Chapter 68: Meeting on a narrow path
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4得寸进尺: literal meaning is to give an inch but take a yard; used to describe someone who is insatiable
5覆巢之下焉有完卵: literal meaning is describing how eggs are broken when the nest is ruined; used to describe how once a family is destroyed, how would its members survive
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The expression on everyone’s face showed it was heartbreaking to watch; Li Chang Le raised the corners of her lips.
In the end, Tuoba Zhen lowered his head and continued to sip his tea. He said nothing since the inner struggles within the Li family were unrelated to him.
“Stop!” Suddenly, Gao Jin’s hand was held up by someone.
Gao Jin furiously shouted: “Li Wei Yang, how dare you?!”
“Biao ge, what are you trying to do to San di in broad daylight?” Li Wei Yang’s voice was smooth.
Gao Jin coldly smiled and said: “How is it your business?!”
Li Wei Yang calmly said: “Lao furen said to invite San di to He Xiang Yuan. What is Biao ge displeased about?”
Gao Jin’s expression turned stiff and at one point didn’t know what to say. After getting beaten up last time, he feared Li Wei Yang deep in his bones. If there weren’t this many people today, he was afraid his legs would have softened.
Gao Min suddenly walked over and stared sternly at Li Wei Yang, she said: “How dare you, to speak to my Er ge like that?”
Li Wei Yang’s rightful eyes blinked and she smilingly said: “I dare ask Biao jie, what rank is your Er ge?”
Gao Min was stunned. Gao Jin was a profligate, what rank did he have? On the side, Li Min Feng and his sister’s expression changed. Li Chang Le subconsciously touched her hair. Last time, in order to stay in the residence, she had to use extreme measures and therefore, had left behind a scar. Everytime she saw Li Wei Yang, it always reminded her where her scar came from and it made her resentful, she calmly said: “Biao jie, San mei’s meaning is that she is the great Anping Xianzhu, Biao ge is unqualified to speak to her.”
Saying this, it implied how domineering Li Wei Yang was. Fifth Prince frowned and said: “Merely a second-ranked Anping Xianzhu, how dare you utter those words?!”
Fifth Prince’s eyes kept focusing on Li Chang Le. Li Wei Yang never expected him to say something good. Listening up to here, she lightly smiled: “Fifth Prince, how could you think second rank is too low? Oh, to Wei Yang, the Emperor’s reward is already sufficient. Deep inside, I never yearned for first rank. No matter what rank, all are conferred by the Emperor, don’t you agree with this?”
Tuoba Rui was displeased, “Li Wei Yang, don’t take a yard when given an inch.”
“Fifth Prince is saying Wei Yang is taking a yard when given an inch, I am very terrified.” Li Wei Yang leisurely said, a slight mockery flowed out from her pitch black eyes.
Tuoba Rui, you probably had forgotten where the entrance to the imperial palace was with your infatuation with Li Chang Le. No matter how worthless the title of Anping Xianzhu was, it was still conferred by the Emperor. To be conferred the title of Xianzhu, as an official’s daughter, she was perhaps the only one in the world. The authority of the Emperor, even the prince couldn’t act arrogance towards it.
Of course, Tuoba Zhen coughed: “Wu di, Anping Xianzhu is right. Her position as Xianzhu was conferred by our imperial Father. Gao Gongzi should definitely not have shouted in front of her.” As he spoke, his vision couldn’t help but fall onto Li Wei Yang, his voice lowered: “Wu di was impulsive, I hope Xianzhu wouldn’t blame him.”
“What are you saying?” Li Wei Yang laughingly said, “How would I dare to offend the prince?”
“Gao Gongzi was making a joke with San Gongzi just now.” Speaking up to here, Tuoba Zhen stopped and Gao Jin intuitively shouted: “I was not joking!”
Tuoba Zhen gently made a humph sound.
Gao Jin shrunk his neck yet saw everyone staring at him and he felt a bit intolerable: “San dianxia, this yatou ---“
He still didn’t when to retreat! Tuoba Zhen sank his face and lightly scolded: “Shut your mouth.”
Frightened, Gao Jin froze and Gao Min’s expression became more and more envious as she looked at Li Wei Yang.
