Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Twenty-Two:
Unworthy

How heartwarming it would be if this young man could always remain as beautiful as he is in her memory?

After leaving You Huang Pavilion, Yan Lin took Jiang Xuening for another stroll.

When he saw items for sale at a store, he would ask her if she liked them or not. He would ask about things like gold, silver, jade, rouge, sachets, and even calligraphy and paintings. At first, Jiang Xuening didn’t notice anything unusual, but when Yan Lin picked up another jade ruyi and asked her, a faint warning went off in her heart.

The young man’s expression had always been straightforward.

However, at this moment, it appeared reserved.

When he asked if she ‘liked it or not,’ his eyes were smiling, but his gaze was a bit evasive, as if he were hiding something for fear of being discovered by her. There was also a hint of inconspicuous shyness.

Yan Lin really didn’t want her to know.

Seeing that September was about to end, counting on her fingers, she realized that October was just around the corner, and then it would be his coming-of-age ceremony in November.

Once his coming-of-age ceremony passed, he could discuss marriage.

At that time, he could go to the Jiang mansion to propose marriage, so the dowry list naturally needed to be prepared. He wanted to know what Ning Ning liked and didn’t like. If it was something she liked, he would quietly buy it later and put it on the dowry list, thinking it would be a small surprise when she saw it.

The young man’s worries were not hidden deep enough.

When Jiang Xuening didn’t notice it, she could still normally say if she liked or didn’t like it, thinking it was just him being himself. But after she noticed it, she said she didn’t like it and kept saying that.

She followed him to visit two more stores.

Finally, she stopped before the third shop selling jade and pearl head ornaments and turned to Yan Lin. “I’m a bit tired.”

Yan Lin looked up and saw that her face was indeed pale.

Only then did he realize he was having a great time wandering around; he forgot she would enter the palace tomorrow. He asked if she wanted to stop and rest. Still feeling a little guilty after a moment, he said, “It’s all my fault. I forgot again. Anyway, there’s still plenty of time in the future. When you go to the palace to accompany the princess, I can also come and find you. Let’s go back early today, and I will see you off.”

Jiang Xuening came out by carriage.

Yan Lin, however, rode a horse and slowly followed her carriage when she returned home.

She occasionally lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and could see the golden glow of sunset falling on the tall figure of the young man. The high bridge of his nose, slightly smiling lips, and even the barely moving eyelashes were stained with light. When he looked back at her, it was fiery and dazzling.

Her heart, however, was filled with sourness.

Almost done.

She had to find a suitable time to clarify everything with Yan Lin.

。。。

After returning to the mansion, Jiang Xuening asked someone to move all of her belongings and to go to the accounting study to check what her parents had added to her residence in recent years.

She had no accounts, but they were in the mansion.

The maids and mamas who were punished for stealing from her before were so frightened that they trembled and thought their Second Miss would start digging up old accounts again. Even Wang Xing’s face went pale with fear.

Jiang Xuening only said, “I have said that I will not bring this up again. This time, it is none of your business. Those who are moving should check their accounts.”

The maids and mamas in her residence finally calmed down.

It took only a short time for several boxes to be moved out.

Jiang Xuening then pointed to the list in her hand and divided her valuable items into two sides. On one side was her own, essentially gifts from her family. The other side had all of the items Yan Lin had delivered over the years and was the larger pile.

She made a new ledger herself and recorded everything clearly.

Marquis Yongyi’s mansion was grand and prominent for a time, but there was no news of the imperial edict to search and seize their property. Even the night before Yan Lin’s coming-of-age ceremony, everyone in the mansion was still preparing for the next day’s celebration.

So, their home was searched without any preparation.

All property was confiscated, and they were thoroughly investigated. People were also directly imprisoned. Even though there were people outside working hard to clear the way for the family, there were financial restrictions, and no Marquis or Crown Prince could be seen. In addition, the Royal Guards later discovered that Marquis Yongyi’s mansion indeed had a letter of contact with Prince Pingnan’s rebellious faction, and the Holy Emperor was furious, leading to no one daring to stand up for Marquis Yongyi anymore.

