Chapter 48 She was actually blackmailed! Is there no justice left?

Inside an extremely luxurious carriage parked not far away, Princess Fu Ning lazily lifted the curtain and looked out.

He was still wondering how his cousin, who had been riding alongside the carriage just moments before, had vanished in the blink of an eye.

She looked outside for a while and finally found the person.

"What is he doing?" Princess Fu Ning asked, her voice filled with doubt.

The sharp-eyed nanny serving beside her spotted Achan and immediately smiled, "It seems some young lady has run into trouble, and Lord Bai has gone to help her."

"Him? Help?" Princess Fu Ning almost burst out laughing. Bai Xiuming, with his cold-hearted and indifferent attitude, even ignored his cousin. Would he really help someone else?

Although she was the one who invited Bai Xiuming this time, she never expected him to accept when she sent the invitation.

Along the way, she racked her brains to find a few topics to chat with him about, but she remained silent without saying a word. If she was like this with herself, wouldn't she be the same with others?

"That young lady looks quite pitiful; it seems Lord Bai was momentarily soft-hearted." After saying this, the nanny let out a soft "hmm."

"how?"

"That girl... looks familiar. Could she be the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang?" the nanny said uncertainly. In her memory, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang, although she looked the same as the girl, had a very different demeanor.

"So it was her." Princess Fu Ning became somewhat interested. "I remember the Marquis of Jinyang severed ties with her?"

"That's true."

"Since we've run into her, let's send her an invitation too. It'll be more fun with more people."

"Yes," the nanny replied with a smile, thinking to herself that it wasn't about the crowds and excitement, but rather that the princess wanted to watch the spectacle.

While the nanny went to get the invitation, Achan was still whispering to Madam Xue.

Although the troublemaker was taken away by the guards of the Marquis of Jinyang's mansion, Achan did not give up. She pressed her temples and frowned slightly: "The Marquis's wife was really too fierce just now, she really scared me."

Madam Xue was furious at A Chan's affected manner. She took a deep breath and glanced at Bai Xiuming, who was still sitting on his horse, coldly watching her. She forced a smile and said, "It was all my fault for speaking and acting inappropriately today."

Ah Chan looked surprised: "Is this how Madam Hou apologizes to people? It doesn't seem as sincere as last time."

Madam Xue's expression froze as she recalled the last time she sent someone to cause trouble at Ji Chan's shop, resulting in the Marquis being impeached in court and her being personally reprimanded by the Emperor.

The negative impact of the last incident is still lingering. She had originally planned to find a good marriage for her daughter, but recently invited several ladies to her home, only to be repeatedly rejected.

Ah Chan reminded her, "Madam Hou, Lord Bai is still watching."

Madam Xue gritted her teeth and whispered to the maid behind her, "Go and fetch two hundred taels of silver."

The maid behind her dared not say anything, hurriedly ran back to get the silver notes, and quickly returned to stuff the silver notes into Xue's hand.

With trembling hands, Madam Xue handed the silver notes to Achan, trying not to show any displeasure on her face: "This is to calm your nerves, please don't refuse."

Ah Chan quickly reached out and took the two silver notes, then smiled sweetly at Madam Xue: "Madam Hou is truly generous. Let's just let this matter go; it was all a misunderstanding."

"Yes, it's all a misunderstanding." Seeing that Ji Chan had finally stopped pressing the issue, Madam Xue breathed a sigh of relief. She then said to Bai Xiuming, "Lord Bai, I won't bother you any longer."

Without waiting for Bai Xiuming's response, she finished speaking and quickly walked towards her own carriage with her maid and guards, as if afraid of being stopped.

Achan glanced at the carriage of the Marquis of Jinyang's residence. Xue Ying and Xue Zhao were looking at her through the carriage window. She thought to herself, "This lotus appreciation banquet is really lively."

After Xue left, Bai Xiuming dismounted.

Today he was dressed in a white, narrow-sleeved riding outfit, with an intricate silver dragon embroidered on the cuffs, its mouth wide open. A matching belt cinched his waist, which made his slender waist and long legs appear even more striking after dismounting.

Ah Chan's gaze lingered on his waist; hmm, he wasn't carrying a knife today.

"I find it very easy to use."

Just moments ago he was letting Achan do as she pleased, but in the blink of an eye, this person was showing signs of turning hostile.

