The Salted Fish Has Gotten Over It Chapter 30

Chapter 30

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His tone was light, yet chilling enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

The brutality and cruelty of Xue Fangli, known throughout the capital, were infamous. When he mentioned cutting tongues, it was clear he was capable of such actions!

Li Ming’s face went pale with fear, pleading desperately, “Your Highness, please calm down!”

The others also knelt down, trembling in fear, begging, “Your Highness, you are magnanimous, please spare us!”

“Oh? What are you afraid of?” Xue Fangli said calmly. “Just now, wasn’t there laughter and jokes?”

“Your Highness, we were bold enough to gossip about the Royal Consort in private,” Li Ming shivered as he spoke. “We were wrong, we know we were wrong!”

He knelt on the ground, repeatedly bowing his head, “Your Highness, please forgive us, spare us this time, we will never dare again in the future!”

“The mouths are on your bodies, how can I be sure you won’t dare again?” Xue Fangli smiled faintly. “Maybe cutting them off would be a permanent solution.”

With these words, there was no room for negotiation. The attendees at today’s gathering were all young scholars from prestigious families, destined for government positions with the help of their noble connections. If their tongues were cut off today, their lives would be over!

“Your Highness, spare us, please spare us!”

“It was him! From beginning to end, it was Li Ming who was instigating, and he was the one humiliating the Royal Consort. Your Highness, cutting Li Ming’s tongue alone would be enough!”

“Yes, Your Highness, it’s all Li Ming’s fault, all his fault!”

Li Ming’s eyes widened in anger. “What are you talking about? Am I the only one who was instigating? Didn’t you all join in?”

Xue Fangli, however, asked Li Ming with interest, “Wasn’t it you who said, ‘He might have an ulterior motive,’ about the Royal Consort?”

Li Ming’s lips moved slightly, “Your Highness…”

Xue Fangli nodded, “I understand.”

“Guards, cut off his tongue and stitch his mouth shut for me.”

A guard drew his knife and approached Li Ming.

In that moment, Li Ming was already in a state of extreme fear, compounded by intense hatred towards his former friend’s betrayal. Summoning courage from somewhere unknown, he snatched the guard’s knife and shouted angrily, “I’m not going down alone! None of you will get away with this!”

With a swift stroke, he attacked his former friend, blood spurting instantly, causing everyone to scream in shock.

Xue Fangli watched the scene with disdain, disgusted by the dog-eat-dog scenario unfolding before him. He stood up coldly.

Initially planning for the guard to take the tongue right there, Xue Fangli’s eyes fell on a young man downstairs. He changed his mind and calmly said, “Report this to the authorities.”

Downstairs in the bookstore, Jiang Juan was leaving when suddenly he heard a voice.

“Your Royal Consort.”

Marquis Anping blocked his path, staring at him with complex emotions.

Jiang Juan: “……”

Sigh, he really didn’t want to breathe the same air as Marquis Anping.

As much as Jiang Juan didn’t want to get close to Marquis Anping, he could only sigh and politely ask, “Do you need something?”

Marquis Anping restrained his emotions and said, “Even if you resent me, why would you humiliate me like this?”

Jiang Juan: “?”

He looked at Marquis Anping in confusion and asked with a soul-searching tone, “What are you talking about?”

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Juan added, “I don’t resent you, nor did I intend to humiliate you.”

He was just a salted fish, dreaming of lying flat and becoming a salted fish cake all his life. Humiliating others was too difficult for a fish like him; he could only turn the other cheek.

Marquis Anping asked him, “Then why didn’t you meet with me?”

Jiang Juan earnestly replied, “…. There’s really nothing worth meeting about. I’m Prince Li’s Royal Consort, and you’re Marquis Anping. Considering my brother and the Emperor’s arranged marriage, it might be better to avoid any misunderstandings, don’t you think?”

Marquis Anping was taken aback. The Emperor hadn’t arranged their marriage; he had missed the opportunity due to frequent distractions that day. After hesitating for a moment, he explained, “Me and Xiao Nian…”

But Jiang Juan didn’t want to hear about the love story between the protagonist gong and the protagonist shou. After all, he had read enough novels. “His Highness is waiting for me at the teahouse. I’ll go find him.”

