NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Ruined Engagement
Su Jing Fei sat in the carriage with Yize and occasionally caught a glance of the world outside from behind the curtains. This was indeed no longer the modern world that she remembered. People bustled around outside walking and viewing vendor stalls filled with goods and foods. She let out a long sigh, partly relieved and partly troubled by the era she found herself in. In the modern world, she had been a manager of an old inn that was styled of ancient Chinese historical manors similar to this world. In her training, she learned strict standards for matters of conduct, propriety, and manners that any woman of a noble family should receive; as well as the arts for entertainment, such as dance, music, poetry, and painting. She could carefully blend in, but she knew that she still had to gather much information about this world from Yize and others. However, Su Jing Fei remembered some aspects of the movie that would help her avoid trouble as well. For example, she knew that the result of her ruined engagement would be a forced move to the countryside manor by her father. This was honestly the best result for her to acclimate to this world while being removed from everyone’s prying eyes.
It wasn’t long before they reached the imperial palace. Luckily, the guards had anticipated her arrival, and so she was let in without too much trouble. A eunuch greeted her upon exiting the carriage and guided them into the imperial palace. Su Jing Fei kept a calm appearance and gracefully walked behind the eunuch, keeping up to his quick steps effortlessly. The eunuch was surprised at this young miss’ graceful appearance, but he had been even further surprised to see the bandage wrapping around her head. He hadn’t heard much and only knew that the Su Jing Fei was the da xiaojie of the Right Minister Su’s family and also the third prince’s betrothed, and he had been instructed to bring her in to meet with the third prince and the emperor. He had also heard the rumors about this young miss having an arrogant and haughty attitude, but he saw neither from her. He could only see a graceful bearing with elegant movements. Her figure wasn’t too tall or petite and her face wasn’t especially beautiful, but the refined elegance of her upright posture and undisturbed calmness of her face betrayed the youth of her appearance. This young miss definitely exuded a unique beauty in contrast with the shy and gentle demeanor of most young female nobility. The eunuch was impressed, but didn’t speak a word as he led them into the palace.
“Long live the Emperor and Empress!” The eunuch kneeled upon entering the hall and stopping before the two figures seated on a raised floor.
Yize stopped a while back and kneeled, but Su Jing Fei continued forward to the eunuch’s side and kneeled as well, repeating the same words. “Long live the Emperor and Empress!” She was well aware of the eyes bearing down at her, and there was also the glare of the third prince from her side but she ignored him.
Her calm and elegant demeanor surprised the Emperor and Empress, and it took them a moment to see that it was Su Jing Fei who stood before them. They had only met Su Jing Fei a few times prior, however what they remembered was a slightly clumsy girl who only had eyes for the third prince. But when she had entered, Su Jing Fei hadn't even spared a glance in the third prince’s direction. The Emperor furrowed his brows because the third prince had already told him what had happened at the Oak Tree Courtyard, and he had been originally angry with Su Jing Fei’s shameful behavior. However, seeing her now, her pitiful appearance with the bandage wrapped around her head caused his anger to calm a bit, and he sighed as he began to speak. “You may rise. We heard from Chen Hui Zhe the matters that took place at the Oak Tree Courtyard, but we would like to hear your side of the story as well. Does Su xiaojie have anything you want to say before we continue?”
Su Jing Fei stood up. Her expression was undisturbed at the mention of Oak Tree Courtyard, and those dark ink eyes were calm and unyielding, reflecting a calmness as deep and unfamiliar as the ocean. The Empress furrowed her brows and could not see through Su Jing Fei’s emotions and neither could the Emperor. However, the third prince misinterpreted Su Jing Fei’s calmness with fear and thought the girl was trying to illicit pity from the Emperor and Empress. Just as Chen Hui Zhe was about to speak up, Su Jing Fei respectfully bowed and addressed the Emperor and Empress. “The happenings at Oak Tree Courtyard were as the third prince has said, and this lowly one will readily accept any punishment that your Majesties deem appropriate.” With this, she kneeled once more and kowtowed before them.
The Empress sighed, watching the young girl pitifully kowtow before them. She didn’t have the heart to be angry because she knew the selfish and stubborn attitude of the third prince was the same as his concubine mother, and though she had originally wanted Su Jing Fei to speak up, it didn’t look like this would be the case. “Please rise. You have to remember to also take care of yourself. A young girl like you receiving such an injury has to make sure it does not leave a scar.”
