Chapter Thirty-Three: Too Foolish

Unlike her elder sister, the younger daughter kept inching closer to the dark guards who were fighting the fire, her movements no longer as hampered as they had been moments ago.

Marquis Chengwu assumed this was his daughter’s way of making amends out of fear of his wrath, and his anger subsided slightly.

"The smoke is too thick inside; take the Second Miss outside," the Marquis commanded the servants before turning to leave. As he turned, he spotted Meng Zhenyue and added, "Take the Eldest Miss with you as well; the estate is not short of servants."

Once they reached the outer corridor, the Marquis stood with a stern face and addressed his two daughters:

"The study is for official business. In the future, you are to stay away. If you wish to pay your respects..."

Given the magnitude of the disturbance, it was impossible for him not to issue a reprimand, yet as he spoke, he stopped abruptly, struck by a sudden realization.

Because the study was filled with paper that would be difficult to contain once ignited, large vats of water were kept outside specifically to prevent fires. Therefore, a fire started by a mere tipped-over candle should have been brought under control quickly. Why, then...

The Marquis recalled the scent of sesame oil.

While sesame oil was a staple for cold dishes in the summer, the scent had been exceptionally heavy. And now, deep in the night, why would there be so much oil?

With a suspicious gaze, the Marquis looked at Zhao Zhizhi and scrutinized her from head to toe.

He saw his daughter standing motionless with her head bowed, as if waiting for a lecture for her wrongdoing, but the fluttering of her eyelashes betrayed her inner guilt and anxiety.

Looking further down, he noticed her folded hands were pressed tightly against her waistband.

The Marquis snorted through his nose and then roared, "Take it out!"

"T-this... I hadn't had a chance to put it back yet," Zhao Zhizhi trembled, her hand shaking as she opened her palm.

Resting on her palm was a square, folded piece of paper.

It was obvious at a glance that this was not something she simply hadn't had time to put back!

As the Marquis erupted in fury, Meng Zhenyue, who had been silent until now, stepped forward to offer an analysis:

"Father, please do not misunderstand my sister. She has been raised in the inner chambers and knows nothing of these schemes. It is clear she simply didn't have the chance to return it."

Menge Zhenyue’s words successfully caused the Marquis to swallow the words on the tip of his tongue, leaving him lost in thought.

Indeed, if it had been Meng Zhenyue, he might have suspected she had been bought off, but Zhizhi had been raised in the Marquis’s residence since childhood. What could she possibly hope to achieve by stealing from his study?

Looking at it from another angle, why would Zhizhi, who had never acted this way before, suddenly behave like this today?

As the Marquis searched his memory for any recent anomalies, the matter of Grand Tutor Xiao agreeing to the marriage proposal immediately sprang to mind!

Suppressing his emotions, the Marquis looked at Zhao Zhizhi and softened his tone, coaxing her: "Tell the truth, Zhizhi. Father won't blame you. Why did you want this?"

Zhao Zhizhi, as if caught, let out a startled "Ah," looked up at the Marquis, and then quickly lowered her head again, her eyes darting about in agitation.

She stammered, "Today, those two matrons said... said..."

The Marquis softened his voice again, promising not to blame her, and Zhao Zhizhi continued:

"They said Grand Tutor Xiao had a grudge against Father and that I had to burn Father’s study to appease him. Then, I was to take a piece of paper from what looked like the most confidential spot as proof so that the Grand Tutor would agree to the marriage."

The Marquis frowned, skeptical. Hadn't Zhizhi always resisted this marriage?

Just as he was doubting her, his daughter’s tearful voice continued.

"I didn't want to marry the Third Young Master Xiao, but those matrons said that a daughter cannot disobey her father's wishes. I... I had no choice. Please, Father, punish me!"

*You wily old fox, Grand Tutor Xiao!*

The Marquis's formerly gentle expression shifted instantly, and he glared at Zhao Zhizhi.

