Chapter 192: Premature Defeat

Su Jiu entered the building and found herself at the center of everyone’s attention. Several familiar women gathered around her like a flock of pigeons, shouting and attempting to embrace her. They crowded around her and made their way into the room with her.Su Jiu entered the building and found herself at the center of everyone’s attention. Several familiar women gathered around her like a flock of pigeons, shouting and attempting to embrace her. They crowded around her and made their way into the room with her.

After she entered, she was served with tea, fruits, and various snacks. They were all attentive and took very good care of her.

Su Jiu leaned back on the couch, her eyebrows raised abruptly as she looked out the door. She said to them, “All of you, retreat for now!”

“Master Jiu has a guest?” one of the women asked gently.

“Yes, wait for a little while. I will entertain you all later!” Su Jiu smiled lightly.

“Then we will come again later!”

The ladies opened the door and left in an orderly manner. Yu Long, who was standing outside the door, waited till everyone had disappeared before she walked in slowly.

“Are you really Miss Su?” Yu Long looked at Su Jiu briefly and smiled.

Su Jiu took an orange and peeled it slowly with her hands. She smiled and said, “The Crown Princess Consort sent so many people to kill me, wanting me dead at all costs. But I am still alive somehow, so naturally, the Crown Princess Consort must be feeling very surprised! ”

“I already knew you weren’t dead.” Yu Long smiled placatingly. “Does Miss Su plan to avenge herself this time? Are you going to kill me?”

Su Jiu glanced at her disdainfully. “Why should I waste my time formulating elaborate plans to kill you?”

“Then what does Miss Su want to do? Snatch His Highness back from me? Right now, His Highness has found his rightful place as the Crown Prince. The seat he has taken is not even warmed yet! Miss Su, if you really care about His Highness…” Yu Long did not finish her sentence. She suddenly noticed a dark object shooting out of Su Jiu’s hand. She had no time to dodge it, and the hidden weapon landed on her clothes. In an instant, her clothes caught fire.

“Ah!” Yu Long stepped back in panic, slapping her hands hard against her chest.

Qing Lan, who was beside her, helped to pat away the fire hastily. She turned around, saw a kettle on the table, and immediately poured the water over Yu Long.

“I hate it when other people blabber on, trying to reason with me!” Su Jiu snorted coldly. She was squeezing a black ball between her thumb and forefinger, tilting her head back and chuckling. This new toy that Zhao Xiong had sent to her was pretty interesting!

Finally, the fire on Yu Long’s clothes was extinguished. The front part of her clothes was all burned and gave off an unpleasant smell. She was drenched from the water, dripping wet. She was in a mess. She was fortunate that the fire hadn’t scalded her face or neck.

Yu Long was in a state of shock, her face panic-stricken. She hadn’t expected Su Jiu to suddenly strike and hurt her.

Qing Lan’s heart ached on her lady’s behalf and she scolded Su Jiu without holding back, “You sl*t, you dared to seduce His Highness, and now you injure the Crown Princess Consort with your own hands?”

Su Jiu glanced at her coldly, her eyes flashing as she flicked her fingers. The black ball in her hand went straight towards Qing Lan!

The hidden weapon fired straight at Qing Lan’s face. She panicked and tilted her head to dodge it.

Swoosh! The hidden weapon brushed past her hair, and now her hair started to burn. There were crackling sounds, accompanied by a strong charred smell.

“Ah!” Qing Lan shook her head and stepped back in horror. She stumbled to the ground, rolling her body back and forth. Her scalp was burning, her hair was on fire all over her head, and she screamed incessantly.

Yu Long, standing beside her, was also stunned. She looked at the Qing Lan rolling on the ground and was at a loss. Then, she turned around and noticed a manservant passing by with hot water. Without thinking about it, she grabbed the pot and poured it over Qing Lan.

The fire was extinguished, and black smoke filled the air. Qing Lan’s delicate white face was red from the fire, and her burned hair looked like a chicken nest as she leaned against the wall.

“Qing Lan, are you okay?” Yu Long squatted down and stroked Qing Lan’s face. Then, she glanced back angrily at Su Jiu. “Why does Miss Su strike out at us like this?”

Su Jiu raised her eyebrows innocently. “The Crown Princess Consort also strikes out whenever she wills. I am merely giving people a few injuries, which is a far cry from the standards of the Crown Princess Consort!”

“If you harbor any hatred towards me, then come at me! Why did you hurt my maidservant?” Yu Long said righteously. “She insulted me. Didn’t the Crown Princess Consort hear what she said?” Su Jiu thought Yu Long was being sanctimonious. It was ridiculous.

