NOVEL WEB Chapter 176 - The One Married Into the Ji Family was Su Yueqiu
Chapter 176: The One Married Into the Ji Family was Su Yueqiu
The Second Mistress had no idea who had hit her head. She remained unconscious until nighttime.
As she woke up, her mind was a terrible blur, and it took her quite a while to become fully sober. “Help me, sir!” she started screaming right away. “Who attacked me?”
Su Di and his brother, as well as Miss Su, hurried over. “How are you feeling, Mother?”
The Second Mistress held her head and struggled up. The pain in her face and all over her body made her groan and moan. “Who hit me?!” she hollered in anger. “Whoever that was, I’ll skin her!”
When she had been attacked, she had vaguely heard a woman shouting.
Visibly upset and irritated, Su Wenqian walked over and tossed a piece of paper on top of the Second Mistress. “This is for you!”
Startled, the Second Mistress picked up the paper. Upon quickly reading the text, she jolted, shut her eyes, and fell back, losing her consciousness once again.
“Mother!” A horrified Miss Su hurriedly pinched the meridian point under the Second Mistress’s nostrils, to wake her back up.
“You’re utterly heartless, Su Wenqian!” The Second Mistress shouted hoarsely, panting out of breath. “I have served you diligently for years. I’ve given birth to your children and raised them. Even if you don’t value my efforts, you should at least appreciate the time I’ve put in. Now you’re divorcing me for such a trivial matter? I don’t want to live anymore!”
“You’re only a concubine,” Su Wenqian said coldly, looking away. “I wouldn’t need to write a divorce letter, to begin with. I could just kick you out of the door for stealing from the Eldest Mistress. I do appreciate the decades you have put in serving the Su Family. That’s the reason I’m handing you a divorce letter, together with one hundred taels of silver. Pack all your belongings, and get out of the Su Manor tomorrow!”
His harsh words stunned the Second Mistress. She could barely breathe and was about to pass out again.
Miss Su, Su Di, and the others hurried to plead with Su Wenqian.
“Mother no longer has any immediate family in Shengjing City! If you kick her out, she will be destitute!”
“You can’t treat her like this, Father!”
“Mother has been with the Su Family for decades. Is she worth less than several pieces of stolen items?”
Profoundly agitated, Su Wenqian swung his arms and strode out of the room.
Su Di and Su Yan chased after him. The brothers had always depended on the Second Mistress’s assistance whenever they got into trouble or become financially strapped. It was only natural they didn’t want to see her gone from the Su Family.
“Father!”
“Father!”
The two brothers followed Su Wenqian into the study and knelt to beg him.
“It was all because of you two!” Su Wenqian gaped at his sons, utterly frustrated.
“What did this have to do with us?” asked Su Di.
“You two owe so much money to so many people out there. That’s the reason your mother stole from the family and took the valuables to the pawn shop!” Su Wenqian gritted his teeth and folded his hands behind his back. “She was trying to fill the hole you have dug for yourselves!”
“What?” The brothers appeared utterly ashamed. “If that’s the case, then all the more reason you can’t kick Mother out! Kick us out of the family instead, Father!”
“Indeed. Mother did what she did for her sons. Please forgive her!”
Their endless pleading gave Su Wenqian a headache. “I don’t have a choice,” he said, “The Ji Family agreed to settle the case and compensate us with money and the shop, but I also have to divorce your mother. That’s their condition.”
“Why is that?” Su Di was startled.
“I don’t know the reason either.”
The Su brothers fell speechless. They were indeed financially strapped, and they were chased by creditors on a daily basis.
“What I’m thinking is, we let your mother move out for a few days,” Su Wenqian explained. “After we get the money from the Ji Family, I’ll find a way to bring her back.”
Instantly relieved, Su Di and Su Yan stood up, grinning.
“Father is so smart!”
“Father is so cunning!”
Su Wenqian stared at his two greedy and useless sons. Knitting a deep frown, he waved a hand and sent them out.
The next day, Miss Su accompanied the Second Mistress out of the mansion to seek temporary lodging. The Second Mistress had no idea of Su Wenqian’s plan. She wept the entire way to the hotel.
“Please settle here temporarily for a couple of days, Mother,” said Miss Su softly. “Everything will be fine once Father is no longer angry.”
Having been divorced in her fifties, the Second Mistress felt terribly ashamed and seriously contemplated ending her life.
Having already consoled her for a long while, Miss Su was getting impatient with her endless weeping. Claiming she needed to go out to buy food, Miss Su went up and hurried out of the hotel room.
