Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 797 Me? New here? [Thank you! Again! 7k words owed]

The next day,

The first light of dawn,

Jiying Lane,
In the Sheng family courtyard,
Early-rising maids had already begun sweeping the courtyard and passageways.

Large kitchen courtyard,
Smoke was billowing from the chimney on the roof.

When the large pot on the stove in the kitchen is lifted, the rising white steam drifts outwards along the windows and doorways.

At the kitchen entrance, maids dressed in different clothes would come and go from time to time, carrying food boxes.

When the maids encountered someone they knew, they would often stop and exchange a few words.

The topics of discussion were mostly about what happened at Yuqing Temple yesterday.

"We've had a doctor examine her! Magpie is fine, but she can't do the work of serving Fifth Miss."

Hearing Jiu'er's words, the maids nodded in agreement.

"Miss Jiu'er, come in!" the cook called out to the outside.

"Hey!"

Jiu'er, who was talking to Qiu Jiang, responded and then carried the food box into the kitchen.

After packing the breakfast, Jiu'er closed the food box.

As Jiu'er was leaving the kitchen, she saw Zhou Xueniang, holding a handkerchief, and Yunzai, who was carrying two food boxes, come into the courtyard.

Feeling Jiu'er's gaze, Zhou Xueniang showed no smugness on her face, but simply smiled and nodded at Jiu'er.

Jiu'er was somewhat surprised by Zhou Xueniang's appearance.

Because Sheng Hong learned about what happened at Yuqing Temple after finishing his shift yesterday, he was so angry that he stayed at Linxi Pavilion instead of going to Weirui Pavilion.

In the past, if such a thing happened, the maids of Linxi Pavilion would be extremely proud of themselves.

Seeing Zhou Xueniang's expression, Jiu'er gave a perfunctory smile and nodded before preparing to leave.

Before Jiu'er and Zhou Xueniang could pass each other,

Caihuan, carrying a food box, walked briskly and appeared at the gate of the courtyard.

"Sister Caihuan, what brings you here?" Qiu Jiang asked hurriedly from the side.

Caihuan smiled at Qiujiang, then looked at Jiu'er, who was equally puzzled, and said, "Pack more food!"

Before Jiu'er could ask, Caihuan explained, "The eldest young lady and her husband have arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Jiu'er straightened her back instantly, glanced at Zhou Xueniang whose expression had changed, and nodded, saying, "Understood."

With that, Jiu'er took the food box from Caihuan and went back to the kitchen.

Caihuan, standing outside, smiled insincerely and nodded to Zhou Xueniang and the others: "Madam Zhou, what a coincidence."

A quarter of an hour later,
Linxi Pavilion
A sullen Mo Lan approached with her maid.

Seeing Lin Qinshuang eating alone inside the room, Mo Lan frowned and asked, "Mother, where is Father?"

Lin Qinshuang pursed her lips: "They went to Weirui Pavilion! They said Hualan and her husband are here."

"Oh?" Mo Lan's interest was instantly piqued: "Big sister and brother-in-law are here, so there must be some progress on what happened yesterday!"

Lin Qinshuang glanced at Zhou Xueniang, whose eyes were darting around and who seemed unsettled, and said, "Maybe!"

"Hmm!" Sitting on the embroidered stool at the table, Mo Lan asked, "Mother, do you feel that what Third Brother told you yesterday is true?"

Lin Qinshuang frowned: "The young master of the Qi family told your brother himself, how could it be false?"

Mo Lan pursed her lips and said, "Brother Yuan Ruo, why did he want Sixth Sister to enter the Qi family? Her reputation is in jeopardy!"

"Mo'er, what are you saying?"

Mo Lan, who thought Lin Qinshuang was speaking up for Minglan, stared blankly at her mistress.

Lin Qinshuang put down her chopsticks: "It's because Liu Yatou's reputation is tarnished that Qi Yuanruo wants to let her into the family."

"Huh?" Mo Lan frowned: "Then isn't Sixth Girl a blessing in disguise?"

