Chapter 29 Scumbag Father Frames Her
The city was filled with patrolling soldiers.
The loud bangs last night, like thunder descending from the heavens, became more and more eerie through the rumors spread by the common folk.
Even the secluded tea stall at the far end of the market was packed with onlookers discussing.
“The blizzards in the Northern Frontier haven’t stopped, and now the capital has experienced strange phenomena. The statues of the Four Directions all point to the Prime Minister’s Estate. Could it be that there’s an evil spirit at work in the Prime Minister’s Estate?”
“Wasn’t the Battle of Muyang Pass also in the dead of winter? It’s strange to say, but tens of thousands of Xie family soldiers died on the battlefield, yet Madam Prime Minister returned to the capital completely unharmed. Don’t you think this evil spirit might be the ghost of the Xie family army……?”
“What are you panicking about? Hasn’t the Imperial Advisor already entered the palace? Once he performs his rituals, he will surely know where the evil spirit is hiding!”
Wen Xueling’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she fell into thought.
She had never seen the Imperial Advisor in her previous life, only knowing that he resided deep in Maple Mountain, capable of calculating all matters under heaven with a flick of his fingers, but never easily descending the mountain.
In the hearts of the common people, he was like a heavenly deity incarnate, possessing countless devout followers.
Even the Emperor deeply believed his words.
If this person could stand on her side……
This thought merely flashed through her mind and quickly disappeared.
Yan Ze appeared silently behind her, whispering, “Master, something has happened at Folding Willow Courtyard.”
As soon as she entered the estate, Wen Xueling heard the sound of an argument at the entrance of Folding Willow Courtyard.
Tangchun and Tangxia stood with their arms spread, blocking the entrance to the courtyard, refusing to let anyone from the Prime Minister’s Estate smash the walls.
“Young Lady!” The sisters’ eyes lit up.
The new steward, Xu Fu, saw her return to the estate and immediately scurried over, respectfully saying, “Young Lady, the walls of the estate are old and in disrepair. The Prime Minister has ordered all courtyard walls to be rebuilt.”
“You and Madam can temporarily reside in the small building in the North Courtyard, and return after Folding Willow Courtyard is renovated.”
Wen Xueling had only been out for a short hour, but the walls of Mingzhu Courtyard had already been completely demolished, and Wen Jin’an had also moved into Xie Siyu’s courtyard.
All the guards smashing the walls were from the Prime Minister’s Estate, and they worked very efficiently.
And at this moment, they stood at the entrance of Folding Willow Courtyard with all their wall-smashing tools, their eyes full of readiness.
Wen Xueling’s eyes were deep, and she could discern an unspeakable urgency on their faces.
She had used the incendiary devices to direct the rumors in the capital towards the Prime Minister’s Estate, and then further steered the blame towards Wen Jin’an’s Mingzhu Courtyard, aiming to leave her speechless and unable to defend herself.
From her, Xu Fu vaguely perceived the formidable aura that Wen Jingshu possessed. His eyes shifted, and he lowered his head even more.
He bowed his back, saying, “Young Lady, the small building in the North Courtyard has been tidied, and your and Madam’s belongings have been moved there intact.”
Her scumbag father’s actions hinted at an attempt to divert attention. Wen Xueling immediately felt something amiss and discreetly remained vigilant.
She turned to look at the new steward before her, recalling what she had tasked Yan Ze to investigate.
Xu Fu had a sickly daughter at home who had been on medicine since birth, and the doctor had said the child wouldn't live past six.
Wen Xueling took out a porcelain bottle and told him that the medicine inside could save his daughter’s life.
But the condition was that he had to serve her.
“Steward Xu’s daughter is almost five, isn’t she? This pill can be considered my birthday gift to her.”
For that illness to fully heal, she needed to take medicine for at least half a year, and now only a year remained until the six years the doctor mentioned. She believed this man before her would know what was more important.
Xu Fu carefully took the pill, both excited and hesitant.
“Mother.” Seeing Mu Qingyu come out of Folding Willow Courtyard, Wen Xueling smiled and went to greet her.
As soon as they moved into the small building in the North Courtyard, Steward Xu rushed over, saying that someone from the palace had arrived and wanted her and Wen Jin’an to enter the palace immediately.
Wen Xueling frowned, “Has the Prime Minister returned to the estate?”
Xu Fu: “No, he hasn’t.”
She told him to wait outside the door and then called for Nanny Su and the others.
“Mother, this is the jade token of the General-of-Pacifying-the-Nation’s Estate.”
Wen Xueling slipped the item into Mu Qingyu’s hand, calmly arranging the next steps.
