Chapter 121: Hello Chang’an
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### Chapter 121: Dong Shi Imitates Pan
“Everyone knows how Lady Chang conducts herself nowadays!” Madam Jie’s words were squeezed out from her clenched teeth. “I am merely disciplining a wayward junior who harms the reputation of women; do I need anyone’s orders for that?”
The maid’s face turned even whiter than paper.
So, the lady is actually... admitting it?!
The women’s gazes shifted again, filled with shock, making the maid, who had been used to being respected, feel as if she might collapse at any moment.
Madam Jie trembled and closed her eyes briefly.
She was not unaware of the consequences of admitting to this matter, but the situation was already set; her opponent pressed relentlessly. To prevent further escalation, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and accept it all.
Yet, her long-held position and her deep-seated resentment made it impossible for her to lower her head and admit any wrongdoing—
When she opened her eyes again, she looked at the girl sitting leisurely in her chair, no longer concealing the cold disdain in her gaze. “You know very well whether that painting today was real or not. Even if it was merely your words of clandestine assistance, it was still a transgression!”
“You act rebelliously, repeatedly injuring others, showing no decorum as a woman, disregarding feminine virtue—this is all evident for everyone to see!”
“Hosting a grand feast with men to seek attention is an affront to morality…”
“Smack!”
Suddenly, a teacup flew toward Madam Jie’s face, striking her on the forehead and interrupting her speech, causing the maid to scream.
“Who dares to slander Lady Chang like that?!” a drunken voice shouted, “Spouting old and worthless nonsense… Nowadays, women have become saints; why not go to the Ganlu Palace and lecture our female Emperor instead!”
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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
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The crowd was taken aback.
Cui Lang staggered forward, one hand on his hip and the other pointing at Madam Jie. “Look at you, all prim and proper, spouting lofty nonsense… In the end, you’re just bullying a young girl! What kind of skill is that?!”
One Hu Yi’s face paled, thinking, it’s over; he shouldn’t have doused Young Master Cui with cold water!
Madam Jie, with a bleeding forehead and tea leaves on her face, trembled with rage, demanding, “Who dares to act so brazenly?”
The young man in the pink outfit drunkenly pointed at his own nose, “I, Cui Lang! Sixth son of the direct line of the Cui family from Qinghe!”
“Cui Xiang is my father! If you have any grievances, go seek him for an explanation!”
He’d never been afraid of anyone, unlike those stuffy nobles!
Cui Lang swayed even more, finally sitting down. He turned and hugged the leg of the young man beside him, looking up and laughing drunkenly, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. “Big brother… my tactic of diverting disaster isn’t bad, huh?”
One Hu watched in fear, worried that Big Brother might kick his master out of the Dengtai Tower!
However, Cui Jing did not kick anyone. He remained calm, explaining to the onlookers, “My younger brother is drunk; please forgive his behavior.”
Seeing that the young man showed no remorse, merely referring to the drunkenness without even acknowledging his rudeness, Madam Jie’s face turned ashen, yet she found it hard to speak out in rebuke.
Ordinary gentry she could dismiss, but the Cui family was different…
“If that teacup had flown from my hand, what would Madam Jie have done?” Chang Suining asked lightly. “If I or any other woman were to act this way, wouldn’t Madam Jie condemn us to the depths of hell for eternity?”
Yao Xia added, “Indeed, so-called rules and etiquette are only used to bind and oppress weak women. Is this the way of teaching that Madam Jie espouses?”
Madam Jie’s lips trembled, and she was about to respond when the girl seated in the chair interrupted her, “Madam Jie need not strain herself to weave accusations against me. When you first arrived at the Dengtai Tower, you could have said all these things directly. While they sounded absurd and self-righteous, at least it would have shown a modicum of integrity—”
“Now that the misdeeds of the lowly have been exposed, continuing to say such things only serves to further discredit yourself.”
The girl spoke with a subtle condescension that ignited Madam Jie’s fury, “Who do you think you are to speak to me like that?!”
“I never thought of myself as anything special; it’s you, Madam Jie, who thinks too highly of me,” Chang Suining replied, looking at the now flustered woman. “Just because my actions contradict yours, you view me as a monster, as if my existence threatens your authority—”
“Who Zhou Ding is, how he died, and what connection I have to him are matters you may not know or care about. You simply wish to use the blade of reputation to eliminate me swiftly. This blade, which should have been advantageous, has turned unexpectedly against you.”
The reason it was unexpected was akin to a tiger hidden in the shadows, becoming blind to its surroundings over time and ending up with nothing but arrogant self-assurance.