As she spoke, Mo Lan looked away absentmindedly.

"A blessing in disguise?" Lin Qinshuang looked puzzled. "Mo'er, what are you thinking? Are you wondering why it wasn't you who got into trouble?"

"Mm." Mo Lan nodded awkwardly.

"You—" Lin Qinshuang looked at Mo Lan with a hint of anger at her lack of ambition: "Sixth Sister entered the Qi family as a concubine! And among the Sheng family's daughters now, Fifth Sister's aunt..."

"Young lady," Zhou Xueniang called out hastily from the side.

Lin Qinshuang stopped talking and then said, "Fifth girl is straightforward and naive, and sixth girl's reputation is about to be damaged. Mo'er, you will be the best girl in the Sheng family from now on!"

"What good family can't you find in Bianjing? What kind of nonsense is it to become a concubine in the Qi family?"

Mo Lan pursed her lips and stood up: "Mother, I'm full."

"You!" Lin Qinshuang glared angrily at Mo Lan as she left. "Are you out of your mind?!"

After Mo Lan left, Lin Qinshuang was so angry that she couldn't eat anything.

Zhou Xueniang, who was standing to the side, tentatively asked, "Young lady, last night the master said that the person was sent to the Imperial City Guard. Will this implicate us?"

"Implication? What implication? When Granny Hu sent someone to find us, we firmly refused!"

Lin Qinshuang glanced at Zhou Xueniang and continued, "Don't always have that expression on your face. People who don't know better might think you've done something wrong."

Zhou Xueniang quickly adjusted her expression: "Yes, young lady!"

Shouantang,
Side

Hua Lan looked at Ming Lan, whose forehead was covered with medicine, with heartache in her eyes.

"Does it hurt?" Hua Lan asked softly.

Minglan nodded, then shook her head a few times: "It hurt a lot yesterday, but it doesn't hurt much today after applying the medicine."

"Hmm!" Hua Lan nodded, then touched Ming Lan's cheek: "You didn't sleep well last night, did you?"

Minglan pursed her lips: "Elder sister, you and brother-in-law have come here, is it because things have progressed?"

"Hmm!" Hua Lan glanced at the outer room and said, "Last night, your brother-in-law and Xiao Wu spent two or three hours in the Imperial City Prison. Everything has been clarified."

"Oh, big sister, about this..."

Seeing Minglan's worried expression, Hualan asked, "What's wrong?"

Minglan lowered her head: "Will this affect the reputation of our Sheng family? Will the Hai family have a different opinion of my second brother because of me?"

"Minglan, you're overthinking it! Even if it has an impact, it's not your fault." Hualan said, gently smoothing Minglan's hair with concern.

"Don't think about anything else right now. The most important thing is to get your health back! I think Grandma didn't get a good night's rest either!"

Minglan nodded: "Eldest sister is right. Although Grandmother drank the calming medicine last night, I could still hear her sighing until midnight."

Seeing Minglan's understanding eyes, Hualan continued, "Don't worry about things in the future, your older sister is here for you!"

Minglan looked up at Hualan: "Elder sister, if it weren't for the noble ladies from the Chai and Rong families yesterday, I don't know what would have happened to me! This kindness..."

Hua Lan smiled slightly: "That's easy! You can visit the Xu family whenever you have time."

Upon hearing this, Minglan forced a smile and nodded, saying, "Elder sister is right."

After saying that, Minglan glanced outside the side room.

In the hall,
The old lady, sitting in the armchair, closed the few sheets of paper in her hand and handed them to Sheng Hong.

Sheng Hong quickly stood up, took a few steps, and then took it.

"How could there be such relatives!" The old lady frowned and shook her head angrily.

Standing to the side, Madam Fang quickly stepped forward to pat his back and soothe him. Zai Zhang, sitting at the lower end of the table, glanced at his mother-in-law, Wang Ruofu, who had risen to stand beside Sheng Hong, and nodded in agreement: "Grandmother, I think Aunt Kang doesn't intend to remain a relative anymore!"