“This lowly one thanks your Majesty the Empress for her concern.” Su Jing Fei stood up and kept her head bowed in respect.
The Emperor watched the scene before him with furrowed eyes. From the testimonies he had gathered, Su Jing Fei had indeed instigated the matter and he had originally intended to punish her for her shameful behavior, but Su Jing Fei’s calm demeanor and pitiful appearance was making it harder for him to think of a proper punishment. He sighed, well aware of the common youthful arrogance of the young nobility, but it seemed that Su Jing Fei had properly reflected and even maintained proper courtesy and manners. A slight irritation struck in the Emperor and his glare landed on his son, the third prince Chen Hui Zhe. “We were told that the wound on your head was a result of the third prince Chen Hui Zhe’s actions. The imperial doctor has informed us of the injuries at Oak Tree Courtyard. How do you explain yourself, Chen Hui Zhe?” Though Chen Hui Zhe was his favored son, the Emperor was a fair and just man who would not tolerate a man injuring a young woman in broad daylight, especially a young man’s own betrothed. This would make them lose face and have the commoners saying that the young prince beats his own betrothed. If there were no reparations for the prince’s actions, the Emperor would face backlash saying that he was bias and unjust. That was something that he could not tolerate as well.
Chen Hui Zhe stepped forward, giving a glare in Su Jing Fei’s direction. When he saw that she didn’t even spare him a glance, his face stiffened as his anger rose. “This lowly prince acted in protection of another. He hopes the Emperor can see his actions were justified in retaliation to Su Jing Fei’s shameful actions.”
The Emperor frowned at the answer, and Chen Hui Zhe felt himself growing a little fearful. His father had never given him this look of disapproval before. “Your actions resulted in the injury to your betrothed. Do you not worry about how the situation would be seen in the eyes of others?”
Chen Hui Zhe froze as he took a moment to process the Emperor’s words. Indeed, it would look bad, but he had truly done it so that Su Jing Fei did not harm any others in his name. “I am aware of my actions, and this lowly one accepts any punishments that father Emperor hands out. However, I could not accept Su Jing Feiharming others in my name, and I cannot accept it any longer! I respectfully ask for father Emperor to please cancel the engagement between this prince and Su Jing Fei!” At these words, the prince kneeled and kowtowed before them.
The Empress took in a breath of surprise. She knew that Chen Hui Zhe had no feelings for Su Jing Fei, but for him to request the cancellation of the engagement, that was truly a decision that she had not expected. Their marriage was one that was requested by the Empress Dowager herself. However, reflecting on the actions and results of the Oak Tree Courtyard incident, she knew that there indeed were no positive feelings between the two. Su Jing Fei hadn’t even looked in Chen Hui Zhe’s direction the entire time while Chen Hui Zhe couldn’t even mask the hate and resentment from his face that was directed at Su Jing Fei. If they forced the marriage, it would surely doom to fail. The Emperor had also noticed and understood these things as well, and he sighed. Even though he was angry at the third prince, the third prince was still his favored son, and he could not bring himself to force any marriage upon him, especially since the situation had reached such an unfavorable condition. “The marriage between you and Su Jing Fei had been one arranged from the Empress Dowager herself. Are you going against her well wishes for your future?”
“The Empress Dowager has treated this prince kindly and has his well wishes in mind. However, the betrothal was decided since youth and neither had a say in the decision. This lowly prince will go beg the Empress Dowager for forgiveness because I truly cannot bring myself to marry Su Jing Fei. This lowly prince requests for father Emperor to cancel the engagement and will accept any punishment for his unfilial actions!” Chen Hui Zhe kowtowed two more times to show his determination.
The Emperor could only shake his head in response before turning to Su Jing Fei. “And what do you have to say about this matter? Does Su xiaojie agree in the cancellation of the marriage?”
“This lowly one will accept any decision the Emperor makes on her behalf!” Su Jing Fei managed to respectfully answer, allowing the Emperor to make the decision for her. Therefore, any conflict of the decision would not be from her.