Having had left the Ji Manor and rested for more than a month, Miss Su had gradually regained some weight. Only her shattered cheekbones hadn’t been able to fully recover. Half of her face was still caved in, which she had to cover with her hair. She lowered her head and rushed through the crowd in the street.
“Wifey!”
Someone was calling after her. Miss Su froze and spun around. She was shocked to see Zhao Sheng chasing after her, carrying a child on his back.
Miss Su turned pale and darted into the crowd in panic.
“Don’t run, wifey!”
“Wifey!”
Zhao Sheng kept on chasing, bumping into passersby along the way, and making a scene. The child on his back began bawling, which caught everyone’s attention.
A horse carriage was stuck in the crowd. Jin Feng caught a clear glimpse of the young woman being chased by the man. “Sir!” He turned around with a frown. “The ‘wifey’ the man is calling seems to be Miss Su.”
Ji Yuxian abruptly raised his head. “Miss Su?”
“She looks just like Miss Su!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” Jin Feng was quite sure.
Ji Yuxian parted the curtains and gazed out, his eyes glimmering.
“Stop the carriage in front of Jingqin Restaurant. Bring the man over to me!”
“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.”
Meanwhile, Zhao Sheng kept on chasing, but he lost Miss Su’s trail halfway down the street. The child he was carrying was barely one-year-old, making it impossible for him to run at top speed.
He stood on tiptoes and glanced around in the crowd. Miss Su was nowhere in sight. Frustrated, he consoled the crying child and turned to walk away.
A distance away, behind the window of a rouge and perfume store, Miss Su was hiding under a merchandise rack, her eyes glistening a vicious light. She hated men, and she would kill them all one day!
A short while later, Zhao Sheng was brought into Jingqin Restaurant and told to stop outside a room on the third floor. “Please enter,” Jin Feng told him blankly as he opened the door.
Zhao Sheng had never been to any place this fancy. “What’s going on? Where are you taking me?” he huddled in fear, not daring to enter.
“No need to be afraid. You’ll find out when you get in.”
“Yes, sure…” Zhao Sheng murmured, his face clouded with anxiety. He poked his head in the door for a look, before gingerly entering the room.
His mud-caked shoes stepped onto the plush carpet. The man hesitated again.
Ji Yuxian was sitting on a low bed. He wore a dark purple brocade robe, looking exceedingly luxurious. He lifted his gaze to study Zhao Sheng and smiled briefly. “Sit.”
“Oh!” Not daring to look up, Zhao Sheng removed the child from his back and held him in his arms. He then sat down in a chair, visibly ill-at-ease.
Jin Feng poured him a cup of tea and stepped aside.
“What is your name?” Ji Yuxian’s voice was soft and crisp. “Where did you come from?”
“My name is Zhao Sheng,” the man answered timidly, keeping his head lowered. “I’m from Yuhu Mountain.”
A faint light glistened in Ji Yuxian’s eyes. “The woman you were chasing after, is she your wife?” he continued to ask.
“Yes!”
“What’s her name?”
“Su Yueqiu… No, Su Yuejiu.”
“Is it Su Yueqiu or Su Yuejiu?” Ji Yuxian straightened his back slightly.
The man’s aura was overwhelming. Zhao Sheng turned pale and kept on rocking the toddler in his arms. “When she first woke up, she said her name was Su Yueqiu,” he answered nervously. “Later, she said it was Su Yuejiu instead.”
Jin Feng leaned over and whispered to Ji Yuxian, “The Second Miss of the Su Family is named Su Yueqiu.”
Coldness surged up in Ji Yuxian’s eyes as he looked over at the toddler. “And this is your child? The child she had given birth to?”
“Yes!”
“Wasn’t she badly injured when you rescued her? How could she deliver a baby?”
“She was indeed injured, but she recovered in two months,” Zhao Sheng gingerly answered. “We then got married and had this child.”
“Then why did she come to Shengjing City?” Ji Yuxian sneered.
Zhao Sheng began to recount the whole story. He told him about how Miss Su had come with him to the city for shopping, and how she had escaped in all the chaos.
Ji Yuxian listened on, his eyes growing colder and colder. The Su Family had sent a woman who had given birth to the Ji Manor for marriage. Moreover, it was even hard to say whether she was the real Su Yuejiu.
How despicable! And they intended to negotiate the terms with him?
“Alright, you will have your wife back. But first and foremost, you need to stay in Shengjing City for now,” Ji Yuxian said blankly. “Don’t worry, I’ll do you no harm. When the matter is over, I’ll even give you some money.”
