Chapter Text
Su Wenling leaned over to Zhang Zhe as he was concentrating on writing a memorial. “So how does it feel to have women fighting over you?”
Zhang Zhe looked up, slightly irritated to be interrupted. “What? Which women?”
“Your fiancée and the beautiful Jiang Xuening,” said Su Wenling, grinning.
Zhang Zhe stared at Su Wenling. “‘The beautiful Jiang Xuening.’ I have never met this woman in my entire life. You must be mistaken.” He paused. “Why was this woman fighting with Miss Yao?”
Luo Meng leaned over. “Because… well, it’s said that Miss You advised Miss Yao to spread rumours about you, to break off your engagement.”
Zhang Zhe had a creeping feeling that his engagement to Yao Xi was a mistake, and the shameful wave of relief which swept over him at the prospect she was considering breaking off their engagement seemed to confirm it. Nonetheless, he was confused. “Miss You. I don’t know her either. Who are these women?”
Su Wenling prodded Zhang Zhe in the middle of the forehead. “Sometimes you’re so clever, but sometimes you’re so stupid. They’re Princess Leyang’s study companions.”
“Oh, yes, Miss Yao is a study companion! Why is this Miss You suggesting she might spread rumours about me?”
“She’s not,” said Luo Meng. “Jiang Xuening stuck You Yue’s head in a fishpond. No one is going spread rumours about you now.”
Zhang Zhe stared. “A woman I don’t know stuck some the head of some other woman I don’t know in a fishpond?”
“You’re sure you don’t know Jiang Xuening?” said Su Wenling. “She apparently told the Princess’s other study companions that you’re the best person she knows, a very honest and upright official, and Yao Xi is lucky to be marrying you—”
“I have no idea who this woman is! I have never met her!” said Zhang Zhe. “Who is she?”
“He lives under a rock,” Luo Meng said to Su Wenling. He called out to Chen Ying. “Eh, Sir! Sir! Explain Jiang Xuening to Mr Zhang.”
Chen Ying came over. “Oh, Lord Jiang’s second daughter? The one who grew up in the villages?”
“Yeah, that one,” said Su Wenling, grinning. “Mr Zhang doesn’t know who she is.”
“So,” said Chen Ying, leaning over and widening his eyes, “Lord Jiang’s wife and his concubine both had daughters of the same age. Lord Jiang exiled the concubine and her daughter to Jiangnan, after his wife made a fuss. Except—the concubine swapped the babies! She took the legitimate daughter and left her own child at Jiang Mansion. And no one realised until the girls were fourteen! The concubine confessed just before she died. So, they recalled Jiang Xuening to the capital and now she’s the second daughter.”
“That’s hard on the poor girl,” said Zhang Zhe, thinking of the social adjustment he’d had to make when he moved from the country to the capital.
“Jiang Xuening is utterly wild,” said Luo Meng. “She runs around with Viscount Yan Lin, getting drunk, and wearing men’s clothing. Isn’t she engaged to the Viscount?”
“I heard she turned the good Viscount down, despite several proposals from him, and she also set Xue Ye down viciously,” said Su Wenling. “Maybe you’re in with a chance, Mr Zhang.”
Zhang Zhe shook his head. “I don’t know who these women are, and I’m already engaged. Why would I care?”
“You’re no fun,” said Luo Meng. “I’d be delighted if Jiang Xuening were interested in me, even if she’s a hoyden. Any girl who put You Yue’s head in a fishpond is worth a second glance.”