Seducing the Heart - Chapter 24.1

The warm sun shone down, making the vendors lining the streets feel lazy and involuntarily drowsy. Hearing the sound of rhythmic hoofbeats, they barely managed to open their eyes for a glance before quickly returning to their original state. The carriage driver kept the horses steady throughout the journey; upon reaching the destination, he gave the reins a slight tug to bring the animals to a halt. He leaped down nimbly and stood aside to wait for his master to exit.

The carriage had stopped precisely in front of the residence of Senior Scholar Su. A sun-shading willow tree was planted directly opposite the main gate, its crisp green branches drooping with a distinct vitality. A servant in front of the gate was sprinkling water and sweeping; seeing guests arrive, he immediately set aside his broom and went inside to announce them. The beauty entering the manor had a calm expression and wore a fluttering white robe, her steps light and graceful. It was the sort of presence that made one unable to resist taking a few extra glances.

“This way, please,” Su Peiwen said, leading the way for Qin Zhanluo. He glanced to the side and discovered his troublesome younger sister looking toward them with burning curiosity.

“Brother, who is that?” Su Peiyun asked with silent gestures and wordless mouthings.

Looking at her flailing about, Su Peiwen felt a headache brewing. There is no harm without comparison; the Princess was poised and dignified at every moment, while his own sister was acting in such an embarrassing manner. Consequently, Su Peiwen silently rolled his eyes at her and ignored her. Not only that, he used a sharp look to threaten her to stay away. He did not want her constantly looking for ways to lose face in front of an honored guest.

Su Peiyun gnashed her teeth in secret, her eyes darting around before she unhesitatingly continued to follow them stealthily.

The two people sitting in the pavilion were discussing serious matters, yet in the eyes of an onlooker, the scene took on a different meaning. In Su Peiyun’s view, her brother was a boring man of letters who only knew how to read and recite poetry; she estimated he couldn’t speak more than ten sentences before a girl would find him utterly tedious. Therefore, female visitors were a rarity in the manor. Especially one as beautiful as this, such visitors were so few that Su Peiyun could count them on her fingers. It was rare to see Su Peiwen chatting so harmoniously with any lady; who would be so desperate for entertainment that they would play with him?

Su Peiyun found it extraordinary and could not resist peeking, her heart beginning to buzz with gossip. Had her wooden block of a brother suddenly had an epiphany? Was he finally thinking about “stealing a choice cabbage” from someone else’s garden? She wondered whose daughter this lady was, especially since she was so pleasing to the eye.

Su Peiyun crouched to the side, peeking quietly, her eyes refusing to miss a single second. She wanted to see if there was any secret intimacy between the two that she didn’t know about. At some point, another person stood beside her. That person made no sound and simply cast a gaze in the same direction, so Su Peiyun paid it no mind, assuming the newcomer was also there to peek.

Watching her brother pour tea for the guest with a bright smile, Su Peiyun couldn’t help but smack her lips. “Oh my, my.” Look at that fawning behavior. He usually never thought to pour a cup of water for his own biological sister. Bah.

The person beside her watched with her for a while before offering a conclusion. “Don’t you think the two of them look quite well-matched?”

“Tsk, you don’t say. There really is a bit of a ‘talented scholar and beautiful lady’ vibe to it.” Su Peiwen had studied since childhood and possessed a scholarly air. Usually, one wouldn’t notice, but sitting opposite that beauty now, and considering he wasn’t bad-looking, he appeared quite refined and elegant.

Su Peiyun suddenly reacted and turned her gaze toward the person beside her, about to blurt out, “Who are you?”

The moment she saw the other person’s face, she froze. Su Peiyun had naturally heard of the famous “weak and sickly beautiful Prince” of the capital; he was the ideal match in the dreams of many young ladies from noble families. Everyone has a love for beauty. Su Peiyun was no exception; she had once spent a high price of ten taels of silver to collect a portrait of Yun Jin, and she had genuinely felt the sting in her heart for a while afterward. Looking at him now, the money didn’t seem wasted. The artist was indeed skilled, but even then, the likeness was only about seventy or eighty percent, which was why she recognized him so easily.

