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Lingshan Goddess (2)
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Lu Zhi Ning afraid has produced feelings towards her own older brother!
Carefully thinking it over, it wasn’t impossible. Lu Chang Si was a hostage in the capital for fourteen years. When the siblings met for the first time, they were no different from strangers. At the time, Lu Zhi Ning was also at the age where young girls would have their first awakening of love, so for her to develop feelings, it was also normal.
Shen Lan Chi although had guessed this, she didn’t have much certainty. In the past life, although there were rumors, there wasn’t any proof. At the time, she also just treated it as lies upon lies. Even so, she still plan to take a gamble.
After Jiangxia Wangfei finished lecturing the crying Lu Zhi Ning, she pushed the door to go out, seeing Shen Lan Chi still standing at the door. She instantly froze. Jiangxia Wangfei recalled that she didn’t say anything inappropriate just now, only lecturing Lu Zhi Ning in a moment of anger, thus calmed down and said with a smile, “Does Lan Chi still need something?”
“Dare I ask, was wangfei being forced by someone, thus came to seek my hand in marriage for your manor’s heir?” Shen Lan Chi calmly asked.
Jiangxia Wangfei’s heart jumped, the expression on her face already changing.
Shen Lan Chi immediately knew, she’d guessed right.
“Then why don’t I take a guess, what is it that caused wangfei to be this anxious?” Shen Lan Chi revealed a smile and said, “Could it be that the person in junzhu’s heart is someone that she shouldn’t fall in love with, and this matter accidentally got found out by someone………Wangfei is in a hurry to seal their mouth, so agreed to their demands, coming to ask for my hand in marriage?”
Jiangxia Wangfei was a straightforward person in the past, simple unable to hide her thoughts. Seeing Shen Lan Chi roughly guess everything, her expression changed again and again, turning red, then pale. In the end, she clenched her teeth, with anger returning to her eyes as she said, “Don’t blather nonsense out of nowhere!”
For Jiangxia Wangfei to be unwilling to admit, it was also normal.
After sounding out a little, Shen Lan Chi also had a bit of certainty inside, thus smiled more and more confidently, saying: “Wangfei, for the sake of your children’s reputation, you thus came to ask for my hand in marriage. But, how can you guarantee that after I marry in, I won’t have this matter spread all over? At present, I also know of this matter. Whether Jiangxia heir marries me or not, it’ll all be the same outcome, so why busy yourself for nothing, wangfei?”
Seeing how confident her tone was, Jiangxia Wangfei began to panic inside.
Lu Zhi Ning being in love with her own older brother, this was an ugly family scandal in itself. But, unknown as to who with all-seeing eyes, someone actually dug out this unspeakable news. A few days ago, a man claiming to be a local gentry of Jiangxia came to visit, directly stating that he wanted Lu Chang Si to marry Shen Lan Chi and take her back to Jiangxia, going as far away as possible. Otherwise, he will let this ugly scandal become known all over.
Jiangxia Wangfei figured, since Shen Lan Chi’s character and appearance were both excellent, and Shen first madam was also her younger sister, taking Shen Lan Chi back as a daughter-in-law was not bad, so just agreed.
But, looking at it now, this Shen Lan Chi has also figured out this matter!
“Wangfei, why don’t you nicely consider for a moment. If I marry in, and as the heir’s consort, say ‘the older brother and younger sister have an affair’, or something like this, do you think the people of the capital will believe or not?” Shen Lan Chi said.
Jiangxia Wangfei blanked, and for a moment, unable to speak.
A while later, she bitterly said, “Miss Shen, if I no longer seek for you to marry Si’er, you will say less? This originally was just a groundless matter. I don’t want my family to lose face over this matter.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“That is natural.” Shen Lan Chi said with a smile, “Not only so, I even figured out who it was that threatened you, and can even help you seal that person’s mouth.”
Jiangxia Wangfei blanked, asking, “You really can do it?
“Of course.” Shen Lan Chi said with confidence.
Jiangxia Wangfei had been away from the capital for a long time, so naturally unaware of the complicated knots and conflict of interest, but she, Shen Lan Chi, knew. The other party wanted to let her marry far away to Jiangxia. That means there’s ‘someone that shouldn’t marry her’ that wanted to marry her——-
Who else can it be?
Lu Zi Xiang.
Having Wu Zheng Mo ruin her purity wasn’t enough, even wanting her to marry far away to Jiangxia. This Liu family really planned well.
Jiangxia Wangfei’s feelings were complicated. After hesitating for a good while, she finally gave in, agreeing to no longer mention the matter of marriage.
• • •
With Jiangxia Wangfei changing her mind, Shen first madam naturally relaxed a breath.
Spring gradually approached, the remaining snow slowly melting. Once the snow in the outskirts have all melted, the Chu Emperor will lead the court officials to the sacred mountain outside of the capital to offer sacrifices to the gods according to the ancestral customs, in order to pray for good weather and peace for the people.
This Lingshan worship ceremony emphasized prestige and solemness. Not only must the emperor, empress, court officials all be present, they must also select an unmarried maiden of noble status to wear the golden feathered dress and flower crown, and act as a goddess offering a dance.
In past years, this Lingshan Goddess was always played by Princess Yong Chun. However, now that Princess Yong Chun has gotten engaged, she’s no longer considered an ‘unmarried maiden’, so someone else must be selected for this Lingshan Goddess. When the noble young ladies of the capital learned of this, they instantly became excited.
If to ask which family’s noble daughter was the most qualified, then naturally it was the daughters of the Shen family and Liu family. Liu Ru Yan wasn’t interested. The one that wanted to compete for the honor of playing the goddess was the Liu family’s fourth daughter, Liu Ru Hua.