In her mind, Madam Jie was never particularly intelligent.
Though she was not the sharpest, she had been skilled at survival, well-versed in the art of elevating some while trampling others, cautiously navigating her way through the palace.
Madam Jie had been fortunate; her humble origins contrasted sharply with her current status and influence.
However, not everyone grows wiser with age. When one becomes accustomed to adulation, they often forget how to live without it.
Once she got used to acting solely on pride, that cautiousness would be discarded.
After tonight, she would pay the price for her arrogance.
“You…” Madam Jie’s temples throbbed, and she pointed a shaking finger at Chang Suining, but found herself at a loss for a strong retort.
Her attempts to assert dominance failed to shake the girl in the chair even slightly.
“This is my private banquet; Madam Jie came uninvited. The seating is full, and I allowed you to enter as an exception, out of respect for your title as a teacher of women. However, since you’ve failed to uphold that title and have shown no understanding of the ways of a guest, I must retract that respect.”
Chang Suining looked directly at Madam Jie. “You may leave now.”
Madam Jie’s outstretched finger trembled.
She was being dismissed!
Her mind buzzed, and her vision swam as she swayed, needing support from her maid.
As she felt the stares driving her away, her maid, face flushed with anger, helped her turn to leave.
Ming Luo looked up at the humiliated pair departing.
“Ning Ning… why let them leave? Isn’t that too lenient?” Chang Sui'an whispered to his sister.
Chang Suining handed a teacup to Xi’er and rose. “What they did isn't explicitly outlined in the laws, and with her noble title, no officials can hold her accountable without the Emperor’s approval.”
Chang Sui'an's expression was one of discontent.
Yao Xia felt it was unfair too, but consoled Chang Suining, “Sister Chang, don’t be upset. While the laws may not penalize her, today’s events are evident; justice is in the hearts of the people!”
Chang Suining gazed at the crowd, their eyes filled with discontent.
The events had escalated beyond mere triviality—
Thus, justice would not solely rest in public opinion.
Dismissing Madam Jie did not mean the matter would simply fade away.
Ming Luo turned her gaze back from the departing pair to the women, who was quickly surrounded by admirers.
The humiliation inflicted on Madam Jie was profound, being publicly dismissed and stripped of what mattered most to her. Chang Suining's words had not only cut down Madam Jie’s reputation but also started shaping public opinion—these women and scholars were easily swayed by such rhetoric.
Today was indeed Madam Jie’s unluckiest day.
And the future promised to be even worse.
Amid the noise, Chang Suining heard comments swirling around her.
“Madam Jie is nothing but a hollow figure, resorting to such despicable tactics!”
Wang Shi, feeling rattled, grasped the girl’s hand. “I’ve felt uneasy these past few days; now I see why. We were right to gather here. After this, I must visit the temple to give thanks!”
Qiao Yumian, who had been on edge earlier, now breathed a sigh of relief. “Good thing that painting was fake; otherwise, she would have succeeded!”
“Lady Chang has been wronged.”
Voices of consolation, indignation, and relief mixed together.
Suddenly, an elderly voice rang out above the crowd. “That girl… come here!”
Chang Suining looked up to see Grand Tutor Zhu beckoning her from beside the desk. She had an inkling of what was coming and walked over.
Grand Tutor Zhu focused intently on the painting.
His old servant sighed in exasperation—he had urged the elder to rise and see the painting, but he refused. While everyone else was enjoying the commotion, Elder Zhu had been fixated on the painting, showcasing his stubbornness.
“Come, come… Elder Zhu is going to comment on Lady Chang’s painting!”
A crowd of scholars rushed over.
As the crowd pressed in, Qiao Yumian, supported by a maid, instinctively took a step back. Unfortunately, she stepped on something, leading to a startled scream as she quickly lifted her foot.
“Who stepped on my foot?” cried out Cui Lang, seated on the ground with his older brother, eyes shut tight.
Upon recognizing his voice, Qiao Yumian felt inexplicably relieved—it was only Young Master Cui, so everything was fine.
Cui Jing pulled the persistent person off him and tossed him to Hu Yi: “Take him home to sober up.”
“Right, right…” Hu Yi complied hastily.
The scholars surrounding Grand Tutor Zhu, eager for his critique, were met instead with a question.
“Does your painting depict the five elements?” Grand Tutor Zhu pointed at the artwork and asked the approaching girl.
“Yes, Grand Tutor Zhu, you have a keen eye.”
Upon hearing this exchange, the crowd hurriedly returned their attention to the painting.
