Chapter 8.23 – Goddess of the Harem
Chen Shengbei’s trip to the Imperial Clan Court was naturally not as smooth as Yan Yunuo’s. Bai Pei had already been ordered by Su Wan that no men were allowed in.
Chen Shengbei, who was turned away, could only quietly stand outside the gate of the Imperial Clan Court, looking at the high walls of the courtyard in front of him——
Su Wan, why won’t you see me?
He anxiously left the Imperial Clan Court. When Chen Shengbei returned to the guard barracks, he saw Xu Bingyue – who had been waiting in his room for a long time.
“Big Brother Chen, did you go out?”
Seeing that Chen Shengbei’s expression was not good, Xu Bingyue couldn’t help but ask with concern.
“I… I went to the Imperial Clan Court.”
Chen Shengbei replied absent-mindedly. Hearing his words, Xu Bingyue immediately became nervous: “Big Brother Chen, then you… have you seen Sister Su Wan?”
Chen Shengbei shook his head, turned and sat on a wooden chair: “She refused to see me. Bingyue, do you think she doesn’t believe in me? In fact, I’ve always believed that she was innocent!”
“Big Brother Chen.”
Xu Bingyue’s eyes flickered at Chen Shengbei’s words and a very anxious look appeared on her face: “Big Brother Chen, maybe you have misunderstood Sister Su Wan. With an incident like that occurring, she might…not want to implicate you?”
“Yes!”
Chen Shengbei’s eyes brightened: “Bingyue, you must be right! Xiao Wan definitely didn’t want to implicate me. She is so kind. But now that she refuses to see me, how should I express my intentions?”
After frowning and hesitating for a moment, Chen Shengbei suddenly raised his head, looking brightly at Xu Bingyue: “Bingyue, help me go to the Imperial Clan Court to see Su Wan! If it was you, she would definitely meet you! How about you tell her my intentions, make her trust me and persuade her to see me?”
“This……”
Hearing Chen Shengbei’s request, Xu Bingyue’s little face showed hesitation: “Big Brother Chen, you don’t know this but elder sister Xiao Wan’s character is very stubborn and it’s hard to change the things she has decided on. I’m afraid that she won’t believe me if I go empty-handed, unless…..”
Xu Bingyue’s gaze fell on Chen Shengbei’s waist. There was a jade pendant hanging beside the sword he was wearing, which was the token of his engagement with Su Wan.
“Big Brother Chen, give me the engagement token between you and Sister Su Wan. I will show it to Sister Su Wan as proof. She should believe that you’re sincere!”
At this time Xu Bingyue was serious and sincere, so Chen Shengbei did not doubt her words at all. He just hesitated for a moment and his heart was conflicted: “Then, I’ll trouble you, Bingyue!”
Chen Shengbei took the jade pendant from his waist and solemnly placed it in Xu Bingyue’s palms.
When the jade pendant landed in her hands, Xu Bingyue was inwardly excited and nervous, but her face still showed a very solemn and serious look: “Brother Chen, don’t worry! I will definitely give this jade pendant to Sister Su Wan.”
Firmly clenching the jade pendant on the palm of her hand, Xu Bingyue’s eyes flashed with a cruel light——
How could Su Wan – a sinner – be worthy of the Chen family’s jade pendant?
This jade pendant will be hers. Sooner or later, it will be hers!
…….
The next day, in the Imperial Clan Court.
Xu Bingyue asked for leave with Liao Siyi early in the morning and took the token to leave the back palace and went to the Imperial Clan Court.
Su Wan had just gotten up. The days here were really comfortable. One couldn’t tell whether it was day or night in the cell. Last night, she was so bored that she played chess with Su Rui in the cell, and as she played, she lost track of time. If it weren’t for Wang Yi’s reminder, the two of them would probably have played until morning.
After Su Rui went to attend morning court, Su Wan did not eat breakfast, but took a comfortable rest. So when Xu Bingyue came in, Su Wan looked sleepy and listless.
“Sister Su Wan.”
Xu Bingyue handed some broken silver to the female supervisor who was keeping an eye on Su Wan. The woman immediately opened the cell door for her. Seeing that there were no scars on Su Wan’s body, Xu Bingyue narrowed her eyes, and when she raised her eyes again, both her eyes were already watery: “Sister, you have suffered during this period!”
The tears came so fast ah!
Blu: This had a somewhat sarcastic tone to it. Like, Wow, amazing, your tears came so fast!
