3. This is going to be interesting.
◎Go to the government office to argue your case.◎
Cui Xun stood at the back of the crowd, his eyebrows slightly raised, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. How come he didn't remember that the Prime Minister Hua's mansion had anyone skilled in medicine...
"I never expected the second young lady of the Prime Minister's residence to be so capable," a young man who looked like a scholar praised.
Immediately afterward, someone scoffed, "It's too early to say how amazing it is. Who knows if she's just spouting nonsense? What if she ends up crippling someone..."
These words reached the ears of the man in blue, and his already pale face turned even paler. He pushed Hua Yao away, saying, "You'd better not touch my leg. If I'm crippled, what will happen to my family?"
"Miss!" Pianzhu rushed over in a panic, but she was still a step too late.
Fu Changqing reached out and helped Hua Yao up. "What are you saying? She was just trying to save someone. How can you be so rude?"
Upon seeing this, someone in the crowd raised their voice even louder.
"Everyone can see clearly that in broad daylight, an unmarried woman is being so intimate with a man; it is truly immoral."
Hua Yao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman in coarse clothes. She glanced around and found that there were several people leading the way.
“Exactly,” someone chimed in, “I heard she eloped with someone the other day and got caught. With that kind of character…”
A man seemed to remember something, “Yes, I saw her at Linyun Tower a few days ago, but I bought some wine and left. I don’t know if I was mistaken.”
"I heard that the third daughter of the Prime Minister's family has already been asked to marry, while the second daughter behaves improperly every day..."
The accusations came like a tidal wave. She hadn't suffered cyberbullying in the 21st century, but here in this godforsaken place, she was being verbally abused to her face.
She only wants to go home, so she doesn't want to care about many things. But that doesn't mean she can let others take advantage of her.
She had been selfish before, only thinking of herself. Now, with all this gossip and the original second young lady returning, how was she going to face it? She couldn't let them do as they pleased.
She gave a very faint twitch at the corner of her lips, a look of worldly-wise sorrow.
As she slowly stood up, Pianzhu quickly helped her up and used a soft handkerchief to wipe away the medicine residue on her hands, but some medicine juice was still not completely removed.
Hua Yao glanced at the man in blue sitting on the ground, but never said anything harsh to him.
She looked directly at the woman in coarse clothes, her voice calm and unhurried, "Indecent... Whose indecent behavior? Whose vulgarity? Yours?" Her gaze then shifted to a woman beside her, "Or yours?"
The surroundings suddenly became quieter.
"You say I eloped with someone? Who is that person? Can you tell me?"
The woman stammered, as if she wanted to refute something, but couldn't utter a single word.
“We are both women. If one day this filth is thrown on you, you will not be able to defend yourself even if you have a hundred mouths.”
"Or do you think that the world treats women the best? It has long prepared an invisible gilded cage for them."
"The cage was carved with patterns of 'virtuous and gentle,' and adorned with a golden lock that read 'supporting one's husband and educating one's children.' Inside, there was a soft cushion that read 'a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent.' How exquisite and thoughtful! All one needs to do is fold one's wings and soften one's voice to gain a lifetime of peace. Isn't this an immense blessing?"
She then changed the subject, "By the way, who did you do this favor to be standing here today? Once I find out, you can go to the authorities to explain yourself."
The woman turned pale with fright. Normally, she would never dare to speak ill of the Prime Minister's daughter.
After Hua Yao finished speaking, she turned her head and glanced at the man sitting on the ground again. "If you are afraid that I will cripple you, I can take these off now and restore your legs to their original state."
Seeing that she wasn't joking, the man's eyes darted away, "No, no, no, no, no..."
Fu Changqing looked at Hua Yao; she was nothing like the immoral and unruly woman his mother had described. He smiled faintly, his heart burning with passion.
...
"Please make way, everyone." A voice rang out from the back of the crowd.
Hearing the voice, the whispering crowd turned around involuntarily. When they saw who it was, they all made way, bowed, and clenched their fists in front of their chests.
"Why has the Duke of Jin come?" someone whispered with lowered eyes.
"Yes, why did he come? Did this matter even alarm the higher-ups?"
"Didn't you see? He just controlled the mad horse."
Amidst whispered conversations, Cui Xun walked slowly, followed by Qin Feng, bringing with him an invisible pressure.
Upon seeing Cui Xun, Fu Changqing clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed slightly, saying, "Duke Jin."
Is it him? When Hua Yao saw him stand in the crowd, she raised her hand and waved it gently, and everyone stood up straight.
That day, after leaving Linyun Tower, she learned from Pianzhu that this person was Duke Jin, Cui Xun, who was arrogant and ruthless.
His gaze first swept over the man curled up on the ground, then lightly swept over the few women with shifty eyes beside him, before looking away after just one glance.
Finally, his gaze fell on Hua Yao.
Big brother, don't look at me...
He smiled slightly, his voice steady and devoid of emotion, "Miss Hua is skilled and kind-hearted, calm in the face of danger, and quite courageous."
Upon hearing this, Hua Yao gave a slight curtsy according to etiquette, revealing a professional fake smile, "Lord Jin, you flatter me."
After a moment of silence, Cui Xun shifted his gaze from her to the silent crowd, his authority spreading with his words, "According to the laws of this dynasty, those who spread rumors and mislead the public shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane and the loss of all their property, or exiled a thousand miles away."
"I'd like to see whether your mouths are faster or I can arrest people faster."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd seemed to be whipped by an invisible lash, and no one dared to respond.
People immediately started shoving each other, heads down, and quickly dispersed. A few others lifted the man who had been hit and left without looking back. In an instant, the street became somewhat empty.
At this moment, Qin Yan walked quickly over from a distance, leaned close to Cui Xun's ear, and whispered a few words.
