Chapter 20, Section 20: She killed someone.
The crowd at the city gate gradually dispersed, but Yuezhi was still standing by the gate, staring blankly into the distance, until Huaqing pulled her back to her senses with his arm, and the two of them left the city gate and went home.
Inside the carriage, Xiuyu witnessed the entire process of Yuezhi bidding farewell to Pei Heng and then returning home with Huaqing, and a deep jealousy welled up in her eyes.
She accompanied Qi Miao to see off Marquis Jing'an. Ever since she was punished last time, the arduous task of accompanying him out in the early morning has fallen to her.
Qi Miao chatted enthusiastically with the soldiers and scions of noble families, while she could only stay in the secluded sedan chair, ignored by everyone.
If she didn't compare herself to others, she could manage to get by. But when she saw Yuezhi's comfortable and free life, and the fact that there were always people around her who spoke up for her, she would get furious.
They were clearly the same kind of people. In fact, when they were maids in the Eastern Palace, her status and the amount of money she received were much higher than Yue Zhi's. Even the Empress trusted her and promised her that she could become the Crown Prince's concubine in the future.
If it weren't for that witchcraft incident, she would have become the Crown Prince's concubine long ago. Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, she would have been granted the title of concubine and lived a life of glory and wealth.
Lost in thought, he didn't even notice Qi Miao getting into the sedan chair.
Until a wrinkled old hand slipped into her skirt, Xiuyu frowned in disgust, no longer as gentle and charming as before, and a wicked thought arose in her sour heart.
"Master, how long has it been since you took a new concubine? You've been keeping me in your room all these days, don't you get tired of it?"
"You are someone I personally trained. I love you so much, how could I ever get tired of you?"
As Qi Miao spoke, his withered lips were about to kiss her face, while his other hand had already touched her back, tracing the scars left after the whip marks had scabbed over, as if he were savoring a painting of beauty he had created, his face full of enjoyment.
Xiuyu turned her face away, suppressing her dissatisfaction.
With the promising Pei Heng to rely on and an innocent little girl by her side, Yue Zhi's life was so carefree. Yet, she had to coax a weird old man here.
"Master is skilled at training people, but I know of one person whom Master may not be able to handle."
"You little hussy, what mischief are you up to now?"
"I meant well, Master. Don't you like to draw with blood on people? Look at this scar on my hand..."
Xiuyu rolled up her sleeves and waved her arm in front of Qi Miao, which immediately attracted him to sniff her arm like a dog munching on food.
"This is that person's masterpiece." She spoke mysteriously, "She was an embroiderer who loved to play with needles, thread, knives, and scissors... Isn't the master curious about what kind of masterpiece could be created by using these things on a person?"
Qi Miao felt an ecstatic thought just imagining controlling other people's bodies with blood and pain.
"Whose daughter is she? Would she be willing to become my concubine?"
“What kind of person is the master? It’s her good fortune that he has taken a liking to her. How can she refuse?”
Qi Miao looked at her with a smile, his fingertips tracing her spine. "You little vixen, you really know how to please people. Tell me, do you want the person or the money? As long as you can bring that person to me, I'll have my wife give you an extra two taels of silver every month."
Xiuyu forced a smile despite feeling disgusted, "Don't worry, Master, I will make sure you are completely satisfied."
*
As the weather warms up, the days seem to fly by.
In March, Aunt Wang and Uncle Wang came to propose marriage and present betrothal gifts. Hua Qing and Wang Qiushi exchanged wedding invitations, and the wedding date was set for six months later.
In April, He Zhiyan got married to her cousin in the capital. The family was a distinguished and wealthy family. The wedding procession stretched from one end of the street to the other, and the grandeur of the wedding made all the young ladies in Yanjing extremely envious.
In late April, news circulated among the people that local military commanders were fighting against the capital's garrison. The Lady of the Marquis intended to invite her to her residence for a detailed discussion, but Yuezhi declined, citing her family's preparations for her younger sister's marriage.