Zhao Sheng immediately shook his head. “No way! My mother is still back in the mountains.”
Ji Yuxian glanced over at Jin Feng, who instantly understood his intention. “We will send someone to go with you back to your hometown,” Jin Feng told Zhao Sheng. “We’ll bring your mother to Shengjing City. All of you can stay here for a few more days.”
“What exactly do you want?” Zhao Sheng was getting increasingly alarmed.
“We’ll bring you to go see your wife,” Ji Yuxian answered plainly with a smirk. “Take him back down.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jin Feng took Zhao Sheng, and they exited the room. A while later, Jin Feng returned alone. “Everything has been arranged, sir,” he told Ji Yuxian. “I’ve asked around. Indeed, the Second Miss of the Su Family never came to the capital city.”
Ji Yuxian rose onto his feet. His eyes were glacial, and his torso shrouded in a chilling aura. “The Su Family dares to deceive me. The ties between our two families do not give them the right to do whatever they see fit!”
Jin Feng appeared baffled. “Why didn’t the Su Family marry the real Su Yuejiu into our manor? Why did they have to do something so risky?”
Ji Yuxian fell silent for a moment. “There is someone who knows the reason,” he replied, squinting his eyes.
Jin Feng pondered briefly, before realizing and answering, “Young Mistress’s Nanny!”
“Bring her over right away!”
“Yes, sir!” Jin Feng turned to leave the room, his face solemn.
“Wait!” Ji Yuxian suddenly called after him, knitting a deep frown. “I shall go myself!”
Jin Feng’s eyes twinkled briefly. “Yes, sir.”
…
Done with all the official business in the palace, Xiao Lie changed his clothes and went to see Su Jiu.
For the past two days, Su Jiu had been taking the medicine under Xiao Lie’s supervision. Her cold was almost gone, and she was about to go out to see Chang Huan.
“I’ll go with you,” Xiao Lie said. Seeing she was wearing only a thin robe, he asked the nanny to bring over a shawl.
Su Jiu smiled. “That’s not necessary. It’s warm outside! A shawl would be overkill.”
Xiao Lie carefully tied the shawl’s strings and said amicably, “You just recovered from the cold, so you’re still quite weak. It’s better to be careful.”
Su Jiu shrugged. “You’re treating me like a fancy rich lady who can’t even handle a little bit of breeze.”
“It’s for the best!” Xiao Lie chuckled and held Su Jiu’s hand. “Let’s go.”
The two bid the nanny farewell, exited West Pavilion, and headed for the gate.
“I met Lord Yun Nan in the palace today,” Xiao Lie said with a smile. “He told me that Chang Huan had wanted to get out of the bed, and had only become obedient when he saw the princess consort crying.”
“Turns out someone else can make him obedient!” Su Jiu was pleased.
“After all, they’re his birth parents. Even though they have been apart for more than ten years, blood is still thicker than water.”
“Indeed.” Su Jiu’s smile dissipated. “Now that he has found his parents, it’s time for him to go back to Diannan City.”
Xiao Lie’s steps slowed down. He turned and caressed the girl’s cheek. “Lord Yun Nan expressed his desire to stay in Shengjing City for a while. They won’t leave any time soon!”
Su Jiu nodded with a faint smile.
Xiao Lie wrapped an arm around Su Jiu’s shoulders, and the two continued walking.
As the guard opened the gate of the mansion, they were surprised to see Jin Feng, who was just about to knock on the door.
“Young Mistress!” Jin Feng called out and instinctively took a step back.
Su Jiu gazed ahead and spotted Ji Yuxian leaning against the horse carriage. His body was lean, and his posture was casual yet alluring. His eyes locked on Su Jiu and Xiao Lie, studying their intimate demeanor. A faint smirk playing on his lips as he slowly lowered his gaze.
“The Eldest Young Master would like to see the nanny, Miss Su,” Jin Feng said respectfully. “Could the nanny come with us for a short while?”
Su Jiu felt her throat drying up. She averted her gaze, trying hard to neglect the man in the purple robe before her as she asked, “What do you want the nanny for?”
“For some private matter,” Jin Feng replied.
“Alright, the nanny is in the courtyard. I’ll send someone for her.”
Su Jiu turned to the guard and asked him to go fetch the nanny.
The guard went away, leaving the four standing in awkward silence at the gate.
Xiao Lie’s hand slipped down from Su Jiu’s shoulder and held her hand tightly. “Good thing I got the shawl,” he said to her softly. “Your hand is so cold.”
