1 Chapter 88 Don’t Think That She Would Lower Her Noble Head! 1

Née Liu knew that when someone used to look at Zi You before, Zi You would lower her head in embarrassment and be afraid to look at people. She was afraid that people would talk about her alien facial traits.

Now seeing Zi You not caring about that in Duke Anguo fu, Née Liu put down her heart.

Knowing that Zi You no longer felt inferior about her identity or her appearance, Née Liu let go of her worries.

Of course Zi You felt the noble gongzis and xiaojies looking at her with eyes of amazement, jealousy, envy, infatuation, and resentment.

It was just that after her previous life's tragic experiences, her mentality was like a pool of dead water, with not even a ripple.

It was like that famous poem: "Enemy troops besieged, I stand motionless."

She still didn't know whether the people in front of her right now were enemies. But she would never lightly treat someone as a friend again.

Actually, her eyes had been looking at these people too. Her eyes measured who had kind gazes and who had malicious gazes.

This lifetime, she would not foolishly confuse enemies with friends.

Zi You was so eye-catching that of course she drew the envy of the noble xiaojies. Five or six of them sitting in the pavilion immediately started to disparage her.

One of them was Fourth Gongzhu [princess, usually daughter of the Emperor] Shangguan Lingluo, whom the Emperor doted on. One was Third Wangzi's fiancée Wen Chuyan. One was the Yu Meilian who was laughed at by An Wang Shizi. One was the Minister of Appointments' Di granddaughter Ke Yuner. Shen Biqian was a cabinet minister's youngest daughter. And the last one was Yu Meilian's Shu sister, Yu Lanxuan, Zi You's enemy from her previous life.

Although Shen Biqian was a Shu daughter, she was born from the cabinet minister's most favored concubine. Because she was beautiful and cute, she was valued by the minister. To show off his generosity to his officials, the Emperor called Shen Biqian in to be Fourth Gongzhu's study partner.

She was called a study partner, but was actually a high-ranking servant and playmate. Fourth Gongzhu originally had a bad temper. She frequently scolded and abused Shen Biqian. This little yatou seemed to respect her on the surface, but hated her to death in her heart.

Now let's talk about this Yu Lanxuan. Originally, her Di mother, Née Lu, would never bring her to such a gathering. But last night, her minister husband for some reason went to Sixth Yiniang Wang Yaping, whom he had not slept with for half a year.

Wang Yaping gave it her all and the minister was very comfortable. The reward was for Yu Meilian to bring her younger sister to this gathering.

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Although Yu Lanxuan was not old, just three months older than Zi You, her thoughts were already deep. Along with her actress grandmother and Aunt Wang Yiping, she belonged to the malicious category.

When she heard her Di sister and other xiaojies deride Zi You, she was silent with an appropriate smile on her face, like a harmless little white flower. But her heart was pondering how she could tell these people's words to Mu Zi You and get her angry. Then she would urge Fourth Gongzhu to make trouble for Zi You. The two parties would fight. That would be wonderful.

Just then her Di sister, Yu Meilian said, "What's so great about her?! She looks like an alluring demon. You guys didn't see. That day in Duke Yongnan fu, her eyes sometimes appeared to be purple. It's so strange and so scary!"

The little yatou went along with her sister's words. With a sweet smile on her voice, she said coyly, "But maybe that's exactly why people look at her? Isn't there a saying that the rarer something is, the greater its value? Fourth Gongzhu is very beautiful, but the wangzis see Gongzhu everyday in the Palace. But this jiejie rarely shows her face. It is normal that people look at her more. This jiejie is indeed very beautiful!"

Shangguan Lingluo was already extremely jealous that her limelight was suppressed by Zi You and her Taizi gege's eyes were staring at Zi You. Now that the flames were fanned by Yu Lanxuan, her anger burned more fiercely.

She turned her head and fiercely glared at Yu Lanxuan. She gritted her teeth and asked, "Is she more beautiful than Bengong [literally: this palace, how the female royal families (with own palaces) refer to themselves]?"

Yu Lanxuan pretended to be afraid and hesitantly shook her head.

