Chapter 12 Achan thought it was just a very ordinary farewell.
"Ji Chan, how can you be so shameless!" Madam Xue said angrily.
"Lady Xue became the Marquis's mistress back then, wasn't she also shameless? It's just that you have poor judgment. You waited all these years, until you were old and faded, before entering the Marquis's mansion. Who knows if someone will replace you in another two years?" When it comes to being infuriating, A-Chan is second to none.
"You..." Madam Xue felt dizzy. How come she never realized Ji Chan was so difficult to deal with before?
If I had known this would happen, I should have killed her in the inner quarters back then! Now that she's been released, she dares to be so unscrupulous in front of me.
Achan turned around, the petals outlined in gold thread on her skirt shimmering in the sunlight, and said in a light voice, "Madam Xue, please don't keep me waiting too long."
After Achan had been gone for a while, the maid who had been sent aside carefully stepped forward to help Xue Shi.
She asked with concern, "Madam, are you alright?"
Madam Xue gritted her teeth and said, word by word, "It's alright, let's go back."
"yes."
Ah Chan carried the food she had bought back home. As for whether she could get back Lin's dowry, it was definitely not going to happen this time. Someone like Xue would not act until she saw the benefits. She might believe her own words, but without evidence, she would never let go of the benefits she had already obtained.
When she will receive her dowry depends on when her destiny with Lord Bai will arrive.
After returning home, Achan shared the flower cakes she had bought with Xiaolin and Sun Mama. The two accepted them with smiles, but Xiaolin only took one bite before letting out a cry and clutching her stomach.
"Aunt, what's wrong?" Achan was startled and quickly went over to ask.
"It's nothing." Madam Lin waved her hand and handed the flower cake to Mama Sun. "I don't know what's wrong, but this child has been especially fussy lately. He kicks me every now and then."
When Achan noticed that her stomach was bulging out from time to time, she couldn't help but frown: "Has Auntie seen a doctor recently? What did the doctor say?"
"No need to see a doctor. I've already given birth to two children, how could I not know what's going on?" Mrs. Lin said nonchalantly.
"What two?" Zhao Wenyue had just finished offering incense and came out of the Flower Goddess Temple. When she saw the pastries in Achan's hands and the roasted chestnuts in her arms, she pouted with some disdain.
"It's nothing. Do you and Achan want to go play for a while longer?" Ms. Lin asked gently.
"I don't want to play anymore, I want to go home." Zhao Wenyue walked to Xiaolin's side, took her arm, and gently shook it, as if she were being coquettish.
"Okay, whatever you say."
On the way down the mountain, several ladies came to talk to Madam Kobayashi, but Madam Kobayashi was rather cold and dismissed them after saying only a few casual words.
After they had gone some distance, Madam Lin said to Achan, "These families are all below the fifth rank. Perhaps they don't have many children and want to take advantage of others. They're really dreaming."
Those who came to ask had all inquired about Ji Chan's identity. While they looked down on Ji Chan's reputation, they also felt that since she was the legitimate daughter of a noble family and had been raised by the Marquis's family for so many years, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring her into their household.
"So what if someone is below the fifth rank? Maybe they're ambitious." Zhao Wenyue couldn't help but mutter.
"You've been corrupted by your father's stubborn thinking. Of course, you should marry someone of higher status. Do you really expect him to get promoted and become rich after you marry him? That's a pipe dream. Why should such a good thing fall into your lap?"
“When you married my father, he was just a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).” Zhao Wenyue retorted, unconvinced.
“If it weren’t for your maternal grandparents’ family…” Mrs. Lin paused, “do you think there are many good men like your father in this world?”
She poked Zhao Wenyue's forehead. Although her tone was harsh, she didn't start arguing about the topic like before.
The mother and daughter walked ahead, supporting each other and surrounded by maids, while Achan and Granny Sun followed behind.
The group returned to the city after noon. Although they had eaten roasted chestnuts and flower cakes along the way, they still felt hungry because they hadn't eaten any other food. Not to mention, the aroma of food wafting from the restaurants lining the roads was incredibly tempting.
Ms. Kobayashi called for the coachman to stop, and the carriages behind also came to a halt.
Madam Sun hurriedly got out of the carriage and went to Madam Lin's carriage to ask, "Madam, has something happened?"
"It's alright. We've been walking all this way and everyone's hungry. Let's have lunch at Zhiweilou today," she said, pointing to a restaurant by the roadside.
Zhiweilou is considered one of the top restaurants in the capital. As soon as the carriage stopped, the waiter greeted them with a smile, arranging for someone to set up the carriage while leading them inside.
Madam Lin was not a harsh mistress. She sent several maids and grooms to eat at another table, and asked Granny Sun to stay and sit with them.
She ordered six dishes, two of which were fish: a fish soup and a pan-fried fish. According to Sun's mother, the other four dishes were all Zhao Wenyue's favorites.
Achan doesn't have any particular preference for food other than chicken. The chef at Zhiweilou is quite skilled, and she thinks every dish is delicious.
Zhao Wenyue seemed quite satisfied, but after taking a sip of the fish soup, Xiao Lin immediately spat it out.
