Jinyi Spring

Chapter 131 Jian He Niang
Feng Chuchen was puzzled, "So Xue Yan'er was involved too? What did I do to offend her?"

Guo Hei said, "It seems that Miss Xue is also in love with Young Master."

Feng Chuchen was speechless. She had no relationship with Shang Gongruyu, so why did they all hate her?

Guo Hei then patted his master on the back, saying, "My master has already reprimanded the young master, and he said he would never dare to do it again. Princess Yanghe also sent people to severely reprimand Miss Biao and Miss Xue, and also reprimanded Madam Xue and Aunt Xia for neglecting their duties."

He shook his head again and said with a sneer, "The Xue family is dishonest. They beat and killed the girl who did bad things, but only confined Miss Xue for two months."

Feng Chuchen sneered, "In their eyes, the lives of ordinary people like us are nothing."

The two men ate lunch at home, and Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu each drank with them.

At the end of the Wei hour (1-3 PM), Aunt Wang returned.

Wang Shuping rarely separated from her mother for so long. She didn't even take her afternoon nap and stood at the alley entrance with Datou in her hand, waiting. When she saw her mother get out of the car, she ran over and threw herself into her arms.

"Mother, Mother, I miss you."

Aunt Wang felt comforted and stopped her, saying, "Mother is dirty. She should bathe first before kissing me."

She quickly finished her bath, changed into clean clothes, kissed Wang Shuping's little face, and went to the east wing.

Feng Chuchen sat by the window, holding a book and occasionally sipping tea. His gaze would sometimes rise from between the lines to look out the window; the courtyard was almost entirely filled with flowers and plants, and butterflies and bees lazily fluttered in the sunlight.

There were few patients today, so she asked Banxia to keep an eye on things over there.

She only looked away when she saw Aunt Wang enter the courtyard.

As soon as Aunt Wang sat down, she sighed and said, "It was the family member of a disgraced official. She was three months pregnant and was violated... She suffered a massive hemorrhage and couldn't be saved. What a tragedy."

"It's not uncommon for women to be secretly abused in prison, but it's rare to see someone die like this. Alas, no matter how high-ranking an official is, once he falls into a crime, his situation is worse than that of ordinary people like us."

She shook her head, her voice tinged with bitterness, "That place is no place for humans to stay, it's all blood... I went in there once, and my legs are still weak."

She had been to the imperial prison once before with Feng Chuchen, but hadn't witnessed the torture inflicted on the prisoners. Seeing it today, her legs went weak, and she had to be helped away by the prison guards.

Feng Chuchen gently set down his teacup. "Indeed, everyone says the Imperial Prison is a living hell."

Aunt Wang added, "Lord Ming immediately ordered that the evil jailer be beaten to death. Don't be fooled by his cold and intimidating appearance; he's a kind-hearted person, just like Lord Shangguan."

A hint of smugness appeared on her face, and her voice became a little lighter. "Lord Ming rewarded me with ten taels of silver and even had the old woman accompany me to a restaurant for drinks. He said that if something like this happens again, I'll have to go over there again."

This wasn't just about the ten taels of silver; it was about how renowned Wang Yipo's reputation had truly become. Even the Flying Eagle Guard's prison had to call on her when they needed help. This reliance on her made them stand taller than any amount of money.

Thinking that the people there called her "Wang the Doctor" instead of "Wang the Midwife," she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.

In the evening, Shangguan Ruyu came again.

He bowed deeply as soon as he saw Feng Chuchen.

Feng Chuchen was also a little angry with him, and said reproachfully, "A man like you, attracting so many women. I'm so wronged."

Shangguan Ruyu bowed deeply again, "My father and cousin scolded me severely... Please don't be angry. I know you like flowers, and I bought these at a high price at the flower market. I apologize!"

Duan Yan led the guards to carry down four pots of peonies and four pots of orchids, all rare treasures, adding a touch of spring to the small courtyard.

What he didn't mention was that one of the Pearl King orchids was one of the best in the house. His father saw him moving it but didn't say a word.

Feng Chuchen couldn't help but ask, "You're not young anymore, why is your marriage still undecided?"

If she's already taken, she won't attract hatred.

Shangguan Ruyu said helplessly, "My mother has her eye on someone, but my maternal grandmother disagrees. My maternal grandmother has her eye on someone, but my mother doesn't like that one either."

Actually, it was his father who disagreed.

Feng Chuchen said, "The Empress Dowager and the Princess both dote on you. As long as you choose one of them, they will do as you wish."

Shangguan Ruyu shrugged. "I didn't like any of them."

I'm feeling sad, but with you as a comparison, I can't stand anyone else but you.

Yesterday, his father spoke to him earnestly again, insisting that he treat Miss Feng like a younger sister. He felt a pang of resentment; if it weren't for his affection, Miss Feng wouldn't be considered a true sister…

Feng Chuchen thought of Miss Wen, "When you were engaged to Miss Wen, Miss Xue didn't hate her this much."

