TRBDM -Chapter 84 Confrontation

Lei Lieshan despised Xie Wanrou for being a woman of the inner quarters, yet loved Luo Feiyang—who could wield blades and spears—with all his heart.

For a long time, Xie Wanrou had been mocked, suppressed, and belittled by Lei Lieshan to the point that she had no confidence left, handling everything timidly and cautiously.

And now, the woman Lei Lieshan had once praised as unparalleled under heaven stood right before her.

Xie Wanrou felt as though an invisible hand were gripping her heart, squeezing painfully.

Facing Luo Feiyang, she felt an inexplicable sense of inferiority.

Looking at Luo Feiyang’s black fitted riding outfit—cinched at the waist and tight at the sleeves—she seemed ready to mount a horse and charge into battle at any moment.

As for herself, she only knew how to wash her hands and prepare soup.

Xie Wanrou’s fingertips turned pale from how tightly she gripped the food box.

“Miss Xie is the victim. Of course I can see her,” Jiang Yuelin said, firm and reasonable.

Luo Feiyang let out a cold snort. “Victim? What kind of victim is she? She’s been pampered in fine clothes and rich food, never touched by wind or rain.”

“When there’s nothing to do, she plays at elegance and wins a chorus of sycophantic praise. It’s utterly dull. A woman of the inner quarters—can’t carry on her shoulders, can’t lift with her hands. The slightest touch leaves a mark on that delicate skin, and then she cries about domestic abuse. Hah, Lord Jiang, don’t be deceived by her frail appearance.”

With righteous indignation, Luo Feiyang painted Xie Wanrou in an especially disgraceful light.

Xie Wanrou’s face flushed red, then turned pale. Her throat felt as though it had been filled with molten lead—she couldn’t utter a single word in rebuttal.

“Miss Luo! Mind your words.” Jiang Yuelin’s expression suddenly turned cold.

Though a civil official, his presence was imposing. Luo Feiyang was momentarily subdued.

“Miss Xie’s character is not for you to judge. It is not something you can tarnish just because you wish to.”

“Tarnish? Did I say anything wrong? My left arm was once pierced by an enemy’s arrow on the battlefield, and I didn’t even grunt. I continued fighting and killing the enemy. After we repelled them, when the soldiers celebrated with wine, I drank without refusing a single cup. If it were her, a scrape on her fingertip would probably cause an uproar, summoning the residence physician.”

The more Jiang Yuelin listened, the darker his face grew.

“Miss Luo, you are also a woman. Why must you belittle Miss Xie? Whether soldiers or women of the inner quarters, we are all women. We should show each other understanding and consideration. The eagerness with which you trample her truly does not match the brave image you display on the battlefield.”

Luo Feiyang froze.

No one had ever spoken to her like that before.

She had followed her father in the military camp since childhood. As the only girl there, she naturally received the affection of all the soldiers.

When she grew older, she became like a tomboy—carefree and unrestrained—used to calling the soldiers her brothers.

They jokingly called her “brother.”

She treated them as brothers too. They slung arms over shoulders, occasionally cracked crude jokes—she had long been accustomed to it.

After so many years in the camp, she particularly disliked the delicate aristocratic ladies in the capital.

Every smile and gesture of theirs was different from hers, full of what she saw as pretense and affectation. Just looking at them made her feel sick.

Especially Xie Wanrou—rumored to be the model noble lady of the capital. Luo Feiyang had taken a dislike to her on sight.

What noble lady, what model? In her eyes, they were merely using frailty to attract men’s attention.

And yet, the men of the capital fell for it every time.

Seeing Jiang Yuelin repeatedly siding with Xie Wanrou, anger flared within Luo Feiyang.

“Lord Jiang, without the border soldiers spilling their blood and lives, how could there be peace and prosperity in the capital? I have killed enemies on the battlefield and contributed to the country. And she? May I ask what she has done?”

Jiang Yuelin stepped in front of Xie Wanrou, blocking Luo Feiyang’s aggressive stance.