Sheng Hong skimmed through the confession and couldn't help but curse, "Disgusting! Despicable! Vulgar! Utterly shameless!"

After glaring at Wang Ruofu, Sheng Hong continued angrily, "What kind of person is my father-in-law? How could he have such a daughter!"

Wang Ruofu ignored Sheng Hong, snatched the papers, and glanced at them a few more times.

Looking at the confession, which was as sharp as needles and knives, Wang Ruofu swayed a few times and almost couldn't stand up due to dizziness.

"Madam!" Liu Mama quickly helped Wang Ruofu up.

“Mother-in-law!” Zai Zhang also stood up.

"How could this be!" Wang Ruofu stared in disbelief at the empty space: "Ru'er is my sister's own niece!"

As she helped Wang Ruofu back to her seat, Liu Mama sighed, "Madam, you know what kind of person your sister is!"

Wang Ruofu seemed not to listen, and just looked at Zaizhang: "Young master, Hu Mama is an old servant of my mother's, she has been in the Wang family for decades! A few years ago she was also sent to my sister's side, and she has always been very loyal!"

"How could she confess so quickly? Did she act on her own initiative and then frame my sister after it was exposed?"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Hong glared at Wang Ruofu with disdain and helplessness in his eyes before pursing his lips and looking away.

The old lady, who was extremely angry, couldn't help but smile when she saw this scene.

Zai Zhang stood up and shook his head: "Mother-in-law, it wasn't that this old nanny Hu acted on her own initiative, but rather that she knew that once things were exposed, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Kang family would pin everything on her."

“Yesterday, their actions were an attempt to kidnap and sexually assault officials’ wives, which is a serious crime under the Zhou Criminal Code, punishable by beheading or hanging!”

"In order to save her life, Granny Hu will definitely have to explain things clearly."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ruofu looked at Liu Mama blankly: "She, she is my own sister! It was her Kang Yuan'er who ruined her reputation, why did she set her sights on my Ru'er!"

Ignoring Wang Ruofu's chaotic state of mind, the old lady said, "Fortunately, these people entered the Imperial City Guard. If they had entered Kaifeng Prefecture, countless people in the capital would have known about this."

Zai Zhang nodded: "Grandma is right! It's also because the Chai family's guards acted quickly. That man who claimed to be from the Wang family is Hu Mama's son. He rarely appears in the capital, so it's easier for him to speak vaguely about it outside."

The old lady nodded gently.

At this time,

Mrs. Cui lifted the curtain and came in.

After bowing to everyone in the room, Cui Mama said, "Old Madam, Master, Madam, a messenger from the second gate has come in, saying that the personal maid of Princess Pingning from the Duke of Qi's mansion has arrived with some things."

Upon hearing this, the old lady's expression turned extremely unpleasant.

"She said Princess Pingning sent her to apologize to our family," Mama Cui added.

The old lady's expression softened slightly.

"An apology?" Zai Zhang looked puzzled. "Grandmother, why is the Qi family apologizing to our family?"

The old lady waved her hand: "Please let her in."

After Cui's mother turned to invite someone, the old lady and Zai Zhang explained a few words.

After listening, Zai Zhang took a few deep breaths and said, "When the Chai family's daughter sent someone to the Xu family to discuss the matter, she also described what happened!"

Zai Zhang shook his head: "Whether Qi Heng did it intentionally or unintentionally, his words and actions at Yuqing Temple were doing more harm than good!"

"To have Changfeng deliver such a message last night was rather... taking advantage of someone in distress!"

Seeing Sheng Hong's expression of "Is that so?" and "It's not impossible", the old lady glared at Sheng Hong.

Sheng Hong looked back at the old lady with a somewhat blank expression.

Zai Zhang couldn't criticize his elders' mistakes, so he could only lower his head, pick up his teacup, and take a sip.

The old lady slapped her thigh in exasperation and said, "What are you thinking, father? If Minglan goes to the Duke's mansion as a concubine, what will become of Changzhen's future?"

Sheng Hong was taken aback; only then did the image of his outstanding youngest son come to mind.

