An Oriental Odyssey

When Yuan An returned to the mansion, it was already dawn. She took Zhao Lan Zhi's horse to the stable, loosened the saddle and reins, and fed the horse some good fodder. After that, she went to her room to rest. But as soon as she closed her eyes, she was woken up by her maid. The maid rushed in with a basin in her hands, anxious as she said, "Are you still sleeping? The Master is calling for you!"

Yuan An stretched lazily, bent down to wash her face, and dried the water droplets with a towel. Then, she suddenly felt something was not right. "I had an understanding with father that we wouldn't meet or talk often to avoid any unnecessary quarrels. Why is he calling for me so urgently in broad daylight?"

The maid, while quickly combing Yuan An's hair, said, "The master returned from the court in a bad mood. It's said that Official Pei threw his memorial on the ground."

"Oh! That's a big deal!" Yuan An widened her eyes and mouth in surprise. "What memorial was it?"

"While the master and Madam were talking, I overheard it," the maid continued. "They said someone from the Prince of Jing's mansion stole land and the Master wanted to report in a memorial to the Empress. But Official Pei threw it on the ground. The master was embarrassed and got scolded by Madam. You know everyone in Luoyang knows that the Prince of Jing's Princess Xinghui is going to marry Official Pei's son, Xianya. The two families went from political enemies to relatives by marriage. The Master brought this upon himself."

Yuan An looked at the maid in the mirror who spoke with excitement and reason. She couldn't help but applaud, "Our old man might read a lot of books and navigate the court, but compared to you, my maid, he falls short. Since he already felt humiliated and returned home in a bad mood, why does he need me?"

"Who else would speak ill of you in front of him and fan the flames?" 

Yuan An cautiously asked, "Stepmother?"

The maid dared not say more and quickly finished tying up Yuan An's hair. She adorned it with two small pearl flowers and turned her shoulders to look at her with big eyes, instructing her, "The Master called for you urgently, go and answer him quickly. Ah, he's really furious today, he might vent his anger on you! Listen, don't confront him directly. These pearl flowers on your head belonged to the late Madam. If he tries to punish you, show him these and pretend to be pitiful!"

Yuan An nodded, raising her eyebrows, biting her lip, and calculating in her mind.

In the study of the Ye residence, Madame Ye found an opportunity to speak ill of Yuan An in front of her husband. "Darling, with the Jing Prince's mansion and Official Pei becoming relatives, forming a powerful alliance, I would have thrown that memorial on the ground too if I were Official Pei."

Mr. Ye was full of grievances. "What should I do? It's all politics! Unfortunately, I stand alone in the court, without any political factions or in-law connections. It's difficult to make my voice heard!"

Madame Ye, around thirty-eight years old, with thin and curved eyebrows and naturally smiling eyes, suggested, "Darling, have you forgotten? We still have Yuan An. Princess Xinghui wants to turn the enmity between the Prince of Jing and Official Pei into a peaceful alliance. If we can find a good marriage for Yuan An, it might strengthen your position in the court."

Minister Ye seemed to be reminded of something and contemplated briefly before saying, "Yuan An is still young and mischievous. Let her stay at home and enjoy herself for a few more years."

Madame Ye was somewhat annoyed by Minister Ye's protective attitude towards Yuan An and decided to press further. "Darling, are you blaming me as a stepmother for not loving Yuan'an enough? You know how naughty and reckless your daughter is in your heart, before she does something big, you should find someone for her, so you don't regret it later!"

Master Ye was well aware of Yuan An's mischievous behavior. Upon hearing Madame Ye's words, he was suddenly horrified, holding a trembling teacup in his hand. "What do you mean? What has Yuan An done now?"

Madame Ye ordered a maid, "Fetch the young master!"

In no time, Yuan Ning came in, but he had a bruised and swollen nose, a bald head, and his whole face was colorful, with no intact patch of skin.

Master Ye was shocked and lost his color. "What happened?!"

Yuan Ning burst into tears, "It's sister! Sister set up traps in the cellar, and I was nibbled by mice, bitten by spiders, and even set on fire. She- she even stomped on my face, ruining my handsome looks! Oh Father, you must get justice for me!"

Master Ye trembled with anger and shouted loudly, "Didn't someone go call Yuan An? Why hasn't she come?!"

At this moment, Yuan An had already stepped into the room. Seeing the rage in Master Ye's eyes, she regretted coming over and wanted to turn back, but it was too late. Master Ye gritted his teeth, "Where are you going? Come back here and kneel before me!"

Yuan An could only accept her misfortune. She gritted her teeth in helplessness, turned around, and knelt in front of Master Ye.

Master Ye asked, "Do you know your mistake?"

Yuan An turned her head to look at Madame Ye and Yuan Ning standing on the side, who seemed to be pleased with the situation. In her defiant tone, Yuan An replied, "Not really."

Master Ye grew even more furious. "You dare to be impudent?!"

Master Ye raised his hand to strike Yuan An, but she suddenly raised her head, stiffened her neck, and stared at her father with wide eyes. "What are you going to do? Are you going to hit me? Is Father going to hit me because of Yuan Ning? Sure, Father can hit me if you want, I'm not afraid of pain. I just miss my mother, my birth mother." The truth is that she had never seen her since she opened my eyes, but she had lived happily in the wild since she was little. What sorrow and longing? She was just saying these things according to what her nanny said to escape her father, and it works every time.

Upon hearing this, Master Ye indeed felt sorrowful and lifted his hand heavily again. He sighed and sat on a chair, looking at the two small pearl flowers on Yuan An's headband, which were left behind by his late wife, feeling even more sorrowful.

After a long while, Master Ye finally said, "Yuan An, my daughter, when have I ever been willing to raise my hand against you? But you've been so unruly, and your behavior is only getting worse. What are we going to do in the future? Who is Yuan Ning? He is my own flesh and blood, and he's your younger brother. How could you resort to violence against him? He looks so handsome; if he can't excel in his studies, he might have to rely on his looks to survive." (Yuan An's internal reaction: *gags*) "Look at yourself; do you still have a bit of a young lady's charm or a sister's charm? You're right; you miss your birth mother, and I do too. If she were still here, she would have treated you better. In the end, it's my fault, blame it on me!"

Master Ye was genuinely sorrowful, sitting on the chair with a dejected expression, sighing. Yuan An looked at him and noticed a strand of white hair showing from the edge of his hat. She was surprised, When did my father get white hair? Unable to bear seeing her father like this, her heart softened.

She crouched down beside her father and spoke softly, "Father, I was wrong. I won't treat my brother like that again."

Seeing his daughter acting so obedient and adorable, Master Ye forgave her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder with another long sigh.

Meanwhile, Lady Ye held Yuan Ning in her arms, glaring hatefully at Yuan An. She thought to herself: She escaped another beating again!