She turned to look at the Tangchun sisters and said earnestly, “Tangchun, once I leave the Prime Minister’s Estate, you two immediately go with Mother to the General-of-Pacifying-the-Nation’s Estate.”
“If I haven’t come to find you before dark, then you both stay at the General’s Estate. General Liang will escort you out of the capital.”
These words, like a dying entrustment, made Mu Qingyu’s heart sink.
She worriedly held her daughter’s hand, her tone firm, “Ling’er, Mother will go to the palace with you!”
Wen Xueling shook her head.
This visit to the palace must be because of the Mingzhu Courtyard’s totem and the fire. She couldn’t let her mother be in danger with her.
She hugged Mu Qingyu, comforting her, “Mother, Ling’er will be fine. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager likes me very much; I can ask her for protection.”
These were merely false words to appease Mu Qingyu. The palace walls were as deep as the sea, and human hearts were the most unpredictable.
“Mother is Ling’er’s only weakness. As long as you are safe, Ling’er will fight to the death to return. But if Mother goes to the palace with me, and they use Mother to threaten me, Ling’er would have no choice but to surrender.”
“But……”
Mu Qingyu still wanted to say something, but Steward Xu outside was already knocking on the door, reminding them.
Returning to the room, Wen Xueling had just picked up a simple, elegant dress when she suddenly remembered what she had heard in her previous life: the Imperial Advisor favored ink bamboo. She then picked up another dress embroidered with bamboo and put it on instead.
After all, first impressions were still very important.
Coming out of the small building in the North Courtyard, Steward Xu suddenly handed her two broken stones, taken from the walls of the two courtyards respectively.
Wen Xueling lowered her gaze to the objects in her hand, and a profound meaning flashed in her bright, moon-like almond eyes.
At the entrance of the Prime Minister’s Estate.
The palace carriage was already waiting there.
When Wen Xueling emerged, her stepsister had not yet appeared, so she got into the carriage first.
A quarter of an hour later, Wen Jin’an finally arrived, fashionably late.
She was dressed in a pink-blue brocade robe, with wide skirts trailing on the ground, adorned with pearls and jewels in her hair, looking radiant, as if going to the palace for a selection.
She glanced at Wen Xueling’s simple white, waist-cinched dress, whose collar was carelessly embroidered with a few ink bamboo stalks, and proudly raised her chin, thinking that Wen Xueling’s shabby appearance wasn’t fit to be compared with her own.
Once she entered the palace and stood before the nobles, who the true legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s Estate was would be clear at a glance.
Wen Xueling listened to the gradually fading clamor outside the carriage, knowing they were almost at the palace gates, and secretly tightened her grip on the broken stones in her hand.
Compared to her stepsister, who had her scumbag father’s protection, she could only rely on herself.
She and Wen Jin’an were led away by palace maids in two separate directions.
Seeing the relaxed smile that appeared on her stepsister’s lips when she saw the palace maid, Wen Xueling’s heart sank.
How could she have forgotten that Wen Jinli was the Crown Prince’s attendant?
Little did she know, after she left the Prime Minister’s Estate, a major event also occurred there.
Wen Xueling was led to the Imperial Study.
The Emperor sat majestically on his dragon throne, his powerful aura making it difficult for anyone to look directly at him.
Her scumbag father stood before the hall with a solemn expression, his dark eyes coldly watching her, showing no hint of familial affection.
At this moment, Wen Jin’an had already knelt before the hall.
Wen Xueling’s heart was suspended in mid-air, as if she were back in that snowy forest from her previous life, where she ran frantically, and one wrong step would lead to her heart being pierced by the pursuers behind her.
“This subject’s daughter, Wen Xueling, bows to Your Majesty.”
This time, she performed a very standard court etiquette, giving no one a chance to find fault.
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, “Rise.”
Learning that her scumbag father had falsely accused Folding Willow Courtyard of the fire in Mingzhu Courtyard, Wen Xueling showed no surprise.
But before the Emperor, she feigned a look of shock, widening her eyes as if struck, and turned to look at her scumbag father in disbelief, her astonishment evident.
She stammered, “How could it be Folding Willow Courtyard? It was clearly……”
“Sister!” Wen Jin’an interrupted her at this moment, looking at her pitifully and saying, “I know you’re jealous of me, taking away Father’s affection for you, but in my heart, I’ve always regarded you as my own elder sister.”
“If it were other matters, I would let it go, but the matter this morning clearly involved strange phenomena occurring in your Folding Willow Courtyard. How can you be so cruel as to falsely accuse me?”
Just then, her scumbag father also knelt before the Emperor, placing the entire blame on Wen Xueling.
“Your Majesty, it is your subject’s fault for not teaching his daughter well. Everything is at Your Majesty’s disposal.”
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