The Glory

Hоwеvеr, Fu Yunхi's intеrvention to rеsсue her wаs something shе hаd nоt аntiсiрated.

Тhe warmth from his fox-fur clоаk seеmed tо lingеr оn hеr shouldеr. Whаt а strаngе man, Нan Yan thought. Соuld it be thаt he had mistakеn her for sоmeonе еlsе? Аt this thоught, а рeculiаr fеeling stirrеd within hеr. If hе werе to disсоver his mistakе, wоuld the Хuan Qing Princе treat her with thе sаmе cаre and cоnsidеrаtion in thе futurе аs hе hаd tоdaу? А heаviness sеttled in her сhest, аnd shе tоssed аnd turnеd until lаtе into the night befоre finally falling into а deep slеep.

Тhe nехt morning, Нan Yan woke up very late, feeling somewhat lightheaded. After Ji Lan fetched water for her to wash her face, Shu Hong returned from outside and reported that Madam Zhou was causing a commotion in the Hibiscus Garden.

Upon hearing this, Han Yan merely smiled. "Let's go and have a look as well."

As soon as they arrived at the Hibiscus Garden, they saw a snow-white porcelain vase shatter with a loud "crack" on the ground. Madam Zhou, who had always appeared gentle and considerate before, now looked disheveled, her hair unkempt, her face haggard, and her eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. Her voice was hoarse as she cried out, "I want to see the master! Let me go!"

Two maids were holding her back. Han Yan took a closer look and recognized one of them as Jiao Meng, who served Concubine Mei.

"What is going on here?" Han Yan asked with feigned confusion, having watched the spectacle long enough.

Madam Zhou turned and caught sight of Han Yan, her gaze instantly darkening with a bone-chilling hatred that was startling to behold. Gritting her teeth, she spat out, "Fourth Miss."

Han Yan smiled at her. "Why is the concubine in such a state? Sister Yu Shan is still missing. If she were to return and see you so haggard on her account, she would surely be heartbroken."

Her words were like salt rubbed into Madam Zhou's wounds, instantly agitating her. "Shut up! It's all because of you, this bastard—"

With a sharp "slap," Han Yan clapped her hands together, drawing looks of disbelief from those around her. The slap Zhuang Hanming had given her yesterday had finally been returned.

"You... you dare hit me?" Madam Zhou covered her face, staring at her in shock.

Han Yan stood leisurely beside Mama Chen, a smile playing on her lips as she spoke unhurriedly. "I am not overstepping my bounds. As the legitimate daughter of the Zhuang household, I cannot bear the title of 'bastard' from a concubine. If even the legitimate daughter is called a 'bastard,' I wonder what Sister Yu Shan would be considered, or what the child in Concubine Mei's womb would be called. May I ask, Concubine Zhou, where does that leave our father? You are merely a concubine, yet you dare insult an official of the court. I, Han Yan, am merely disciplining an unruly servant on behalf of my father."

"You... you are unfilial!" Madam Zhou trembled with rage. How ironic—she, who had hunted geese all her life, had today been pecked in the eye by a goose, and one that hadn't even grown its feathers yet.

"Why would you say that, Concubine? Filial piety is owed to one's parents. You are merely a concubine—do you expect me to treat you with the respect due to a mistress? Do not break the rules!" She spoke each word deliberately, a smile on her lips but an air of extreme arrogance in her demeanor. Her glance toward Madam Zhou was filled with nothing but disdain.

"You..." Seeing that she was powerless against Han Yan, Madam Zhou's eyes welled up with tears, and her voice turned pitiful. "Now that Yu'er has been kidnapped by bandits and her fate is unknown, why must Fourth Miss add insult to injury? You and Yu'er are sisters, yet now..." As she spoke, her tears flowed more freely, and she nearly fainted from weeping.Han Yan looked at her calmly and said, "It's understandable that Auntie couldn't control her emotions, but Concubine Mei is inside the room. Now that Concubine Mei is carrying Father's child—my younger brother—it's a joyous occasion for the entire household. It's fine if Madam Zhou doesn't come to offer congratulations, but weeping and wailing in the Hibiscus Garden, disturbing the child in Concubine Mei's womb—I wonder if it was intentional."

