I'm already a concubine, who wants to fight with you?

Chapter 99: Meeting a Man in Secret
Although it is not me who is being talked about, we are a family after all. In the eyes of outsiders, honor and disgrace, rise and fall are all one.

Xie Fei had been looked down upon before, so he didn't take his dignity and face that seriously. He was able to deal with it calmly, picking out some of his favorite dishes to eat while listening, just for fun.

Xie Jing has an extra layer of blood relationship because of his mother and younger sister. Now that his closest relatives have been labeled with bad words such as "flattering", "clinging", and "greedy and vain", he looks very unhappy.

After the women finished talking about what happened in the morning, they specifically mentioned Xie Yang.

"The little girl next to the Ningguo Duke's wife, is she one of the girls from the Xie family?"

"I heard it's the Seventh Miss. She's really pretty, with fair and rosy complexion like a peach blossom."

"Yes, yes. Although she is trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful, she is still capable. Her beauty makes even my heart flutter when I see her."

"She is also very quirky and lively. If it weren't for the way she and her mother behave, I would have wanted to propose marriage to her for my son. If I could have a few grandchildren, and all of them looked like her, it would be worth it."

As they were chatting and laughing, they didn't notice Xie Fei and Xie Jing at all.

Fu Yu and Xie Jing's maid were standing not far away, and they felt embarrassed when they heard the discussions.

But the fact that the mother and daughter of the Xie family were trying to curry favor with the powerful was seen by everyone and was an indisputable fact, and they had no way of saying anything back.

Xie Fei saw Xie Jing holding the teacup tightly and whispered, "Eat quickly and leave after you finish eating."

Xie Jing took a deep breath and was about to drink some tea to calm himself down, but then he saw a woman holding a baby, walking towards him arrogantly.

There was a hint of sarcasm and provocation in her words as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Why are all the Xie sisters sitting here? Although you are not from a wealthy family, you are still relatives of the fourth house. There is no reason for you to sit at the bottom seats. Do you feel that your status is too low and you are embarrassed to sit in the front?"

Seeing that the other person looked unfamiliar, Xie Jing turned his head to look at Xie Fei.

Xie Fei had already stood up and said with a smile: "It turns out to be Mrs. Ban. I came here in a hurry today and haven't congratulated you yet."

Ban Sihui held her son in her arms, stood in front of the table, and asked in confusion, "What good news are you talking about?"

Xie Fei said, "I heard that Pei Shaoqing was favored by the emperor, and he will be promoted again after completing his duties by the end of the year. The eldest lady is happy to have a son, and Shaoqing will be promoted again. Isn't this a great joy?"

Ban Sihui instantly relaxed her brows and said proudly, "You are well-informed. You know all this."

Xie Fei said: "The first and fourth houses are brothers, so if there is any good news, they will naturally inform us first. The first house is honored in front of the emperor, and our fourth house can also benefit from it. How can we not be happy?"

She picked up the teacup again and said to Ban Sihui, "I can't hold my liquor well, so I'll use tea instead of wine. I'll congratulate the Shaoqing first, and then congratulate the Madam. From now on, I'll have to rely on the Madam."

She raised her head with a smile and drank the tea in one gulp.

Xie Jing glanced at Ban Sihui, then looked at Xie Fei, as if thinking about something.

It was obvious that Ban Sihui came here to cause trouble.

Xie Fei took the initiative and told Ban Sihui that the first and fourth wives belonged to the same mansion and were of the same blood.

No matter how discordant they were internally, at least in this situation, in front of so many women from other palaces, a fierce conflict could not break out.

If Ban Sihui was smart, she should have said a few polite words instead of making things too embarrassing and attracting gossip from outsiders.

Ban Sihui didn't think so much about it. She originally thought that Xie Fei was good at talking and she felt relieved. But in the blink of an eye, she saw Xie Jing and her face suddenly changed.

"Who is this?"

