Chapter 32 What's the trick?
Yao didn't even bother with breakfast and quickly went to Mrs. Jiang's Songhe Hall.
Old Madam Jiang liked to get up early to worship Buddha. She had already gotten up. Seeing that Yao had come so early, she asked the maid to invite her into the house.
As soon as Yao entered the room, she said, "Mother, something happened."
The old lady immediately asked, "What happened?"
Yao repeated what the driver had said, adding more details.
"Have you sent anyone to look for him?" The old lady's face was gloomy.
"They sent someone, and it alarmed the palace. I'm afraid the news will spread."
The old lady thought for a moment and said, "The most urgent thing is to prevent the news from reaching Dingyuan Marquis's residence. The news of Prince Zhaoning's disappearance may not spread outside the palace. As long as the people in our residence keep their mouths shut, there will be no commotion."
Yao nodded, forced a smile, and said, "Mother must have a solution. Bingshi and I were so worried."
The maid brought up tea, and the old lady took a sip and said, "Although the emperor has sent people, we still have to send a few servants to look for him. They have to keep their mouths shut. Anyone who dares to say a word will be beaten to death."
Yao nodded in agreement and should have stood up and made arrangements quickly, but she just sat in the chair without moving.
The old lady had been living in the deep courtyard for many years, and she knew at a glance that Yao had something to say, "What else?"
Yao smiled and said, "I do have some concerns. I wonder if Mother still remembers the letter from the Dingyuan Marquis' Mansion."
"What's wrong?"
Yao said, "I've been thinking about it. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to control Rufei. Especially after rescuing Princess Anping, she's become more and more disrespectful of me as her mother, relying on the support of others."
Yao was talking to herself and didn't notice the old lady's strange look.
When Jiang Rufei brought her the jade pillow that day, she said that Yao was dissatisfied with her. It seemed that Yao was really jealous of her.
"I've watched this child grow up, and it's my fault for not teaching her well," Yao continued. "She's become more and more unruly as she grows older. A few days ago, she even crawled out of the dog hole in the corner to play. I didn't tell you about this because I didn't want to anger you."
Now the household affairs of the mansion are managed by Yao, but the old lady is not blind. She knows what happened in the mansion and knows that Jiang Rufei was punished to kneel and copy books.
The old lady said calmly, "I know you have never liked this child."
Yao's face froze for a moment, then she immediately put on a smile. "I admit that I didn't treat them equally. It's my fault, but you know the reason. Besides, who wouldn't favor well-behaved girls? Isn't that right, mother?"
The old lady didn't respond.
Yao continued, "Now that something like this has happened, we can't expect others to keep their mouths shut. We should be prepared for the worst. If it gets to other people's ears, it will be too late."
The old lady looked at Yao suspiciously, "So what do you mean?"
"My wife is thinking that the rules in Dingyuan Marquis' Mansion are very strict. If Ru Fei gets into trouble with her temper, it will be a tough situation if she marries there."
The old lady took a sip of tea and said, "She's not even married yet, what trouble could she possibly cause?"
"If something really happens, it will be too late." Yao said, "Besides, now something like this has happened, and the one missing is from our Jiang family. And Ru Fei is entangled with Prince Zhaoning. She is not someone we can afford to offend."
The old lady's face became increasingly gloomy, but Yao Shi didn't seem to notice at all. "I was thinking, since this has happened and the Dingyuan Marquis's Mansion is not satisfied with Ru Fei, why not mention it to the old lady and change it to Ru Lin—"
"absurd!"
The old lady placed the teacup heavily on the table. "The news hasn't even spread yet, and you, as a mother, are already rushing to put the blame on Rufei. If this marriage really went to Rulin, how would outsiders view Rufei? How will you let her get married in the future?"
Yao was frightened by this sudden scolding. "Mother, calm down. If this hadn't happened, I wouldn't have thought about it."
The old lady's face was gloomy. "This is a marriage. Do you treat it as a business deal? Do you think Rulin and Rufei are more worthy of this marriage? Or do you think that by marrying into the Marquis's mansion, your Yao family will also benefit from it?"
Yao knelt down quickly, tears streaming down her face. "How could my wife have such thoughts? It would be fine if this matter didn't get out. If it did get out, the Marquis's Mansion would cancel the engagement, and how would Rulin get married in the future?"
She pulled the old lady's clothes and said, "Mother, Rufei is your granddaughter, but Rulin is your own granddaughter. You have to think about her."
The old lady pointed at her wrinkled face and said, "You can even think of exchanging marriages, but I still want this old face. I turned a blind eye to how you treated Ru Fei over the years, and that was all. But now you dare to think of a marriage in the Marquis' Mansion, I think you have lost your mind!"
The old lady had never said such harsh words to Yao in her life. Thinking of the news she got, Jiang Rufei gave the jade pillow to the old lady. It seemed that the old lady was easily bribed by her.
The old lady looked at Yao, who was kneeling on the ground and crying non-stop, and reached out to help her up. She said in a gentle tone, "You should know who I love the most. However, this concerns the reputation of the Jiang family. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I absolutely cannot do this. Do you understand?"
Yao was angry, but didn't dare to say anything more. She agreed and left.
…
"Now...it's time to settle our accounts."
As Pei Jing got closer, Jiang Fei subconsciously stepped back, her back against the cold stone wall, and she could only point the burning stick at Pei Jing.
"Don't come over here!"
"What are you afraid of?" Pei Jing smiled broadly, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. "If I wanted to kill you right now, do you think this broken torch could stop me?"
He grabbed the wooden stick, but Jiang Fei was no match for him. He snatched the stick from her hand and threw it into the fire.
Jiang Fei watched him approach until they were only half a meter apart.
Jiang Fei knew she had no way to escape, and subconsciously closed her eyes when Pei Jing reached out his hand to her.
The hand suddenly stopped in front of her, remaining raised.
Pei Jing looked at her face.
Her tightly closed eyes, pursed lips, and trembling eyelashes all showed that she was afraid, but she did not actively beg for mercy.
It's really stubborn. It's not a domestic cat, but a mountain cat with a stubborn temper.
He chuckled softly, "How can you treat my wound if you don't open your eyes?"
Jiang Fei was stunned, slowly opened her eyes, and looked vigilantly at the hand in front of her.
There were two scratches on the back of his pale hand, deep enough to see the bone. They must have been caused by wolf claws. Blood was dripping down his fingertips, leaving dark marks on the mud.
Pei Jing tilted his head. "You saved me, and I saved you in return. Our accounts are settled. Then, shouldn't you be responsible for dealing with the injuries I sustained while saving you?"
Jiang Fei stared at the hideous wound. What was this man up to?
She tried to raise her hand and slowly reached out, but seeing Pei Jing make no movement, she grabbed his wrist through his sleeve.
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