97 Explanation
The medium-sized study room was filled with a sudden and palpable tension that seemed to weigh heavily on everyone present. The room was spacious, with three large rows of bookshelves that were meticulously cleaned and taken care of by the diligent servants and maids. At the back of the room was a large tea table, where Qin Fuhua often spent hours studying and completing his important work.
The King was seated patiently and silently at the center of the table while Lu Ruo quietly sobbed, feeling embarrassed about what had occurred. Her mother held her hands, trying to soothe her so that they wouldn't aggravate the King. Concubine Li was sitting behind the King, feeling ashamed of her cousin and her Aunt's plan, and she didn't dare to utter a single word in the room.
Qin Fuhua walked in confidently, his chest pumped high with no doubt or fear in his mind. Standing right beside him was the confident, calm, and bold Suyin, walking in the room with an air of supreme self-assurance.
Lu Ruo's face instantly turned sour, and she held her mother's hand tightly. The mother and daughter duo were unpleasant at the sight of Suyin's presence, and they rolled their eyes in a show of disdain and contempt.
Composed and focused, Qin Fuhua sat a distance away from the duo (Lu Ruo and her mother), sitting down on the ground as Suyin followed behind him, mimicking his actions. The King observed Qin Fuhua and Suyin walking in, their synergy matching each other as if they were fearless of the world at the moment.
"I would like to hear your side of the story. My dearest (Concubine Li) and Lu Ruo helped explain their part of the incident, but I would like to hear it from my son." said the King, breaking the silence in the room.
Qin Fuhua never turned to look at his father's face. Instead, he turned to look at Suyin, who nodded in assurance in reply to his father.
Suyin didn't dare to stare at the King for too long, but according to her observation, she noticed that the King seemed younger than she would have thought. His eyelashes were long, and his beard was short, with some of the white strands showing his age. Suyin attempted to avoid eye contact with him, in case she would have offended him, so her eyes darted to the ground, not daring to make another glance at him.
Qin Fuhua's eyes turned to Weizhe, who was walking behind him with a wooden tray.
"I found the porcelain with aphrodisiac in it. The night that Lu Ruo had come in, from the witness of a servant who found her looking suspicious since she was wearing clothes of the servants, it appears that she was trying to poison the Prince with this."
On the wooden tray, was the broken porcelain vase the one that Lu Ruo was trying to poison Qin Fuhua with. The sight of it made Lu Ruo's mother gasp in shock and embarrassment.
"After investigating, it seems like your 'cousin' was attempting to tie me down with this." Qin Fuhua added, his eyes darting straight at Lu Ruo's mother and herself, who bit her lips in embarrassment.
Lu Ruo wanted to say something, but her mother's hard pinch made her stop herself. It seemed like Lu Ruo's mother knew that with Lu Ruo's impulsive attitude, things would not turn their way.
"So how did this lady end up in the same room as you?" the King asked Suyin, his eyes fixed on her face.
"She was there by acci--" Qin Fuhua's statement was interrupted by Suyin's sudden statement, which made everyone turn their attention to her, including Qin Fuhua.
Qin Fuhua was going to try to make sure that this situation wouldn't ruin her reputation, but Suyin wasn't going to allow for him to only be the one in trouble for this.
"It just happened to occur that after being poisoned, he didn't want Lu Ruo and entered my room."
"She was there by acci--" Qin Fuhua's statement was interrupted by Lu Ruo's anger. Her tears rolled down with anger in her tone.
Lu Ruo immediately got slapped by her mother, who was furious at her outburst.
"You insolent! How dare you speak before the King. Do you want your life to end so early?!" Lu Ruo's mother cried, taking a peek at the King's unpleasant facial expression.
Lu Ruo placed her hands on her cheeks, sitting back down as she stared up at her mother with a face of betrayal. Her tears were streaming. "What you do mean?! This was all of your idea! If you hadn't given me the suggestion of doing this, it wouldn't end like this!"
"You little...."
"ENOUGH." The King spoke out again, causing the mother and daughter to shut their mouths. They grew smaller at the sight of the King, forgetting that they were in the wrong.
The King then was quiet again. He was thinking, putting his thoughts together. "My son, what do you think of this?" He asked Qin Fuhua, his voice calm and measured.
Qin Fuhua looked at Suyin and then wrapped his hands around her hand, gripping it tightly as he looked up at his Father. Suyin took a deep breath and stared at his eyes, nodding her head in agreement with his decision.
"I will take responsibility for my actions toward Suyin. And with Lu Ruo's punishment, I adhere to the proposal to prevent her from stepping onto the Orange Blossom court again," said Qin Fuhua, his voice firm and resolute.
The King used his hands, tired of the mother and daughter duo, sweeping them with both of his hands as he closed his eyes. "Concubine Li, take your cousin and Aunt out of here and dismiss them," he said wearily, annoyed by their presence and eager to be done with the matter.
The King then nodded his head, surprised at Qin Fuhua's words. "It seems like the Prince of Qin dotes on you, young lady." He then turned to the mother and daughter, including his concubine.
"It seems like Qin Fuhua is giving you mercy, for the sake of the lady. Knowing Qin Fuhua, he would have probably executed one of your servants or banished you away from here. From my recommendation, I would have executed the mother and daughter, but I will take into consideration my dear concubine and Qin Fuhua's suggestion of allowing you not to come here for another year, and the inclusion of banishing you from stepping foot in the Orange Court Blossom again."
Lu Ruo's tears couldn't stop falling. Her eyes darted straight at Suyin with anger. Suyin could feel the immense hatred and detest the girl had for her, but she stood on her ground, staring back at her as if she weren't afraid.
"Before you are to wed this young miss, does she have any Palace etiquette or objection? It is required for anyone to be wed from the royal family to practice such things, and I have never seen her before." The King asked Qin Fuhua.
He looked at Suyin, and she responded to the King.
"I do have some from practice, but if you wish, I am willing to take the class for it." Suyin's hands were still holding Qin Fuhua, but she turned to him, both locking eyes on each other. "I...do not have any objection."
Qin Fuhua's eyes and face were lit up for the first time that anyone had ever seen. He had a small smile on his face, something that felt like the cold-hearted Prince of Qin. The King turned to look at Qin Fuhua and then laughed at his sudden expression when Suyin agreed to take the class.
Weizhe couldn't hold in the amount of happiness in him, chuckling a little until Qin Fuhua noticed. He immediately turned upset again, at the sight of Weizhe's teasing face. He stopped, at the sight of the Prince ready to kill him at any time.
"Ha ha ha. It seems like I will dismiss myself then." The King then got out of his seat, passing by Qin Fuhua. "It seems the rumors were true about you bringing a woman into your courtyard." He whispered, before dismissing himself from everyone. All of the servants, Qin Fuhua, and Suyin bowed in respect before Qin Fuhua's eyes turned back to Suyin.
Before he could say anything, Weizhe had the biggest smile on his face, looking at the ground as Qin Fuhua turned to look at him, too.
"Why are you smiling like an idiot like that?" Qin Fuhua questioned, looking at Weizhe's happy expression.
"Young Master is finally going to be happy, and I'm just happy for him." He answered, without even thinking before he stopped smiling when he saw that Qin Fuhua and Suyin had gotten up already after bidding the King farewell.
"I... uh." He immediately got up, brushing off his knee before he pointed outside. "I'm going to take this and throw it away." He uttered, hurrying out of the room.