“I’m alright,” Su Jiu forced a smile.
Xiao Lie turned and gazed at Ji Yuxian. “Ah Jiu has just recovered from a cold. She can’t stand in the cold wind for too long, so we shall leave first. You can stay here and wait, Eldest Young Master Ji.”
“No worries,” Su Jiu butted in, to his surprise. “I’m not that weak. We can stay and wait.”
Xiao Lie furrowed his brows. He wrapped Su Jiu’s shawl tighter to guard her against the wind.
Ji Yuxian’s face was ghastly pale. The wind rustled his hair and brushed across his handsome cheeks, carrying with it the melancholy of late spring. He appeared to be the one, not Su Jiu, who had just recovered from a bad cold.
Jin Feng retreated to the bottom of the stone steps, his eyes gloomy and solemn. He could feel the tension in the air, a tension he had never witnessed before in his life. Naturally, although he respected and worshipped the Young Master, he couldn’t bring himself to resent Su Jiu either.
The nanny soon came out and was startled to see the four outside the gate. “How can I help you, Miss?” she asked.
Su Ju replied, “Eldest Young Master Ji needs to ask you something. You can go with him.”
“Yes, Miss!” The nanny nodded briefly.
“We appreciate this,” Jin Feng said blankly, and he raised an arm to invite the nanny into the carriage.
Ji Yuxian straightened his torso. Without looking at Su Jiu and Xiao Lie, he slowly boarded the carriage, his long hair fluttering in the wind. A prideful, bewitching air enshrouded his slender figure.
The nanny also boarded the cabin. Jin Feng rode the carriage away.
Su Jiu’s gaze locked onto the departing carriage. Suddenly, she felt a pinch in her hand.
“We ought to get going.” Xiao Lie gazed at her blankly.
“Alright.” The air of playfulness had dissipated all of a sudden. Su Jiu hurried toward their carriage, biting her lower lip.
Meanwhile, the nanny sat awkwardly in Ji Yuxian’s carriage. She stole glances at the man but did not dare to ask any question.
The carriage stopped before a restaurant. Upon entering a private room, the nanny could no longer hold her tongue. “How may I help you, Eldest Young Master?”
Ji Yuxian sat down and wrapped his legs in a lotus pose. “There is a matter that I would like you to tell me the truth about,” he said nonchalantly as he poured the nanny a cup of tea.
“What is it?” the nanny seemed puzzled.
“The Miss Su who married into the Ji Manor, is she Su Yueqiu or Su Yuejiu?” Ji Yuxian directly posted the question, his eyes glistening.
The nanny turned frozen, dumbfounded.
Had Ji Yuxian already found out the truth?
The nanny swallowed hard, her face growing paler by the second. She finally answered, “…It’s Su Yueqiu, Second Miss of the Su Family.”
“In that case, where is the real Su Yuejiu?” Ji Yuxian’s voice grew cold.
“The real Su Yuejiu went missing 12 years ago,” the nanny replied as her voice began to crack.
Ji Yuxian was taken by surprise. “Missing? What do you mean?”
“Yes, 12 years ago, I accompanied the Miss on a trip, and she went missing. She never returned to the Su Family ever since.”
Her unexpected answer rendered Ji Yuxian motionless. His eyes grew even more glacial. “Such being the case, why didn’t you say anything when Su Yueqiu was accepted into our manor?”
The nanny knelt in front of him, on the verge of tears. “I didn’t dare to say anything. The Su Family had intended for Su Yueqiu to pretend to be our Young Miss to come to the capital city for the marriage. They lied to the Ji Family. They lied to everyone. If the truth ever came out, our Young Mistress would be the first person to get into trouble with the law.”
After all, Su Yuejiu was the daughter of the Eldest Mistress, and the marriage had been arranged between the Eldest Mistress and Mistress Ji. With a substitute having married into the capital city, Eldest Mistress could not shirk the blame.
Ji Yuxian hopped onto his feet. “Your Eldest Mistress and Su Wenqian worked together to deceive the Ji Family, and now all of you are trying to deny your responsibility?”
“Please hear me out, Eldest Young Master! Our mistress was also deceived. She didn’t know about the conspiracy concocted by the Second Mistress and Su Wenqian. She had lost a daughter and refrained from leaving the mansion for more than a decade. There was no way she would involve herself in such a scheme. Even I didn’t know a thing in the beginning. The Master and the Second Mistress only claimed that Second Miss had to go on a trip, and I was to accompany and serve her. I only found out the truth halfway into the journey,” the nanny explained, and she was all choked up.
