Chapter 7: The Jealous Wife Throws a Tantrum
Xue Ji was aghast, as if she had seen the most terrifying thing in the world. Her eyes were filled with panic and despair, and she hastily offered the ginseng.
“First Madam, spare my life! Sixth Sister would never dare to steal; there must be some misunderstanding…”
“Misunderstanding? Am I giving you too much leeway? What kind of well-behaved daughter can a whore from the gatehouse raise?”
“It’s my fault, First Madam, punish me… I stole it, I stole it, it has nothing to do with Sixth Sister…”
Xue Ji was flustered and lost, frantically kowtowing and admitting fault, wanting to take the blame for Xue Sui. Xue Sui didn’t even have time to stop her.
Fu Shi sneered, “You can’t bear to see your daughter get beaten? I will beat your daughter precisely because of it. Even if I beat her to death, it’s just like discarding a straw mat. You slut, this is the consequence of you causing my son’s death, so bear it well!”
After speaking, she turned with a cold face and shouted:
“Guards, drag this uncouth little slut out and give her twenty planks before she speaks again.”
Xue Ji’s face turned pale upon hearing this, and she slumped down, tightly gripping Xue Sui’s sleeve, her lips trembling, “Hurry and kowtow, Sixth Sister, kowtow, I’ll kowtow… No, this lowly servant will kowtow to First Madam, First Madam, spare my life, spare Sixth Sister…”
Two old women fiercely pulled Xue Ji away and came to drag Xue Sui.
Xue Sui gently dodged, steadily supported Xue Ji’s trembling shoulders, and stared fixedly at Fu Shi.
“Before First Madam punishes me, shouldn’t you ask Master’s opinion?”
Fu Shi found this unbelievable.
After ten years of not seeing her, had this little slut grown a backbone?
Fu Shi sneered, “In the inner court of the Xue Mansion, I, the mistress of the house, always have the final say. Xue Liu, you don’t actually think you were brought back to be a daughter of the Xue family, do you?”
She gestured to the old women beside her, “What are you standing around for? Drag her out!”
“Yes, First Madam.” The two old women, their faces full of wrinkles, grabbed Xue Sui’s arms and pulled.
Xue Ji cried out to the heavens and earth.
Fu Shi looked at the lowly mother and daughter, signaled for Xiugu to bring a chair, and sat by the door.
“Beat her! Beat her to death! Beat her until this little slut admits her mistake!”
“It’s so late at night, what’s all the noise?” A sharp shout came from outside the door, and Fu Shi’s expression changed slightly.
For over ten years, Xue Qingzhi had never set foot in the servant’s quarters where Xue Ji lived. Why had he suddenly come at this late hour?
“Master.”
Everyone paid their respects, looking at the tall man who slowly crossed the threshold, hands behind his back.
Only then did Xiao Zhao silently unclench her fists, lower her head, and pout.
If this First Master had come a moment later, allowing her to loosen her muscles, throw a few punches, or accidentally kill a couple of people, how much better would that have been…
Xue Qingzhi, having served in the military in his early years, had a majestic presence. A mere stroke of his beard exuded an imposing aura.
“Since Sixth Sister is to be married into Prince Duan’s Mansion, her body should not be harmed.” He surveyed the dilapidated small room where Xue Ji lived, then looked at the musty bedding, and frowned.
“Before she leaves, they should be given a new place to live, some new clothes, and properly prepared, so as not to disgrace the Prince.”
Fu Shi was already furious. Seeing this old man standing up for Xue Ji and her daughter made her even more incensed.
“Has Master drunk too much? Can servants be treated like masters? Are the rules of the Xue Mansion still to be followed?”
Fu Shi was the legitimate daughter of Marquis Yongding’s Mansion and had always carried herself with great dignity. Xue Qingzhi, as the Minister of Justice, had to show her some respect.
But today, he had publicly lowered his face and asserted his authority.
“My words are the rules!”
Fu Shi sneered, “Is Master putting on this show of authority today to support this mother and daughter who have no proper standing?”
Xue Qingzhi: “You—Fu Shi, you are presumptuous! You constantly speak of a wife’s virtues, yet you act like a jealous shrew. Is this the upbringing from your Marquis Yongding’s Mansion?”
Fu Shi rarely saw Xue Qingzhi lose his temper so severely, and it was for this lowly mother and daughter. Her throat tightened slightly, and she pointed at the ginseng.
“As the mistress of the house, am I not even allowed to manage the petty thievery within the mansion?”
Xue Qingzhi’s face darkened, and he looked at Xue Sui with displeasure.
“Hurry and hand over the old ginseng and kowtow to your mother to apologize!”
Xue Sui smiled.
“This is not something from the mansion.”
Fu Shi said sarcastically, “This is clearly the hundred-year-old ginseng that Eldest Sister brought back to honor me on my birthday last year! Do you think I’m blind, unable to recognize my own belongings? Or perhaps, your mother and daughter can afford such aged ginseng?”
Xue Sui slowly picked up the cloth bag and the box from the ground.
“First Madam, open your eyes wide.”
Fu Shi choked.
She saw her slowly and deliberately open the blue cloth bag, and then the box layer by layer. Who would have thought that although they looked similar on the outside, they were completely different inside.
The box was clearly engraved with a golden skull with a knife.
