Clear waters and beautiful mountains

Chapter 4

That year, during the Lantern Festival in the capital, Yuchi Siguang and Princess Qingyun met and fell in love at first sight. Although there was no matchmaker, they secretly pledged their lives to each other. They were well-matched in social standing and appearance, and although their parents were initially displeased, they ultimately granted the marriage. However, only six months after Princess Qingyun entered the household, she discovered that Yuchi Siguang already had a wife and concubine. To marry her, Yuchi Siguang divorced his wife and concubine, and even sent his children to be raised elsewhere. Everyone in Yuchi Manor knew about this, but no one informed her. Princess Qingyun became suspicious and sent people to investigate, only to discover that their meeting at the Lantern Festival was a scheme orchestrated by Yuchi Siguang, and his true feelings were indistinguishable from reality. Afterwards, Yuchi Siguang subtly mentioned his desire to claim one of the ten prefectures of Nanling. Princess Qingyun immediately stormed off and returned to the Nanling Prince's Mansion. Soon after, she sent a letter requesting a divorce.

Yu Chi Mingyue still remembered that when her mother spoke of this matter, there was no sadness or resentment on her face. She only recited a few lines of poetry with disdain and arrogance: "You think of me, lifting your skirts to wade across the Zhen River. You do not think of me, are there no other men? How arrogant this child is!"

After understanding the meaning of the sentence, she secretly resolved never to acknowledge that hypocritical villain. She was displeased to learn that her grandfather had agreed to the envoy from the Yuchi family. However, she felt obligated to uphold the proper order of kinship and reluctantly set off. Halfway there, she suddenly came up with an interesting idea. She found a maid of similar age, swapped clothes with her, and staged a performance to deceive everyone. Since the maids traveling with her were all from the Nanling Prince's mansion, they allowed her to fool around without consequence.

Upon arriving at the Shili Pavilion outside Yuchi Manor, the people who were there to greet her were already waiting. She stood beside the carriage with a sly smile, observing the scene unfolding before her.

The person who greeted her that day was none other than Di Xiu.

That year, he was only eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed in dark blue robes, with his hair tied up in a jade bun, looking refined and outstanding. But between his brows, there was a hint of gloom and coldness.

He walked up to the carriage and bowed, saying, "Welcome back to the manor, Fourth Miss."

The "Fourth Miss" in the carriage exchanged a few pleasantries as she had previously instructed, and he did not notice anything amiss, respectfully leading everyone on their way.

Seeing this, she became even happier, thinking to herself: The people of Yuchi Manor are all fools and idiots.

After walking for a while, a group of people suddenly appeared before them. Leading them was a man in his early thirties, dressed in brocade robes and a fur coat, presumably a man of importance. He stopped before the carriages, dismounted, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Welcome, Fourth Miss." Then, he gave Di Xiu a cold look and said, "Vice Steward Di, you've had a long journey. I'll take care of the rest."

Di Xiu smiled and replied coldly, "Welcoming the Fourth Miss back to the manor was ordered by the Master himself. I dare not disobey. Please forgive me, Master Li."

“Deputy Steward Di, don’t think that just because the Master values you, you can be arrogant and disdainful of others!” the man known as “Hall Master Li” rebuked.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Di Xiu's eyes. But he simply bowed his head, clasped his hands, and said, "I dare not."

"Hmph." Master Li glanced at him disdainfully, stepped forward to the carriage, softened his voice, and said, "Fourth Miss, I am Li Qiong, the Master of Buyan Hall of Yuchi Manor. Let me lead the way for you."

After saying this, he turned around, pushed Di Xiu aside, mounted his horse, and led the group to set off.

Di Xiu said no more and led his entourage away. Before leaving, he turned back and glanced at Yu Chi Mingyue, seemingly unintentionally.

Yu Chi Mingyue saw all this, but didn't understand its purpose. She was too lazy to think about it, only thinking that this Hall Master Li hadn't been able to distinguish between truth and falsehood either; they were all fools and idiots.

