"Please wait a moment, Madam!"
The female official looked somewhat anxious. He Jiu Niang turned around and saw that she hesitated. She said impatiently, "I'm only giving you one chance. You'll have to bear the consequences if anything happens."
The female official had also heard of He Jiuniang's reputation and knew that she was not someone to be trifled with. After hesitating for a long time, she said, "The young lady just brought in a packet of medicine powder, saying that she was feeling unwell and carried it with her. She asked me to make an exception for her."
"What illness requires carrying medicine powder? You actually believe that?"
He Jiuniang sneered. Some people just pretend to be ignorant. They know perfectly well that the things they bring in could cause trouble, but they still let them in. Their intentions are despicable.
The female official turned pale and didn't know how to reply.
He Jiuniang added, "You are not under my jurisdiction, and I will not pursue what you have done. You know in your heart what should be done."
After saying that, he turned and left.
The female official trembled with fear, knowing that her position was nearing its end. She was truly unlucky to have been seen by that person. That young lady from the Fang family had really ruined her life.
The banquet began soon. He Jiuniang kept her eyes on the Fang family's young lady. Seeing that she was poised and elegant throughout the banquet and showed no intention of drugging the girl, she couldn't help but admire her strong will.
Normally, He Jiuniang would have pretended not to see it, but not tonight. It could only be said that this Miss Fang had made a mistake and offended someone she shouldn't have.
The emperor and empress sat at the head of the table, smiling as they looked down at the assembled officials and their families. They glanced at He Jiu Niang from time to time, eagerly anticipating the gift she was about to present.
He Jiuniang paid no attention to any of this, her eyes fixed intently on the Fang family's young lady, a sight clearly seen by the Emperor and Empress sitting above.
"Whose daughter is that? Did she offend Jiu Niang?"
The Empress gently tugged at the Emperor's sleeve, gesturing for him to look at Miss Fang.
"It shouldn't be that bad. If that little girl really offended Madam Lu, given her personality, she wouldn't just sit idly by."
Although the emperor didn't know He Jiuniang very well, he had known her for quite some time and knew that she was a decisive and efficient person. If he really offended her, he would probably have already taken action.
The Empress thought about it and agreed, and then smiled and said, "Could this be the gift she gave us?"
"I can't explain it."
The emperor shook his head, his anticipation growing stronger.
Miss Fang Rong was preoccupied with her own affairs and didn't notice He Jiu Niang's gaze at all, nor did she know that she was being watched.
Seeing that everyone was enjoying the song and dance, she got up and quietly left.
When they went out, the maidservant followed along. The two found a quiet place to talk: "Go find someone to put this in the second young master of the Chen family's wine. Be quick, and make sure no one finds out."
"yes."
The maid took it, her face showing both fear and determination.
If Miss doesn't marry the second young master of the Chen family, she will be married off by the madam to an old merchant as his ninth concubine. As a maid, she certainly can't escape unscathed, so she might as well take a gamble tonight.
Fang Rong, the young lady of the Fang family, was born out of wedlock and was not loved by her family from a young age. It was already a miracle that she was able to grow up.
Previously, her father intended to marry her off to the second young master of the Chen family. She was secretly happy because although the Chen family was not as wealthy as hers, the second young master of the Chen family was the legitimate son and was loved by his elders. She would not feel wronged if she married into the family.
She was secretly delighted for a long time and waited patiently for her wedding.
Unexpectedly, her father encountered some trouble in his career and needed to spend money to smooth things over. Since the family didn't have that much money, the mistress turned her attention to her.
The mistress had never liked her. She was also very dissatisfied with the marriage her father had arranged for her, feeling that she was marrying above her station in the Chen family. So she took this opportunity to suggest to her father that she marry a businessman. Although it would be a loss of status, she would get a lot of money.
More importantly, she was just a concubine's daughter, insignificant and would not harm the Fang family's interests.
For the sake of his future, the father readily agreed to the mistress's suggestion, without caring what she thought.
Therefore, she wanted to take advantage of tonight to secure a better future for herself.
There was nothing wrong with that; the problem was that the matriarch of the Fang family was too narrow-minded and couldn't tolerate a concubine's daughter.
Fang Rong shouldn't have set her sights on the state banquet. If it were just her own people, she wouldn't have made a fool of herself. At worst, she could have given them a minor punishment and let them get married.
Unfortunately, there were foreign envoys present. If such a scandal were to occur, they might be secretly ridiculed.
Of course, more importantly, it will affect Lu Baichuan's future.
This Miss Fang is short-sighted; she disregards the future of others for her own selfish gain. He Jiu Niang need not hesitate to follow suit.
The maidservant turned around with the medicine packet, and just as she was about to leave, she saw He Jiuniang standing not far away and screamed in fright.
"Take it out."
He Jiuniang stretched out her hand, her face expressionless.
Miss Fang hadn't gone far when she was caught red-handed.
"you……"
Previously, when Kaya said in the main hall that she wanted to marry Lu Baichuan, He Jiuniang personally confronted her and showed her face in front of everyone, so Fang Rong naturally knew her identity.
Being caught doing something like this for the first time made Fang Rong very uneasy, but she still forced herself to say, "This matter has nothing to do with Madam, please do me a favor."
"Are you sure you really have nothing to do with it? Once this scandal blows up, can my Lu family escape responsibility? Miss Fang, you really know how to exonerate yourself."
He Jiuniang, expressionless, snatched the medicine packet away. Even without getting close, she could smell a faint fragrance, and it was obvious what it was.
Fang Rong's face was pale, but she still couldn't help but defend herself: "I...I also have my own difficulties..."
"Does having a reason give you the right to disrupt a state banquet? Does having a reason give you the right to make everyone else lose face with you? Does having a reason give you the right to trample on other people's futures?"
He Jiuniang snorted coldly, really wanting to crack open Miss Fang's head and see what she was thinking.
"If you want a marriage certificate, what methods can't you use to ask for it? Why do you have to make a fool of yourself at this time? If you use such means to get the second young master of the Chen family, can you guarantee that you will really be able to marry into the Chen family as you wish? Or that after marrying into the Chen family, you will be able to become the young mistress of the Chen family as you wish?"
He Jiuniang's words were well said, every word a gem, leaving Fang Rong speechless.
What she said was exactly what Fang Rong was afraid of. It was already beneath her dignity to do such a thing as a young woman. Even if she lost her virginity, she might not be able to get a title. Even if she did get a title, she would not be able to hold her head high in her husband's family.
After all that trouble, hasn't she just gone from one wolf's den to another tiger's lair?
Thinking this, tears streamed down her face as she cried about her miserable life, feeling that the world was against her.
Or perhaps, her birth was a mistake.
He Jiuniang didn't want to waste words with her, but as she turned away, she still left out a sentence: "Self-reliance, self-improvement, and self-love are what a young lady should truly do."
After saying that, he turned and left, no longer caring how much Fang Rong was crying behind him.
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