Liu Ru Hua recalled that Shen Lan Chi wasn’t skilled in dancing, so felt extremely assured inside. Thinking back and forth, she felt that this ‘Lingshan Goddess’ title will fall on her head.
But, who knew that Shen Lan Chi although knew nothing about dancing, she still was unwilling to back down, even ordering someone to put out the word, saying that she was going to the palace to meet with Empress Shen and Noble Consort Liu, letting the two of them judge who was better at dancing.
When Liu Ru Hua heard, she naturally was extremely indignant.
——If that Shen Lan Chi can dance, then her second brother Liu Wen can become the top scorer in the imperial exam! Where does she have the guts to come challenge her?
On this day, Liu Ru Hua answered to Shen Lan Chi’s invitation, entering the palace together with Shen Lan Chi. She absolutely must let Empress Shen and Noble Consort Liu pick out the most suitable goddess candidate between the two of them.
When Liu Ru Hua entered the palace, she saw Shen Lan Chi wearing a fancy brocade gown that she hasn’t seen her wear in ages, arrogantly staring at her. This look of Shen Lan Chi’s, Liu Ru Hua hasn’t seen in a very long time. Today’s Shen Lan Chi wore an apricot-red brocade dress with extravagant embroidery, had lightly applied lip rouge, and a shining golden hairpin inlaid with a cat’s eye stone pressed into her bun. Her entire person appeared peerlessly gorgeous and extremely dazzling.
Liu Ru Hua’s appearance wasn’t ostentatious and eye-catching, instead like her older sister Liu Ru Yan, her appearance was reserved and elegant. As soon as she saw Shen Lan Chi, Liu Ru Hua already felt that she got outshined and instantly felt somewhat indignant.
The palace maid led the two of them to the imperial garden. Noble Consort Liu and Empress Shen still haven’t arrived. The two girls sat down and respectively drank tea own their own. Shen Lan Chi kept looking at her with a cold gaze, her eyes and brows full of disdain, causing Liu Ru Hua to become even angrier.
A moment later, Shen Lan Chi even deliberately splashed tea on Liu Ru Hua’s dress.
How could Liu Ru Hua be willing to wear dirtied clothes, letting Shen Lan Chi overshadow her for nothing? She immediately went to the nearby palace room to change clothes.
That palace room already has spare clothes prepared by the palace maids, a plain frost white dress. Although this outfit’s color was plain and clean, the style was fairy-like and elegant, also suiting Liu Ru Hua’s taste, so she changed into it.
When she returned to the imperial garden, she discovered that Empress Shen and Noble Consort Liu have already arrived.
Noble Consort Liu was extremely fed up with Shen Lan Chi, just waiting to have her pressed into the ground. The ‘Lingshan Goddess’, this good of an opportunity, there’s no reason to let Shen Lan Chi obtain it for nothing. She has already made up her mind——-Liu Ru Hua absolutely will become this goddess.
Seeing Liu Ru Hua come back after changing, Noble Consort Liu wanted to go forward to greet her, but as soon as she saw what Liu Ru Hua was wearing, Noble Consort Liu froze in place. She kept feeling that this look of Liu Ru Hua’s extremely resembled someone, but she couldn’t remember who.
After contemplating for a while, she still didn’t have a clue. Noble Consort Liu decided to give up, just treating it as having thought too much.
Empress Shen didn’t give Noble Consort Liu a straight look, just sitting there aloof, drinking tea on her own.
The remaining snow was half-melted, the surface of the lake in the imperial garden lightly flickered with green ripples. Shen Lan Chi half-crouched by the lake, suddenly shouting, “Liu fourth miss, this fragrance pouch in the lake, was it dropped by you?”
When Liu Ru Hua heard, she slightly blanked. Lifting her dress, she walked to the lakeside and crouched down. After carefully inspecting, there was indeed a fragrance pouch in the lake. She extended her hand and flicked the water surface, getting shocked by the coldness of the water. Furrowing her brows, she said, “Forget it, don’t want it anymore.”
Right at this time, they heard a man’s voice.
“……Cai Zhi?”
This long-forgotten name was like a sudden bolt of thunder, startling Empress Shen to the point of trembling. She hurriedly lifted her head, seeing not far from the lakeside, a bright yellow figure standing there.
The Chu Emperor and Lu Qi Yang stood by the lakeside. The two of them both studying the girl squatting by the lakeside playing with the water.
Liu Ru Hua was dressed in plain white, her pretty face clean and elegant, her slender fingertips still dripping with crystal clear water droplets. She lifted her head, that pair of eyes clear and translucent, yet contained a trace of haughtiness that can only be cultivated by having been raised in luxury since childhood, like the snow of the high peaks, like the unmelted ice.
This scene suddenly made Chu Emperor return to the past. Liu Ru Hua’s figure overlapped with that person that lingered in his dreams.
“What a pair of eyes.” The Chu Emperor hooked his lips, praising, “Just like the celestial fairies of the clouds, making one hard to find in the mortal world. Which family’s young lady are you, what are you called?”
The line ‘the celestial fairies of the clouds, hard to find in the mortal world’ shocked Noble Consort Liu. In the next moment, the tea cup in her hand loudly shattered on the ground.
“You-your Majesty………” Noble Consort Liu stuttered, losing all color from her face, “Sh-she’s…….”
Liu Ru Hua was dead set on winning that goddess role, wanting to outshine Shen Lan Chi. Seeing the Chu Emperor before her, she immediately got up and bowed, saying in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, “Liu Ru Hua greets your Majesty.”
Noble Consort Liu was thoroughly speechless, the spilt tea by her feet soaking the corner of her clothes.
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