Chapter 9

Across the arched bridge, Jiang Si stood at one end, and Jiang Gui at the other.

A breeze swept over the water, stirring up ripples. They were small, yet they layered upon one another in an endless, rhythmic flow, as if they would never cease. The water shimmered with a brilliance that went unappreciated.

Jiang Si paused, waiting for Jiang Gui to draw near.

"Fifth Sister, what did you say to the Heir just now? Why was he so angry?"

"Are you not pleased, Fourth Sister, that the Heir is angry with me?"

Stung by the accuracy of the question, Jiang Gui felt both ashamed and uneasy. "Fifth Sister, what are you saying? We are sisters of the same family; naturally, I would not wish to see you in trouble."

So, the heroine knew the hero was trouble, did she?

Then why insist on dragging her, this cannon-fodder character, into the fray? If it weren't for one acting with intent and the other accepting it with ease, how would the original owner have died? How would the Third Branch have met such a tragic end?

"Since you knew it was trouble, Fourth Sister, why didn't you warn me sooner? If you truly regarded me as your sister, why did you look on with cold indifference before? You knew the Heir's true intentions, yet you coveted his soft words and gentle affections, leaving me to be played like a fool!"

"Fifth Sister!" Jiang Gui was startled, for she had never seen Jiang Si like this before.

In Jiang Si's mind, a scene from her dream suddenly surfaced. Following this very stream, it flowed directly into a jade-green pond. And that pond was the exact place from her dream.

"Fourth Sister, isn't that what you wanted to know—what I said to the Heir?"

"Fifth Sister..."

"I told him that if he dared to harass me again, even if only for the sake of my reputation, I would never let him go—I would surely marry him!"

Jiang Gui’s face changed with visible speed, turning ghastly pale and flustered.

"Fifth Sister, you said you had no feelings for the Heir. You even told me to go and win him over."

"I have no feelings for him, but I cannot withstand his persistent badgering. After all, even a chaste woman can be worn down by a persistent suitor. Besides, the Heir is of noble status; if I were to gamble, I might end up with boundless wealth. Isn't that what you were thinking, Fourth Sister?"

With her most hidden thoughts laid bare, Jiang Gui felt a moment of panic.

She quickly regained her composure, eyeing Jiang Si with suspicion and reproach. "Fifth Sister, are you trying to compete with me?"

Jiang Si countered, "If I were to compete with you, what would you do?"

The sky had turned gloomy, and the wind whipped their skirts with a rustling sound. They stood in confrontation, just like the scene in her dream—arguing, neither willing to yield.

Under the arched bridge, a small boat drifted lazily, with a straw effigy wearing a hat standing perfectly still in the center.

Jiang Gui gave a bitter laugh. "Fifth Sister, we are sisters; why must it come to this?"

She gazed at the small boat, her voice laden with sorrow. "I remember when we were young, there was no straw effigy on this boat. The sisters loved to take turns playing on it. Elder Sister was the leader; Second Sister and Third Sister also shared in the fun, while I could only stand by the water and watch."

Her birth mother, Concubine Liu, was of a timid, non-confrontational nature. Even as a daughter born of a concubine, she had never been able to surpass her second sister, Jiang Hua. She could not even compete with the third sister, Jiang Zhi, who was also born of a concubine in the Second Branch.

"My mother always told me not to fight or compete, that what is meant for you will be yours. I originally thought so too, but you were the one who told me that if I wanted a brilliant marriage, I should strive for it myself. Now that things have come to this, why are you the one competing with me?"

"So, Fourth Sister is blaming me? What can be done about that?" Jiang Si pressed forward, forcing Jiang Gui to retreat step by step.

Jiang Gui backed all the way to the water's edge, her face deathly pale. "Fifth Sister, why must you do this? Do you know how much I envy you? Although Third Uncle is a son of a concubine, he and Third Aunt are devoted to each other, with no one else between them. You are their only daughter; they treat you like the apple of their eye, giving you the best of everything, fearful that you might suffer even the slightest grievance."

And so?

Jiang Si watched her, waiting for what she would say next.

"And me? Although I am a daughter of the Jiang family's First Branch, I live worse than the head maid beside my mother. It is not the Heir's status or background that I covet; I truly love him. Fifth Sister, you have everything—can you not refrain from competing with me?"

"What if I must?" Jiang Si’s tone was resolute, her gaze unyielding.

Jiang Gui bit her lip, a flicker of hatred crossing her eyes. "Fifth Sister, why are you forcing me?"

Jiang Si looked at her, enunciating clearly, "Then, Fourth Sister, will you kill me?"

...

The layout of the Jiang family garden was elegant, with small bridges, winding corridors, flower ponds, and corner pavilions. The bridge arched like a moon, the corridors led to secluded spots, the pavilions resembled towers in the clouds, and the flower ponds were like jade basins.

Zhu An frowned, casting glances from time to time at her mistress, who had stood by the pond for nearly an hour.

