Chapter 48 Chapter 48 is the only genuine version...
Ji and Gu Zhizhuo stood face to face.
She twitched the corners of her mouth, wanting to laugh but unable to, her dark pupils staring straight at Gu Zhizhuo.
"Put me under house arrest?"
"I have an imperial decree. Can you keep me under house arrest for the rest of my life?"
Ji leaned forward and looked up at Gu Zhizhuo.
"You want the account books, don't you?"
"I just won't give it to you, what can you do to me?"
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and said as a matter of course, "Look at what you said. You feel sorry for your daughter and don't want her to be too tired, but your daughter can't just watch you get sick from exhaustion, right?"
"Otherwise, you will accuse your daughter of being unfilial."
"Your daughter will only wait for you for one day." Gu Zhizhuo raised a finger and shook it gently, with a very friendly attitude. "If you don't give it to me, your daughter will come and get it herself."
Ji gritted her teeth, neither saying yes nor no. She walked past Gu Zhizhuo and went out, her steps fast and heavy, each step seemed to vent the dissatisfaction and resentment in her heart.
"Goodbye, mother."
Gu Zhizhuo bent his knees in a standard manner, then brushed his sleeves, walked to the armchair at the top, raised his long sleeves, and sat down elegantly and confidently.
Her right hand rested on the armrest, her black hair hung down to her shoulders, and she looked lazy yet proud.
The internal stewards all stood in their seats and bowed to greet her: "Young lady." There was respect and humility in their voices, as if she was supposed to be high above, looking down on everything.
Ji Shi tripped over the threshold without paying attention, and she stumbled and almost lost her balance.
She stumbled forward until she returned to her main courtyard and fell onto the Luohan bed.
Nanny Wan went over to close the door. She glanced at the quiet courtyard and saw that there seemed to be suddenly fewer servants in the entire yard. It was true that the lady's mood had been fluctuating recently, either beating or scolding. Even the maids didn't dare to approach the main house.
"Mammy..."
Hearing someone calling her from inside, Nanny Wan didn't think much and quickly closed the door.
Ji was lying on the Arhat bed, with a strong murderous look in his eyes.
There was no way she was going to give the account book to Gu Zhizhuo. She absolutely wouldn't! She couldn't!
Even though she was practically under house arrest, she was a duke's wife with a royal decree. Furthermore, Ke'er would soon be returning, and the Third Prince treated her like a precious jewel. With just a word from Ke'er, the Third Prince would find a way to summon her from the palace. She wouldn't be trapped for long; there was still a chance for her to turn things around.
But once the secret is discovered, she will be finished.
Ji was breathing heavily, his hands tightly gripping the cushion beneath him, his fingertips turning slightly white from the excessive force.
She looks exactly like her elder sister. Now that her elder sister is dead, without her, the Ji family would never have been able to marry into the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion!
In order to arrange this marriage, my parents secretly buried my eldest sister. Her name was not on the family tree, and even in my family, not many people knew that my parents had secretly taken her back.
All of this is destined and perfect!
She married into the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion without any trouble.
The Duke's Mansion has an exclusive status and is filled with wealth and luxury.
The child left by the first wife was only six years old, and her husband was away from the capital for a long time. Her mother-in-law was easy to fool, and her sisters-in-law were kind. Even though the first wife had a legitimate eldest son, she had been promised that her son would inherit the title.
She couldn't even imagine such a good day.
Until the Ji family came to Beijing to send holiday gifts, and the eldest brother brought his third cousin from the second branch with him.
The Ji family had been unable to enter officialdom for several generations, and the clan had long been in a state of unrest. When they saw her marrying into the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, they even considered moving the entire clan to the capital.
My eldest brother and his companions came to Beijing in the name of delivering festival gifts, but in fact they were planning to buy a house in Beijing.
As a married woman, her natal family was her support, and she understood this. Therefore, she did her utmost to lobby for them in the capital, not only buying them a house but also securing a job as an editor in the Ministry of Rites for her eldest brother.
until……
Ji shuddered.
