Chapter 2 Her Fans Are Crazy

Yu Jingshuang's hand trembled slightly as she gripped the chapbook.

She was mortified beyond words.

What could be more embarrassing than a gossip enthusiast suddenly discovering that her own past anecdotes have become the subject of widespread gossip?

Oh my god!!!

Her face remained expressionless, but inside, her emotions churned like a stormy sea.

If it weren't for the fact that this was a banquet hosted by the Empress, she would have cursed up a storm long ago.

Thankfully, thankfully, everyone only regarded the chapbook as a source of amusement and diversion. No one knew it was actually based on real events.

Amid her panic, Yu Jingshuang found some comfort in this thought—otherwise, she wouldn't know where to hide her face.

But the more she feared something, the more it seemed to happen.

As Yu Jingshuang stared at the chapbook, her face a mask of conflicted emotions, momentarily speechless, a noble lady beside her, noticing her silence and the small crowd gathering, took the book from her hands and passed it around for others to read.

Soon enough, the group began to argue.

One person argued that while the story wasn't particularly original, its clever phrasing, liveliness, and heart-tugging moments made it worth reading.

Another retorted disdainfully, expressing contempt for such a tired old trope, wondering how anyone could praise it.

One praised the story's sincerity.

Another mocked the idea, saying that made-up stories couldn't possibly be sincere.

As the two argued vehemently, the noble lady who had first pulled out the chapbook suddenly spoke up softly, cutting in:

"Have any of you considered that this chapbook is so popular precisely because it’s not made up but based on real events, and the person involved is someone important?"

Her words stunned the group. Yu Jingshuang, sitting among them, nearly dropped her wine cup in shock.

She turned to look in surprise. The noble lady, dressed in a charming yellow gown, chattered and gestured like a little oriole, her clever demeanor matching her appearance.

The yellow-clad noble lady beckoned, and everyone leaned in.

Yu Jingshuang kept a straight face but perked up her ears, eavesdropping discreetly.

"Don’t you think the details in this chapbook—the government offices, place names, court robes, and etiquette—are all too detailed and realistic?

What kind of person could earn a living writing these things?

How could anyone fabricate such intricate details purely from imagination?"

The yellow-clad noble lady began with three rhetorical questions, stringing them along before leisurely adding:

"Hasn't our dynasty recently reestablished ties with Shangyan and reopened exchanges? Coincidentally, my household recently hired a maid from Shangyan.

According to her, this story has been circulating in Shangyan for years, though the ending is slightly different. In that version, the girl named Shuang’er didn’t die! She merely waited for things to die down and married far away!"

Someone asked, puzzled, "So the story originated from Shangyan? What does that have to do with us?"

The yellow-clad noble lady sighed in frustration and whispered urgently, "Shuang’er, Shangyan, marrying far away! Doesn’t that ring any bells?"

The group exchanged confused glances and shook their heads.

Frustrated, the yellow-clad noble lady lowered her voice mysteriously: "Right here in the capital of Daliang, there lives a lady who came from Shangyan many years ago. Think carefully—what’s her name? Can’t you guess?"

Wedged in the crowd, Yu Jingshuang thought to herself: *Aren’t I the one from Shangyan with 'Shuang' in my name?*

She sighed bitterly: *Crap—this is about me.*

Everyone present was quick on the uptake. Though few had met Yu Jingshuang in person or knew what she looked like, they had all heard of her from their elders. As the pieces fell into place, their faces went through wild changes.

Someone awkwardly stammered, "Is it really… her?"

Another hesitated before speaking: "The name and background do match… She’s the only one in Daliang’s capital who originally came from Shangyan, right?"

Hearing this, the noble lady holding the chapbook suddenly found it like a hot potato. She hastily shoved it into the arms of the poor soul next to her:

"Just days ago, I heard His Majesty punished a group of officials who spread rumors about her. This… this book—whoever wants to read it can have it!"

With a push, the book landed in the lap of an unlucky bystander.

Yu Jingshuang, now inexplicably holding the chapbook again, found herself staring down the man on the cover, whose lip had a tiny red mole.

This cursed book had made a full circle and ended up back in her hands.

Yu Jingshuang scrunched the book and tapped it against her palm. Glancing at the circle of noble ladies around her, she guessed they didn’t recognize her and only were in awe of the name "Yu Jingshuang" based on hearsay from their elders.

After all, since the new emperor ascended the throne a few years ago and the realm found peace, she had fulfilled the late Empress’s dying wish. She immediately resigned from her official post, gave up her command, shed all responsibilities, and—with the fortune she’d acquired from the emperor—embarked on a life of travel and a quiet life in the city, rarely appearing in public.

Yet, seeing the alarm and nervousness on these young noblewomen’s faces merely at the mention of her name, Yu Jingshuang couldn’t help but inwardly scold their families:

She knew that, thanks to the favor of two emperors, her reputation had some weight to it—but surely not enough to frighten people like this!