Sheng Hong then lowered his head in annoyance and said, "Mother is right! I was confused!"

During the conversation,

Princess Pingning's personal mother has arrived at Shou'an Hall.

Upon seeing Zai Zhang sitting to the left of the old lady, the mother became even more respectful.

After a well-reasoned explanation, she explained Qi Heng's actions yesterday as follows: Qi Heng was eager to save people and considered his friendship with Minglan, but his good intentions backfired.

The message I asked Changfeng to convey was also meant to leave Minglan a way out, and I asked the old lady not to take it to heart.

Knowing what had happened, the old lady did not get angry or refute, but simply said that she knew about it and asked the mother to convey the Sheng family's gratitude.

After Mrs. Cui saw the person off,

The old lady looked at Sheng Hong beside her and said, "Hong'er, write a letter to the Wang family in Yingchang Prefecture, and attach a copy of their confession."

"Our Sheng family has no intention of being related to the Kang family anymore! We leave the decision to our mother-in-law."

"Yes, Mother!" Sheng Hong stood up, bowed, and clasped his hands in response.

Seeing that Wang Ruofu wanted to speak, the old lady said, "Madam, it is Minglan who is in trouble now, but Ru'er is not!"

"But if the Kang family is not mistaken, and they really kidnapped Ru'er and ruined her reputation, do you think Ru'er would still be alive?"

"Even if Ru'er survives, what will her marriage be like? Will she really be forced to marry into the Kang family, where she is treated as inferior? What kind of life will Ru'er lead then?"

The old lady's rapid-fire questions left Wang Ruofu extremely frightened, causing him to shake his head repeatedly.

After catching her breath, the old lady looked at Zai Zhang and said, "Zhang-ge'er, you and Jing-ge'er have been busy with the Sheng family's affairs since yesterday. You've really worked hard."

Zai Zhang quickly stood up: "Grandmother, what are you saying! It's all what we nephews should do."

As he spoke, Zai Zhang glanced at Wang Ruofu and said, "That's right."

Wang Ruofu glanced at the old lady, then looked at Zaizhang: "Son-in-law, is there something you need? Just say it!"

Zai Zhang nodded: "Great-aunt, father-in-law and mother-in-law, Xiao Wu was not in the Imperial City Prison all day yesterday. He was summoned to the palace by His Majesty."

Everyone in the room nodded, waiting for Zai Zhang to continue.

"Xiao Wu told me on the way that the Kang family lord's official position is definitely in jeopardy."

Wang Ruofu: "Huh?"

Sheng Hong: "Brother-in-law, the head of the Kang family finally managed to get an official position after a lot of trouble."

Zai Zhang pursed his lips and said, "His Majesty learned of this matter and said that the head of the Kang family 'is incompetent in managing his household, neglects his duties, and is still lacking in experience as an official, and needs to continue to gain experience.'"

Upon hearing this, the old lady nodded readily: "Your Majesty is wise! Humph! The Kang family deserves it!"

After speaking, the old lady took two deep breaths to compose herself and then asked, "Zhang'er, your mother sent someone to deliver a message a couple of days ago, saying that the palace will be going to the Xu family tomorrow to announce the imperial decree?"

The atmosphere inside Shou'an Hall lightened considerably once this topic was brought up.

"Yes, great-aunt! We'll need you to come back to the Xu family then."

The Xu family will be granted a noble title, and a grand banquet will surely be held to celebrate. The old lady will hold a very high position at the banquet.

The next day,

Early in the morning,
As dawn broke, someone came to deliver an imperial edict.

Quyuan Street has been cleaned several times already.

There were still many busy figures washing and sweeping.

One of the boys, a tall and sturdy young man, looked at another boy beside him and said, "Young man, you look unfamiliar. Are you new here? My name is Yue Fei."

Having returned to the capital with Xu Minghua, Chu Zhan, who had grown much taller, frowned and looked at Yue Fei: "What?"

Then Chu Zhan pointed at himself and said, "You mean me? The new guy?"

(End of this chapter)