Edited by Larkspur

Chapter 26: The Truth Is Revealed (Part 2)

Chu Jin Yao arrived shortly after. She greeted Old Furen, Chu Zhu, and the rest before standing quietly at the side. She had a very calm demeanour and if her hands were not wrapped in gauze, everybody would have thought that nothing had happened yesterday.

When Old Chu Furen saw her daughter, she became increasingly emotional and kept on telling them to be careful on the road. There were more and more people in Rong Ning Tang as Chu Zhu was leaving today, so everyone came over to send her off. Chu Zhu and Old Chu Furen were reluctantly saying their goodbyes when they saw a young servant running in and nodding to Chu Zhu, “Second Furen, ShiZi said that the preparations are almost completed and it is time to leave.”

Chu Zhu had no choice but to get up. Old Chu Furen could not help but tear up as she did not know when they would be able to see each other again after this goodbye. Chu Zhu also cried, “Mother, I am leaving. Take care!”

Old Furen’s and Chu Zhu’s tears were falling and when the others saw it, they comforted both of them. Lin Xi Yuan walked in to bid farewell to Old Chu Furen. Upon seeing the teary goodbyes of the mother and daughter, he said, “Old Chu Furen do not have to be like this. In a few days time, it will be ZuMu’s birthday and one hopes that Old Furen would honour with your presence. As such, you will be able to see Second Shen again.”

Old Chu Furen wiped her tears away and turned her tears into laughter, “ShiZi is right. Why the need to cry like this? There will be many more opportunities to meet in the future.”

Chu Zhu also wiped her tears away. Chu Zhu then took Lin Xi Ning, Lin Bao Huan, and Lin Bao Ying to give farewell greetings to Old Chu Furen before walking out. The rest of the people around also followed. Old Chu Furen was an elder so there was no reason for her to go out to send her daughter off, thus she could only stay in Rong Ning Tang. The others, like Madam Zhao, naturally had to personally send GuNaiNai off.

Lin Xi Yuan took two steps and suddenly said, “Old Chu Furen, I suddenly remembered that I could not find one of my collection of articles. Perhaps it was left in the rear room. Can you please allow me to look for it there?”

Old Chu Furen quickly replied, “ShiZi’s collection of articles has been lost? Why not mention it earlier? This is a big deal, just go and find it!”

Chu Jin Xian stayed by Old Chu Furen’s side and had planned to send off Chu Zhu and the others, but upon hearing Lin Xi Yuan’s words, she inexplicably stopped.

Lin Xi Yuan went to the rear room and after a while, he returned. Old Chu Furen saw the book in his hands and breathed a sigh of relief, “It is good that it is found. ShiZi is being too polite. If something is dropped, just look for it, why the need to wait for a night?” As Old Furen was speaking, her eyes landed on the stuff in Lin Xi Yuan’s hands. She paused before asking, “ShiZi, you lost two books?”

“No.” Lin Xi Yuan lifted the other thread-bound book up and looked at Old Chu Furen calmly, “This seemed to be Fourth Young Lady’s collection of poems.”

Old Chu Furen’s expression changed immediately. Chu Jin Xian raised her eyebrows slightly and said, “Didn’t Fourth Young Lady say that she only had one copy of the collection of poems and it was torn up yesterday?”

Chu Jin Miao was standing by the doors and when she heard her name, she hurried in to look, “ZuMu, are you calling for me?”

She came in with a smile and as soon as she walked to the partition and saw the thing in Lin Xi Yuan’s hand, her expression changed immediately, “This…”

She wanted to say how could this be here! This was a handwritten copy of her collection of poems and it had been hidden in her room. She had secretly used the copy to throw some confusion. Her original copy of the collection of poems was torn up by that screwed Third Young Lady. Chu Jin Miao was heartbroken but turned the matter into her own and went back to retrieve a handwritten copy to give others a look before keeping it, so as to not let others recognise it. Then she deliberately called everyone out and left Chu Jin Yao behind. Upon returning, she then instructed the maid to take the torn copy from their sleeves and pretended that they just found it, so as to frame everything onto Chu Jin Yao.

That was the reason why she was that panicky when Chu Jin Yao questioned her if she had a copy of it yesterday. Of course, she did have a copy. Chu Jin Yao had unintentionally guessed the truth.

Yesterday, Chu Jin Miao refused to admit to it and actually fooled Madam Zhao and Old Chu Furen. She had succeeded in making everyone believe in her and making everyone believe that it was Chu Jin Yao that was jealous of Chu Jin Miao and thus tore up the collection of poems. Chu Jin Miao secretly brought the intact copy back to her room and intended to gift it to Deng Momo, after working on it the entire night and let her bring it back to the Prince residence. With this move, not only would it show the Prince Huai Ling Consort her talent, she could also completely eliminate the evidence, thus killing two birds with one stone.

Chu Jin Miao had arranged it very well and even kept the handwritten copy properly, waiting to gift it to Deng Momo at dawn. However, she did not expect that when she woke up in the morning, she was unable to find the handwritten copy. She had instructed people to look for it and even threw a tantrum in her room, but it could not be found. She had no other choice but to tell Deng Momo that her collection of poems had been torn by Chu Jin Yao and because her hand was injured, she was unable to copy and could only give it a miss. Yesterday’s event had already reached Deng Momo’s ears and thus she understood, taking it that Chu Jin Miao’s effort was ruined. Thus, she comforted Chu Jin Yao and no longer mentioned it again.