Li Wei Yang only smilingly looked towards Li Chang Le and unsurprisingly, a trace of unconstrained enmity flowed from her eyes.
Tuoba Zhen now felt that Li Wei Yang’s intelligence was above average. It was a pity that she was born from a concubine. In Prime Minister Li’s heart, she could never exceed Li Chang Le. Watching the distant Li Min De, he had a degree of mockery in his eyes: “San Gongzi, Gao Gongzi was simply looking after you so he gave you a peach, please don’t mind.”
Everyone’s eyes were directed towards the victim, Li Min De.
Li Wei Yang unconsciously clenched her fists. If she could, she would have battered Tuoba Zhen’s handsome face.
She discovered humans could actually be this despicable.
Li Min De didn’t speak a word at all. After a long while did he gradually lift his head and his eyes sink.
He said: “Yes, it is my fault. It has nothing to do with Gao Jin Biao ge.”
His face had on a dazzling smile and he gently spoke: “San jie, don’t be angry.”
Tuoba Zhen, smiling, returned to a normal countenance: “If it is such, then Xianzhu please bring him away.”
Responding him was a deep frowning of Li Wei Yang’s brows and her eyes of justice; emotions flashed across her face. It looked like sadness ……
She, Li Wei Yang, was actually feeling upset over him. Li Min De was shocked and suddenly the enmity and rage lying within his heart actually leveled out.
Li Wei Yang gently voiced: “Min De, let’s leave.”
Li Chang Le coldly watched as she suddenly blinked her eyes at Gao Min. Gao Min immediately moved forward and furtively gave Gao Jin a push.
In the next moment, Gao Jin stepped onto the lower hem of Li Min De’s robe.
Li Wei Yang suddenly turned her head and witnessed this scene.
Nobilities maintained their conduct especially in front of females so they were often well-mannered yet there were always obscenely wretched people like Gao Jin whose status was not low! She finally understood why the Marquis of Bo Chang didn’t like this son; he was very abominable.
What exactly he did want to do?
Li Wei Yang lowered her voice to hide her rage yet she determinedly said: “What else does Biao ge wants to say?!” Her facial features were defined, her usual smile made her warm and peaceful but at this moment, she looked more like a tigress that had its tail stepped on. Enmity lingered between her brows as she glared at Gao Jin like a serpent looking closely at its prey.
Gao Jin was fearful for a second but thinking of his beautiful Biao jie who promised to send him one of her yatous, he immediately acted boldly.
“I rewarded him a peach yet he didn’t finish eating it!” Gao Jin coldly smiled.
Li Wei Yang’s brows arched up highly. Her eyes were piercing like knives. Gao Jin was so terrified that he stepped back.
“You!”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Biao ge, why are you that afraid ……” Li Wei Wang spoke as she reached out and picked up the peach on the ground. She stuffed it into Gao Jin’s mouth and sweetly smiled: “Such a good peach, how can it be given to San di? You should save it for yourself.”
Gao Jin didn’t expect this. He held the dirty peach in his mouth and then immediately spit it back out onto the ground. He greatly shouted: “Li Wei Yang, you uneducated thing!”
Li Wei Yang smiled, her eyes meandered the pavilion: “Biao ge, the Emperor has praised that I was respectful and decorous, demure and distinguished, you aren’t questioning the Emperor? Oh, you dare say these words in front of the two princes, you are offending the royalty’s authority right in front of their faces!”
Everyone’s complexions suddenly changed drastically.
Gao Jin was very furious yet he didn’t dare strike Li Wei Yang. He rushed forward to drag Li Min De out but Li Wei Yang obstructed his attempt. He wasn’t able to reach for Li Min De but his finger accidently touched Li Wei Yang’s hair and a hair clasp slipped off. Only a plop sound was heard as the clasp dropped into the lake.
Gao Jin laughed out loudly.
Li Wei Yang didn’t mind him and walked forth a few steps as she looked into the lake.
Gao Jin spoke: “San Biaojie, I didn’t do it deliberately, oh, such a nice hair clasp, what a pity. You seem really concerned, was it something gifted by your lover? It looked worthless, Biao ge will gift you a better one in the future.”