The eldest brother found out about it! He had a huge argument with her, saying she was shameless, that she was a disaster, that she wasn't even a hair's breadth better than his eldest sister. He even gave up his house and his job, and left Beijing with everyone in the Ji family.
As a result, not long after, Ji Huacheng told her that his elder brother had died on the way back to Beijing.
He said he would keep her secret...
Ji covered his face with his hands, feeling completely exhausted.
If these account books were given to Gu Zhizhuo, with his relentless attitude and his determination to get to the bottom of things, with luck, she would discover that he had embezzled money from the mansion, but if she found out...
The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion will never let her go!
After a while, she put down her hand, stood up, walked to the dressing table, reached into the drawer, opened a secret compartment, and took out a jade pendant from it.
Her palm gently stroked the auspicious cloud and dragon patterns on the jade pendant for a long time without movement.
This jade pendant! Nanny Wan's eyes widened, and she quickly averted her gaze.
The sky gradually darkened. Nanny Wan tiptoed to light the table lamp, then stood aside without disturbing her.
Finally, Ji put the jade pendant back.
It's not time yet.
Ji rubbed her forehead, put two fingers to her lips and forced a smile.
This made Nanny Wan a little nervous: "Madam, your good days are still ahead... You still have the Fourth Young Master."
"Yes." Ji's smile didn't change at all. "When Yan'er inherits the title, everything will be fine. I can truly stand in this world, instead of living like a lonely ghost, only able to live as the eldest sister."
"I'll wait until then."
Ji stood up and said, "Mammy, take your things and let's go."
Nanny Wan sighed, took a bunch of keys and hung them around her waist, pressed her collar, and hurriedly followed her.
The main courtyard was even quieter at night, with only a few servants waiting in the corridor. The dim light flickered as the lanterns swayed, leaving faint spots of light on their faces.
After Ji Shi married into the family, the Taifu (Lady Taifu) personally taught her for six months before handing over the financial management to her. Ji Shi had all the account books from the founding of the Zhenguo Mansion, hundreds of boxes full of them, and a small warehouse was set aside specifically to house them, with two maids on duty.
The gatekeeper came over quickly.
"lady."
Ji's smile was perfect and his voice was gentle: "Miss, you want the account book, I'll take a look first."
The old woman took the key to open the warehouse and respectfully stepped aside.
Ji and Nanny Wan walked in. The storeroom was filled with the distinct scent of paper and a faint musty odor. All the account books were sorted by year, each year piled separately, divided into boxes.
There are hundreds of camphorwood boxes in total.
On each box, there is a piece of paper with the year and category written on it.
Nanny Wan raised the lantern in her hand a little higher to light the way for her.
Ji walked among these boxes and went straight to the box from the 20th year of Taiyuan. Each box was locked with a small brass lock. Nanny Wan took out a small key from the key chain at her waist and opened the box.
Ji picked up the top volume and flipped through it expressionlessly. The warehouse was dim, the candlelight flickering, and the densely packed words on the account book seemed to have layers of shadows, making it impossible to make out what was written.
Bang!
Ji closed the account book and extended her hand to Nanny Wan, who silently handed her a small porcelain bottle.
As soon as the cork of the small porcelain bottle was opened, a strong smell of kerosene rushed straight into the nose.
Ji choked and coughed lightly, then without hesitation poured kerosene on the account books that filled the entire box.
The pungent smell of kerosene quickly overwhelmed the fragrance of paper in the warehouse.
"Madam." Nanny Wan hid the lantern behind her. "Does it really have to be like this?"
Ji nodded silently.
"Why don't you go and tell the Madam..." Nanny Wan licked her dry lips, "Ask the Madam to take care of the young lady."
Arson is not a trivial matter. It would be fine if it was just the warehouse that was burned.