Ji Yuxian closed his eyes for a moment, his heart overwhelmed by a sense of profound irony. He had lost Su Jiu, all for a counterfeit Su Yuejiu.
Even worse was that when he had found out the truth, Su Jiu had already fallen in love with someone else.
God had played a huge practical joke with him.
“I know I’ve done you wrong, Eldest Young Master, but the Eldest Mistress is indeed innocent. Please don’t report to the authorities, I beg you!” The nanny began to weep. “She has already lost a daughter, poor thing. If you report this to the authorities, she will go to prison!”
She knew in her heart that the Eldest Mistress was innocent. Yet, she had come along to the capital city and had gotten herself involved in the conspiracy to deceive the Ji Family. No way would the authorities believe anything she had to say.
“Please, for the sake of our Young Miss, spare the Eldest Mistress.”
Ji Yuxian sneered, “We don’t even know whether your Young Miss is still alive or not. Why do I need to do anything for her sake?”
The nanny lowered her head and contemplated in all seriousness. In the end, she did not voice her suspicion of Su Jiu’s true identity.
The situation was already a total mess. Any mention of Su Jiu’s identity would only make matters worse.
Ji Yuxian turned away from her, seemingly not wanting to hear another word.
He smirked and ordered, “Jin Feng, take the nanny back home.”
“Yes, sir.” Jin Feng walked over. “Come with me, please.”
The nanny kowtowed to Ji Yuxian once more, before wiping her tears and exiting.
“The Su Family was already in the capital city. Why did you continue to serve Su Jiu?” Ji Yuxian suddenly asked.
The nanny froze briefly. “I betrayed the Su Family and helped Su Jiu deceive the Second Mistress. Hence, I don’t dare to go back there,” she answered.
“How is she these days?” asked Ji Yuxian.
“She’s fine. She has recovered from the cold,” the nanny hurriedly answered.
“I see. If she needs anything, tell her to come to the Ji Manor to look for me anytime.”
“Yes, sir. I shall bid you farewell.”
Moments later, Jin Feng returned, with an incredulous look on his face. “Has the Eldest Miss of the Su Family truly gone missing?”
Ji Yuxian knitted a deep frown. “Send someone to Fuyang City at once,” he said blankly. “Find out what truly happened back then.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jin Feng hurried out.
It would take more than ten days to go to Fuyang City and back. Yet one thing was for sure: this Miss Su right now was indeed Su Yueqiu!
When Ji Yuxian returned home. Old Housekeeper Yu came up to him and said, “Su Wenqian is here. He has been waiting for you in the reception pavilion for two hours.”
“Tell him to go home,” Ji Yuxian said coldly, his face glacial. “And come back tomorrow with Miss Su!”
“Yes, sir,” Old Yu answered.
Upon hearing that Ji Yuxian had asked him to bring his daughter over the next day, Su Wenqian was puzzled. “What is the Eldest Young Master’s intention, Old Yu?”
“I don’t know. You should follow his instructions, Shopkeeper Su.”
“Alright, I shall come back tomorrow!” Su Wenqian stood up to leave.
That day was the birthday of Xie Shiyun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. A banquet was arranged that night. Prince Zhao and a slew of colleagues in the palace were invited.
The weather was pleasing. The spring breeze was gentle, and the moon was clear and bright.
Musicians played in the banquet hall. Dancers moved gracefully to the beats. The festive atmosphere lasted until ten.
By the time they left for home, everyone’s stomach was full, and all the guests were tipsy. Xie Shiyun only asked Prince Zhao, Xiao Jing, to stay behind.
“Do you have something to discuss with me?” Prince Zhao asked, squinting in half-drunkenness.
“Please come with me, Your Royal Highness.” With an ambiguous smile, Xie Shiyun led Prince Zhao toward the back garden.
Xiao Jing arched a brow and smiled. Not sure of Xie Shiyun’s intention, he followed.
The two walked past all the blooming flowers and swaying willows and followed a narrow path to the lakeshore. On a stone table rested a pot of wine and several cups, as well as a mahogany box.
Xie Shiyun asked Xiao Jing to sit down. Having poured the wine, he opened the wooden box and pushed it to the prince. “I came into possession of a night pearl a few days ago,” Xie Shiyun said in a flattering tone. “It’s perfectly round and utterly exquisite. A rare treasure for sure! Please accept it as my humble gift!”
Xiao Jing grinned. After all, it was just a pearl. The man was describing it as if he was talking about a woman.