She continued her journey with great joy, and soon the group arrived at Yuchi Manor. The manor was brightly decorated, and the servants were all dressed in their finest attire, having been waiting for a long time. Several old women came to the carriage, helped the maidservant, who was disguised as the fourth young lady, down, and headed towards the ancestral temple.

Yu Chi Mingyue mingled among the servants, following behind them. While she was happy, she couldn't help but feel a little worried. Recognizing her ancestors was a big deal, and it was ultimately inappropriate for her to have someone else take her place. But then she thought, what is there to be afraid of now? At worst, she can admit her mistake and accept punishment.

As she was thinking, she suddenly heard someone shout, "Who are you, scoundrel, daring to impersonate the Fourth Miss!"

She was startled and looked up to see a man in his mid-twenties, dressed in purple robes. His face was full of anger as he shouted, "Vice Chief Steward Di!"

As he spoke, Di Xiu stepped out of the crowd and respectfully said, "Your subordinate is here."

The man in purple robes angrily said, "You were ordered to escort the Fourth Miss back to the manor, yet you were so careless! What is your punishment?"

Di Xiu knelt down on one knee and said, "Young Master, you are right. I was indeed ordered to escort the Fourth Miss, but halfway there, Hall Master Li took over."

Upon hearing this, Hall Master Li's face turned ashen.

The man addressed as "Young Master" demanded sharply, "Master Li, what explanation do you have?!"

Master Li became increasingly astonished and flustered, only saying, "This...this matter, I know nothing about!"

"Know nothing at all?" Upon hearing this, Di Xiu stood up, took out a scroll from his robes, unfurled it in front of Hall Master Li, and said, "This is a portrait of the Fourth Miss. Hall Master Li, have you not seen it before?"

Before Master Li could refute, Di Xiu continued, "I was wondering why Master Li insisted on escorting the Fourth Miss back to the manor. It turns out you had another plan. You had someone impersonate the Fourth Miss and disrupt the ancestral recognition ceremony. What was your purpose?! Confess now!"

Upon seeing this, Yu Chi Mingyue recalled what she had witnessed earlier and suddenly realized what had happened. It turned out that her little trick had been seen through long ago. Now, this person was using this to frame someone else.

Li, the head of the hall, was both shocked and furious. He gritted his teeth and said, "You bastard surnamed Di, you've clearly been plotting against me today!" He drew his sword and shouted, "I'll kill you!"

Di Xiu was not intimidated. He drew his sword and said coldly, "Master Li, are you so enraged that you want to kill me to silence me? I'll gladly oblige!"

As the two men turned against each other, the atmosphere around them instantly became tense, and a battle was about to break out.

Seeing this, Yu Chi Mingyue stepped forward angrily and shouted, "Stop!"

The man in purple robes was about to reprimand her, but when he saw her features clearly, he couldn't help but be surprised and said, "Fourth Sister? How could you..."

Yu Chi Mingyue ignored him and said, "The disguise and substitution were all done by me, and have nothing to do with Hall Master Li."

Upon hearing this, Di Xiu sheathed his sword, bowed, and said, "Fourth Miss, there is no need to worry. I know that you were coerced by Hall Master Li and forced to switch places with someone. Now that you are inside the manor, you no longer need to worry about this person."

Although his voice was respectful and humble, it sounded sinister and eerie to Yu Chi Mingyue. She frowned and said, "Don't you understand what I'm saying? I did it; it has nothing to do with anyone else!"

Upon hearing this, the man in purple robes frowned and rebuked, "Fourth Sister! Stop talking nonsense!"

Yu Chi Mingyue raised her eyes and said righteously, "I am not talking nonsense!"

Just as the man in the purple robe was about to say something, another voice rang out, saying, "The fourth young lady of my Yuchi Manor is from a prestigious family and is a lady of high birth. How could she do something so absurd, laughable, and disgraceful to her family?"

A man around forty years old slowly walked out of the ancestral temple. Judging from his dignified attire, he was undoubtedly Yuchi Siguang, the master of Yuchi Manor.