"How could that be? It's clearly because you're happy to help others, sir." Achan's little mouth was as sweet as honey. "I'm so grateful that you were here today, sir. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do."

"I never help others for pleasure." Bai Xiuming's gaze fell on A Chan's hand, his intentions quite clear.

Achan dodged her hand back slightly, and Bai Xiuming spoke slowly and deliberately: "Using me to extort the Lady of Jinyang Marquis, to put it bluntly, is damaging my official reputation. What do you think the punishment should be?"

"You don't have that kind of official reputation," Ah Chan thought to herself.

Then he took one of the two silver notes and held it out to Bai Xiuming.

Bai Xiuming just looked down and didn't take it at all.

After a brief standoff, Ah Chan steeled herself and handed over the second silver note. He then reached out and took it, casually stuffing it into his pocket.

How many times has this person done this to be so skilled?

She was so angry she wanted to jump up. In broad daylight, she had been blackmailed! Was there no justice left?

Fortunately, it wasn't her money, but she couldn't let those two hundred taels of silver go to waste.

"Sir, could you lend me a few men? The people in this manor look very fierce. I'm afraid they won't leave and will cause trouble for me later."

Since Achan wants to take back the estate, the people here can no longer be employed.

Today, this group of people has been instigated by Madam Xue to drive her, the head of the household, away. Who knows what they might do in the future? She doesn't intend to keep any of them.

Bai Xiuming: "I didn't bring anyone with me today."

"Oh, sir, you're not here on official business today, so what are you here for?" Achan asked with a surprised expression.

"Enjoying the flowers."

"Sir, you certainly have a refined taste. I wonder what kind of flower it must be to attract you." She was genuinely curious; could it be some rare and precious variety? She was eager to see it.

As the two were talking, the head maidservant beside the princess came over, first bowed to Bai Xiuming, and then handed Achan an invitation with both hands: "Miss Ji, this is an invitation from the princess. If you are free in the next few days, please come and attend the lotus appreciation banquet."

This wasn't the first time Princess Fu Ning had hosted a lotus-viewing banquet. Ji Chan had attended once before with her mother and knew that the banquet would last for three or four days.

Achan accepted the invitation: "Please thank the Princess for me, Granny. I will go."

After saying that, she asked again, "Can you bring someone along?"

"Of course."

Achan didn't think the princess had suddenly taken a liking to her and that's why she sent an invitation at the last minute; she was probably doing it out of respect for Bai Xiuming.

Alright, two hundred taels of silver for an invitation to the lotus appreciation banquet, she still makes a profit.

Just as the head maid was about to leave, Bai Xiuming spoke up, "I need your help, head maid."

"Please speak."

“The people in this village are not clean. Let’s clear them all out and replace them with a new group of people.”

The head maid glanced at the estate not far away and smiled, "That's easy, I'll order someone to take care of it right away."

After saying that, she looked at Ji Chan and asked, "Does Miss Ji have any requirements for the new farm household?"

After thinking for a moment, Achan replied, "Just be honest and do your job well."

"Alright, please wait a moment, young lady. I'll have someone come and clean up the estate right away."

After the head maid left, Achan immediately said to Bai Xiuming, "Thank you, sir. You are so kind."

Bai Xiuming glanced at her, mounted his horse, and turned it towards Princess Fu Ning's carriage.

"Take care, sir. I'll come find you tomorrow to admire the flowers together." Even after everyone had left, Achan was still waving her little handkerchief eagerly.

Two hundred taels of silver was well worth the price; thank you to the Marquis of Jinyang for their generosity.

The head maidservant by the princess's side was indeed efficient and decisive. While the caravan heading to the Lotus Garden was still moving slowly, she had already sent someone to lead several guards into the estate.

Before long, the original villagers lined up and were driven out of the village.

Achan led Chen Hui and Lin Sui into the manor to rest, and discovered that when these people left, they had even cleaned up the manor.

The steward who was sent over was worried that Achan would be getting impatient, so he came over to tell her that the new farmers would arrive in another hour, and they had all been carefully selected.

Sure enough, not long after, new villagers arrived. Ah Chan chose a shrewd and sensible man from among them to be the head of the village, and she had completely taken back the village.

After taking office, the village head immediately had someone prepare accommodations for them. When he heard that they wanted to cook for themselves, he didn't say much, but simply prepared fresh ingredients and sent them over.

