Real Empress from a noble family

Fang Zijun, kneeling in the hall and sobbing, said timidly, "My clothes got dirty yesterday afternoon. I thought that was unfilial to great grandfather, so I asked wet nurse to go back with me and change clothes for me. Mom's maid Suxin gave me some delicious pastries. I remembered Uncle Ruan said Mistress Yan was having a younger brother and I would have a mate in the future, so I didn't eat and gave them to Mistress Yan…."

Fang Nongyan looked at the shocked Ruan Ciyi with a complex expression, "Ma'am?"

"No!" Ruan Ciyi said hastily. "Yesterday I…"

"Let him finish first." Since Ruan Qingyan, the host of the funeral, could not leave the hall now and Fang Nongyan's son said that in public, when Fang Nongyan suggested investigating it later, Ruan Qingyan stopped him, saying, "How can we allow the young ones to lose their virtue before my grandfather?" He insisted on a thorough investigation to find out whether Ruan Ciyi had done it or not.

So now it was Ling Zui who was hosting the investigation. Several guests who happened to hear the news were invited to sit in. Fang Zijun and others were questioned first. Ling Zui said he did not mind going to the Fangs' house if it could not be determined here.

Ling Zui interrupted Ruan Ciyi and said, "Chunjun told me, for one thing, the Ruans have always had strict family principles. There is no such a woman who would kill the children of a concubine; for another, Master Fang has few children. They are treasured even if born of the concubines. So I must deal with it fairly. Madame Ruan, please take it easy and let him finish. You can explain afterwards."

As she was young and there were not many female guests, Qiu Yelan, who was eavesdropping under the window, flicked the corner of her mouth, thinking, "People who are not familiar with Ruan Qingyan will think that he intends to break with Ruan Ciyi for the reputation of his family!"

But… with Ruan Qingyan's temperament, even if Ruan Ciyi had really done it, he could blame it on others! When he saw her dating Jiang Yashuang, he firmly believed that Jiang Yashuang deliberately seduced her!

"Is he waiting for someone to be trapped?" Qiu Yelan thought to herself. "I wonder how he is going to deal with them?"

Fang Nongyan also knew the importance and said, "Chunjun is too serious. Zijun said it was Suxin, not Ma'am. Besides, it was dark at night. There must be a mistake." Then he scolded Fang Zijun, "Was it really Suxin? Don't mistake others as your mother's maid. You may ruin your mother's reputation!"

In the past ten years in Hezhou, he often thought he would be living in the backcountry all his life. It was only with the help of Ruan Qingyan that he was able to return to the capital. Even if he didn't remember this favor, he had more expectations on this brother-in-law in the future! How could he offend the Ruans for a baby who had never come to the world?

It had not been found out yet. Even if it was found out that Ruan Ciyi had done it, Fang Nongyan would not break the relationship with Ruan Qingyan. After all, he already had a son, and his desire for heirs was not nearly as great as his ambition for his own future.

So now he was complaining about the stupidity of his servants. They came to make such a fuss when the Ruans were holding the funeral, making everyone know it. Now it was impossible to cover it up. He also hoped that his son would be smart enough and stop his trick.

Fang Zijun heard the hint in his words, and his tone softened, "I…"

Barely had he opened his mouth when Ling Zui gazed at him sharply and said seriously. "What a joke? You said it was Suxin. But now you want to deny it. Do you think we enjoy being teased by you?" He turned back and told the one behind him, "Since he first said it was Suxin and then he denied, it seems that he was deliberately slandering his mother. Send somebody to the court and sue him for murdering his mother… Punish him for being unfilial."

The one behind him understood what he meant and pretended to be uneasy, "Lord, he will be cut into thousands of pieces for such an offence. He is still so young. Shall…?

"He is so cruel at such a young age. What will he do when he grows up?" Ling Zui sneered. He flicked his sleeve asked others, "What are your ideas?"

Those who were at the funeral were all betting on the future of Ruan Qingyan. Besides, Fang Nongyan had neither strong background nor outstanding talent. Even his post at the Institute of History was attained with the help of Ruan Qingyan. Of course, none of the guests favored the Fangs, though they knew that Ling Zui was frightening Fang Zijun, yet no one said anything about it. Some even nodded in cooperation.

Fang Zijun was only six years old after all. However bad and evil he was, it was easy to hoax him. He was frightened when he heard it and was about to speak when Fang Nongyan quickly said to Ling Zui, "Young Earl Ling, he…"

What he wanted to say was that he was too young to be frightened. But Ling Zui did not give him the chance to remind Fang Zijun and interrupted him rudely, "Being unfilial has nothing to do with ages. Can we say murdering the mother at sixteen is unfilial while at six is not?"

He turned to Fang Zijun and shouted angrily, "I'll give you a last chance for your father's sake…."

"It was Suxin!" Fang Zijun was startled and said hurriedly, so long as he wouldn't be cut into pieces, "Mom doesn't like eating rice. She only likes to eat several kinds of pastries. So every time she goes back, the first thing is to ask Suxin to make pastries in the small kitchen. So Suxin never leaves Mom! Mom also went back yesterday…."

Only now did Ling Zui ask Ruan Ciyi, "Madame Ruan, how do you explain that?"

