Chapter 485: Coming-of-Age Banquet

Chapter 485: Chapter 485: Coming-of-Age Banquet

In the government office, no matter what Wang Qiao’er said, the few surviving bandits were terrified of being dragged down with her again, so they confessed everything down to the last detail.

It turned out that Deng Fugui had not, as Wang Qiao’er claimed, murdered Ba Deshun and fled.

After they left the capital, they had been separated from Deng Fugui on the road due to the snowstorms.

When Ba Deshun fell into poverty, Wang Qiao’er stole his belongings and fled.

On the road, she happened upon some bandits robbing travelers. She figured it was a way to make a living, and perhaps even live better than the common people suffering through the disaster.

So, she threw in her lot with the bandit chief and became his woman.

After the snowstorms passed, the imperial court began funding the government to suppress the troublesome bandits.

The chief was killed during that time, and Wang Qiao’er led the remaining bandits on the run.

Remembering the prosperity of Xiangyun Village, Wang Qiao’er decided to lead them on one big score.

Her original plan was to wait for Shen Ningning to return to Wolf Mountain for the night before burning, killing, and plundering Xiangyun Village.

The group had even planned their escape route.

But they never expected Mo Lingwei to be staying at Shen Ningning’s home at that very moment.

To maintain propriety between the sexes, Grandma Qin had made one of them stay up on the mountain and the other at its foot.

So, Wang Qiao’er revised her plan. She would burn the village chief’s house at night to create a diversion.

This would prevent anyone from immediately realizing that people had gone up Wolf Mountain.

Who could have known that they would evade Shen Ningning and her wolf pack, only to run into an enraged Crown Prince?

After finishing their confession, the bandits desperately clutched the Capital Governor’s sleeve.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, you have to lock us up! If we get out, that woman Wang Qiao’er will surely kill us!"

The Capital Governor’s face was cold as he disgustedly shook his sleeve free.

He then turned with a fawning expression to ask Mo Lingwei and Shen Ningning, who were seated beside him.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Princess, this group has just admitted to their past crimes and evil deeds. They’ve stopped at nothing. And that Wang Qiao’er—she has the blood of two people on her hands."

During a previous robbery, when a father and son refused to hand over their silver, Wang Qiao’er had bludgeoned them to death with a rock.

"So, regarding this Wang Qiao’er, do you think we should sentence her to execution by decapitation, or something more... extreme?"

The Capital Governor only asked this because he could tell Wang Qiao’er must have offended Princess Funing in the past.

He was thus giving Shen Ningning an opportunity to vent her anger.

Shen Ningning’s eyes were clear and dark. "Just follow official procedures."

Mo Lingwei smiled. "Yes, in that case, death by five horses will do."

With that, the two of them left together.

They left the Capital Governor standing alone, his mouth agape as if to speak, but no words came out.

’Right! The Crown Prince’s meaning couldn’t be clearer.’

’Princess Funing is kind and can’t bear to see a prisoner tortured, but His Highness the Crown Prince can’t stand by while someone bullies the Princess. So, of course, he wants Wang Qiao’er as dead as dead can be.’

The Capital Governor issued the execution order that very day.

Three days later, Wang Qiao’er was put to death by dismemberment.

As for the bandits who had colluded with her, they were sentenced according to the severity of their crimes. Each received between fifty and one hundred blows with the heavy plank and were imprisoned for several months.

Whenever the villagers of Xiangyun Village brought up the matter, they all felt a great sense of satisfaction.

The world was a cleaner place with a malicious person like Wang Qiao’er dead and gone.

Her own life was a mess, yet she still thought of coming back to harm the village. Truly venomous.

The old village chief, however, was still heartbroken.

He heaved a heavy sigh. "If Fugui was separated from her so long ago, does that mean he’s already...?"

Everyone could guess the words he left unsaid.

At that time, with snowstorms raging everywhere, the situation in Cangyun Country was grim.

Every day, more and more people were found frozen to death on the roadsides.

If Deng Fugui was all alone, it was very likely he had already perished in the snows.

*

「Time flew by.」

On the day of Shen Ningning’s hairpin ceremony and birthday, the banquet was even more lively than the New Year’s Eve celebration.

Xie Suzhi had specially opened up a separate courtyard, dedicating the entire grand mansion to entertaining the guests.