If the wind is too strong and the fire spreads, it will not just be this warehouse that will be affected.
"What's the use of telling the Madam?"
Regarding the matter of making up her mind, Ji was exceptionally calm: "Gu Zhizhuo has been making such a fuss these days. Do you think the Madam doesn't know? Now she has Gu Baibai's support. The Madam always listens to her son. Why would she stand up for me?"
Ji smelled the kerosene in the air and continued, "Gu Zhizhuo said she would come to get it tomorrow, and she will definitely come! You saw how arrogant she was today. If I don't give it to her then, she will turn the main courtyard upside down."
"Mammy, I can't be passive anymore."
"But," Nanny Wan wanted to persuade him again, "if the fire is lit, the young lady will definitely know it was you who did it."
"So what?" Ji laughed, boxes of account books reflected in her pupils. "She can confine me, but can she also make me die suddenly?"
"If I die, she and Gu Yican will have to observe mourning for my mother. The war in Southern Xinjiang has ended, and now even Gu Yican can't take my love away. Can the Zhenguo Mansion survive another three years?! Haha, let the entire Zhenguo Mansion pay for my burial. Tell me, Madam, is it worth it?!"
As long as she lost these account books, she would be invincible even if she died.
"Madam Wan."
Ji once again extended her hand to Nanny Wan.
Nanny Wan gritted her teeth and said, "This servant is coming."
Ji hugged her gently, rested her head on her neck, and said, "Madam, you are good to me. I know that."
She raised her hand, opened the cover of the lantern, and took out the candle inside.
The candlelight was bright and a little warm, but not hot.
All it takes is a fire to destroy it all.
All she needs is a fire and she will have nothing to worry about.
Without a trace of hesitation in his eyes, Ji held the candle close to the box.
boom.
The flame touched the kerosene and it immediately caught fire. In just a moment, the flames jumped high and the hot breath hit my face.
Ji curled the corners of his mouth and threw the account book in his hand in, and it was engulfed by the flames in an instant.
Ji then poured the remaining kerosene onto the boxes marked with the years 21 and 22 of the Taiyuan era, and once again set them alight with a candle. The warehouse was filled with account books and wooden boxes, and a small bottle of kerosene was enough to burn everything cleanly, leaving no trace.
The air grew hotter and gray smoke filled the entire warehouse.
Ji choked and coughed, and put the small bottle of kerosene into her arms. Nanny Wan hurriedly said, "Madam, let's go out first. The fire seems to be burning even more fiercely." Madam must not be hurt.
good.
Ji's smile deepened, with an excitement that she couldn't hide. All the things that had almost crushed her in the past few days seemed to disappear with the flames at this moment.
"In two days, come with me to Taiqing Temple."
As Ji turned and walked out, he said, "I heard that the talismans of Master Qingping of Taiqing Temple are very effective. I'm going to ask for one to dispel evil spirits."
A fierce look flashed across her eyes.
"Since she's still haunting me, I'll make her disappear!" A low laugh escaped her lips. "Twins are unlucky, so let's just keep one."
Fate is.
The soul too!
The heat wave on his back burned his skin, causing some pain, so Ji quickened his pace.
Huh.
Did they close the door when they came in? Nanny Wan didn't remember and pushed the door open first.
Huh?
The door didn't move.
Is it stuck? She pushed again, desperately! Her slightly chubby face flushed red as she pushed with all her might. Faintly, she could hear the thump of the door lock hitting the door frame.
Nanny Wan's heart was beating wildly. She hit and kicked the door harder. The door shook slightly and the sound of the door lock became more obvious.
Bang bang bang.
It's over.
It’s over!
"Ma'am, we, we're locked in."
Nanny Wan used all her strength to utter these words tremblingly. She turned to look at Ji Shi with a look of panic on her face and repeated, "We are locked in."
Ji's smile froze. She touched her stiff cheek, staggered over, and joined in the push.
Likewise, the gate remained motionless.
