"Miss Zhe is looking for me?" a clear and pleasant voice rang out from the doorway.
The ladies crowded in the room turned to see Zhan Feiyu holding a lantern, her delicate voice bathed in soft light, making her snow-white skin appear even more tender and flawless. Coupled with her exquisite features, even though she was a bit short, it did not diminish her scholarly and elegant aura.
"Sister Zhan?" Miss Chang's eyes lit up, and her anxious heart finally settled.
Zhan Feiyu smiled gently, handed the lantern to He Nuan, who walked over, and then smiled as she explained to Madam Chang, "I heard from Sister Chang before that Songtao Forest has a unique charm in winter, so I just went for a walk there. Please forgive any rudeness, Madam."
"Miss Zhan is too kind," Madam Chang smiled. No matter who was plotting in secret, it was all in vain.
She then thought that Zhan Feiyu was always at ease whether in the courts of Shuntian Prefecture or Dali Temple. Such an independent young woman would surely not be bothered by the dirty schemes of the inner chambers.
Zhe Jing was already disappointed. Seeing Zhan Feiyu's calm demeanor, she lost her temper in anger. Without regard for any slander, she directly hurled accusations at Zhan Feiyu, "Don't argue. You were clearly meeting a man here privately, and when we discovered you, you hurriedly hid away!"
Madam Chang's good mood instantly vanished. If this had happened at the Zhe residence, Madam Chang wouldn't have bothered and would have let the unreasonable Zhe Jing make a scene.
But this was the Chang residence, and Zhan Feiyu was a guest attending the old madam's birthday. As the hostess, Madam Chang wished to resolve the matter quickly, but Zhe Jing was being unreasonable here.
"Sisters Wen and the others didn't see, but I've been practicing martial arts since I was young, and my eyesight is much better than ordinary people's. As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw a figure jump out of the window. At the time, I thought a thief had broken into the Chang residence. I didn't expect it was you, and you hurriedly jumped out the window to escape when you heard our voices."
Zhe Jing's voice grew louder as she spoke, glaring fiercely at Zhan Feiyu, "Don't think you can bribe the servants of the Chang residence to say they saw you in Songtao Forest. Your little tricks won't fool me!"
Having blocked all of Zhan Feiyu's escape routes, Zhe Jing finally felt satisfied. She raised her chin and sneered triumphantly, eager to see how this wretched girl would explain herself!
Zhan Feiyu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Miss Zhe, are you sure you weren't mistaken? Did you really see me jump out the window and escape?"
Before Zhe Jing could confidently guarantee, Zhan Feiyu narrowed her eyes. Her usually round eyes appeared exceptionally sharp as she half-closed them. "Miss Zhe, think carefully before you speak. I have a bad temper, and if anyone dares to slander me, I will surely retaliate in kind."
Taking two steps into the room, Zhan Feiyu kicked the still unconscious You Bawang, who reeked of alcohol. "If Miss Zhe is not afraid of retribution, then tomorrow night I will have someone send this man to Miss Zhe's bed. If one is not enough, I can also send you men continuously for the rest of the month."
The room fell into an eerie silence. The noble ladies and young ladies present stared at Zhan Feiyu's blatant threat with wide eyes. This was too overbearing.
Miss Chang and Taotao had been holding their breath for Zhan Feiyu. Now, the two sisters' eyes were shining, looking at Zhan Feiyu with immense admiration. Was this what they meant by "evil begets evil"? No, Sister Zhan wasn't evil.
"You..." Zhe Jing was as furious now as she had been smug before. She reached for the whip at her waist, but He Nuan subtly moved to Zhan Feiyu's side. With Zhe Jing's limited martial arts skills, if she dared to draw her whip, she would surely humiliate herself!
As for Zhan Feiyu's naked threat, no one in the room believed she was just blustering!
After all, after Zhe Jing had been humiliated before, Cheng Wu, the head of the Zhe family's guards, had led men to scout Yufeng Tower at night, intending to teach Zhan Feiyu a lesson and vent Zhe Jing's anger. Who knew that Cheng Wu and his group would return defeated?
The noble families in the capital were the most well-informed. By the next day, everyone who needed to know was aware, which was why they warned their juniors not to provoke Zhan Feiyu. She was surely accompanied by elite guards, and these guards were highly skilled. At least Cheng Wu and the others were no match for them.
"Miss Zhan, there's no need to be angry. Tonight, at the old madam's birthday banquet, Jing'er had a few cups of fruit wine and is likely seeing things due to the alcohol. I apologize to Miss Zhan on her behalf." Wen Ruyi finished speaking and bowed to Zhan Feiyu.
Zhe Jing's face was stiff, and anger churned in her eyes. But no matter how impetuous her temper was, she dared not make threats like Zhan Feiyu at this moment.
If Zhe Jing were sensible, Madam Chang, as the hostess, would surely try to smooth things over. But at this moment, Madam Chang acted as if she heard nothing. She had brought this upon herself.