"Madam, what's wrong?" Mama Sun quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
"What kind of fish soup is this? It has no flavor at all!" Mrs. Lin said unhappily, calling over the waiter. The waiter then went to the manager, who finally smiled apologetically and took the soup away, saying he would give them another bowl.
When the second bowl was served, she still said it had no taste.
Zhao Wenyue curiously scooped up a bowl of milky white fish soup, took a sip, and looked at Xiao Linshi in confusion: "Isn't this very fresh? Why does Mother say it has no taste?"
After listening to Zhao Wenyue's words, Achan and Sun's mother also scooped up a spoonful of soup and tasted it. Just as Zhao Wenyue said, the fish soup tasted very delicious.
"Perhaps the fish here is cooked too blandly and doesn't suit Madam's taste. Let's have the cook prepare fish for Madam when we get back to the manor," Madam Sun reassured her.
She thought about how the fish that Madam Kobayashi had eaten before was always cooked in a rich, dark sauce. Because the fish had a strong fishy smell, this method helped to mask the other flavors, which Madam Kobayashi loved. Now, with this clear broth and bland sauce, it was no wonder that she said it had no taste.
"All right."
When the golden and crispy fried fish was served, Ms. Kobayashi only picked up a piece of fish to taste it before stopping, clearly indicating that the dish still did not satisfy her.
Perhaps because she didn't get to eat fish at noon, Ms. Kobayashi was in a bad mood.
After lunch, she had the carriage take Achan back to Changpingfang.
Upon arrival, Achan alighted from the carriage and, seeing that Madam Lin had lifted the curtain, stepped forward to approach her.
Kobayashi's complexion didn't look too good, but she still spoke to Achan in a gentle tone: "I heard from Mama Sun that you caught a cold a few days ago. You should take good care of yourself when you get back."
"Achan understands. Please take care of yourself, Aunt."
"Alright, you've had a long day, go back and rest. I'll have Granny Sun pick you up to come to our mansion another day." After saying this, Madam Lin lowered the carriage curtain, and the Zhao family's carriage slowly drove away.
Asan thought it was just a very ordinary farewell.
A few days later, just past dusk, as darkness fell outside, Achan was at home researching incense recipes to repel rats and insects, wondering where to find the main incense, when the Mingjing Guard suddenly came to her door.
The leader was an unfamiliar face, burly with fierce eyes, and wearing a commander's badge around his waist.
The man knocked on the door impatiently. When Achan removed the latch, he slammed the door open and glared down at her: "Are you Ji Chan?"
"Yes, sir. What do you want with me?" Achan asked, puzzled. Had she gotten into trouble again? It seemed she hadn't offended the Mingjing Division recently.
Do you know Lin Xiaoqiao?
"Huh?" Achan tried desperately to recall the name, but she had never heard it before.
The man frowned and repeated, "Lin Xiaoqiao, the wife of Zhao Ming, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, don't you know her?"
Ah Chan then realized what was happening and hurriedly said, "I know her, she's my aunt. What happened to her?"
"She is dead. Anyone who had contact with her needs to be questioned."
"Are we going to the Mingjing Division for questioning?"
Jiang Kai raised an eyebrow in surprise. How could this girl remain so calm upon hearing the name of the Mingjing Division?
"No need, let's go to the Zhao residence, our master is there."
Achan followed a group of Mingjing Guards out of the house and hadn't even realized what was happening when Xiaolinshi was dead?
She had a strong sense of unreality. Just a few days ago, they had celebrated the Flower Festival together. How could they have died so suddenly?
Since the Mingjing Division has intervened, there must be something unusual about Kobayashi's death. But who exactly killed her?
Achan followed the guards of the Mingjing Division to the Zhao residence. The gates of the Zhao residence were wide open, the gatekeeper was nowhere to be seen, and the pair of red lanterns hanging at the entrance were not lit. After walking a while inside, they did not encounter a single maid or servant.
Upon entering the main courtyard, which was brightly lit, one could see almost all of the Zhao family's masters and servants.
Standing in the courtyard were Zhao Ming, Achan's uncle whom she hadn't had a chance to see before, and Zhao's siblings.
Zhao Ming had an ordinary appearance, but his two children looked somewhat like him. He possessed the refined air of a scholar, appearing much more composed and calm than his timid children huddled to the side.
Madam Sun and several of Xiao Lin's personal maids were also present. Madam Sun's hands and body seemed to be covered in blood, and her eyes were swollen.
Apart from the Zhao family, the rest were all from the Mingjing Division.
When Achan was brought here, Zhao Ming saw her at a glance, but he didn't go up to speak. Everyone waited patiently.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, several people came out of the main room, their shoes leaving bloody footprints on the steps.
The leader was tall and slender, dressed in a bright red official robe, with a sword at his waist and his left hand resting on the hilt of the sword; he was Bai Xiuming.
The two men behind Bai Xiuming were carrying a large urn, which was sealed with a seal and stamped with an official seal.
It was unclear what was inside; it seemed to be a living creature, constantly pounding against the walls of the urn.
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