Qing Lan slowly caught her breath again. There was still burning pain all over her face and head, so she could not help but cry out angrily, “Don’t be so arrogant, Su Jiu! I will tell the Crown Prince what you have done to hurt the Crown Princess Consort!”

“Okay, you go and tell him now!” Su Jiu nodded fearlessly with a wicked grin on her face. “Let’s see if he is willing to sentence me because of a crime committed against you, the Crown Princess Consort.”

“You!” Yu Long’s face turned white, her body trembled in anger, and she glared at Su Jiu maliciously. Su Jiu swiped orange bits from her hands, stood up, and said with a disgusting tone, “This room stinks, I can’t bear to stay here any longer!”

With that, she strode out of the room. As she walked past the two of them, she looked back and smiled. “The next time we meet, if the Crown Princess Consort wants to deal with me, just come to me directly and stop your pompous arguments. There is only animosity between you and me. Do you understand?”

Yu Long lifted her chin and looked at her coldly. Su Jiu turned her head and went out. “She is simply too arrogant!” Qing Lan said angrily. “Crown Princess Consort, we must tell His Highness about it!”

Yu Long stood up, flicking ashes from her sleeves, her voice cold, “So what if we tell him? Didn’t you hear what she just said, His Highness would not do anything to her on my behalf!”

“Are we…are we going to take this lying down? Crown Princess Consort, when did you ever tolerate such humiliation?” Qing Lan exclaimed and wept bitterly. Her hair was an absolute mess because of the fire.

Yu Long glanced at her. “Let’s go home first!” Su Jiu seemed to be a little different from the woman she knew before!

The two of them left in a state of embarrassment. Qing Lan covered her head as she felt the gazes of others watching her and ridiculing them. She walked quickly, not daring to raise her head as she escorted Yu Long out.

When they returned to Crown Prince Manor, it was already dark. Before they had time to change from their charred clothes, they received a message from a servant. “His Highness would like the Crown Princess Consort and her maidservant, Qing Lan, to meet him at the main courtyard!” “What’s the matter?” Yu Long asked.

“His Highness did not say!”

Qing Lan said angrily, “Perfect, I am going to tell His Highness that the Crown Princess Consort has been tortured by Su Jiu!”

Yu Long frowned and thought that this sudden meeting with Xiao Lie was not going to be that straightforward. It was certainly not going to be about punishing Su Jiu in order to protect her.

Entering the main courtyard, she found Xiao Lie standing along the corridor with his hands behind his back. In the twilight, he wore a black colored brocade. Qing Lan quickly walked up to him and fell to her knees. Then she said with a hoarse voice, “Your Highness, you must enact justice for the Crown Princess Consort! Su Jiu attacked the Crown Princess Consort, burned her clothes, and almost got her seriously injured! ” Yu Long was still wearing these charred clothes, but he did not say anything about them at all. He bent over slightly with his hands on his waist and stood aside.

“Why did you go and see Ah Jiu?” Xiao Lie asked coldly.

Qing Lan was stunned and glanced at Yu Long instinctively.

Yu Long was a sorry sight to see, but she still stood upright with a resolute and inviolable dignity. She said calmly, “I heard that Su Jiu had returned to the capital city, so I wanted to visit her to apologize and make up for the incident from before! Su Jiu was still angry with me and lashed out with some fire weapon before I could finish talking.”

“Yes!” Qing Lan hurriedly echoed. “Your Highness look at the Crown Princess Consort’s clothes and my burned hair. Luckily, we managed to put out the fire in time, otherwise, we would have been burned to death by Su Jiu!”

Xiao Lie walked down the steps without a change in his expressionless face. He glanced at Yu Long, and then at Qing Lan. “What did you say to Ah Jiu?”

Qing Lan was stunned and shook her head. “I did not say anything!”

“I heard from the servants of the brothel that you scolded Ah Jiu. Did you?” Xiao Lie’s eyes were deep and menacing, his expression was dark.

Yu Long suddenly looked up. Sure enough, he had not called her here to protect her or exact justice for her, he wanted to see them; for the sake of Su Jiu!

Qing Lan threw herself down on her knees, and said, “I saw that she was being really arrogant, disrespectful, and blatantly bullying the Crown Princess Consort, so I tried to stand up for her.”

“And so, you scolded her?” Xiao Lie’s face darkened further, and he shouted, “Guards!”

“Here!” Two guards stepped forward and replied.

“Drag this maidservant out, slap her mouth thirty times, and then throw her out of the palace!” Xiao Lie ordered.

Qing Lan’s face suddenly turned pale. She held onto Yu Long’s legs and panicked. “Crown Princess Consort, I am innocent, please save me!”