It was just a young love story, even if exaggerated. It should be treated as mere gossip, not something to fear punishment over!

She, Yu Jingshuang, was not some powerful, cruel, or terrifying figure—at most, she was just rich—filthy rich, actually!

The oldest among these young girls was only sixteen, fresh as daisies.

Such faces ought to be bright with smiles, not clouded with fear over possibly offending someone they’d never even seen, to the point of being afraid to read a chapbook.

Feeling pity, Yu Jingshuang looked at the young noblewomen with a touch of almost motherly fondness.

She cleared her throat and attempted to reassure them without revealing her identity: "I think the person you’re referring to wouldn’t mind this… uh, chapbook. Feel free to read it if you wish…"

Before she could finish, a noblewoman smacked her shoulder hard.

An angry voice rang out: "What are you blabbering about? How dare you claim she wouldn’t mind? Who are you to speak for Lady Lingshuang?"

Lingshuang was the title bestowed upon Yu Jingshuang by the late emperor when she first arrived in Daliang.

Yu Jingshuang turned toward the voice and saw a young girl glaring at her, furious.

The girl wore fine silks and a crimson cloak, looking imposing.

With a round face but a commanding presence, she raised her voice to the group:

"So this is what you’re doing—reading this fabricated nonsense that slanders Lady Lingshuang? How audacious! Lady Lingshuang is a meritorious subject of Daliang. Without her, would you even have the leisure to sit here and gossip? You ought to be ashamed!"

She was livid, letting loose a stream of fury.

Yu Jingshuang was dumbfounded.

The noblewoman in yellow who had initially handed the storybook to Yu Jingshuang tugged at her sleeve, leaning in to whisper quietly:

"This is the youngest daughter of the Deputy Commander of the Palace Guard. Her father and brothers currently serve in the Three Capital Commands—this whole family is full of staunch defenders of Lady Lingshuang who won’t tolerate the slightest criticism of her. You really shouldn’t argue with her."

Just as she finished speaking, the little girl in the red cloak suddenly turned around and pointed a finger right in Yu Jingshuang’s face.

She fumed, "And you!"

She shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? Who gave you the nerve to speak on behalf of Lady Lingshuang and claim she doesn’t care about these fabricated stories? Her conduct is noble and dignified—how could she ever tolerate you all slandering and making up stories about her?!"

The look she gave Yu Jingshuang was full of fury, as if branding her a "reckless troublemaker" and demanding an immediate apology.

Yu Jingshuang blinked in confusion a couple of times, stared at the little girl in front of her, opened her mouth to speak, but then fell silent.

*She was… a person of noble and dignified conduct?*

*How come she didn’t know that herself?*

*"Emperor, oh Emperor," what kind of image have you crafted for me out there?*

On one hand, making people too afraid to speak carelessly, and on the other, attracting such a fierce little girl as a devoted supporter.

Yu Jingshuang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, feeling a sense of shame as if she had deceived everyone.

She was nothing like what others said…

While she was still puzzling over this, the small commotion had already drawn more attention from those around them, with several people craning their necks to get a look.

Yu Jingshuang always loved a good spectacle, but if she herself was the center of it, she found it troublesome and had no desire to be put on display for others.

Seeing the situation, she inwardly groaned, regretting why she had been so careless as to take that storybook to read in the first place.

She thought she could casually smooth things over with a few words and quickly leave this troublesome spot, not bothering with the emperor’s frequent reminder to "avoid being overly courteous to others." She openly cupped her hands in a salute, bowed, and said to the round-faced girl in the red cloak:

"I merely picked up on someone else’s remark and meant no offense to anyone. If I’ve displeased you, miss, I apologize."

Her manner was straightforward and didn't seem malicious. The girl in red looked at her, her expression softening slightly, though she still spoke with reserve:

"Today, you were misled by them, so I won’t blame you. From now on, read more about Lady Lingshuang’s deeds, study them carefully daily, and write down your thoughts. Then you’ll naturally understand how absurd the content of these storybooks truly is."

Yu Jingshuang naturally smiled and agreed, though just imagining that scenario sent a cold sweat breaking out on her arms.

Having just managed to placate the hot-tempered girl in red, Yu Jingshuang wiped the nonexistent sweat from her forehead, lifted the hem of her skirt, turned, and quietly slipped into the crowd, trying to slip away unnoticed from the area to find another table and enjoy a cup of wine.

Unfortunately, trouble never comes alone.

She had only tiptoed a few steps when a mocking voice rang out behind her, directly targeting the girl in the red cloak and drawing everyone’s attention back. The atmosphere, which had just settled, instantly grew turbulent again!

"And here I was thinking who you were defending—turns out it’s just some minor diplomat’s daughter sent from Shangyan for a marriage alliance.

Tch, the details in that storybook are so vivid. If you ask me, she might just be that fool in the story!"

[Author’s Note]

This is set in an alternate history; all official titles and details in this story are adapted. Mwah~