Probably because the matter was not to be publicized, the Empress gathered everyone in the inner hall. By the time Shao Shang and Zhai Nanny hurried over after changing clothes and freshening up, the plaintiff, defendant, witnesses, judge, and jury were all present.
The Empress sat at the center of the elevated seat, frowning in deep thought. Ling Buyi sat upright to her lower right, his expression cold and his gaze fixed straight ahead. Opposite him sat Fifth Princess, with two sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls slightly behind her—one with a fuller figure kept her head bowed in silence, while the slender-faced one sobbed quietly, wiping her tears.
Fifth Princess pretended not to care but was stealing glances at Ling Buyi. Yet Ling Buyi seemed oblivious, only looking up when Shao Shang entered the hall. Their eyes met, and as had happened several times recently, Shao Shang was the first to turn her head away, sometimes even letting out a haughty huff. Ling Buyi, as always, expressionlessly averted his gaze.
—Shao Shang herself admitted this behavior was childish, but she was happy! Happiness mattered most!
She believed she and Ling Buyi were engaged in a silent standoff, but Fifth Princess interpreted their exchanged glances quite differently. Unable to hold back, she let out a heavy, disdainful snort, which made Shao Shang glance at her sideways.
Initially, Shao Shang had thought Fifth Princess had ordered those little vipers to push her into the pond. But now it seemed more likely the vipers had acted on their own. Otherwise, if she had actually drowned, Ling Buyi would have gone mad—who would Fifth Princess have put on this grand show for then?
After paying her respects to the Empress, Shao Shang immediately covered her face demurely and sidled up to the slender-faced girl, speaking with feigned sincerity, "This elder sister is truly pitiable. To think she suffered such humiliation last night, crying to heaven and earth with no one to answer her cries..."
From her tone to her expression—even the way she used her sleeves—Shao Shang believed her performance was flawless.
Yet the moment she spoke, the Empress nearly swayed in her seat, Ling Buyi stiffened, Fifth Princess's eyes widened larger than her mouth, and everyone present—except Zhai Nanny—wore peculiar expressions.
The slender-faced girl flushed with embarrassment and anger. She stopped sobbing and hastily defended herself, "No, no, it wasn’t me! I wasn’t the one who was... It was her!" She pointed at the fuller-figured girl.
"So you weren’t humiliated? Then why were you crying?" Shao Shang was displeased—her brilliant performance had been wasted! Acting was all about that perfect moment of delivery.
The slender-faced girl turned beet red, stammering incoherently. But as one of Fifth Princess's trusted confidantes, known for her wit, she quickly wailed, "We are sisters! Seeing her suffer such humiliation last night, my heart aches for her..."
"Ache what ache? How could your pain compare to the one who was actually humiliated?" Shao Shang had no patience for her theatrics. "Don’t you know not to steal the spotlight? She’s the victim, yet you’re crying harder than her. Anyone who didn’t know better would think the scoundrel worked overtime last night to humiliate two girls at once!"
"You—you—how dare you speak like this? This is utterly disgraceful!" The girl’s face turned as dark as soy sauce, her body trembling like a sieve.
Fifth Princess glared and snapped, "Cheng Niangzi, what do you mean by shouting like this? Since when does Everlasting Autumn Palace answer to you? You—"
"Everlasting Autumn Palace doesn’t answer to you either. Shut your mouth!" the Empress suddenly interrupted. "You slept in my palace last night—how would you know what happened outside? If you speak again, you’re out of this matter."The Fifth Princess knew her mother had a gentle and kind nature, but once she was serious, she meant what she said. Reluctantly, she closed her mouth in frustration, while signaling with her eyes for the two girls to proceed as planned.
However, before the Fifth Princess's assistants could react, Shao Shang had already mustered her emotions again and sidled up to the plump girl in the same manner: "This elder sister is truly pitiable. To think that last night you suffered such humiliation, crying to heaven with no answer, calling to earth with no relief..."
Fifth Princess & her two assistants: ...
The Empress and Ling Buyi silently looked up at the ceiling.