The plank used for the slapping punishment could easily break a mouthful of teeth with one swipe. Thirty swipes would be fatal to a weak, delicate maidservant like Qing Lan.

She knelt down on the ground, crying miserably for mercy and holding onto Yu Long’s legs, unwilling to let go. “Crown Princess Consort, I have been with you since childhood and have served you loyally! I don’t want to die! Please plead for your maidservant! I will not dare to do it again!”

Yu Long’s face was pale as she said, “Qing Lan acted that way because she cared about me. We have been together since we were young. On my account, can you spare her this time around?”

“No.” Xiao Lie’s voice was indifferent as he turned and walked into the inner hall. “Hurry up and drag her away!”

“Your Highness, Qing Lan has been wounded by Su Jiu as well! Are you going to take my maidservant’s life just because she spoke one sentence to offend Su Jiu?” Yu Long’s voice trembled.

“Even if she had ten lives, they cannot be compared to one strand of Ah Jiu’s hair!” Xiao Lie’s voice was cold. Yu Long’s face was crestfallen and colorless at once.

The two guards took Qing Lan by her arms and dragged her out.

“Crown Princess Consort! Save me!” Qing Lan cried out with desperation in her voice.

Yu Long stood where she was, staring at the back of the cold and heartless man in front of her.

The blood in her face drained away and she stood there for a long time, until the screams from her maidservant who was beaten stopped. Then, she turned around and walked to her own courtyard step by step.

That woman hardly needed to say anything, and she was utterly defeated! Indeed, she did not have to kill Yu Long, she could easily make the Crown Princess Consort suffer pain from a thousand cuts.

But how could Yu Long concede defeat now? The next day, Su Jiu followed Eldest Mistress to see Empress Dowager Xiao.

Entering Fushou Palace, Imperial Concubine Rong was also there. After listening to the introduction of Eldest Mistress that Su Jiu was her daughter, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Su Jiu, how come it is you?” “Greetings, Empress Dowager, Imperial Concubine Rong!” Su Jiu calmly paid respects to the two of them.

Empress Dowager Xiao did not respond at first. She did not understand why Imperial Concubine Rong was surprised. Su Jiu was the young mistress of Ji Manor and the daughter of Bai Jingrou. Wasn’t that normal?

Suddenly, she remembered that Imperial Concubine Rong seemed to have told her that the young mistress from Ji Manor was fake and had been a mountain bandit imposter. At this moment, she also gave her a look of astonishment.

Since Su Jiu was the fake Miss Su, why had Bai Jingrou brought her back into the palace again? Bai Jingrou knelt down in front of Empress Dowager Xiao and bowed her head. “Previously, Jingrou lied to the Empress Dowager—please forgive me!”

“What exactly is going on?” Empress Dowager Xiao went to help Bai Jingrou get up.

Bai Jingrou did not get up. She recounted the story of how she lost her daughter when she had been only five years old. Her daughter then ended up all the way in Yuhu Mountain and became a mountain bandit. Two years ago, Su Wenqian and his second mistress had colluded, intending to marry Miss Su Yueqiu into Ji Manor, but they were robbed by mountain bandits. Afterward, it just so happened that Su Jiu pretended to be Miss Su and entered the capital.

After Empress Dowager Xiao and Imperial Concubine Rong heard the whole story, they were speechless for a moment.

Could there be such a coincidence in the world?

Imperial Concubine Rong looked at Su Jiu with a complicated look in her eyes. She was actually Bai Jingrou’s daughter!

It turned out that the person whom Xiao Lie liked was Bai Jingrou’s daughter.

At this moment, she suddenly believed in karma. “Before this, Jingrou didn’t know that Jiu’er was in Shengjing, so I concealed the fact that Su Wenqian married the daughter of a concubine into Ji Manor. I am seeking out the Empress Dowager to mete out the appropriate punishment!” Bai Jingrou said in a low voice.

“You must have suffered all these years as well; how can I still punish you!” Empress Dowager Xiao helped Eldest Mistress to get up. She took Su Jiu’s hand and looked at her lovingly. “No wonder whenever I see this girl, I always feel very comfortable and intimate with her. To think that there is actually such a story behind it! My child, you must have suffered as well!”

Su Jiu saw that Empress Dowager Xiao really felt sorry for her, and her heart could not help but soften. She laughed and said, “I hope the Empress Dowager does not blame me for lying to you before!”

“You are so bold! To think that a woman like you became a mountain bandit!” Empress Dowager Xiao shook her head and smiled. Su Jiu said simply, “There was no other choice, I was hungry!”

After she said that, Empress Dowager Xiao almost burst into tears.