As soon as these words were spoken, the inner door of the Hibiscus Garden opened, and Zhuang Shiyang walked out, his expression displeased. "What are you still making a fuss about? Mei'er needs proper rest now that she's with child. What's all this commotion about?"

It seemed Han Yan's earlier words had been overheard by him.

Madam Zhou, however, grew even more aggrieved, her hatred for Concubine Mei and Han Yan intensifying. Early that morning, the servants in the household had been gossiping, so she sent a maid to inquire. Unexpectedly, news of Zhuang Yushan being abducted by bandits had spread far and wide, and for a time, the entire capital was abuzz with talk of the Second Miss Zhuang losing her purity.

Madam Zhou initially didn't believe it. It was true that she had made arrangements with Magistrate Yin in advance, but she had clearly stated that the target was Zhuang Hanyan. If someone else had been substituted, anyone aware of the peculiarities would have tried to cover it up. How could they have let the news spread?

Upon further inquiry, she learned that Magistrate Yin had been investigating a case in the county the previous day when he suddenly heard someone outside beating a drum to appeal for justice. Seeing a servant dressed as a maid, he assumed it was the person Madam Zhou had arranged. In front of the passersby, he loudly declared that he could help the maid seek justice. Unexpectedly, the maid immediately spoke of the Second Miss Zhuang being abducted by bandits. With many people coming and going in the city at the time, he couldn't refute it under the watchful eyes of the crowd, so he took his subordinates to investigate. Thus, it was unclear who had spread the news.

What angered Madam Zhou even more was that the rumors circulating in the streets came in various versions. Some even said that Zhuang Yushan had been violated when she was abducted by the bandits, her clothes torn open, and her purity likely already lost. Moreover, after a night had passed, there was probably no chance left to salvage the situation.

Thinking of Zhuang Yushan, Madam Zhou felt even more sorrowful. She glared at Han Yan and demanded, "Today, rumors in the city say that Yu'er lost her purity when she was abducted by bandits, and her clothes were torn. At the time, only Fourth Miss and Yu'er went up the mountain. Why would Fourth Miss frame Yu'er in such a disgraceful way?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Shiyang's earlier displeasure with Madam Zhou vanished, replaced by suspicion as he looked at Han Yan. "Yan'er, what is going on?"

Since the incident the previous day, Han Yan knew she could no longer maintain a superficial peace with Zhuang Shiyang. His tolerance of Madam Zhou slapping Zhuang Hanming had made her see things clearly. Rather than pretending, it was better to strike a warning blow. She smiled coldly and said, "Auntie must have forgotten that besides me, there were also twelve guards present. I bore no ill will toward Sister Yushan; otherwise, I wouldn't have accompanied her up the mountain to pray for blessings. Now that Sister Yushan is missing, Auntie is understandably distraught, and I won't hold it against you. However, those twelve guards cannot be let off lightly. I ask Father to punish them severely. I doubt they won't tell the truth under pressure."Madam Zhou was startled, her heart boiling with fury. Those twelve guards had been arranged by her own hand, so naturally there could be no mistake. Yet Han Yan was pushing all the blame onto the guards, and in front of so many people, Zhuang Shiyang would likely punish them. This originally had nothing to do with her, but if those guards were loose-lipped and let something slip, she would be finished. Zhuang Shiyang held a genuine fondness for Zhuangshan. Now that she had messed things up, she feared it would displease Zhuang Shiyang. And now that seductress was with child—she could not take this risk. So she spoke softly, "It is my foolishness. Truly, Yu'er's matter has left me too heartbroken. It is my fault for offending Fourth Miss and the master. Those guards are people of the Zhuang residence; surely they harbor no disloyalty. It must be rumors spread by outsiders."

Han Yan shook her head, looking utterly disapproving. "Auntie, you are mistaken. Even if they did not spread rumors outside, they still failed to protect Sister Yu Shan properly. They should be punished for their negligence. If they are not punished this time, the guards in the residence will surely follow their example in the future. This time it was bandits encountered outside; what if bandits break into the residence later? Could we then rely on any of the guards here? Who would protect Father's safety?"