"Make way! It's officials escorting prisoners out of the capital!" Someone shouted, and the crowd parted like a flood.
Everyone looked up and saw a haggard-looking Prime Minister Wei sitting in a prison cart. His eyes were empty and unfocused, and his gray hair was disheveled. His hands were shackled, and the cangue around his neck was almost touching the roof of the cart.
The man who once held absolute power in the capital, wielding immense influence and arrogance, now appears utterly dejected, as if he has aged ten years.
On either side of the prison cart were officials with swords at their sides. Perhaps because the journey was long and they had to reach the Northwest before the heavy snow blocked the roads, the prison cart was pulled by two horses, and the officials escorting the prison cart rode strong horses.
People cast resentful glances at the people in the prison van.
A woman reached her hand into the bamboo basket she was using to buy groceries.
"Forget it, it wouldn't be good if the officers got hit," someone next to the woman quickly said, trying to stop her.
The prison cart was lined with guards on both sides. If anyone threw rotten vegetable leaves or eggs at the guards, they would all be thrown at them.
"Pah! The air in the capital is much fresher without the Wei family."
“In the past, the Wei family bullied men and women. In a few days, everyone should go to the brothel and see if there are any Wei family girls or wives there. I will definitely go and treat them well!” a man shouted at the prison cart.
It is said that killing someone is like destroying their spirit. Upon hearing this, the person in the prison cart trembled slightly and closed his eyes in pain.
Another man, as if he had discovered what words could hurt the people in the prison cart, also shouted, "If any of the Wei family's wives end up in a brothel, I will definitely go and have my way with them, and let her taste what it's like to be a bride every night."
You can't throw away rotten vegetable leaves; everyone can vent their anger.
The anger of the crowd gradually subsided only after the prison van had driven far away.
Behind the crowd, a woman wearing a veil swayed slightly and stepped on a woman's instep as she hastily retreated.
"ah!"
The woman exclaimed and shoved the woman in front of her, yelling, "Are you blind? If you're blind, don't wear a veil to hide yourself, like you're ashamed to be seen by others."
"You shrew! Don't spew nonsense! My lady just accidentally bumped into you, what's the big deal!" The old woman beside her helped the woman to her feet and then started yelling at her with her hands on her hips.
"Hmph! Madam, what kind of lady goes out like a thief? She's probably someone's mistress, isn't she?"
The woman was equally unceremonious, giving the woman in the veiled hat a disdainful look before retorting with a barrage of insults.
"You lowly commoner! Who are you calling a mistress? My wife is..."
Seeing that the old woman was about to say her last words, the woman in the veil pulled her back, saying, "Don't say anymore, let's go back."
"Madam, that vile woman's mouth is like it's been smeared with arsenic, it's so venomous. She called you a mistress, and this old servant really wants to tear her stinking mouth apart."
The old woman grew anxious, but the woman in the veiled hat grew even more anxious. Without a word, she grabbed the old woman and hurried away.
Everyone around looked at the master and servant who were hurrying away.
Someone remarked, "What lady goes out without a carriage? Could it be the young lady from the Wei family?"
"That's right, that's right. Look at that dress, it's made of the finest brocade. Why isn't she riding in a carriage? It must be the women of Prime Minister Wei's family who secretly came to see her off."
"Should we follow her and see where she lives?" a man said with an extremely lewd smile.
"Don't even think about it. I heard the Wei family has all left the city. I wonder if they've gone to stay with distant relatives or gone back to their old house in the countryside." An old man's words shattered the man's dream.
On the other side, Granny Qu was pulled along by Madam Yang, walking quickly until they left the crowd a street behind before slowing down.
After crossing the street corner, turn into a small alley leading to the Minister's Mansion.
Yang lifted her veil, clutching her chest and panting heavily.
"Madam, the second young lady is so clever. She escaped from the Wei family the night before. Look at the Wei family now, they're like rats crossing the street, so pathetic!" Granny Qu looked around in lingering fear.
Fortunately, no one was passing by in or out of the alley.
Madam Yang paused for a moment and then sighed, "Alas! My beloved daughter is truly unfortunate. She finally managed to climb into the Prime Minister's household, but now she has nothing left."
"Madam, please don't worry. The second young lady has already retrieved the Yellow Register. We insist that we have never been related to the Wei family by marriage, and no one can do anything about it."
"But she has lost her innocence, so it will be difficult for her to marry into a wealthy family in the future." Madam Yang's face was full of worry.
"Madam need not worry. No wedding banquet was held when the Second Miss entered the Prime Minister's residence. Not many people know the inside story. The physician of the residence prescribed an abortion medicine for the Second Miss to take to the estate. After a year or two, when the Second Miss recovers, she will still be the Second Miss of the Minister's residence when she returns to the capital."
The relationship between Yang and Jiang Zhengming has improved somewhat. Granny Qu is confident that although there are many matchmakers coming to the Minister's mansion to propose marriage, they are either widows from Shuangju or plain-looking unmarried old maids.
Jiang Zhengming has outstanding features and is tall. He is neither fat nor thin and gives people a refined and gentle feeling. If he stands in a crowd, he will definitely stand out from the crowd and attract attention.
My former wife was exceptionally beautiful, with bright eyes, white teeth, and a gentle and dignified demeanor.
The concubines in the backyard were also beautiful, with graceful figures and still charming. How could he possibly be interested in those ugly women?
Granny Qu was certain that the position of the principal wife would still belong to Madam Yang in the future, and she kept calling her "Madam" without the master reprimanding her for being improper.
"Well, now that things have come to this, we can only take it one step at a time. Let's go back first, so we can help receive any matchmakers who come to our door."
Qu Pozi naturally understood what Yang meant by "reception." Since Yang didn't show up, Qu Pozi and several maids in the mansion were responsible for putting a bad word about the matchmaker.
"Isn't Madam going to Jishetang?" Granny Qu asked.
Madam Yang's face immediately turned ugly. "I'm not going. He's just making things up, saying he saw her in the palace. I don't believe it. The Imperial Medical Academy is a prestigious institution; how dare a quack doctor like her interfere?"
Jiang Zhengming saw Jiang Shuyue's back in the palace, and later he found out about the Imperial Medical Academy's assessment.
The new emperor invited her to the palace, which shows that she has learned real skills in the past few years.
Jiang Zhengming truly regretted his hasty decision. If his eldest daughter were still in the Minister's residence, given the new emperor's appreciation of her, he wouldn't have to live in constant fear, worrying that the Prime Minister's affairs would implicate him.
After some deliberation, he asked Yang to step in and ease the tension. Little did he know that Yang's previous concern and closeness towards Jiang Shuyue were all just an act in front of him.
Not wanting to run into a snag, Granny Qu quickly followed Yang's steps, flatteringly saying, "What you say is true, Madam. How could the imperial physicians in the palace be any less skilled than her? Everyone praises her as if she were a miracle worker. In my opinion, she has only learned some deceptive tricks from quack doctors."
The master and servant walked through the alley and then across the street, where they could see a group of passersby standing and watching in front of the Minister's Mansion.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
