Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Shen Siyi x Xie Suzhi (7)

At first, Mrs. Qi did not agree to let Shen Siyi take Qi Jingchun’s place at the appointment, as Marquis Tongping’s interest was in Qi Jingchun.

However, Shen Siyi said, "As I understand it, many prominent families in the Capital City are hoping to marry their daughters to him as his second wife. They’ve all been in contact with Marquis Tongping over the past few days."

"Jingchun’s injury is your fault. You’re the one who made it impossible for her to accompany the Marquis on the boat tour. If you don’t seize this opportunity, your grand plan will fall apart."

Mrs. Qi’s face turned livid, but she had no time to dwell on the provocation and mockery in Shen Siyi’s words.

’Just as Shen Siyi said. She had to ensure a daughter of the Qi Family seized the opportunity to marry into the Marquis Mansion. So, whether it was Qi Jingchun or Shen Siyi, it made no real difference!’

And so, the next day, Shen Siyi was elaborately dressed and sent out of the mansion.

Just before she left, Qi Jingchun gripped Shen Siyi’s hand tightly. Jingchun’s own fingers were swollen like cocktail sausages, and her eyes welled up as she looked at her sister.

"Sister... I’m so sorry you have to go through this humiliation for me."

"There, there, don’t cry," Shen Siyi said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear and whispering with a small smile. "You just watch. I’ll teach that lecherous old Marquis a lesson. I guarantee he’ll never dare bother anyone from our mansion again!"

Qi Jingchun chuckled at her tone, but didn’t forget to add a word of caution. "Sister, you have to protect yourself."

Qi Jingchun had met with Marquis Tongping twice before, and the old man had been shockingly handsy.

Rumor had it that he was handsy with every young woman he met, touching their hands and faces.

Not long after Shen Siyi left, Qi Jingchun started back to her room, but Mrs. Qi’s cold, stern voice stopped her from behind. "Your fingers might hurt, but you absolutely cannot neglect your zither practice. Play properly, or you’ll have me to answer to."

Qi Jingchun’s face paled. She nodded silently and returned dejectedly to her own courtyard.

But the moment the door closed, a figure leaped down from the ceiling beams.

"Jing Chun," King Shu said, striding over to her. "Mrs. Qi didn’t realize the injury to your fingers was fake, did she?"

Qi Jingchun nodded, her voice low. "No. Even my sister didn’t suspect a thing."

The truth was, Mrs. Qi often punished her this way, so King Shu had devised a plan for Qi Jingchun. Knowing she was about to be punished, she would first tuck a bit of vermillion powder under her fingernails.

That way, when the needle pricked her skin, the powder would mix with the blood, making her fingers look horrifyingly red and swollen.

But the effect was temporary. That evening, after washing it clean, applying a warm compress and some ointment, there was actually no serious harm done.

This time, however, King Shu had Qi Jingchun pretend the injury was much more severe, giving her a perfect excuse to avoid meeting Marquis Tongping.

Sensing her guilt, he took her hand. "You feel bad about Shen Siyi, don’t you?"

Qi Jingchun nodded. "My sister doesn’t know I’m faking it. I only meant to get out of seeing Marquis Tongping, but I never expected... when she saw how bad my injury looked, she actually pleaded with Mother for me. She was willing to go in my place."

"Your Highness... just now, when I saw how concerned she looked, I felt I deserved a thousand deaths for what I’d done. I should have told her the truth, but I deceived her."

As she spoke, Qi Jingchun covered her face and burst into tears.

King Shu’s heart ached for her. He stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace. "Don’t blame yourself. This is on me; it was my idea. What fault is it of yours? You were only doing as I said."

"Besides, it’s not as bad as you think. Shen Siyi’s personality is much better suited to dealing with these aristocrats. She’s not afraid to offend powerful people. You, on the other hand, are the legitimate daughter of the Qi Mansion. You can’t afford to be as reckless and defiant as she is."

"And another thing—she’s the one who volunteered to go on the boat tour in your place. Maybe she’d rather marry Marquis Tongping as his wife than be some other man’s concubine. Between being a wife and a concubine, any woman knows which to choose, wouldn’t you say?"

Qi Jingchun looked up, her eyes still wet with tears, her expression lost. "Is that really true...?"

King Shu nodded. "Of course. She doesn’t come from a background like yours. She’s a foundling Mrs. Qi took in off the streets, a girl with no family or status. Her fate is to be married off by Mrs. Qi as a concubine to whomever she pleases."

"So, in doing this, she’s probably just looking out for herself. You have even less reason to feel guilty or upset. For all you know, she might even be grateful to you for giving her this opportunity!"

Qi Jingchun pressed her lips together and wiped away her tears. She didn’t cry anymore.

But a strange feeling stirred within her. She had never doubted Shen Siyi’s motives before, always believing her sister had her best interests at heart.

But what if King Shu was right? What if part of Shen Siyi’s reason for doing this was for herself?

Qi Jingchun wondered, lost in thought.

’He had a point. What other chance would Shen Siyi have for a good marriage, unless she found a way to become a proper wife?’

With this thought, the guilt in Qi Jingchun’s heart lessened considerably.

She began to play the zither, ensuring the maid Mrs. Qi had posted outside the door could hear the music. Beside her, King Shu held her close, the two of them stealing kisses, stopping just short of going too far.

At that very moment, Princess Shu, bedridden with an autumn chill, asked where the Prince was. Her maids all told her he had gone out early to attend to official business.

Meanwhile, Shen Siyi rode in a carriage, heading toward the lake where she was to meet the Marquis. Parting the curtain for a look, she saw the carriage was surrounded by Protectors and attendants from the Qi Mansion.

’Tsk. Was it really necessary to send so many people?’ she thought. She knew Mrs. Qi could never believe she had come to this meeting willingly.

’She must be afraid I’ll stir up trouble, so she sent people to keep an eye on me.’

’But let them watch. It won’t matter. Today, I’m going to make Marquis Tongping pay.’

’An old man like that, still dreaming of marrying a beautiful young woman.’

’Does he really think he’s the Emperor, picking out consorts?’

The carriage stopped at the lakeside.

Shen Siyi stepped out of the carriage. Before her, the wind rippled across the water, a beautiful, shimmering expanse.

The autumn lake was like a mirror, reflecting the distant mountains and fiery maples. Among them stood evergreen cypresses and pines, tall and full of life.

This beautiful tapestry of red and green created a vibrant, rich autumn scene. A light breeze brought with it a hint of coolness, disturbing the lake’s placid surface and sending ripples across it.

A few water birds, white flashes against the blue, skimmed across the lake, their clear calls adding to the elegance of the scene.

Shen Siyi found the scenery breathtaking. If she didn’t have business to attend to, she would have loved to rent a fisherman’s skiff and simply drift on the late autumn water.

"Miss, over there," her maid, Anxiang, said, pointing to a painted boat moored at the lakeshore. "Look, there are guards on deck. The Marquis Tongping must already be here."

Shen Siyi’s gaze sharpened, a faint, hard edge appearing on her delicate features.

’Just watch how I handle this Marquis Tongping.’

As they approached the painted boat, Anxiang presented the invitation, but two guards still blocked Shen Siyi’s path.

"The Marquis has given an order," one of them said. "The young lady may only bring one maid aboard. All other servants and guards must wait on the shore."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.