Yuchi Siguang looked at Yuchi Mingyue with a kind smile: "Mingyue, you don't need to be afraid. Your father will definitely stand up for you. No one will dare to coerce you." He turned his head and looked at Hall Master Li, saying coldly, "Hall Master Li, now that the evidence is conclusive, you may end your own life."

Master Li's face was as pale as paper. He trembled slightly as he slowly raised the knife in his hand and held it to his neck.

"Wait!" Yu Chi Mingyue said, stopping them.

"Mingyue." Yuchi Siguang glanced at her and warned her coldly.

Yu Chi Mingyue, however, did not back down. She stepped forward and said, "So what if I was ridiculous and laughable?" Her face was full of arrogance and domineering. "Changing clothes and switching people was wrong of me. Even if I am ridiculed and punished, I dare to take responsibility for my actions. Being ridiculous and laughable is my own business. What is there to 'disgrace the family' about it?"

She raised her eyes, glanced at Di Xiu beside her, and continued, "If I were to let you use my mistakes as an excuse to frame others just to save face, I would truly be disgracing my family!"

Upon hearing this, Di Xiu was slightly taken aback. He lowered his eyes and stopped looking at her.

Yu Chi Siguang's expression turned displeased. "Mingyue, stop fooling around!"

Yu Chi Mingyue raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Nonsense?" Her voice was laced with disdain. "If I hadn't been being ridiculous, I truly wouldn't have known that such a blatant distortion of truth existed in the world. I also wouldn't have known that at Yu Chi Manor, for the sake of saving face, one could be so utterly indifferent to right and wrong, and so utterly disregard human life. Hmph, this sect is better left unacknowledged!" With that, she turned and swept her sleeves away. "Guards! Return to the manor!"

The servants of the Prince of Nanling immediately echoed in agreement and prepared to return.

Upon seeing this, Yuchi Siguang was utterly astonished.

Seeing this, the relatives hurriedly stepped forward to persuade her to stay, offering kind words of advice. With great difficulty, they finally convinced her to acknowledge her ancestors and return to the clan. The farce of replacing her was thus averted.

Not long after, Yu Chi Mingyue heard that the secret manual of Master Li's ultimate skill, "Heart-Locking Leg," had been stolen. A year later, when Yu Chi Mingyue returned to the manor, Master Li was seriously ill and bedridden. Although she had no evidence, she knew that these things must have been done by "Deputy Steward Di."

Thinking of this, she frowned and muttered to herself, "So that's where the grudge started..." She nodded, "No wonder he's always been unfriendly to me..."

This made her even more certain that the "like or dislike" thing was definitely a scam. Filled with anger, she gritted her teeth and said, "Trying to fool me? Humph! Dream on!"

Mei Ziqi smiled slyly, shaking her head and sighing repeatedly.

Just then, two maids hurried over. The two looked disheveled, both on the verge of tears. The maids bowed, suppressing a laugh, and said, "Your Excellency, Chief Steward Di won't allow us to treat his wounds. Perhaps you could go yourself?"

Yu Chi Mingyue was already angry, and upon hearing this, she rose up in fury, "How dare you! How insolent! You're pushing your luck! I'll teach him a lesson!"

After saying that, she rushed out the door in a flurry of activity.

Chapter Five

Next to the warm pavilion was a suite. There were no guest rooms in the South Garden, so the group set aside this room to temporarily house Di Xiu. When Yu Chi Mingyue entered the room, she saw a group of maids huddled at the door, whispering and laughing amongst themselves. Upon seeing her, the maids quickly curtsied and respectfully addressed her as "Fourth Miss."

Ignoring them, Yu Chi Mingyue walked straight into the house. The room was a mess: scattered medicines, broken cups and plates, overturned tables and chairs—a scene resembling the aftermath of a battle. Di Xiu lay on her side on the bed, her left hand bracing against the edge, still in a wary posture.

Seeing this, Yu Chi Mingyue angrily asked, "What do you want?!"

