After taking a deep breath, Jiang Mingzhi looked towards the pleasure boat of Prince Jin's Mansion again. Although it was not the first time he had met Bai Hui Niang, every time he saw this face, Jiang Mingzhi felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest.
"This humble servant greets Prince Jin's concubine."
Bai Huiniang's gorgeous clothes were faintly visible behind the translucent gauze curtain. She reached out to adjust her temples, then gently lifted the curtain. She looked lazy and noble, with no trace of the lowly nature of her previous life of using her beauty to please men.
"What a coincidence! The weather is so nice today, and I've run into so many familiar faces while touring the lake. It's truly... so delightful."
There seemed to be something else in her drawn-out voice, and Wang Qiang and the others bowed to Bai Hui Niang without haste.
Hearing the call of "concubine", Bai Huiniang felt her ears start to hurt again. She raised her eyes and glanced sideways, seeing many flower-like faces, and her eyes seemed to hurt too.
Her bright red nails gently scraped across the light veil on her body, slowly rubbing circles on her slightly swollen belly. She spoke with a half-smile, "I just heard it's quite lively here. I wonder how the Zhou family's second son offended Miss Jiang, causing the good-tempered Miss Jiang to insult him like this?"
These words were spoken with a dagger hidden in their smile. Jiang Mingzhi listened and curled his lips into a smile. Bai Huiniang wanted to help the prince of Duke Wen's mansion and prove her reputation of being unreasonable, but she still spoke in a tone of praise. Everyone knew that Bai Huiniang could hardly read or write. Even if someone questioned her statement, she could excuse herself with the excuse that ignorance was not a crime. She was really scheming.
"Prince Jin's concubine is overthinking. The second son of the Zhou family is a man of character. We just happened to meet and chatted casually. There is no such thing as insulting as you said."
After saying this, he bowed in fear and said, "Please forgive me, Concubine. Mingzhi was just being straightforward and didn't mean to contradict you."
She directly blocked Bai Hui Niang's retreat. Bai Hui Niang originally wanted to find out her mistakes and teach her a lesson, but now she couldn't do it at will.
She laughed dryly twice, her eyes shifted, and she suddenly changed the subject: "I've made an appointment with the second young lady of the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion to go boating on the lake. She should be arriving soon. There are several people accompanying her. They must be some old friends of your family. Miss Jiang, why don't you invite your sisters to come along. It will be more lively with us, right?"
These words made some sense to Jiang Mingzhi. She was resistant to them. Bai Huiniang disliked her now. She had no way to deal with her now, but she would probably find a way to torture her later. Wang Qiang was as protective as her aunt, but because she was young, she spoke bluntly. Qi Shuya was thin-skinned. Both of them grew up smoothly. In front of Bai Huiniang, who had been in the streets for many years, they were like a jackal and a little white rabbit, and were not even worth looking at.
Both of them were good girls, and Jiang Mingzhi didn't want to burden them because of herself, so she raised her voice and replied, "Mingzhi can accompany the concubine on the lake tour, and it's not right to refuse. But my two sisters are a little drunk, and I'm afraid of losing my composure in front of others, so Mingzhi has to send them back first."
Bai Hui Niang naturally refused to accept this. "I'm pregnant now, and it's rare for me to ask for help. I've heard that Miss Jiang is arrogant and doesn't socialize with others. I didn't believe it before, but now I'm afraid..."
Having said that, Bai Hui Niang held her forehead and sighed softly, looking very regretful.
Jiang Mingzhi had known for a long time that Bai Huiniang would not let him go easily, but she had her own rules of conduct. If she wanted to help Wang Qiang and Qi Shuya escape, she had to first say something that Bai Huiniang could not accept, and then she could mediate and let her stay.
"Empress..." She opened her mouth in embarrassment and glanced at Wang Qiang and Qi Shuya. The two of them immediately understood Jiang Mingzhi's intention and supported each other, looking a little unsteady.
"How about this, Concubine, please make the decision and ask the boat behind to move aside first. I will ask the boatman to dock and send my two sisters home. Mingzhi will accompany you on a boat tour. How do you think that is?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Hui Niang felt that it was a good idea, as long as Jiang Mingzhi was in her hands, she would be fine. She originally wanted to let those delicate little girls suffer with Jiang Mingzhi, but now that Jiang Mingzhi said so, she couldn't think of anything against them anymore.
With the help of the people from Prince Jin's Mansion, they quickly cleared a waterway for the boats and pleasure boats surrounding Jiang Mingzhi and the others.
Wang Zhaojun and Qi Shuya refused to get off the boat, leaving Jiang Mingzhi alone to deal with Prince Jin's concubine.
She pulled Jiang Mingzhi's sleeve, no longer feeling the panic she had at the beginning: "Sister, you can't go."
Wang Qiang glanced at the pleasure boat of Prince Jin's mansion in the distance, which was about to dock. "Anyone with eyes can see clearly that Prince Jin's concubine is deliberately making things difficult for you. If you board her boat, I'm afraid you will suffer."
"Yes, elder sister, don't go. Come back with us. If Prince Jin's concubine investigates, just say you were drunk, okay?"
Qi Shuya also disapproved of Jiang Mingzhi dealing with Bai Hui Niang alone, and was so anxious that she was about to cry.
"Okay, I know what I'm doing. Don't worry about me, both of you."
Jiang Mingzhi pretended not to care. She couldn't let the two of them worry about her. It would be bad if the two girls made a scene in a hurry.
Seeing Wang Qiang was about to say something, Jiang Mingzhi patted the back of her hand and said, "If you really want to help me, go back and tell my aunt, and let her find a reason to call me back. Wouldn't that avoid offending both sides?"
This is all we can do now.
Wang Zhaojun sighed and watched Jiang Mingzhi board the pleasure boat of Prince Jin's mansion with her own eyes. Then she hurried home with Qi Shuya.
On Fuchang Street, my aunt was looking through the new fabrics that had just been delivered to the mansion. She selected a few pieces in jade green, smoky purple, and lotus lilac. "Keep these and give them to my sister and..."
When she thought of Jiang Yushu, she suddenly felt a blockage in her chest. She didn't know if it was a psychological effect. The more she looked at Jiang Yushu, the weirder it seemed to her. She had already asked someone to investigate, and now they knew the whereabouts of the midwife. If they could find that midwife, there would probably be a clue to the matter.
Just as I was thinking about it, I heard that my daughter had returned and was anxious to see her.
Zhang immediately realized that something was wrong.
By the time Wang Qiang arrived, Zhang had already dismissed her attendants and handed her daughter the tea she had poured in advance: "Drink some water first and then talk slowly."
Wang Qiang had no mind to drink water. She was really afraid that if she was late, Mingzhi would suffer more.
She took two breaths and said in a trembling voice, "Mother, it's bad. My cousin has been called to the boat by Prince Jin's concubine."
Zhang's face turned serious, "What's going on?"
Wang Qiang didn't care about anything else and briefly recounted what happened today to Zhang.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
