Chapter 43: Chapter 43 - Both of Us Have Been Framed!

… After Yuan Xuepei finally stopped sermonizing her, Yuan Xue’e went out to find Song Yixiao in the front hall. But there were no servants and only Song Yixiao and Jian Xubai sat there face to face. The air was strange between them.

She asked in astonishment, “Why does no one serve you?”

“Ji Su lost something, they all went out to help find it.” Song Yixiao had no way to refuse Jian Xubai. She lumped it secretly and took back the okra yellow jade pendant.

Song Yixiao was so depressed at this time and couldn’t wait to leave when seeing Yuan Xue’e out. Because she would want to beat Jian Xubai if she continued to stay with him!

So she stood up and said, “They might have found it after all this time. Xue’e, since you come here, do you want to see them with me?”

Jian Xubai had been waiting for a long time, too. After hearing her words, he put down the tea bowl and said, “I’ll go to talk with Xuepei. Please tell Ji Su where I am if you see him!”

After they separated, Yuan Xue’e asked, “Did he embarrass you?”

He indeed put her in an awkward situation!

But how could she tell Yuan Xue’e what he did?

Song Yixiao hid her bitterness and answered against her will, “No, he didn’t.”

“That’s good!” Yuan Xue’e heaved a sigh of relief, “He is very nasty. I’m afraid he also snaps at you!”

She didn’t see Jian Xubai frequently and just knew he was her brother’s good friend. However, after he scolded her last time, she only thought he was so nasty and arrogant. Anyway, she believed Jian Xubai would bully everyone he saw!

“I used to hear that he would marry a princess. Why does the rumor disappear recently?” Song Yixiao didn’t want to mention Jian Xubai. But she suddenly thought of the question and couldn’t rest assured before making it clear. So she pretended to ask thoughtlessly, “After Prince of Wei’s wife was decided by His Majesty, I thought Jian Xubai’s marriage would also be claimed by the imperial edict or the empress’s order.”

Yuan Xue’e made a gesture to let her be quiet and took her to find Jinxun. After sending words to Ji Su, they went to the Embroidery Compound and asked other people to leave. Then Yuan Xue’e started to say, “My brother thought I’d better not know it. So he just told me that Duke Jian had had a very high status as an official. If he marries a bigwig’s daughter, he will be so powerful. At that time, how can His Majesty and the Crown Prince use him in the future?”

Song Yixiao though Yuan Xue’e was right. But then she asked, “Was he only five years old when he became a duke?”

When he was 11 years old, it was said that he would be Prince Consort!

“I’ve heard that in the early years. So I didn’t dare to look at him when I saw him occasionally because I didn’t want to be misunderstood. But my brother didn’t tell me more about it.” To her disappointment, Yuan Xue’e pondered for a long time and then shook her head, “You’d better not talk about it. After all, my brother won’t hurt me. He never conceals from me the thing I can know. Since he doesn’t say it, it must be a secret that we can’t know!”

“I’m not a curious person. But I’ll marry him. If I don’t know it, I may have a big trouble!” Song Yixiao burst into tears in her heart. But after weighting, she didn’t beg Yuan Xue’e to ask Yuan Xuepei. The situation of Yuan Xue’e and her brother at present was not good. She didn’t want to give them any trouble.

So she pretended to be persuaded by Yuan Xue’e and changed the topic into Jiang Muting’s marriage. She asked, “Could you please tell me something about Sister Muting?”

“My brother doesn’t know it for the time being, either.” Yuan Xue’e frowned, “If you didn’t mention it, I wouldn’t realize someone asked Muting to do something on the false pretenses of me. I wish it won’t prevent her from being Princess Consort of Wei!”

She was more clear about Jiang Muting’s situation. So she said, “Muting is Prince of Wei’s childhood sweetheart and likes him so much. This time… If I really broke her marriage, I’m afraid she won’t talk to me!”

Song Yixiao smiled bitterly, “But I think it may be my fault! Otherwise, why did they ask Sister Muting to care about me in your name?”

“But you didn’t offend anyone. You just offended Cui Jianlian many years ago when we were kids!” Yuan Xue’e was confused, “Does she still bear a grudge against you?”

“Why not?” Song Yixiao sneered and told her what happened at the feast of the Shangsi Festival, “Commandery Princess Qingjiang didn’t want to disappoint everyone and had to give face to the Noble Consort, the Crown Prince and the Cui Family. So she decided to hide the truth!”

Yuan Xue’e suddenly realized, “The Cui Family sent many gifts to the Jiang Family the other day to thank Muting for saving Cui Jianlian at the feast of the Shangsi Festival. Muting doesn’t get on well with Cui Jianlian and never plays with her. How could she save Cui Jianlian by coincidence? I didn’t expect there was another reason!”

She frowned, “Is Cui Jianlian the person who asked Muting to care about you in my name?”

“I don’t think so.” Song Yixiao pondered, “I never hear that Cui Jianlian have grudges with Sister Muting. But Commandery Princess Nanzhang…”

She seemed to think of something when saying that. She said, “The reason why it happened was that Cui Jianlian’s servant broke the jade dangling ornament given by Sister Muting’s grandmother. How can’t Virtuous Consort Jiang find Cui Jianlian did it by intention? But she still decides Commandery Princess Nanzhang to be the future Princess Consort of Wei. Is she…”

An idea flashed through her mind suddenly. Song Yixiao quickly stood up and shouted, “God! Both of us have been framed!”

Yuan Xue’e asked in amazement, “What?”

“Before the feast of the Shangsi Festival, Sister Muting has been decided by His Majesty to be the future Princess Consort of Wei!” Song Yixiao quickly explained, “But Commandery Princess Nanzhang also wants to be his wife. Although His Majesty likes Daiguo Grand Princess, only five people are able to decide Prince of Wei’s marriage, which are the Emperor, the Empress, the Empress Dowager, Virtuous Consort and Prince of Wei himself!”