Xue Sui said, “It’s true that this is stolen goods from the Old Mausoleum Swamp market. But I never knew that the Minister’s Mansion… no, as First Madam said, Prince Duan’s Mansion would also buy illicit goods to give as gifts? Is the world deteriorating, or has Prince Duan’s Mansion fallen on hard times?”
Her words, spoken lightly, made Fu Shi’s face turn red with shame.
Xue Liu could be shameless and buy stolen goods.
But the Xue family and Prince Duan’s Mansion had reputations to uphold.
Everyone knew what kind of place Old Mausoleum Swamp was. How could they have dealings with it? How could they buy stolen goods?
Xue Qingzhi snorted, “Making a fuss over nothing.”
Fu Shi lost face and responded with a forced smile, “Yes, Master’s reprimand is correct. Your concubine was so angry that she lost her mind and mistook it. It’s a small matter, Sixth Sister doesn’t understand the rules, and as the mistress of the house, I should teach her slowly, not resort to hitting and scolding.”
After speaking, she winked at Xiugu, “Knowing Sixth Sister was returning, your concubine had already sent someone to clean up Li Xiang Courtyard.”
Xiugu quickly lowered her head and replied, “Yes, Master, First Madam was afraid Sixth Young Lady wouldn’t be used to living there, so she specially arranged for the quieter Li Xiang Courtyard…”
Xue Qingzhi glanced at her and said no more.
Xue Sui expressionlessly handed the old ginseng to Xiao Zhao, a cold smile in her heart. How could she not guard against Xue Yueying? Did she really think she was kind?
The lessons learned from childhood were enough to teach her.
Xue Ji breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Xue Qingzhi with genuine emotion, her eyes full of joy.
“Master shows mercy. Sixth Sister, why don’t you quickly kneel and thank Master, and thank First Madam…”
Xue Sui slightly curved her lips and performed a perfunctory bow, “Thank you, Father, for looking out for your daughter.”
Xue Qingzhi was slightly surprised.
In her childhood, Sixth Sister had only ever called him “Master” and never “Father.”
It seemed that living in hardship outside had straightened her disposition.
“Pack your things, you’ll move there tonight.”
If they didn’t move, Xue Ji’s tiny living space wouldn’t be enough for them.
Tears welled up in Xue Ji’s eyes, and she kept expressing her gratitude. Fu Shi merely smiled sarcastically.
Xue Qingzhi looked at this and felt inexplicably annoyed.
Matters in the Imperial Court were enough to worry about; he didn’t want to spend any more thought on these trivialities of the inner court.
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Fu Shi, “It’s getting late, First Madam should go back and rest.”
Fu Shi sneered, glanced at Xue Sui and her mother, curtsied, and turned away with a snort, “Yes, Master, your concubine will withdraw.”
Xue Qingzhi watched her leave, opened his mouth as if to say something to Xue Sui, but ultimately did not speak, and left with a flick of his sleeve.
The room fell silent. Xue Ji emotionally held Xue Sui’s hand.
“Sixth Sister, did you hear that? Your father spoke up for us, your father, he, he knows how to cherish you.”
Xue Sui heard her choked with emotion and raised her eyebrows slightly, her smile not reaching her eyes.
“Yes, he can also play the good guy.”
The day she left You Huang Ju, she told Li Zhao that if he didn’t die, she would borrow his influence, and it wasn’t an idle remark.
The assassination at the Winter Solstice Feast happened as she had predicted.
Two dancers, taking advantage of the Crown Prince’s slight intoxication, danced close and attacked with poisoned sleeve darts.
Eastern Palace attendants, ambushed nearby, captured two death warriors, while the rest committed suicide by poison on the spot.
The Crown Prince, in his rage, took all the officials, scholars, and musicians from the Winter Solstice Feast. Without interrogation, he had them all beaten into pig heads before letting them go, causing a huge stir in Shangjing…
Afterward, the Crown Prince honored his promise and impeached Xue Qingzhi in the Imperial Court.
He stated that Minister Xue had abused and abandoned his own daughter, disregarding human decency, and was worse than pigs and dogs.
The current Emperor Chong Zhao doted on Consort Xiao, and cherished Prince Duan and Princess Ping Le, born to Consort Xiao, even more.
This was common knowledge, but the Emperor most detested being accused of favoritism.
The Emperor cared about his reputation.
The Crown Prince’s veiled words made the Emperor uncomfortable. He couldn’t find a reason to be angry with the Crown Prince, so he took his anger out on Xue Qingzhi, not only scolding him severely in front of all the civil and military officials but also fining him a year’s salary.
Xue Qingzhi was Prince Duan’s father-in-law, so it was not surprising that the Crown Prince found fault with him. No one would think that he was standing up for the daughter of a mere dancer.
Xue Sui had not expected Li Zhao to go so mad as to cause a scene in the Imperial Court, delivering a blow to both her father and his father.
But she had truly benefited from it.
No matter how unwilling Xue Qingzhi was, he had to swallow his pride and “care” for his daughter, whom he had lost and regained.
Thank you all for your votes and collections, here’s an extra chapter~~
Since it’s still in the public period, the update word count might be a bit less （, but it will be much more once it goes VIP ）. Thank you all, and sorry for the wait…
Li Zhao: Xue Ping’an, did you see? The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince. The author is working hard to add drama for me.
Xue Sui: Why so narcissistic? Does the Eastern Palace have no mirrors?
Li Zhao: I’ve looked, and I’m very handsome!
