Chapter 9.11
Although it couldn’t be more easy to punish Ning Ximin, knowing how to stay on the right side of the line was extremely important. He wasn’t Yan Rui who wanted to kill a person at every turn, being not only bloody and merciless, but also lacking much executional flair. Cultured people had to use cultured methods.
Previously, Ning Xirong and Ning Zhe owed Ning Siqi a life, so they had brought themselves ruin and disgrace as repayment. As for Ning Ximin, though this lass was craftly, she didn’t harm anyone’s life. Just a little punishment for her would suffice.
He briefly pondered over it, sending Xu-shi to a nearby inn to settle down would be good. He planned to take a trip back to the Ning Residence on his own.
Knowing his temperament, Xu-shi immediately blocked his way out and painstakingly beseeched him, “Qi’er, in the manor currently, besides the old taitai, the Second House is all that is left at the top. At this juncture, you mustn’t do anything stupid!”
Fan Yuan comforted her patiently and said, “What is Mother saying. Ning Ximin framed you in order to attack me. Even if your child doesn’t provoke her, will she let your child live well? It’s merely a matter of sooner or later, it’s better to take the initiative.”
Seeing that Xu-shi was still hesitant, Fan Yuan continued, “Mother has no confidence in your child?”
Xu-shi quickly shook her head, “How can that be! My Qi’er is the most intelligent, the most alert. Even ten Ning Ximins can’t compare to a strand of your hair!”
Fan Yuan burst in a grin, “If so, what more is there for you to worry about?”
Xu-shi could only leave it at that, and send him away personally.
Upon returning to the Ning Residence, Fan Yuan did not go directly to Ning Ximin. Instead, he went back to Fukang Courtyard first. A few maids and old female servants were cleaning up as the yard was in a complete disarray. The snow sunflower was also destroyed beyond recognition. Everywhere was filled with soil and dirt and broken porcelain. The white exotic flowers had left the warm, nourishing soil and were now, withered.
Seeing that he’d returned, the maids cried, “You’ve finally returned, Second Young Master. In the afternoon, Second Young Miss led a group of servants over, saying that they wanted to conduct a search.... They smashed all the valuable things in our courtyard......”
As he hadn’t heard the news, Fan Yuan carefully placed that flower in the palm of his hand. The faint fragrance still lingered, but the roots of the flower had already been severed. It most likely couldn’t be saved any more.
He buried the flower in the soil with an ugly expression. He thought in his heart, this flower could survive even when it was transplanted here from Tianshan Mountain that was thousands of miles away, perhaps it could still germinate next year.
After washing his hands and changing into a set of clean and neat clothes, he went directly to the old taitai’s Songbai Courtyard.
When the old taitai heard that the Second Young Master was requesting for an audience, she thought that he was going to plead for his yiniang and said with a frown, “Let him return. I do not want to see him.”
Ning Ximin was currently helping the old taitai rub her shoulders by her side. Seeing this, she quickly spoke out to stop her, “Wait!” She turned to face the old taitai and said, “Grandmother, Cousin Siqi is a stubborn one. If you don’t let him in, I’m afraid he’ll keep waiting outside the door. You know his body well too, so weak that it can’t stand a breeze and more delicate than that of a baby girl. If any accident happens, outsiders would simply take it that us, the Ning Family, are mistreating the shu son. If this spreads out, I’m afraid it would not be too good.”
The old lady nodded and said indifferently, “Let him in then.”
Fan Yuan leisurely stepped into the room with a faint, transfixing fragrance that lingered within the nose. Ning Ximin sat by the old taitai’s side and continued to serve her, carrying a harmless smile on her face, but her eyes were filled with uncontrollable glee.
The biggest reason why she could successfully frame Xu-shi was because the old taitai wasn’t aware that they had strife between each other, so she didn’t think too much into it. She simply took it that Xu-shi had bore grudges from being reprimanded by her all the time, and thus decided to act that way.
The reason why Ning Ximin was willing to let Fan Yuan in was also very clear. First, flaunt her power, and second, to let Fan Yuan quarrel with the old taitai in a fit of anger. The best would be if the old taitai resented him from now on.
Unfortunately, her plan was doomed to fail. Fan Yuan greeted the old taitai with a respectful bow and said in a manner that was neither haughty nor humble, “Grandson has seen Grandmother. Wishing Grandmother’s health to be good and well.”
Originally, Old Madam Ning was all ready to be hated by him, but she found that the child was more calm than she thought, and her expression turned much better. She said, “Sit down. You come to me to plead for mercy on your mother’s behalf? It is a pity that the evidence is solid. There is no need to say more.”