“Pri-Pri-Pri-Pri-Prince…”

“Prince Jin,” Yun Jin said considerately, finishing the words Su Peiyun was struggling with.

“You-you-you-you-you…”

“Why am I here?” Yun Jin’s tone was somewhat helpless, a gentle smile playing on the lips. Having her words anticipated, Su Peiyun could only stare blankly, waiting for Yun Jin to answer.

“I have come to the manor to discuss matters with Scholar Su.” Yun Jin’s expression was calm as she looked toward the two people talking in the pavilion. It seemed her previous deductions were correct; the Princess Consort indeed maintained an ambiguous connection with this Scholar Su. The thought that “Su Peiwen is the sweetheart Qin Zhanluo spoke of” deepened unintentionally in Yun Jin’s mind.

“And you? Why are you here,” Yun Jin asked, turning to look at the girl in the sky-blue dress, choosing her words carefully, “listening to their conversation in secret?”

“This young lady was not eavesdropping,” Su Peiyun said, her lack of logic matched only by her boldness as she placed a hand on her hip. “This is my own home. At most, I am simply standing here because I am idle.”

So this was Su Peiwen’s younger sister.

“I have long heard that Scholar Su has a sister who is as bright as ice and snow. Seeing you today, it is indeed true.”

“You speak quite well, Your Highness. I imagine you spend a lot of time coaxing beauties to be happy like this, don’t you?” Su Peiyun blinked, clearly not taking Yun Jin’s flowery words seriously. On the outside, she was calm, but inside she was already leaping for joy. Did you see that? Did you see that? Even the beautiful Prince Jin praised me for being as bright as ice and snow. This was something she would have to save for later to boast quietly to her girlfriends.

“Naturally not. What I say is always from the heart.” Yun Jin had just witnessed this girl peeking with a wide range of expressions. Sometimes frowning, sometimes muttering; her face was quite lively and expressive. However, Yun Jin was curious about one more thing. “How did Miss Su recognize me?”

“Ah, I guessed!” Su Peiyun suddenly pointed toward the pavilion. “Hey, look at them! Their hands! Their hands just touched each other!”

She successfully diverted Yun Jin’s attention. Su Peiyun breathed a silent sigh of relief; the two over there had no physical contact at all. Luckily she was quick-witted, otherwise, how could she admit to hiding a portrait of him?

Yun Jin watched for a while longer but did not find any overly intimate behavior between the two. Moreover, the distance was too great to hear what they were saying. Yun Jin’s thoughts turned, and she began to subtly probe the girl beside her.

“I imagine that since Scholar Su has not yet married, perhaps he already has someone in his heart?”

“I wouldn’t know about that, though I have heard my brother mention the daughter of Lord Yao.” He had mentioned her more than once, Su Peiyun added silently.

Since Yun Jin’s position offered a better view, Su Peiyun instinctively leaned closer to her. “The daughter of Lord Yao? Could it be… Yao Fuyun?”

“Yes, that is the name.”

It even shared the word “Yun” with her own name. Yun Jin recalled the person and smiled with an unreadable meaning, offering a backhanded compliment. “I did not expect Scholar Su to be interested in such a beauty.”

Su Peiyun’s words were actually far-fetched and unreliable. Anyone in the capital who had seen the Yao daughter knew that Yao Fuyun had inherited all the worst traits of Lord Yao and his wife, making her exceptionally unattractive. When Su Peiwen mentioned her, it was usually to compare her to Su Peiyun to tease her for her own faults. Now, Su Peiyun mentioned it intentionally, merely taking the opportunity to get revenge on her brother. Who told him to lecture her with a dark face all the time? Being an older brother wasn’t that big of a deal.

The two were talking with great interest, completely ignoring the fact that others were observing them out of the corners of their eyes. Neither had really tried to hide, so Su Peiwen and Qin Zhanluo were aware of their presence from the start.

“The one talking to A-Jin, is she your sister, Scholar Su?” Qin Zhanluo asked with a half-smile. In Su Peiwen’s eyes, her expression was strangely unnerving.

“My biological sister.” Su Peiwen wondered why his troublesome sister was getting so close to Prince Jin. Would this Princess turn into a jealous wreck?

