Chapter 11 Lord Bai, are you really willing to not help me?
"Young Master Xue, Madam Xue, what a coincidence to meet you here." Upon seeing Xue Mingtang, Zhao Wenyue immediately forgot about her mother.
Madam Xue smiled slightly at Zhao Wenyue: "Miss Zhao, did you come with your sisters? Why are you dressed so simply for fun?"
The sisters she was referring to were naturally Ah Chan, who was standing to the side.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenyue looked at Achan with venom in her eyes, while inwardly blaming her mother for only taking care of Ji Chan and not making any plans for her own daughter, causing her to lose face in front of Xue Mingtang's sister.
Ah Chan finally understood why Ji Chan had ended up in this situation. Xue Shi's words were meant to provoke, and she did it so subtly. It seemed that this was how she had dealt with Ji Chan in the first place.
First, gradually erode the Marquis of Jinyang's feelings for Ji Chan, then drive her out of the house, and finally make her disappear.
The human heart is unpredictable; Ah Chan understood this long ago.
Just because Zhao Wenyue couldn't see through Xue Shi's true colors doesn't mean that Xiao Lin Shi couldn't.
She snorted coldly: "Not as good as Madam Xue. Marquis Jinyang isn't here, yet you're dressed up so extravagantly. I wonder which of your children's fathers you're here to meet?"
Ah Chan chuckled, and when she saw someone looking over, she raised her sleeve to cover herself, but she couldn't hide her schadenfreude.
Even though Madam Xue was usually very patient, she was so angry at Madam Lin's words that her face turned pale.
Xue's two children stared intently at Xiao Lin and Ji Chan, as if they wanted to say something, but she stopped them by raising her hand.
Madam Xue glanced at Madam Lin's belly and said coldly, "Madam Zhao should watch her words for the sake of her unborn child."
"I have no guilty conscience, so I don't need to accumulate good deeds. I suppose Madam Xue spends her days praying to gods and Buddhas at home?"
After saying that, Madam Lin glared at her daughter: "Wen Yue, A Chan, hurry up and follow us."
"Mother~" Zhao Wenyue was in a dilemma, but seeing that in addition to their two families, there were other people pointing and watching the commotion, she felt her face burning and quickly followed her mother up the mountain.
Achan didn't feel ashamed at all. When Kobayashi talked to people she disliked, it was really refreshing.
Seeing that Achan and the others continued to walk forward, Xue Shi had no intention of following them, but simply watched Achan's graceful back with a cold gaze.
She had just noticed that many young men around her were looking at Ji Chan.
How come I never noticed when we were in the Marquis's residence? This Ji Chan is quite the charmer. And then there's Madam Lin. Madam Lin never seemed to have any contact with her while she was alive, but now that she's dead, she's suddenly become interested in Madam Lin's daughter.
"Mother, they've gone too far. We must tell Father when we get home," Xue Ying said with heartache, looking at the silent Xue Shi.
"Alright, don't tell your father about this little thing." Her husband was already uneasy about driving Ji Chan away, so of course she wouldn't let anyone mention Ji Chan to him.
After being scolded by her mother, Xue Ying turned around and tugged at Xue Mingtang's sleeve: "Uncle, then you help my mother teach them a lesson."
Xue Zhao, who was standing nearby, spoke up to stop her: "Alright, Yingying, stop bothering your uncle."
Xue Mingtang patted Xue Ying's head: "Okay, Uncle will help Yingying teach them a lesson."
“Mingtang.” Madam Xue looked at her younger brother. Didn’t he say that Ji Chan was suspected of having people from the Mingjing Division behind her? How dare she still make a move?
"Don't worry, sister, I have a plan."
Soon, Achan and her group arrived at the Flower Goddess Temple, a small temple where many young girls were queuing up to offer incense.
Outside the temple gate, there were stalls selling plum blossoms. A branch of plum blossoms cost two coins. When people offered incense, they would throw the branch into a pair of jade vases in front of the Flower Goddess. Whoever threw the branch into the correct vase would receive the Flower Goddess's blessing this year.