Shangguan Ruyu explained, "For the past few years, the Xue family has been trying to win over the Ming family, wanting to marry my cousin Xue Yan'er, who was born with an extremely yin birth chart. The Ming family didn't want to get involved in the political struggle and always disagreed. Later, my cousin couldn't find a wife, so he had no choice but to arrange the marriage for them."

"Later you found out that your cousin almost killed Xue Yan'er, so he had to break off the engagement. Who knew she would have those kinds of thoughts again, so shameless. Your cousin should have used more force to kill her."

Feng Chuchen was amused. "How many months was Xue Yan'er born?"

"She is one year older than you, born on the 14th day of the seventh month in the fourth year of Jian'an, at the end of Hai hour."

Feng Chuchen thought to himself, "People born on this day are suited to learn the Yin God Needle technique... It's a pity it's that person."

A few days later, a faction of officials led by the Duke of Ming began to accuse the Xue family of forming cliques, abusing their power, and manipulating official promotions. The Xue family and the Second Prince's faction also began to accuse the Duke of Ming of being arrogant and negligent in his duties, and of Ming Shanyue of abusing his power and being cruel and tyrannical.

Meanwhile, rumors were rampant in the streets: the third daughter of the Xue family was arrogant and domineering, bullying others; the cousin of the Ming family was wicked and behaved improperly…

Previously, the Xue family had been trying to win over the Ming family to their and the Second Prince's camp, but now they have openly turned against each other because of Xue Yan'er and Kong Xiyan.

The Ming and Xue families were locked in a fierce struggle, both openly and covertly.

Hearing those rumors, Madam Xia trembled with anger. She was angry that the Ming family did not consider Yan'er's feelings and made an enemy of the Xue family, and she was also angry that the Xue family was so tactless, speaking so ill of Yan'er for the sake of their daughter.

Yan'er came from a poor background and had always hoped to find a good marriage through the Ming family's connections. But now that her reputation is ruined, forget about finding a good marriage; she'll probably have trouble even finding a moderately respectable family...

Ever since Shaoyao and Guo Hei had their argument, Guo Hei would find an excuse to come to the Feng residence every two or three days.

Sometimes, when he was running errands nearby, he would detour to give Feng Buji and Wang Shuping a small gift and have some tea.

Sometimes she comes to Dr. Qin for various health issues, such as fever or excessive sweating. She brings some things to the two children and has a cup of tea with them. No matter what the reason for coming to the Feng residence, she always talks to Shaoyao, her eyes sparkling with happy little stars.

Even the usually stingy Peony seems to have started spending money; within five days she bought three pieces of brightly colored silk and dragged Sister Song to help her tailor clothes. She also bought perfume and lip rouge and learned makeup from the other maids.

Everyone understood the situation, but Feng Buji was somewhat saddened. Her elder sister was only a few months younger than Shaoyao, and Shaoyao was about to be taken, while her elder sister's destined partner was still nowhere to be found.

When no one was around, he whispered to Feng Chuchen, "Sister, Brother Shangguan is a very good man. He's good-looking, comes from a good family, has a kind heart, and loves you so much. Why don't you agree? You're not young anymore. I won't feel at ease if you don't find a good family for yourself."

Feng Chuchen stroked his head and said, "It's not that people who are born into good families, are good-looking, or have good hearts can necessarily stay together. The most important thing is that they understand each other. It's difficult."

Feng quickly comforted her, "There are so many men in the world, you're bound to find someone who understands you. Don't rush, sister, we'll take our time."

Feng Chuchen was speechless. When did I get anxious? It was clearly you who was anxious, okay?

She smiled and tugged at Feng Buji's little ear, "Okay, no rush."

That evening, Ming Shanyue left the office on time, which was unusual for him.

The gatekeeper bowed and said, "The old lady has just returned from the palace and is a little tired. Let her eat dinner by herself; there's no need to bother her at Fu Rong Hall."

Ming Shanyue went directly to the outer study.

As soon as he entered, Yinhe reported, "Sir, Number Twenty-One is back."

Ming Shanyue hurriedly said, "Let him in."

Seeing Ah Xuan standing on the table, staring at him with his tiny green eyes, he called out, "Little Mingming, Little Mingming."

When Ming Shanyue was about to discuss something important, he would never let this little thing eavesdrop. He pursed his lips, and Song Xian immediately grabbed Ah Xuan and headed for the door.

Ah Xuan was so angry that he started cursing wildly, "You little brat, you little brat, Xiao Mingming..."

Number Twenty-One quietly entered the room and reported in a low voice, "I just returned from the Tianjin Garrison this afternoon and found out some news about Jian He Niang. The Ding family treats her very badly, beating and scolding her at the drop of a hat. It was her parents-in-law, husband, and brother-in-law who all beat her. She was two months pregnant, but they beat her out..."

