Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 76 Sudden Outbreak

Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Sudden Outbreak

By now Feng Wan is already eighteen; by next June, she’ll be nineteen. It’s too late to delay discussing a match—there’s no room for picky choices, and her marriage must be settled quickly. The Old Madam is not fond of the Zhang Family, but among the households Feng Changlin and the First Lady have considered, Zhang Boxin is the best available option.

Feng Changlin and the First Lady intend to wait until after the Lantern Festival to negotiate again with the Zhang Family. If the Zhang Family agrees, this marriage should be finalized.

The Old Madam asked Fengyu for her opinions, and Fengyu didn’t dare speak freely. The Old Madam teased her, saying, "After breaking off your engagement, you’ll still need to discuss a match someday. We’re just chatting as grandmother and granddaughter—what’s there to fear? If you were Wanwan, what would you choose?"

Fengyu mischievously clung to her grandmother’s hand. "Then should Yu’er speak candidly?"

"Go ahead!"

Fengyu said, "Lord Zhang is the Imperial Tutor to the Crown Prince and remains influential in the current dynasty—a truly distinguished family background. His grandfather was the younger brother of Lord Zhang’s father, so their familial ties are relatively close. However, Lord Zhang has six younger brothers, and the Zhang Family is famously overflowing with descendants. In Zhang Boxin’s generation alone, there are dozens of direct and extended relatives. With one bowl to share among one person, everyone eats their fill. But when ten share that bowl, someone will inevitably go hungry. Zhang Boxin is neither as capable as Lin Helin nor Fang Chuning. The Zhang Family can only offer limited support—it mostly depends on his own ambition. His eldest half-brother holds significant power within the Forbidden Army, second only to Lin Xiao. Whether Zhang Boxin achieves success or not, in a household where the talents of the illegitimate sons outshine those of their legitimate brothers, inner-household conflicts are inevitable. Our family, on the other hand, is simple in structure and harmonious in relationships; our natural aspiration is to live as one couple, united for life. If Big Sister marries into their family, she’ll certainly suffer. Even if she can manage their inner-household chaos, such matters are deeply exhausting. Life is short; why endure such toil? If it were me as the First Lady, I’d prefer a newly minted scholar from a modest but respectable family. Firstly, fewer people means fewer troubles. Secondly, with Big Uncle already serving as Assistant Minister of Ministry of Personnel and Big Brother having a promising future, those reliant on the Feng Family would not dare disrespect Miss Feng. With Big Sister rich and supported by a powerful maiden family, her life would undoubtedly be comfortable and secure."

The Old Madam smiled gently and lightly tapped her on the nose. "You clever little imp."

Fengyu truly was a child raised by her—her ideas were uncannily in sync with her grandmother’s. Yet the First Lady had her own considerations. Back when the Old Madam arranged Feng Wenrong’s marriage, her initial choice wasn’t Yuwen Minghui. But the Commandery Princess Ning Ru brought Yuwen Minghui to visit the Feng Family, and noting Yuwen’s composed manner and steady disposition, the Old Madam ultimately agreed to the First Lady’s wishes. As for Feng Wan’s marriage, the Old Madam had already imposed strict punishment on the First Lady once before. Now that Zhang Boxin was being proposed, rejecting it again would inevitably sow discord between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law—a matter that weighed on the Old Madam’s mind.

Fengyu chuckled softly. "This is simple. While marriage should indeed follow the decree of parents and the matchmaking of mediators, personal preference also matters. Grandmother, why not finalize the candidate first and discuss with Big Sister afterward? If Big Sister chooses the Zhang Family, it’s clear she’s weighed the pros and cons carefully. If she prefers someone from the scholars’ circle, the First Lady wouldn’t be able to override her decision. After all, it’s Big Sister’s lifelong matter—it’s only fair that she picks her own path."

The Old Madam’s eyes lit up with realization, delightedly saying, "Yu’er, your words have enlightened me!"

"It’s because you care too much, Grandmother. You simply want to avoid further conflicts with the First Lady."

Smiling gently, the Old Madam asked, "So what about Yu’er’s match in the future?"

"I just want to marry an obedient and docile husband," Fengyu grinned slyly. "Preferably one who relies on me to eat—if I say east, he wouldn’t dare turn west."

"A live-in son-in-law?"

"That works too!" Fengyu’s brows arched in delight.

The grandmother and granddaughter exchanged smiles. As the Old Madam thought about selecting a husband for Feng Wan, she also began to consider candidates for Fengyu. By Fengyu’s standards, the options seemed abundant.