When the wind picked up, she rubbed her eyes, which had been irritated by the dust, and when she looked again, she felt a sense of bewilderment. Why did her mistress seem so different from before?

It was all that damned nightmare’s fault.

"My Lady, the wind is strong by the water, and you have only just recovered from your illness. Please, do not catch a chill."

Jiang Si replied with a soft "Mm," still gazing at the pond.

She remembered everything from the dream—how the water stirred into ripples and how it returned to stillness. She remembered even more clearly the look in Jiang Gui's eyes, a panic just like someone whose inner darkness had been exposed.

If that dream was the truth behind the original owner's death, then...

She unclenched her fists and looked up at the sky. These hands, they were truly beautiful—slender, white, and delicate.

These were hands that had never known hardship, best suited for writing.

Grinding ink, spreading paper, preparing the brush—she let no one help, working in silence. Once everything was ready, she took up the brush and began to write.

Zhu Ping and Zhu An exchanged looks, both looking deeply worried.

"Do not be afraid, I am fine," she said without raising her head. "Fourth Sister likes the Heir and is terrified I might compete with her. I just had an argument with her; I shall not be close to her anymore."

"How could the Fourth Young Lady be like this?" Zhu An protested on her behalf. "It was clearly the Heir who made overtures to you, My Lady, and for the sake of your reputation, you even reported it to Prince Fangye. Why would the Fourth Young Lady suspect you so? Even I feel angry hearing it."

Zhu Ping nodded. "My Lady, I have long felt that the Fourth Young Lady is two-faced. It is best if you no longer associate with her to avoid being schemed against."

"I shall listen to you both." She continued to write, not lifting her head once. It was not until she finished the letter that she stretched her back and limbs.

Zhu An was illiterate, but Zhu Ping knew a few characters.

"My Lady, is this letter about what happened at the academy today?" Zhu Ping asked.

"My Lady, why are you writing this?" Zhu An asked, puzzled. "To whom do you intend to send this?"

Jiang Si blew the ink dry, folded the paper carefully, placed it in an envelope, and sealed it with wax. Carrying the letter, she headed for the study of her grandfather, Jiang Yuan.

The ancient house was flanked by two pine trees. Beside the one on the right stood a vat of lotus seeds. The leaves were withered, yet they stood upright, unfallen.

The servant at the door went in to announce her, and Jiang Yuan could not help but dig at his ear upon hearing the request.

With a shout of "Come in," Jiang Si lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold. The room was filled with calligraphy and paintings, covering nearly every wall.

She found Jiang Yuan, disheveled and utterly lacking in grace, behind a stack of books on the desk.

Jiang Yuan scratched his hair, unconcerned. "A scholar does not fuss over trifles, Little Five; don't go telling anyone."

"Granddaughter understands."

Jiang Si’s eyes curved. She truly had not expected her grandfather, respected by the world and beloved by his family, to be such a sight in private. He was sloppy, certainly, but it suddenly made him feel much closer and more endearing.

She took out the letter and placed it on the desk.

When Jiang Yuan heard who she wanted to send the letter to, he could not help but want to dig at his ear again.

"You said who? Murong Fan?"

"The Prince himself." She looked earnest, her clear, black-and-white eyes reflecting pure innocence. "Last time I reported the Heir for his impropriety toward me, I heard that some were saying in private that I did it on purpose, intending to announce it to everyone to force myself upon him. I fear the Prince might believe these rumors and think I used him. To show my resolve, I have written down every word exchanged between the Heir and me at the academy. I must trouble Grandfather to pass this on."

Jiang Yuan stroked his beard, his old, shrewd eyes fixed on his granddaughter. As he grew solemn and serious, he became once again the highly respected Grand Tutor.

"Why have me pass it on? You could easily send someone yourself."

Jiang Si shook her head vigorously, her expression growing even more earnest. "Grandfather, that would never do. If I were to send a letter to the Prince in private, that would be an illicit correspondence. Such matters must be permitted by one's elders; only then can I be at ease."

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan’s eyes shone with even greater intensity.

This granddaughter was either incredibly simple-minded or the most thoughtful person he had ever seen.

After a long pause, he said, "Fine, Grandfather will deliver this letter for you."

Since he had agreed, he would never go back on his word.

The letter was soon delivered to the Prince Fangye's mansion and presented before Murong Fan.

Shen Su happened to be there. Hearing it was a letter from Grand Tutor Jiang, he assumed it was their usual private correspondence between friends of different generations. When the messenger said the letter was from Jiang Si to Murong Fan, his eyes widened in surprise.

Murong Fan opened the letter in his presence, knowing his nephew wouldn't be kept in the dark, so Shen Su immediately leaned in to read.

"...He said: 'It’s just talk, it won't kill anyone.' I said: 'Heir, you are wrong. If you provoke me again, I will latch onto you and marry you regardless of the consequences. When you die, I will live in your big house, spend the silver you leave behind, and keep several handsome young men, living a life of ease and pleasure every day.'..."

This... what on earth was this?!