"Was it truly Lord Ling who humiliated you last night?" Shao Shang's large eyes sparkled, brimming with sincerity.
Under the Fifth Princess's gaze, the plump girl gritted her teeth and said, "Indeed! Even if I am of lowly birth, I am still a pure and innocent maiden. No matter how high Lord Ling's status, he cannot insult me like this—"
"You're absolutely right!" Shao Shang was inwardly delighted but maintained a sympathetic expression. "The law applies equally to nobles and commoners. This means that whether Lord Ling humiliated you or a commoner did, it's the same crime! We cannot let him off just because the person who insulted you is different. Ah, I’m not saying a commoner also insulted you—I’m just making a comparison!"
The plump girl was caught between anger and frustration. The Fifth Princess and the sharp-faced girl were dumbfounded, while Ling Buyi remained relatively composed.
The Empress slowly held her forehead.
She thought to herself that she wasn’t the least bit surprised—in fact, she had somewhat anticipated this.
"Elder sister, aside from humiliating you, did he also hit you last night? Someone as pure and virtuous as you would surely resist with all your might against such a villain! Quickly, let me see—oh dear, there must be bruises everywhere. Don’t be shy, just show me your arms under your sleeves..." Shao Shang pounced on her with fiery enthusiasm.
Hearing this, the sharp-faced girl was startled. The plump girl panicked and stammered, "N-no, I have no injuries because... because..." Her eyes darted to the Fifth Princess. "Because I fainted!"
"You fainted?" Shao Shang slowly released the girl’s sleeve and immediately adopted a skeptical, disdainful expression. "Elder sister, if you were unconscious, how could you be sure it was Lord Ling who humiliated you?" These little schemers nowadays are getting worse—they don’t even do their homework before framing someone. At least they should have some struggle marks! Tsk, a few more episodes of legal dramas would do them good.
The plump girl froze momentarily before retorting, "...But it was Lord Ling who knocked me out!"
"That’s hard to say. Some people with peculiar tastes enjoy knocking girls unconscious and then leaving. What if someone saw you passed out and took advantage?"
"How is that possible?!" The plump girl was flustered.
"Lady Cheng has quite the sharp tongue, clearing Lord Ling’s name in just a few words," the sharp-faced girl said coldly. "An ordinary girl in such a situation would be too flustered and frightened to explain the details so clearly!"
Shao Shang smiled faintly, refusing to engage in logic. "Don’t be angry. Actually, I think you’re even more beautiful. If I were Lord Ling, I’d have humiliated you first. That villain really has no taste!"
The sharp-faced girl nearly choked in fury.
Ling Buyi suddenly remarked, "You’re just here to watch the show, aren’t you?"
Shao Shang feigned surprise. "How could that be? I’m here to help you, Lord Ling—well, smooth things over a little...""How do you plan to resolve this?"
Shao Shang pulled out a round, red fruit the size of a fist from her sleeve and turned to the plump girl with a gentle smile. "Elder Sister, don’t be afraid. Have a purple nectarine first. This was just bestowed upon me by the Empress yesterday—I couldn’t even bear to eat it myself. Here, try it. Oh, don’t be shy..."
The purple nectarine was indeed a rare delicacy. The plump girl trembled as she took it, then absentmindedly took a bite.
"Given the circumstances, Elder Sister, what do you intend to do now?"
The plump girl’s eyes reddened, and she said sorrowfully, "What choice do I have? I can only submit to fate." Though she said this, her large, tearful eyes kept darting toward Ling Buyi.
"Hmm, submit to fate. His Majesty is the Son of Heaven. What if His Majesty grants you wealth and allows you to remarry?"
"How could that be?" The plump girl grew agitated.
"Why not? Widows remarrying and new brides divorcing are hardly uncommon. You’ve merely suffered an injustice—what’s so difficult about remarrying?" Shao Shang spoke lightly, as if it were nothing.
The plump girl’s eyes flickered, and she immediately threw herself to the ground, wailing, "Though I am lowly, my father and brothers hold official rank and reputation. How could I disgrace my family’s name? I have already given myself to Lord Ling—I could never shamelessly marry another!"