Seeing Xu Bingyue’s superb acting skills, Su Wan had to follow up with her performance and showed a forced smile: “The case has not yet been trialed. My situation right now is still considered comfortable.”
“After that… Sister Su Wan, what if you are really convicted?”
It was a capital offense for a palace maid to have sexual relationships with others! And the partner of this relationship was Rui Wang.
In fact, Xu Bingyue didn’t believe that Su Wan would have an illicit sexual relationship with Rui Wang. If you said that it was Yan Yuqing – that girl who wasn’t content with what she had – she would have believed it.
But what does it matter? It didn’t matter if she believed it or not, the main thing was whether the Emperor believed it, and more importantly, whether she wanted Chen Shengbei to believe it!
“If the death penalty is inevitable, I will admit to it.”
Su Wan sighed: “I’m very sorry for making all of you worry for me.”
“Sister Su Wan, what are you talking about? We are sisters, so naturally we must share weal and woe. And Big Brother Chen…”
Xu Bingyue’s eyes flickered: “Sister, why don’t you see Big Brother Chen? The both of us want to help you. These past 2 days, he was…..very worried because you didn’t see him!”
Xu Bingyue deliberately used the term “the both of us” to get Su Wan’s attention.
Sure enough, Su Wan seemed to hesitate for sometime with a skeptical look on her face when she heard Xu Bingyue’s words. At this time, Xu Bingyue deliberately took a few steps forward and raised her palace skirt: “Here, sister, your body is weak, I will help support you.”
At the moment she moved, the jade pendant on her waist was immediately exposed.
Seeing that jade pendant Xu Bingyue carried with her, Su Wan froze and her face went pale. She slowly raised her hand and gently touched that jade pendant on Xu Bingyue’s waist with her fingers: “Bingyue, this jade pendant, this jade pendant is…”
“Ah? This jade pendant!”
Xu Bingyue suddenly let go of her hands holding Su Wan, her pretty face was flustered: “Sister Su Wan, Brother Chen did not give me this jade pendant. I, I bought it myself. Didn’t I say that your pendant was pretty? So I just…”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Su Wan’s expression was complicated: “The bottom of this jade pendant is also engraved with a small ‘Chen’. This is something they had passed down in their family, I wouldn’t misidentify it.”
Seeing how Su Wan spoke so confidently, Xu Bingyue immediately knelt down: “Sister Su Wan, I’ve let you down, but Shengbei and I, we sincerely love each other! I have always wanted to tell you this, but…I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to stand the shock. Now that something like this has happened to you, Shengbei and I couldn’t bear to tell you about it! Sister Su Wan, everything is my fault. I couldn’t restrain my emotions. Don’t blame Brother Shengbei, he didn’t deliberately lie to you! Don’t blame him! If you want to blame someone, then blame me!”
Xu Bingyue raised her head with tears on her face and firmly grasped Su Wan’s white prison uniform with her hands: “Sister, whether you want to beat me or scold me, Bingyue has no complaints.”
Su Wan took a few steps back with an ugly expression on her face, her whole body was slightly trembling.
Seeing that she kept silent, Xu Bingyue had to cry harder.
“Forget it.”
Su Wan gently brushed away Xu Bingyue’s hands holding her clothes: “This may be fate. When I am gone, you’re still here to take care of him. I am relieved.”
“Sister Su Wan?”
Xu Bingyue immediately stood up when she heard Su Wan’s words and grabbed her arm in excitement: “Are you willing to forgive us?”
“Emotions cannot be forced. Since you both really love each other, then the marriage contract between me and him is invalid.”
With that said, Su Wan returned to her bedside and took out her jade pendant: “Give it back to him. This is considered as returning it to its rightful owner.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
Xu Bingyue held the jade pendant that Su Wan handed over in her hands. This time, she truly felt at ease.
With this, any commitments Su Wan had towards Chen Shengbei had been broken. So no matter how much Chen Shengbei will ask someone to help him plead, Su Wan would never see him again.
And with this jade pendant, she will also have an excuse for Chen Shengbei when she returns!
Xu Bingyue, who had achieved her goal, perfunctorily chatted with Su Wan and then hurriedly turned and left. Seeing her departing back, Su Wan could imagine that she must have a smug expression on her face right now——
Xu Bingyue, I’ll let you be proud for the time being.
Soon, you won’t be proud anymore.
