Union

Chapter 112 He's up to his old tricks again.

Qiu Ning left Yun Ying's place in a daze.

Even Yunying could see her dejection, but what could be done now?

I can only say that I am lucky to have it, and it is my fate to lose it.

To be honest, it's impossible for Yunying not to be worried. After all, it was a huge sum of money. If it had never been related to her, she wouldn't have cared about it. But it was deeply connected to her, even within her reach, so it was very difficult for her to maintain a calm mind.

After all, she had experienced hardship and the dire situation of not having enough money to survive.

She thought, if she could really save up a large sum of money, if she could give it to her...

But all of this is unknown and uncertain; we can only discuss it when Second Master returns.

However, there is another important matter to be dealt with at the moment, namely, Prefect Zhang has personally come from Lingnan Prefecture to Yungui County.

They've gone to Wutou Mountain now, but they'll definitely return to the county government office afterward. Yunying will inevitably have to busy herself with entertaining Prefect Zhang.

Yunying had the kitchen staff prepare wine and dishes, and even the guest courtyard was thoroughly cleaned. She also had two new sets of clothes prepared for Prefect Zhang.

After finishing these tasks, Yunying returned to the backyard.

On the way back, Yunying was preoccupied with the gold mine and didn't pay much attention to the commotion along the roadside.

After she walked away, the maids and servants emerged from behind the tree trunks or the artificial hill.

They gathered in small groups, chattering away.

"Is Miss Yunying really pregnant? I can't tell at all. Is this really true?"

"It can't be wrong. I went to deliver some clean clothes to Miss Yunying, but before I even entered the courtyard, I heard Miss Qiuning call out from inside the house. Miss Qiuning is the closest to Miss Yunying, and she said that Miss Yunying is pregnant, so this matter can't be wrong."

"Judging by the days, Miss Yunying should be pregnant. Second Master likes her so much, he lets her stay at least five nights out of ten. It wouldn't make sense if Miss Yunying didn't get pregnant soon."

"I wonder if Miss Yunying's baby is a boy or a girl. If it's a boy, he will be the Second Master's eldest son. Although he is the eldest son born out of wedlock, as long as the Second Master likes him, he will be fine in the future, and Miss Yunying will have a firm foothold."

"Shouldn't Miss Yunying be promoted to concubine by now? With a son by her side, Miss Yunying is no worse off than the first wife in the capital. She has a son and she has the favor of the emperor. She won't lose to the first wife in a contest of power."

"Stop talking nonsense and focus on doing your job properly. You should be even more respectful to Miss Yunying in the future."

While Yunying was not paying attention, rumors spread wildly.

In just one afternoon, almost everyone in the county government knew that Yunying, the second master's most beloved daughter, was pregnant!

Yunying herself was unaware that she had once again topped the gossip list and that she was inexplicably pregnant.

After returning to her room, she ground ink and picked up a small wolf-hair brush to practice calligraphy.

At first, she was a little emotionally fluctuating, and her calligraphy was not very good. Gradually, she became more absorbed in it, calmed down, and her restless thoughts disappeared.

Night fell, and there was still no movement in the front yard.

Yunying waited and waited until it was almost time for bed, when the front yard finally became noisy.

Yunying put down her teacup and asked Sui'er, "Has Second Master returned?"

"Please wait a moment, young lady, I'll go check the front yard right away."

A moment later, Sui'er rushed in, "Miss, the Second Master is back. He and the Prefect have come to the County Government Office together. They have just entered the gate."

Upon hearing this, Yunying hurriedly took Sui'er with her, and the two of them went to the front yard together.

Because she was walking in a hurry and didn't pay attention to where she was going, Yunying suddenly lost her footing and slid straight down.

With a "thud," Yunying landed hard on her bottom.

Not only her, but Sui'er was also thrown out, and the two of them fell to the ground one after the other, colliding together.

Two cries of pain, "Ouch!" and "Ouch!", followed in quick succession.

Yunying became the one who took the fall. Although Sui'er tried her best to avoid her when she slipped, she still couldn't control her body and fell onto Yunying.

Her head hit Yunying's pelvis with a dull thud. Sui'er was dizzy from the impact, while Yunying felt as if her bones were shattered.

The cries of pain from the two were too clear in the quiet night. Soon, the old woman on night watch came over, and even the two gates of the nearby courtyard were opened.

When Qiu Ning heard the news, she ran out of her courtyard with her hair disheveled, while Yun Ying was still in too much pain to get up.

She saw Yunying's lips turn pale with pain and her forehead beaded with cold sweat, and she panicked.

She raised her hands, then lowered them, then raised them again. Completely at a loss, she didn't know where to touch Yunying.

"Yunying, how are you? Where did you fall? Oh dear, you're pregnant, are you going to miscarry? Someone, quickly go and get a doctor, hurry!"

Upon hearing this, an old woman stood up and was about to run outside, but Yunying quickly reached out and grabbed her, saying, "Don't go... don't disturb anyone."

