Chapter 36: Beheading, Framing and Shifting Blame

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Wen Zhixu didn’t want the money? But this was two hundred and fifty taels!

Actually, Lin Xihe had won five hundred and twenty taels in total, and splitting it equally would be two hundred and sixty taels. She admitted she was being somewhat deliberate about it. When Wen Zhixu delivered the letter of annulment, what was wrong with her mentally calling him an idiot?

Feeling guilty, she held the silver while secretly observing Wen Zhixu’s expression. She saw him lift his chin slightly: “That day when the falcon snatched Miss Lin’s hairpin, it was my fault. Consider this silver as compensation.”

“Ah? But that was a fake, not worth anything.” Just as Lin Xihe wanted to say more, Wen Zhixu had already entered the Wen residence.

Returning to Tinghe Courtyard, she noticed the familiar figure was missing from the room. On the dressing table were several handmade small cushions and a bird nest she had crafted from collected branches.

Only then did she realize with a start—Bu Bu had gone home.

A series of tapping sounds came from outside the house.

Listlessly, Lin Xihe wandered into the courtyard.

By the dog hole, Mo Hu was huffing and puffing as he dragged out a bundle.

Lin Xihe rushed over with quick steps and opened it to find the bundle filled with neatly stacked silver ingots!

Startled, she quickly packed the silver back into the bundle and ordered the dog to grip the opening: “Xiao Hei, you can’t secretly move your family’s assets to my house! What if that guy thinks I stole it and files a lawsuit at the magistrate’s office…”

“I don’t want to eat prison food!”

“Hurry back, secretly, please, okay?”

Lin Xihe was practically ready to kowtow to the dog.

The dog took after its owner—stubborn as could be. It plopped its rear on the ground as if rooted there, looking completely settled in.

The Wen residence really spared no expense in raising this dog. This breed of local dog should have lean, defined lines, but when Lin Xihe felt its body, she couldn’t find its ribs at all—it was all fat.

“You really won’t leave?” She pretended to threaten, “Then I’ll report this to the authorities.”

“I’ll accuse your owner of framing and shifting blame.” The charge was something she made up.

“Whimper…” Mo Hu let out a pitiful sound, his two erect ears drooping.

When such a large dog looked wronged, it made Lin Xihe seem like the villain.

Lin Xihe pinched both of the dog’s ears, forcing them to stand up again, and pretended to scold: “You’re playing the victim first?”

“Bad dog!”

“Ahem.” A sound came from the courtyard wall. “That silver is a reward, to thank Miss Lin for helping me find Emerald Phoenix.”

The missing bird notice posted by the Wen residence clearly stated that anyone who found Emerald Phoenix would be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver.

When Lin Xihe had initially brought Bu Bu home, she had intended to adopt it. Little did she know the little creature already had an owner.

“No need, no need!” She quickly waved her hands. The wind brushed past the crabapple tree, its branches swaying gently, casting dappled shadows on her face.

“Is that so.” Wen Zhixu, standing on the other side, seemed to be weighing something.

Lin Xihe pressed her ear against the wall, trying desperately to hear the movements from the other side.

“Mo Hu, return to the residence.” He said again.

“Ah.” Lin Xihe nearly choked on her breath. If he wanted to thank someone, why didn’t he insist a bit more? If only he had asked one more time? Just once! She would have “reluctantly” accepted it!

That was a huge sum of a thousand taels!

Uncontainable laughter drifted from beside the wall.

“Just joking, you can keep the silver.”

Lin Xihe let out an “oh,” still reeling from the ecstasy of “regaining what was lost,” when she heard Qingwu’s astonished exclamation behind her.

“…Nineteen, twenty?”

“Ahhhhh! It’s two thousand taels! A full two thousand taels!”

“Miss, have you struck it rich?”

It turned out Wen Zhixu had paid double.

How generous.

Lin Xihe, now corrupted by money: That nemesis of mine doesn’t seem quite so detestable anymore.

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The candles in Tinghe Courtyard burned all night long as Lin Xihe counted silver until her fingers cramped.

Little did she know, the gossip about her in the capital had already upgraded to version 2.0.

Currently, every official household in the city was feasting on the same scandal: The legitimate young lady of the Lin residence was suspected of secretly communicating with an outside man through pigeon post, her behavior highly suspicious.

At the residence of Vice Minister Zhao from the Ministry of Rites, Miss Zhao was at her dressing table.

“Is it true?” Having lost face before Lin Xihe days earlier, Miss Zhao had been sulking for some time. Hearing this rumor now, she couldn’t help but doubt it.

After all, she really didn’t want to recall how Wen Zhixu had defended Lin Xihe that day.

Her maid offered an exaggerated version: The Lin family’s eldest young lady was brazenly writing daily letters to her lover to express her lovesickness.

The housekeeper unveiled an even more advanced edition: Miss Lin was secretly digging tunnels to sneak out late at night for clandestine meetings with her sweetheart.

Miss Zhao had never been so delighted: “I must tell my sister!”

Her sister was married to the eldest son of the Minister of Justice.

Gossip, after all, spreads like wildfire from ten to a hundred.

In just half a day, the Lin family scandal flew straight into the palace.

A gentle breeze stirred floral scents through the imperial garden, but the Empress had no mind to appreciate the flowers. She asked her elderly Housekeeper, “Is such a thing really happening?”

Unable to decipher the Empress’s temperament, the Housekeeper cautiously defended the Lin family: “That young lady of the Lin residence has regained her sanity. This matter requires further investigation by this humble servant…”

The Empress plucked a flower, tearing off its petals one by one: “…Execute, spare, execute.”

The Housekeeper’s knees weakened, and she unconsciously knelt.