“This is all my fault. None of this should have happened, you two, as mother and daughter, should not have been separated for twelve years—the thought of it makes my heartache!”

Bai Jingrou and Imperial Concubine Rong held Empress Dowager Xiao, and they comforted her gently. They sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries. Su Jiu gradually became impatient and slipped out on the pretext of using the toilet.

Su Jiu had been to the palace several times already so she did not have a place she was interested in visiting. She only sat on the edge of the corridor to observe the scenery of the lake, waiting for Eldest Mistress and Empress Dowager Xiao to finish their conversation so that they could leave the palace together. It was after the Mid-Autumn Festival and the weather was refreshing.

The breeze was warm and Su Jiu had a willow stick in her mouth. She was bored alone and was about to fall asleep.

“Rou’er?”

Suddenly, there was a bone-chilling and rugged low-pitched voice coming from behind her.

Su Jiu opened her eyes, and turned to see a man wearing a bright yellow dragon robe standing a few feet away, followed by two palace attendants.

She had not met Emperor Zhao Ping before, but she knew who he was from the way he was dressed. She jumped up from the floor of the wooden corridor, looked down, and paid her respects. “Greetings, Emperor!”

Emperor Zhao Ping saw the woman’s face clearly now, and the tenderness in his eyes disappeared. He restored his noble manner and asked her, “Who are you?”

Su Jiu’s voice was clear, neither humble nor overbearing.

“I am the daughter of Bai Jingrou, Su Yuejiu!” “You are Jingrou’s daughter?” Emperor Zhao Ping asked in consternation. Then he smiled and said, “No wonder I saw in you the charm she had during her younger days.”

Su Jiu raised her head and smiled. “The Emperor knows my mother?”

“Yes, not only did we know each other, we were very familiar with each other!” Emperor Zhao Ping smiled. His face was slightly thinner than before.

After he had been poisoned for several days, even though he was detoxified later, his body remained heavily damaged. “You came here with your mother?” Emperor Zhao Ping smiled mildly, like an ordinary elder. “Yes!”

“Why are you alone here?”

“The room is so stuffy, so I come out to take a breather!” Su Jiu’s big eyes were bright, and she smiled.

Emperor Zhao Ping laughed happily. “You are a bit like your mother when she was young!”

Su Jiu sat on the wooden porch and smiled. “The Emperor is not what I imagined him to be.”

“Oh? What did you imagine me to be like? “Emperor Zhao Ping sat amiably opposite Su Jiu.

“I thought the Emperor would be surrounded by ministers every day. And even if you went to the latrine, you would be accompanied by hundreds of people!” Su Jiu had followed Hu Dapao to study at the village under the mountain. The man told her this story. So, she had felt sympathetic for Xiao Lie before, thinking that he had to face a similar ordeal.

Emperor Zhao Ping laughed out loud. “Haha, if that happened, then I would be really miserable!”

“It must also be very hard on the hundred people forced to watch you go to the toilet every day!” Su Jiu said seriously.

Perhaps they had to pretend that it was fragrant and enjoyable.

“Haha!” Emperor Zhao Ping smiled and laughed louder than ever. The palace attendants watched in suspense at a distance.

When Eldest Mistress came out to look for Su Jiu, she saw Su Jiu sitting cross-legged on a wooden chair at the waterside pavilion, having a joyous conversation with Emperor Zhao Ping. They were so engrossed that they did not even see her coming.

“Jiu’er!” Eldest Mistress shouted and came over. “Mother!” Su Jiu looked back and smiled.

“Jingrou, your daughter is so interesting. If I have another son, I will definitely want her to marry into the palace to entertain me every day!” Emperor Zhao Ping looked vibrant, perhaps because he was in a good mood and looked much better than before.

Su Jiu smiled and said, “How can a girl like me be worthy of a prince?”

Emperor Zhao Ping laughed and pointed at Su Jiu, looking at Eldest Mistress.

“You see, she only becomes humble because you came over. Just now, I swear she even wanted to become sworn brothers with me!”

Eldest Mistress’s eyes were confused, she looked at Su Jiu in distress and then looked at Emperor Zhao Ping.

“The girl is young and ignorant. If she has offended the Emperor, please forgive her!”

“No, I like her very much, I think we are very comfortable with each other! In the future, please bring this girl to the palace more often so there will be more things for me to be happy about!” Emperor Zhao Ping looked at Su Jiu lovingly.

Su Jiu raised her eyebrows slyly. “Does that mean I am a noble now?”

“Yes, you will be my noble guest in the future!” Emperor Zhao Ping said happily.

The Eldest Mistress could not help but purse her lips. She said, “It’s getting late, I am going to take this girl and leave the palace now. The Empress Dowager is waiting for the Emperor, please hurry along!”