Di Xiu was startled by the sound and looked up at her.

Yu Chi Mingyue walked to the bedside, looked down at him, and said angrily, "Don't go too far! I will not heal you! Give up!"

Di Xiu's face was pale, and he looked exhausted and dejected, clearly too weak to even speak. Hearing Yu Chi Mingyue's rebuke, he simply looked at her quietly, his eyes once again filled with a sense of grievance and helplessness.

Seeing his reaction, Yu Chi Mingyue was unsure whether she should scold him further.

Mei Ziqi, who came in with her, shook her head and sighed when she saw the scene. Then she turned to the group of maids and said with a smile, "Ah, I know. It must be because you girls are used to being arrogant and have neglected Steward Di."

One of the maids spoke up, replying coquettishly, "Sir, how could we dare to neglect Steward Di? Everything was fine at first, but as soon as we picked up our knives, he attacked us. We've all been injured."

Upon hearing this, the maids all echoed in agreement.

"A knife?" Yu Chi Mingyue frowned in confusion after hearing the conversation.

Mei Ziqi glanced at the arrows still lodged in Di Xiu's right arm and left leg, a look of understanding on his face. He walked to the bedside, looked at Di Xiu, and coaxed, "Be good, I'm the Fourth Miss's tutor, don't be afraid."

Upon hearing this, all the maids burst into laughter.

Yu Chi Mingyue felt a chill run down her spine and remained silent for a moment.

"Your wound must hurt a lot, shall we heal it?" Mei Ziqi sat down on the edge of the bed, patted Di Xiu's shoulder, and asked with a smile.

Seeing his actions, Di Xiu gradually lowered her guard and nodded.

Mei Ziqi then looked up, smiled, and waved to Yu Chi Mingyue.

Yu Chi Mingyue immediately jumped up and down, "Sir, what do you mean! I will not heal his injuries!"

"Do you think I'm that kind of person? Besides, you don't know anything about medicine." Mei Ziqi smiled helplessly and said, "I just asked you to come and keep him calm."

Yu Chi Mingyue asked, puzzled, "Why do you want me to keep him calm?"

Mei Ziqi smiled slightly and said to the maids, "Bring the tools."

One of the maids stepped forward, picked up a wooden box from a nearby table, and handed it to Mei Ziqi. Mei Ziqi took it and opened it. The box had three layers, each filled with knives. Mei Ziqi picked one out and held it in her hand.

Just as the blade flashed, Di Xiu's eyes sharpened, and he reached out with his hand as a claw, aiming straight for Mei Ziqi's throat.

Mei Ziqi remained calm and composed, flipping her wrist to seize Di Xiu. In the blink of an eye, Di Xiu's wrist was firmly clamped, rendering him unable to move. Seeing Di Xiu's attempt to struggle, Mei Ziqi leisurely called out, "Little Four."

Yu Chi Mingyue immediately reacted and shouted, "Don't move!"

Upon hearing this, Di Xiu stiffened. He turned his head and looked at Yu Chi Mingyue with a hint of fear.

Yu Chi Mingyue frowned and commanded again, "Lie down."

Di Xiu glanced at her, then at Mei Ziqi who was holding the knife, and hesitated.

Mei Ziqi, with a gleeful smile, held the knife in her hand, waiting to see how things would unfold.

Seeing that Di Xiu was not moving, Yu Chi Mingyue became even more dissatisfied. She made up her mind and decided to take action, pressing him down on the bed.

"Just lie down when I tell you to!" she said irritably.

Di Xiu's expression was filled with fear. He spoke weakly, his voice trembling, "The knife..."

"So what if I stab you with a knife?" Yu Chi Mingyue said arrogantly.

Di Xiu looked at her, his face full of sorrow, on the verge of tears.

“You…” Yu Chi Mingyue frowned, “Crying won’t help!”

Mei Ziqi couldn't stand it anymore and complained with a smile, "Xiao Si, I just told you to keep him calm, why are you yelling at him? He's in such a state, he's so pitiful."