He picked up the pearl, which exuded a gentle coolness in his palm. A soothing glow glistened exquisitely from within.
As he was studying the pearl, he heard beautiful guzheng music wafting from the lake.
Xiao Jing raised his head, and his drunken eyes gawked ahead in awe. A small wooden boat appeared in the lake, in which a young woman was playing the instrument.
Under the soft moon, the lake glistened a thousand ripples. Among the lotus leaves, the woman’s figure was lean and curvy, and her inky black hair swayed like clouds in the sky. Her face was concealed by a thin veil. Her willowy torso exuded an enchanting aura, like a rare lotus flower that could only be found atop the most picturesque mountain.
The sound of the music flowed on endlessly. The woman resembled a swaying willow. Even without seeing her face, one could tell that her beauty was most exquisite.
Xiao Jing was bewitched. He put down the pearl and walked toward the lake as if he was no longer in charge of his own body.
The wooden boat slowly reached the shore. The woman lifted her head and gazed over with her alluring eyes.
Xiao Jing instantly lost all self-control. He raised his feet and boarded the boat.
Xie Shiyun stood up, a faint grin playing on his lips. Lan Zhihui had been with him for a few months, but she was just a woman after all. Since she had said she could help him move ahead in his career, Xie Shiyun decided to take on the gamble.
Paying the two in the boat another glance, Xie Shiyun headed back on the same path they had come from.
With such prowess, he believed that the woman would become Prince Zhao’s concubine by tomorrow.
In the wooden boat, Xiao Jing held the woman’s hand. “You play beautifully,” he praised in a seductive tone. “And your hands are just as beautiful.”
The music stopped, and the woman lowered her head shyly. “Don’t make fun of me, Your Highness.”
Xiao Jing reached out a hand to lift the thin veil. The woman is beyond beautiful. Her cheeks were supple and fair, and her lips resembled two slices of peach.
Utterly enchanted, he raised both arms to hug her. His eyes were drunken and lewd as his hands reached into her robe. He whispered affectionately, “Perfectly round indeed.”
Taken aback, Lan Zhihui hurriedly stopped his hands. “Please don’t,” she groaned shyly. “I’m only here to play music and entertain you, Your Royal Highness.”
Xiao Jing lifted her chin, panting out of breath. “Entertain me you shall!”
Lan Zhihui struggled briefly, then surrendered herself to the man’s embrace. She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes.
Xiao Jing immediately removed her robe, carried her into the cabin, and proceeded to press himself on top of her.
Crickets chirped on in the quiet night. Passion filled the small boat floating in the tranquil lake.
The next day, when Xiao Jing took Lan Zhihui to leave, Xie Shiyun saw them at the front door. “To be honest, this girl is Lan Xiang’s daughter,” he told Xiao Jing. “Her father was a loyal subject, so I took pity on her and adopted her as my daughter. I intended for her to play music to entertain you last night, Your Highness. Since you’ve taken a liking to her, I’m more than honored to entrust the girl in your care. Please treat her well!”
Xiao Jing smiled knowingly. “I understand. Thank you for your kindness, Vice Minister Xie. I won’t forget this.”
“I shall see Your Royal Highness off!” Xie Shiyun bowed deeply and watched as Xiao Jing boarded the carriage.
Once in the carriage, the girl parted the curtains and gazed out. “Please take care, Father,” she said in a soft voice. “Farewell.”
“You take care as well, Zhihui!” Xie Shiyun smiled, stroking his beard with his fingers.
Just past nine a.m. in the morning, Su Wenqian brought Miss Su into the Ji Manor.
The servant went to the back to report. Miss Su stood behind Su Wenqian, visibly anxious.
“Why do I have to come here, Father?” Miss Su asked.
“I don’t know the reason either. Just stay put and wait.” Su Wenqian sipped his tea, his heart also pounding.
The wait lasted almost an hour. The servant then returned to announce Eldest Young Master Ji was coming.
Su Wenqian immediately stood up and walked over with a smile. “Nice to see you, Eldest Young Master.”
With a grunt, Ji Yuxian slowly entered the room and sat down in the host’s chair, his face expressionless.
Miss Su followed behind Su Wenqian nervously, not daring to lift her head. Ji Yuxian always managed to intimidate and frighten her.
Su Wenqian cut to the chase and placed the documents on the table. “Here is the annulment letter, and here is the voluntary separation letter, Eldest Young Master. Please take a look.”
