Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Madam Ju did not want to go out, so she had someone guard the door to avoid trouble.
She was naturally not asleep. When Ju Rong came in, she was delicately biting into a piece of mung bean cake. The sudden appearance of both of them left her momentarily flustered, causing the mung bean cake to get stuck in her throat, making it impossible to swallow or spit out, and tears welled up in her eyes from the choking.
San Chun rushed over to kindly help her swallow the mung bean cake, but this earned her a fierce glare.
Madam Ju coughed a few times, realizing she had lost her composure. She quickly turned away to adjust her posture and regained her usual elegance when she turned back.
She gracefully bowed and asked, "What brings you here, my lord?"
Ju Rong snorted, "Let me ask you, who is that Great-Uncle? Why have I never heard you mention such a brother before?"
Madam Ju smiled lightly, "So my husband is asking about Great-Uncle. To be honest, I did not know him before. He is a merchant from Wei Kingdom, recommended by my brother Chen Yan. I asked him to temporarily act as a relative in Yan Kingdom for a reward of ten thousand gold."
It all came down to money.
Ju Rong was furious upon hearing this. "Do you know this is inviting a wolf into the house?"
He recounted the incident involving Zhong Xue, and Madam Ju's expression changed drastically. This matter could be serious; if it went wrong, she could also be implicated.
Ultimately, it depended on Lord Ju's attitude. She knew it was best to show weakness at this moment. She knelt on the ground and repeatedly knocked her head, saying, "Please forgive me, my lord."
After all, they had been married for ten years, and Ju Rong could not be too harsh. He snorted coldly and said, "You know what to do. Get rid of that Great-Uncle as soon as possible." With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked away.
San Chun was about to follow but was stopped by Madam Ju: "Wait a moment."
San Chun smiled and bowed: "What is it, mother?"
Madam Ju frowned and pointed at her nose: "You little brat! Do you think just because Lord Ju dotes on you, you can forget your place?"
San Chun sneered, "Madam, please mind your words."
In her youth, Madam Ju was known for being quite unruly. Although she had calmed down after marrying someone, when angered, she still tended to speak harshly. Fortunately, the maids were far away; no one could hear them, so she naturally wanted to vent the grievances she had accumulated against her for years.
She cursed loudly, "You brat, shameless stinking girl, you don't even realize how provocative you are, seducing Great-Uncle and then getting caught by him. You wretched girl, I was able to drive you out of the mansion back then, and I can do it again."
Is this what it means for Madam Ju to show her true colors? Did she think that by revealing her vicious face and shouting loudly, she could scare anyone?
San Chun smiled slightly, "If I am a brat, then what does that make you as my mother?"
Madam Ju snorted coldly, "You are not my biological child."
She naturally knew that she wasn't born from her, but if she were human, would she have married that old rabbit of her father?
Madam Ju was enraged by her contemptuous gaze and shouted furiously, "Brat, I'll fight you to the end!"
San Chun sighed lightly; after all, this was just a mother rabbit.
Not wanting to continue this argument, she thought if Madam Ju wanted to act like a rabbit, so be it; she wouldn't accompany her any longer. After performing a ritual to honor the dead, she turned and left gracefully.
Madam Ju was so furious that her teeth itched; she immediately called for someone to drive Great-Uncle out of Pepper Fragrance Courtyard. As for the thousands of gold pieces sent in, they would be withheld for now.
San Chun heard the news that Zhong Xue was going to be kicked out and slept particularly soundly that night. In her dreams, she saw Zhong Xue being chased out with a broom and laughed herself awake.
The next morning when she woke up and went outside, she saw Dong Dong curled up at the door with his eyes tightly shut. He looked like he had been trampled hundreds of times, his face pale and gray, his lips purple-white, and his eyes devoid of any spirit.
She tapped her toes on him lightly. Dong Dong opened his eyes and glared at her. "What are you doing?"
San Chun glared back at him. "I should be asking you what you've been up to, looking half-dead like that."
Dong Dong sighed softly; his voice floated as if he were about to ascend to heaven at any moment, lacking any strength.
"Isn't it because of that wicked Zhong Xue?" He glanced around as if expecting someone to suddenly appear.
San Chun found it somewhat amusing. "What did Zhong Xue do to you?"
"He didn't really do anything to me." Dong Dong yawned, "It's still for that hundred thousand gold."
The whole night was spent sneaking out that batch of money, and I haven't closed my eyes yet. A dignified Lord Jun is so angry; since the money has been given away, why steal it back? Does he think this flying thief has nothing to do at night?
San Chun thought of Dong Dong's old profession and immediately understood. Poor Madam Ju, the money hadn't even warmed up before it flew away.
Feeling a bit schadenfreude, she had just stepped out of the courtyard when she heard a commotion ahead, with someone shouting that there were thieves in the mansion.
San Chun glanced back at Dong Dong, who was resting with his eyes closed, and couldn't help but hesitate. The thief was right here; should she cheer or not?