"Could it be stuck?" Ji said in a trembling voice.
"I remember now." Nanny Wan said with a sad face, "I didn't close the door when I came in!"
Someone closed the door and locked it after they came in!
This terrifying realization was like a fast-growing weed, strangling her whole body so tightly that she couldn't even breathe.
However, it is indeed difficult to even breathe now.
In a short period of time, the smoke in the warehouse became thicker and thicker, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of smoke, which made Ji's chest burn.
She opened her mouth to breathe, but the thick smoke rushed into her throat, causing her to cough again. This time she coughed even more violently, one after another, and couldn't stop at all.
She subconsciously looked at the boxes. The flames were soaring into the sky and it was impossible to put out!
Ji banged on the door, shouting, "Open the door! Open the door quickly! Aunt Cui, open the door!"
She called out loudly to the old woman guarding the storehouse, but it was of no use.
The door of the warehouse was closed tightly and no human voice could be heard.
"Madam, the fire is going to spread to the side." Nanny Wan screamed in horror.
They only brought a small bottle of kerosene, and they only sprinkled it on those boxes. However, the boxes in the warehouse were placed next to each other, and the fire would spread to other boxes sooner or later.
If the fire spreads and all the boxes are burned, they will both be finished before they can put out the fire.
"Move it, move it away!"
Ji took Nanny Wan to move the boxes around. The boxes filled with account books were extremely heavy and far beyond the ability of a noble lady like Ji who had been spoiled for so many years to move.
After a great effort, the two of them finally managed to move the three or two boxes that were stacked close together a little further away. Blisters formed on Ji's delicate hands, and her face was burning with pain.
"Open the door! Open the door!"
The warehouse became even hotter and thick smoke billowed out.
Ji couldn't bear it anymore and could only bang on the door again. She tried her best to hit the closed door.
Bang!
The door is open?
Ji's strength was still there, and he rushed out several steps before falling heavily to the ground.
The fresh air made Ji forget the pain of falling. She took several greedy breaths in succession, and then she remembered something. She slowly raised her head and met a pair of condescending phoenix eyes in the most embarrassed posture.
"Mother."
These two words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Ji's heart hard.
Her heart ached, and her face was filled with uncontrollable surprise and panic.
Gu, Gu Zhizhuo!
"Mother, why are you burning something here at this hour of night instead of sleeping?"
She curled her lips with interest, and a soft sigh escaped from her lips: "My daughter, I was so busy asking you for the account book that I forgot to remind you to be careful about the water leak."
She was wearing a crimson dress, the hem of which was embellished with tiny pearls, outlining a bunch of delicate crabapple flowers. Her proud posture was exactly the same as when she was in Duanfu Hall.
Ji's body was covered in black dust, her cheeks were a little red, and there were a few blisters. Her hair was messy and smelled burnt, and her bun was half crooked. The pearl hairpins in her hair hung by her ears, and her whole body was disheveled.
"Mom, are you okay? Do you want to call a doctor?"
The corners of Ji's tightly-fitting mouth drooped, and as she sniffed the burning heat in the air, a sound like a mad laugh came out of her throat.
The account books were burned.
What else can Gu Zhizhuo do!
Cough cough!
"Miss." Qingmei was the most skilled, and she quickly went in and out. "The ones burned were the boxes from the 20th to the 22nd year of Taiyuan."
"Most of the kerosene was spilled on the boxes from the 20th year of Taiyuan. These boxes were burned the most severely. There shouldn't be even a piece of paper left."
The late emperor's reign was called Taiyuan, and he reigned for twenty-two years.
In the 20th year of Taiyuan, Ji married into the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
In other words, what she burned were the account books of the last three years of the late emperor's reign.
Ji half tilted his head back, staring at her expressionlessly, letting out a dry cough from his throat.
"Mother, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you." Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile, "I had someone move these account books away this morning. Alas, my memory is not good. I forgot such an important thing."
