Chapter Ninety-One: Hang Oneself

When Hua Xi Wan heard what Yan Jin Qiu said, she did not feel surprised. She felt as though she had been waiting for this day. From childhood, she and Hua Yi Liu had different likes and personalities. If it wasn’t for the fact that their fathers were full-blood brothers, she would not like to interact much with people like Hua Yi Liu.

She didn’t feel any disappointment or fury that Hua Yi Liu had such hatred. In the end, it might even be because she had never treated Hua Yi Liu sincerely.

Hua Yi Liu was jealous of her and Second Sister, and she had never treated Hua Yi Liu with sincerity before, so it could not be blamed on anyone that the three of them had turned out like this now.

It could not be said who had been wrong in this situation. No one owed anyone. It was just that the roads they chose were different, they went in different directions, and so they would have different lives.

“Send her to the monastery for two years to clean her mind.” Hua Xi Wan knew that Yan Jin Qiu giving her this matter to take care of meant leaving Hua Yi Liu alive. If he was the one to take care of this, would she keep her life?

“Wang Fei,” Bai Xia said worriedly. “Eldest Miss has thoughts like this. If…”

“What if?” Hua Xi Wan raised an eyebrow and said, “Will I really do something like kill my sister to fight for a man?”

Bai Xia stilled and was bewildered.

“A man who has you in his heart will not need you constantly scheming.” Hua Xi Wan looked at herself in the mirror. “Emotion as a result of scheming is just an illusion. It can fool others but not your own heart. A man who is truly worthy of the rest of your life should not allow his woman to fight against other women, but should control himself.”

“This servant did not think it through. Wang Fei, do not think about this.” Bai Xia had served Hua Xi Wan for many years and knew her personality. Since Hua Xi Wan had said this, then she would not be moved. Bai Xia turned to say, “This servant knows what you mean. Wang Ye definitely isn’t someone who would look around. What this servant’s worried about is, after Eldest Miss goes to the monastery, what to do if she does something detrimental to you?”

“She will not have a chance.” Picking a silver hairpin out of the box and inserting it in her hair, Hua Xi Wan said serenely, “If she enters the monastery, before she thinks it through, she will not be able to see any outside guests.”

She won’t take Hua Yi Liu’s life but that did not mean she was so saintly as to let Hua Yi Liu do as she wished. A monastery that did not take guests and was guarded by the people from the wang fu was most suitable to Hua Yi Liu.

Three days later, the di daughter of Assistant Minister Hua went to a monastery to cultivate herself. Aside from the two servant girls who entered the monastery with her, there was no one else accompanying her.

Hua Qing Mao was astride on his horse as he watched the doors to the monastery close in front of him. His mood was low and complicated. He turned back to look at the carriage with the insignia of Yi’an Marquis Fu and went in front of the carriage with pressed lips. “Big Brother, Jiejie has entered the monastery.”

He didn’t know what his elder sister had done that had displeased both Father and Mother. Even Eldest Uncle and Third Uncle who never meddled in the affairs of his family had agreed to this. He was young, but he was not ignorant. Eldest Sister had definitely done something wrong that would affect the entire Hua Family, to cause them to make this decision.

“This year’s Spring Examination has been delayed a year due to the matters of the palace. You are young now; stay at home and study. I hope that by next year, our Hua Family will have another graduate.” Hua Chang Bao raised the curtain. He was the heir of the marquis fu and the eldest son of the main branch. Consequently, he was interested in the future of Hua Qing Mao. “Eldest Miss will not be slighted in the monastery. Do not worry.”

No great prestigious family was supported by one person or one female. Therefore, it was good for the Hua Family to have a good junior. Hua Qing Mao was a good scholar. It would not be profitable if he was affected in next year’s exams due to his mother Zhang shi and Hua Yi Liu.

“Big Brother, thank you for the reminder; this brother will remember.” When Hua Qing Mao heard this, his mind eased. Since Eldest Cousin had said this, then his elder sister definitely wouldn’t be slighted in the monastery.

“En.” Hua Chang Bao saw that he was a person with a clear mind and added, “Our action is for her benefit. She has offended a noble personage. It is possible that she might lose her life. It is a good outcome for her to have some peaceful days in the monastery.”

Hua Qing Mao was shocked. When he looked at Hua Chang Bao, the other’s mouth was close. His thoughts turned and he knew that he couldn’t keep asking. After noting it down, he decided to bury this matter in his mind to prevent bringing calamity to the Hua Family.

Seeing him act like this, Hua Chang Bao was even more satisfied. No wonder his younger sister had written to him to have him nurture his younger cousin more. It seemed that his sister was right.

When he thought of Hua Xi Wan, Hua Chang Bao sighed inwardly. No matter how well Xian Wang treated his younger sister, he didn’t feel reassured. The Imperial House was turbulent, and given his younger sister’s position, it was a dream to hope that she would not be pulled in.

“Wang Ye, the Hua Family has sent the eldest miss to the Clear Water Monastery in the Jing suburbs. Should our people still act?” Mu Tong handed over the secret report. He carefully looked at Yan Jin Qiu who was reading at his desk. “Wang Fei doesn’t seem to be close to this eldest miss.”

