Can Only Tell the Truth - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The entire hall fell silent.

I was so frightened my face turned ashen, and I couldn’t stop trembling.

Up on the dais, the Old Emperor laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. “This youngest daughter of the Yun Family is so honest. She answers whatever I ask. How very endearing.”

My father had practically scared his soul out of his body. Only then did he come back to himself and force an awkward laugh. “Wanwan is still young, Your Majesty. She doesn’t understand. She doesn’t understand.”

The other guests at the banquet also began changing the subject, and the atmosphere soon grew lively again.

Pale as a sheet, I returned to my seat. On my left, Shen Xian looked at me with mocking amusement. On my right, Lin Zhi had turned his head outright, staring at me with a dark expression.

If looks could kill, I would be like a pig waiting for slaughter right now, strung up and carved apart one slice at a time.

I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead and raised a cup of wine to Shen Xian.

Ahahaha, Heir Shen looks radiant today. He is sure to live a long and blessed life.

That was what I imagined myself saying. But what came out of my mouth was:

“Shen Xian, are your eyes twitching or something? Why do you keep glancing over here?”

I stared wide-eyed in shock and clapped a hand over my mouth. Sure enough, the calm, unruffled mask on Shen Xian’s face was torn clean apart by my words. He looked at me in disbelief.

I slapped myself twice, then whipped my head away with all my might to avoid his gaze.

Only to meet Lin Zhi’s sneering face head-on.

I said, “What are you looking at? You’re no better.”

The wine cup in Lin Zhi’s hand shattered.

I was going insane. My face twisted, and my fingers clenched so hard around my skirt that I almost tore it apart.

Damn it!

That curse from yesterday was real!!

I’m dead! I offended both of these harbingers of doom in one go!

The story starts yesterday.

My useless brother asked me to buy rouge for my future sister-in-law.

Since I was the idlest person in the family and had no use whatsoever, I had no right to refuse.

Fine. I would go. But he just had to make me buy it from a shop out in the suburbs.

Wasn’t that just deliberately making trouble for me?

Fuming, I borrowed a donkey from the steward and leisurely made my way toward the outskirts of the city.

And then tragedy struck.

The donkey stepped on something. I heard an “Ow!” and hurriedly climbed down to look.

There was nothing there. Only a ginseng root, shaped very much like a person.

I thought I had misheard and got back on the donkey, only to hear another scream. “Ow! You son of a bitch!”

This time I heard it loud and clear. I quickly jumped down and rescued that ginseng root.

The moment the ginseng opened its mouth, it greeted every last one of my ancestors. I gave it a slap. It kept cursing, so I gave it a second slap.

The ginseng stopped talking.

I gasped in amazement. “Good heavens. A ginseng spirit!”

The ginseng spat at me. “You stepped on me twice! I’m going to curse you!!”

I was about to stuff it into my pocket and bring it home to nourish my father’s health, but the ginseng wriggled out of my hand with incredible agility. Before it ran off, it even looked back and left me with a few large words.

“I CURSE YOU!!!!”

At the time, I didn’t take it seriously. Who could have known it would actually come true?

I sat there on pins and needles, unable to get comfortable. That line worked very well on Shen Xian. He stopped looking at me altogether.

Lin Zhi, however, seemed perfectly at ease. From time to time, he watched the singing and dancing. From time to time, he glanced at me with a smiling look.

It felt exactly like being watched by a wolf.

Just as the banquet was about to end, Lin Zhi suddenly rose and saluted the emperor.

“Your Majesty, I find Miss Yun most pleasing. If Your Majesty intends to bestow a marriage upon me, then I boldly request that the bride be Yun Wan.”

Cold sweat instantly broke out all over me.

No way. Marry him? Absolutely not!

Lin Zhi was sent out to fight wars all year round. I had never heard of him having any close female companion. Who knew how messy his private life might be?

Besides, he was so fierce. What if he married me and then beat me?

Wuwuwu, someone save me!

I wanted to cry but had no tears. Just then, I happened to meet Shen Xian’s calm, rippleless eyes.

Shen Xian actually smiled faintly.

My expression was probably too ridiculous, because a hint of amusement appeared at the corner of his lips. Then he rose and said,

“This subject has also admired Yun Wan in secret for a long time. I originally intended to wait until Wanwan was a little older before coming to ask for her hand. I did not expect General Lin to favor her as well. Fearing that the treasure in my heart might be taken by another, I ask Your Majesty to grant my wish.”

My scalp nearly exploded.

Were these two harbingers of doom playing some kind of joke?!

That bastard Shen Xian had once recuperated next door to Yun Manor, and he had never once looked at me properly.

As for Lin Zhi, that went without saying. My brother and I were known as the capital’s greatest pair of wastrels. He was the big wastrel, and I was the little wastrel. Ever since Lin Zhi returned to the capital, he had found us offensive to the eye.

Either he arrested me and locked me in a prison cell to reflect on my misdeeds, or he made me stand on the busiest street and read that damned Manual of Good Citizens aloud, humiliating me in public until I wanted to die.

Lin Zhi might not remember, but I remember it all too clearly!