Li Wei Yang raised her brows.
Gao Jin smiled delightfully: “What? Did you really like the jade hair clasp? Then jump in to look for it. I heard you grew up in the countryside and you know how to swim. I’m not surprised if you can actually find it, hahahaha ……”
He knew she wouldn’t actually jump in and so he laughed out loudly. His laughter suddenly stopped and his countenance changed ---
Everyone couldn’t even see clearly how Li Wei Yang acted and saw only her hand giving Gao Jin a huge slap on his face. Gao Jin staggered and actually fell backward from the slap; he laid there and stared at the person in front of him with disbelief.
The people who was watching from the pavilion suddenly all stood up at once. Gao Min sharply yelled: “Li Wei Yang, you are insane!” She ran forth afterwards to examine Gao Jin: “Er ge, are you okay?”
Gao Jin’s tooth was slapped out and half his face swelled up. At this moment, he was staring in bewilderment and hadn’t have the chance to react.
Li Min Feng quickly paced over and loudly said: “Wei Yang, you are being too impudent! Even if you are a Xianzhu, how could you strike someone unreasonablyฦ!”
Third Prince Tuoba Zhen coldly stared at Li Wei Yang as he felt that she had gone overboard. Fifth Prince Tuoba Rui directly censured her: “Li Wei Yang, I will surely report this to Father and let him know your misdeeds!”
Li Wei Yang suddenly smiled, her smile carried a hint of cruelty: “Fifth Prince, please don’t forget to tell the Emperor that what he gifted me --- that eight-jaded hair clasp fell into the lake because of Biao ge. He dared damage an imperial gift, I wonder if the Emperor would deal with him leniently?”
Everyone was stunned. Li Chang Le then said: “Is it really gifted by the Emperor?”
Li Wei Yang walked towards her a step and swayed the accessories on her head as well as the jaded bangle and ring on her hand: “Yes, these are all gifted to me by the Emperor.”
“Are you insane? How can you casually wear these imperial gifts and show them around?!” Gao Min couldn’t believe her words.
Li Wei Yang twitched her mouth and said: “It was personally gifted by the Emperor, of course, I would be more at ease if I had worn it! Who would have known Biao ge had the audacity to damage gifts conferred by the Emperor? This is a punishable offense that can wipe out an entire clan. Oh, it seems like this time we are all incriminated by Biao ge. I don’t know if the Emperor would keep our bodies intact ---“
Gao Jin was frightened to the point that he climbed over to the bridge and looked into the lake of endless ripples as he became completely terrified.
Jade clasp!
An imperial gift!
The wipeout of a clan for damaging an imperial gift?
What to do? What to do? What to do?
Li Chang Le’s eyes circled, she was about to speak when she heard Li Wei Yang’s voice: “Da jie, this imperial gift was conferred to me, now that something has happened, I can’t escape responsibility. Execution can’t be avoided. It doesn’t matter to me but you have such a beautiful appearance. This time you have to be beheaded with me.”
Li Chang Le originally wanted to blame Li Wei Yang for losing her own clasp but now she couldn’t say a word. Her beautiful face turned partially green and white, her teeth started trembling.
“Why should we?! Why should we be executed with you when you lost your thing?!” Gao Min’s voice was keen.
Li Wei Yang sighed and said: “I don’t want to but damaging an imperial gift is the execution of an entire clan. Don’t say that I can’t escape, Da jie also can’t escape. Everyone has to die! Oh yes, Fifth Prince, when you report this to the Emperor, don't forget to place all the blame on me. This way, the Emperor perhaps will change Da jie’s dismemberment punishment to a cup of poisonous wine?”
Once she finished speaking, she happily looked towards Tuoba Rui. At this point, her hair was like dark clouds, her face like icy snow, her extremely graceful figure seemed like it could be blown away yet she was able to carry an inexplicable strength.
Tuoba Rui was completely speechless. He couldn’t have thought that Li Wei Yang was such a cunning woman, especially when she didn’t care about her life.