In the Feng Family, the New Year’s Eve celebrations were lively. Chunlu, Qiuxiang, and several other senior maids performed songs and dances, while Feng Ling played the zither for the Old Madam—creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Listening to the fireworks and cheerful laughter, Fengyu found herself especially missing Feng Shu. How wonderful it would be if her elder sister were home. Since Feng Shu left, this was the first New Year’s Eve Fengyu hadn’t spent with her. However, remembering that her sister would return before the Lantern Festival, her heart lightened with joy.

After the New Year’s Eve festivity, the snow grew heavier as the weather turned colder. Fengyu lingered in the Plum Blossom Courtyard, only visited by Feng Wan and Feng Ling occasionally for companionship or to greet the Old Madam. She hardly ventured out. With the Old Madam visiting relatives alongside Feng Changlin, the First Lady, Feng Wan, and Feng Ling, Fengyu stayed indoors. On the third day of the New Year, the Feng Family hosted a banquet, but Fengyu, suffering from a mild fever, avoided company. Fang Lingjun and Princess Xue Lan came along with their parents as guests but ended up retreating to Fengyu’s chamber to play.

Fang Lingjun, well-connected and widely regarded as the social hub of the elite young ladies in the Capital City, brought along news: Lin Yu Yan had been brought back to Minister Lin’s Mansion by the Lin Family.

This development did not surprise Fengyu. Minister Lin remained in the Emperor’s favor, and given how much the Lin Family doted on Lin Yu Yan, it would have been unthinkable for them to let her spend the New Year alone at the manor. Sending her to the manor for reflection hadn’t been a royal decree—merely a facade to pacify public opinion. Now that the scandal had blown over, it was only natural they would disregard the Feng Family entirely with impunity.

Given Lin Yu Yan’s disposition, having suffered such a severe setback—ruining her reputation so thoroughly—she wouldn’t let it slide. Though Fengyu had no direct influence inside Minister Lin’s Mansion, Lin Cheng, being in charge of the Forbidden Army, posed some minor concerns. Opting to stay within the Feng estate, Fengyu intended to avoid crossing paths with Lin Yu Yan for the time being, ensuring temporary peace.

However, Fengyu underestimated Lin Yu Yan’s thirst for revenge. Early the following morning, the shopkeeper of one of Fengyu’s tea houses sent word—someone had drunk their tea and suffered violent vomiting, eventually falling unconscious, demanding compensation. Similarly, their fabric shop reported complaints from customers claiming their garments had caused rashes and fever. Meanwhile, trouble arrived at their grain store, where rowdy individuals had shown up to stir unrest. It wasn’t unusual for businesses to occasionally encounter troublemakers; Fengyu had resolved unexpected occurrences like these before. Yet multiple incidents on the same day unmistakably signaled foul play.

Lin Yu Yan was back in the Capital City—Fengyu didn’t need to speculate to know it was her handiwork. With such disruptions, the Kyoto Capital Guard had already begun inspections.

This time, the Capital Guard was strict, demanding the shops close temporarily for thorough investigation. Despite the shopkeepers offering bribes, there was no leniency, leading to the simultaneous closure of four Feng Family businesses.

Fengyu had an established process for tackling sudden crises, applicable to all the shops. When issues arose, shops conducted self-checks first. If the problems originated internally, they negotiated compensation terms with the affected individuals to settle swiftly. If not, they investigated thoroughly while excluding possibilities of malicious competition, offering reparations where necessary. Fengyu never fretted over minor monetary losses—the revenue forfeited due to a single day of closure far outweighed the costs of compensation. When confronted with hostile competition and failed negotiations, they would escalate to official reporting.

Running businesses over the years, encountering malicious competition or sabotage was nothing new for Fengyu. However, seeing successive incidents at multiple shops within a single day made the motive clear—someone had come deliberately to provoke trouble. Other than Lin Yu Yan, Fengyu didn’t consider any other perpetrators. She instructed the shopkeepers to report the matter to the Capital Governor.

"She truly refuses to stop," Fengyu muttered contemptuously as she frowned. Though Lin Yu Yan’s tactics wouldn’t shake the foundation of the Feng Family’s enterprises, her antics were undeniably exasperating—like an irksome fly, impossible to kill yet persistently buzzing about. Fengyu didn’t intend to counter the issue personally, as long as everything remained within manageable limits. She would let the Capital Governor take care of it.