Upon hearing this, he raised an almost imperceptible eyebrow and a faint smile curved his lips, as if he had heard something amusing.
His gaze seemingly casually swept over Hua Yao, who stood quietly to the side, and the smile in his eyes vanished in an instant.
"It seems I'll have to go there myself."
With their clothes fluttering, the three strode away.
Hua Yao watched the receding figure. This person was no ordinary person; she would have to avoid him in the future.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, she realized the space beside her was empty. She frowned and looked around in confusion. Where was Pianzhu? She had been here just a moment ago, but now she was nowhere to be seen.
"Second Miss Hua." As I pondered, a gentle male voice came from the side.
Hua Yao glanced to the side and saw a man in white standing a few steps away. He was the one who had helped treat the injured person earlier.
"Thank you for today, young master." She nodded, her manners impeccable. However, her gaze couldn't help but sweep around her surroundings.
"I never expected that Miss Hua would have such courage."
"You flatter me, sir."
After a few pleasantries, I caught a glimpse of Pianzhu running over from the other side of the street.
"Girl!" She held up the wet handkerchief in her hand.
Seeing Pianzhu running over, Fu Changqing didn't want to disturb the two of them. "Second Miss Hua, it's getting late, so I'll take my leave now."
"Young Master Fu, please take your time."
Hua Yao turned her head and saw Pian Zhu running up to her. "Miss, I saw that the medicine on your hands wasn't clean, so I dipped them in some water and wiped them for you."
Her heart softened, and she was about to take it when a cool, soft handkerchief covered her hand. "They've gone too far. You're kind-hearted and saved someone, yet they utter such filthy words."
Looking at Pianzhu, who was carefully wiping her hands and standing up for her, Hua Yao's eyes reddened slightly.
"Pianzhu, aren't you going to ask me why I know medicine?"
Pianzhu looked up and said, "Young lady, you have been intelligent since childhood. You also like to read books when you are in the garden. Although I have never seen you save anyone, I imagine you are capable of everything."
Hua Yao felt guilty. Pian Zhu, if you knew that the person in front of you was no longer your girl, would you feel empty?
--
They returned to the Hua residence at the beginning of the 6-7 PM.
A sliver of the last rays of sunlight lingered in the sky, casting long shadows.
Two figures stepped into the mansion and headed towards Qingyao Garden.
As soon as I stepped onto the corridor, a gentle evening breeze blew by, and the glow of the lanterns under the corridor swayed lightly in the wind.
Hua Yao looked up and her steps froze instantly.
At the end of the long corridor, Cui Xun was walking slowly with two guards. He was dressed in black robes with dark hair, and his figure was tall and straight. Even the dim light could not dispel the coldness and hardness around him.
I was just thinking of avoiding them, but now I've run into them again...
The distance between them gradually decreased. Finally, they stopped five steps away.
Hua Yao lowered her eyes and bowed respectfully, "Duke Jin."
Cui Xun returned the greeting simply, "Second Miss Hua." His gaze fell on her, scrutinizing her.
Immediately, he raised his hand and took what Qin Feng handed him. It was a slender silver needle, which reflected a dazzling cold light in the dim yellow light.
"This silver needle, Miss Hua," he said calmly, "do you still remember it?"
Hua Yao looked at the silver needle, her heart skipped a beat. The official medical equipment was distributed by the Imperial Medical Academy and each prefecture was carefully engraved with the name of its prefecture, so as to ensure exclusive use and traceability of responsibility.
She took one from her residence when she went to Linyun Tower before. The fact that she's asking about it now suggests something has happened.
She pursed her lips, leaving only her clear eyes to meet his scrutinizing gaze.
After a moment, she spoke, "What do you mean by that, Duke Jin?"
A faint smile played on his lips as he gazed at her quietly for a moment, taking in every subtle expression on her face.
"The inner courtyard is on fire." Cui Xun withdrew his gaze, deftly putting away the silver needles. As he and his guards brushed past her, his voice held a hint of mockery, "This is going to be good."
In the gentle breeze stirred by his clothes, she caught a whiff of his cool yet dangerous scent. Hua Yao scoffed, "Seriously pretentious. Why don't you just say what you mean? Stop being so mysterious."
"Miss, this... I hope nothing bad has happened in the manor." Pianzhu's voice was anxious. Who was Duke Jin? He investigated cases every day. His arrival at the manor was not a good thing.
"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it," Hua Yao said, taking a step forward. "Let's go."
"Second Miss!" A maidservant rushed over from the other end of the corridor, stopping in front of her breathlessly, her face filled with urgency. "Second Miss, you're finally back! The Old Madam requests your immediate presence, saying there's an urgent matter."
Urgent matter? It's obvious that it's related to Cui Xun's visit to the residence.
"I understand," Hua Yao replied, then instructed Pianzhu, "Pianzhu, you go back first."
Pianzhu was worried, but could only swallow her words and say, "Yes."
--
As soon as Hua Yao entered the main hall, she felt an invisible pressure.
She composed herself, first bowing to the old lady in the main seat, "Grandmother," before turning to Fang Wanru, "Auntie."
"Alright, please sit down," the old lady said calmly. Once Hua Yao was seated, she spoke, "Yao'er, you've been going out of the manor quite often these days. Is something the matter?"
"Grandmother, I'm fine. I just feel a bit bored at home, so I'm going outside to take a look." Her tone was calm and gentle.
"Just going outside to take a look? The Duke has already come to our residence, and you make it sound so easy." Fang Wanru glanced at her sideways. "You are a woman, showing your face in public all day long. It's one thing to lose your reputation, but if you bring any trouble to the Prime Minister's residence, we will have to be buried with you."
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