“No!” cried Zhao shi, falling weakly to her knees.

Su Jing Fei watched as the various members of the Feng family displayed their emotions from hearing the news. There was despair, confusion, and anger. Su Jing Fei felt her own confliction of emotions; this was the result that she had intended but at a cost much greater than she had anticipated. Her conscience was filled with guilt at the thought of a young woman like Feng Eu Mei experiencing her first time in such a public and humiliating display like this. Su Jing Fei had only intended for the two to be found in bed together; this alone was surely enough for them to be married off. But what had gone wrong? Was it the drugs she gave them? The dosage of the sleeping pills was just supposed to be enough to make then sleep hard for a half hour. Then it would be flushed out of the system before the doctor could even examine them. However, could it be the fact that Hou gongzi was intoxicated? Was the effectiveness of the sleeping pills lessened by the alcohol? She didn’t know. She hadn’t anticipated this situation and had only kept a few drugs on her for defensive use against the Feng family’s schemes, but now, she was experiencing the full unintentional result of her revenge; the complete humiliation of a member of the Feng family. But what good was this revenge against a child who knew no better? It was Feng Ruo Qian who had killed her brother and mother, and although the Feng family must surely know of his crimes, should they be also held responsible for them? Su Jing Fei felt her conviction waver. What sacrifices must be made for her to exact her revenge?

“Your highness, please seek justice for my daughter!” Feng Ruo Qian shouted as he kneeled before Li Wei Sheng; his face was red with anger. Feng Ru Weng also dropped to his knees before the imperial prince, a mixture of emotions apparent on his face.

“This imperial prince shall hear your words,” Li Wei Sheng said calmly as he seated himself before then. “What does the Feng family wish to do?”

Feng Ruo Zhang gestured to the servants. “Bring in the Hou gongzi!” A few minutes later, the young disheveled man was dragged into the hall, looking quite sobered and scared. “Speak! Explain yourself!” commanded Feng Ruo Zhang as the young man was made to stand before them.

The Hou gongzi’s eyes darted before the people present, landing on Li Wei Sheng’s figure. He quickly prostrated himself before the imperial prince. “This lowly one greets the imperial prince! I am Hou Jian Yu, eldest son of the Hou family in Fuo Alan!” He greeted himself properly, but his next words were a plea of innocence. “This lowly one has been forcibly detained and accused of crimes that one is innocent of! Will the imperial prince please seek the truth in the matter?”

“What truth!?” spat Feng Ruo Qian as he pointed an accusing finger at Hou Jian Yu. "Your irresponsible behavior resulted in the loss of Feng Eu Mei's purity!"

“My feelings for Feng Eu Mei are nothing but love and respect!” Hou Jian Yu replied as he remained in a prostrated position. “However, whatever actions this one has done while drunk are another matter, and I will take full responsibility for my actions. This one promises the Feng family and the imperial prince that he shall take good care of Feng Eu Mei for the rest of this one’s life!”

Li Wei Sheng nodded his head approvingly at Hou Jian Yu’s words. “A man must definitely take responsibility for his actions. This one has heard your words and adds to your proposal. For the crime of taking Feng Eu Mei’s purity before the night of marriage, you shall double the dowry and spend an hour each day for fifteen days kneeling before your ancestral hall to atone for your unfilial actions upon impugning the honor of your ancestors.” Li Wei Sheng turned to the Feng family, speaking directly to Feng Ruo Qian. “Does the first master accept this proposal?”

Feng Ruo Qian grit his teeth, wanting to argue, but he knew that this was most likely the best result for his daughter now that her purity had been taken. Just as he was about to accept the proposal, a loud shrill voice interrupted him.

“This lowly one hopes the imperial prince shall seek justice for this one!” cried Feng Eu Mei as she stepped forward, her eyes burning with rage in Su Jing Fei’s direction. Her whole life had been dedicated towards becoming the wangfei of an imperial prince’s household, but now her future has been reduced to being the furen of a lowly official’s son! How can she just abandon her hatred and accept this fate quietly?

“What justice does the Feng xiaojie wish to seek?” asked Li Wei Sheng in a low voice; however, his eyes flickered to Su Jing Fei’s quiet and calm presence at the corner of the room.

“This lowly one accuses Su Jing Fei of drugging me and scheming with Hou Jian Yu to get me to marry him!” Feng Eu Mei declared in an angry voice before turning to Su Jing Fei with a dirty look. “You did this to me!”

Su Jing Fei kept her gaze trained on Feng Eu Mei, watching the young girl closely. Yes, it was definitely Su Jing Fei who had caused Feng Eu Mei to lose her virginity, whether she had intended for it or not. Despite this guilt causing her conviction to waver, Su Jing Fei’s responsibility to protect her sister far outweighed anything else. She couldn’t allow for herself to be put in a vulnerable position. Her eyes flickered to Li Wei Sheng.

“What does the Su xiaojie have to say about this matter?” Li Wei Sheng asked calmly, watching the young woman’s piercing cold eyes turn to him.

“This lowly one has never met nor spoken to Hou Jian Yu,” Su Jing Fei replied with a respectful bow. “Feng xiaojie is mistaken in her accusations.” She turned to Feng Eu Mei, bowing politely.