“She doesn’t need to do anything. She only needs to be herself. Everyone has their own choice. Miss Luo follows her heart in practicing martial arts and fighting on the battlefield; she may follow her heart in becoming the mistress of the inner household. Neither is nobler than the other.”

“But how can a woman from the inner courtyard possibly compare with me?” Luo Feiyang protested unwillingly.

“She doesn’t need to compare herself to you. You’re the one insisting on competing with her. Miss Luo, how insecure must you be to feel compelled to measure yourself against Miss Xie?”

Jiang Yuelin’s words struck both women at once.

Xie Wanrou’s pupils trembled slightly. What did he say? Luo Feiyang… insecure?

Wasn’t she the insecure one?

Had Jiang Yuelin gotten it backwards?

Luo Feiyang tugged at the corner of her lips, her smile exceedingly unpleasant. “Lord Jiang, what kind of joke is that? Me, insecure? Do you know how many valiant generals I’ve subdued on the battlefield? Do you know what General Lei feels about me—”

“Of course I know. Otherwise, Lei Lieshan wouldn’t have stolen Miss Xie’s dowry and deposited it into your bank account in Licheng.”

“You—you knew?” Luo Feiyang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“When the Court of Judicial Review investigates a case, even if we must dig three feet into the ground, we will uncover everything cleanly. Miss Luo, perhaps you are brave on the battlefield, but your character leaves much to be desired.”

“When Lei Lieshan gave you those assets, you knew full well they were Miss Xie’s dowry, yet you accepted them without hesitation. Such thick skin is indeed beyond the reach of the noble ladies of the capital.”

The proud angle of Luo Feiyang’s neck finally drooped.

Her dignity had been trampled beneath Jiang Yuelin’s feet.

After a moment, she muttered to herself, “Liar. A big liar. He said no one would ever find out. How did he end up confessing?”

What she didn’t know was that the methods of the Court of Judicial Review were such that even if the King of Heaven himself came, he would be stripped of a layer of skin.

No one understood better than Lei Lieshan the torment of being unable to live, yet unable to die.

“Miss Luo, you may leave. Given your close relationship with Lei Lieshan, the Court of Judicial Review will summon you in a few days. At that time, under what identity you enter will depend on whether the crimes he confesses involve you.”

“How could they involve me? What I have with him is entirely innocent.”

“Whether it is innocent or not is not for you to decide. The Court will determine the truth.”

“You… I…”

Luo Feiyang’s expression shifted. Like a battle-ready rooster, she seemed to lose her armor in an instant.

Jiang Yuelin glanced at her. “Why are you still standing here?”

“I’m leaving.” Luo Feiyang gritted her teeth. “Lord Jiang, a word of advice—don’t be deceived by a woman’s appearance. Take care of yourself.”

She turned sharply, her high ponytail slicing a sharp arc through the air.

From beginning to end, Xie Wanrou did not say a single word.

As she passed by Xie Wanrou, Luo Feiyang very much wanted to ram her shoulder into hers. But remembering that this was the Court of Judicial Review, she forcibly suppressed the impulse.

Her knuckles cracked as she clenched her fists. Hmph. The men of the capital were nothing compared to the soldiers at the frontier. What kind of absurd taste was it, treating fragile women like treasures and defending them at every turn?

At the frontier, Luo Feiyang would not only earn the applause of her brothers-in-arms; during celebrations, they would even toss her into the air together.

The thought of Xie Wanrou’s delicate, fragile appearance only irritated her further.

But the capital was not the frontier. Here she was constrained at every turn, unwelcome wherever she went, and could only swallow her anger.

After Luo Feiyang left, Xie Wanyi stepped forward and gave Jiang Yuelin a bow. “Thank you, Lord Jiang, for resolving the situation.”

Jiang Yuelin’s face, dark for so long, finally showed a trace of a smile. “If you wish to thank me, make me another box of pastries tomorrow.”