Chapter 108: The Woman in the Cabin

Seeing Xiao Jian watch as the woman who had insulted him was led into the cabin by Xiao Yi, his face darkened with terrifying intensity.

Lin Lin, feigning righteous indignation, exclaimed, "How could the Ninth Prince behave so? Who is that woman? To dare speak such words to the Eighth Prince, and for the Ninth Prince to shield her! Your Highness, allow me to take some men and drag her out so you may pass judgment upon her!"

Pass judgment? For the crime of holding the Imperial family in contempt?

Yet, Xiao Jian had been cultivating an image of elegance and magnanimity among the crowd, essential for securing the support of the high-ranking officials.

Considering this, Xiao Jian’s dark expression cleared as quickly as it had formed. He addressed the crowd, "That must be a friend of my Ninth Brother. Let us speak no more of her!"

He then continued, "Which of you gentlemen can guess the answer to the patron's riddle? I shall bestow a generous reward upon whoever provides the correct response!"

The guests looked at one another, each wearing an expression that suggested the puzzle was insurmountable.

It was true; Consort Feng, Xiao Jian’s mother, was herself an adopted daughter with little in the way of connections. Xiao Jian appeared refined on the surface, but he was mediocre in talent, and in these times, social standing was built upon character and intellectual depth.

And how did one cultivate such depth? Through rigorous scholarship, of course.

Xiao Jian lacked such capability, and as a result, those who associated with him—while appearing to be sons of noble families—were not of the elite. With sycophants like Lin Lin, who could not distinguish between north and south, who could possibly help him answer the riddle?

Just then, a woman spoke up, "Why not ask the person inside? That Lady Xue, whom the Ninth Prince brought along, seems quite clever. Perhaps she might know the answer."

Xiao Jian looked at the woman. She was of average appearance but possessed a clingy disposition; she was his maternal cousin, Feng Ling.

Consort Feng had been adopted by the family of Noble Consort Shu precisely because she had been abducted as a child and rescued by the Noble Consort’s mother. When they eventually located her family, they found they were poor farmers living in hardship. The Noble Consort’s mother, a kind-hearted woman, had grown attached to the girl after two years and could not bear to send her back, choosing instead to adopt her.

Feng Ling and Consort Feng were related by blood as aunt and niece.

Hearing Feng Ling’s suggestion, Xiao Jian nodded slightly. It was a desperate measure, but he had no choice. His excursion on the lake was not merely for leisure; he was hunting for a medicinal herb.

His elder brother, the Crown Prince, had fallen gravely ill. It was said that a Tianshan snow lotus was required for his recovery—a plant that grew only in the north. With the northern territories now occupied by the Hu tribes, even a single ginseng root was a rare treasure, let alone a snow lotus. Such things were impossible for an ordinary person to acquire, and Xiao Jian counted himself among that number. However, he had heard that someone on the lake today possessed the herb, which was why he had come.

To have the medicine in his grasp—to decide whether to give it to the Crown Prince or withhold it—the power to control that fate was intoxicating.

He had brought many people with him for this purpose.

Among them were several men and three women. One was Feng Ling; another was Wang Weiwei, the granddaughter of the Censor-in-Chief. She was his intended primary consort, though the Emperor had not yet issued a decree, and few were aware that Consort Feng planned to petition for the marriage.

Wang Weiwei had already tried to solve the riddle and failed. That left only one woman remaining—the one currently resting in the cabin due to seasickness.

Xiao Jian turned and headed toward the cabin. The others hesitated and chose to stay behind.

Once he had walked away, Feng Ling cast a mocking glance at the cool and composed Wang Weiwei. So, she was a noble lady of great standing? She was just another woman. If she thought she could marry her cousin, she was dreaming. If she dared to marry him, Feng Ling would make sure to find her a formidable concubine just to see if she would die of spite.

Suggesting the woman in the cabin was her swift and effective way of undermining Wang Weiwei. And if the woman in the cabin actually knew the answer? Hah!