Turning back, she strode toward the backyard to see the excitement. Madam Ju's face must be quite something right now...
*
The news of the Noble Lady being courted at Ju Mansion was causing quite a stir in Daliang City. Many citizens were curious about this Ju Dan Noble Lady. Almost everyone was talking about her, even dragging up the elopement from two years ago. Some said this Noble Lady was bold, while others claimed that Ju Dan returned alone two years later because Zheng Lan abandoned her. There were also whispers that she had harmed Zheng Lan due to hardship and ran back. Regardless, the most talked-about aspect was Ju Dan's unparalleled beauty, which attracted admiration from many young lords and princes.
At one point, there were countless people climbing over the walls of Ju Mansion trying to catch a glimpse of the beauty. At times, more than ten people were perched on one wall; when they encountered each other, they didn't fight or scramble but each took their spot while peeking out.
When someone from Ju Mansion passed by and glanced over, they saw legs dangling down like dried white radishes.
Lately, these dried radishes had been bothering San Chun to no end. The most annoying part was when Dong Dong would chant the thirteen-word mantra in her ear every night: "Neither joy nor sorrow, neither anger nor rage, do not entice men." It was left by Zhong Xue, who made him recite it ten times for her.
San Chun was so angry she wanted to bite someone. Not enticing men was one thing; neither joy nor sorrow nor anger nor rage—she wasn't a deity; how could she possibly achieve that?
When she asked Dong Dong where Zhong Xue had gone, he immediately fell silent and whistled as if he hadn't heard her at all.
Fine, if she couldn't provoke him, she'd avoid him. She would stay indoors and see if he could still cling to her.
But while she could avoid Dong Dong, she couldn't escape others, especially Uncle Qi. He was the King of Yan; no one could stop him from coming and going wherever he pleased.
When Uncle Qi entered and saw San Chun holding a teacup with a sigh and her head drooping as if she had just fallen from mid-air and broken her neck, he couldn't help but take notice.
He sat across from her, smiling, "I hear your tea is quite good, Chen Xiong. Why not have a bowl to try?"
San Chun glanced at him and instructed the maid to serve tea, then weakly lowered her head again.
"What's wrong with you?"
"What’s wrong with us?" She shot him a glare. If it weren't for his involvement, how could her reputation be so notorious?
Perhaps because they had spent a long time together, he never acted like a king in front of her, making her not regard him as one. She was even more respectful towards Zhong Xue. Of course, that little respect for Zhong Xue was only superficial; she had cursed him countless times in her heart.
Qi knew why she was angry and cheerfully poured her a cup of tea. "It's been two or three days now. Have you thought about it? Do you want to be my main queen?"
San Chun looked up. "What if I don't want to?"
"Then I'll wait until you do."
She immediately wilted. Dealing with Zhong Xue was somewhat easier; the most helpless part was facing Qi. He wasn't like Zhong Xue, who was sometimes scheming and sometimes domineering. He was soft with her, like a piece of dough, making it hard for her to know how to respond.
She shook her head. "What exactly do you see in me?"
"I like everything about you." Qi gazed at her, resting his chin on his hand, his face bright with a smile, the corners of his mouth curving like a crescent moon.
He used to enjoy looking at her this way while studying in the study, often resting his chin in his hand for half the time. He liked her nose, her brows, her eyes, her hands, her feet—every inch of her. Back then, he thought she was charmingly beautiful and would surely grow into a stunning woman. Now it seemed that his thoughts were not mistaken; even though she lacked much feminine grace, it was enough to captivate him and make him want to look at her for a lifetime.
San Chun felt uncomfortable under his infatuated gaze. She sighed and continued to bury herself in the teacup; looking at the tea bowl was better than looking at him.
They sat like that for an unknown amount of time until Ju Rong entered and requested that the king hurry to court.
Qi turned his head and smiled at the kneeling Ju Rong. "Lord Ju, if you want me to go to court, just send your daughter into the palace. I will naturally stay in the palace and won't leave easily."
Ju Rong grinned inwardly; what did it matter to him whether the king went to court or not?
However, since the king has threatened him like this, can he not show any response? So he said, "If the king wants to marry a girl, it can be done, but it will take a few years."
"Indeed, I can wait. But how many years must I wait?"
"Six years."
Qi was surprised, "Why such a long time?"
"The girl is nine years old; she can only marry at fifteen."
Seeing Ju Rong's serious expression, San Chun couldn't help but laugh. Her father usually looked honest, but she didn't expect him to make such a joke. The girl he referred to was her younger sister, the nine-year-old Ju Ya Ya.
Qi was taken aback at first, then laughed as well. In the past, Lord Ju would act like a mouse seeing a cat when he saw him, but now he actually dared to tease him? Was it because Yan Dan was here that this king had lost all his authority?
"Well then, I must go to court. I will come again tomorrow. I hope by then you will consider not only marrying your daughter to me but also marrying your eldest daughter." He laughed heartily.
San Chun smiled wryly; this big mushroom was indeed quite troublesome.
Comment 0 Comment Count