After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Entangled by the Paranoid Eldest Princess - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Spring in the 17th year of the Yankang era, the capital.

The ice and snow had begun to melt, and the tips of the willow branches were adorned with a fresh, nascent green. Outside the gates of the capital, carriages and horses flowed in an endless stream. Scholars from all over the country, speaking in their various regional accents, poured into the city—some with high spirits and ambition, others restrained and introspective.

Inns and restaurants were filled to capacity. In the teahouses, the sounds of fervent discussion and bold rhetoric filled the air. Pedestrians hurried past, all rushing toward their respective futures.

Wen Chenqing merged into the crowd with a low profile.

“As expected, the capital truly is prosperous,” Lu Mingjuan, by her side, took a deep breath, her tone filled with longing and excitement.

Hearing this, Wen Chenqing smiled faintly: “Indeed.”

Yinxing, beside her, could barely contain her excitement, her gaze darting toward a bustling shop: “Miss! That eatery is still open!”

Seeing something familiar, Yinxing felt a wave of nostalgia. Lu Mingjuan, hearing her exclamation, couldn’t help but look as well.

“Aren’t you a native of the capital? Did you not return often during these two years of study?” she asked curiously, nudging Wen Chenqing’s arm.

Wen Chenqing nodded, a wry smile on her lips: “That’s right. Otherwise, how could I be standing here with you, preparing for the Metropolitan Examination?”

Lu Mingjuan agreed wholeheartedly: “True. Your diligence is truly frightening; no wonder you managed to walk this path of civil service examinations several years faster than others.”

She and Wen Chenqing both studied at Jinyun Academy, though she had passed the xiucai examination a year earlier than Wen Chenqing. In terms of seniority, she could be considered Wen Chenqing’s senior. Back then, Lu Mingjuan lived in the academy’s dormitory, while Wen Chenqing traveled back and forth between her residence and the academy every day.

At first, their only interaction was eating lunch together in the canteen. In Wen Chenqing’s words, they were merely “dining partners.” Later, when Wen Chenqing had been at the academy for over a month, Lu Mingjuan suddenly noticed one morning that Wen Chenqing was missing. When she hadn’t seen her for two consecutive days, Lu Mingjuan went to ask the instructor, only to find another classmate also inquiring about her. The instructor simply replied that Wen Chenqing had family matters and her return date was uncertain.

The words “return date uncertain” made Lu Mingjuan sigh. She was not a local; she came from the south, where merchants abounded. The Lu family were tea merchants with significant assets, but in her mother’s words, “ultimately, it is not a respectable status.” Though they had wealth, they lacked the refined prestige brought by imperial examination credentials. Once Lu Mingjuan showed academic talent as a child, her family had spared no effort in cultivating her. Later, to pursue her studies, she bade farewell to her family and came to Jinyun Academy.

The dormitory conditions were naturally inferior to renting a private house, but for the sake of her studies, Lu Mingjuan had stayed in the dorms ever since arriving. In her eyes, her new classmate Wen Chenqing was both talented and diligent; if there was anything lacking, it was that her poetry skills were truly appalling. Oh, and one more thing: she was too attached to her home. Yet, Wen Chenqing, who used to return home every day, suddenly had an “uncertain return date” due to family affairs.

Several more days passed, and Lu Mingjuan had almost forgotten about her, only recalling her when writing poetry. But then Wen Chenqing returned, looking exceptionally haggard—her already slender frame now thin as paper. Lu Mingjuan, who once again sat beside her, hesitated for a moment and asked after her with genuine concern. She had forgotten how Wen Chenqing answered; she only remembered that after Wen Chenqing returned, she no longer went home every day and had moved her luggage into the dormitory.

From then on, Lu Mingjuan and Wen Chenqing were more than just dining partners; the two were almost inseparable. Later, they both successfully passed the prefectural and county examinations, participating in the provincial examination last year. After the results were posted, both became juren (recommended men). Lu Mingjuan’s name hung high on the list at seventh place, with Wen Chenqing close behind at eighth. Their rankings were not low, and both could be considered outstanding.

