Chapter 24 "He knew your father was innocent, but..."
Inside the carriage, the two sat facing each other. Ji Shu couldn't help but secretly observe her sister-in-law, whom she had to acknowledge. Since marrying into the family, Ji Shu had never taken her seriously. If it weren't for Ji Jinghe's forceful attitude, compelling her to get closer to her, she would never have dared to imagine sitting next to her.
Yu Ansui dressed simply, yet she didn't come across as vulgar. Her elegance and tranquility seemed to be ingrained in her very being, making her impossible to ignore.
Ji Shu blinked, glancing at Yu An's expressionless face, and casually asked, "You clearly didn't want to come with me, so why did you come? This matter has nothing to do with you. Are you that afraid of my brother?"
Yu An gradually came to her senses and said calmly, "It's just that I'm afraid of trouble."
If she didn't come with her this time, she would come up with other ideas to find her. One day or two... after a while, it would really be annoying, and she didn't want to waste her time on this.
As for Ji Jinghe, she couldn't be bothered to dwell on his thoughts. Whether it was for the sake of family harmony or influenced by some Confucian classics, he was simply doing it for the good of the Ji family.
For her, all she had to do was get through the days and secure her position as the young mistress of the Ji family.
Ji Shu pouted and teased, "You two are really strange. I don't want to live like this after I get married."
Seeing her shrug, Yu An remembered Ji Jinghe's task of settling her down. She didn't want to get involved, but seeing the innocence in her expression, she spoke up anyway.
"My master asked me to teach you some skills. Apart from music, I can try my best to learn the rest. I wonder what the young master of the Duan family likes?"
The Duan family was the one that arranged the marriage between Ji Shu and the Duan family.
Ji Shu touched her nose, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in the face of Yu An's sincerity. "He can like whatever he wants. I will not force myself to do anything just because he likes something."
The carriage stopped abruptly, interrupting Yu'an's words.
Hearing the commotion outside the carriage, Ji Shu realized that Xu Jingshu had also arrived. She instantly forgot about Yu An, who was also in the carriage, and hurriedly got off.
"Sister Xu, what a coincidence to run into you here." Ji Shu stepped forward and took Xu Jingshu's hand, her eyes full of joy.
Now that the Xu family has been exonerated and the Xu residence has been rebuilt, the Xu family, which has regained its glory, is no longer the same as before. Xu Jingshu has also changed her previous simple and elegant attire, and with the addition of a scholarly aura from within, she has become bright and noble.
Xu Jingshu smiled and exchanged pleasantries as usual. Xu's mother was about to speak when she saw Yu'an getting out of the car.
"Why is she here too?" Xu's mother said with hatred. "Jinghe must be crazy to keep the daughter of the enemy who killed his teacher by his side."
Ji Shu was taken aback, caught in the middle and unsure of what to say.
She believed that Ji Jinghe wouldn't lie to her, that the real culprit behind Xu Yun's murder was someone else, and that the Chu family had been wronged. However, she didn't know the reasons behind it and wanted to say a few words in support, but she couldn't bring herself to speak up easily.
Knowing her importance in Ji Shu's heart, Yu An didn't ask anyone to do anything for her. She took Bao Zhu and headed towards the shop, avoiding the Xu family.
When Xu's mother saw this, she was even more furious.
"Auntie, don't be angry. It was someone else who killed Uncle Xu, not her."
Xu's mother gritted her teeth, "If a son truly feels remorse for his father's actions, he should leave the Ji family on his own initiative, instead of letting Jinghe fall into a position of being unrighteous and immoral. When my family was harmed, did she suffer even a fraction of the pain that Jingshu and I endured?"
The dowry left to her by Chu Xingjian is still there, and her in-laws are protecting her well. Even though the Chu family has fallen, she is still the glamorous young mistress of the Ji family. But Jing Shu can only marry down now.
Has Chu Yu'an ever suffered even a little bit of this kind of hardship?
"The murderer's daughter enjoys a life of luxury; is there any justice left?"
The Xu family suffered three years of humiliation, and Xu Yun died unjustly. Even though the injustice has been cleared now, the dead cannot be brought back to life. For the mother and daughter, this is a hatred that they can never forgive in this lifetime.
Xu Jingshu patted her mother's back and comforted her, "Mother, don't be angry. It'll only hurt your health."
Following Xu Jingshu's lead, Ji Shu led Xu's mother into the jewelry shop.
The shop was small to begin with, and with so many people around, even if the other party wanted to avoid it, they still had to meet.
Compared to Yu An, Xu Jingshu was more composed and took the initiative to greet her.
"My mother got emotional just now and said some things she shouldn't have. I hope you won't mind."
Yu An smiled slightly but did not respond.
Xu Jingshu raised her eyebrows slightly. Although she was displeased, she still smiled and said, "I have also experienced the pain of losing my father. Even now, after so much time has passed, I will never forget the day I learned of my father's death. I'm sure Miss Chu feels the same way."
Yu An frowned, sighed softly, and looked up to meet those eyes that held a hint of provocation.
"Miss Xu, please explain your meaning."