After dinner, Achan enthusiastically led Chen Hui and Lin Sui to the pond to see the lotus flowers. Unfortunately, the lotus flowers here were sparse, with only a few buds growing, and it seemed that they did not intend to bloom anytime soon.

Achan was a little disappointed and said to Lin Sui, "Let's go to the Lotus Garden to admire the flowers tomorrow. We can admire the flowers in the morning and then visit your brother in the afternoon."

"Either is fine." Last year, Yao didn't bring her to the lotus viewing banquet either, so Lin Sui didn't mind looking at the flowers first before leaving.

Achan thought for a moment and then said, "I left the city in a hurry and didn't bring any gifts. I'll catch two hens from the estate tomorrow and bring them with me."

She already knew that you had to bring a gift when visiting someone's home, and in Achan's eyes, the hens running around the farm were a very high-class gift.

Lin Sui thought that her younger brother had injured his leg and should drink some chicken soup to help him recover, so she agreed.

The two reached a pleasant agreement and discussed their plans for the next day before returning to their respective rooms to rest.

The next morning, before dawn, Achan was awakened by the crowing of a rooster, and she was completely dazed.

After getting up, she changed the gifts she had ordered yesterday to a rooster and a hen. Before leaving, she asked the head of the village to tie them up so she could take them to give away when she returned. This time, she didn't feel any heartache at all.

The three of them rode in a carriage along the road beside the manor, turning several corners and walking for a while before they saw the lotus garden built against the mountain.

This lotus garden is built against the mountain and beside the water, taking in all the beautiful scenery of the mountains.

After showing their invitations, they were respectfully invited into the garden.

The lotus garden covers a vast area, with several ponds of varying sizes, each containing different varieties of lotus flowers, most of which are already in bloom. Covered walkways and pavilions have also been built over the water, providing perfect viewing spots for visitors to admire the lotus blossoms.

If you don't want to go to the pavilion to admire the flowers, you can also take a boat.

The three of them strolled around the lotus garden for more than an hour before finally boarding a boat.

As they sailed on the water, surrounded by blooming lotus flowers, Chen Hui and Lin Sui admired the beautiful scenery. Only A Chan insisted on getting off the boat, so the boatman, who had only rowed around twice, had no choice but to take them back to shore.

When Achan got ashore, her legs were weak. It was her first time on a boat, and she found herself seasick.

Seeing Ah Chan in this state, Chen Hui chuckled and helped her up with Lin Sui. They found a secluded corridor where few people passed by and let her sit on a stone bench to rest. Chen Hui then went to the kitchen to get them some food.

Lotus Garden provides food all day long; you can go to the kitchen to get something whenever you want. After Chen Hui left, it took A Chan a while to finally recover.

She leaned on Lin Sui's shoulder and whimpered, "We'll leave after we finish eating; this place is bad luck for her!"

Lin Sui, recalling the expression on A Chan's face earlier, as if she was about to be killed on the boat by the boatman, suppressed a laugh: "Didn't you say yesterday that you were going to accompany that Lord Bai to admire the flowers?"

"No, we're not meant to admire the flowers together."

"Alright." Perhaps because he was in a good mood about returning to the village, Lin Sui was unusually talkative today. "There is a pond in our village with a lot of fish in it. My brother and I used to love fishing by the pond. I can teach you how to fish in a little while. Grandma Wang San makes delicious fish."

“Okay!” Achan immediately became interested and kept asking Lin Sui what else was fun in the village.

Lin Sui recalled her past life and said to A Chan, "The children in the village would occasionally go to the back mountain to play. There were a few fruit trees on the mountain, and when the season came, everyone would go to pick fruit. However, my grandmother did not allow my younger brother and me to go up the mountain. Once, I secretly went up the mountain and got lost. It was my younger brother who secretly ran up the mountain and brought me home."

Achan listened quietly as Lin Sui recounted her childhood in the village. Her expression was unusually serene. She fondly remembered those days of poverty and hardship in the eyes of others.

"How old is your younger brother this year?" Achan asked.

“He is exactly fifteen years old this year.” Lin Sui answered without thinking. “Last year he passed the imperial examination and became a student. The teachers in the village all said that he is smart and hardworking and has a great talent for studying.”

As he spoke, Lin Sui's gentle expression gradually faded: "If it weren't for the malicious intentions of Lin Heng and his ilk who forced him to go up the mountain, he wouldn't have broken his leg, and it's uncertain whether he would have been able to continue taking the imperial examinations."