The Emperor was truly surprised because he had known about Su Jing Fei’s intense adoration for the third prince. He had expected to hear at least some words of denial from her, but there was none. It seemed this young girl had fully accepted the course of this conversation as well as the end result. He knew of the third prince’s stubbornness, and that the prince would not back down from wanting to cancel the engagement. With another long sigh, he fixed a hard stare at the two young people before him. “We will present the punishment for disturbing the Oak Tree Courtyard to the third prince Chen Hui Zhe and the da xiaojie of the Su Family Su Jing Fei! In regards to both of their shameful actions, their engagement will be canceled henceforth! Their respective punishments will be to kowtow in front of the Empress Dowager’s palace ten times. In regards to Chen Hui Zhe, he will have to go to the Empress Dowager and kowtow another ten times!” Everyone knew the latter punishment of Chen Hui Zhe was truly because the Emperor needed to teach the third prince in joining a fight between women and even injuring one; these shameful actions were truly distasteful for the Emperor.
Both Chen Hui Zhe and Su Jing Fei kneeled before the Emperor as he spoke his royal decree. “We thank the Emperor for his kindness and just actions and accept the punishment!”
The Emperor dismissed them both with a wave of his arm, and the two of them were immediately dismissed from the hall. Chen Hui Zhe stormed ahead, not bothering to wait for Su Jing Fei, but luckily the eunuch anticipated this and led her to the Empress Dowager’s palace. The Empress Dowager’s palace was not too far from the imperial palace, so they did not have to walk far. Upon reaching the front entrance, both Chen Hui Zhe and Su Jing Fei kneeled and kowtowed ten times in silence. As Su Jing Fei got up, Chen Hui Zhe stood before her with an angry expression. The eunuch looked on nervously. He knew the third prince was usually an amicable person, but the third prince was also equally hot-headed and quick to anger. The eunuch was afraid of more conflict, but as a person of lower rank, he could only watch on fearfully.
Finally, Su Jing Fei rested her eyes on the third prince Chen Hui Zhe. He had a strong appearance with handsome features, but they were twisted in anger. Whatever feelings the original Su Jing Fei had for the third prince had been doused in cold water upon her death, and the current Su Jing Fei looked at the third prince as if watching a child throwing a temper tantrum. In the movie, Blossoms of the Wind, Chen Hui Zhe had seemed righteously upset about his evil betrothed hurting the one he actually loved. However, without the movie bias, his actions were honestly shameful to physically injure his own betrothed for a woman who did not even know her place and had acted so familiar with a betrothed man and prince. Honestly, Su Jing Fei had never liked the movie anyway; her original opinion had been that Chen Hui Zhe and Jiang Li Ling’s relationship was superficial and she never liked both of them. Now, standing here in this position, she liked them even less. Her black ink eyes grew colder as Chen Hui Zhe glared at her. When their eyes met, Chen Hui Zhe was slightly taken aback; he was unfamiliar with the coldness of her eyes and the imposing aura she bore before him. He had only known the one where she looked at him with love and adoration.
He shook his head though, thinking that she was merely putting on airs because she was angry that the betrothal had been cancelled. “Your actions today were truly shameful, Su Jing Fei. This prince will no longer tolerate you doing such things in his name! Never appear before me again, and leave Jiang Li Ling alone!”
Su Jing Fei wanted to laugh. This stubborn and hateful man indeed acted the part of a protective male movie lead, but she knew the truth that he had actually killed his own betrothed for a woman who shamelessly threw herself at him. His blind eyes couldn't even see that much. He was truly the shameful one! Though her heart was full of hate and disdain, Su Jing Fei’s appearance remained calm and relaxed. She would not be fighting like a child with a boy who was barely twenty years of age. The only indication that she had heard his words were the slight movement in which Su Jing Fei gave a respectful bow. “This lowly one will honor the third prince’s wishes. I'll be taking my leave first.”
Chen Hui Zhe felt truly speechless watching Su Jing Fei showing no emotion at all at his words and even responding respectfully. There was a small part of him that even doubted his earlier actions, but he shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned to depart without another word.
The eunuch looked upon Su Jing Fei in awe. The third prince had been harsh with his words, and he had expected Su Jing Fei to be mad or even cry, but he had never expected such a young girl to have such a cold and imposing aura as well as an emotionless expression in which one could not tell the emotions behind those clear dark eyes.
Su Jing Fei didn’t waste another moment and left the palace without another glance. She had carefully conducted herself to avoid trouble, and she’d hoped to make her actions seem as though her love for the third prince had died upon his request for the cancellation of their marriage. Luckily, the Emperor and Empress had few chances to interact with Su Jing Fei, according to her memories. Thus, this would not seem a far-fetched idea. However, the real battle was only beginning as she boarded her carriage. Next stop, the Su residence!