Xu Jingshu picked up a hairpin and examined it from head to toe, her true intention being something else entirely. She said, "I'm just worried about Jinghe. Jinghe was demoted because of the Chu family's affair and incurred the Emperor's displeasure. I wonder if he will regret the decision he made back then."
The decision to marry into the Chu family was made in the first place.
"If you really care about him, you should leave him as soon as possible to prevent him from being in a dilemma. Do you know what the court is saying about him now?"
Yu looked at her quietly, not even having the patience to listen any further.
In her view, she didn't owe Ji Jinghe anything. Ji Jinghe married her back then only to use her father's influence to get into the cabinet sooner. Now that the Chu family has fallen, it's normal for him to be implicated.
When she was desperate, no one helped her or pitied her. Now, she, who was truly alone, is asked to be considerate of others.
That's ridiculous.
Yu An: "The first person to say this to me was your mother. If you feel sorry for Ji Jinghe's plight, you should say it to him, not just to me. That's a matter of the court. As long as he doesn't tell me, it has nothing to do with me."
Just as she was about to leave, Xu Jingshu spoke up again from behind: "You know why he likes me, why don't you divorce him?"
"I feel guilty."
Before Yu An could take a step, she heard the voice that came out from behind her.
Guilt—these two words were imprinted on Yu An's mind without warning.
“He knew your father was innocent, but he chose to stand by and do nothing.” Xu Jingshu paused. “But ironically, he was still demoted.”
Yu An turned to look at her. Her once calm heart was suddenly shattered by a stone, leaving an endless void, baring its fangs and claws, as if it wanted to suck her in hard, giving her no chance to breathe.
Xu Jingshu tilted her head, a slyness that was definitely not hers in her eyes.
She was a renowned talented woman in the capital, the daughter of the once dazzling Grand Secretary. She should have been pure and untainted, but now, for the sake of profit, she has begun to scheme endlessly and plot without end.
“He was kind-hearted from a young age, and after studying, he developed a strong sense of justice and a clear sense of right and wrong. But who among those who are in officialdom would really risk their lives for others?” Xu Jingshu said with a smile. “Chu Yu’an, I really pity you.”
With her sleeves hanging down, Yu'an clenched her fists tightly. "How do you know my father was framed?"
Xu Jingshu ignored her and turned away, pretending not to care.
Yu An caught up with him and asked again, her voice almost squeezed out of her throat, "Tell me..."
Ji Shu, who had just finished selecting jewelry, happened to come over and noticed Yu An's strange expression. She quickly pulled her back, stopping her from going any further.
"Have you finished choosing? We'll leave when you're done," she asked softly.
The tears welled up in her eyes, but her chest heaved uncontrollably. Yu An pulled her hand away from Ji Shu's and shook her head, saying, "Let's go straight back to the manor now."
Ji Shu hesitated, then, seeing her empty hands, asked, "I promised to take you out to buy things, how can you come back empty-handed? Hurry up and pick something out, I keep my word."
Baozhu reminded her, "Miss, my lady didn't intend to spend your money on this trip. If she says no, she really means no. Let's go."
If Xu Jingshu has already said that, it would be strange if Yu An were still in the mood.
She stood to one side, her face expressionless, her eyelashes half-closed, completely concealing the melancholy in her eyes. Even Ji Shu, upon seeing her, would genuinely believe it was simply because she had encountered a member of the Xu family.
After settling the bill and saying goodbye to the Xu family, the two left.
The shop was only a short distance from the carriage, and they had only taken a few steps when people on the street noticed Yu'an and whispered among themselves, their disgust evident on their faces.
Someone deliberately started the conversation, "Isn't this the Chu family's daughter who harmed the loyal and good? Your shameless father is dead, but now you're clinging to the Ji family, thinking that young Marquis Ji will always protect you, isn't that right?"
"Look, everyone, this is the daughter of the criminal who harmed Lord Xu. Lord Xu was devoted to the people and never did anything to harm them. It's a pity that he was killed by her father."
"So it was her. I never liked that Minister Chu. He really is a treacherous minister..."
On the street, people chatted amongst themselves, and the issues that had just been washed away by the hustle and bustle of the past two months were brought up again.
The situation spiraled out of control the moment a single vegetable leaf was thrown at Yu-an.
Yu'an was surrounded by people, and countless rotten vegetable leaves mixed with a sour smell were thrown at her. Just as Ji Shu was about to shout, she was pulled aside by Cai Qi next to her.
The crowd surged forward like a rising tide, pressing in relentlessly until Yu'an and Baozhu had nowhere to retreat.
Countless vegetable leaves were thrown at her, carrying sharp insults and spittle everywhere. Baozhu shouted until her voice was hoarse, but it was all to no avail.
A series of ferocious faces loomed before Yu An, like judges of hell delivering a final verdict. She wanted to say so much, but not a single sound came out of her throat. No matter how straight she stood, her knees still trembled.
She felt as if she were drowning in the insults, unable to catch her breath for a long time.
"What are you doing! What are you doing!"
"This is the young mistress of the Ji family. She's defying her superiors! Do you want her beheaded?!"
Amid the commotion, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out. Driven by a misperception, she looked in the direction of the sound. The next moment, the crowd dispersed, and a figure in black reined in his horse and stopped in front of her, allowing her to truly see the person's appearance.
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