“You drugged my water!” Feng Eu Mei argued, shaking an accusing finger at Su Jing Fei. “You did this to me! You and Hou Jian Yu want to see me suffer!”

“That’s not true!” interrupted Hou Jian Yu as he stepped forward in Feng Eu Mei’s direction, throwing a pleading look in her direction. “This one only wishes to see Feng xiaojie’s happiness! This one was truly happy to have heard from Feng xiaojie tonight!”

“Lies! Everything!” cried Feng Eu Mei as anger, frustration, and despair flickered in her expression. She suddenly ran forward in Su Jing Fei’s direction, anger burning in her eyes.

Pa! A resounding slap sound echoed in the hall, gathering everyone’s attention.

“Mei’er!” Zhao shi sobbed as she moved quickly to her daughter’s side. Feng Eu Mei was seated on the floor, her face burning from the heat of her cheek. She clutched her face, tears streaming down her face as she gave a look of confusion.

“Disgraceful,” muttered Feng Ruo Zhang, his eyes were dark as he looked down on his granddaughter. “Do you still wish to act like a child forever?”

Feng Eu Mei was speechless. No one had hit her before, not even her father. The Feng family has always doted on her, but she saw now that they only favored her for her potential to rise on the wings of a phoenix. Now that she had lost her purity and her opportunity, she was no longer an asset to the Feng family. Her fate was sealed. There was nothing she could do now.

Su Jing Fei quietly watched the family displays before her. The Feng family could hide this humiliation by marrying Feng Eu Mei off to Hou Jian Yu. In the end, although she had achieved a form of revenge upon Feng Ruo Qian, Su Jing Fei had also sacrificed Feng Eu Mei in the process. In the modern world, they’d call it ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ This was the only way to protect herself and her sister. It had to be done. However, she furrowed her brows slightly as she watched Feng Eu Mei resign to her fate.

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The matter settled quite quickly after the outburst. Feng Ruo Qian accepted Hou Jian Yu’s proposal along with the imperial prince’s blessing for the two’s marriage. Feng Ru Weng followed his father out the door with Hou Jian Yu as Feng Eu Mei was escorted out by Zhao shi and the Feng Lao Furen. Su Jing Fei caught a glare from the two older women as they passed her. It was left to Feng Ruo Zhang to see Li Wei Sheng and Su Jing Fei out the door. Without even a passing glance, Su Jing Fei entered her carriage with Yize at her side.

Once the carriage started rolling on its path home, Su Jing Fei stared out the window and watched the passing scenery. Yize knew something was off with her xiaojie, but she didn’t know how to start the conversation; so she sat in their comfortable silence until Su Jing Fei spoke up first. “Have I done a bad thing?” murmured the young woman, furrowing her brows slightly. Ever since Su Jing Fei had entered this world, she’d done nothing but try to survive. Now that she was starting to fight back against those who wronged her, the revenge felt differently than she had imagined. It felt more and more like she was destroying the chances for her and her sister to live a peaceful life.

Yize was surprised at her xiaojie’s question, not sure of how to answer her. After awhile, she still couldn’t seem to find an answer, but it seemed like her xiaojie had taken the silence as an answer itself. The rest of the ride home was quiet and calm as they slowly returned to Mudan-Yu.

The next few days, Su Jing Fei and Da Chun spent their time quietly in Fuo Lan as the former teached the latter a bit more about the knowledge of running businesses. Su Jing Fei found herself wanting to spend many days with her sister peacefully, and it seemed that Da Chun was quite content with this as well. However, an unexpected visitor interrupted their short-lived peace. A messenger from the Feng family came bearing an invitation to Feng Eu Mei and Hou Jian Yu’s wedding.

“Send a letter of acceptance back to the Feng family,” Su Jing Fei ordered Zihuan. “Also send the wedding gifts to the Feng and Hou residences.” Su Jing Fei had known that the Feng family would probably expedite the wedding in case Feng Eu Mei had fallen pregnant by any chance, so she had prepared the gift soon after the spring festival celebrations. Although her businesses were not luxurious by any means, Su Jing Fei had prepared a set of delicately ornate floral hair pins for Feng Eu Mei and also included two cuts of medium-grade cloth for the new couple to make summer clothes from.

Once Zihuan left with the messenger, Su Jing Fei returned to embroidering handkerchiefs with Da Chun. Da Chun was quite skilled at shaping the thread into beautiful intricate designs while Su Jing Fei found her own creativity to be lacking in comparison.

“Jie jie is too serious,” laughed Da Chun as she watched her older sister concentrating at the needle and cloth in her hands. “Just imagine a pretty image in your head and relax. Your hands already know how to sew; let them do the work for you.”

Su Jing Fei shook her head with a smile. “It is a good thing you’re not a teacher,” teased Su Jing Fei with a laugh. “That advice isn’t helpful to someone as uncreative as I am!”