The annulment letter was from the Second Mistress of the Su Family. The voluntary separation letter had been taken by Ji Yuxian from Magistrate Lin, complete with a notary stamp, stating all the terms of the separation. Su Wenqian had already signed it on Miss Su’s behalf. All that was needed was Ji Yuxian’s signature, which would make the two families’ amicable parting official.
Ji Yuxian asked Old Housekeeper Yu to safely keep the two documents, before continuing, “Shopkeeper Su, I asked you to bring your daughter along today, because there is someone I would like Miss Su to meet.”
“Who would that be?” Su Wenqian was stupefied.
“Bring him in!” Ji Yuxian gave the order nonchalantly.
Su Wenqian and Miss Su both turned to look at the door.
Jin Feng entered the room. Behind him, Zhao Sheng followed, still holding the toddler. Upon seeing them, Miss Su’s face turned ghastly pale, and she began to shake involuntarily.
Su Wenqian asked doubtfully, “Who is this?”
“Who this man is, I think Miss Su knows better than anyone!” Ji Yuxian sneered, and his eyes were glacial.
“Wifey! I finally found you!” Seeing Miss Su, Zhao Sheng hurried over and gawked at her unblinkingly. “I have been coming to the city every day. I have been looking for you for more than six months, wifey. Come back home with me. I can’t live without you!”
“What are you talking about?” Miss Su reeled back in panic. “I don’t know you! Who is your wifey?”
“How can you say that, wifey? We are married. We had an official ceremony and a child to boot. How can you possibly forget?” Zhao Sheng frowned and lifted the toddler to show her. “Look! This is Shi’er, our son! See how much he resembles you!”
“No!” Miss Su let out a scream and stumbled backward, her face grimacing in horror. “Get away from me! I don’t know you!”
Su Wenqian also turned pale. “What is this?” he hollered, shielding before his daughter. “Who are you? How can my daughter be married to a lowly peasant? And with a child? This is absurd!”
“It’s the truth, she is my wife! When she was hurt by the mountain bandits last year, I rescued her, and we got married afterward. She then gave birth to our child!”
“No, it’s not true! It’s not true, Father!” Miss Su shook her head repeatedly, grabbing onto her Father’s shoulder.
Remaining perfectly calm, Ji Yuxian sipped his tea, showing no reaction to the farce staging before him.
Jin Feng and Old Housekeeper stood aside and watched on in cold silence.
The toddler began crying from all the commotion. Zhao Sheng hurried to console the child, “Don’t cry, Shi’er. We found your mother. Look, your mother is right over there!”
“Ridiculous!” Su Wenqian blocked Zhao Sheng’s way, his face seething with anger. “You keep saying my daughter is your wife. Where is the proof?”
“She is my wife! What proof do you need?” Zhao Sheng was also flustered. “She was kidnapped by bandits in Yuhu Mountain. When I first saw her, she didn’t even have any clothes on, and she was buried in the dirt. I saved her and put clothes on her back. I then took her home and spent quite some money to hire a doctor to treat her. I even fed her the chicken we were raising!”
Hearing the man blurting out all the details, Su Wenqian couldn’t help but begin to believe him. Miss Su had told him that she had been hurt by a group of bandits, and she had been rescued by a local villager. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected so many other secrets.
“Is he telling the truth?” Su Wenqian pointed at Miss Su, his face pale and furious. “Did you lie to me? Have you married someone and even gave birth to a child?”
Miss Su dropped down onto her knees and began to weep. “I didn’t want to, Father! I wanted to go home, but he didn’t let me. He made me marry him, so he would let me send a letter home. I was forced into marriage, Father!”
“You brought immense shame to our family!” Shaking uncontrollably, Su Wenqian shoved Miss Su aside.
Miss Su plopped onto the floor and burst out crying.
Zhao Sheng hurried over to help her up. “Let’s go home together, wifey!”
“Don’t you touch me!” Miss Su bored at him in seething anger. “Why didn’t I kill you? Why didn’t you just die?”
Zhao Sheng turned frozen, at a loss.
Su Wenqian walked over to Ji Yuxian, utterly abashed. “I… I truly didn’t know that my daughter had married someone,” he apologized. “Our marriage arrangement with the Ji Family has ended anyway. I won’t take any of your compensation!”
Ji Yuxian smirked. “It’s not the whole truth, is it?”
“What else can there be?” Su Wenqian was startled.
Ji Yuxian gaped at him harshly. “Is this Miss Su, in fact, Su Yueqiu or Su Yuejiu? Are you still trying to deceive me, Shopkeeper Su?”
Su Wenqian was turning even paler. “What… what do you mean, Eldest Young Master?” he stuttered.