Now, both were heading to the capital to prepare for the upcoming Metropolitan Examination. During their casual conversation, they found a restaurant to eat. Because scholars were flooding into the capital, business at all the restaurants was booming, and they had to wait a while before it was their turn.

When they had finished, Lu Mingjuan set her chopsticks down and asked the person across from her: “Do you truly intend to rent a place and stay in the capital with me?”

Wen Chenqing nodded: “Naturally, I wouldn’t lie to you. Unless… are you tired of me and having second thoughts, Mingjuan?”

After the provincial examination results were posted, the Wen family learned she had become a juren and had sent people to try to take her back. But Wen Chenqing had refused. She did not want to stay in the capital any longer than necessary, and if not for the need to prepare for the Metropolitan Examination, she would not have voluntarily entered the city.

Lu Mingjuan laughed heartily: “Of course I’m afraid you might change your mind! For us to study together, I couldn’t wish for anything more.” Studying with someone as diligent as Wen Chenqing was, to Lu Mingjuan, nothing short of a pleasure.

Just as the two were laughing and talking, two people approached their table. They were dressed in coarse cloth garments. They bowed to Wen Chenqing, who sat facing north toward the south: “Second Miss Wen, the Matriarch invites you to the mansion for a gathering.”

“…” She had only just settled into the capital, yet the Wen family had already tracked her down.

Wen Chenqing turned to Lu Mingjuan: “You will have to head back first today.”

“No matter,” Lu Mingjuan pointed at the pile of books nearby, “I will take yours back for you.” They had gone out today specifically to buy books from the bookstore.

“Very well, thank you for the trouble,” Wen Chenqing nodded, then turned to Yinxing: “Let’s go.”

The servant drove the carriage all the way to the Wen mansion. Wen Chenqing stepped down and looked at the gate of the Wen mansion, which remained as tall and imposing as she remembered, her expression serene. Yinxing, behind her, couldn’t help but shrink her neck; having not returned to the Wen mansion in a long time, she felt inexplicably uncomfortable. “Miss…”

Wen Chenqing turned to pat her, offering a comforting smile, and then walked inside.

The servant leading the way was silent, taking her through several courtyards until they reached the residence of the Wen Matriarch. The main hall was heavy with the scent of warm incense, making one feel slightly stifled. The silver-haired Matriarch sat in the seat of honor, with the primary wife of the Wen family, Madame An, sitting below her.

When they saw Wen Chenqing enter, their gazes fell upon her simultaneously, carrying a mixture of scrutiny and an indescribable complexity. The Matriarch, in particular, had considered this granddaughter completely ruined two or three years ago; she had taken charge of driving her to the villa in the suburbs, convinced she would never return. Who would have thought this granddaughter would rely on her own abilities to return to the capital? Although her rank on the list was slightly lower than that of [Wen] Yuan’er, she was still ranked eighth—which could certainly be called outstanding.

With the Metropolitan Examination imminent, since she possessed such ability, the Wen family could not possibly leave her to her own devices outside. If this granddaughter—whose head was no longer muddled—was clever enough, she would know that returning home, with the family’s support, would make her path ahead much smoother.

“Grandmother, Mother, please accept my greetings.”

“Rise. Sit.”

Madame An, from the side, calmly assessed this illegitimate daughter she hadn’t seen in a long time. Compared to before, there seemed to be a depth of composure in her eyes, and she appeared much more sensible and refined. She said: “It has been hard on you, spending these years outside.”

After sitting down, Wen Chenqing said: “Thank you for your concern, Mother. All is well.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the room fell into a short silence, broken only by the sound of the sandalwood incense burning quietly in the air. Finally, the Matriarch broke the silence, her tone brooking no argument: “Since you have returned to the capital, move back into the mansion. You are a juren now, and with the Metropolitan Examination approaching, staying alone in a rented place instead of coming home—what does that look like?”