The two young women laughed together, making for a very happy sight for the four yatou who watched them. Yize had never seen her xiaojie look so happy and relaxed. The rest of the afternoon was spent peacefully as Su Jing Fei taught Da Chun some reading and writing Chinese characters. Once night fell, the two bid goodnight and left to their respective courtyards. Yize helped Su Jing Fei settle down for the night, but instead of a bath, Su Jing Fei let Yize help her wash her hands and feet before settling into the bed. On her way out, Yize extinguished the candles in the room. A single candle was left lit at Su Jing Fei’s bedside.

Shadows were cast upon the walls of the room, moving with every flicker of the candle’s flame. Su Jing Fei listened for Yize’s soft footsteps moving away from the door of her room. As the silence of night filled the air, Su Jing Fei quietly sat up and got out of the bed. Moving to the window, Su Jing Fei pushed open the wooden shutters. A cool breeze drifted into the room, and Su Jing Fei turned to address the darkness in her room. “This lowly one would prefer to not be watched in the comfort of one’s own home,” spoke Su Jing Fei in a cold voice. “Please kindly remove yourself from my room.”

There was a moment of silence before a soft chuckle came from the shadows. “This imperial prince is quite amazed at Su xiaojie’s perceptiveness,” Li Wei Sheng replied in an amused tone as he stepped into the candlelight. He looked quite comfortable as he strolled through the room, settling into a chair. “It seems that my hidden guards were not lying when they said that you were able to seemingly detect their presence. This one has terribly underestimated Su xiaojie.”

Su Jing Fei remained near the window, watching Li Wei Sheng’s every move closely. “If the imperial prince wishes to have meaningless conversations, one could have come during the day like any other normal person.”

“But what would it mean for an imperial prince to visit the residence of a young unmarried xiaojie in the daytime?” Li Wei Sheng’s words were teasing, but his eyes seemed quite sharp as they kept a firm hold on Su Jing Fei. “The news would probably spread to the imperial city in a day by the mouth of gossiping old furens.”

“So visiting a young unmarried xiaojie in the cover of night is better than during the day?” Su Jing Fei replied, a bit of annoyance in her tone.

“Exactly.” Li Wei Sheng smiled, clearing enjoying the trouble he made for her. “There’s no one to talk if there’s no one to see or know. But these what ifs are too boring to discuss. Let us talk about more important matters.” He gestured for Su Jing Fei to sit at the chair across from him.

Realizing she couldn’t convince him to leave her anytime soon, Su Jing Fei closed the window to her room and returned to the bed where she sat comfortably at its edge. “And what important matters does the imperial prince wish to speak to me about?”

There was a glint in Li Wei Sheng’s eye as he looked at Su Jing Fei. “Can Su xiaojie enlighten this imperial prince as to why the Feng family wishes to see you either humiliated or dead?”

“If the imperial prince wishes to know the Feng family’s intent, then why not seek the Feng family for answers?” Su Jing Fei replied calmly, unperturbed by Li Wei Sheng’s piercing stare.

He watched her closely, gauging her reactions and trying to find out the truth behind that calm facade. However, it seemed impenetrable. For now, he’d have to concede. “This one will trade answers for answers. How about that?”

Su Jing Fei thought about it for a moment. It seemed that Li Wei Sheng didn’t bear any ill intent towards her for now. If, for whatever reason, she could have some assistance from Li Wei Sheng’s acquaintance, then it’d be best to learn as much as she can from him as well. “Very well then,” Su Jing Fei agreed with a nod of her head. “This one will answer truthfully to a question after receiving an answer first.”

“Go ahead.” Li Wei Sheng’s smile lifted into a grin.

“Why was the imperial prince at Xia-Wu that night?” Su Jing Fei asked. She knew it probably had something to do with the Emperor’s task that Li Wei Sheng was carrying out. She was actually quite curious about the matter.

“To investigate possible illegal activities,” Li Wei Sheng answered without a hint of hesitation. “Why was Su xiaojie at Xia-Wu?”

“To find someone,” Su Jing Fei replied, leaning comfortably against the head of the bed as she contemplated Li Wei Sheng’s words. If Li Wei Sheng was investigating illegal activities on the Emperor’s behalf, it was no wonder that Li Wei Sheng had made himself scarce in the official court while spending time travelling throughout Chu. However, she hadn’t anticipated Li Wei Sheng giving up this information so easily. “Is the imperial prince also investigating the Feng family in relation to the matter?”

“Yes,” Li Wei Sheng said easily as he leaned back into his chair. The candlelight shifted the shadows on his face, highlighting his sharp jaw and handsome appearance. His calm attitude added an air of comfortable mystery to his persona, but Su Jing Fei was more intrigued by the way he carried himself. Such a black-bellied character was quite similar to herself in a sense. She could respect the calm, effortless, and efficient way he handled matters. “Who is Su xiaojie searching for?”

Su Jing Fei hesitated answering. Although she had anticipated the question, it still threw her off. She didn’t quite know if she could trust Li Wei Sheng exactly, but he had been quite forthcoming with his answers. So far, he’d spared her life and also settled the matter of the lake incident. She was quite aware that she was in his debt, so she could only respond to his truthfulness with her own. “My sister,” murmured Su Jing Fei in a soft voice. “I was searching for my sister.”