Volume One, Chapter 11: A Little Bit of Resentment Is a Good Thing!

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Qin Ye removed his cloak, and the attendant Shuofeng, who had been attending closely, took it and hung it on the rack. He intended to stay and continue serving, but Qin Ye waved him off. Understanding the gesture, Shuofeng retreated, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Qin Lang sat in a chair, leaning back, his gaze falling on the white jade flute resting nearby.

“The jade flute you sent, she doesn’t want it at all!”

“How could that be? She clearly wanted it; she even had the maid chase after you to get it back. Why would she say she doesn’t want it now?”

Lately, with the army recruitment issues weighing heavily on his mind, Qin Lang was already irritated. Hearing that the flute he had sent was now rejected only added to his vexation.

Looking at Qin Ye sitting beside him, Qin Lang continued to speculate.

“Perhaps she never wanted it in the first place. She had the maid ask you for the flute and then had her deliver it back to you. It’s clearly a ploy to get our attention—deliberate!”

Qin Lang recounted everything that had happened during the day to Qin Ye, including the fact that Wanxia from the Elegant Courtyard had been driven out and was now serving in the West Wing.

Upon hearing this, a fire seemed to ignite within Qin Ye, with no outlet for his fury.

His clenched fist slammed heavily on the nearby table.

“Forget it. I thought since her wounds weren’t healed and it was snowing outside, she couldn’t go out. I sent her the flute to ease her boredom, but she’s ungrateful. If that’s the case, there’s no need to send anything more!”

Qin Lang was also upset. Ever since the Empress’s birthday banquet, he hadn’t been able to shake the anger inside him.

“This is entirely her fault. She was the one who pushed Yan’er into the water first; the punishment she received was deserved. Now she’s sulking with us like this—I say the punishment was far too lenient!”

Qin Ye stopped. In truth, she had been wrongfully accused. The Fourth Prince had already investigated and confirmed that she was not the one who pushed Yan’er into the water that day.

But the truth was on the tip of his tongue, and yet Qin Ye could not bring himself to speak it.

As Qin Huai had said, the punishment was meant as a lesson for her, and she had changed much because of it.

If he revealed the truth now, her grievances would explode all at once, and her arrogance would never be curbed. How could she be married off then?

His Majesty intended to grant her in marriage to the Fourth Prince. If the match were truly confirmed now, with her former temperament, she would surely cause trouble, possibly implicating the Hou family.

Though she was somewhat wronged, she had restrained herself considerably—that was a good sign.

Qin Ye, initially angry, calmed his fury after some thought.

“She is a woman, delicate by nature. That she endured twenty lashes without lasting harm is already fortunate. Let her be willful if she must!”

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It was just a pity that the white jade flute, which he had painstakingly procured for her, was wasted.

Qin Lang frowned, sensing that his elder brother’s words carried hidden meaning.

“Brother, you typically both cherish and discipline Wan’er the most. Why are you indulging her mischief today?”

Qin Ye had no reply.

“She is, after all, our sister, and still injured. We can’t truly punish her harshly. Enough—it's late. Let’s rest early.”

With a sigh, Qin Lang left the Maple Leaf Courtyard after leaving the white jade flute behind.

He originally meant to return to his own room but somehow found himself at the gate of the Elegant Courtyard again.

Staring at the still-burning candlelight, he wanted to enter, but his feet felt like lead, unable to take a step.

He couldn’t understand—Yan’er was so gentle, why couldn’t she tolerate Yan’er? If not for Yan’er’s father, they might not even have a father figure. This was a debt the Hou family owed her.

Yan’er had no one to rely on; why couldn’t she treat her kindly?

Qin Lang was deeply conflicted. Clenching his fist, he struck a nearby tree hard, leaving a blood-red mark.

The heavy snow had fallen for three full days. During these days, Qin Wan, aside from visiting the Old Madam at the Quiet Mind Courtyard, stayed solely in her own yard, not even visiting the Plum Blossom Courtyard where Han Shu resided.

Han Shu knew her daughter was upset but did not expect Wan’er to hold a grudge for so long, to the point of ignoring her own mother.

Having heard Qin Huai’s words, Han Shu wanted to reconcile with Qin Wan but found herself unable to resist the urge to care for her daughter.

“What are you going to do?” Qin Huai called out as Han Shu was about to leave the courtyard.

Han Shu knew Qin Huai was currently trying to temper Qin Wan’s temper. He had already instructed that no one from the Hou family was to give in this time. So Han Shu dared not say outright she was going to see Qin Wan and instead offered a casual excuse.

“I heard from the maid that the plum blossoms in the Plum Blossom Courtyard have bloomed. I want to go have a look!”

“The Plum Blossom Courtyard has plum blossoms too. Are those not enough for you?” Qin Huai, who had met countless people, saw through Han Shu’s little scheme instantly.

Han Shu could no longer keep up the pretense and approached Qin Huai, sighing.

“My lord, I see that Wan’er has realized her mistake this time. She has been steady and well-behaved for quite a while now, so I think she has reformed. I want to go see her.”

“She can already walk. She hasn’t even come to the Plum Blossom Courtyard to pay respects to you. Is that reformed? She’s still sulking!”

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“If she truly knew her mistake, would she still be so rude and disrespectful?”

Qin Huai was also holding back anger. Although she was wronged, it had been a long time, and she was still sulking!

She used to come to the Plum Blossom Courtyard every day, whether to pay respects or to share a meal, never missing a day. Now, after just a little punishment, she stopped coming altogether.

She must be holding a grudge. If Han Shu went to her now, everything would be undone.

Han Shu glanced outside and decided to wait until her lord was away from the manor before visiting.

Seeing Han Shu’s disappointment, Qin Huai felt his earlier words had been harsh and tried to soothe her.

“I’m doing this for Wan’er’s own good. His Majesty has yet to appoint a crown prince. Everyone is eyeing the throne, and His Majesty intends to grant Wan’er in marriage to the Fourth Prince.

“But due to what happened at the Empress’s birthday banquet, the Empress claimed Wan’er was rude and improper, unworthy of the Fourth Prince.

“This marriage, which was meant to be arranged, has been delayed indefinitely. It seems it’s now off the table!”

Qin Huai felt regret. The Fourth Prince was the Empress’s own son, accomplished and beloved by the officials—the most likely candidate to guard the Eastern Palace.

Had it not been for that incident, the imperial edict might already have been issued, and Wan’er would have been the future crown princess.

But because of that, the coveted position slipped away.

Han Shu was stunned by this, looking at Qin Huai in disbelief.

“What do you mean? Are you saying Wan’er’s marriage to the Fourth Prince is hopeless?”

Qin Huai nodded. “It was never fully decided—just our speculation. Don’t mention it again.”

How could this be?

Though Wan’er and the Fourth Prince were not childhood sweethearts, they were well matched. The marriage was nearly settled—how could it just vanish like that?

Could it be that the Empress had never favored Wan’er and used the banquet incident as an excuse?

Han Shu’s mind was filled with countless guesses, but thinking of how heartbreaking this would be for Wan’er, she could no longer resist the urge to visit the Elegant Courtyard.