Here it comes.

Wen Chenqing felt no surprise. Such aristocratic clans always aimed to keep their resources firmly in their own hands. When she moved to the villa, she was merely a lowly xiucai with an uncertain future. The Wen family naturally wouldn’t keep an illegitimate daughter without a “big-picture” perspective at home, lest she influence the legitimate daughter they were carefully cultivating. Such behavior was very standard.

But now that she had passed the juren examination, her status was somewhat different. If a child in the family had talent, the family would naturally give them a boost, and then, once the child had gained a foothold, it would be their turn to support the family. Only by doing this could a clan remain prosperous for generations.

The only issue was that Wen Chenqing’s aspirations did not lie here.

She raised her eyes, her gaze clear and firm: “Grandmother, your granddaughter has already rented a place with friends; we are mutually refining our knowledge and focusing on preparing for the examination. The residence is quiet, and there is nothing improper about it.”

“Nonsense!” The Matriarch frowned. “Although your friend’s ranking is considered outstanding, she is, after all, of merchant background. Living with her will be of no benefit to you. Move back into the mansion, where you can study with your elder sister, and the family has already engaged a scholar for you—wouldn’t that be a hundred times better than being outside?”

Wen Chenqing said: “Grandmother is correct. It is just that I treated my elder sister so poorly in the past. Although I have realized my errors, I feel too ashamed to face her and truly dare not trouble the family to put in such effort for me.”

She wore an expression of sincere contrition and shame, yet her words were filled with refusal.

The Matriarch looked at her lowered head and softened her tone, though it still carried an inescapable pressure: “Chenqing, are you resenting your grandmother for making the decision to send you out of the mansion back then?”

Wen Chenqing looked up: “How could that be? If not for Grandmother’s decision that day, I would not have realized my errors, and how could I have achieved today?”

The Matriarch saw that there was truly no resentment in her eyes; whether in expression or tone, there was nothing unusual. Considering her performance over these last two years—aside from her hanging around with a woman of unknown origin upon arriving at the villa and nearly quitting her studies, she had since mended her ways and devoted herself entirely to reading. The Matriarch had originally thought “a leopard cannot change its spots,” never expecting this granddaughter to be an exception, nor that there would come a day when she herself misjudged someone.

Thinking of this, the Matriarch’s thoughts grew slightly complex. She didn’t show it on her face, her tone turning heavy: “You are a daughter of the Wen family; honor and loss are shared. If you succeed, the family will naturally assist you with all our strength. Your elder sister has always been kind to her siblings; seeing you striving for progress now, she will naturally be happy as well.”

“Grandmother’s instruction is correct,” Wen Chenqing lowered her eyes, “it is just that I have already made an agreement with my friend and truly do not wish to be a person who breaks their word. I hope Grandmother will forgive me.”

The Matriarch stared deeply at the firm-minded Wen Chenqing, as if seeing her for the first time. Her granddaughter had once been narrow-minded, jealous, and obsessed with petty self-interest; now that the family had indicated they would support her, she was actually pushing them away. The Matriarch stared at Wen Chenqing in silence for a while, and seeing her hold her gaze without a hint of fear, she finally spoke, her tone unreadable: “Very well. Since you insist, so be it. But remember: you are, after all, a member of the Wen family. Three days from now, the Princess of Xuan will host a Spring Banquet. The invitation has already been sent to the mansion. Prepare yourself, and accompany your elder sister to attend; do not lose the family’s decorum.”

The Princess of Xuan is hosting a banquet…

Wen Chenqing’s heart beat slightly faster, and her fingers tightened within her sleeves. She had not expected that upon her return to the capital, the Wen family would choose to push her out to socialize and attend banquets alongside Wen Shiyuan. She had just refused to move back into the Wen mansion; if she were to refuse this as well, it would be quite problematic.

“Yes, your granddaughter understands.” Wen Chenqing suppressed the emotions in her heart and gave a low response.