Jade Without Fragrance - Chapter 7 : Seeing is Believing

As soon as Qi Shuo stepped inside, he noticed that Princess Jing looked troubled.

"What's the matter, Mother?"

Princess Jing cast a quick glance at her son.

He stood tall and well-mannered, the epitome of a perfect son-in-law, but it seemed the Wen family was not interested in him.

Princess Jing had already figured out who among them was against this match.

According to reports from her informants, when Madam Lin learned of the Young Prince Jing's intentions to propose to her daughter, she was thrilled and couldn't hide her excitement. However, out of modesty, she claimed she needed to discuss it with her husband first.

But in the end, she only delivered news of rejection.

Wasn't it clear?

"It's just a minister's household, yet they're so picky..."

"Does the Wen family really not want to pursue this marriage?" Although Qi Shuo's expression remained composed, a hint of darkness flickered in his eyes.

Princess Jing felt a bit frustrated with her son for causing her embarrassment, yet his question tugged at her heartstrings.

"Shuo'er, there are plenty of lovely young women out there. I'll find someone for you who's even more beautiful than the Second Miss Wen."

Qi Shuo smiled, "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Mother, but I'm not in a hurry to get married."

Not in a hurry again?

Princess Jing glanced at her son thoughtfully.

Qi Shuo casually added, "Initially, the proposal was meant to protect the Second Miss Wen's reputation from being tarnished by your son. It wasn't because I was eager to get married."

"Is that so?" Princess Jing sipped her tea. "Alright, I understand. Shuo'er, don't let it bother you."

"Yes, Mother, just don't let it upset you too much."

"How could I? Am I someone who gets flustered by such a trivial matter?"

Later that day, when Prince Jing arrived after noon, Princess Jing informed him about the Wen family's refusal: "Considering the background, our Shuo'er is exceptional. A mere minister's household is being so haughty."

"Princess, are you upset about this?"

"I'm not really angry. I just skipped breakfast and lunch."

"That's outrageous!" Noticing Princess Jing's displeased expression, Prince Jing hastily clarified, "I meant that Wen Ru Gui is the outrageous one."

"He lacks vision; let's not waste time discussing him," Princess Jing asserted.

...

The following day, as the court session ended, Prince Jing pushed his way through the crowd and approached Wen Ru Gui, giving him a kick from behind.

Wen Ru Gui stumbled and fell, landing at the feet of Minister Zhang from the Ministry of Rites. In his panic, he grasped the minister's trouser leg.

Minister Zhang's expression turned serious: "Minister Wen, what on earth are you doing?"

Wen Ru Gui, typically composed, found himself embarrassed in front of the gathered onlookers. With a flushed face, he awkwardly got up to apologize: "I'm sorry, I slipped."

He glanced back to see several pairs of eyes watching the spectacle.

His humiliation deepened.

It was obvious someone had just kicked him, but shouting in that moment wasn't an option, so he had to swallow his pride.

"Minister Wen, do take care," Minister Zhang said with a hint of sarcasm. Not one to miss a chance to poke fun, he seized the moment to tease Wen Ru Gui.

"Thank you for the advice, Minister Zhang," Wen Ru Gui replied politely, hastily leaving the hall.

Meanwhile, Emperor Tai'an was still present and turned to the eunuch beside him, asking, "What's causing the ruckus downstairs?"

The eunuch quickly replied, "Your Majesty, it appears that Minister Wen has fallen."

Emperor Tai'an shook his head before heading into the inner hall.

...

As he exited the palace, Wen Ru Gui remained in a foul mood.

Born into a modest household, he had always been mindful of his behavior since his entry into officialdom, worried that he might be ridiculed for being vulgar. Today, however, he never anticipated making such a fool of himself.

Though spring brought a lingering chill, the carriage felt somewhat suffocating, and the endless sound of the wheels was increasingly irksome.

Wen Ru Gui lifted the curtain of the carriage and instructed the driver, "Go to Yuelai Teahouse."

The driver acknowledged him with a nod and cracked the whip.

Before long, the carriage halted. Wen Ru Gui stepped out and made his way toward the nearby teahouse.

In a restaurant refined room across from Yuelai Teahouse, a servant murmured, "Miss, that appears to be the Master!"

Wen Chan leaned against the window, her expression instantly shifting.

The third house in Ruyifang, located in Mahua Alley, belonged to a woman and her two children, a son named Chang Hui and a daughter named Chang Qing.

The information she had collected over the past few days aligned perfectly with what her sister had shared, yet she hesitated to accept it, as she had not witnessed her father entering or leaving this place herself.

"Xiao He, follow him immediately and find out which family he entered," she instructed.

Xiao He nodded in agreement and hurried out.

Wen Chan grabbed a teacup and took a sip.

The tea had gone cold, chilling her heart even more.

She stood, paced a few steps, then sank back into her seat, her hand with the teacup trembling slightly.

If that woman and her two children were truly connected to her father...

After an indeterminate span of time, Xiao He returned.

"Which family did the Master visit?" Wen Chan asked as she stood up.

"He went to the third house."

Wen Chan slumped back into her chair, her complexion drained.

"Miss..." Xiao He looked concerned.

Wen Chan braced herself against the table and managed to say, "We should go home."

The master and servant, initially dressed like men, changed back into women's clothing, returned to the Wen Mansion, and headed directly to Luoying Courtyard.

Upon seeing Wen Chan's expression, Wen Hao instantly understood. He signaled to Bao Zhu to guard the door and spoke quietly, "Did you see him, Eldest Sister?"

Wen Chan grasped Wen Hao's cold hand, saying, "It's Eldest Sister's fault. I should have figured this out sooner..."

She couldn't bear to think about how her younger sister, who had been unable to speak just days ago, would feel after finding out about this matter.

"Father..." Wen Chan hesitated as she spoke these words again, "He wouldn't let that woman and her two sons stay outside forever."

Seeing Chang Hui, older than herself, made Wen Chan realize she couldn't naively believe that her father held genuine respect for Madam Lin, his legal wife. If there were true respect, there wouldn't be another woman and her children to consider.

And with respect mingled with ulterior motives, how could the Father allow his only son to be denied entry into his ancestral home?

"Second Sister, we can't inform our mother about this for now."

Wen Hao nodded, "Understood. What do you think, Eldest Sister?"

"Chang Hui and Chang Qing are too old now; it's unlikely we can prevent them from entering the Wen Mansion. As for Madam Chang, we, as daughters, have no reason to stop her. Our Mother has a quick temper, and confronting Father directly could turn out badly. Let's find an appropriate moment to discuss this with Grandmother. As an elder, she can exert pressure on Father to send Madam Chang away; at least that would remove one complication for our Mother."

Wen Hao listened quietly and let out a sigh inwardly.

What mattered most in the world was the legacy left for future generations. She worried that if Chang Hui couldn't come back to their ancestral home, it would earn her father a lot of sympathy. Even her Eldest Sister thought it might be beneficial to get rid of Madam Chang, but she didn't feel the same about the two children. It was unfortunate that her Eldest Sister wasn't aware of their father's harshness.

Her father desired more than just Chang Hui's return; he also wanted to make his beloved woman the official wife, legitimize his only son, and tap into the Lin family's vast wealth!

"I'll take my Eldest Sister's advice. Once my foot heals, we should go together to speak with our grandmother."

There was still some time before everything unfolded, and her father might not have told the two witnesses by then. If they came unexpectedly and caught him off guard, how could he hide his true nature?