The only reason the Marquis’s family was spared the punishment of clan extermination was because of the family’s contributions to the country.

But how impoverished were they after being exiled?

In the previous life, Yan Lin returned to court and seemed to have transformed into a different person. He exuded a fierce aura and rarely laughed.

It was as if the passionate youth in her memory never existed.

Only in the quiet of the night, when he lay on the bed in her palace and gently held her hand, telling her about what he had seen, heard, experienced, and felt during his exile in the Northwest Outland, could Jiang Xuening think that this was Yan Lin…

The young man who talked to her about the magnificent mountains and rivers when he was young.

The story he told was different. He was a noble young marquis dressed in fine clothes and anger when he was young. He looked all over the mountains and rivers, full of vitality, and what stayed in his eyes were all those brilliant and beautiful things. After being exiled, he not only was no longer from a noble family but also a person of guilt. When he went to the bitterly cold northwest, it was the same mountains and rivers; in his eyes, he was filled with depression. What remained in his memory was the hardships of the world and the fickleness of people’s hearts.

Now, the heavens had allowed her to turn back the long river of time and let her see the sincere and passionate youth from her memory.

She couldn’t repay this kind of emotion.

How heartwarming it would be if this young man could always remain as beautiful as he is in her memory?

The qin Yan Lin had bought for her during the day was still on her desk.

Jiang Xuening looked up quietly for a long time. She recorded the qin in her ledger and wrote a line with small characters at the back, ‘Three thousand taels of silver.’

She couldn’t help but smile bitterly after she wrote it.

Yan Lin, this guy, really splurged without a second thought. He bought a three thousand taels of silver for this qin, but she didn’t know how much it would be discounted when it was ready for sale.

Lü Xian was truly an unscrupulous businessman!

Lian’er and Tang’er didn’t know why she suddenly began counting things again but suddenly remembered something and leaned in. “By the way, Young Miss, because you were selected as the princess’s study companion, Master and Madam rewarded you with many things. This afternoon, Eldest Miss also brought a set of four treasures to the study. Do you want to take a look and record them as well?”

Jiang Xuehui?

She looked at Lian’er.

The Huzhou brush, Duan inkstone, Songyan ink, and Chengxin paper were all excellent.
[All of these are very high-quality items for calligraphy.]

She fell silent for a moment. “Let it be.”

。。。

The fact that Jiang Xuening was summoned to the palace to be the princess’s study companion naturally sparked much discussion in the Jiang mansion. After all, she was indulgent and not good at learning, the complete opposite of Eldest Miss Jiang Xuehui in all aspects.

But the final list still chose her.

Everyone in the mansion initially expected the Eldest Miss’s name to be submitted, which made the final selection all the more surprising.

For a moment, everything was said: some said the name in the palace might have been mistaken. Others said that Jiang Xuening had flattered the princess and used some tricks to make the princess cross out Jiang Xuehui’s name to give her the opportunity. There were rumors that she went to Master’s study privately and forced him to change the name to her before submitting the candidate. There were also rumors that it was because Jiang Xuehui’s qualifications were not enough that the palace did not think she was appropriate.

These words didn’t reach Jiang Xuening’s ears.

She didn’t care.

She was to enter the palace the next morning. Although Jiang Boyou and Madam Meng also felt the outcome was confusing, they still set up a meal in their room that evening and called Jiang Xuehui and Jiang Xuening to have a meal together.

This was the first time Jiang Xuening had seen Jiang Xuening since the study companion list was sent out.

She looked no different from usual.

She was still dignified and virtuous, taking the initiative to serve her parents during the meal. There was no injustice or disappointment in her eyes. It was as if this had never happened, and she hadn’t heard of the rumors.

