Chapter 260 Yun Jiaoyue Suffers a Setback at the Hands of a Concubine
As the sword pierced her abdomen, Aunt Chen turned deathly pale and trembled all over; she did not want to die.
A sudden surge of survival instinct erupted within him, and he flung the flour he was carrying away. White smoke filled the air, blinding everyone, and he seized the opportunity.
He shoved the guard aside and ran for his life, shouting as he ran, "Help! Someone's killing me to cover it up!"
Yun Jiaoyue commanded, "Chase her! Kill her!"
"Chen, don't run away! Stop right there, or I'll make sure you die a quick death."
The more she shouted, the faster Aunt Chen ran, and she disappeared around the corner.
The guards gave chase.
Yun Jiaoyue lifted her skirt and followed, thinking the guards had caught the person. But when she got there, she found the guards looking for someone like headless flies.
She demanded, "Where are they?"
"Your Highness, we've lost them. My men came after them, but they're already gone."
"Useless! You can lose track of even a woman, what use are you guys?"
“She must be hiding around here. We’ve searched the surrounding area, but there’s no one there. She’s probably inside a house.” The guard’s gaze swept over the row of houses on the left.
"What are you waiting for? Go in and search!"
This estate belongs to His Highness. He didn't charge those people rent, so they should be grateful. Anyone who tries to stop her from searching should be kicked out.
The guard hesitated, "Some of these rooms are for the escorts."
The escorts were in charge of the exile procession, and the prince gave them some leeway. If they offended the other party without the prince's permission, they would be punished.
"The guards? She must be hiding inside. Go in and search! The evidence of Chen's affair with the guards is irrefutable. Today, I, the Princess Consort, will cleanse the Yun family of this mess!"
Inside the house, Aunt Chen stuffed the money bag she was carrying into Hu Feng's hand.
"What are you going to do with me?"
"Thank you for saving me, but I can't drag you down with me. No matter what happens, don't come out. I'll just say I ran in by myself."
She rushed over here in a panic, not knowing where to run, when suddenly the door opened and a strong hand reached out and pulled her into the house.
"You'll die if you go out!"
Aunt Chen shook her head, telling him not to worry about her, and walked to the door to open it.
Hu Feng grabbed her arm again, pulled her back, and pinned her against the wall.
Aunt Chen's back hit the wall, and she instinctively tried to cry out, but a hand tightly covered her mouth.
The man's tall frame completely enveloped her in the shadows of the corner. The two were very close, and she could almost feel the man's hot chest burning against her through her clothes.
The footsteps outside grew closer, and she held her breath, afraid to move.
She looked up and her gaze swept over his Adam's apple and sharp jawline.
Why is he so good to her? Isn't he afraid of being implicated by her, or even dying?
Hu Feng held his breath, listening to the footsteps outside, and his other hand, gripping the sword hilt, gradually tightened.
She lowered her head, noticing his gaze, his breath brushing against her forehead, his sharp, somewhat murderous eyes meeting her watery gaze.
Aunt Chen's cheeks suddenly flushed, and she hurriedly lowered her eyes, shaking her head slightly and struggling gently, signaling him not to worry about her, in case those people broke down the door and saw them in such an ambiguous position.
Those people will definitely see him as an adulterer, and he won't be able to clear his name even if he jumps into the Yellow River.
Aunt Chen struggled more and more, pressing her hands against his chest, trying to push him away.
He pinned her against the wall, his chest pressing down on her struggling body like a branding iron.
"You were so afraid of death before, but you're not now? Do you still think that useless old man can protect you?" His Adam's apple bobbed, and his breath was hot against her ear.
Aunt Chen glared, her eyes filled with cold indifference. She pried his hands off her mouth and uttered four words almost silently: "None of your business!"
Hu Feng sneered. When he asked Hu Feng for favors before, Hu Feng kept calling him "Brother Hu".
Now they've turned their backs on us.
Hmph! Women are so fickle.
Hu Feng pinned the person firmly between the wall and his chest.
Aunt Chen tried to push him, but he wouldn't budge.
Because of his physical weakness and extreme tension, he didn't have enough strength to push her away and punch her chest.
Isn't this madman afraid of dying?
She had only used him at first, and now that he couldn't protect her, there was no need to drag him down with her. As she struggled, her soft curves brushed against his hard muscles, and her knees struck the inside of his thighs.
He groaned and pressed himself even closer, rendering her unable to move.
Neither of them spoke; only their soft breathing could be heard.
"Don't move! Find a place to hide first, I'll handle them."
The footsteps grew closer.
Hu Feng released him and pushed him into the house.
Before he could even open the door and leave...
A teasing voice came from outside the door.
"Hey, sister, what are you trying to do with all this fuss?"
Yun Jiaoyue gave her a cold look, "None of your business!"
“You are already married to His Highness and are no longer a member of the Yun family. The affairs of the Yun family have nothing to do with you. It doesn’t sound good if word gets out that you are bringing the guards and maids of the Prince’s mansion to handle matters concerning your own family. His Highness detests people who don’t know what’s important.”
"This is my mother's wish. She is seriously ill and asked me to help her deal with a lowly concubine who has committed adultery. What's wrong with that? Even if His Highness knows, he won't blame me. Don't try to scare me!"
She deliberately emphasized the words "lowly concubine".
Su Wanwan's chest heaved with anger. "Your father's concubine is your stepmother. You have no right to kill her. Someone once beat up your father's concubine and was imprisoned for three years. You have now violated the 'outsider disturbing the home' clause, and 'the inferior offending the superior' is an even more serious crime."
Yun Jiaoyue sneered: "If beating one's parents is a crime, then what crime is it for a concubine to deliberately drag the table in the room, disturbing the wife and husband?"