“Alright!” Emperor Zhao Ping got up and looked at Bai Jingrou with a pair of longing eyes. “It’s been cold these few days. Please take care of yourself!”

“Yes, the Emperor must also take care of himself!”

Su Jiu’s big eyes turned and glanced at the two of them, raising her eyebrows slightly.

“Little girl, come to the palace with your mother again soon, I will give you something interesting!” Emperor Zhao Ping smiled.

“Okay!” Su Jiu said happily.

Emperor Zhao Ping nodded with a smile and went into the inner hall with his palace attendants to look for Empress Dowager Xiao.

Su Jiu and Eldest Mistress left the palace in a horse carriage. Su Jiu looked at his mother with a smile. “Mother and the Emperor are really familiar with each other!”

Eldest Mistress glanced at her and said, “What nonsense are you talking about?” “That came from the Emperor’s own mouth, I am not spouting nonsense!” Su Jiu rebuked and smiled.

Eldest Mistress took a deep breath and grunted. “We did have a good relationship, but there is no need to mention it anymore! Jiu’er, no matter how friendly the Emperor is to you, you must remember that he is the Emperor!”

Su Jiu leaned over her mother’s lap, smiling lightly. “I know!”

She deduced that the Emperor liked her so much, partly, because of her mother’s prior relationship with him.

“Good!” Eldest Mistress nodded her head and gently stroked Su Jiu’s long hair. “Maybe it is a blessing that you did not marry a prince. In the Emperor’s family, there are so many things that will be out of your control, and everything may not be in your favor. You have a straightforward personality, and because it is difficult to get around and do things in the palace, you will inevitably suffer a lot.”

Su Jiu nodded, casually playing with the jade belt around Eldest Mistress’s waist. “I know, I used to think too simply of things!”

She thought that since Xiao Lie liked her, she could just accept it and tried to like him back. She did not understand that there were too many things standing between them, and that she had not thought about these things very much. Or, she simply did not like him enough to break through those barriers. “Mother, do you like Su Wenqian?” Su Jiu asked.

Eldest Mistress shook her head slowly. “No, I don’t like him.”

“Then why did you marry him?”

“Because I had no choice.”

Su Jiu looked up at Eldest Mistress’s calm and gentle eyes. She thought about it on her own and did not probe further.

At the beginning of September, those who were involved in the case of Xiao Jing’s conspiracy, such as Zhu Hecheng, Jin Cheng and Yu Xian, were executed in public.

Ji Yuxian came back from the outside, his eyes swept over the inner courtyard and he smiled.

“How can we not let Second Mistress celebrate such a happy event today! Jin Feng, go and let Second Mistress know personally that we are celebrating!”

Jin Feng turned and nodded. “Yes!”

Ji Yuxian stepped slowly into the main courtyard, pushed open the study room door, and immediately frowned. Chen Yuchan stood behind the writing desk and was looking at the painting she had done in the morning. Her fingers seemed to be dipped in something and she was touching the painting.

Seeing Ji Yuxian come in, Chen Yuchan was slightly surprised. She immediately clenched her hand, walking over with a tinge of panic in her expression. “I sent over some desserts I made for Eldest Young Master today and saw the painting on the table. Hence, I could not stop myself from admiring it, please forgive me! ”

Since Ji Yuxian had tacitly approved of Chen Yuchan entering the main courtyard, she had been coming over every other day to deliver freshly made pastries. She would come and go silently every time, leaving the pastries behind and then leaving. This was the first time she had lingered. Ji Yuxian’s handsome face was gentle. He walked behind the writing desk, pass the painting with a person in it, and stopped at her rouge lips. His eyes were cool. He smiled and said, “What does Yuchan think about the painting done by me?”

Hearing Ji Yuxian’s inquiry, Chen Yuchan was flattered and surprised. She replied respectfully, “It looks very real and very beautiful! Eldest Young Master drew Young Mistress’s smiling portrait so profoundly, you must have missed her to the core! Only by thinking of her so much can your painting be so vivid.”

Ji Yuxian smiled and said, “Yuchan, you really can appreciate it.” Chen Yuchan turned slightly and said softly, “Because I also feel the same way!”

After she said that, her face turned red. She was afraid that Ji Yuxian would think that she was presumptuous and immediately changed the subject. “I heard that Young Mistress returned to the manor a few days ago, so why didn’t she stay? I did not see her for a long time and miss her just like Eldest Young Master! ”

“She…” Ji Yuxian’s eyes dimmed, his delicate long fingers caressing the vivid eyes on the painting as he said, “She will come back!”

