned about gossip? Her future marriage will be more respectable, which is a good thing for the family. My own marriage may very well be influenced by her reputation, so please don’t worry. And just today, when I was harassed by Wang Xing’s family, it was Ning Jie’er who stepped in and saved me.”

Jiang Xuening privately thought that Jiang Xue Hui’s praise was exaggerated, as her own involvement with Wang Xing’s family had little to do with helping her.

She just coldly watched as her sister spun her words to placate Meng Shi.

After hearing this, Meng Shi paused, thinking that perhaps Jiang Xue Hui was right.

However, it was difficult for her to retract her earlier words. When she looked up and saw Jiang Xuening standing there, expressionless and with a dull gaze, she was reminded of a more unpleasant memory—the look in her daughter’s eyes, which strangely reminded her of Wanniang, that woman she despised.

She lost her temper completely and waved her hand dismissively, “Fine, your matters will be handled by your father. You can go. Don’t bother with evening greetings tonight.”

“Understood, daughter will take her leave.”

Meng Shi didn’t want to look at her any longer, and Jiang Xuening had no intention of staying either.

She swiftly bowed and exited.

The sky was beginning to darken, and the evening glow was magnificent.

Under the wall behind the west wing, there was a patch of hibiscus planted. The pink flowers, some dark and some light, looked radiant as they were bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

As she walked past with Lian’er, a hibiscus flower suddenly fell and hit her on the head.

The blooming hibiscus rolled down, and Jiang Xuening instinctively reached out to catch it. When she lifted her head, she saw Yan Lin, dressed in a dark black robe with a leather belt around his waist, casually sitting on the wall covered in hibiscus flowers. One leg was bent, and he was holding his sword with one hand, smiling at her. “It looks like the meeting ended early today, but His Majesty kept me for quite a while, so I only just got out of the palace. The Double Ninth Festival is the day after tomorrow, and there will be a lantern festival in the capital. I’d like to take you to see it.”

The evening glow settled on the flowers and on his face.

Jiang Xuening was suddenly dazzled, a momentary blur in her mind.

After a while, she finally realized what he had said: the Double Ninth Festival lantern festival. That was when, in her past life, she had gone out of the palace and met Shen Zhiyi, who saw her disguised as a man. It was then that Shen Zhiyi had started to like her…