Xie Jing also stood up and saluted, his expression indifferent.

Xie Fei introduced: "Mrs. Ban, this is my fifth sister from my mother's family, her name is Jing."

Everyone at the table was shocked. The women who had previously criticized the Xie family finally noticed Xie Jing and Xie Fei.

Before she had time to feel embarrassed about the gossip, she was astounded beyond words by Xie Jing's peerless appearance.

If Xie Yang is the bright and lively young girl, then Xie Jing is the cold and unparalleled beauty. Just standing there, her extreme beauty will amaze the world, and one cannot take their eyes away after taking one look at her.

Ban Sihui was unable to come back to her senses for a long time. By the time she reacted, her nails had already sunk deeply into the flesh.

She is so beautiful and dignified, and her posture and demeanor are first-class.

In contrast, she... had no beauty at all.

There was a loud bang in Ban Sihui's head, as if she was hit on the head with a stick, and her whole body was shaking slightly.

She couldn't help but wonder, was Xie Fei's compliment just now a sincere congratulation or was he hinting at something?
Could it be that she thinks that with such a beautiful sister, she can marry into the eldest wife's house and snatch the favor of her husband?

Ban Sihui's face was pale as she stared at Xie Jing, the hatred in her eyes almost bursting out.

Xie Jing practiced asceticism in the Taoist temple with his grandmother all year round. He seldom came into contact with wealthy families, and most of the people he met on weekdays were pilgrims.

She was very confused at being stared at with such hatred by Ban Sihui.

Is it necessary to be so hostile when we first meet?

Xie Fei also frowned, not understanding why Ban Sihui suddenly became nervous.

Could it be that Xie Jing's name offends her?
After a brief thought, Xie Fei said, "Mrs. Ban..."

"Shut up!" Ban Sihui shouted angrily, attracting everyone's attention.

Looking at Xie Jing and then at Xie Fei, Ban Sihui was extremely angry, her hands were shaking so much that even Xie Fei was worried that she would drop the child.

Ban Sihui angrily said, "You Xie family girls, are you all reincarnated vixens? First you had your mother and sister, who rushed to curry favor with my mother-in-law, and now you have your two elder sisters, who are running to the back hills to meet with men in secret!"

When these words were spoken, the women in the family were shocked.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Ban Sihui's maids hurried forward to persuade them. Some of them were smart and went to invite Madam Zheng and Pei Honglang.

Ban Sihui was furious. She stuffed her son into the hands of a maid and pointed at Xie Fei and Xie Jing's noses and cursed them.

"Your Xie family's family tradition is really unique. You are said to be a noble family, but the daughters you raise are more slutty than the other! Everyone, come and see, which daughter of a good family would go to such lengths to stage a chance encounter and seduce the official!"

The women gathered around, some were curious, some were inquisitive, and some were whispering to each other.

Ban Sihui was furious and said whatever she wanted, accusing Xie Fei of being shameless for bringing her sisters from her natal family and seducing her brother-in-law from her husband's family. She wished that all the members of the family would marry into wealthy families as concubines and live a life of luxury.

Although Xie Jing didn't care about his reputation, he even hoped that his reputation would be ruined so that he wouldn't be forced to marry.

But she couldn't ignore her mother and sisters, and she couldn't ignore the reputation of her father and brothers.

If the women in the Xie family were really accused of being promiscuous and clinging to society, even the future of the men in the family would be affected.

Her face darkened and she said in a cold voice: "Mrs. Ban, I respect you as my sister's in-law's sister-in-law. I don't want to argue with you, but you have to have a bottom line even if you are crazy! Pei Shaoqing and I haven't even met, how can I seduce you!"

Ban Sihui was a sensitive person and burst into tears when she heard what Xie Jing said.

"How dare you call me crazy! You two sisters are really cunning. You knew in advance that my husband was going to Baoshan Tower, and you secretly waited there, and seduced him when he arrived. How dare you quibble?!"

(End of this chapter)