With that, Jiang Juan turned to leave. The curtains made of transparent silk gently brushed against Marquis Anping’s face, revealing a glimpse of a slender, snow-white neck, stirring something in his heart.

“I want to make it up to you,” Marquis Anping blurted out.

Jiang Juan glanced back, asking, “Why would you need to make it up to me?”

He looked at Marquis Anping with a puzzled expression, his clear eyes devoid of the infatuation from the past, calm yet perplexed.

The more indifferent Jiang Juan seemed, the more ridiculous Marquis Anping’s behavior felt. Unwilling to let it all gather in his heart, Marquis Anping took a deep breath and said, “I noticed you were looking at the black glazed porcelain for a long time. Do you like it?”

Jiang Juan cautiously replied, “I don’t like it, I was just looking.”

But Marquis Anping continued, oblivious to Jiang Juan’s response, “If you like it, I’ll get it for you.”

Jiang Juan said, “I don’t—” Before he could finish, Marquis Anping had already spoken to the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, would you exchange a poem for a cup? Could I try?”

The shopkeeper smiled broadly, “Of course.”

Jiang Juan: “…”

It was quite awkward.

He said earnestly, “Marquis Anping, if I wanted it, I could ask His Highness for it. You don’t have to do this.”

Marquis Anping persisted, “I just want to compensate you.”

But there was nothing to compensate for. Jiang Juan shook his head. “I don’t think any compensation is necessary.”

Jiang Juan repeatedly refused, and Marquis Anping, no matter how reserved his character, showed a hint of anger. He asked Jiang Juan, “Do you think I’m not as capable as His Highness in obtaining this tea cup for you?”

Jiang Juan: “Huh?”

As he spoke, the shopkeeper had already brought pen, ink, paper, and inkstone for Marquis Anping. “Sir, please.”

Marquis Anping glanced at Jiang Juan and began to write with the pen, saying nothing further. It was his servant who spoke softly to Jiang Juan, “The Royal Consort has only recently arrived in the capital. Perhaps he is not aware of many things.”

“In the capital, two people are highly esteemed. One is Young Master Gu Puwang, who is young and intelligent, and the other is our Marquis Anping. They are known as the Jade of the Capital.”

The servant spoke proudly, “Marquis Anping’s uncle, who is also the imperial son-in-law, is a direct disciple of Mr. Bai. Marquis Anping has been influenced by his uncle’s teachings since childhood, and he has also received guidance from Mr. Bai. So, he can be considered to have studied under Mr. Bai.”

Pausing for a moment, the servant asked Jiang Juan, “Your Royal Consort, do you know Mr. Bai?”

“….. Yes.”

Jiang Juan remembered that in the novel, Mr. Bai’s full name was Bai Xuechao, a highly respected old scholar. He had served as an official in the court for thirty years, known for his incorruptibility and dedication to the people. Not only did scholars admire him, but the common people also held him in high esteem.

The servant said, “Marquis Anping has studied under Mr. Bai. How could he not be able to obtain a tea cup?”

Jiang Juan blinked, feeling somewhat strange.

Mr. Bai was Mr. Bai, and Marquis Anping was Marquis Anping. Whether he could obtain the tea cup depended on personal ability. What did it have to do with his apprenticeship?

But it seemed that Jiang Juan was the only one who thought so. When they heard that Marquis Anping was going to write a poem, many people gathered around in the bookstore. As soon as the servant finished speaking, everyone chimed in.

“Yes, Marquis Anping has indeed studied under Mr. Bai. This tea cup is practically in his grasp.”

“Let’s not even mention Mr. Bai’s extraordinary talent. Wasn’t the imperial son-in-law of that year also exceptionally talented? With guidance from these two, Marquis Anping’s talent is surely impeccable.”

“Exactly.”

Marquis Anping finished writing the last word and handed the poem to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper didn’t even look at it, just smiled and said, “Marquis, please wait a moment.”

After a pause, the shopkeeper asked Marquis Anping, “Marquis, did you really receive guidance from Mr. Bai?”

Marquis Anping remained silent, and the shopkeeper took it as a confirmation, smiling and saying, “Our master at home, the person he admires most in his life is Mr. Bai. This tea cup, it seems, is about to change hands.”

After saying that, the shopkeeper carefully held the poem and hurried away. But not long after, he returned with a strange expression.

