Chapter 014: Shen Zhiyi

When Jiang Xuening returned to the flower hall, she encountered the You sisters who were hurrying to handle the situation. Apparently, they had already heard that this outsider, Jiang Xuening, had intervened in their family’s affairs. With both old grudges from the flower hall and new resentments, You Yue’s eyes seemed to shoot fire at her.

Even You Shuang’s expression was not pleasant, though she greeted Jiang Xuening indifferently.

Jiang Xuening responded perfunctorily.

It was clear that she had made enemies with these two sisters from the Qingyuan Earl’s Mansion.

But she didn’t care.

Who in the world would be afraid of being hated by an ant?

After returning to the flower hall, the news of You Fangyin’s “fall into the water” had spread. Since the exact details were unknown, the rumors were even more exaggerated than the truth.

Some said it was a maid in the mansion who couldn’t bear the humiliation from her masters and jumped into the water.

Others said it was a legitimate young lady whose concubine mother had just hanged herself, and she did something foolish in a moment of despair.

Of course, the most widespread rumor was Jiang Xuening’s earlier statement: this girl was a concubine-born daughter of the You family, bullied by an evil servant, and the “fall into the water” incident was not that simple…

Because Yan Lin had come to talk to her earlier, the many young ladies from noble families in the flower hall, who usually followed the rules, had never seen such a public “private meeting” before. After Jiang Xuening left, they had a lot of criticism about her.

Moreover, many of them had some interest in Yan Lin.

Who would have thought that Jiang Xuening, the second young lady, would appear out of nowhere, making them feel that since the heir apparent dared to act like this before his coming-of-age ceremony, the marriage must have been secretly arranged.

It was really infuriating.

But then came the incident of You Fangyin falling into the water.

The lives of these noble young ladies were dull, and how could they resist the temptation of gossip? Just as the host family was dealing with the matter, some took the opportunity to gather around Jiang Xuening to inquire.

Jiang Xuening told them what she had seen.

Neither embellishing nor omitting anything.

After a while, the You sisters returned, saying that a concubine-born girl in the mansion had accidentally fallen into the water, but fortunately, the old women had discovered it early and saved her. A doctor had been called to see her, and she was fine.

Everyone naturally showed a look of relief, as if saying, “It’s good that she’s okay.”

But these noble young ladies had already heard Jiang Xuening’s account, and who didn’t have some dirty laundry at home? Some things were clear at a glance, and they didn’t bother to believe the You sisters’ nonsense. However, since they were the hosts, they had to give them some face.

As for how they would spread the story after the banquet ended and they returned home, that was their business.

Next came the luncheon, chrysanthemum appreciation, and poetry and painting.

To Jiang Xuening, it was truly boring.

If Yan Lin hadn’t said earlier that he would wait for her at Cengxiao Tower after the event ended in the afternoon and that they would go to the lantern festival together in the evening, she might have left after seeing You Fangyin.

For the last half hour, she just sat on the side, watching these noble young ladies wield their brushes and ink, meticulously painting various autumn chrysanthemum pictures on sheets of Xuan paper.

Once they selected the best one, the banquet would be over.

But no one expected that just as the elegant banquet was about to end, a voice suddenly announced at the door: “The Eldest Princess Leyang has arrived!”

The Eldest Princess?

Everyone in the hall was taken aback and hurriedly bowed without even looking up: “Welcome, Eldest Princess!”

When Jiang Xuening heard this, her eyelid twitched, and she began to regret not leaving earlier. But then she remembered she was in women’s clothing now. So she forced herself to relax the nerve that had suddenly tensed up, bowed with everyone else in the corner, and instinctively kept her head low.

Light footsteps and the sound of the ornaments on a noblewoman’s waist clinking together came from the front of the hall.

Soon, a voice came from above: “No need for formalities. I and Ah Shu just heard that the banquet at Qingyuan Earl’s Mansion was not over yet, so we came to see what it was like. You may rise.”

Each word was like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

It was as if celestial music, like a heavenly being.

Hearing this voice, everyone couldn’t help but wonder what kind of fairy-like beauty the Eldest Princess Leyang, who had such a beautiful voice, must be. Although these noble young ladies had high status, they had never been in and out of the palace.

Most of them had never seen a princess, so after rising, they all looked up to take a glance.

However, the moment they saw the princess’s appearance, everyone was stunned, their eyes showing a bit of surprise, and then a sense of pity arose in their hearts: “What a pity.”