“Don’t you know?” Ji Yuxian sneered. “Jin Feng!”
“Yes, sir!” Jin Feng immediately answered.
“Go to the authorities and have them investigate the matter. They’ll surely find out which lady from the Su Family married into our manor.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jin Feng turned to leave.
Petrified, Su Wenqian hurriedly stopped Jin Feng. He uttered in panic, “Don’t… don’t inform the authorities, Eldest Young Master! We can discuss and resolve this just between us!”
“In that case, you’d better come clean, Shopkeeper Su.”
“All right, all right, I will!” Su Wenqian lowered his head in defeat, sweat beading on his forehead. “I’m so sorry. I’ve done you wrong, Eldest Young Master. My daughter was indeed birthed by the Second Mistress. She is Su Yueqiu!”
Hearing her father’s words, Miss Su jolted and promptly passed out.
It was all over!
“Where is the real Su Yuejiu then?” Ji Yuxian asked.
“She had gone missing over ten years ago,” Su Wenqian answered. “When she was on a trip accompanied by servants.”
Ji Yuxian nodded slowly. The information matched with what the nanny had provided. Su Wenqian was most likely telling the truth.
“To secure the marriage with the Ji Family, you made Second Miss pretend to be Su Yuejiu, and married her into the capital city. With Fuyang City so far away from Shengjing City, you thought no one would ever find out. What a scheme!”
Cold sweat streamed down Su Wenqian’s face. “I was out of my mind!” he said in utter shame. “Please forgive me, Eldest Young Master!”
Old Housekeeper Yu chimed in with a holler, “You played the Ji Family for a fool! How dare you, Shopkeeper Su?!”
“I was wrong!” Su Wenqian huddled and bowed down his head.
“Such being the case, go ahead and sign this, Shopkeeper Su.” Ji Yuxian took out a length agreement and tossed it before Su Wenqian.
Startled once again, Su Wenqian picked it up. Upon reading the agreement, he began to shiver. His ears were ringing, and his head was spinning.
The agreement stated the fact that the Su Family had deceived the Ji Family by swapping Su Yuejiu with Su Yueqiu. The marriage arrangement between the two families was thus to be forfeited. The Su Family was also to compensate for the Ji Manor’s losses. The text was followed by a long list of marriage gifts, as well as all the spendings Miss Su had accrued after having married into the Ji Family. Even the costs of all her clothes and meals were listed.
At the bottom of the page, the total amounted to 105,300 taels of silver.
“This… this much?” Su Wenqian panicked. “The Su Family simply cannot afford it!”
“The Ji Family and the Su Family go back a long way. Shopkeeper Su, you can pay the amount whenever you can afford it. For now, just sign the agreement.” An ambiguous grin clouded Ji Yuxian’s cold, handsome face.
Old Housekeeper Yu brought over ink and a writing brush.
All the color drained from Su Wenqian’s face. He tremendously regretted having listened to the Second Mistress. As a result, the family had to pay dearly for the stupid scheme.
His trembling right hand picked up the writing brush and signed on the agreement.
“Please take your Second Miss home, Shopkeeper Su.” Ji Yuxian stood up and cast him a despising glance, then slowly walked out of the room.
Old Housekeeper Yu and Ji Feng also walked out, leaving behind only Su Wenqian, Miss Su, and Zhao Sheng.
Su Wenqian could barely remain upright. The failed scheme turned out to be detrimental to the Su Family, which had already been in grave decline. This sizable new debt would simply ruin them all. Fear and panic surged up in his heart, and he abruptly collapsed onto the floor, losing consciousness.
Ji Yuxian returned to the study, still holding the separation paper brought over by Su Wenqian.
Su Wenqian had signed the letter on Su Yuejiu’s behalf. The signature thus officially forfeited the marriage arrangement and severed any ties between the two families.
No more marriage. No more consequences.
He spread the letter on the desk and grabbed a writing brush. Just as he was about to sign the letter, he suddenly felt his chest tightening, and the writing brush froze in midair.
He hesitated, unable to bring himself to sign. Ink dripped down from the tip of the brush and smeared the letter, forming a slowly expanding black dot.
His eyes dull, and his heart aching. For some reason, he felt like he was not agreeing to separate from Miss Su, but severing his ties with Su Jiu instead.
After signing this letter, Su Jiu, the woman he had married, would forever disappear from his life.
The man closed his eyes and the writing brush fell out of his grip. Pressing both palms on the desk, he felt a profound sense of helplessness. So what if he had found out the truth? Su Jiu was gone, and would never return to him.