Chapter Fifteen: Shattered Jade

As soon as Lu Ying stepped down from the carriage, she saw her younger brother gazing at her with anxious eyes, his handsome face still pale. Her brother was still frightened. Lu Ying hurried forward, coming to stand before Lu Yun. She curved her lips into a gentle smile, her voice clear as she said, “Ah Yun, it’s all over now.”

Lu Ying’s calm and reassuring smile settled Lu Yun’s troubled heart. He tried to smile back, but his face was so stiff that the expression he managed was rather awkward. After a moment, Lu Yun heard his own dry voice ask, “Why did they call you over?”

“What else could it be?” Lu Ying replied with a soft laugh. “Of course, to praise your sister for being clever and capable.”

At last, Lu Yun smiled. He reached out for Lu Ying’s hand, his voice raspy as he said, “Sister, let’s go home.” He could not bear to stay here a moment longer.

“Yes, let’s go home,” Lu Ying replied, taking her brother’s hand and smiling brightly. “When we get back, your sister will treat you to something delicious!”

Just as the siblings turned to leave, a clear male voice called out, “Miss, please wait a moment.” It was the subordinate of the young lord from earlier, striding briskly toward them.

Lu Yun’s face grew tense and pale with vigilance as the young man approached Lu Ying. He reached into his sleeve and produced an oil-paper package, from which he took a thick book and handed it to Lu Ying with a solemn air. “This is a reward from my master,” he announced.

A reward from his master?

Lu Ying shot the young man a look, but reached out to accept the book. It was weighty, with the title “Doctrine of the Mean” printed in bold, dignified characters on its cover.

At the sight of those words, Lu Ying’s pupils widened in shock. She couldn’t help but wonder—could that young lord just now be the master others had whispered about? He had told her to study this very book, even suggesting he would take her as a concubine…

At this thought, Lu Ying shuddered. She was well aware that the man in the carriage must possess an extraordinary identity. For ordinary girls, to become his servant would be a coveted honor; to be his concubine, an unattainable dream. But she had never seen things that way. Perhaps she had inherited her father’s inexplicable pride, or maybe it was simply her own cool and distant nature; she had never harbored any improper thoughts about men, least of all aspired to be anyone’s concubine.

Seeing Lu Ying lost in thought, the young man added, “My lord also said he is very pleased.”

He was pleased? But why? When he’d told her to study the Doctrine of the Mean, his meaning had been clear: to urge her to conceal cunning with virtue and kindness. Yet her actions just now had been direct and forceful, nothing to do with the mean at all. Why would he be pleased?

Without waiting for her to recover, the young man received an exquisitely crafted wooden box from someone behind him and offered it to her with a smile. “This, too, is a reward from my master.”

Lu Ying accepted it. Seeing her take the box, the young man said no more, turning away and heading back to the carriage.

Lu Ying stared blankly after him. At that moment, Lu Yun stepped closer and whispered, “Sister, what’s inside?”

Lu Ying shook her head softly. “Let’s open it and see.”

She had only just spoken when a faint chill of wind brushed her skin. Suddenly, she felt something strike the acupoint inside her wrist, and a violent wave of soreness and pain surged through her. The pain was so abrupt and intense that, unprepared, Lu Ying let out a muffled cry and her hand trembled. The wooden box slipped from her grasp and fell heavily to the ground.

With a light crash, the box landed, its lid flying off. From the box, lined with fine Shu brocade, a jade pendant tumbled out, shattering into pieces.

Though broken, the jade’s flawless luster and exquisite craftsmanship were unmistakable—clearly, this was a treasure beyond price. And now, this priceless jade, just handed to her, lay in fragments at her feet.

A flurry of gasps rose from the surrounding crowd.

Lu Yun, his face ashen, rushed to her side and whispered, “Sister.” Seeing the shattered jade on the ground, his face went whiter still, nearly speechless.

Though still young, Lu Yun knew what it meant to break a gift just bestowed by a noble. Without even looking up, he could feel the gazes around them—some pitying, some shocked, some sympathetic.

Biting his lip, Lu Yun thought anxiously, What are we to do? That nobleman will surely blame my sister—he must!

By the carriage, the upright young man glanced at Lu Yun’s pale face and at Lu Ying, who was slowly crouching to pick up the broken jade. He sighed softly, “That young lady is truly pitiful.”

“Is that so?” From behind the half-drawn curtain, his master revealed a strikingly handsome face, gazing unhurriedly at the lonely siblings. His tone was anything but gentle as he said, “I have no intention of holding her accountable. Why pity her?”

Perhaps the master would not pursue the matter, but for ordinary folk like those siblings, the mere worry, the unease, the whisperings of the crowd were enough to terrify them.

Still, this was not something the young man dared debate with his master.

Just then, the young man suddenly gasped in surprise. He was not alone; even his master wiped the smile from his face, his brows drawing together in a slight frown.

Lu Ying bent down, her fingers gently brushing over the shards of jade as she picked them up one by one and placed them back in the box. She stepped forward to retrieve the lid, and when she finally closed the box, a radiant smile graced her face.

Her features were already strikingly lovely, but now, smiling, she looked more enchanting still. As the crowd stared in stunned silence, Lu Ying turned around.

Facing the carriage, she bowed gracefully and calmly, holding the jade box with both hands. With a serene, clear voice, she declared, “There is a saying in the world: ‘Better to be broken as jade than to remain whole as tile.’ The moment this jade entered my hands, it shattered into pieces. Surely it is the spirit of Lord Qiu warning us: as a scholar, one must possess the virtue of fine jade. Even if broken, one must never stoop to base or filthy deeds!”

She paused, her expression now solemn, as though making a vow. “As for this gentleman’s jade, I shall treasure it always. I will examine myself daily and remember this lesson.”

With that, she bowed deeply toward the place where Lord Qiu had met his end, then again toward the carriages. Finally, she stood, slipped the box into her sleeve, and, taking Lu Yun’s hand, walked serenely through the crowd, heading back toward the city.