After Becoming the Hero's Ex-fiancée

Repaying Karma (3)

“It was my mistake to bring this cunning fox here, thinking she was a harmless rabbit, causing Wan’niang to be hurt.

“Liu Yi, if it was as you’ve said, and Wan’niang had been willing to kill your mother in order to steal your credit, why didn’t she kill you as well to tie things up neatly? Why would she bother to put in so much effort to stage show after show, just to have you married off out of the capital?”

The crown prince had never been, nor would ever again be, as pleasing to Zheng Wan’s eye as he was right now. She glanced at Cui Wang again; he was still as silent as a block of wood. Unable to rouse him, she decided to simply widen her eyes with “admiration” and said earnestly to the crown prince:

“Your Imperial Highness, if it weren’t for you today, Wan’niang would’ve been so unjustly wronged by this person.”

I’m going to make you so angry.

Zheng Wan thought inwardly.

“Wan’niang, don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

The crown prince’s heart surged with emotion. He had only just patted her shoulder to comfort her when a gust of wind came out of nowhere and Zheng Wan, who had just been behind him disappeared. When he looked again, he saw that she had been brought behind the State Preceptor.

And the State Preceptor’s already expressionless face was now like a thousand years of snow and ten thousand years of frost; his one glance almost froze him through and through.

A shiver went down the crown prince’s spine. He remembered the previous blow from Cui Wang’s sword and palm, and the words that were at the tip of his tongue halted, and he choked it back down with his pride.

“Why are you holding on to me? I thought you didn’t believe me?”

Zheng Wan punched him, trying to get out of his grip.

“Don’t move,” said Cui Wang coldly. “If you move again, I will cut off your former fiancé, Li Jin’s left arm.”

Li was the surname of the monarch, and Li Jin was the crown prince’s respectful name1.

Zheng Wan was startled. “His Imperial Highness did not touch me.”

“That’s why his left arm is still there.”

Cui Wang hoisted her behind him, turned around and said to the person who was still prostrated on the ground.

“Your mother’s death has nothing to do with her.”

The voice was clear and bitterly cold, as if a rustling wind had cut through the light of this spring day. This was the first sentence he had spoken on her behalf since Zheng Wan came over.

Zheng Wan smiled with satisfaction.

Naturally, she had not done anything to Liu Yi’s mother. As for whether her mother had died unjustly, she wasn’t interested to know; she only took advantage of the situation to send her out of the capital. This was probably due to…

That little bit of conscience that still existed in her.

She was very happy to hear Cui Wang make such a resolute conclusion.

But soon, her joy was taken down a notch.

She heard Cui Wang continue.

“However, it is true that you had saved me back then.

“I will grant you a wish.”

Third Lady Liu originally thought that this trip had ended in failure, but unexpectedly, things had taken a turn for the better. Without having to argue more, the State Preceptor had believed her. She hurriedly kowtowed.

“Third Lady Liu has no wish, but I beg to be allowed to accompany the State Preceptor always, even if only as a slave or a maid.”

“Humph.”

Zheng Wan turned her head huffily, rolled her eyes and said, “Then, swear to me now that you will never go near the State Preceptor in the future. If you do, that means you harbour dishonourable designs, and intend to desecrate him, how about that?”

Third Lady Liu’s lips trembled, unable to say anything.

She did indeed have a secret yearning for the State Preceptor, that much was… true.

“Can’t do it, right?”

Zheng Wan was triumphant. She raised her hand to beckon a guard over to keep watch on the uninvited guest. “Send someone to the Liu Manor, and tell Lord Liu to discipline his daughter well. Don’t let her harass the State Preceptor again!”

Third Lady Liu shook her head in refusal and said chokingly:

“State Preceptor, please have sympathy, my father is extremely straight-laced, if he finds out that I’ve returned to the capital without permission, I’m afraid that I will meet my end…”

Only then did Zheng Wan think of that outcome, and she looked rather stupefied. If she really sent her back like that and caused her her life, she would be the one in the wrong. But she was absolutely unwilling to allow this person to stay by Cui Wang’s side.

While she was in a daze, Third Lady Liu had already broken away from the guard; she walked on her knees to Cui Wang’s feet, then slammed her head on the ground as she kowtowed.

“Since the lady is unwilling, I won’t ask for more. I only ask the State Preceptor to take me in for a few days. If you can take me to the upper realms… that would be nice too.”

Cui Wang looked at her.

“You desire to go to the realm where I came from?”

“Yes,” Third Lady Liu said. “Since I can’t always be by the State Preceptor’s side, it will be good to learn some skills.”

“That’s fine.”

Cui Wang said, “You saved me once, so I’ll repay you with a chance, that’ll be fair too.”

Zheng Wan realised that after going round and round, apart from the fact that she was not dead and the Zheng family was still intact, things seemed to have gone back to how they were supposed to be.

In the courtyard, the breeze was warm and the crabapple blossoms were in bloom; every breeze that came carried the music of traditional stringed and woodwind instruments to her ears, but she only felt cold all over.

Footnotes:

1 respectful name: 名讳 minghui; In ancient China, when encountering a monarch or a respected elder, it was not only taboo to call their names directly, but also taboo to use these characters when writing. So others had to avoid it by changing the character of the name by either changing the pronunciation, or reducing the strokes of the character. Using this altered name is the way they showed respect to one’s monarch, elders and betters.