She wasn't that kind. She did that so that Fourth Gongzhu would hate Zi You even more. At one glance, one would think that Yu Lanxuan was afraid of her Gongzhu identity and forced to shake her head.

Mu Zi You was indeed more beautiful than her. How could Fourth Gongzhu bear it?

Fourth Gongzhu turned around and she revealed a malevolent expression. She suddenly pointed to Yu Lanxuan. "You go stay by Mu Zi You's side. Don't stay by Bengong's side."

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Yu Lanxuan previously had no way to incite Zi You. She heard these words and was overjoyed.

But she deliberately looked fawningly at Shangguan Lingluo. She shook her head, "Nubi is Gongzhu's servant. If dead, nubi will still be Gongzhu's ghost. Nubi will never betray Gongzhu."

Shangguan Lingluo revealed a complacent smile. She told Yu Lanxuan, "En. You are smart. Find a way to get close to Mu Zi You. Ask her what her talents are and what she's the most lacking in. Bengong will have her humiliated and disgraced. Go cuikly. If you perform well, Bengong will reward you heavily."

Yu Lanxuan immediately curtsied and went towards Zi You.

At this time, Zi You was conversing with Liu Ruixue, Xia Ruoqing, and Ji Bingyu. She saw Yu Lanxuan come over smilingly and curtsied. "Paying respects to four jiejies. Nubi is called Yu Lanxuan."

Yu Lanxuan? Zi You took a look. Yes, this was the evil woman who should be in hell. Like Wang Yiping, she had a pair of single-lidded phoenix eyes, sharp chin, small cherry mouth, and thin lips. She looked like a vixen. She always had on flattering smiles that were 30% false.

It was only that in her past life, Zi You saw Yu Lanxuan in Mu YingRui's circle.

After Mu YingRui returned from his task, Wang Yiping personally introduced Yu Lanxuan to Zi You.

Meeting an enemy, one's eyes turned red in rage. Zi You hated that she couldn't tear apart this treacherous and vicious slut. But thinking of her plan for revenge, Zi You kept a small, sweet smile on her face. She quietly looked at this little yatou who was even shorter than herself and smiled, without saying a word.

Liu Ruixue was also not too fond of this falsely-smiling little guniang. She looked at her, half-curtsied, and asked faintly, "Why aren't you with your sister? Aren't you Yu Xiaojie's little sister?"

Yu Lanxuan's single-lidded phoenix eyes become misty with tears. Her originally harsh features became a lot frailer. "Gongzhu refuses to let Xuan'er [how she refers to herself] be with them. She threw me out."

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"Why?" The straightforward Ji Bingyu asked. She looked at Yu Lanxuan full of sympathy.

Yu Lanxuan's heart was secretly proud, but her face was indignant. She pointed to Zi You and spoke lowly, very aggrieved, "Because I said this jiejie looks very pretty, Fourth Gongzhu got angry. She told me, 'Since you like her, then go to her. Don't stay here.' I don't know what I said wrong. This jiejie is really very beautiful. Why wouldn't she let people say it?"

Liu Ruixue, Ji Bingyu, and Xia Ruoqing looked at Yu Lanxuan with pity. They were almost deceived by her.

If Zi You did not know her true face, she was afraid she would be deceived too.

But she had already died once. She understood Yu Lanxuan's true nature all too well. So she had a languid smile on her face while looking at the seemingly harmless little white flower. Until Yu Lanxuan felt uneasy and did not dare to look her in the eyes, did Zi You slowly said, "Such a silly little yatou. Offending the Gongzhu because of me; it's really not worth it."

Yu Lanxuan hurriedly shook her head, "No, I like jiejie. I rather be friends with jiejie."

"Then you can play with us from now on." Zi You had not replied, but Ji Bingyu rushed to answer.

Zi You thought of her plan for revenge and also smiled and nodded. "Welcome, Lanxuan."

Yu Lanxuan pretended to look flatered. She went over to Zi You's side and said, "Jiejie, they keep calling you a mixed breed. What is a mixed breed?"

Xia Ruoqing, Ji Bingyu, and Liu Ruixue's faces changed. They all looked at Zi You with concern.