"Miss Zhe is not only fond of drinking at a young age but also has poor eyesight. Such a person is not worthy of Young Master Ning." Zhan Feiyu smiled slyly and clapped her hands as if she had thought of a more brilliant idea. "Miss Wen is the foremost noble lady in the capital. I believe only a talented woman like Miss Wen can be worthy of Young Master Ning. Why don't I play matchmaker and have someone send Miss Wen to Young Master Ning's bed to fulfill a union of talented individuals? It would surely be a beautiful story!"
Uh...
What does it mean to shock people to death? The ladies in the room today had truly witnessed it.
Zhe Jing was about to explode with anger. Her rage was originally directed at Zhan Feiyu, but upon seeing the beautiful and talented Wen Ruyi beside her, Zhe Jing's expression became ferocious and distorted. What talented individuals? Brother Chen An was hers!
Wen Ruyi was also angered by Zhan Feiyu's "utterly shameless" words. The usually dignified Wen Ruyi's face turned ashen, but she dared not confront Zhan Feiyu directly, lest she provoke her into actually abducting her and sending her to the Ning family in the middle of the night.
No matter how talented Ning Chen An was, Wen Ruyi did not fancy him. After all, the Ning family had long since declined and was only supported by their heritage. The Wen family, on the other hand, was flourishing, and Concubine Min in the palace was her maternal aunt.
Wen Ruyi was not yet engaged, but both the Wen family and she herself aimed for the future crown prince. Even if Ning Chen An topped the imperial examinations, he would only be a Zhuangyuan (top scholar). A Zhuangyuan emerged every three years, and those who gained experience in the Hanlin Academy were the Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua.
If it were any other time, Miss Chen and the others would surely have spoken up to help. But at this moment, after secretly glancing at the "terrifyingly destructive" Zhan Feiyu, Miss Chen and the others were as silent as cicadas in winter.
This Miss Zhan from Yufeng Tower was much crazier than Zhe Jing. Zhe Jing could at least curse a few times, and even if she swung her whip, she wouldn't dare to actually hit anyone.
But this young lady was capable of doing something as ruthless as "ruining someone's reputation." Even if their families avenged them later, their reputations would already be ruined, and it would be too late to say anything. Didn't even the crazy Zhe Jing dare to speak again?
On the other side, Ning Chen An was discussing with Bai Zhaohui and the others how to respond to the couplet "Yan Suo Chi Tang Liu" (Smoke locks the pond willows). Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. Was someone cursing him behind his back?
Seeing Zhe Jing who dared not speak despite her anger, Zhan Feiyu was in a very good mood. "Miss Zhe, have you thought it through? Are you sure you saw me jump out the window?"
"No, I drank too much and my eyes were playing tricks on me!" Zhe Jing squeezed out each word through gritted teeth. She had never been so humiliated in her life. She was so wronged that her eyes turned red. If looks could kill, Zhe Jing would have wished to cut Zhan Feiyu into a thousand pieces.
Zhan Feiyu nodded with satisfaction and spoke to Madam Chang again, "I apologize for the embarrassment, Madam. Fortunately, it was just Miss Zhe's poor eyesight. Since there is a man here, we will first return to the warm chamber to rest."
"It is my residence that caused trouble and disturbed Miss Zhan. Fortunately, no great harm was done. An'an, please escort the sisters to the warm chamber for a short rest." Madam Chang spoke this time, and no one dared to linger. A group of people, led by Miss Chang, left the courtyard.
After the outsiders had left, Madam Chang's expression turned completely cold. "First, send Young Master You to the front courtyard and have him strictly guarded. Then, notify the master..."
You Bawang was merely a lecherous dandy. How he entered the inner chambers meant there was definitely an inside accomplice in the Chang residence! The more Madam Chang thought about it, the more furious she became. It didn't matter if others plotted against Miss Zhan, but they shouldn't have chosen the Chang residence, and even less so on the old madam's birthday!
If this incident in the guest courtyard had happened at any other time, the young ladies would likely have found ways to inform their elders as soon as they returned to the warm chamber.
But perhaps it was due to Zhan Feiyu's formidable threat, the group of noble ladies all kept silent, none of them wanting to cause more trouble at this juncture. Who knew what this young lady from Yufeng Tower would do if she was angered.
The thought of a man suddenly appearing in her bed, or waking up in a man's bed in the morning, sent shivers down the spines of the noble ladies just by imagining it.
The Chang residence's birthday banquet ended smoothly, and all the carriages were led from Songtao Forest to the main entrance of the Chang residence.
"Huh, that's strange, she didn't come over?" Fu Rulang looked at the Zhe residence's two carriages slowly leaving in surprise. He had expected Zhe Jing to come and pester him, as this often happened before.
Wherever Ning Chen An appeared, Zhe Jing would be waiting by the Ning family's carriage. But today, the Zhe family's carriage left first, which was why Fu Rulang was astonished.
Tou Xiang