Shao Shang slapped the floor. "Elder Sister, such virtue! Very well. Since it was Lord Ling’s wrongdoing, you shouldn’t bear the consequences alone. Naturally, he must take you into his household."
At these words, the Fifth Princess and the sharp-faced girl both gasped in surprise. Neither had expected things to proceed so smoothly; the sharp-faced girl bit her lip in silent regret.
"Y-you... you’d allow me to...?" The plump girl was equally taken aback.
Shao Shang replied, "Why should I allow you? It should be Lord Ling who allows you. I was born jealous and intolerant—I won’t accept any concubines. If you refuse to remarry, then I’ll remarry instead. How about I break off the engagement and marry someone else?"
Ling Buyi had been listening quietly, even smiling faintly at the mention of her "jealousy," but his expression darkened at her next words.
Now, the plump girl finally had the chance to use the script they had prepared earlier. With a dramatic sob, she cried, "I beg Cheng Niangzi to show mercy! If my presence causes you and Lord Ling to part, my death would not atone for such a sin!" She kowtowed repeatedly.
Shao Shang smiled carelessly. "You refuse to remarry, yet you won’t let me remarry either. I’m not forcing you, yet you’re forcing me. In the end, I wasn’t the one who wronged you—why should I suffer? Forget it. I won’t interfere anymore."
The sharp-faced girl snapped, "If Cheng Niangzi won’t handle this, then why ask so many questions?!"
"Weren’t you targeting me from the start?" Shao Shang said coolly.
The sharp-faced girl choked on her words.
"Though this matter involves Lord Ling, you came for me. Whether I intervene or not, it’ll eventually fall on me anyway. So I might as well speak first—I’m jealous and won’t tolerate concubines. Go ahead and spread whatever rumors you like about me. In the end, I’m always the one who suffers..." She looked at Ling Buyi, her gaze both challenging and frank.
Ling Buyi stared at her for a long moment before turning to a palace maid nearby. "It’s about time. Have them bring the Fifth Prince in."Shao Shang was taken aback, wondering why Fifth Prince was being summoned. She looked up in confusion at the others and saw that even the Empress, Fifth Princess, and the oval-faced girl wore expressions of bewilderment. Only the plump girl's eyes flickered with what seemed like fear.
Soon, two burly eunuchs 'assisted' a loudly groaning Fifth Prince into the hall and then skillfully 'dropped' him in front of Ling Buyi.
Fifth Prince appeared to have been dragged straight from a banquet, his face still flushed with drink. As he sprawled on the floor, he wailed, "Mother, save me! Eleventh Master is bullying me again! I haven't done anything these past few days, I swear! Mother, help!"
The Empress asked, "Zisheng, why have you invited Fifth Prince here?"
Shao Shang nearly snorted at this—the Empress's favoritism was glaringly obvious. Fifth Prince was currently sprawled on the floor, unable to get up. Was this really how one 'invited' someone?
Without wasting words, Ling Buyi stood and hauled Fifth Prince up, roughly yanking his collar aside to reveal a pale, fleshy shoulder and back.
Everyone's eyes widened at the sight—several fresh scratch marks from fingernails and a very distinct bite mark were clearly visible on Fifth Prince's shoulder. The gathered crowd collectively gasped—these were unmistakably marks left by a woman during intimate relations, and the wounds were fresh, clearly made very recently.
Only Shao Shang was slow on the uptake, blurting out blankly, "Huh? Fifth Prince got bitten by someone."
The Empress gave her an amused glance before turning to her daughter, her gaze instantly cooling. Then she looked at the embarrassed Fifth Prince, and the situation became clear to her.
Ling Buyi strode forward, picking up the Purple Nectarine that the plump girl had dropped in her fright—it bore a clear set of teeth marks. He held it up next to the bite mark on Fifth Prince's shoulder for comparison.
