4/ Chapter 14 They Desire Her By the time the vessel reached the pier, the horizon was brushed in gold. The autumn wind carried a sharper chill beneath the fading light. Wrapped in a heavy cloak, Ma Ting descended the gangplank slowly with Ding Jie's support. The breeze tugged at her skirts, and her distant beauty seemed even more untouchable. "My lady, look." Following Ding Jie's gaze, Ma Ting saw the carriage curtain of Marquis Sunfair lift. A face appeared within, and her eyes wavered briefly. He Xinying, sensing her stare, offered a delicate smile. The smile, however, held only pretense and no warmth. Ma Ting remained silent. She withdrew her gaze, turned, and faced her own carriage. "Let us return home." After such a day, weariness pressed down on her. As her carriage rolled past Marquis Sunfair's, she faintly heard Madam Feng's sharp voice, chastising Li Han and ordering him to remain at home in reflection before the poetry gathering. Once they had gone some distance, Ma Ting leaned back with her eyes closed. Yet the young maid at her side could not hold back her indignation. "My lady, it is clear Master Han's plot was aimed at you. How could such a light punishment suffice?" "He remains a son of Marquis Sunfair. The Eldest Princess' judgment was not wrong. And for one so obsessed with his reputation, confinement is the greatest disgrace." Ma Ting knew too well that Marquis Sunfair and his family still reigned as leader among the civil officials. She had once knelt before the palace gates, clutching her father's memorial tablet, just to gain the smallest favor from the emper to fight against them. If it ever came to a direct confrontation, she would not prevail. "There is no need to linger on their affairs. We will go to Greenpeak Temple in two days for the ancestral rites. Begin preparing no and do not be careless as you were last year." Ma Ting ended the matter, unwilling to spend another thought on the household of Marquis Sunfair. She added, "Also, bring me t poetry collections I once read from the study." Ding Jie's eyes brightened with delight. "My lady, as you are reading poetry again, do you mean to claim the poetry gathering's first prize?" Ma Ting nodded. "The victor earns His Majesty's spoken praise. If I triumph, I can request His Majesty to add to my dowry. Then, Marquis Sunfair's Residence will not dare belittle me." 1 Her gift with words had always been unmatched. Her parents had poured all their knowledge into her education. They had never once believed their daughter should be spared such learning. In the past, for Li Han's sake, she had restrained herself due to her reluctance to draw any attention to herself. Now, she would fight for the crown of poetry. "I shall fetch them at once!" While peace and order reigned within the Ma Residence, Marquis Sunfair's household erupted with furious tumult. "You unfilial son! How dare you commit such shameless deeds! Do you even comprehend what the honor of this household represents? "We are civil officials! Do you even understand what that means? "To scheme so brazenly against another-you shall drive me to an early grave with your actions! Do you mean to seize my position as marquis already?" The marquis' thunderous roars shook the courtyard. Servants bowed their heads even lower as the tirade crashed around them. Even Lady Chen, who usually indulged Li Han, remained silent this time. She cast him a glare full of bitter disappointment and shook her head slowly. "Son, you must stay away from those useless companions. Look at the filth you've picked up from them." Although the marquis and his family longed for Ma Ting's dowry of ten million golden taels, they would never willingly drag themselves into such disgrace just for that, especially not with a matter this shameful. Li Han knelt upon the floor. His face twisted, and his eyes blazed with hatred toward Ma Ting, "This time was nothing but bad luck..." Marquis Sunfair's fury erupted again. He drove his foot into his son's chest, hurling him nearly seven feet across the polished tiles. Lady Chen leapt from her seat in shock and rushed forward to shield him. "My lord, you cannot! Han'er has been frail since his youth. Yes, he was a fool this time, but if you beat him too harshly, you will regret it later." Clutching his chest, Li Han forced himself upright. His eyes brimmed with grievance as he stared at his father. "If it were not for your mother's pleas, you would not live to see the end of this day." Marquis Sunfair jabbed a finger at him, his voice trembling with fury. Then, as though struck by a sudden thought, his gaze sharpened as it fell upon his son, who once again sank to his knees upon the cushion. "Tell me. What is your opinion of that Ma girl? Does she have dealings with Lord Zhu?" Lord Zhu. The memory of Weng Li's death filled Li Han with another grudge against Ma Ting. He immediately confessed how Lord Zhu had caught him red-handed in his scheme. Marquis Sunfair's eyes narrowed. A dangerous gleam flickered within them. 2/4 After a long pause, he turned toward Lady Chen. "The day after tomorrow is the Ma family's ancestral rites. Go to Greenpeak Temple and obtain a protection charm for Han'er. At the same time, sound out that Ma girl's heart. If she truly has ties with Lord Zhu..." He did not finish, but Lady Chen's heart quivered. Years of sharing the same bed had taught her precisely what he meant. If Ma Ting had a connection with Lord Zhu, they must strike first. They could not allow ten million taels of gold to fall into Lord Zhu's hands. "I understand. I shall get Han'er a charm that day." Content with her words, Marquis Sunfair gave a single nod. He recalled other awaiting matters in his study, yet before departing, he fixed Li Han with one last glare. If he tried to sneak out again with his useless friends, his legs would be broken. Li Han answered hastily, and only after his father departed did he mutter under his breath, dragging himself off the floor. "Mother, does Father not love me anymore? He gave the heirship to that b*stard, and after all this time, he still refuses to take it back for me." Lady Chen's eyes burned with anger. "So, you still remember that the heirship is not yours? I thought you had forgotten! "Yet you dare create a scandal like this at such a time? Even if your father held a royal pardon in his hand, he could not beg His Majesty to restore your place. "You had better focus on the poetry gathering. Win the top prize, restore your reputation, and earn His Majesty's favor. Then, your father might use the chance to ask for your heirship back. "If you cannot, then you will spend the rest of your life bowing before everyone else." Each year, the champion of the poetry gathering would receive a line of golden advice from the emperor. It was a tradition that never changed. Whosoever won could ask the emperor for one favor. Li Han pouted. "I know. I will prepare now." As she watched him départ, reluctant in every step, Lady Chen released a deep sigh. Her gaze shifted to the servant beside her. "Tell me. Do you think that Ma girl could truly reach Lord Zhu?" Lord Zhu was famed in Ming City as cold and merciless. Yet in both lineage and power, he stood unmatched. Any woman who entered his household would be tied to a formidable future. The servant whispered, "Lord Zhu's standards are impossibly high. That Ma girl is only average aside from her looks. She could never catch his eye. I believe what happened today was no more than a coincidence." Coincidence. If this was a coincidence, it was far too frequent. "No. I shall ask her myself that day. If that Ma girl insists on climbing higher, then our family will cut ties without mercy."" She did not know that not long after Madam Feng departed to make her preparations, Ma Ting had already received Dame Hong's message. Upon learning that Lady Chen would be at Greenpeak Temple the day after tomorrow, Ma Ting sneered and held the slip of paper over the flame until it curled into ash. 4