“That’s right, Young Mistress was hurt and probably couldn’t let it go for a while.” She stopped and continued quickly, “But, Young Mistress will surely figure it out and come back to Eldest Young Master.”

Ji Yuxian’s face turned dull. He slowly rolled up the painting and said, “I’m tired. Yuchan, please go back.” “Yes! Eldest Young Master, please take care of your body!” Chen Yuchan dropped her head and said gently. She took the food tray and went outside.

Ji Yuxian looked at the back of the woman blankly, and his eyes glistened. He seemed to have thought of something and smiled suddenly. Jin Feng entered Jinglan Pavilion. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds. It was cold and bleak. No figures could be seen, like a deserted courtyard.

Yuan’er was doing laundry in the rear court when Jin Feng knocked on the door. After a while, she heard the muffled voice of Second Mistress, “Who is there? Come in!”

Jin Feng pushed open the door and went in, standing a few feet away. He said, “Greetings, Second Mistress!” Second Mistress sat on a wooden chair, her body very thin and her hair almost completely white. She had changed dramatically since half a year ago, when she had been the epitome of exquisite and dignified—it was like she was a different person now.

The woman raised her eyelids, glanced at Jin Feng, and sneered. “Ji Yuxian asked you to come and see if I am dead?”

Jin Feng said, “No, Eldest Young Master ordered me to report one thing to Second Mistress.”

“What’s the matter?” Second Mistress asked indifferently as she poured some tea and put the cup next to her lips.

“Zhu Hecheng colluded with Prince Zhao and Xie Shiyun, accumulated money through unscrupulous methods and bribed officials. Today, they have been executed!”

Clang! The teacup in Second Mistress’s hands fell to the ground and shattered. She looked up incredulously and said, “What did you say? Brother, he…”

Second Mistress had been married into Ji Manor for more than twenty years now, but the family she cared about most was still the Zhu family. The death of Zhu Hecheng was undoubtedly a piece of grievous news for her.

“In addition, the magistrate’s office is searching the mansion of the Zhu family. I came over to ask Second Mistress if there is any information still with Zhu Hecheng in the Zhu family that can be used against you, so as to avoid involving Second Young Master. Due to the incident with Eldest Mistress, the Emperor has quite a lot of complaints about Second Young Master. If there is further evidence that will penalize Second Young Master, I am afraid he will lose his official position.”

Second Mistress’s expression suddenly turned very grim. She did have some correspondence with Zhu Hecheng, and she had disclosed some Ji Manor business information to help Zhu Hecheng. In addition, she had helped Zhu Hecheng to transfer over part of the ill-gotten wealth. “Second Mistress is a wise person. I am sure she must already know what to do. I shall take my leave,” Jin Feng said in an indifferent tone and turned away. Second Mistress closed her eyes and collapsed on the wooden chair. Her face spoke of doom and gloom. She understood what Ji Yuxian meant, she naturally did not want him to have his way, but if she was to stay alive, she would implicate Ze’er. Now that the Zhu family was gone, she did not want to lose Ze’er as well. Second Mistress opened her eyes slowly. There was an utter desolation in her eyes.

… At this moment, Jinglan Pavilion only had Yuan’er left as a servant. She was responsible for all the errands in the yard, cleaning, washing, and serving Second Mistress. After she completed all her work, she dragged her tired body back to continue serving Second Mistress, and immediately felt something wrong when she entered the door.

She quickened her pace and entered the room. She saw that Second Mistress was still well-dressed, her face was pale and in pain, and she was foaming at the mouth.

“Second Mistress!” Yuan’er was shocked and fell to her knees. “What’s happened to you, Second Mistress, I will get the doctor immediately!”

“No need!” Second Mistress said, forming the words excruciatingly slowly. Her withered yellow hand grabbed Yuan’er. “I have prepared this package of arsenic for a long time now, no one can save me!” Second Mistress said weakly and closed her eyes. Black blood began welling out of her mouth, flowing out profusely.

Yuan’er was overwhelmed and cried loudly, “Second Mistress, why did you do this. We have persevered and survived for so long, why didn’t you think about Master Ji Ze?”

The second mistress gasped weakly and took a letter from her side and stuffed it into the hands of Yuan’er. “You must deliver this letter to Ze’er! ”

Yuan’er held the letter in her hands and nodded bitterly. “Yes, I will definitely do it!”

“Tell Ze’er…I…everything I did…I did it…all for…him!” The second mistress finished her last sentence forcefully, closed her eyes, and laid there, motionless.

Yuan’er leaned against her mistress’s body and cried aloud. The news of Second Mistress’s death came out, but the people in Ji Manor did not seem too surprised, almost as if they had already expected this day to come sooner or later.