Mrs. Lin was a little tired from walking up, so she sat down on a stone stool to rest. She asked Mrs. Sun to buy two flower branches for her daughter and niece and to have them line up to offer incense to the Flower Goddess.
Achan took the flowers and went to the back of the crowd to join the queue, but Zhao Wenyue threw the flower on the ground and stomped on it hard.
The mother and daughter started arguing again because of the Xue family's matter.
Zhao Wenyue accused Xiaolin of being rude to the Xue family, and Xiaolin called Zhao Wenyue stupid. The two argued until Zhao Wenyue stormed off in a huff.
Madam Sun hurriedly sent her maid to chase after them, while she stayed behind to comfort Madam Lin.
Achan followed the crowd slowly into the Flower Goddess Temple. She first offered incense and then threw flower branches, but unfortunately, she was not strong enough and the flower branch hit the mouth of the bottle and did not go in.
The girl behind Achan in line let out a regretful "Ah!"
When Achan came out, she was surprised to find that Zhao Wenyue had not returned yet.
She walked to Grandma Sun's side and asked in a low voice, "Grandma Sun, hasn't Wen Yue come back yet?"
Madam Sun said, "One of the second young lady's maids just returned. She said she was picking out jade hairpins at the stall on the other side, probably to apologize to the madam."
The two were talking about Zhao Wenyue when she returned.
Whether it was because she was in a good mood after buying things or because she had come to terms with things, Zhao Wenyue had a smile on her face and was holding a white jade hairpin in her hand.
To Achan's surprise, the jade hairpin was actually of good quality.
How could she buy such fine jade in a place like this? Achan suspected she had been scammed.
Ms. Lin was probably worried about this too. When she asked, she found out that the stall owner only asked her for five taels of silver.
Seeing that Madam Lin kept asking questions, Zhao Wenyue became a little impatient: "Oh, Mother, stop asking. The shopkeeper said he was destined to sell me this hairpin. I'll put it on for you."
The jade hairpin was carved with irregular cloud patterns, which didn't really match the ornate gold hairpin inlaid with gemstones that Ms. Kobayashi was wearing. However, Ms. Kobayashi kept touching the jade hairpin, clearly showing that she liked her daughter's gift very much.
Perhaps he felt that his daughter had become sensible and knew to buy her gifts to please her, and that she would be happy no matter what he gave her.
When Zhao Wenyue's mood improved, a smile appeared on Xiaolin's face. She specially picked out a flower for her daughter and asked her to offer incense to the Flower Goddess. This time, Zhao Wenyue finally obeyed.
Seeing Ah Chan looking on expectantly, Madam Lin beckoned her over. When she came closer, she slipped two silver ingots to Ah Chan: "Don't just stand here. Go and wander around and see if there's anything you like that you can buy."
She brought Ah Chan here today mainly to make an appearance; if she has designs on someone, she'll naturally find out more later.
Ah Chan accepted the money from Madam Lin and obediently went.
She was quite interested in the jade hairpin that Zhao Wenyue had bought, and went to the location the maid had told her about, but there were no jade hairpins for sale there at all.
Curious, she asked the owner of the nearby velvet flower shop.
"Boss, where did the person who was selling jade hairpins here go?"
The shop owner replied without looking up, "Oh, him? He's already closed up shop, he just came over for a little while."
"Are the jade hairpins at that stall selling well?"
"No, he only sold one. The old man whispered to the girl who bought the hairpin for a long time. I don't know what he said, but he made the girl smile and then she took out five taels of silver. I think he was probably cheated."
Achan pondered, feeling that something was off about the matter. Why did that person seem to be targeting Zhao Wenyue?
When she asked the stall owner about his whereabouts again, he didn't know either, so she had to give up.
She wandered around the various stalls again, and when she saw someone selling flower cakes, she bought some. On her way back, she saw someone selling roasted chestnuts and bought a bag of those too.
Unfortunately, on her way back to find Madam Lin, she ran into Madam Xue again.
