Chapter 10 Deadly Weapon
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Not at all… It was His Highness, Zhang Huan quickly glanced at Yuwen Chu, who was lost in thought, and continued in a negotiating tone, “Considering my efforts in handling this matter, I should be entitled to a share of the reward, right?”
Zhu Changsheng rolled his eyes at him, “You wish! Just now, people from the Fu family were spreading rumors everywhere, claiming that a thief had broken into their lady’s residence and stolen valuables. They’re asking for help from the temple to catch the thief. And you’re the thief! Think about it, did anyone see you go to the winding walkway and steal the shoe? If so, speak up now to save His Highness from trouble.”
“What? How shameless of her! And now she’s turning the tables!” Zhang Huan was flustered and angry, seeing Zhu Changsheng and Jing Song smiling at him, he knew he was being teased again. He went to Yuwen Chu to seek justice, “Your Highness, please give me justice. They are bullying me, an honest subordinate.”
Only then did Yuwen Chu raise his head, “Put down the shoe and leave.”
Zhang Huan quickly put down the shoe and left briskly.
Yuwen Chu extended two fingers, picked up the satin shoe, and carefully examined it. The shoe was exquisitely made, with luxurious materials. Surprisingly, even the sole was sewn with high-quality incense, emitting a pleasant fragrance. And the dragon-eye-sized South Sea pearl on the toe was dazzling.
Unexpectedly, the lively and beautiful face of Fu Mingzhu appeared in front of him. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to imagine that such a delicate young lady would dare to dance wildly on the winding walkway in the middle of the night, stomping the entire hallway as if she were in a fit of rage… What else could she want? She had everything she desired, living a life more satisfactory than that of a Princess. What was she being stubborn about? Yuwen Chu squinted his eyes, placed the satin shoe neatly on the desk in front of him, and said, “Zhu Changsheng, when you go to deliver the receipt to Fu Mingzhu tomorrow, tell her that the weapon she used to assassinate me has been found here and ask if she wants it to be shown to Fu Xiang?”
Zhu Changsheng stifled a smile, “Okay.” Then he added, “Your Highness, that lady is obstinate and unreasonable. She might clash with you. Why not directly inform Fu Xiang? He knows how to handle it. What do you think?”
Yuwen Chu stared at the embroidered silver lotus flower on the satin shoe and said calmly, “I haven’t stooped so low as to make money from a young lady. Inform her, I have my reasons.”
Zhu Changsheng dared not say more and replied, “Yes.”
Yuwen Chu stood up and walked to the window to look down. The residence he lived in was an excellent vantage point. Looking down from the window, the entire Jade Emperor Temple was in full view, and the residence where Fu Mingzhu lived was also within his line of sight. He could see people coming and going, bustling about, but he didn’t know what they were busy with.
A messenger pigeon landed on the window sill, cooing softly. Jing Song went forward, skillfully grabbed the pigeon, took out the letter, and read it. He then said, “Your Highness, Linan Wang has learned about the Fu family’s intention to break the engagement and is furious. He first went to Fu Xiang’s residence and caused a scene, but to no avail. Then he went to the palace, but he couldn’t even see the Great Empress Dowager. I don’t know how he found out that Fu Mingzhu is hiding here, but he’s on his way. I’m afraid he won’t be willing to give up.”
Fu Mingzhu is proud and arrogant, while Yuwen You is violent and fierce, both intolerant of any opposition. If they could avoid confronting each other directly, there might still be some room for maneuver. But if they meet face to face and escalate tensions to the point of irreconcilability, then there would be no room for compromise. Zhu Changsheng’s expression was quite interesting: “If these two meet face to face and cause another big scene, I’m afraid this marriage will truly fall apart. There are quite a few people in the clan with their own ideas, and it’s bound to cause some trouble.”
Yuwen Chu said, “That’s not necessarily true. It also depends on whether Fu Mingzhu truly wants to break the engagement.” If it’s just a momentary impulse to raise her own value, she might change her mind soon. But looking at Fu Mingzhu’s demeanor, it’s unlikely that this marriage will work out. He wasn’t normally someone who liked to meddle in other people’s affairs, but for some reason, the thought of Fu Mingzhu not being able to marry for a while made him unexpectedly pleased and relieved.
The weather in March was the most pleasant, especially with the picturesque scenery of Jade Emperor Mountain. Mingzhu herself was lively by nature. Although she had just experienced such a big event, she couldn’t sit still indoors for long. Seeing the clear and windy weather outside, she wanted to fly kites and asked where was a suitable place on the mountain to do so.
The prevailing religion of the court was Daoism, with royal Daoist temples in the palace and influential families having their own. This Jade Emperor Temple was one of the temples sponsored by the Fu family. The Taoist priests in the temple had received many benefits from the Fu family and were eager to elevate Mingzhu. They immediately recommended that she go to the back hill: “There is a slope behind the mountain, with gentle terrain and few trees. It’s spacious, bright, and quiet. It’s the perfect place for flying kites.”
Knowing that there were no kites on the mountain and it would take some time to go down and buy them, Mingzhu ordered someone to start making them. She herself took paper, pens, and paints, waiting to draw kites. First, she drew a beautiful kite about a person high, then a swallow and two butterflies. She changed into clothes suitable for running, tied up her hair like a brisk young man, and happily brought a group of maids to play on the back hill.
Sure enough, the Taoist priest had not lied. There was a large expanse of green grass on the back hill, scattered with wildflowers, smooth and beautiful, with few trees and strong winds. In no time, several kites were soaring high into the sky. The maids were all screaming and laughing with excitement, but Mingzhu suddenly lost interest. She calculated that it would be more interesting if there were a centipede, phoenix, or flying dragon more than twenty feet long. Seeing that it was still early, she really ordered someone to bring bamboo strips, silk paper, and paint. She wanted to make kites on the spot.
After busying for a while, she saw Ban Jian, rubbing his eyes, walking over listlessly. Mingzhu called him over for help, “You always brag about your skills, right? It’s time to test them! Make a kite for me here, a two-zhang-long centipede kite, light and good for flying. If you can do it, I’ll believe in your skills.”
Ban Jian, unlike his previous lively boasting, came over softly, squatted in front of her with a sad face, and whispered, “If I make it for you, can you be a bit more forgiving?”
Mingzhu felt a bit uneasy inside: “Your words are asking for a beating! You’ve already assumed I’m petty and narrow-minded. Hit yourself twenty times before speaking to me!”
She was joking, but she didn’t expect Ban Jian to glance at her and then vigorously slap his own left hand with his right hand, gritting his teeth as he said, “I’ll beat you to death, you fool! I’ll beat you to death, you drunkard! See if you dare to indulge in wine and ruin important matters again!”
It must be that something happened to the incomplete drawing she lent him as bait. Mingzhu was almost certain that something had gone wrong. Thinking about the trouble that would be caused if the drawing fell into the wrong hands, she couldn’t help but feel annoyed. She coldly watched Ban Jian punish himself, neither stopping him nor asking for an explanation.
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