It wasn't that she was disrespecting the Marquis's family, but rather that she was worried that the Marquis's wife might say something inappropriate to her because she was concerned about her husband at the front lines, putting her in a difficult position.
She ultimately did not move to the new house, nor did she live in the Marquis's mansion. This was because true hermits hide in the city, while lesser hermits hide in the forest. In the current situation, having a close relationship with the Marquis's mansion would only attract attention and make it easier for people to target her.
Spring turned to summer, and Yuezhi had completed half of her wedding dress and the embroidered shoes were also finished.
After finishing her chores each day, Hua Qing would linger around Yue Zhi, admiring the wedding dress she was meticulously sewing, which was a hundred times more beautiful than any dress she had ever seen before.
"Sister, with such excellent skills, you should open an embroidery shop and make a lot of money!"
Yuezhi was busy with needlework. Watching her hold up the red inner skirt and compare it to herself, she laughed and said, "Things are valued for their rarity. If there were ten embroiderers in Yanjing City with similar skills to me, you wouldn't find my wedding dress so special."
Hua Qing nodded repeatedly, her eyes still fixed on the wedding dress. "Sister, everything you say makes sense. Cousin will listen to you, and I will listen to you too."
Seeing that she couldn't wait to put on her wedding dress today, Yuezhi got up and went inside to fetch a few boxes.
"Don't just focus on the wedding dress, look at the dowry I've prepared for you."
Upon hearing this, Hua Qing turned around and saw her open several wooden boxes one by one. Inside were a pair of purple jade bracelets, a set of pure gold jewelry, a century-old ginseng, and a house deed.
"Are these all for me?" Hua Qing's voice choked with emotion.
“We still have some savings at home, which I will add to your dowry. On your wedding day, I will also prepare two large chests for you, filled with gold and silver, so that you can have a grand wedding.”
“But… all the money in the house was earned by you and my cousin. I didn’t contribute anything. How can I take so much dowry with me when I leave home to get married?”
Yuezhi rarely saw her crying, so she comforted her, saying, "You usually cook and boil water for me, taking care of me even more diligently than Pei Heng. This sincerity is more precious than any amount of money."
"Sister!" Hua Qing rushed over and hugged her. "When my mother was still alive, she said she would repay your kindness. Since she couldn't repay the kindness, it's only right that I come. I don't want this dowry..."
"Whether it was kindness or resentment, it's all in the past." Yuezhi reached out and gently rubbed her forehead with her finger. "You're getting married soon, you should look forward."
Hua Qing sobbed and couldn't speak.
Yuezhi coaxed her to take the things back to the west wing and put them away. She finished sewing the basic shape of the wedding dress, but her eyes were getting tired, so she put away the bright red fabric, changed to a sachet, and continued embroidering.
Although Pei Heng frequently brought her military pay and rewards home, she still refused to give up her embroidery skills. Occasionally, she would make clothes for some young ladies and embroider some trinkets, earning a few taels of silver each month.
In May, as spring transitions into summer, the city's residents wear lighter clothing, and Yuezhi also puts on a cooler inner skirt.
The Wang family rented a two-courtyard house in the city and moved in. They usually farmed the fertile fields outside the city. Occasionally, when they had free time, Wang Qiushi would come to Hua Qing to go out for a stroll and some fun.
Previously, Yuezhi would go to the Wang family to talk to Aunt Wang, but recently, since Wang Miaomiao became pregnant and Aunt Wang went to take care of her, Yuezhi has stopped visiting so often.
After Hua Qing left, the house became unusually quiet.
At noon, a horse-drawn carriage stopped outside the gate.
"Is Miss Yuezhi at home? My lady would like to ask you to come over and make her a dress. Would that be convenient for you?"
Yuezhi recognized the man; his wife had been asking her to make trinkets for the past two months. The sachet she had asked for earlier was finished, and Yuezhi thought she would make clothes and send the sachet over as well.
I got into the carriage, lifted the curtain, and saw a familiar road outside.