Just as Ruan Ciyi, who had a complex expression, was about to speak, Suxin, who was standing behind her and was flushed with anger, said angrily, "He was just talking nonsense! When did Madame go back yesterday? Madame never went back and how could I leave her and go back alone? Now that you said it was me, can you tell us how I gave you the pastries?"

Everyone was stunned at the words!

Fang Zijun also froze and immediately shouted, "You are lying! I asked yesterday. Dongran said Mom had gone back!"

"I don't know why Dongran said so, but yesterday, Madame cried and fainted because of excessive grief! The sisters of the Qius were both there at that time. They watched Madame been carried inside. She lay for a long time before she was able to get up!" Suxin paused for a while and then sneered, "Many people in the backyard can prove it!"

She suddenly thought of a more powerful witness, "When the daughter-in-law of Prime Minister Xue, Madame Sun and her daughter, heard Princess Ningyi said Madame had fainted, she even visited Madame in the room with her daughter. Madame woke up just then. She intended to salute Madame Sun but was pressed down by her. Miss Xue said Madame looked bad and she would send a copy of Madame Sun's prescription over afterwards!"

"She might have sneaked back!" Fang Zijun said desperately after being speechless for a moment, "How could Dongran lie to me?"

Ling Zui was not interested in his nonsense and he called Dongran over, "Madame Ruan had fainted and been sent to rest. Why did you tell Young Master Fang that she has gone back home?"

Dongran said, "When he asked, Madame Ruan had just fainted and she looked very bad. I was afraid he would be worried about his mother, so I lied and told him Madame Ruan had gone back home. Young Earl Ling, does it have anything to do with Mistress Yan's miscarriage?"

"You may go now. There's no more things for you." Sending the girl away, Ling Zui sneered and asked others again, "What are your ideas on this matter?"

Those people looked at one another for a moment. One of them sneered and gestured to Fang Nongyan, "You've taught a good son!"

"Live and learn! He's only a six-year-old kid…."

"The girl lied out of kindness but helped their own relative. It's true that one good turn deserves another!"

Hearing their discussion, Fang Nongyan knew that Mistress Yan's miscarriage was most likely designed by Fang Zijun and his own mother.

This son was the only one left behind after he lost several children, and his mother was a beloved concubine, so he was inevitably over-spoiled. However, Fang Nongyan had never thought that the mother and son would be so bold as to murder the unborn child at the time of General Ruan's funeral and frame Ruan Ciyi!

These two idiots! Ruan Ciyi was easy to bully, but Ruan Qingyan was deemed to have a promising future. What was more, Princess Ningyi, though she had no power, was a princess of junior level one. If it were not for the family relationship, he, who was only a level-seven official, could not look up at her!

Seeing Ling Zui's sardonic expression and the disdain and disgust of the audience who went out one after another, Fang Nongyan was feeling like being in an ice cellar!

He slapped Fang Zijun heavily in the face with the back of his hand, "Unfilial creature! How could you have been born?"

"Master Fang, you'd better play this kind of trick when there is no one else around." Ling Zui stood up, "I'm afraid no one here would like to see it. In my opinion, you'd better go home first and explain the matter to your family so that they won't talk about Madame Ruan anymore and damage the reputation of the Ruans!"

"Ma'am!" Reminded by him, Fang Nongyan knew that the only hope to save the situation was Ruan Ciyi and hurriedly stepped forward to help her up. "Ma'am, you know Zijun has always been naive. Maybe he was abetted by someone…."

Ling Zui sneered again and said to Ruan Ciyi, "Won't you go back to the front now, Madame Ruan? When there are guests but you are not there, Princess Ningyi might have to say you fainted again. And I think you'd better tell Chunjun the whole story yourself."

Seeing Fang Nongyan wanted to hold Ruan Ciyi, Ling Zui struck the table impatiently, "The two of you father and son, one is not strict in running the family, and the other is lunatic! General Ruan has just passed away and you couldn't wait to bully Madame Ruan. Do you think there's no one else in the family? Chunjun can't get away now, but I am free! If you can't give an explanation today, even if Chunjun lets you off, I will not agree!"

He sent Ruan Ciyi away. Qiu Yelan also quietly slipped back to her original position, thinking, "Although Fang Zijun aimed at Suxin, he did not directly mention Cousin Ciyi. If there were someone else in the Fangs' family who looks like Suxin or has clothes similar to Suxin's, he might say that he mistook her for Suxin or was taught… It's possible for them the find excuses to back up the lie. Besides, he is so young. If Cousin Ciyi insists on arguing with him, people may say she is too mean… Now that Cousin Chunjun has already started to deal with the Fangs, how can he leave such a flaw?"

"But, in this case, even if there were no evidence, the Fangs would know that it was Cousin who was behind the scene. Then Madame Ruan will have a hard time in the Fang Family." Qiu Yelan thought to herself, "If Cousin was still working at Hanlin Academy, he would have scruples. Now he will have a three-year mourning period. Who knows when he will be reinstated? Who knows whether Fang Nongyan will continue to bully Cousin Ciyi or not?"

She thought about it for a moment and unfolded her eyebrows. She had guessed how Ruan Qingyan was going to wind up the matter.