“In the past, Crown Prince’s mentor Official Wang accidentally broke a jade ring gifted by the Former Emperor into pieces. The Former Emperor was furious and immediately executed him even with the pleadings from his officials. He wiped out the Wang family. Both princes, Wei Yang didn’t remember wrongly, right?”
Li Wei Yang smiled as she asked.
When Wang Yun was killed, there were other reasons but what directly detonated the fuse was indubitably the incident of breaking the ring ……
Tuoba Zhen looked at Li Wei Yang, his eyes seemed to have formed faint ripples, the winds blowing above the lake moved towards his hair and robe. He usually carried a smile on his face but this time, he couldn’t smile.
Li Min De watched as Li Wei Yang stood in front of him, using her power to protect him. Something dissolved within his eyes, then something would gradually condensed.
He didn’t move, didn’t smile, and didn’t speak.
He only continued to watch.
Li Chang Le suddenly came to realize the truth. She lived in the Li family, grew up in the Li Family, and was favored by the clan. Even if she married in the future, she still had to rely on her family’s reputation and her father’s authority. But for Li Wei Yang, it seemed like she didn’t care a bit about this. Moreover, it seemed like she wanted to drag every member of the Li family to hell with her. So even when it was the severe punishment for damaging an imperial gift, she unconcernedly spoke of it.
How could the eggs remain unbroken when the nest was ruined?5 For Li Wei Yang, she didn’t care from the start. She wasn’t afraid of death, a person who was seeking death!
Li Chang Le couldn’t help but felt dread.
“You ---“ Gao Min wanted to immediately rush forth to give Li Wei Yang a slap.
Li Wei Yang actually smiled as if she harbored malicious intentions. She swayed the jade jewelry on her hand: “Biao jie, you should be cautious!”
Gao Min held back and forcefully braked in her path as her eyes reddened with rage.
Li Wei Yang did it on purpose. She deliberately kept the imperial gifts on her so whoever accidentally bump into her, then it would be damaging the imperial gift, which was a crime punishable by death!
Li Min Feng reacted quickly and said: “San mei, don’t be angry. I will send people to find the jade clasp. This lake has mud in it, so it probably wouldn’t be broken. We will definitely find it and return it to you.”
Li Wei Yang gently smiled and said: “Da ge, I want Biao ge to look for it.”
Such a light phrase yet Gao Jin’s expressions changed. Gao Min’s face was filled with rage. Her almond-shaped eyes widened: “Li Wei Yang, don’t go too far!”
Going too far? So only you could bully others, how could it be that easy?! Li Wei Yang clear, cold eyes glared at Gao Jin: “Biao ge, I am giving you a chance to make up for your misdeed. If you aren’t willing to ---“
She delightfully looked towards Fifth Prince: “Fifth Prince should go report this to the Emperor then.”
“You ---“ Gao Jin’s countenance turned grey white. He almost couldn’t say a word when he eventually uttered: “Fine, I will scoop it out.”
After he finished speaking, he rolled up his clothes and actually jumped into the lake.
Gao Min’s fists clenched tightly: “Er ge, don’t mind her, come up ---“
Li Wei Yang lightly smiled and said: “Oh, does Min Biaojie want to accompany him?”
Gao Min stayed silent, her eyes were about to eat someone as she stared at Li Wei Yang. She stomped her foot, turned her head and said: “Third Prince, what are your thoughts?”
Tuoba Zhen shook his head furtively. Li Wei Yang was being domineering yet her words were all rational. He couldn’t think of a counter argument so he shook his head.
Li Chang Le’s eyes shimmered with tears: “Third Prince, Biao ge is too pitiful, the weather is cold, what if ---“
Li Wei Yang arched her brows and coldly smiled: “Da jie, hurry and send some people to help Biao ge look. Before the night settles, the jade clasp might be found, or else ---“
She didn’t say another word, her pair of pitch black eyes fell onto Li Chang Le.
Gao Jin, who was in the water, had on a face filled with dread, he used all his effort to look for the clasp in the water.
Li Wei Yang gently smiled, she told Li Min De: “Let’s go, Lao Furen is waiting for us.” She pulled Li Min De and after two steps, she turned around and shot a charming smile at them: “Remember, after you find it, send the clasp over.”
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Translator: Erica
Editor: Panisa
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