The Eldest Princess Leyang, Shen Zhiyi, was born to the late emperor’s favored concubine, the Virtuous Imperial Concubine. She had been pampered since childhood, living a life of luxury, with fair and delicate skin, and inherited the exquisite features of the Imperial Concubine, making her exceptionally beautiful and radiant. When she smiled, she had sweet dimples that made people feel happy just looking at her.

However, there was a scar half an inch below her left eye, near the corner.

Although the color had faded and it wasn’t very long, it was particularly noticeable and glaring on such a flawless face, making it hard not to notice. The beauty of her face was almost entirely marred by this scar, making people sigh with regret, “A pearl with a flaw, a jade with a crack.”

This was a disfigured face.

Even with makeup to cover it, it was still visible.

Such a beautiful voice, yet it did not match her appearance.

Jiang Xuening knew that the scar on the face of the Eldest Princess Leyang was left twenty years ago when Prince Pingnan rebelled and attacked the capital. At that time, she was just a newborn baby, taken from her wet nurse by the rebels and used as a hostage. They cut her face with a dagger to force the other royal family members hiding in the imperial city to come out.

Later, the loyalist army arrived and quelled the rebellion.

Although Princess Shen Zhiyi, being a princess, was unharmed, the scar on her face remained from her childhood to the present.

Even though twenty years had passed, everyone in the court and the palace who had experienced that upheaval would recall the bloody rebellion when they saw the scar on her face.

The scar on the Eldest Princess Leyang was a mark of shame left by the rebels of Prince Pingnan on the grand Daqian dynasty.

Because of this, the current emperor was particularly fond of his sister.

As long as Shen Zhiyi’s requests did not involve the survival of the state, he would satisfy them. Even if she wanted the stars in the sky, Shen Lang would have someone try to get them for her.

Growing up in the palace, Shen Zhiyi had seen countless people look at the scar on her face with various expressions—pity, sympathy, ridicule. Sometimes, she could even see the thoughts of some beautiful palace maids: “So what if she’s a high and mighty imperial princess? With that scar, she’s not even as good as us lowly palace maids.”

As a child, she didn’t understand these looks.

As she grew older and understood, her anger turned to hatred, and hatred to sorrow.

Which woman in the world could truly not care about her appearance?

Shen Zhiyi glanced around and saw that everyone’s scrutinizing gaze was taken in by her, except for one person in the corner who kept her head down.

How unusual.

She was used to such stares in the palace, and although she felt a sting in her heart, she did not react, only saying coldly, “Continue with your painting.”

Everyone was startled by her gaze and quickly looked away. Since the princess had spoken, they dared not disobey. So they all returned to their original positions, continuing to paint or write poetry.

Jiang Xuening also breathed a sigh of relief and was about to continue pretending she didn’t exist.

But before she could sit down, Shen Zhiyi walked directly towards her, stood in front of her, and said, “Are you Jiang Xuening? Raise your head.”

“……”

Jiang Xuening wondered why this ancestor had noticed her again!

Now, Jiang Xuening was no longer an empress. Compared to the imperial princess, she was just a young lady from an ordinary official’s family, and the difference in status was clear. She dared not disobey and raised her head as instructed.

In that moment, Shen Zhiyi’s eyes flashed with undisguised amazement, which soon turned into a bit of wistful envy. She sighed softly, “I came here today for you.”

Jiang Xuening’s eyelid started twitching again.

Shen Zhiyi continued, “No wonder Yan Lin, who no one can tame, is so devoted to you. You’re so beautiful that even I am moved. It’s truly enviable…”

She had originally attended a banquet at the Chengguo Mansion today, but upon hearing that her brother Shen Jie had gone to the Qingyuan Mansion, and knowing that Yan Lin, who had played with her since childhood, was also there, she had someone inquire. She then learned that Shen Jie went because of Yan Lin, and Yan Lin went because of a certain official’s young lady.

This piqued her curiosity.

Seeing that the banquet at the Chengguo Mansion was ending, she dragged the eldest daughter of the Chengguo Mansion, Xiao Shu, who was close to her, to come here and see what kind of person this legendary “Second Miss Jiang” was.

Shen Zhiyi knew Yan Lin’s nature; he was never very interested in women.

If he took a liking to someone, she must have something extraordinary.

So when she glanced around earlier, she noticed the only figure with a bowed head. Approaching and asking her to look up, she saw that it was indeed the Second Miss Jiang, with a face of unparalleled beauty, neither cold nor warm, neither too glamorous nor plain, making her unforgettable at first sight.

In her heart, Jiang Xuening lamented, “What kind of fate is this?” It seemed that Shen Zhiyi had come to see her because of Yan Lin, so even if she didn’t want to meet her, she did.

