Jade Without Fragrance - Chapter 9 : Book Boy

Emperor Tai'an had very few offspring, just two princes: the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, known as Prince Wei.

The Crown Prince was born to the former Empress, which solidified his status as the rightful heir due to his position as the eldest son. In contrast, Prince Wei, whose mother was originally a palace maid, had only achieved her current status as a concubine because of her son. Emperor Tai'an favored the Crown Prince significantly more than Prince Wei.

Wen Hao, finally regaining her composure after her shocking revelation, felt no lingering surprise.

Despite her father's indifference, she was still his daughter. For someone like him to casually hand her over to another party meant that person had to be of significant status.

With her grandparents gone, her mother in a state of madness, and her being mute, finding her a match in a family of equal standing was unlikely, let alone one from a lower rank than the Wens. Marrying her into a lesser family wouldn't help her father, who seemed uninterested in his daughter's happiness. It was honestly easier to keep her at home and just feed her.

In the Wen Mansion, she felt like a solitary figure ignored by everyone.

Her father would surely be swayed if she managed to capture the Crown Prince's attention and earn his regard for him. After all, this was the same father who had ruthlessly ended the life of his wife of over two decades.

The Crown Prince... was essentially one of her adversaries.

Not just any prince, but the anticipated future Emperor. Facing him was akin to climbing a steep mountain.

Wen Hao looked down at her delicate hands.

"A Hao, are you feeling unwell?" Madam Lin asked, noticing her daughter's pale complexion.

Wen Hao forced a smile. "I'm fine. Have you made your choices?"

Madam Lin gestured to the stunning selection of jewelry laid out before them. "Let's take everything."

The shopkeeper, beaming, replied, "I'll wrap it up and have it delivered to your home."

"No need for that; I'll carry it with me," Madam Lin insisted.

The shopkeeper neatly packaged the jewelry, personally escorting several boxes to Madam Lin's carriage. "Madam, I'll bring you new styles when they are available."

Madam Lin replied, "That's unnecessary; it's much more enjoyable to shop in person."

Once settled in the carriage, she handed Wen Hao one of the rosewood boxes. "A Hao, see if this pleases you."

Wen Hao opened the box and was nearly overwhelmed by the sparkling jewelry within. The memories of her past struggles to escape flooded back, making her eyes prick with tears.

Even the simplest box of silver ingots would feel more precious than a collection of exquisite jewels.

"It seems my daughter really loves it."

Wen Hao nodded earnestly. "Mother, you have a great sense of taste."

Madam Lin smiled, clearly pleased, and tapped another similarly sized box. "This one is for your Eldest Sister." Her happiness stemmed from a straightforward reason: her daughter appreciated the gifts she'd chosen.

Here was her mother-innocent and devoted to her husband-who had been manipulated and cast aside.

Wen Hao leaned against her mother, wrapping her arms around her. "Mother, I know Eldest Sister will adore it too."

Madam Lin smiled warmly, "Thank goodness my A Hao can talk, even if it means I've lost ten years off my life..."

Wen Hao quickly interrupted, "Mother, don't say that! I'd rather just stay mute!"

"Oh, you silly girl..." Madam Lin sniffed and wiped her eyes.

Upon returning to the Wen Mansion, Wen Hao clutched the box and said, "Mother, I'm heading to Luoying Courtyard now."

"Rest up when you get back. Have Bao Zhu carry that jewelry box; it's quite heavy."

"No, it's a gift from you, so I want to carry it myself," Wen Hao replied as she slowly made her way to Luoying Courtyard.

She bumped into Wen Ping, the steward of Wen's Mansion, just after taking a couple of steps.

Wen Ping was in a rush, and it was hard to tell if he was stressed or just clumsy, but he nearly collided with Wen Hao.

As a result, Wen Hao dropped the box she was holding, which spilled its contents all over the ground.

The box was already filled, so when it hit the ground, jewelry scattered everywhere, glittering like crazy in the sunlight.

Wen Ping froze, staring at the shiny pieces that had landed beneath him.

Bao Zhu, clearly annoyed, shouted, "Are you blind? You just made a mess in front of the young lady; are you ready to face the consequences?"

Snapping back to reality, Wen Ping bowed and apologized to Wen Hao, saying, "I'm really sorry for my carelessness; please forgive me, Second Miss."

Wen Hao ignored the jewelry strewn about and fixed her cold gaze on Wen Ping: "Do you have something important to take care of, Steward Wen?"

"I... I've got a situation to handle..." he mumbled, unable to take his eyes off the jewels all around him.

"Then do what you need to do, Steward Wen," Wen Hao replied, her tone oddly neutral, making it hard to tell if she was upset or not.

"Thank you, Second Miss, for your understanding," he said, bowing low.

As he hurried off, Wen Hao watched him, her expression growing colder.

Wen Ping was the book boy who had given false testimony for his father!

In a blink, twenty years had gone by, and that little boy was now a steward and a prominent figure in the Wen family.

His anxious demeanor today likely meant he was headed to the gambling house.

Bao Zhu picked up the jewelry from the ground, letting out a sigh of relief, "Miss, thankfully nothing seems broken."

Wen Hao nodded slightly, "That's good; let's head back to Luoying Courtyard first." She had intentionally dropped the box to instigate Wen Ping, and his reaction had gone exactly as she had anticipated.

Once back at Luoying Courtyard, Wen Hao wasted no time. She quickly changed her outfit and went back out with Bao Zhu.

Instead of using the Wen Mansion's carriage, they hired a different one.

"Take us to the Qianjin Pavilion."

The Qianjin Pavilion was one of the capital's major gambling establishments, filled with a steady stream of gamblers, making it a hotspot for trouble.

Outside the entrance at that moment, a young man was cornered by several individuals against the wall, pleading for mercy.

The flow of patrons entering and exiting the gambling house seemed indifferent to his plight, clearly accustomed to such displays.

"Master Yun, should I chop off your left pinky or your right hand?"

The young man's face was a mask of fear, tears streaming down as he begged, "Please... don't cut my fingers; my father will be here with the money soon..."

"Where is he?" one of the thugs demanded.

"He'll be here any minute..." the young man stuttered, visibly trembling.

"Last time your father showed up to settle your debts, he said he wouldn't care for you anymore."

"My father will definitely help me; I'm his only son, I swear..." he sobbed.

After exchanging hushed words with someone nearby, the leader sneered, "Chop off his fingers!"

One of the men seized the boy's left hand, pinning it against the wall and lifting a kitchen knife.

"Stop!" Wen Ping shouted from a distance and dashed forward.

"Oh, look who's arrived just in time; your son still has his little finger," the thug mocked.

"Father, Father, help me!" the young man cried out in desperation.

"You... are completely out of line!" Wen Ping's body shook in anger, infuriated by his reckless son and the thugs' brazen behavior.

"Master Wen, you misunderstand. It's only fair to repay debts. If you doubt me, let's consult the authorities."

Wen Ping's face turned a deep shade of blue with rage, but he understood that he couldn't escape without settling the matter today.

Even though he was the manager of the Minister's Mansion, making a scene at a gambling house in the capital wasn't going to be easy.

If he really kicked up a fuss, the Master would totally put the blame on him.

"How much?" Wen Ping asked.

The guy held up a finger.

"One hundred taels?" Wen Ping felt a pang of heartache and was ready to hand it over.

A hundred taels didn't seem like much to him before, but having such a troublesome son had drained his wallet. Now, forget about a hundred taels; he could barely scrape together one tael of silver.

The guy smirked, "Come on, Master Wen, you're kidding, right? It's a thousand taels-if you're even one tael short, your son will lose one of his fingers."