ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 52
Madam Li seemed to have no idea how she had managed to get through this Coming-of-Age ceremony. All around her, people were praising, and some were whispering in low voices:
“…It seems… not her daughter…”
“…Not her own, right?”
“I heard… adopted…”
“Weird… Didn’t they say it was her biological daughter’s Coming-of-Age…”
“Who knows…”
“Look at her… her face is all green…”
The murmurs were incessant, pricking Madam Li like needles, making her feel uncomfortable all over. She wanted to force a polite smile, but failed. Her hands tightly gripped the armrest of the chair, knuckles protruding, and the veins on the back of her hands stood out. She managed to suppress the full extent of her shock, anger, and disbelief. She had been played!
From Princess Yongning’s promise to adorn Li Suwan on this night to now, a full month and a half, over forty days of joy had turned into nothing. She felt like the subject of a colossal joke.
Li Zhizhi gracefully approached her, bowing and paying respects with a composed and perfect demeanor. Even the most critical person couldn’t find a flaw in her posture.
The young girl raised her head and slowly revealed a smile, tinged with a mocking tone. Surprisingly, her demeanor resembled Princess Yongning’s, as if ridiculing Madam Li for all her actions in the past few days. Madam Li stared intensely at her, struggling to contain the anger within.
However, those two large hands on her shoulders grasped her like iron clamps. If Lady Li wanted to do anything unusual, it seemed that they would not hesitate to break her arm.
Li Zhizhi stood upright, without giving her another glance. Instead, she turned to the Princess Yongning and bowed deeply. The master of ceremonies sang, “Please, honored guests, wash your hands and assist the lady in dressing up.”
Immediately, two maids approached with a copper basin and cotton towels. Li Cen hurriedly stood up, but seeing that his wife by his side remained motionless, he frowned and whispered, “What are you up to?”
After a moment, Lady Li slowly stood up, her movements somewhat stiff. It was only then that the Princess Yongning stood up, washed her hands in the copper basin, dried them with a cotton towel, and took the jade comb handed over. She combed Li Zhizhi’s hair.
The master of ceremonies sang again, “Please, honored guests, crown the girl with the headdress.”
Someone brought a tray adorned with red lacquer and gold, displaying a variety of jewelry, hairpins, and pearls. The Princess Yongning picked a butterfly-shaped golden hairpin and pinned up Li Zhizhi’s hair. She looked at the young girl in front of her with a gentle gaze and smiled, saying, “The phoenix sings on that high mound, the parasol tree grows in that morning sun. Luxuriant and flourishing, harmonious and joyous. I hereby give you the name ‘Luxuriant,’ In the future, in this life, may you grow like flowers and trees, luxuriant and flourishing.”
A servant promptly presented the written decree. The onlookers finally started to stir, and someone whispered, “Isn’t this against the ceremonial norms? Shouldn’t the mother give the name?”
Another person said, “Her parents are both deceased. Where would she find a mother?”
“Doesn’t she have a stepmother?”
“A stepmother is not her birth mother; it’s all the same.”
“True, I think it’s quite good that Princess Zhang has given her a title. It’s something that many people can’t achieve no matter how hard they try…”
Now Li Cen’s face also became unsightly. Being told in front of everyone that he was as good as dead was quite absurd. He couldn’t help but glance at his wife, his eyes filled with resentment, gritting his teeth, and saying in a low voice, “Look at the mess you’ve made!”
Lady Li’s face turned pale as paper, but she could only watch as Li Zhizhi bowed three times to Princess Yongning, taking the document. Originally, these three bows should have been made to her biological parents.
Princess Yongning seemed quite pleased, looking at her with affection, and said with a smile, “Today, I’ve accepted your respect, so I should be your adoptive mother. Good child, call me mother and let me hear it.”
Li Zhizhi lifted her head to look at her. In her clear eyes, there was a shimmer of water, as if holding countless complex emotions. After a moment, she blinked her eyes and smiled, saying, “Mother.”
The air suddenly became quiet. After a while, Princess Yongning didn’t speak. She seemed to be in a daze until the master of ceremonies gave her a meaningful look. She then reacted, saying, “Oh…”
She took a gentle breath and smiled again, saying, “Calling me like that sounds really nice.”
Sharp-eyed people could see the slight blush in Princess Yongning’s eyes. She held Li Zhizhi’s hand tightly, smiling gently, “From now on, you are my daughter. If anyone dares to insult or mistreat you, just tell me. Mother will take care of it for you.”
As she spoke, she casually glanced at Lady Li, saying, “But if you want to bully others, I will also take care of it for you.”
This statement was too bold, and the onlookers couldn’t help but be secretly amazed. They thought that Princess Yongning really seemed to value this adopted daughter very much.