Su Wanwan wasn't afraid of her. She threw the vegetable basket on the ground, put her hands on her hips, and loudly argued, "There's no such crime in the law. We didn't do it on purpose. There were rats chirping and squeaking incessantly, which was so annoying. People would think we were in heat. We were so angry that we wanted to have someone catch some male rats for us to breed."
The commotion was so loud that everyone inside went to the door or window to watch the melon.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiu couldn't help but poke open the window and stick his head out, saying, "Aunt Su, please don't! What if a litter of baby mice is born? Our whole village will be doomed; the entire village will become a rat den."
Several laughs came from the shadows, "Pfft~"
Someone slapped their thigh and laughed wildly, "Hahaha!! I'm dying of laughter!"
"It's normal that he doesn't understand since he's not married."
Su Wanwan glared at Zhao Jiu, "Don't call me Aunt Su, call me Madam Su."
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, a woman who marries can be addressed by her surname plus "Niangzi" (娘子).
She hadn't thought much of being a concubine before, but Yun Jiaoyue looked down on her status as a concubine. Being called "concubine" to her face felt like a slap in the face.
"Oh, I see, my wife," Zhao Jiu readily changed her address.
He didn't realize anything after he finished speaking.
Suddenly, he was hit on the back of the head, his head was pressed down and then quickly bounced back.
Old Liao said, "Where's the surname? Did the dog eat it?"
If you didn't know better, you'd think he was eyeing someone's concubine again. One after another, they're all causing him trouble.
Zhao Jiu was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly and explained, "Madam Su, please don't misunderstand. It's because both Aunt Su and Madam Su have the surname Su. What I meant was to change Aunt Su to Madam Su."
Su Wanwan glared at him and said fiercely, "I know, you don't need to explain."
He still dares to look down on her; it's already a miracle that she hasn't looked down on him.
Zhao Jiu scratched his head, "I..." What did I say wrong again?
Yun Jiaoyue glanced at the people around her. She couldn't move her today, but she would find plenty of ways to kill her later.
"Let's go!"
After the play ended, the crowd dispersed.
Liu Yiyi pulled Su Wanwan aside to whisper, "Wanwan, the Princess Consort is currently favored by His Highness. Why do you need to get involved in this mess? If she complains to His Highness, we'll be in big trouble."
"How dare she! A married-out girl meddling in her natal family's affairs—if word gets out, it's not only a disgrace to His Highness but also a violation of the Great Zhou law. I can't stand her arrogant attitude, as if we concubines aren't human, but ants she can crush at will. Why? We are also young ladies from a wealthy family; why doesn't she treat us like human beings!"
It wasn't until she saw Wang Shi that she knew who Yun Jiaoyue had learned from; like father, like son.
They believed that helping Aunt Liu was helping themselves, and she admired Aunt Liu quite a bit.
He single-handedly turned the Yun family into chaos.
"Is being the principal wife so great? Is it that we don't want to be the principal wife? It was decided from birth, what can we do? If it weren't for her innate, harmful destiny, she would have been a concubine..."
“We haven’t even blamed her yet, but she implicated the Prince’s Mansion and caused us all to be exiled. I’m furious.”
Su Wanwan's eyes reddened with anger, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Liu Yiyi comforted her and pulled him toward the kitchen, "Alright, stop talking. Let's go to the kitchen and make a delicious meal to send to His Highness."
Wait until everyone outside leaves.
Aunt Chen breathed a sigh of relief; she was saved, she wouldn't die.
Aunt Chen bowed to her and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Hu, for saving my life."
"Brother Hu?"
The other guards who shared a room with him had all gone to eat at Lao Liao's place, leaving only the two of them here.
He let out a low, cold "ha" sound, and a chilling smile curved his lips, carrying undisguised sarcasm.
"He didn't need my help just now, but now he's calling me Brother Hu?"
"No need for thanks. Someone paid me money to protect you for three months. If you die, I won't get paid."
Aunt Chen was visibly agitated, tears welling in her eyes. "Is it the Princess? I never expected she would still remember me..."
The two had made a deal to have her protect her life for three months. After the teams separated, Yun Zhaoxue made no offer, and she dared not ask for anything more.
It turns out she had always remembered.
Hu Feng, “…”
He had saved her life before, but he had never seen her so excited.
"In any case, I still want to thank you." Aunt Chen reached out and touched the belt around his waist.
Hu Feng was startled and shrank back. "What are you doing? You just had a miscarriage and you want to do that kind of thing? Are you out of your mind?"
Aunt Chen blinked. "What kind of thing is that? I just want the money back, that's all."
She would never use her body to pay off a debt, offering herself up to be despised.
She had managed to swindle this money from Yun Xiuwen with great difficulty. She thought she was going to die, so she decided to be a good person. Now that she was alive, she was determined to get the money back. Without money, she couldn't do anything.
Hu Feng then realized he had misunderstood, and his face turned somewhat embarrassed. He reached out and grabbed the money bag, wrapping his large hand around her small one. "You've already given it to me, so it's mine now."
"I didn't say I was giving it to you, I just left it with you for safekeeping for now. Give it back to me." Aunt Chen gripped the money bag tightly in both hands.
"No way!"
This woman treats people like servants, only to turn away when she doesn't need them. What does she take him for?
It made him feel like he was being treated like a dog.
Hu Feng gave a strong tug, and Aunt Chen, who was also clutching the silver, was pulled towards him, falling into his arms with a "bang!"
The man's chest was hard, and a lump formed in his throat; tears welled up in his eyes and slid down his cheeks.
Taking advantage of the situation, Aunt Chen snatched the money and ran away.
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