Jiang Boyou, on the other hand, was worried and didn’t have much hope for Jiang Xuening’s entry into the palace. He could only earnestly advise his daughter, “Your father is an official in the court, and his political achievements are satisfactory. After you enter the palace, you do not need to argue about anything. You will be fine if you are good, control your temper, and don’t cause any trouble. As for whether the princess or the teachers like you, it doesn’t matter. Do enough to barely pass by. Remember, observe more and speak less; bury your head and focus on doing things.”

Jiang Xuening responded to her father on each point.

But she thought in her heart: Jiang Boyou didn’t need to worry so much when she entered the palace tomorrow to start learning etiquette. After all, if the plan of ‘slacking off’ goes smoothly, she’s afraid she won’t be able to pass the etiquette and qualifications and must return home early.

Jiang Boyou looked at her casual appearance and still felt a little worried. He didn’t say much but thought to himself that when the morning court ended tomorrow morning, he would ask Ju’an to take care of her in the palace.

Madam Meng, on the other hand, still harbored resentment towards the unexpected changes in the candidate. During the banquet, her expression wasn’t very good. She glanced at Jiang Xuening several times and wanted to ask if she had done something for it to be this way, but Jiang Boyou gave her a look, and she didn’t ask.

When explaining, it was just a matter of a couple of sentences.

After all, the real message was letting Jiang Boyou speak. She only said a few words to Jiang Xuening from beginning to end.

The meal dispersed at a quarter past the hour of youshi.
[The hour of youshi is the timeslot of 5-7 pm. This would be 6:30 pm.]

When they left the residence, the mansion had already been lit.

Jiang Xuening came out with Jiang Xuehui after saying goodbye, so it was normal to walk in the corridor with one in front and the other at the back.

If it were any other day, they would leave without any hesitation.

Today, Jiang Xuening stopped her and calmly said, “I don’t like the things you gave me.”

Jiang Xuehui stopped and didn’t turn back. “Then you can throw it away,” she said.

Jiang Xuening gave a sarcastic chuckle. “If I were you, and I submitted my name only not to be chosen and my ignorant and inexperienced younger sister was, I would have to wonder if I had been played. You are hypocritical and even wanted to give me brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Do you think I can’t see that you actually want to enter the palace?”

Jiang Xuehui finally turned her gaze to look at her.

The corridor was covered with wisteria flowers, but the flowering season had passed, and it was late autumn. The leaves withered, and the branches were sparse, so the frosty-white moonlight hung down from the gaps between the branches and flowed finely onto her.

A simple moonlight-white dress, standing there yet beautiful and charming.

Even the sarcastic smirk at the corner of her mouth had a moving posture.

Her joy and anger were not concealed. It was as if she disdained to hide them.

Jiang Xuehui felt a little envious. “I want to enter the palace,” she said slowly. “What women in the world hasn’t loved prosperity? This is not a shameful thing for me. It’s just that, in the end, things didn’t work out, and there is nothing to complain about. Everything has its own fate, and now I don’t have the ability or fate.”

Jiang Xuening couldn’t stand her calm expression when she spoke. The smile on her lips gradually faded while her voice’s sarcasm became even stronger. “Do you know why I didn’t like you as soon as I met you when I entered the mansion?”

Jiang Xuehui remained silent.

Jiang Xuening then snapped off a small, withered branch hanging from the corridor. The snap in the night’s quiet was a different type of shock. “Not only because you are better than me, smarter than me, and enjoyed everything I should have enjoyed. More importantly, after four years, you have not only known about your background but also know who your biological mother is. Some people, even if not nurtured, have also been blessed. But you have never once asked me a single thing about Wanniang.”

Jiang Xuehui’s palms folded in front of her slowly tightened, and she lowered her eyes slightly as if she had something to say.

Ultimately, she remained silent.

Jiang Xuening casually threw the withered branch away and smiled at her. “Before Wanniang fell ill again, she took my hand and stuffed the bracelet from her family into my hand. She asked me to go back to the mansion and, when I saw you, hand it over to you. I never gave it to you because I felt… I felt you were unworthy.”

…

Next Chapter:  Entering the Palace