Jiang Xuening knew the future fate of this Eldest Princess Leyang.

After the Yongyi Marquis Mansion, which originally held military power, was exiled due to the old case of Prince Pingnan, the northern Tatars began to stir within two months, claiming that the new king had ascended and wanted to marry a princess from Daqian as his queen. The emperor, not wanting to reuse the Yongyi Marquis Mansion, sent the Eldest Princess Leyang for the marriage alliance.

Four years later, after the Tatars had recuperated, they launched a full-scale invasion.

The court only received the princess’s coffin.

By then, the emperor had changed to Shen Jie.

In his grief, he overturned Shen Lang’s conviction of the Yongyi Marquis Mansion, rehabilitated them, and reinstated Yan Lin, who had been exiled for four years. Yan Lin finally got the opportunity to lead troops to quell the border turmoil, drive out the Tatars, and push them back so they dared not step into Daqian territory. He was then conferred the title of general, given the tiger tally, and returned to the capital.

After that, it was Jiang Xuening’s “disaster.”

She remembered their first meeting in their previous life when she was dressed as a man. Seeing that Shen Zhiyi was overly concerned about the scar on her face, she took a fine brush used for painting lanterns at the festival, dipped it in cherry powder, and drew that scar under her left eye.

At that time, Shen Zhiyi mistakenly thought she was a man and developed feelings for her.

Later, when she learned that Jiang Xuening was a woman, she naturally couldn’t get over it.

But before going to the Tatars for the marriage alliance, she specially invited Jiang Xuening to paint her face as it was when they first met. Then she sat quietly in front of the makeup mirror, looking at her beautiful face in the mirror, with two lines of tears streaming down her cheeks.

After Shen Zhiyi left, Jiang Xuening often asked herself: If given another chance, would she still draw that scar on their first meeting?

At that time, she had no answer.

She thought she wouldn’t.

But now, with Shen Zhiyi standing alive in front of her again, and having such an opportunity, Jiang Xuening realized that her answer was: I would.

“Your Highness is naturally beautiful, the most dazzling pearl of the entire Daqian dynasty. How could Xuening compare?” She looked up at her and smiled slightly, “You need not envy a minister’s daughter.”

These words sounded like blind flattery.

Shen Zhiyi felt disgusted the moment she heard them.

But when she met her gaze, she found that her words were very serious and sincere, without any pretense, and she was momentarily stunned.

Jiang Xuening then turned around, pulling her to the most secluded painting table in the corner. She gently picked up a fine brush, lightly dipped it in a bit of pale cherry powder, and said, “Excuse me,” before leaning forward to lightly trace over the scar under Shen Zhiyi’s left eye.

The originally glaring scar suddenly turned into a crescent moon-like pink mark.

It looked very much like a fallen petal.

When she stepped back, the palace maid beside Shen Zhiyi let out a low exclamation, her eyes filled with amazement.

Jiang Xuening said, “Some scars, if Your Highness cares too much about them in front of others, everyone will know that this is Your Highness’s weak spot, and they can use it to hurt you. But if Your Highness shows it openly and doesn’t care, or pretends not to care, people won’t know your weakness and won’t be able to hurt you. Your scar is the glory of the dynasty, why see it as a shame?”

Shen Zhiyi was completely stunned.

No one had ever spoken to her so boldly before. Although the words were straightforward and sharp, they felt like a gentle breeze, soothing some of her wounds.

She stared at the Second Miss Jiang in front of her, unable to look away.

After finishing the stroke, Jiang Xuening felt a sense of relief and thought: Although she had another encounter with the Eldest Princess Leyang, she didn’t know how Xie Wei would deal with her in this life. If she could win the favor of the princess, even if Xie Wei wanted to harm her, he might have to think twice.

There was nothing wrong with that.

But when she collected herself and looked back, she met Shen Zhiyi’s gaze, and her scalp tingled!

That gaze…

Why was it exactly the same as in the previous life?!

She instinctively looked down at her attire: she was indeed dressed as a woman.

But why that gaze…

In a flash, a thought she had never had before suddenly popped into Jiang Xuening’s mind, making her shiver and break out in goosebumps—

Who said that in the previous life, the Eldest Princess Leyang must have mistaken her for a man because she was dressed as one, and that’s why she developed feelings for her?

The same situation could have another explanation—

That is, seeing her dressed as a man but with a feminine aura, she felt close to her, but the princess herself might not have realized it!

If that were the case…

Jiang Xuening’s fingers, still holding the brush, suddenly stiffened.

In that moment, under Shen Zhiyi’s gaze, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and only three words came to her mind—

It’s over.