Zi You looked at the hidden ridicule in Yu Lanxuan's eyes and her foolish expression and knew that Yu Lanxuan was deliberately scolding her. She also wanted to provoke Zi You and Fourth Gongzhu into disagreement.

Therefore, without anger, she calmy said, "I also don't know. You should go back and ask your yiniang. The adults should understand, right? I only know that my mother was born to Indian and Great Yan parents. My father is a Great Yan citizen. If they call me a mixed breed because of that… Aiyah! Then aren't they scolding the previous Emperor? The previous Emperor's mother was Nanjiang Dali's Gongzhu."

Zi You saw Yu Lanxuan's face turned white and her heart was happy. Wench! You tried to make me angry and provoke me and Fourth Gongzhu into fighting so you could sit back and take advantage. I don't think so.

This Xiaojie is not the previous life's Mu Zi You. Only I can harm people. People won't harm me.

Yu Lanxuan saw that Zi You was not fooled and panicked. Actually, Fourth Gongzhu did not scold Zi You as a mixed breed. Because the previous Emperor's mother was from a different tribe, the most taboo words were "mixed breed" for the previous and current Emperor. When the previous Emperor was alive, he once executed lots of people for that crime. As a member of the imperial family, how could Fourth Gongzhu not know that this was an imperial taboo?

Yu Lanxuan deliberately insulted Zi You to make trouble. She did not expect for Zi You to turn the tables. She was scared until her face turned white. She quickly shut her mouth and didn't dare to sow any more dissension. On the contrary, she comforted Zi You, "Don't be angry, jiejie. Don't bother with them. Forget it."

"I can't let it go," Zi You coldy said. "I will tell this matter to grandfather. He'll make this matter known to the Emperor. It must be investigated. At that time, meimei must testify."

Zi You deliberately acted like she was furious and that she wouldn't let the matter rest. She looked at Yu Lanxuan.

Yu Lanxuan was terrified. She suddenly fell to her knees and knelt in front of Zi You. She lowly cried, "Please don't, jiejie! It's my fault. I shouldn't have spoken nonsense. Jiejie, please don't tell Old General Mu. Spare Xuan'er's family!"

Zi You pretended to not understand. "What does it have to do with you? You didn't say those words right? Even if the Emperor hands down punishment, it has nothing to do with you. So why would your family need to be spared?"

Yu Lanxuan kowtowed like pounding garlic. Her tears flowed. "But if they don't admit it, who can prove it? They would be sure to blame me then. Since I spoke of the matter first, then wouldn't the unlucky one be me?"

"Oh…" Zi You pretended to suddenly realized. "Let's forget it this time then. Huh! If there's a next time, I will definitely tell grandfather and seek justice."

The unlucky Yu Lanxuan tried to steal a chicken, but ended up losing the rice to lure it with. Only when her little head was bleeding did Zi You finally let her off.

At this point, the other three xiaojies sensed a problem. Actually, which one of these noble xiaojies was truly innocent? If she was naïve, it was good that her parents protected her at home. But once she married and met such vicious women like Yu Lanxuan, even one or two of the women would be enough to make the xiaojie die without a full skeleton. She wouldn't even know how she died.

Yu Lanxuan's actions made them have a different opinion of her character. When they met her later, they wouldn't treat her as a friend.

Liu Ruixue even warned Zi You to not associate with Yu Lanxuan. Yu Lanxuan was not a simple character.

This episode made Yu Lanxuan unable to complete Fourth Gongzhu's task. She thickened her face and asked questions for a long time. What was everyone talented in? What was everyone untalented in? No one told her anything.

Only Zi You straightforwardly told her, "Other than medical skills, I don't know anything else."

Yu Lanxuan immediately pretended she needed the bathroom and told this information to Fourth Gongzhu with difficulty.