Yet, he was most angry at the daughter before him!

How could she listen to whatever anyone told her?

If they told her to burn the place down, she would actually do it!

They even mentioned stealing from a confidential spot, and she still didn't realize there was a problem?

Did she have any concept of what the word "confidential" meant?

No!

This daughter was far too foolish. He had tried to use her to lure the enemy, but instead, she had been used against him.

This "beauty trap" must never be attempted again!

Seeing the change in the Marquis’s eyes, Zhao Zhizhi was about to drop to her knees.

Meng Zhenyue grabbed her, crying out in anger, "How despicable!"

"If today had succeeded, Father’s secrets would have been leaked. If it failed, it would sow discord between father and daughter and throw the Marquis’s estate into chaos!"

The Marquis paused. Zhenyue was right; that conceited old man was indeed full of schemes!

The Marquis abandoned the thought of punishing Zhizhi. With his rage tempered, he called over two of his trusted matrons and gave a veiled order:

"Check the two young misses for any injuries, then escort them back to their quarters. Afterward, have the Marchioness come see me."

Meng Zhenyue knew this meant he believed Zhao Zhizhi had been used. He was worried, but also had other concerns, and only felt at ease after having the matrons search them to be sure.

By letting them go, he clearly intended not to pursue the matter with Zhao Zhizhi any further.

After being checked for injuries, Meng Zhenyue and Zhao Zhizhi left.

Once out of the Marquis’s sight, Zhao Zhizhi’s legs turned to jelly. She leaned most of her weight on the people supporting her on either side and exhaled, "That... that scared me to death."

"It should work. It all depends on whether the Marchioness strictly examines our needlework tomorrow," Meng Zhenyue comforted her.

Back at the study, it took a full quarter of an hour to bring the fire under control.

The Marquis spoke with the Marchioness, who had hurried over, in a side chamber.

"Tell me every detail of today! Was there anything unusual?"

The Marchioness had heard about the fire, and now, facing the Marquis, who was interrogating her as if she were a prisoner, she became so flustered she couldn't remember a thing.

She hurriedly ordered the maid who had accompanied them to repeat the day's events.

The Marquis listened, suppressing his rage, closing his eyes to focus. The more he heard, the more shocked he became.

Grand Tutor Xiao had looked everywhere else when he praised Zhizhi’s beauty—that was a clear sign of insincerity!

The Grand Tutor’s trusted matron was satisfied?

Grand Tutor Xiao was already intent on provoking him; why would his trusted confidante be satisfied?

This was clearly a case of ulterior motives!

After listening, the Marquis was so furious he smashed a teacup. "It was full of loopholes! You’ve lived more than half a lifetime, yet you couldn't see a single sign of it?!"

The Marchioness, terrified, hurriedly stood up to beg for mercy.

She didn't know what had come over her at the time, but hearing the maid repeat it now, she realized how riddled with holes the situation was...

"This marriage must be called off! Zhizhi is truly unsuited for this task," the Marquis said, his face full of irritation as he flicked his sleeves and turned away.

The Marchioness was panicked, fearing that the Marquis would grow distant from her because of this.

There were no sons from concubines in the Marquis’s estate, but that was because the old Marquis had kept a tight rein on things. After the old Marquis passed, the current Marquis had been too overwhelmed with work to pay attention to the concubines.

While she complained about Zhao Zhizhi’s incompetence, she remembered her other daughter, Meng Zhenyue, and tentatively suggested:

"How about letting Zhenyue go? She has inherited more of your striking looks, and her character is..."

"I have my own plans for Zhenyue," the Marquis interrupted, clearly dissatisfied. He then commanded in an unquestionable tone:

"From tomorrow, you are to supervise both sisters well. At least one of the young ladies of the Marquis’s estate must be selected for the Grand Princess Jingyi’s embroidery academy!"

"Yes," the Marchioness replied, having no other choice.