Disclaimer: this is an abridged version of Chubby Cheeks‘ translated chapter. Please follow the link for the complete chapter, translator notes, characters lists, etc.
Chapter 37: His Questioning
“Young Mistress.” Gu Yu and Jing Zhe were vigilantly protective in front of Shen Miao and suspicious of this noble looking youth. He was handsome but, after all, he was still a stranger.
“Gu Yu, Jing Zhe, go and stand guard at the entrance of the forest,” Shen Miao said.
“But Young Lady…” Both of them were hesitant.
“Go then.”
Zhe and Gu Yu could only retreat and stand guard at the entrance of the forest.
“You are indeed interesting.” Xie Jing Xing leaned against the tree trunk as he looked at her in amusement.
“What does Marquis Xie want to say?” Shen Miao asked.
Xie Jing Xing had suddenly appeared and naturally it was not for an idle chat. Although this person was young, his actions were decisive.
“Prince Yu’s residence is lacking a Wangfei and that degenerate seems to have taken an interest in you, so I wanted to say a word of congratulations.” His manner of speaking was unclear. However to use the term ‘degenerate’ on Prince Yu could be considered as bold, and there was also a trace of contempt and mockery,
This person’s aspiration was very high.
Shen Miao was deep in thought but his words didn’t cause her to show any significant impact. Xie Jing Xing suddenly took a step forward and Shen Miao was fully enveloped by his shadow. He leaned into her ear and said in a suppressed voice, “You indeed already knew about it.”
Shen Miao raised her eyes. There was an evil touch to his smile.
She let her eyes slightly hang down and said, “So what if I know and what if I don’t?”
When Xie Jing Xing saw that she remained nonchalant, he did not bother to continue his playboy act. There was a piece of paper in his hands, “Knowing yet not anxious about your own matter, but you worry for Historian Adviser Jing’s Second Young Master?”
Shen Miao abruptly moved her line of sight from his hands to his face and she could not help but be a bit brutal with her tone, “Isn’t Marquis Xie being too meddlesome?”
“You are actually nervous because of a piece of paper.” Xie Jing Xing restored the frivolous smile to his face, “What kind of relationship does Little Shen Girl have with Historian Adviser Jing’s second son, to help him to this extent?”
Shen Miao’s face quietly stared at the paper in Xie Jing Xing’s hands. The paper was very thin but it was as heavy as a rock in her heart.
She had spent a long time recalling before she could write the ‘Circulation of Law’. In her past lifetime, Pei Lang had relied on this essay to be discovered by Fu Xiu Yi and afterwards had become Fu Xiu Yi’s advisor.
And now, when he had yet to reveal his talents, Shen Miao had to make sure that Pei Lang would never get to serve the Imperial family in any capacity.
As for the Historian Adviser Jing’s Second Young Master, Gao Yan, since Ming Qi’s Imperial family wanted to suppress the old aristocratic family clans, naturally they had to support the new nobilities and Historian Adviser Jing’s family was one of the newer significant families. Historian Adviser Jing’s eldest young master, Gao Jing, was a true talent that Fu Xiu Yi guided personally after he ascended the throne. Historian Adviser Jing’s family received such grace that the scoundrel Gao Yan had even dared to covet her Wan Yu.
This Gao Yan’s talents were not as high as his elder brother, but he was very arrogant and always liked to speak of his elder brother’s achievements like they were his own. His personality was very flawed and narrow minded.
She naturally gave Pei Lang’s ‘Circulation of Law’ to Gao Yan because she knew that in every academy examination, Gao Yan would let his servants buy the examination papers outside. With Fu Xiu Yi’s personality of ‘cherishing talents’, he would definitely bring Gao Yan over to his side and as for that vain personality of Gao Yan, he would definitely not confess that this was not his handwriting.
Cutting Fu Xiu Yi’s powerful arm and exchanging it for his lacking brother was such a good scheme, but who knew that Xie Jing Xing would meddle and cause it to fail for no reason.
Thousands of words flickered behind her eyes.
“You need not look at me with such a hateful expression. This paper was copied by my people and the original is in the hands of that Gao family’s kid.”
Shen Miao did not imagine that the result would be such. She looked at Xie Jing Xing and became silent for a moment before saying, “Little Marquis has a big heart.”
“Not big hearted. It is just that this marquis has cultivated a reputation of not liking to meddle in other people’s affairs.”
Shen Miao was about to speak when he asked, “Now can you tell this marquis why you wrote it for Historian Adviser Jing?”
Shen Miao sighed in her heart. Even though she had the intention to tie the Shen and Xie families to the same boat, now was not the time. The Shen and Xie had a history of discord between that could not be resolved overnight. Thus, it had to be conspired in a long draw-out plan. Who knew that Xie Jing Xing would get himself involved, disrupting the entire process.
Shen Miao did not intend to lay her trust in anyone as she has her own road to walk. Be it Xie Jing Xing or the whole Xie family, they were just chess pieces in the game she was playing. A chess player did not explain strategy to a chess piece.
“This marquis thought that for you to help Gao Yan this much, you must have some personal considerations and thus wanted to help your lover to snatch the limelight.” Xie Jing Xing smiled mischievously as he eyed Shen Miao, “After some thinking, even though the second son of the Gao family is not worthy of respect, his eye for young ladies is indeed not bad.”
“Furthermore, to help Gao Yan means helping Historian Adviser Jing’s reputation yet you chose not to help Gao Jing instead. Helping that wastrel Gao Yan seems malicious and duplicitous.”
“Little Shen girl, do you have enmity with Historian Adviser Jing?”
Dramas On My Mind 