“Shopkeeper, why do you look so pale?”

“Could it be that the tea cup was taken out and is about to be given away? That must be painful!”

The shopkeeper waved his hand and asked Marquis Anping, “Marquis, did you really study under Mr. Bai?”

Marquis Anping was taken aback, not directly answering, only asking, “Why do you say that, shopkeeper?”

The shopkeeper hesitated and said, “Our master said—”

“If you have received guidance from Mr. Bai, yet your poem is written like this, it shows that you are obstinate and unyielding. If you have not received guidance from Mr. Bai, and your poem is written so poorly, it’s somewhat forgivable. Unfortunately, you are mentioned alongside Young Master Gu, known as the ‘Jade of the Capital’, but you have only the reputation, while he suffers a tarnished name.”

Marquis Anping, well-known in the capital, was highly esteemed not only for his noble birth but also for having received guidance from Mr. Bai. As soon as this matter was mentioned, everyone would praise him endlessly.

For so many years, this was the first time Marquis Anping had been pointed at and accused of being all reputation and no substance, leaving him bewildered.

The servant was even more furious, “Written so poorly? How could our Marquis’s poem be written poorly? Your master is known as a great scholar for repairing this bookstore, does he really think he is some great scholar?”

“Does your master know that Mr. Bai only praised one person—Luo Yueru of the Lou family in Jiangnan? Mr. Bai praised his writing as flawless and sincere. It was Mr. Lou who offered a thousand gold coins a few years ago to exchange for a poem by Marquis, if Marquis were really all reputation and no substance, why would Mr. Lou do that?”

The shopkeeper was stunned upon hearing this, and Marquis Anping added, “My poem may not meet your master’s standards, but can he really say that I am all reputation and no substance?”

“I don’t care about my reputation, but when someone says this without reason, I have to clarify.”

Marquis Anping continued, “What is your master’s surname and name? If he is a scholar like Mr. Lou, and says my poem is not good, I have nothing to say. But if he has no talent and virtue himself, just meddling, I won’t take it lightly.”

The shopkeeper looked at him, hesitant and reluctant. Marquis Anping frowned and urged, “Speak up.”

The shopkeeper could only sigh and say reluctantly, “Our master, if I’m not mistaken, is the Mr. Lou that you mentioned.”

After a brief pause, the shopkeeper continued slowly, “If I remember correctly, our master sought your article back then because he heard that you had received guidance from Mr. Bai, whom our master greatly admires, so…”

In other words, Mr. Lou sought the article not for Marquis Anping, but for Mr. Bai.

Marquis Anping got what he asked for. He said that if he was criticized by someone like Mr. Lou, he wouldn’t say anything, and it turned out to be Mr. Lou himself.

The bookstore was quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

Jiang Juan: “…”

No, this is too embarrassing, isn’t it?

Does Marquis Anping remember his grudges?

Marquis Anping wanted to get a tea cup, and Jiang Juan didn’t volunteer, but no matter what, he did cause Marquis Anping to lose face.

Jiang Juan thought for a few seconds and tried to comfort Marquis Anping, “Actually, it’s not written that badly, I think it’s pretty good. Its goodness lies in—” where exactly, Jiang Juan couldn’t make it up. He only memorized poetry and couldn’t do poetic analysis, so Jiang Juan could only grit his teeth and say, “Its goodness lies in that it’s really good.”

Jiang Juan spoke sincerely, but at this juncture, rather than comforting someone, it felt more like he was angering someone.

In just a short incense stick’s time, Marquis Anping had lost face twice in a row. Despite his skill in suppressing his emotions and not showing joy, anger, or sorrow, he couldn’t keep calm anymore.

He clenched his lips, and after a long while, Marquis Anping gritted his teeth and said to Jiang Juan, “You — are very kind.”

With those words, Marquis Anping turned and left in a huff.

Jiang Juan: “?”

Damn it, he really held a grudge.

But what does it have to do with him?

Jiang Juan was annoyed. He felt quite innocent; he was just a nobody, yet he always ended up being the villain. Either he embarrassed the protagonist or made the main character lose face.

He sighed. Someone grabbed the back of his neck, forcing him to look away. A familiar voice sounded beside his ear, “Why the sigh?”