“The Hua Family is very smart. Our people have no need to act.” Yan Jin Qiu glanced over at Mu Tong. “Before the master speaks, a servant should not think too much.”

“This one has overstepped. Wang Ye, forgive me.” Mu Tong broke into a cold sweat and knelt in front of Yan Jin Qiu. Because the plans he had made had gone smoothly recently, he had forgotten himself. Now that Wang Ye reminded him, he found to his shock that he had overstepped his position. “This one will be careful in speech and conduct in the future, and not repeat the mistake of today.”

“Rise.” Yan Jin Qiu’s tone was calm as he said, “Wang Fei thinks highly of your ability. Ben wang will give you one more chance. If you make the same mistake in the future, I will not keep you by my side.”

“This one will remember.” After Mu Tong retreated out of the study, he found that there was a fine sweat on his back. Thinking about what Wang Ye had just said, he instinctively looked in the direction of the main yard. He rejoiced that he had taken care when he had been running errands for Wang Fei and had received her favor. Otherwise, today’s matter would not have been so easily smoothed over.

“Three Pure Ones protect.” Mu Tong couldn’t help but bow towards the sky and then slapped himself to make sure he wouldn’t forget.

During her noon nap, Hua Xi Wan felt that she was having a very strange dream. Between her dream and awake state, she saw a blue phoenix suddenly fall off a mulberry tree whose trunk was so high that she could not see the earth. She looked around. A strong wind suddenly rose and then she was slammed by this wind onto the tree branch.

The moment she reached out, she found to her shock that her hands had become a pair of golden glittering wings. She looked speechlessly at the misty surroundings. She had become a bird person?

“Wang Fei, wake up.”

“Wang Fei, the Crown Princess hung herself in Zhu Que Palace!”

Hua Xi Wan immediately woke from her dream. When she opened her eyes, she found Bai Xia and Hong Ying at her beside. Her mind wasn’t able to react. “What?”

“Just now, Chief Steward Mu said that the Crown Princess hung herself and is dead.”

Hung herself and died?

Hua Xi Wan sat up dazedly. She rubbed her temple. “I need to get up. Get someone to help me change.”

After changing into a plain blue palace robe, Hua Xi Wan sat dazed in front of the mirror. Did Lin shi really hang herself, or was it a lie?

She suddenly thought of what Lin shi had said to her that day at the Empress Dowager’s mourning rites. At that time, she had felt that something wasn’t right because those words seemed to be like a last will.

Had Lin shi really committed suicide? She had waited until today for Lin Zheng De to marry Second Sister?

“What about the imperial grandson?” Hua Xi Wan thought of the child who wasn’t even half a year old. The saying was that a mother would be strong for the child. There definitely was a reason why Lin shi would choose to hang herself.

As she was deep in her thoughts, she suddenly heard Hong Ying say that her hair was made up. Hua Xi Wan raised her head to see herself with plain silver hairpins in her hair. She rose and said, “Is Wang Ye in the fu?”

“Wang Ye has not left the fu today,” Bai Xia said in a small voice. “Chief Steward Mu said as he left that Wang Fei can go anytime you wish to see Wang Ye.”

Hua Xi Wan did not usually go to the study. When she reached the gates to the study’s yard, she noticed that while the manservants around looked normal, they were extremely guarded. The moment when she stepped through the door, these people bowed in unison to her without any pause.

Because of how neat they were, Hua Xi Wan was shocked. People varied in the speed of their reactions, and these people had been doing different things. Unless they knew that she had come before she stepped in here, they would not have been so flawless.

Walking forward, when she came to the door to the study, she glanced at Mu Tong who was holding open the curtain for her and nodded slightly before she entered.

“You have come?” Seeing her come in, Yan Jin Qiu smiled and stood up. He pulled her to sit with him. Noticing her unusually plain appearance, his smile grew smaller. “You feel for the Crown Princess?”

Hua Xi Wan lowered her face to disguise the pity in her eyes. “I only feel pity for her. She is only a few years older than I am…”

“You are not the same as her; don’t make such a careless comparison.” Yan Jin Qiu pinched her earlobe to stop her from comparing herself to the unauspicious person who had died so early. “Lin shi hung herself out of helplessness. If she did not die, even her child would not survive.”

“The Empress Dowager’s death is related to her?” Hua Xi Wan quickly thought it through. “There are so many rumors around about the imperial grandson. People have even made her and Yan Bo Yi a couple. If she kept living, she would have to worry that the Lin Family would be affected if it was discovered she had poisoned the Empress Dowager, and even the imperial grandson would not be able to lift his head up. So she used death to prove her innocence. While she cannot wash away all suspicion, at least she left behind a virtuous reputation?”

Yan Jin Qiu hugged her. “Since you understand, do not let this matter affect your mood. I heard that if a woman is usually unhappy, she will not be beautiful.”

Hua Xi Wan slanted a look at him. “So you only like this face of mine?”

Yan Jin Qiu: …

How did the topic change into this?