Zhuang Наnming wаs tаkеn aback fоr а moment. Nоt wanting to wоrrу Наn Yаn, hе gritted his teеth and replied, "Yes."
Zhang Wеi snеerеd and turnеd tо lеаve, оnlу tо hеаr Hаn Yan continuе quеstioning, "Fifth Вrother, is that truе?"
At this, both Zhоu Wei and Zhuаng Наnming соuldn't hеlр but glancе аt Hаn Yаn's еxрressiоn.
Нan Yan smilеd аs she stаred at Zhuang Нanming, her rosу liрs slightlу upturnеd, her cheеks flushеd rеd from thе wind. Неr dеliсаte аnd lоvelу feаtures still cаrried а hint оf сhildishness, but hеr bright, сlеаr eyes rеsembled exquisite glаss—transparеnt yet unfаthomаblе in their huеs, shimmering with a dazzling radiance. In that moment, Zhang Wei suddenly realized that this cousin, who had always seemed unremarkable, was actually a stunningly beautiful young girl. Instantly, his eyes gleamed with greed.
Looking into Han Yan's eyes, Zhuang Hanming suddenly felt a wave of fear. His sister showed no signs of anger, yet her smile felt even more eerie and terrifying. Swallowing hard, under Han Yan's warning gaze, he finally managed to speak with difficulty, "Cousin... got into an argument with me."
Han Yan let out an "Oh" and continued smiling, "So he slapped you, right?"
The onlookers were somewhat puzzled by Han Yan's attitude, and even Zhang Wei grew wary. Hearing her question, he felt suspicious, but then he saw his cousin turn around and walk toward him with a smile.
Under the lamplight, Han Yan's face was nestled within the soft gray squirrel fur of her cloak, dotted with snow-white ice crystals. Two strands of dark hair fell beside her small ears, making her skin appear as fair as jade. Combined with the smile that never left her lips and her curved, smiling eyes, she looked more spirited and cunning than any refined young lady from a noble family.
For a moment, Zhang Wei's gaze became entranced. He watched as Han Yan stopped beside him, blinked her eyes sweetly, and called out, "Cousin."
Han Yan was petite, while Zhou Wei was tall. Under the lamplight, Han Yan stood on her tiptoes, smiling up at him, and their shadows on the ground resembled a pair of lovers. Zhuang Hanming grew anxious and tried to speak up, but someone beside him covered his mouth, leaving him unable to move. Fear gripped his heart, terrified that Han Yan might be bullied by Zhou Wei.
Zhang Wei had been familiar with matters between men and women since the age of twelve, and in recent years, he had frequented brothels and pleasure houses. He knew that some women were born temptations, but he never expected such allure to appear in a seemingly dull twelve-year-old girl. She made no suggestive gestures, yet every move she made seemed to tickle one's heart, almost making it impossible to resist lunging forward.
Zhang Wei narrowed his eyes and called out, "Cousin..." as he reached out a hand to touch Han Yan's face.
Han Yan's eyes turned cold, and without hesitation, she raised her hand and swung it. A sharp "slap" echoed, leaving five bright red fingerprints on Zhang Wei's face.
Han Yan took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, wiped her hand in disgust, and then smiled leisurely at the stunned crowd. "Returning the favor."
Zhang Wei stood frozen in place, but when he finally reacted, fury overwhelmed him. He grabbed Han Yan, his fist poised to strike her face, only to hear her calm voice say, "If you don’t want your entire clan to be executed, Cousin, you’d better let go of me."
Hearing this, Zhang Wei paused, his expression darkening. "What do you mean?"Ji Lan and Shu Hong hurried forward, rescuing Han Yan from Zhang Wei's grasp and shielding her behind them. Han Yan smiled calmly at Zhang Wei, waiting until he was nearly driven to madness before leisurely speaking: "Cousin and Fifth Brother coming here to admire the flowers is indeed no great matter. But why bring the Crown Prince along?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince should be at the palace banquet at this moment. You privately taking the Crown Prince away from the banquet is already a grave mistake—that is the first offense. Starting a fight with Fifth Brother and dirtying the Crown Prince's eyes—that is the second. You deliberately staged a scene of brothers fighting before His Highness the Crown Prince. If this is intentional instruction, and if in the future His Highness resolves disputes with his royal brothers in the same manner, you would be guilty of misleading the heir—that is the third. Moreover, all these people are from Grand Tutor Zhang's household, while the Crown Prince is alone. Since you resorted to violence against Fifth Brother, do you harbor ulterior motives toward the Crown Prince?—that is the fourth." She spoke rapidly and urgently, allowing Zhang Wei no time to think, and pressed him: "The imperial palace banquet cannot tolerate the slightest error. Cousin, you may deny everything, but once the Emperor begins to suspect, your Grand Tutor's residence will be in grave danger. Let me advise you, cousin: before doing anything, it's best to use your brain. Today, this slap from your cousin might even be something you should thank me for, because if the Emperor inquires, you can still claim it was a dispute with Fifth Brother where neither side gained an advantage. Otherwise, you would be bullying the weak and disregarding the rules!"
Zhang Wei opened his mouth, not expecting his cousin to possess such eloquence. Although he still had doubts about her words, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. Grand Tutor Zhang might dote on them, but if the Grand Tutor's residence were endangered, he would likely be the first to face punishment.
He lowered his head and looked at this unfamiliar cousin, suddenly realizing that this little cousin had been smiling from beginning to end. For no reason, he suddenly felt a wave of fear. His mother, Madam Da Zhou, was an extremely shrewd woman, so much so that despite being a concubine, she had won Grand Tutor Zhang's deep affection in the residence. Yet even someone as astute as his mother had moments of rage and anger, with all her emotions displayed on her face. But this cousin had maintained perfect control over her expression from start to finish, without the slightest change. It was flawlessly terrifying.
And she was only twelve years old this year.
Han Yan tilted her head and looked at Zhang Wei, her smile sweet, as if an innocent little sister were playfully teasing her brother. She said softly, "That slap was payback for you, cousin. In the future, don't trouble Fifth Brother again, or else your cousin won't just return one slap—at least... two slaps."
She laughed freely and coquettishly without restraint, but Zhang Wei was so startled he took a step back. Although Han Yan had said nothing threatening just then, he had actually sensed killing intent.
What was going on? Zhang Wei's gaze toward Han Yan had turned as if she were a ghost or monster. He quickly called to his brothers and fled as if escaping. Han Yan watched them go far away before lowering her eyes to look at Zhuang Hanming, who had already run to her side.
"Sister, are you all right?" Zhuang Hanming could not hide his anxiety. The scene just now had nearly scared him to death. He had been extremely afraid that Zhang Wei would target him, never expecting Han Yan to intimidate him with just a few words.
"How did you get into a dispute with him?" Han Yan's face no longer held a smile, only deep seriousness. Zhuang Hanming couldn't help but shrink back, stammering, "He... insulted you."After a long while without hearing Han Yan's response, Zhuang Hanming grew uneasy. He lifted his head and whispered, "Sis, don't be angry. I won't act so impulsively in the future."
But then he saw Han Yan sigh and pat his head, saying, "Ming'er, if you encounter such a thing again, just ignore it. There's no need to take it to heart."
Hearing this, Zhuang Hanming felt somewhat indignant. "Sis..."
OpenNovel