Qiu Ning glared angrily, "Someone's about to die, and you're still afraid of alerting anyone? Yun Ying, do you want to die?!"

Yunying gritted her teeth and forced herself to say, "I'm fine. You all need to calm down and not disturb our distinguished guests. Prefect Zhang came to the county office with Second Master. Whatever it is, keep it to yourself until we've seen our guests off."

A collective gasp filled the air, and even Qiu Ning dared not utter a sound.

"Is the Prefect here? What should we do, Yunying? Can you even get up? You have to entertain such an important guest. Don't look at me, I'm scared, I don't want to go."

Suddenly, the courtyard gate behind them was pulled open from the inside, revealing Mu Jin behind the gate.

Bathed in the bright light of the surrounding lanterns, Mu Jin was dressed neatly, her headdress elegant and dignified. She also wore a light dusting of powder on her face, looking as graceful and at ease as if she were about to go out for a stroll.

But this wasn't daytime; it was their usual bedtime.

It's hard to believe that someone can dress so neatly late at night without a ghost.

Looking at where Yunying fell, wasn't it right in front of the Hibiscus Gate?
The fact that Mulan didn't come out earlier or later, but only when she was supposed to be serving in the front yard, seems suspicious.

Along with Qiu Ning, everyone looked at Mu Jin, and then couldn't help but look at the ground beneath Yun Ying.

Sure enough, they saw a bright, shiny oil stain on the ground.

That's tung oil, isn't it?
Qiu Ning pounced on her and grabbed Mu Jin, ready to fight.

Ruzhu stepped in front of Mujin just in time, completely blocking her view.

Qiu Ning whispered, "Mu Jin, did you have the tung oil poured on you? You knew Yun Ying would pass by here, and you deliberately tricked her into falling so you could take her place and show your face in front of the prefect, right? No, that's not all. You must have also plotted against Yun Ying's unborn child! Mu Jin, you have such a vicious heart, you venomous woman!"

"Ruzhu, let go of me! If you have any conscience at all, don't stand in front of Mujin and stand up for her! She's a rotten person, she'll do anything to get ahead, she even schemes against an unborn child. You're stopping me from hitting her, you're aiding and abetting a wicked person! Ruzhu, if your father knew you'd come to this, he'd be furious."

Ruzhu sold herself into the hands of human traffickers in order to bury her father.

When Aunt Ding learned of this, she thought Ruzhu's filial piety was commendable, so she selected her to serve in the mansion. However, Ruzhu knew that Mujin was doing evil, yet she still chose to protect her. Ruzhu had clearly been corrupted by Mujin.

No, she's definitely gone astray a long time ago. Who knows, she might have been instructed by Mu Jin to spill the tung oil on the ground.

Leaving aside how unpleasant Ruzhu's face was, Yunying, with the help of some maids and servants beside her, finally managed to stand up straight.

She trembled all over in pain, as if her tailbone was broken. But she endured it and still managed to appear calm and collected.

She glanced at Mu Jin and asked, "Mu Jin, did you spill this tung oil?"

"No, that's not me." Mu Jin stared innocently with her big eyes. "Why would I splash tung oil in front of the door? I'd rather use that spare money to buy cosmetics to dress myself up."

"Besides, if this tung oil is spilled at my door, I'll be the one who gets hurt. If it weren't for Sister Yunying accidentally stepping on the tung oil and slipping and falling to remind me, I might be the one injured here tomorrow. Oh dear, Sister Yunying, now that you're in charge, you really need to investigate who's behind this. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep peacefully with someone like that hiding in the shadows."

Yunying nodded, ignoring Mujin's other words, and simply told her, "I gave you a chance. You said it wasn't you, so it's best if it wasn't you. Otherwise, if I find out that this matter is related to you..."

Yunying didn't say the rest, but her cool and serene gaze made Mu Jin's heart tremble for no reason.

Mu Jin turned her face away guiltily, not daring to look at Yun Ying again. But soon, she turned back, "Sister, please investigate. I have nothing to hide, so I'm not afraid of your investigation. It's just that you're injured now, so I'm afraid you won't be able to serve the Second Master. Perhaps I..."

"Give up on that idea. I'll carry Yunying to the front yard even if I have to. As for you, if you want to get ahead in front of the Second Master, you'll have to wait until your next life."

After giving Mu Jin a piece of her mind, Qiu Ning was still fuming. She asked Yun Ying, "Can you still walk?" as if to say, "If you can't walk, I'll carry you on my back."

Yunying nodded. "I can walk. But I need to go back and change my clothes first."

Qiu Ning glanced at Yun Ying's clothes, which were stained with oil and looked filthy. She definitely needed to change; otherwise, it would be too impolite to meet either the Second Master or an important guest.

Qiu Ning said, "Then you should go quickly. I'll have someone cordon off this area first. Tomorrow, you can have Second Master come and investigate. We must find that wicked villain."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Yunying turned and walked back, and Sui'er and Liu'er quickly helped her up.

Yunying asked Sui'er, "How are you? Does it hurt from the fall?"