It didn’t take long for them to discern the underlying symbolism related to the five elements—
“Green mountains and forests represent wood; with the fierce tiger, it must indicate fire…”
“And there’s a stream, with the black element representing water. The girl in the painting wears ink-colored clothing… the entire scene, dark in tone, suggests it could extinguish that fire!”
“So, Lady Chang’s earlier words hinted at this meaning!”
This indicated that the fierce tiger couldn’t harm the girl in the painting!
As the crowd grasped this deeper meaning, their understanding of the artwork evolved.
Was Lady Chang’s painting of the tiger also a metaphor for rumors being more ferocious than the tiger?
The tiger’s eyes, even more, hinted at sarcasm.
Someone remarked, “Lady Chang depicted water overcoming fire… tonight’s events were indeed chaotic, but justice has not been suppressed!”
Another voice whispered, “If the girl in the painting represents Lady Chang, then the instigator is the fierce tiger… who do those monkeys in the trees signify?”
The question hung in the air, with the two parties locking eyes momentarily.
—Those monkeys must be them!
“Monkeys represent metal, which can also suppress the fire from wood,” Chang Suining’s voice rang out as she smiled at the crowd. “I thank everyone for witnessing justice today.”
Laughter erupted around them.
Those monkeys weren’t annoying at all; at least they were good monkeys!
“By this logic, we’re part of the painting too!”
“It’s indeed an honor for us…”
The playful banter flowed freely, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
“Previously, I thought it a joke for Head Master Qiao to take Lady Chang as a student… now I realize I was narrow-minded! Lady Chang’s talent is beyond our reach; we feel unworthy!”
“Yan truly has an eye for talent.”
Hearing the praises, Qiao Yan wore an inscrutable smile.
Truth be told, like everyone else, he only just realized he had such an exceptional student…
He looked at the girl, who confidently smiled back, saying, “I assure you, I won’t tarnish my teacher’s name.”
Not only would she not tarnish it!
Grand Tutor Zhu sighed, glancing at Qiao Yan. “This is clearly him trying to reach for someone beyond his grasp.”
Qiao Yan disagreed: “Elder, that’s not how it is… she’s my own daughter; we’re family, so how could there be talk of reaching beyond?”
Grand Tutor Zhu seemed to be jealous of having such a remarkable student who made him look good effortlessly!
At this moment, he turned to Chang Suining. “Which teacher did you study painting under?”
Upon meeting his aged gaze, she knew her secret had indeed been detected by her teacher.
In the past, she had mastered two different styles of writing, able to switch seamlessly without revealing any flaws. Therefore, she had also become skilled at hiding her true self. While painting this piece, she had tried her best to conceal her original style—
She could fool everyone, but she couldn't hide from her teacher.
Since she had begun studying calligraphy and painting, her teacher had personally guided her. He knew her secret and had taught her how to better disguise her natural style.
In other words, her talent came from him; she had merely switched the bowl to serve the same meal and added some different flavors, but her teacher could still catch a whiff of the original scent.
“I don’t have any formal teachers,” she responded with the excuse she had prepared while painting. “But I once happened to copy the characters of Princess Chongyue…”
This lie had already been told to Duan Zhenyi, and Wei Shuyi was also aware of it. With both mother and son present, she felt there was no need to concoct another story.
Calligraphy and painting were interconnected; knowing “Chongyue’s” characters and having a similar style in her painting made sense.
Grand Tutor Zhu pondered her answer, observing the girl for a moment before returning to his thoughts.
That made sense…
It could only be this explanation.
What other possibility could there be?
Shaking off the inexplicable feeling of disappointment, Grand Tutor Zhu redirected his gaze back to the painting. “Now I understand why there’s a sense of familiarity; you’ve learned the characters from my student.”
Though he was the teacher of the crown prince, all the princes and princesses in the palace had received his instruction in their youth, so calling Chongyue a student wouldn’t raise any suspicion.
Hearing this, murmurs of admiration spread through the crowd.
Who hadn’t heard of Princess Chongyue, who was a twin sister to the late crown prince and married into the Beidi to secure three years of peace for the Da Sheng, only to commit suicide out of loyalty before the war?
As they looked back at Chang Suining, there was a hint of change in Cui Jing’s gaze.
Behind her gauzy veil, Ming Luo’s eyes were filled with mocking coldness.
Indeed.
She had already noticed during the incident at Dayun Temple; this person clearly had intentions of imitating others.
Now, seizing this opportunity, she was eager to express it in front of everyone.
But was she merely seeking their attention?
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(End of this chapter)
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