Ignoring the various speculations and calculations of others for now, Lady Li had long been sitting paralyzed in her rocking chair, feeling dizzy and disoriented, unsure of how to react.
She had tried every means to establish a relationship with the Eldest Princess, wanting to elevate her daughter’s status. Now that she had achieved it, the person who accomplished it was not Li Suwan, but rather Li Zhizhi, whom she had always looked down upon. It was ironic beyond words!
If she had known that Li Zhizhi could achieve such glory, how would she have…
…
In the backyard’s east wing room, the door was tightly closed. Sounds of shouting, crying, and the smashing of things could be heard from inside. Two old women guarding the door chatted away, seemingly oblivious to the noises.
At that moment, a maid from the princess’s residence hurried over. One of the old women asked, “Has the coming-of-age ceremony finished up front?”
The maid replied, “It just concluded. Her Highness asked me to inform you.”
Listening for a moment, the old woman said, “Still causing a ruckus, isn’t she?”
“Absolutely,” the maid chuckled. “Quite lively, she’s been at it for half an hour.”
“Both of you have worked hard. The matter was handled very well,” the maid said with a smile. “The eldest princess is pleased today and has invited you to the residence for a celebratory feast, along with an additional month’s pay.”
The two old women immediately burst into laughter. “Oh, Miss Zhizhi is truly our benefactor. Today is her coming-of-age day, so we must have a few more drinks.”
A group of people walked away, chatting and laughing, paying no more attention to the people in the room. After a moment, the door finally opened. The room was in a mess, with objects scattered everywhere, and Li Suwan cried with tear-streaked face. Her makeup was smeared, and she stared with swollen eyes in disbelief, murmuring, “Has the coming-of-age ceremony ended…?”
How could it end? She hadn’t even participated. These wicked women locked her in the room, not allowing her to take a step outside. But today was supposed to be her coming-of-age ceremony…
How could the coming-of-age ceremony end?!
Li Suwan rushed out in a panic, not caring even if she stumbled. She ran frantically towards the direction of the garden, shouting breathlessly, “Help, someone! I’m here! The coming-of-age ceremony can’t end!”
“Help, someone!”
She screamed as if mad. Despite the many servants usually present, now the entire Li residence seemed silent, as if only she remained.
Li Suwan, full of panic and confusion, cried and ran until she approached the hanging flower gate. There, she saw a few servants whispering on the corridor, discussing something. Enraged, Li Suwan couldn’t contain herself and yelled sharply, “Are all of you dead? I told you to come over!”
The servants, frightened by her mad appearance, were taken aback. Li Suwan, too agitated to continue cursing, urgently asked, “Where are my parents? Where is my brother? How is the coming-of-age ceremony? I was just locked up! The coming-of-age ceremony can’t end!”
The servants shook their heads, and Li Suwan, both angry and desperate, ran out again. Just as she passed through the hanging flower gate, she tripped on the steps, experiencing a piercing pain in her ankle. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get up. Unable to endure any longer, she sat on the ground and cried.
After an unknown period of time, a bright silvery-red color appeared in her line of sight. It was embroidered with a pattern of dancing phoenixes in gold and silver threads. The color was truly vivid and beautiful, like a dazzling sunset rolling down the horizon on a summer evening. Li Zhizhi had seen Li Zhizhi wearing it in the princess’s mansion and had liked this color very much. She even went to the tailor’s shop to have one made exactly like it. She was wearing it today, but now it seemed to have some differences.
The newcomer slightly bent down, as if assessing her from top to bottom, then let out a soft laugh with a hint of mockery and leisurely said, “Indeed, imitation is imitation. At a glance, it’s very inferior and can’t stand on any high ground. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was right.”
Li Zhizhi was wearing the beautiful dress she had coveted for a long time, with golden hairpins on her temples and a pearl pendant swaying gently. She had delicate features, a smile full of charm, radiant like a morning sunflower. She squatted in front of her, supporting her snow-white cheeks with one hand, and said, “Sister Wan’er, today is my coming-of-age ceremony. Why are you in such a miserable state?”
Li Suwan stared blankly at her, as if she hadn’t reacted for a while. After a moment, she suddenly reached out to grab her, but the next moment, Li Zhizhi grabbed her wrist. Li Suwan screamed sharply, as if going crazy, and pounced on her, but she had just injured her foot, where could she find the strength to support herself?
Li Zhizhi didn’t hesitate at all. She turned around and slapped her with a resounding sound, slapping her face and making her turn her head, dazed and stunned, not recovering for a long time.
Li Zhizhi smiled and said, “Sister seems a bit too excited. The doctor often says that anger hurts the liver, and sorrow exceeds fear. I’ll let Sister calm down a bit to avoid harming her own body. Sister won’t be angry with me, will she?”