Xue Fangli had appeared by his side without Jiang Juan noticing. Jiang Juan blinked in surprise and asked, “Your Highness, how did you come here?”

Marquis Anping paused his steps out of the bookstore. Xue Fangli replied calmly, “You’ve been in the bookstore for too long. I came to see how you were doing.”

Jiang Juan said, “Oh,” and Xue Fangli lifted his chin slightly and asked again, “Do you like that tea cup?”

Whether he liked it or not, Jiang Juan was a bit apprehensive, so he replied to Xue Fangli, “I don’t like it.”

“You spent so long looking at it even though you don’t like it?” Xue Fangli smiled slightly. “If you like it, I can get it for you.”

Jiang Juan: “?”

Wasn’t that Marquis Anping’s line?

Jiang Juan hesitated, fearing a repeat of earlier events. He shook his head desperately, “No, no, let’s go.”

Marquis Anping could afford to lose face, but not Xue Fangli; his health needed to be maintained.

Xue Fangli seemed to sense Jiang Juan’s concern and just smiled gently, “I understand.”

With that, he signaled to Steward Gao, who exchanged a few words with the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up, and he asked Xue Fangli eagerly, “Your Highness, is this for real?”

Xue Fangli nodded.

The shopkeeper was overjoyed, “Your Highness, please wait a moment, I’ll inform the master right away.”

Xue Fangli murmured an “Hmm,” and the shopkeeper hurried off. Curious, Jiang Juan asked, “Your Highness, what did you agree to?”

Xue Fangli replied nonchalantly, “To exchange something with him.”

Marquis Anping sneered inwardly.

That tea cup was said to be worth its weight in gold; even the most precious item probably wouldn’t be worth mentioning in the eyes of this Mr. Lou. It seemed Xue Fangli was going to be disappointed.

Sure enough, not long after, the shopkeeper returned, panting, and waved his hand, “Your Highness, it’s not possible. Our master said he cannot exchange this tea cup with you.”

Marquis Anping snorted lightly, his smile not quite suppressed, then heard the shopkeeper continue, “He said your set of ‘Shanhai Xiangxuan Collection’ has been lost for a long time and is extremely precious. Our master doesn’t dare to accept it, nor can he accept it.”

“The master also said that this tea cup is a gift to you. He has many other collections, and if you’re interested, you can choose several more. As for your ‘Shanhai Xiangxuan Collection,’ he only needs to borrow it for a few days.”

“Very well, I understand.”

Marquis Anping’s smile froze. How could he have forgotten? This bookstore was originally a library, and the master was not only a poetry enthusiast but also loved books.

If he hadn’t forgotten, if he had offered ancient texts in exchange…

Marquis Anping turned around and met Xue Fangli’s amused yet enigmatic gaze.

Different from his disheveled appearance, the man elegantly took the tea cup and handed it to Jiang Juan. “Take it.”

Jiang Juan felt the tea cup in his hands and looked up, once again marveling, “Your Highness, you’re really too kind.”

Marquis Anping took a deep breath, gazing steadily at Jiang Juan, his young face breaking into a slight smile, his eyes focused and serious.

In that moment, Marquis Anping suddenly realized something.

Jiang Juan genuinely thought Xue Fangli was being kind to him. Last time in the palace, it wasn’t to spite him.

Marquis Anping found it laughable and deeply frustrating. He angrily stepped out of the bookstore, only to run into several officials and soldiers.

The leader of the soldiers bowed to him and looked into the bookstore, asking, “Who reported that there was an assailant in the bookstore?”

Xue Fangli lazily replied, “I did.”

The soldiers: “?”

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

The soldiers were understandably astonished. It was unheard of for Prince Li to report to the officials. This man was practically an underworld deity himself; the government only managed earthly affairs and dared not interfere with underworld matters.

Ignoring their reactions, Xue Fangli calmly continued, “Upstairs, it seems there are people with Marquis Anping.”

No matter how awkward the soldiers felt, they still dutifully went upstairs. Marquis Anping quickly realized what was happening and asked Xue Fangli in horror, “What did you do to them?”

Xue Fangli raised an eyebrow and was about to speak when Jiang Juan stepped in front of him, frowning. “Why are you shouting like that?”

“Just speak normally. His Highness is not well; you shouldn’t yell at him.”

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