“She is quite bright, beautiful, and lovely.”

“Please stop, your Highness. My sister would never have any improper thoughts about the Prince. You can put your heart at ease.” Su Peiwen made the promise, but secretly he thought of something else: once Qin Zhanluo left, he had to find a way to convince Su Peiyun to move that hidden portrait of Prince Jin to a more obscure location. If Qin Zhanluo ever found out about it, it would be a disaster.

“Why are you so nervous? I did not say there was anything improper between them.” Qin Zhanluo lowered her eyes slightly and turned the teacup in her hand. “Have there been any recent matters in the court?”

“Yes. A few days ago, word got out that Prince Rui was selling private salt and embezzling disaster relief funds. After hearing the news, I sent people to investigate secretly, and it is all true.” Su Peiwen frowned as he thought of the gathered information. “He wasn’t very cautious about these things. It shouldn’t be long before the Crown Prince’s faction gets their hands on real evidence.”

Qin Zhanluo raised an eyebrow. “The Crown Prince… tell me more about him in detail.”

As far as Qin Zhanluo knew, although Yun Jin had never publicly declared support for any faction, the manor occasionally received gifts from the Eastern Palace. From this, she guessed that Yun Jin leaned slightly toward the Crown Prince’s party.

The two talked for a long time. The other two had long since lost the patience to wait and began playing childish games to pass the time. Mostly, Su Peiyun had lost interest in peeking, and Yun Jin had no choice but to accompany her. They were playing rock-paper-scissors where the loser got their palm slapped. After a long while, Su Peiyun hadn’t managed to hit Yun Jin once, but instead owed many hits in return. She wondered how Yun Jin’s luck could be so good.

“Yun’er, what are you doing making the Prince accompany you here?”

The familiar voice rang out, and Su Peiyun was startled by the sudden sound. Yun Jin also turned her head and looked toward Qin Zhanluo; the look in the other’s eyes was clearly full of teasing. She could only cough lightly to hide her embarrassment.

“Since the Prince has also come to the manor, then let us have dinner together here.” Su Peiwen invited them with great enthusiasm, not caring if the two honored guests were willing to agree, and began leading the way toward the back hall.

“Yes, stay and eat here.” Su Peiyun leaned mysteriously toward Yun Jin and whispered, “I’m telling you, Your Highness, the dishes made by Auntie Zhang in our Su manor are delicious. Everyone who eats them knows.”

Yun Jin instinctively took two steps back, discreetly creating distance, and asked with a smile, “Is that so?”

Su Peiyun betrayed her brother without hesitation, making a vow. “Hey, if I’m lying, may Su Peiwen immediately turn into a long-faced donkey!”

Qin Zhanluo happened to turn her head at that moment, capturing their slightly intimate interaction. Her eyes darkened. “The Prince truly is popular with the beauties.”

Leaving that light remark behind, Qin Zhanluo followed Su Peiwen toward the back hall. Su Peiyun was usually carefree, but after a few rounds of this, she sensed something. She whispered to Yun Jin, “Hey, does that beauty know you?”

At the same time, she thought: Did I guess wrong? Is she not interested in Su Peiwen, but actually likes Yun Jin more? Oh, could this beauty also be someone who collected a portrait of Prince Jin? That dishonest merchant at the street corner said they were limited edition, but who knew how many copies were actually sold?

Yun Jin nodded slightly and replied, “We know each other.” After a pause, she added with a smile, “We are quite familiar.” Familiar as in seeing each other every morning and every night.

The food at the Su manor was indeed decent. Although it was just common stir-fry, it possessed a warm, homey quality. After the meal, there were some slightly sweet pastries. However, the meal was a nerve-wracking experience for Su Peiwen. For no other reason than Su Peiyun was being far too active in her interactions with Yun Jin.

“Your Highness, Your Highness! Quickly, try this dish! Auntie Zhang’s braised pork is a masterpiece. It would be a pity not to eat it.”

“Have some of this too; I really like these sautéed shrimp. Oh, right, definitely don’t eat that plate of radishes. I don’t know who bought them today, they aren’t crunchy at all.”