Sui'er said, "It doesn't hurt, I'm just a little dizzy. Girl, does your hip hurt a lot? I'll apply some ointment for you when you go to bed tonight."

"it is good."

Upon hearing Yunying's response, Sui'er understood that the young lady had suffered greatly this time.

The girl had already fallen hard, and then she fell on top of her, which aggravated her pain even more.

Sui'er murmured, "Miss, I'm sorry."

"Don't talk nonsense, you didn't do it on purpose. Alright, let's go back quickly. I need to change my clothes and go to the front yard to see Second Master. Be careful he gets angry if we're late."

"Okay, okay."

Yunying and Sui'er's group walked away, but Qiu Ning did not leave.

She stood by the hibiscus gate, her hair disheveled and her clothes in disarray, directing the old women to use thorns to cordon off the area where tung oil had been splashed.

While directing the people to do their work, Qiu Ning said, "In a little while, pass down the word that anyone who can provide me with clues about the person who spilled the oil will be rewarded by Yun Ying with ten taels of silver, no, fifty taels!"

"Fifty taels?"

"Miss Qiu Ning, does Miss Yun Ying agree with what you're saying?"

"Fifty taels of silver could buy ten maids like me!"

"Quickly go find the old woman guarding the gate. That man wants to pour tung oil, so he must have to go out to buy it. Quickly tell the old woman to think about who has left the house in the past month. Also, go to the places that sell tung oil on the street and ask if any of our maids have gone out to buy tung oil."

The crowd started chattering and making a ruckus, like a pot boiling over.

Qiu Ning glanced at Mu Jin, whose face was dark, and said, "This is truly harming both yourself and others."

Mu Jin asked, "Qiu Ning, who are you mocking?"

"I'll expose whoever harms others. Mulan, didn't you say this had nothing to do with you? Why are you jumping in so eagerly?"

"I'm not doing anything, I just simply don't like your sarcastic tone."

"If you don't like it, keep it to yourself. You have a mouth, and I can say whatever I want."

Qiu Ning acted all high and mighty, and even gave Mu Jin a cold sidelong glance.

Mu Jin was so angry she felt like she was going to vomit blood.

She sneered coldly, "You petty person who has gained power, let's see how long you can remain arrogant!"

Then, with a "bang," the courtyard gate slammed shut, and the figure disappeared into the darkness.

The door closed, but Mu Jin's heart pounded even faster.

Beside her, Ruzhu clutched her handkerchief tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.

She was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. "Girl, what should we do? They all said they'd ask the gatekeeper, and they also said they'd check with the place that sells tung oil on the street..."

Mu Jin glared at her fiercely. "Let them ask if they want, let them investigate if they want. You sneaked out while the gatekeeper was using the restroom. No one in the entire mansion except me knows you went out. You bought the tung oil while masked, and sent a child to buy it. That child didn't know you, and the shopkeeper certainly didn't know you either. Ru Zhu, remember this well: this has nothing to do with us. We know nothing, and don't try to pin anything on us."

Hesitantly, Ruzhu asked, "Miss, are you sure it won't be discovered?"

"Don't worry, they definitely won't find out. Even if, and I mean just in the unlikely event, they do find out about my business, as long as you stick to your guns and deny it, no one can do anything to us."

"Really?"

"real!"

Ruzhu remained trembling with fear, but Mujin could no longer care about her.

She said through gritted teeth, "She's lucky; she fell so hard, but she didn't lose her baby."

Ruzhu knew what Mujin was talking about, but she didn't dare to respond. She could only grit her teeth and continue to live in fear.

I'd like to recommend my completed novel, "Second Marriage." Those of you experiencing a reading slump should definitely check it out!

When Sang Ningyue was widowed and in dire straits, her cousin, whom she had grown up with, offered a helping hand and took her to her husband's family to take care of her.

Sang Ningyue was moved to tears, but little did she know that her cousin, while outwardly gentle and considerate, was secretly plotting something. She wanted to plunder the treasures in her home and also send her to the prince as a concubine.

Sang Ningyue painstakingly maneuvered, but through a series of unexpected events, she ended up having an affair with her cousin's brother-in-law...

A female supporting character's synopsis:
In her previous life, Zhou Baolu obeyed her parents' wishes and married a scholar, ending up a young widow. On the contrary, her poor cousin, who lived with her family, had a stroke of good luck and married into the Marquis of Wu'an's household.

One was a widow and an abandoned woman, the other a noblewoman and a member of the imperial family.

Wearing the wrong hat and shoes, Zhou Baolu was filled with hatred.
Life is reshuffled and given a second chance. Zhou Baolu pushes her cousin to the scholar who died young in her previous life, and steals her cousin's opportunity to marry into the Marquis of Wu'an's family.

She wanted to walk the path of glory that her cousin had walked in her previous life.

But after enduring and enduring, the elder brother, the marquis who had died alone in his previous life, remarried and had a son...

Now that she has a biological son, how can he inherit the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion?

(End of this chapter)