This time, Madam Xue was accompanied only by a maid; no one else followed her.
As the saying goes, enemies meet on a narrow road; the two saw each other and neither gave way.
However, it was Xue's maid who stepped forward and said rudely, "Miss, you're blocking our Lady of the Marquis's way. Get out of the way!"
If Ji Chan heard the title "Madam Hou," she would be very upset. Ah Chan couldn't help but think that Madam Xue really understood Ji Chan, knowing exactly where the pain lay.
Sadly, that kind-hearted girl is already dead.
"What a coincidence, I have something to say to Madam Hou."
Madam Xue looked at Achan, who was neither humble nor arrogant and whose smile never faded, and narrowed her eyes slightly.
She looked around and, seeing no one under the tree, walked over first, followed by Achan.
"Speak your mind."
"My mother's dowry is still at the Marquis's residence. I hope that when the Marquis's wife has some free time, she can have someone send it to me." Achan went straight to the point, asking Madam Xue for Madam Lin's dowry.
Madam Xue scoffed, "Who do you think you are to make demands of me? Your mother committed adultery and was expelled from the Marquis's household long ago. Her dowry also belongs to the Marquis's household."
"Is that so? Then I'll have no choice but to go and beat the drum to appeal. Let me think, what should I accuse him of? I'll accuse the Marquis of Jinyang of disregarding the law and trying to pass off his illegitimate son as the legitimate heir to the Marquis's mansion." Achan laughed as she spoke, then whispered in Xue's ear, "Your son will not only fail to become the heir of the Marquis's mansion, but he probably won't even be able to leave the house anymore. And your daughter, do you think she might commit suicide out of shame and indignation?"
Achan knew that in the Great Xia Dynasty, the title of nobility was inherited by the younger brother upon the death of the elder brother, by the legitimate son upon the death of the concubine, and even by collateral relatives, but children born out of wedlock were not included in this category.
"How dare you!" Madam Xue roared in fury.
"Of course I dare." Achan's words were like needles piercing Xue's heart. "You make my life difficult, so I'll make sure no one has a good life. You say my mother committed adultery, but you can't find the adulterer. I say you had an affair with the Marquis of Jinyang, and your two children are the evidence."
Madam Xue pinched her own palm, finally regaining her senses.
She scoffed, "You think you're so great? Do you think anyone will believe you? Even if someone did, they wouldn't dare speak up for you."
Achan blinked, her thick eyelashes trembling like fans, and her words almost startled the Mingjing Guard hiding in the tree so much that he fell down.
She said, "Others dare not help me, but Lord Bai can't bear not to help me."
Madam Xue's expression changed abruptly as she recalled what her younger brother had told her earlier. Ji Chan had somehow become involved with the Mingjing Division; he had previously referred to Feng Yang, the commander of the Mingjing Division, but in Ji Chan's words, he had become Bai Xiuming, the garrison commander?
Moreover, their words were full of ambiguity.
"Ji Chan, don't try to drag people you can't afford to offend into this mess just for that little bit of dowry."
"Comparable to the Lady of the Marquis, my relationship with Lord Bai can at most be considered physical intimacy. Unlike the Lady of the Marquis, who even bore him two children."
Achan thought to herself, if a human woman is touched by a man, it is considered to have physical intimacy. She was whipped by that man, and her skin was torn and bleeding. That also counts as being touched. How can it not be considered physical intimacy?
He wouldn't let himself use Feng Yang, so he'd use his reputation instead; after all, the Xue family wouldn't dare ask him. It's a pity he couldn't find out his name; otherwise, it would have been more believable.
Seeing that Achan's words were becoming increasingly outrageous, the Mingjing Guard hiding above couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.
During the few days he had been monitoring her, he thought this Miss Ji was gentle and kind, but he never expected her to be so unruly and to take such an unorthodox path.
According to the rules, he had to record everything Ji Chan said and did each day and submit it.
He couldn't even imagine how terrifying the governor's expression would be when today's records were delivered to him.
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