Seeing Su Peiyun use her own chopsticks to put food on Yun Jin’s plate, and then almost habitually about to bite her chopsticks while thinking about what to eat next, Su Peiwen was quick. He snatched the chopsticks from her hand and tossed them onto the floor.

“Su Peiwen, what are you do?
” She stopped mid-sentence. Remembering there were outsiders present, she had to leave him some face, so she forced herself to swallow the rest of her words. She changed her tune with a fake smile. “It’s nothing. Thank you, Brother, for handling those chopsticks for me. I happened to want a fresh pair anyway.” Just wait until everyone is gone, then I’ll settle the score with you.

Su Peiwen ignored her as usual. Instead, he watched Qin Zhanluo finally loosen her grip on her own chopsticks and felt a sigh of relief in his heart. Close call, luckily I stopped it in time. That girl is always trying to cause trouble for me. Thinking this, he glared fiercely at Su Peiyun, reached out with his chopsticks to give her a piece of radish, and said considerately, “Sister, eat.”

The atmosphere was “relaxed and pleasant” until everyone finished their meal.

“Your Highness, it is time for us to return to the manor.”

“Very well.” Yun Jin smiled and departed alongside Qin Zhanluo.

The Su siblings watched the two board the carriage. It was only then that Su Peiyun belatedly sensed something was amiss.

“Brother, they left in the same carriage.” Su Peiyun recalled the details carefully. “That beauty said, ‘It is time for us to return to the manor’…”

“So, that beauty is actually the Princess Consort of Jin?”

“Well, who else could it be? You were putting food on the Prince’s plate right in front of his wife.” Su Peiwen poked her forehead in exasperation. “You, honestly!”

Su Peiyun trembled with fear. “Help! Is it too late for me to regret what I just did?”

Naturally, it was too late. Su Peiwen took the opportunity to spite her. “Grounded for three days. Reflect on your actions.” As he walked a few steps into the manor, he remembered something else and turned back to command her. “By the way, that portrait of Prince Jin… you had better move it somewhere else immediately!”

Su Peiyun rushed into the residence ahead of her brother, intentionally bumping his shoulder. “Fine.” All he knows is how to punish me, no wonder no girl likes him.

In the Imperial Garden, the occasional chirping of birds rang out. Yun Mosheng held a thin wooden stick, teasing a fighting cock kept in an exquisite cage, while the Crown Prince, Yun Siji, stood submissively by his side.

The fighting cock was a large rooster with exceptionally beautiful feathers, bestowed the title General by the Emperor for its bravery in battle. Whenever it fought other roosters, it refused to stop until it had pecked their combs bloody. The General had been presented as tribute by a foreign state to suit the Emperor’s tastes; it was a hobby he had enjoyed since his youth, and even seeing it now, he found it quite entertaining.

The thin stick successfully provoked the General. It flapped its wings and lunged to peck. The wind stirred by the cock’s wings caused Yun Siji to startle and take a step back.

Beside them, Eunuch Tianxi’s expression changed as he scolded loudly, “Ha! You insolent General! You are far too ungrateful! Do you dare act so lawlessly just because His Majesty favors you?”

Yun Mosheng exchanged a silent look with him, and the eunuch immediately shut his mouth. Yun Mosheng used the stick to give the General’s wing a light tap as punishment before handing it back to the attendant.

He turned to the Crown Prince. “Imperial Son, what do you think of my fighting cock?”

“I observe that the General’s eyes are bright and piercing. More rare is his abundant energy. He is indeed a fine fighting cock.”

Yun Mosheng laughed heartily and instructed a nearby eunuch, “Go and bring Black Whirlwind from the palace. My mood is quite good today, so I shall watch a match with my son.”

The eunuch complied and went to fetch Black Whirlwind. That bird had entirely black feathers and looked quite spirited; it had been raised for nearly as long as the General. A space was quickly cleared for the duel. The two roosters paced the area, their small eyes fixed on each other, both ready to strike.

“Imperial Son, why not guess which of the two will win?” Yun Mosheng accepted a cup of strong tea from a senior eunuch, his eyes full of interest.

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