Afterwards, things went on so smoothly. It was so smooth that Chu Jin Miao got carried away and actually ignored the abnormality of this inexplicably disappeared collection of poems. Upon seeing it in Lin Xi Yuan’s hands without warning, Chu Jin Miao felt as if lightning had struck her on a clear day and she could not move or speak.

Old Chu Furen looked at the collection of poems in Lin Xi Yuan’s hands before looking at Chu Jin Miao’s expression and there was nothing that she could not understand. It would seem that Lin Xi Yuan’s sudden mention of going to the rear room to search for something was fishy. Was it really a coincidence that Lin Xi Yuan happened to lose something and when he was searching for it in the rear room, he happened to find the collection of poems that Chu Jin Miao claimed to be torn up?

In a short moment, Old Chu Furen was unable to think of the reason behind it, but at least she was sure that Chu Jin Miao lied. Old Furen sneered in her heart multiple times. What a good Chu Jin Miao. Not to mention about framing their Chu family’s daughters, she even dared to include her in her schemes! She was Old Chu Furen. How could she be so easy to be schemed upon?

Old Chu Furen took a glance at Chu Jin Miao silently and immediately Chu Jin Miao started sweating and almost knelt down. All the masters of the Chu family were standing outside as they were all bustling with noise and excitement in sending Chu Zhu home and were ignorant of what was happening inside the room. There were only three masters standing in the room now, namely Lin Xi Yuan, Chu Jin Xian, and Old Chu Furen. If Old Furen were to slightly raise her voice and alarm others, Chu Jin Miao would be thoroughly finished!

Tears welled up in Chu Jin Miao’s eyes. She shivered and said softly to Old Chu Furen, “ZuMu, I too really do not know what is going on. You have to believe me! I really do not have any knowledge!”

Old Chu Furen’s face was sullen. She did not speak and the lines beside her lips were dropping deeply. Chu Jin Yao was standing at the doors and upon seeing that Chu Jin Miao had gone in for a long time, she felt that something was not right and turned around to enter. When Chu Jin Yao walked into the inner room, she discovered that the atmosphere was not right. She did not know what was going one so she could only slow down her steps and ask carefully, “ZuMu, Eldest Sister. What is wrong?”

Chu Jin Xian swept a glance at Chu Jin Miao, with a sarcastic smile in her eyes. Old Chu Furen seemed to have finally made her mind up and said to Lin Xi Yuan, “Since ShiZi has found the book, it is to everyone’s delight. Our family’s daughter is not mature and you have seen a joke. Someone come and take the thing from ShiZi’s hands.”

Old Furen’s maids stepped forward and took the collection of poems from Lin Xi Yuan. Using this opportunity, Chu Jin Yao could see clearly what Lin Xi Yuan was holding in his hands.

Chu Jin Yao opened her mouth slightly in surprise. She seemed to have thought of something and immediately exercised restraint on her expression, bowing her head quickly. Lin Xi Yuan saw that Old Chu Furen took the collection of poems and knew in his heart that she did not intend to make a big deal out of this matter. It was the right thing as a young lady that was raised for thirteen years framed the newly returned genuine daughter. It was indeed not a glorious thing. However, Old Chu Furen was the master of the Inner Courtyard, as long as she knew who was right and wrong in her heart, that was enough.

Lin Xi Yuan let the maid put the evidence away and let Old Furen take care of the matters herself. He smiled at Old Furen and bowed. “Old Chu Furen, I will take my leave first. In the near future when the Prince residence holds a banquet, one hopes that you will not hesitate to attend.”

Old Chu Furen smiled lightly and nodded in agreement. Lin Xi Yuan let his servants keep his things and went out. Just when he passed Chu Jin Yao, he stopped and said, “One heard that Fifth Younger Biao Sister has suffered hardship. Fifth Younger Biao Sister has a lofty and unyielding character that lets one admire. This is the Jade Soothing Cream from the Palace. It was bestowed to me by the Eastern Palace when I was in the capital last year. These things only collect dust with me so it would be better to be gifted to Fifth Younger Biao Sister.”

How could Chu Jin Yao accept it? She immediately declined. Old Chu Furen drew closer to take a look and said, “Jin Yao, since ShiZi gave it to you, then you can accept it.”

To actually let her accept it? Chu Jin Yao’s head was starting to ache. However, since Old Furen had said as such, she could only bow towards Lin Xi Yuan and complied, “Thanking ShiZi.”

Old Furen then said again, “Gu Momo, send ShiZi off for me.”

“Yes.” Gu Momo’s face was filled with smiles as she walked towards Lin Xi Yuan and personally sent him out. Chu Jin Yao turned sideways to avoid them and waited until both Lin Xi Yuan and Gu Momo left before she raised her head up and secretly inquired with Chu Jin Xian with her eyes.

What’s going on here?

Chu Jin Xian just shook her head and motioned her to watch what would follow.

After Lin Xi Yuan went out, Chu Zhu’s carriage could finally start moving. The womenfolk stood at the second door and sent Chu Zhu off. However, in Rong Ning Tang, Old Chu Furen slammed the table loudly and shouted, “You still won’t kneel!”

Chu Jin Miao’s legs weakened and she could no longer stand as she fell onto the ground with a thud. Thinking about the inexplicable appearance of the collection of poems, she was frightened. Her entire body felt cold and she could not figure out why.