A few days ago, Ming Shanyue sent people to investigate and found that among the large and small orphanages and almshouses in and around the capital, only one baby girl was abandoned on the steps of an almshouse in the south of the city in the early morning of the 15th day of the seventh month of the fifth year of Jian'an.

The orphanage had an unwritten rule that whoever found the child would take their surname. She was found by a woman surnamed Jian, and because of the two lotus leaves, she was named Jian He Niang.

At the end of last year, Jian He Niang married a military household surnamed Ding in Tianjin.

Number Twenty-One continued, "That noon, she carried a bundle of firewood that was much taller than herself home. She was exceptionally pretty, but short, and her back was bent from the weight."

"She had just knocked on the door and said something when the old woman who opened it slapped her across the face, causing her to fall to the ground and unable to get up. Then a man came out and kicked her several times."

"She curled up on the ground for a while before taking the firewood off her back, getting up and dragging it home. The man kicked her twice more."

Upon hearing this, Ming Shanyue felt as if her heart had been twisted violently. Even if she wasn't born into a noble family, such a fate was still far too tragic.

Guo Hei cursed under his breath, "Pah, what a bunch of scoundrels..."

Ming Shanyue was silent for a moment, then said, "That makes things much easier. Jian He Niang won't have any regrets about leaving. Make preparations, and we'll take her away in a couple of days..."

He tapped his finger on the table, pondered for a moment, and said, "Send it to Xiqing, and also send a secret letter to my second uncle. Remember, it must be done cleanly, but leave a little clue that is not easily noticed. If anyone wants to investigate in the future, they will still know that there is such a person and a seemingly plausible clue."

"Yes." Number Twenty-One accepted the order and left.

Thinking of the vast world of Xiqing and the carefree days of riding horses with his second and third uncles, Ming Shanyue stood up and said, "Bring a jar of wine and come with me to Suoqiu Courtyard."

Every time he went to visit his third uncle, his third uncle would ignore him and just drink by himself, but he would still go to visit him every now and then.

He thought to himself, "If only Feng Chuchen could cure my third uncle's illness." Although she had never treated that kind of illness before, he simply believed that she could.

Suoqiu Courtyard is located in a remote area, and it was Ming Changli who insisted on moving there after he was injured.

Several towering trees grow in the courtyard, their branches and leaves becoming lush and dark in spring and summer, almost splitting the sky into fragmented patches of light.

He liked this feeling of being sheltered, as if the dense shade could shield him from those pitying and inquisitive gazes, and also isolate him from the world outside that he could no longer walk with ease.

From then on, he was no longer the Ming Sanlang who could draw his bow and chase eagles.

As soon as Ming Shanyue entered the courtyard, he felt a cool breeze. The cicadas chirping in the trees were deafening, louder than anywhere else, as if they were howling out some unspeakable loneliness.

Ming Changli sat alone at the stone table, with a few small dishes and a jar of wine. His back was slightly hunched, and he had grown a beard in his early twenties. His profile was somewhat blurred by the dappled shadows of the trees.

He held a bowl of wine and drank it slowly, as if not for pleasure, but simply to get through another long night.

Ming Shanyue noticed a few specks of bird droppings still wet on the edge of the table and frowned, saying, "Third Uncle, aren't you afraid of bird droppings falling into the wine bowl?"

Ming Changli didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice indifferent, "If you don't like it, then get lost."

Ming Shanyue sat down opposite him, saying, "Come, nephew, let me drink with you."

The servant quickly brought over a bowl and chopsticks, and then took the opportunity to wipe the bird droppings clean with a rag. The Third Master had been sitting there all afternoon, and he didn't dare to get too close and get in the way.

After a few bowls of strong liquor went down his throat, his blood surged, and Ming Shanyue couldn't help but softly sing the most resounding tune from the battlefield of yesteryear.

"A great wind rises, clouds billow, my might extends across the land, I return to my homeland..."

The flickering light and shadow reflected in his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. "Haha, even now, when I close my eyes, I often see the exhilaration we felt riding horses in Xiqing, the vast yellow sands, the lone plumes of smoke rising straight up, the world stretching to the horizon..."

Ming Changli's hand holding the bowl trembled suddenly.

His eyes were red, and he hissed in a low voice, "Those days will never come again..." He then glared at Ming Shanyue, "You naughty boy, did you come here specifically to annoy me today?"

Ming Shanyue quickly picked up the wine jar and filled it with wine for him, laughing, "No matter how bold my nephew is, he wouldn't dare to upset his third uncle."

Leaning forward again and lowering her voice, she said, "Third Uncle, Miss Feng's medical skills are truly remarkable. She has cured many difficult and complicated diseases, and can be called a miracle doctor. Why don't you let her take a look at you? She is very tight-lipped and will never say anything she shouldn't..."

Ming Changli's face flushed red. He slammed the wine bowl on the stone table, bulged his eyes, and scolded, "Are you here to cause trouble again? A young lady going to see a doctor for that kind of illness, how can you be so shameless? If you dare to say anything more, I'll smash your pig brain open."