Ji Ze headed back to the manor from his imperial duties. When he heard that Second Mistress was dead, his eyes turned bleak and he fainted.

Old Housekeeper Yu organized people in the preparation of the funeral in an orderly fashion. Before Ji Ze came back, Yuan’er was driven out of the manor.

Yuan’er still had the letter from Second Mistress to Ji Ze in her hand. She did not dare to loiter outside the manor and cause suspicion, so she left secretly and tried to look for an opportunity to pass the letter to Ji Ze.

On the day of the wake, Ji Ze took part in the funeral procession, heading out to the burial site outside Shengjing City.

Second Mistress was a concubine, so she was not allowed to enter the ancestral burial site. Thus, they had to bury her at another site. After the people left, Ji Ze threw himself on the tombstone and cried in pain.

Suddenly going through an upheaval, the young man’s once gentle eyes became tragic and despairing. He seemed to have turned into another person.

He thought that when his elder brother had cooled down and forgot what his mother had done, if he pleaded for her, everything would go back to normal.

Why…why did mother leave him abruptly?

The young man could not accept it all at once and hated himself for being incompetent, hated the way heaven was fooling him. He was full of sorrow that he did not know how to release and just kept crying.

“Second Young Master!”

A voice came from behind. Ji Ze turned back suddenly and saw his mother’s personal servant, Yuan’er, coming from behind a tree.

“Yuan’er.” Ji Ze looked at her blankly with tears on his face. He remembered that she had been serving his mother before, but now had that changed since his mother was no longer around. Thinking about his mother caused him to become depressed again and the tears flowed even faster.

Yuan’er walked to him, kowtowed a few times at Second Mistress’s tombstone, and cried, “Second Mistress suffered such a wrongful death!”

“What are you talking about? How did Mother die?” Ji Ze asked in shock. Yuan’er took out the letter and handed it over to Ji Ze.

“Second Young Master will understand everything after reading this!”

Ji Ze hurriedly opened the envelope. He was shocked to see the amount of blood on the paper.

“Ze’er, Ji Yuxian made me take my own life and ruined the whole Zhu family. Mother died with hatred and many grievances! You must avenge your mother and uncle!”

It was a page full of blood, each word seemed to be soaked with tears and harbored hatred. Ji Ze’s face changed greatly, and he shook his head in anxiety. “No, no, brother would never kill mother, no way!”

“Second Young Master!” Yuan’er grabbed Ji Ze’s arm, her eyes painfully red. She said, “Ji Yuxian locked Second Mistress in that miserable courtyard, leaving her to perish by herself. He gave Second Mistress no choice but to take poison and kill herself! ”

“Second Mistress did all this for you, you must avenge her!”

Ji Ze covered his face and wept bitterly. “Why…why did all this happen?”

He loved his brother as much as he loved his mother. Why was there such hatred between them?

“Second Mistress is no longer here, so Second Young Master must be strong. Get back up on your feet and avenge Second Mistress!” Yuan’er looked at Ji Ze crying and felt distressed. She could not help but hold him, and together, they cried.

After September, it rained for several days.

Rain continued to fall, and the weather suddenly became cold. Chen Yuchan asked the servants to prepare a carriage to go out, planning to choose a piece of material to make a robe for Ji Yuxian.

Now that Second Mistress of Ji Manor was dead, Ji Ze was badly shaken. Every day, when he came back from the imperial court, he would stay in his room and only enter and exit through the side door. It was as if other than Ji Yuxian, she was the only one left in the whole Ji Manor, running the place alone.

Such a change made her feel closer to Ji Yuxian for no reason, and she thought it was only right for her to be show more concern for Ji Yuxian.

Coupled with the acquiescence allowing her to enter the main court at any time, she felt more relaxed and completely at ease when running the operations of Ji Manor.

Furthermore, it seemed like the people in the manor were now more respectful of her!

After taking a maidservant with her out of the house, Chen Yuchan did not go to Ji Manor’s own Robes Square upon hitting the streets. Instead, she visited a few textiles shop, and after careful comparison, bought the materials that she was most satisfied with.

She sat in the carriage, full of joy, ready to return to Ji Manor, imagining how Ji Yuxian would look after putting on the robe she made. She could not help but let out a shy smile to herself.

The carriage passed by Zhuque Street, and suddenly she heard the maidservant say, “Fourth Young Mistress, isn’t that the previous Young Mistress from our manor?”

Chen Yuchan was stunned, she lifted up the carriage curtain to see and was startled by what she saw.