It was only after listening to her quietly and waiting for her to finish that Fan Yuan finally smiled, “Grandmother, my yiniang has been framed by someone. Where does this talk of ‘pleading for mercy’ come from? I am here to bring her justice. I hope Grandmother can give me a cup of tea’s time, and Grandson will let you see the truth.”
Old Madam Ning said, “A cup of tea’s time?”
Fan Yuan nodded while Ning Ximin’s brows furrowed quietly. She felt a little uneasy, but she thought better of it. She had arranged everything properly, even if he lay down all the facts, it would be no use. Only then did she finally feel relieved.
Fan Yuan clapped his hands, and soon a servant girl presented a tray covered with a handkerchief. Fan Yuan proceeded to lift the handkerchief...it was precisely the “material evidence” that Ning Ximin had sent someone to dispose of. She pointed to the puppet stabbed full of silver needles in shock and said, “Impossible, where did you find that from?”
Fan Yuan pulled out all the needles from the doll’s body and said with a smile, “It’s inevitable that Cousin would be so shocked. After all, you sent someone to destroy this. Now that it’s back, you must be very flustered, no?”
The old taitai looked at her suspiciously. Ning Ximin hurriedly straightened out her expression, “That’s right, it was I who sent someone to destroy it. How can such a harmful thing be left in this world? What if it suppresses the old ancestor? Can you bear the responsibility?”
Fan Yuan seemed to agree greatly. He nodded and said, “Precisely so. But can Cousin bear to not find the real culprit and watch wide-eyed as Grandmother has been deceived?”
The corner of Ning Ximin’s eye twitched as she said angrily, “What nonsense are you spouting! This voodoo doll was clearly found under Xu-shi‘s bed. If it’s not hers, whose is it?!”
Without saying a word, Fan Yuan pulled a piece of cloth from the doll’s body and rubbed it carefully for a moment. Suddenly, he said in surprise, “Eh? This is the weaved snow cloud brocade for royal use. If I remember correctly, this was Cousin Xirong’s possession. It should have been cremated together with her body. Could this be the work of her ghost? But why did she frame my mother? ”
Before he had hardly finished speaking, Madam Ning had already gotten anxious, “Bring it up for me to have a look.”
Fan Yuan quickly handed it to her. Old Madam Ning touched it carefully for a good while. Suddenly, she harshly slammed the desk and burst in a bout of anger that was worthy of damaging the heart and mind, “Vile spawn!”
Ning Ximin’s face had already turned pale with complete disbelief. Seeing that the old taitai was furious, she quickly got up and knelt down on the ground, pleading, “Grandmother, listen to Min’er‘s explanation, this is all Ning Siqi’s scheme! He wants to hurt me, Grandmother! You mustn’t believe his load of nonsense!”
Old Madam Ning sneered coldly, “Scheme? That weaved snow cloud brocade was given to Rong’er by the empress. You said it would be disrespectful to the empress to cremate it, and thus, you took it for your own use. No one else in the family knows about this except for you and me, so how would Siqi know? How else do you still want to quibble?!”
Ning Ximin felt incredibly aggrieved, “Grandmother, think about it! How could Granddaughter make a voodoo doll out of such unique cloth? Wouldn’t it be extremely easy to find out?”
The old taitai hesitated for a moment, and Fan Yuan chuckled lightly, “No wonder Cousin was in a hurry to have someone destroy it. It was not because you were afraid of bad luck, but because you were afraid of giving the truth away.”
The old taitai proceeded to throw that piece of broken cloth to the ground, pointing her finger at Ning Ximin, “Evil spawn, what advantage is there in doing this? Xu yiniang is honest and doesn’t go beyond her bounds, but she has suffered an undeserved disaster because of you! This old one asked myself if I have treated you too well, but you have done such a harmful thing, your conscience has been eaten by the dogs!”
Ning Ximin’s teeth were gritted so hard that they ached. She grabbed the voodoo doll from Fan Yuan’s hand and checked it very carefully, shuddering with fear. This was, indeed, the doll that she had made. However, she used the most common of cloths. How did it become a weaved snow brocade?
When the old taitai saw that she was speechless, she knew that she had acquiesced. She was so angry that she scolded a few more sentences, then looked at Fan Yuan and said, “Grandmother is old and confused to be blinded by this white-eyed wolf. Quickly go and bring your mother back.”
The old taitai’s merciful tone almost made Fan Yuan laugh. Two courtyards were smashed and Xu-shi was expelled from being unjustly accused. Now all of that was offset with three sentences?