The Empress’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly: “Minister Lin has always been loyal and upright. His daughter has only recently recovered from prolonged illness—how could she commit such absurd acts? Those who spread false rumors deserve death.”

Housekeeper: “Your Majesty is most wise!”

Sigh, she’d knelt for nothing.

“You mentioned earlier that Wen Zhixu scorns everyone?” After Wen Zhiyue’s funeral ceremonies, the Empress had sent her trusted Housekeeper to sound out Wen Zhixu’s intentions.

The Housekeeper bowed her head in confirmation.

That Wen Zhixu was truly impervious to all advances. No matter how extraordinary the looks and character of noble ladies, he hadn’t even glanced at the portraits the Housekeeper brought.

“Then it’s settled,” the Empress took the brocade handkerchief offered by a palace maid and lightly wiped her fingertips, “I gave him the chance to choose another suitable bride, but he refused it himself. Since he hasn’t favored any of them… then tell me, which young lady has caught his eye?”

The Housekeeper seemed to understand.

“I shall inform His Majesty at once to arrange an imperial marriage for him. If he doesn’t marry soon, my ears will never know peace.”

Every few days, various noblewomen would come to pay respects, openly and covertly promoting their daughters, hoping the Empress would play matchmaker. If Wen Zhixu married soon, it would finally end these people’s hopes.

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Tinghe Courtyard was pitch black when a lazy voice came from the bed: “Qingwu?”

The maid waiting in the outer room hurried in and reached to draw the curtains.

“Don’t open the windows. Light the candles.”

“…”

The sun was already high outside, yet the young lady actually wanted candles lit.

Now that she no longer needed to nurse an invalid, Lin Xihe had completely surrendered to her bed. With the candles lit and those pots of orchids in the room, wasn’t this the ancient version of scented candles?

So what if the sun was beating down on her backside? Sleeping in was all about the ambiance!

After rinsing her mouth, Lin Xihe began eating small pastries in the dim yellow light.

“It’s not as good as the Wen residence’s.” If only her cheap father could get his hands on the Wen family’s chef, that would be perfect.

“Miss,” Qingwu said softly, concerned about her, “shall this servant try contacting an acquaintance at the Wen residence? Perhaps we could get those Imperial Academy buns you like.”

“An acquaintance? Who?” Lin Xihe asked casually.

Qingwu’s expression turned complicated, tinged with reluctance as she whispered the name: “…Wen Qi.”

“Qingwu, you’re quite something! You even have connections with Wen Zhixu’s chief assistant?”

Also serving as Lin Xihe’s assistant, Qingwu looked slightly panicked: “Miss, if you want to eat them, this servant will go ask him right away.”

“Come back.” Lin Xihe sighed. “We can’t just take things for free. We might get caught by Wen Zhixu again.”

She took out a silver ingot: “Let’s go through proper channels! You go buy them from Wen Qi!”

“…” Qingwu clenched the silver in her hand, her expression quite complicated.

Yinquan Pavilion study.

Wen Qi brought in a food box and bowed: “Second Young Master, these are pastries specially prepared by the master’s order. The master said you didn’t eat much breakfast this morning.”

Hearing this, Wen Zhixu, who was searching through documents at his desk, said: “Not hungry.”

“Second Young Master, at least take a look…” Wen Qi tried to persuade him, eagerly opening the box lid.

The pastries inside were exquisite and colorful. Wen Zhixu had no appetite and waved his hand: “Take them away.”

He was busy looking for that Letter of Annulment – how could it have gone missing after just a few days?

Wen Qi’s tone became more earnest: “The master noticed you’ve lost weight since the ceremony and specifically ordered me to watch you eat. The master is waiting for my report.”

“Then go serve in grandfather’s quarters.” Wen Zhixu’s tone was flat, leaving no room for negotiation.

“…”

The study door opened as Wen Qi dejectedly exited, the backyard scenery immediately filling his vision.

Soft pink begonias, clear blue sky – the abundant sunlight failed to illuminate the spring garden’s beauty, the bright white courtyard wall conspicuously lacking a certain head.

Suddenly remembering a glutton lived next door, Wen Zhixu changed his tone: “Take the food box to Miss Lin. You can report to grandfather that I ate it.”

“Wouldn’t that be too forward?” Wen Qi blurted out, then immediately regretted his words. Wouldn’t sending food to a young lady like Lin Xihe be considered offensive? The Lin family was no small household – would they lack such pastries? He feared his young master might truly dislike him for overstepping.

“Forward?” Wen Zhixu considered this for a moment, a faint smile flashing in his eyes. “How could a glutton consider food forward?”

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“Miss Lin?”

“Woof, woof.”

Suspicious human voices and two long, one short dog barks came from the backyard.

Qingwu lifted her skirt: “Who’s there?”

Hearing his rival’s voice, Wen Qi adopted a businesslike tone: “My young master wishes to send some pastries to Miss Lin.”

Finding Lin Xihe unexpectedly absent, Wen Qi asked curiously: “Your miss isn’t here?”

How could she tell others her young lady was sleeping in? Qingwu scolded him for meddling.

A war of words was imminent.

Like master, like maid – Qingwu had learned to be quite domineering too: “If you’re delivering something, hurry up! Where are the pastries?!”

He had intended to send a maid to fetch them. Unexpectedly, a long pole slowly rose from the other side of the wall, a food box hanging from its end, swaying as it was passed over.

Qingwu: “…”

“Hmph, not even a word of thanks.” Wen Qi was dissatisfied with Qingwu’s attitude. As he turned around, he nearly bumped into his master.

Wen Zhixu stood behind him like a ghost, a faint trace of resentment escaping his lips: “Where is Miss Lin? Why didn’t she come?”