Su Jiu was wearing a man’s robe, looking elegant, confident, and unrestrained. She was followed by a handsome and light-hearted young person. He was putting on a cloak for her; they seemed really close and intimate. Another young person held an umbrella to protect her from the slight drizzle. Su Jiu did not shy away and chatted heartily with the two of them. Then, she took the umbrella, got in the horse carriage, and left.

Chen Yuchan’s eyes glistened and looked at Su Jiu with profound significance. The maidservant said, “Fourth Young Mistress, is that really Young Mistress? Why does she seem so…”

…sl*tty?

Everyone knew what kind of people the two young men were just from observing their flamboyant clothes. How did Young Mistress end up mixing with these people?

Chen Yuchan turned her eyes away and said softly, “Go back to the manor!”

“Yes!” Because of the rain, Su Jiu did not go out for two days in a row. Today, the rain was just a drizzle, so she wanted to visit the brothel and listen to some songs to relieve her boredom.

After she left the brothel, she spent the other half of the day at the commercial house and did not return to Su manor until it was dark. The next day, the weather was still not clear. At this time of year, the rain fell endlessly, and it always made people upset. In the afternoon, Su Jiu accompanied Eldest Mistress and played the zither for a while. But when her mother said that she was not being attentive, she decided to give up on playing the instrument.

She did not know if it was the rainy days, but Su Jiu began to feel pain in her chest again. She opened the porcelain bottle that Doctor Gu gave her and found that the medicine had run out.

Su Jiu asked Er Mao to drive to the brothel. She wanted to find Yin Xi to get a head massage and suddenly remembered that Yin Xi was no longer there.

Suddenly, she felt even more annoyed! Su Jiu’s felt her chest tighten and become really uncomfortable. She was really irritable, so she got the manservant to call Qian Qiu to play music for her.

There was a fragrance permeating the room that made people feel sleepy. Su Jiu leaned on the couch, listening to the rain outside the window, and closed her eyes subconsciously.

While she was half-asleep, floating in and out of consciousness, she felt someone gently rubbing the top of her head with movements that were gentle and meticulous at the same time. Her body began to relax, and she spoke with her eyes were closed, “Yin Xi, your hand is a bit cold today, but it feels more comfortable than before!”

The hand pressing on her head paused slightly, and then continued to caress her lightly.

Su Jiu was in a daze. She murmured, “Why are you so quiet today?”

Yes, it was too quiet!

Not only did he not laugh with her like he usually did, but his breathing was too light as if he was concealing it, afraid that she would hear it.

Su Jiu suddenly opened her eyes, got up, and turned her head.

The man’s hand behind her had frozen in the gesture of rubbing her head and looked at her in astonishment.

“Crown Prince Xia?” Su Jiu sneered at him with a cold look. “Does the crown prince have a serving fetish? You’re willing to humiliate yourself by coming to this brothel and helping other people wear shoes and rubbing their heads.”

The man’s face was pale and said, “For Boss, I am willing to do anything!” “On the other hand, I don’t really want to see you. Get out!” Su Jiu said, her eyes cold.

The man’s gaze darkened. He knelt slowly on one knee and said with a trembling voice, “Boss, I’m sorry! I admit that I wrote the letter to get you to come back because of my selfishness, but I never thought of killing you. Even if I have to kill myself, I will never let anyone lay their hands on you! You are more important to me than my life!”

Su Jiu said lightly, “Crown Prince Xia, do you think I will ever let Xia Yu Long go?” Xia Huan shuddered and said hoarsely. “If I kill her, will Boss forgive me?”

“There is no need for anyone to kill her!” Su Jiu’s eyes were as cold as ice. “I will avenge myself! Crown Prince Xia is the brother of Princess Yu Long, so your background renders both of us incompatible. I do not hate you, but in the future, there is no affection between us anymore.”

Xia Huan hung his head, his long body slumped. He was depressed to hear this. He said in a hoarse voice, “Boss, this is unfair to me! I do not even want this identity as a crown prince, you know that too!”

“People can’t choose where they come from. You are the crown prince of Lord Yun Nan Manor and that is a fact—whether you choose to admit it or not!” Su Jiu snapped. She stood up and turned her back to him. “Leave now!”

“Boss…” Xia Huan was reluctant.

“Leave!” The young woman’s voice was resolute, and her will was unquestionable.

Xia Huan closed his eyes and slowly got up. He stepped out the door, closing it behind him carefully.

Su Jiu went back to the couch, her face was pale. Suddenly, she shouted coldly, “Where is Qian Qiu? How come she’s not here yet?”

The manservant came in immediately, looking panicked, and said, “Master Jiu, Qian Qiu was picked up last night by the eldest young master of Ji Manor and hasn’t returned yet!”

With a loud bang, Su Jiu threw her teacup onto the table.

It shattered into pieces.