She had been to this inner quarters twice. The lady was very kind. Each time, she didn't ask for much and didn't give much money. But even if it was the same thing, making sachets and handkerchiefs, it was much more cost-effective to have them made for the lady than to put them in a shop for consignment.
Led by a maid, we entered the inner courtyard. It was the hottest time of the morning, and there were hardly any people in the courtyard.
Yuezhi was led into an inner room.
"Please sit down, young lady. My mistress is still taking her afternoon nap. Please wait a moment," the maid said, inviting her to sit at the table and pouring her a cup of tea.
Yuezhi didn't think much of it, picked up the tea and took a polite sip. After a while, she felt thirsty and took a big gulp.
Her throat felt a little better, and she sat quietly. Suddenly, she felt dizzy, her vision went black, and she collapsed onto the table.
In a daze, I heard a sound outside the door.
"Is she really willing?"
"If you didn't want to, why would you come here?"
"It's good to enjoy life with beautiful women, but I don't want to get into legal trouble because of it."
"Don't worry, sir. I've found out everything. This embroiderer has no one to rely on and is over twenty years old and still unmarried. Once things are settled, she'll be too busy to marry you as her concubine. Why would she report this to the authorities?"
"Then I'm relieved." The man's smile was weathered and rough, with a hidden hint of lewdness that sent chills down one's spine.
In a daze, Yuezhi felt a pair of hands, as rough as tree bark, caressing her body, which chilled her to the bone. She managed to regain a sliver of reason in her unconscious state.
She struggled to get up from the chair and saw a stranger in front of her. He was an old man who looked to be nearly sixty years old. His face was ruddy and he was staring at her with a lewd look, as if he were looking at a piece of meat on a chopping board.
Yuezhi stepped back. "Please have some self-respect, sir. I am here to make clothes for Madam."
Qi Miao chuckled wickedly, "How much money can you make making clothes? If you come with me, I'll let you enjoy the bliss of having two wives."
Yuezhi realized that she had been deceived.
She staggered toward the door, but it was locked from the outside. No matter how much she banged on the door and shouted, no one answered.
Qi Miao had taken aphrodisiacs before entering, and now, seeing the beauty's panicked appearance, he felt even more that he was defiling a celestial fairy, and his interest soared.
He pounced on Yuezhi like a hungry dog, but she dodged and escaped. Instead of getting angry, he laughed even louder, and while chasing her, he took off his clothes.
The door can't be opened, and the window can't be opened either.
The drug in her body made Yuezhi dizzy and unable to cry. She could only keep avoiding the man's touch until she was cornered against the wall.
He looked like a skeleton in human skin. Yuezhi trembled as she grabbed a vase from the cabinet to protect herself. Seeing that the man was advancing instead of retreating, she used all her strength to swing the vase at his head.
"Bang!" The old man's body was hit hard on the forehead by the porcelain bottle, and he immediately fainted and fell to the ground.
Strange noises came from inside the house. Xiuyu and a few servants waiting to serve in the courtyard only glanced into the house and vaguely saw one person pinning another to the ground and beating them through the window, but they didn't pay much attention.
Everyone in the Qi family, from his wives and concubines to his servants, knew of Qi Miao's peculiar habit of beating people during sexual intercourse. Anyone who dared to interrupt him in the heat of the moment would be beaten into a cripple, if not killed.
Each dull thud sent shivers down the spines of those outside.
Xiuyu couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth: "Beat her harder, disfigure her, cripple her hands and feet, and see if her 'family' still wants her."
The group looked at the blurry figure in the window, and when they saw the figure who had bent down to hit someone suddenly fall down, they cried out in alarm.
"Master!" The maid opened the door.
Xiuyu and several servants squeezed in to take a look, and were so shocked by what they saw that they were speechless.
Yuezhi clutched the blood-stained porcelain bottle, covered in a cold sweat, and collapsed to the ground.
Not far from her, Qi Miao lay naked on his back on the ground, his eyes half-open. His head was dented, his face was a bloody mess, and his head was covered in blood.
He died.
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