Chapter 9 Demons and Monsters
Inside the study of the prefectural governor's residence.
Pei Yanzhi looked at the plum blossoms outside the window, their fragrance filling the air.
Jinse bowed her head and reported on Lady Ji's health, finally saying softly, "The young lady is much better now. She'll be fine after a few more doses of medicine."
"only--"
Pei Yanzhi turned around, "Hmm?"
Jinse recounted in detail the events of the day when the young master visited the Ji residence.
Pei Yanzhi listened to Jinse's report on the events at the Ji residence that day, his eyes lowered, and then he suddenly smiled.
"I underestimated her."
Lu Changming held his breath, focusing his attention on his nose and his mind.
Jinse was puzzled and asked, "My lord, is there something wrong?"
"It's nothing. Just keep an eye on the young master and make sure he doesn't do anything against the rules."
The "improper things" he mentioned were probably his fear that the young master might do something inappropriate to Lady Ji.
Jinse understood immediately, bowed, and withdrew.
Lu Changming couldn't quite figure out his lord's thoughts for a moment.
If we want to choose a concubine for the prince, it might not be a good thing if Lady Ji, with her looks, were to enter the mansion and become the prince's future wife.
What worries him even more is...
Last night's situation clearly showed that the lord had taken a liking to Lady Ji. Although the lord hadn't said anything since the heir had frankly said he wanted Lady Ji.
However, Lu Changming could tell that his lord was absent-minded all day long when looking at the memorials, and the strategists and generals below just thought that their lord had been too busy and hadn't rested well for the past few days.
But he doesn't think so.
As if he had touched something, Lu Changming thought to himself: Goodness, this Lady Ji is truly extraordinary, able to make the lord treat her differently.
Sure enough, it started the next day.
Pei Xingjian searched the market for many good things, including precious medicinal herbs and jewelry, and sent them all over.
Ji Shu noticed that he remained indifferent on the surface, thinking that he had already made it very clear yesterday.
Chunzhi was quite troubled by the sight. She saw that the main hall was almost overflowing with stuff, and she wondered what to do.
Lu Changfeng explained, "This century-old ginseng is a treasure from our Lord's private treasury, which the young master requested to nourish your body."
Then he pulled out a box of huge pearls, each one round and plump, a rare sight in the world.
Each item was extremely valuable, and Lu Changfeng directly stated his purpose: "The Lantern Festival will be here soon, and Chongzhou has been slowly recovering these past few days. The young master would like to invite Lady Ji to join us for a visit, and hopes that Lady Ji will do him the honor."
After seeing Lu Changfeng off, the ginseng and pearls were still on the table.
Seeing this, Jinse asked, "Young lady, are you going to the lantern festival?"
Ji Shu smiled calmly, "Why not go? Such a grand gesture. If I don't go, Prince Pei will lose face. What good will that do me?"
Chunzhi knew that the calmer the young woman appeared, the more displeased she was inside.
Chunzhi: "If the young lady does not like it, she can have Lieutenant Lu take her back."
Ji Shu frowned slightly. "Yesterday we already offended Prince Pei. If he is taken back today, I'm afraid he will have a hard time from now on."
"I will explain it to him during the lantern festival."
They absolutely could not accept this man standing at the top of the pyramid, and a woman who had rejected them time and time again.
This only fuels his competitive spirit, just like fighting a war.
The more you refuse to admit defeat, the more the enemy will beat you until you cry for your parents.
Ji Shu had obviously thought of this as well.
It wasn't dinner time yet when Chunzhi came over and whispered something in Ji Shu's ear. Ji Shu frowned upon hearing this, "What are they doing here?"
Her second uncle usually doesn't show up unless he has something important to say. If he hadn't been unable to get out a few days ago, he probably would have disappeared by now.
"Take the person to Yongshou Courtyard."
The year draws to a close and the weather grows cold.
Spring has not yet arrived, but winter's days are already dark.
When Ji Shu, dressed in a plain white dress, arrived at the gate of Yongshou Courtyard, she saw Ji Congwen standing at the entrance, seemingly hesitant to go in.
Chen Shi and Ji Yunbai were also by her side.
Hearing the noise, Ji Shu came in and met Chen Shi's gaze.
Ji Shu put on a faint smile, not wanting to exchange any pleasantries, and said sarcastically, "What brings you here, Second Uncle? Are you here to pay respects to Grandmother?"
Her second uncle, her father's biological brother, was the reason her second aunt insisted on dividing the family property after her father's death, fearing she wouldn't get any benefit from the family.
Ironically, ever since the family split up, my second uncle hasn't changed his old habits and spends all his time gambling.
Whenever he lost money, he would come back to his second aunt to ask for it back. If she refused, he would run to his grandmother's house to ask for it back.
Ji Shu was well aware of this; as long as it didn't harm her own interests, she always turned a blind eye.
Ironically, Grandmother had been gone for several days, and she had sent a letter long ago, but these three only arrived late today. They are truly Grandmother's filial sons and grandsons.
Ji Congwen's face darkened. "How dare you speak to your elders like that? You're just like your mother..."
"Ahem—" Madam Chen interrupted hurriedly, stepping forward with a smile as she tried to take Ji Shu's hand, looking very affectionate.
However, Ji Shu dodged, "..."
Chen stood awkwardly in place, while Ji Yunbai glared at her angrily: "Ji Shu, how could you treat my mother like this? Don't forget, we are your only family in this world."
After speaking, he didn't forget to raise his chin high, thinking that Ji Shu would come forward to curry favor.
Especially when he saw the expensive jewelry on Ji Shu's hands and head, he wanted to snatch it away, but remembering the purpose of his visit, he managed to restrain himself.
Ji Shu snorted coldly, "Second Uncle, Aunt, I was born without a mother to teach me, unlike Sister Yun, who was indeed not well-behaved despite having a mother."
Ji Yunbai's face turned bright red with anger and shame: "You...you..."
Ji Congwen: "Ji Shu, don't make trouble. It's only right and proper for me, your only son, to inherit and inventory your mother's belongings!"
Madam Chen chimed in, feigning tears, "Shu'er, are you trying to embezzle it all by stopping me like this?!"
Ji Shu didn't speak, only stared coldly at the three of them, her gaze like a weapon, the atmosphere deathly silent.
Ji Congwen took a step back, feeling a chill in his heart. This brat was looking at him like he was a dead man, which inexplicably made him feel oppressed.
"What...what happened...those are all my mother's things—"
Ji Yunbai raised her chin and said, "That's right, what kind of talk is it for a granddaughter like you, who will get married sooner or later, to occupy her grandmother's things!"
Watching them sing in unison, Ji Shu suddenly smiled and said, "Of course you can take it if you want, but we need to do some accounting and calculate how much money you've taken from the old lady over the years."
"If I remember correctly, when you were dividing the mansions, you personally promised that you would have nothing to do with anything in this mansion."
"Is Second Uncle going back on his word now?"
Ji Shu only learned later that after the original owner's father died, when the second branch of the family moved out on their own, her grandmother received more property than the first branch.
It was only because Ji Shu's mother's maternal grandparents were famous wealthy merchants that Ji Congwen said he would not take a single thing from the Ji family again after getting what he wanted.
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