So after the banquet, the gongzis and xiaojies who were gathered in groups heard Fourth Gongzhu's older brother Fourth Wangzi Shangguan Botao loudly proposed, "Gongzis and xiaojies, for this gathering, what if we compose poems and paintings? The gongzis will compose poems. The xiaojies will compose paintings from these poems according to the poem's meaning. If the xiaojie succeeds, then the gongzi will do one thing for her. If the xiaojie's painting is not similar to the peom's meaning, then she will do one thing for the xiaojie. How is Benwangzi's [literally: this wangzi (prince), how wangzis refer to themselves] suggestion?"

Then he said to Liu Ruixue, "Little saozi [sister-in-law, because she is Taizi's future consort], you are the host. Can you please prepare the brush, ink, and paper?"

It should be explained that Great Yan was quite open-minded. Although males and females could not attend school together like the Tang Dynasty, the high society gongzis and xioajies used social gatherings to form good feelings.

Shangguan Botao couldn't stand his sister's and her friends' threats and shamelessness. He could only promise them that he would take care of Zi You.

In fact, Shangguan Botao did not want to provoke Mu Zi You. When she gracefully walked in earlier, he thought a fairy descended from the heavens. He was stunned for a long time.

So while this wangzi promised to make things difficult for Zi You, he was thinking he had to seize an opportunity to help her and not make her sad.

In fact, for him, even if Zi You was a straw-bag [idiot] and didn't know anything, she was so beautiful. Why did she need talents? Her uncommon appearance alone was enough!

Zi You knew this was Fourth Gongzhu and the other xiaojies' plan to humiliate her.

These people believed the false information that Yu Lanxuan gave them and really thought that she didn't have any talents.

The previous life's Zi You was a fool. She believed in Wang Yiping's words that "a woman's virtue is to have no talent." If she didn't read "Female Virtues" and "Female Discipline" all day, then she was copying scriptires. So she didn't know the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting. Otherwise, Zi You wouldn't have lost out to Yu Lanxuan who hooked Zhao HongXiang with two lousy poems.

This lifetime, in order not to lose face for her mother and improve herself, she didn't put less effort in a variety of skills than what she put in medicine and martial arts. It was just that she didn't tell anyone else except grandfather, uncle, and aunt.

Zi You lazily sat on a chair in the pavilion. She looked at the people with slight ridicule. She busied herself with the brush, ink, and paper. She finally turned around and stopped looking at them. She leisurely drank tea and teased the koi fish in the pond.

As she was playing happily, she heard Yu Lanxuan's childish voice that gave people goosebumps ring out behind her. "Jiejie, aren't you participating in the competition? If you win, you can participate in Taizi fu's banquet. You can see the Emperor then."

Zi You slowly turned around and looked at Yu Lanxuan's fawning smile. She lazily shook her head. "I don't mind telling you. What do I have to compete with?"

Yu Lanxuan's eyes showed disappointment. Her words were a trap for Zi You. If Zi You said that she didn't want to participate in the competition, it was tantamount to saying she didn't want to see the Emperor.

At this time, Fourth Gongzhu showed up intending to make things difficult for Zi You.

However, Zi You saw through Yu Lanxuan's trick. She wasn't fooled and did not answer the way they wanted her to.

Fourth Gongzhu was angry. She suddenly loudly laughed. "Ah! Are you serious? You really don't know anything? Tch… Even if you came from a military family and put martial arts first, you can't not know how to do anything right? Is it because your mother was a vulgar southern barbarian tribeswoman and didn't know anything so she couldn't teach you?"

In Jingdu, the southern barbarians were synonomous with barbarism, ignorance, vulgarity, coarseness, and lowliness.

Shangguan Lingluo saying that about Dier was tantamount to insulting Dier.

Zi You's anger rose to the extreme. Seeking death! You actually dared to insult my mother. If I don't teach you a lesson, I won't be from a military family.

Her anger turned to laughter. She revealed a smile similar to hundreds of flowers blooming and said extremely charmingly, "Chennu's [ literally: "this official's daughter, used in speaking to royalty] mother is the child of Indian royalty and a Great Yan citizen. Even if Gongzhu studies her whole life, Gongzhu cannot touch the tip of the iceberg of my mother's talents. Not convinced? Let Gongzhu compete with Chennu. If Gongzhu loses, Gongzhu must apologize to Chennu!"