The two women were unaware that two figures were standing not far from them, having heard their conversation clearly.

When Chen Hui returned with the items, the two figures had already disappeared.

The maid supported Lin Ting's arm, her tone tinged with resentment: "No wonder Madam looks down on the eldest daughter. She really is from the countryside. She even spoke ill of the second young master for the sake of an outsider."

Lin Ting chuckled lightly: "Isn't this a good thing? If she doesn't say anything, how will Second Brother know how much his own sister resents him?"

The two passed through a hanging flower gate, and in the garden in front, many young men and women were gathered and playing games.

Lin Ting's gaze swept across the crowd, and she immediately spotted Lin Heng, who was dressed in a bright red riding and archery uniform. She whispered to her maid, "Tell Second Brother what you heard in a moment."

“Miss, you want to…” The maid’s eyes lit up.

Lin Ting stopped talking and, together with her maid, came to Lin Heng's side, who was competing in archery with his friend.

Lin Heng put down his bow and arrow, turned around and saw Lin Ting. He smiled and asked, "Why did you come here? Didn't you dislike these games?"

Lin Ting said, "I didn't find anything interesting with my mother, so I came to find my second brother."

She hesitated for a moment, then added, "I saw my elder sister in the garden just now."

Hearing her mention Lin Sui, Lin Heng frowned, his expression clearly displeased: "How did she get in?"

"I don't know, maybe someone brought her in."

Lin Ting spoke casually, glancing at the maid beside her. The maid stepped forward and said angrily, "Second Young Master, I didn't want to say this, but the Eldest Miss mentioned you when she was talking to someone..."

What did she say about me?

“She told others that you are vicious and that it was all your fault that her brother could not take the imperial examination.”

Lin Heng laughed angrily: "Fine, I didn't kill that little beast back then, and instead she resented me. Does a peasant like me think he can pass the imperial examination?"

Lin Ting waved her hand, telling the maid to step back. After the maid left, she stepped forward and whispered to comfort Lin Heng: "Second brother, why bother with eldest sister? You know she grew up in the countryside and didn't get much schooling. It's normal that she doesn't have any affection for her family."

Lin Heng snorted coldly: "Mother has brought her home for two years, and she still hasn't made any progress. I think she's an ingrate. People like her shouldn't be kept in the manor."

Lin Ting sighed, "It's a pity that my mother has such a loving heart. My eldest sister only treats her younger brother in the countryside as family. I just heard her say that she seems to be going to the village to visit her brother."

Lin Heng's expression was gloomy, as if he was thinking about something.

Seeing this, Lin Ting advised, "What's the point of Second Brother competing in archery in the garden? Why don't we all go play in the mountains together? Last time you went hunting in the mountains, you had an accident and didn't bring back the little rabbit you promised me. You can't break your promise this time."

Lin Ting's words persuaded Lin Heng. He had never been interested in flower viewing, and he wouldn't have come if his mother hadn't said he had to attend such an occasion, and if several of his friends hadn't also come.

“Alright.” After a moment’s thought, Lin Heng agreed. He said in a somewhat sinister tone, “Perfect timing. We need a guide for our hunt in the mountains. That kid’s leg has been healing for a while now, it should be better by now.”

Lin Ting watched as Lin Heng started calling out to his friends and discussing going hunting in the mountains together, and covered the smile that was spilling from the corner of her mouth with her handkerchief.

Destroying Lin Sui is actually quite easy; all you need to do is eliminate the person she cares about most. With her volatile temper, once she finds out that this matter is related to her second brother, she will inevitably take her anger out on everyone in the Lin family. Once this matter blows up, she will only sever all ties with the Lin family.

Lin Ting knew from the beginning how to manipulate Lin Sui; otherwise, she wouldn't have so easily alienated her from her mother. Her mother hated it most when others disobeyed her, yet Lin Sui thought she was her mother's biological daughter and acted without restraint—what a fool!

Once her second brother clears the obstacles for her, even if her father is reluctant to part with his biological daughter, he will eventually be hurt by Lin Sui's words. If her father is disappointed in her, what is Lin Sui anyway?

Lin Sui didn't want her to stay in the Lin family. Did she want the Lin family to have another Lin Sui? She grew up in the Lin family since she was a child, and the Lin mansion was her home.

General Anxi could only have one daughter, and that was Lin Ting.