Ji's eyes widened as he looked at her in disbelief. She simply couldn't believe her ears.
What do you mean she has taken it away?
Ji suddenly remembered that when she was in Duanfu Hall, Gu Zhizhuo hadn't come yet. Could it be that she had taken advantage of that time to move the account books?! Then what had she just burned...
No, this is the main courtyard, why can she do whatever she wants in the main courtyard!
After they returned from Duanfu Hall, Nanny Wan noticed that the courtyard seemed much quieter than usual. However, the lady was in a bad mood, and she had been accompanying her the whole time, so she neglected it for a moment.
Nanny Wan suddenly felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet, making her whole body shiver.
She could turn one hand to make clouds, the other to bring rain. This was the eldest daughter of the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, the one with the blood of both the Gu family and the Wang clan of Langya?!
Even if the lady has been praised and suppressed since childhood, she can easily push the lady back into the mud.
Nanny Wan was frightened and her knees kept shaking.
Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand, as if feeling something, and asked directly: "Madam, what did you do in the 20th year of Taiyuan?"
"You wanted the account books, so I came here to sort them out and accidentally started a fire."
Ji pinched the hem of her shirt on her chest and said, "Go put out the fire. If the fire gets bigger and burns, it's hard to say whether the entire Zhenguo Mansion can be saved."
"Don't worry about that, mother." Gu Zhizhuo said slowly, "It's going to rain soon, so the fire won't start."
"Rain?" Ji sneered, "Just because you say it's going to rain, it's going to rain?"
"That's right." Gu Zhizhuo nodded seriously. "You stayed up late at night and came to the warehouse to set fire to it. You almost burned hundreds of people in the Zhenguo Mansion. Even God couldn't bear it."
Qingmei stood beside her silently. The last time they came out of Xie's house, the eldest girl said that it would rain around the hour of Xu today.
She has been with the girl for so long, and the girl has always been careful in her actions.
So, the girl kept pressuring Ji, was she forcing her to set fire to the account books?! And then, wait and see?
It’s a pity that my lady’s marriage was granted by imperial decree, otherwise, the arson alone would be enough to get her divorced.
As long as they were not mother and daughter, the older girl would not be so restricted.
Just as she thought of this, Qingmei heard a loud thunder in her ears, and a bolt of lightning suddenly fell from the sky. Qiongfang held up the oil-paper umbrella in her hand and blocked it over Gu Zhizhuo's head.
"Mother, at this point, do you want to explain it yourself, or wait for me to investigate?"
"It's raining heavily today. I hope you haven't done anything to deserve a thunderbolt."
Suddenly, heavy rain poured down, and fine raindrops kept falling, pouring down on Ji's head and body, and the raindrops dripped down her hair.
Her clothes were wet and stuck to her body, making her look even more miserable and helpless.
Rumble!
There was a sudden sound of thunder in the sky, and Ji shuddered all over.
She was like a lonely ghost in the darkness, revealing her true form in the thunder of the sky.
"How could you do such a shameless thing while wearing the face and identity of the elder sister?"
"You had an affair with him, and...if it were to be exposed, you would cause the execution of our entire clan."
"You are indeed a disaster!"
She seemed to be back to the day when her eldest brother exposed her secret and he pointed at her and cursed at her.
She said:
"If this succeeds, my son will be the Duke of Zhenguo. The Ji family will return to the court because of me. You will all have to kneel on the ground and thank me for my reward. I am more valuable alive than my eldest sister."
"Brother, all wealth and glory must be paid for."
Everything is going well.
She also gave birth to a son.
Rumble!
Ji was so frightened that she screamed, "Mammy, Mammy."
Nanny Wan crawled over on her knees and held her in her arms.
"Mother." Gu Zhizhuo took a step forward. "Let me ask you again. Do you want to tell me yourself, or wait for me to check?"
Ji: “…”
Can’t tell! Unless the Gu family is extinct, she can’t tell anyone.
"I, I said..."
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