The Emperor, the Crown Prince, as well as Princes and powerful ministers, were all among those invited.

The grand procession of guests numbered around two hundred.

On the day of Shen Ningning’s birthday banquet, the wide lane was packed with magnificent carriages.

Shen Ningning was dressed in a very pale, ice-blue gown. She wore a pair of hairpins, and her loose black hair made her fair cheeks glow with a rosy blush, like a newly opened flower bud.

She sat before a mirror while Muchun and Wanchun were helping her with her hair and makeup.

Ye Shangyi came in from outside, her hair dotted with red paper from firecrackers.

Shen Ningning saw her in the mirror and chuckled. "Sister Wanchun, hurry and help her. What happened? Did you run into a string of firecrackers?"

Ye Shangyi stamped her foot in frustration. "It’s all Lu Shaoyuan’s fault! He set off three huge strings of firecrackers outside. Anyone who didn’t know better would think it was *his* coming-of-age ceremony today! He got my dress dirty. I can’t stand him."

A moment later, Qi Xiuwei came over to help as well.

"Shangyi, you walked away too quickly! But it’s a good thing you did. Mr. Lu set off another two strings—it felt like the whole ground was shaking."

Shen Ningning blinked her wide eyes. "Why is he setting off firecrackers for me?"

"Who knows!" Ye Shangyi said, finally patting the last of the red paper from her hair.

Just then, Fang Qingdai’s voice came from the doorway.

"Is Ningning in?"

"Aunt Qingdai!" Shen Ningning’s eyes lit up, and she hurried to open the door.

Fang Qingdai stood at the entrance, beaming. Behind her stood Liang Yici, looking awkward.

"Today is your hairpin ceremony, and the front courtyard is so crowded. I wanted to come and see you alone for a moment."

’My old friend’s daughter,’ Fang Qingdai thought. ’If only Shen Siyi could see Shen Ningning’s hairpin ceremony with her own eyes. How wonderful that would be.’

She brought out a box from her sleeve, and upon opening it, revealed a jade Ruyi pendant inside.

The back was engraved with a lotus pattern, and beneath it were the two words, "Lady Xin."

Shen Ningning’s eyes instantly reddened. "This is..."

"I heard you also have a Ruyi, so I specially commissioned a craftsman to create an identical one using the original pattern. Please, accept it as a small token of my affection. Ningning, happy coming-of-age day. May you have peace and safety in all the years to come."

She hung the Ruyi pendant around the young woman’s neck.

Shen Ningning was deeply moved. Her slender fingertips traced the back of the Ruyi, where the two words "Lady Xin" were clearly etched, every stroke distinct.

"Thank you, Aunt Qingdai. I love this gift."

Fang Qingdai smiled and then nudged Liang Yici forward.

"I’m going to the front courtyard to check on things. With all you men in the Xie Mansion, I’m worried some details might have been overlooked. Yici, you stay here and help Ningning."

With that, Fang Qingdai left.

Liang Yici and the other three girls—Shen Ningning, Ye Shangyi, and Qi Xiuwei—looked at each other. Liang Yici gave an awkward cough.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

There was still some time before the auspicious hour for the coming-of-age ceremony, and there wasn’t really much left to do. Still, it didn’t seem right to let Liang Yici just stand around waiting.

Shen Ningning thought for a moment. "If you’re free, could you help me organize the gift registry over there? Just cross-checking the names would be enough."

Ye Shangyi immediately agreed.

The three of them got to work. Shen Ningning, her hair and makeup complete, couldn’t go outside again, so she simply waited for the auspicious hour.

Just then, while no one was paying attention, the young woman slipped behind a folding screen.

In a flash, she entered the Immortal Realm.

Shen Ningning walked into the Thunder Hall. She took a letter she had written the previous night from her sleeve and placed it gently on a strange device.

"Master Gu said that Mother used to control the growth within the Immortal Realm from right here. If we are still fated to be connected, Mother, I hope you can see this letter."

The young woman murmured, "Mother, I’m all grown up now. Today is my hairpin ceremony, and it’s been fifteen years since you left us. When will you come back?"

Shen Ningning sighed. Just as she was about to leave, an alarm suddenly blared from behind her. BEEP! BEEP!