“Baoying, Sister Muting’s maid, said that His Majesty had agreed! Since so, I think the Empress Dowager and the Empress will also agree. Virtuous Consort Jiang won’t refuse because she is Sister Muting’s aunt! As for Prince of Wei, as you said, he is Sister Muting’s childhood sweetheart!”

“In this case, if Commandery Princess Nanzhang wants to achieve what she wishes, Sister Muting must make some mistakes!”

“But Sister Muting’s family and Virtuous Consort will protect her. Her maid, Baoying, is also clever. How can she make mistakes so easily?”

“Even if someone wants to frame her, some evidence may be left by chance. Virtuous Consort and Sister Muting’s family won’t let it go at that!”

“Daiguo Grand Princess and Marquis Fuyang have high status. But the Jiang Family and Virtuous Consort are also powerful!”

“In particular, Virtuous Consort is the adoptive mother of Prince of Wei. Whoever the Princess Consort of Wei is, she must respect Virtuous Consort! Even if Virtuous Consort has no evidence, she won’t treat Commandery Princess Nanzhang well if she doubts Commandery Princess Nanzhang framed Sister Muting!”

“So, if they want to trap Sister Muting, the plan must be reasonable and won’t involve Daiguo Grand Princess! In this way, even though Sister Muting can’t be Princess Consort of Wei, Virtuous Consort Jiang and the Jiang Family won’t aim at Commandery Princess Nanzhang!”

Song Yixiao turned livid with rage, “We are scapegoats they chose!”

Yuan Xue’e was stunned, “Do you mean…”

“On the day of the Shangsi Festival, I should have gone to the Zhanchun Venue with Lu Kou’er and her sister. But Sister Muting took the initiative to find me. She said you asked her to care about me. So we stayed together.” Song Yixiao sneered, “The reason why Sister Muting did that was because she believed the messenger. From then on, I fell into the trap with her!”

Because, “The clothes and ornaments we brought to the feast were sent to cottages on the hillside. Most of them were put together with others!”

Yuan Xue’e suddenly saw the light, “Cui Jianlian’s maid deliberately broke Muting’s jade dangling ornament to frame Muting. But when the Virtuous Consort and the Jiang Family asked Cui Jianlian, she would say that she just wanted to break your thing but did wrong because your jewelry box was together with that of Muting!”

“Right!” Song Yixiao said angrily, “In this way, it’s just because the grudge between Cui Jianlian and me. While Sister Muting was implicated for she was my companion that day!”

So there was nothing to do with Daiguo Grand Princess and Commandery Princess Nanzhang!

As a result, Cui Jianlian could achieve Commandery Princess Nanzhang’s goal successfully and revenge on Song Yixiao because the Jiang Family and Virtuous Consort would transfer anger on her. Song Yixiao finally knew why Cui Jianlian only stared at Jiang Muting instead of mentioning Song Yixiao at the feast of the Shangsi Festival!

She used to think that Cui Jianlian just wanted to revenge on her by making Baoying push her out as a scapegoat. But at present, she finally knew she had underestimated the niece of the Noble Consort!

Yuan Xue’e pondered for a moment. But she was still confused, “But you have exposed Cui Jianlian in front of Commandery Princess Qingjiang. Why does Commandery Princess Nanzhang still become the future Princess Consort of Wei?”

“I’m also confused. So I come here to find you.” Song Yixiao shook her head, “I thought something might happen during these days. I don’t know if we are involved again.”

Fortunately, she came to the Yuan Family as soon as she heard Princess Consort of Wei was Commandery Princess Nanzhang. So she found that someone asked Jiang Muting to care about her on the false pretenses of Yuan Xue’e. Then she told Yuan Xuepei in time. Otherwise she wouldn’t know she was trapped!

“Happily, my brother has known it.” Yuan Xue’e couldn’t gather up the threads. But she was still optimistic, “My brother must find it out to clear our names!”

“You were free from any compunction,” Song Yixiao thought, “but I couldn’t!”

Song Yixiao opened her mouth, but bit back the words in the end. The grudge between her and Cui Jianlian was true. Because of that, Jiang Muting might hate her after knowing the truth!

After all, marriage would influence the rest of her life. And Jiang Muting really loved Prince of Wei!

Moreover, even if Yuan Xuepei found out the truth, it might not be a good thing for Song Yixiao.

At the feast of the Shangsi Festival, Baoying was just a maid. But relying on the Jiang Family’s power and position, she dared to ask Song Yixiao to sacrifice her future!

What’s more, Yuan Xuepei was the elder brother of Yuan Xue’e and she was the apple of his eye.

Song Yixiao might be scapegoated by Yuan Xuepei to protect his sister.

That was because the girl like her who had no backing looked like easy to bully.

Song Yixiao didn’t know the letter she didn’t receive was sent by Yuan Xuepei to remind Yuan Xue’e. She just knew Yuan Xuepei participated the thing about mastiff, and she was afraid he would do the same thing like Baoying. So she couldn’t trust him at all.

As a result, it was impossible for her to rely on Yuan Xuepei like Yuan Xue’e.

“Daiguo Grand Princess, Commandery Princess Nanzhang…” Song Yixiao took a deep breath and felt desperate, “Even Prince of Hengshan’s mansion doesn’t want to goad them. But now I’m hated by them. What should I do?”

Besides, it was not clear about the Jiang Family’s attitude toward her!

How difficult her life was!

Although heaven never sealed off all the exits, there was only one way for her at present.

Took a gamble to marry Jian Xubai!