He shook his head, “My mother was conscientious and earnest in the Ning Family for 30 years, but today, due to the di daughter being intolerant, she suffered an injustice for nothing. Her heart has completely chilled. On the account of this relationship of many years, we won’t go to the ministerial office and report the Second Young Miss. But we can’t live any longer in this Ning Residence.”
Ning Ximin suddenly raised her gaze when she heard him say the two words “ministerial office”. To a lady, reputation was the most precious. Once it was tainted, it would be extremely difficult for her to turn that over for her entire life, and plus, her goal was to marry into the royal family.
“Ning Siqi! How dare you do this to me!”
Fan Yuan chuckled lightly, looking at the old taitai without saying a word.
Old Madam Ning was naturally afraid as well. The only di daughter of the Ning Family was also the face of the Ning Family. Even if she was not satisfied with this di daughter, she couldn’t watch on with wide eyes as she got embroiled in a lawsuit. She could only ask with twisted eyebrows, “What conditions do you have.”
As expected of a smart person, they get it right away. Fan Yuan smiled, “It’s a bit too much to call it ‘conditions’, it’s simply three requests. First, please put up a notice outside the manor to help me clarify my yiniang’s crime. Second, Ning Ximin has to personally pour tea and water for my yiniang as an apology for her offence. Third, I want to be removed from the genealogy. Regardless of whether I receive glory or am disgraced in the future, it will have nothing to do with the Ning Family.”
The old taitai gazed at him, the corner of her lips revealing a touch of a cold sneer, “I thought you were a moldable talent, but I’ve been mistaken. Do you think that leaving the Ning Family can give you a better way out? Young people shouldn’t be too arrogant.”
The gazes of Fan Yuan and the old taitai met, “May I know your answer.”
The old taitai was silent for a moment, then nodded: “I promise you......”
Ning Ximin immediately yelled out in shock, but she was frightened still by the old taitai’s gaze. The old taitai continued, “If you regret it in the future and come back to beg this old one with three bows and nine kowtows, this old one can give you a chance.”
Fan Yuan paid no heed to that and replied, “Many thanks, Grandmother.”
*******************
Leaving Songbai Courtyard, Ning Ximin chased over from behind and pulled him behind a fake mountain, questioning in a low voice, “What is up with that weaved snow cloud brocade? Where did you get it from, and how did you make it look so similar?”
Not too silly it seems. It was good to know how to ask, he was only afraid that she wouldn’t.
With a mysterious smile, Fan Yuan said, “The weaved snow cloud brocade was offered from Yunzhou. It’s made of silk from giant silkworms on the snow mountain. The craft is complex and ingenious, every inch of cloth selling at an exorbitant price. Even the Empress only has this one piece and she bestowed it upon Ning Xirong. The only people who have used this cloth outside the palace are you and Ning Xirong. Who do you think gave it to me?”
Ning Ximin frowned more and more deeply, shaking her head, “No way, she’s already dead!”
Fan Yuan approached one step closer to her and said in a low voice, “It’s said that the Third Prince recently recruited a cefei. Her appearance is almost a copy of that of the Ning Family’s deceased Eldest Young Miss.”
Ning Ximin was harshly stunned. Her beautiful eyes started oozing with a poisonous light. Fan Yuan sneered lightly and turned to leave Ning Residence.
These two people have been feuding with each other for a very long time. Ning Ximin thought that she was the final victor, yet found that not only did Ning Xirong not die, but also got promoted to the Third Prince’s residence first. How could she bear it? She would probably do anything to reveal Ning Xirong’s true colours and fight with her to death, and she would also bear a grudge against the old taitai.
This way, he had also saved himself the trouble of dirtying his hands. He could just let these two women play by themselves. Anyway, Wen Junhao couldn’t be Emperor, so no matter how they stomped, they couldn’t splash out any water.
After dealing with these frustrating matters, Fan Yuan quickly hurried back to the inn, lest Xu-shi worry.
He excitedly pushed the door open, but paused for a few seconds. He silently retreated out and closed the door, thinking to himself, I must have opened the door in the wrong way. He took a deep breath and pushed it open again, and then......his entire body felt unwell.
What the heck, why did he see Xu-shi and Yan Rui sitting together, and they even looked like they were talking happily? Was it really not that his eyes had a problem?!
When they saw him, they called out, “Qi’er.”
The corners of Fan Yuan’s mouth twitched as he replied with a, “AH!”
Sorry for the delayed chapter, my exams have been driving me mad TvT Thank you for your understanding as always Happy Chinese New Year to everyone, hope y’all had a good time and ate lots of good food!
The author mentions that she posted some extra chapters for the apocalypse arc on her Weibo! I tried creating an account but it keeps bumping into issues during the sms confirmation :< If anyone can find the extras, do let me know!
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