"Ah, Fifth Prince was bitten by this elder sister," Shao Shang said with a laugh, thinking she understood the comparison. It took her a few seconds to realize the full implications. Though her knowledge of intimate positions was limited, she knew a bite in that particular spot under clothing couldn't possibly be accidental.
Fifth Princess and the oval-faced girl looked extremely displeased. They knew the plump girl already had a lover—that was precisely why they'd chosen her—but they hadn't expected it to be Fifth Prince!
Clutching his shoulder, Fifth Prince offered the Empress an ingratiating smile. "Mother, heh, don't be angry. I've known her for a while, heheh... we only... last night... I didn't mean to cause trouble in the palace..."
Ling Buyi released Fifth Prince's collar and tossed the Purple Nectarine aside with visible disgust. "This young lady did indeed enjoy herself last night—but not with me. With His Highness Fifth Prince instead."
The plump girl, overcome with shame, had already prostrated herself on the floor, begging for forgiveness.
Fifth Prince exclaimed in shock, "Of course it was with me! Why drag you into it? Ah! You—you—!" Suddenly understanding, he pointed at the plump girl and roared, "You wretched slave! Did you covet Eleventh Master's wealth and status and try to frame him? I was planning to take you into my household after establishing my own residence!"
The plump girl bit her lip in silent fury, thinking to herself that if Fifth Prince weren't so unfavored and hadn't delayed establishing his own residence, she wouldn't have volunteered for this task with Fifth Princess in the first place.
Seeing the situation deteriorating, the oval-faced girl discreetly poked Fifth Princess's leg.The Fifth Princess caught on and said loudly, "It's all my fault. I was deceived too. Please forgive me, Mother. I was too gullible and believed this wretched maid's nonsense. I'll interrogate her properly later..."
"No need for that." The Empress, utterly disappointed, didn't even glance at the Fifth Princess. "Guards, take this slanderous maid to Consort Yue's garden to be detained. We'll deal with her later."
The Fifth Princess felt a chill in her heart. She wouldn't be able to move as freely in Consort Yue's place as she could elsewhere in the palace.
The Empress turned away, her tone cold. "...This is how you come to celebrate my birthday. Fine, all of you may leave now."
The plump girl knew she was in for punishment. She wailed and clung to the Fifth Prince's leg, begging him to save her for old times' sake. The Fifth Prince paid her no mind, kicking her away before storming off. Only the Fifth Princess gave her a comforting glance before leaving, which slightly eased the plump girl's heart.
Shao Shang quietly stood up, watching the farce come to a hasty end. Seeing the Empress's lonely figure sitting with her back turned, a sudden wave of melancholy washed over her. Burdened with thoughts, she slowly walked out of the hall. Just as she was about to turn toward her quarters, a strong hand unexpectedly grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an empty palace room. Before she could scream, she was spun around to face her captor.
She stopped struggling. There was no need to scream.
Ling Buyi looked at her. "After seeing me humiliated for no reason today, are you satisfied?"
Shao Shang thought for a moment, then said gleefully, "Quite satisfied, actually."
Ling Buyi studied her for a while. "Did you see the bite mark on the Fifth Prince's shoulder?"
"I did." This man was becoming more unpredictable. What kind of question was that?
"Good." Ling Buyi nodded, then swiftly grabbed her arms, pulling her back against his chest. One arm encircled her petite frame while the other moved to tug at her collar. "What if I bite you in the same spot?"
Shao Shang froze. The young man's iron-like arms were like an impenetrable wall—she couldn't break free at all. When she turned her head to look back, she saw his beautifully shaped, pale red lips part, revealing gleaming white teeth.
She instantly surrendered—
"Wait, wait, wait! I was wrong! I shouldn't have laughed at you! Let's talk this out, okay? Let's talk!"
"People are born good, dogs don't bark—why bite?!"
"A gentleman uses his words, not his... mouth! Don't use your mouth either!"
"Calm down, please calm down! Don't act rashly!"
"Let's just talk properly...!"
Author's Note:
No meteor shower tomorrow. Thanks to the little angels for throwing霸王票 my way~
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