The Hehuan Sect's True Heiress - Chapter 4

Gloom hung over the chief minister’s estate until news arrived that the empress dowager would be hosting an elegant gathering.

Besides Zhu Mei, I was invited too.

Every unmarried young nobleman and woman in the capital would attend, so all their families took it very seriously.

Zhu Mei wheedled for new clothes. Madam Zhu naturally agreed.

She didn’t so much as glance at me.

I’d worn my own clothes from the day I entered the estate.

Apart from sheer entertainment, the entire household had given me absolutely nothing.

Zhu Mei and Madam Zhu had just returned from buying fabric when they ran into me in the courtyard.

Zhu Mei feigned surprise. “Oh! You’re attending the gathering too, Sister. How could we have forgotten?”

That two-faced bitch. Only thought to wipe her nose once the snot was in her mouth.

Without looking at me, Madam Zhu said, “Open the storeroom later. Have someone use the leftover kudzu cloth from the year before last to make her a dress.”

Even the estate’s rough-work servants wore new cotton from this year.

My own mother intended to give me a new dress made from coarse kudzu cloth that was two years old.

Even that failed to soothe her anger.

She fixed her upturned eyes on me. “Nothing good has happened since you came back, and now you want new clothes? You walking curse!”

Looking immensely pleased with herself, Zhu Mei coaxed softly, “Even so, Mother, don’t upset yourself. It isn’t worth harming your health.”

With a few sweet, poisonous words, she’d confirmed my new title as the family curse.

Madam Zhu turned to leave, but Zhu Mei caught her arm in a show of concern.

“Still, I really don’t think we can make Sister wear kudzu cloth this time.”

Madam Zhu’s slender brows shot upward in anger.

“How delicate can that country girl’s flesh possibly be? She dares turn her nose up at kudzu? A lowborn creature deserves lowborn treatment!”

Triumph practically overflowed from Zhu Mei’s eyes, but she kept playing the gracious, well-bred young lady. “Please think it over, Mother.”

“It is the empress dowager’s gathering, after all. If Sister looks too shabby, won’t that disgrace our household?”

“If the great families start whispering that we mistreat the eldest daughter, it could damage Father’s standing at court.”

Only then did Madam Zhu understand. “You really do think of everything, Mei.”

“Only because you’ve taught me so well, Mother,” Zhu Mei said sweetly.

Madam Zhu took her hand. “You choose the fabric, then. Give her a few bolts you don’t want. Anything that will pass muster at the gathering.”

“I’ve thought about it,” Zhu Mei said. “I’ll give Sister that bolt of white cloud brocade we chose today, the one with the floral openwork and the hundred birds. She can have her dress made from that.”

Madam Zhu immediately objected. “Absolutely not! Cloudweave House received only two bolts of fabric that fine. I intended to save it for you, no matter what.”

Eyes reddening, Zhu Mei shook her head. “I know how much you love me, Mother. But this is Sister’s first time at such an important gathering. She must show the dignity of the chief minister’s eldest daughter.”

“I can’t steal her moment. This is what she should have had all along.”

She actually began to sniffle, all coy distress. “I ought to… step aside.”

It wasn’t even hers, and now she was graciously surrendering it.

An elephant had thinner skin.

Madam Zhu, whose heart had apparently been stuffed with lard, immediately gathered her into her arms. “How can my Mei be so considerate?”

She turned a hostile gaze on me. “Zhu Xiaotao, listen carefully! Mei is giving you the good fabric. You should be grateful!”

“If you make a fool of yourself at the gathering and disgrace Mei and this family, I won’t let you off!”

Meekly, I promised, “I won’t disgrace the household.”

Someone else would be doing that.

Naturally, Zhu Mei hadn’t given me the fabric out of kindness.

There was nothing wrong with the floral white cloud brocade itself.

It came from Cloudweave House, the capital’s most luxurious fabric shop, and it really was their finest cloth.

The complicated weaving process meant they’d obtained only two bolts to sell.

The problem was that Zhu Mei had bought only one.

The other identical bolt had gone to the capital’s most famous pleasure house, the Feast of Flowers.

Its leading courtesan, Linlang, had also been invited to the gathering as a performing artist.

Cloudweave House’s proprietor told me Lady Linlang planned to wear a dress made from that white cloud brocade.

Zhu Mei knew this, of course.

She’d bought that brocade deliberately and given it to me just as deliberately.

Not only would she win a reputation for generosity and restraint, she’d also set a vicious trap for me.

Her plan was to have me turn up at the gathering in the same outfit as Lady Linlang.

For the chief minister’s eldest daughter to wear the same clothes as a lowly courtesan was an unthinkable humiliation.

I’d be socially dead in the capital, and the entire estate would lose face because of me.

To avenge their disgrace, Chief Minister Zhu and his wife would certainly take the most extreme measures against me. They might even beat me to death.

Cloudweave House’s proprietor urged me not to wear the white brocade to the gathering under any circumstances.

“Junior Sect Leader, that bitch Zhu Mei is vicious. You mustn’t fall into her trap.”

“I’ve some fabrics in my private collection that are far finer than that brocade. Choose whatever you like. I’ll make you new clothes.”

That’s right.

She was one of ours too.

Of the same sect generation as Ji Lin, she’d spent years building her fabric business in the capital, using Hehuan Sect taste to lead its fashions.

Along the way, she’d also become very rich.

Since she was so insistent, I didn’t stand on ceremony. I picked out some beautiful fabrics and asked her to make them into clothes.

The new outfits were gorgeous. But I still intended to wear the white brocade.

The reason was simple.

Without it, I probably wouldn’t even get out of the estate.

Zhu Mei would certainly force me to put it on, then watch me all the way to the gathering.

In that case, why not turn her own plan against her?