Marrying a treacherous official

When Yunji woke up from her hangover, she felt a dull, throbbing pain in her forehead.

Chunxuan was ordered to nag her in her ear about her drunken antics.

"After getting drunk at the family reunion banquet, the lady clung to the eldest son's arms and refused to get up. If it weren't for the eldest son's favoritism and protection, the lady would have been too ashamed to face the relatives."

"Just because I'm nestled in an old man's arms, I think I have the face to show in public?"

Yunji closed her eyes in embarrassment, feeling so bad that she wanted to kill herself.

Chunxuan muttered softly, "Holding my own husband, what's there to be ashamed of?"

Yunji kept telling herself that she had finally passed out drunk and was lying in Cui Zeming's arms. She didn't do anything more outrageous in front of her relatives. Although it was a bit overstepping the bounds, it was understandable.

She calmed down a little, then heard Chunxuan muttering to herself:

"On her way back, the lady kicked a red plum tree in the corner of the wall."

Is that so?

"The old lady said it herself, so how could it be false?"

Seeing the disbelief on her face, Chunxuan said confidently, "Madam got covered in snow because of this, and it was I who changed her clothes."

Yunji's eyelashes trembled slightly as she listened patiently to her continue.

"The lady wanted to climb the tree to pick red plum blossoms, but was stopped by Granny Kong who grabbed her around the waist."

"Absolutely impossible."

"Madam, look at the red plum blossoms in that white vase with black peony carvings. Does it remind you of anything?"

Seeing that she was struggling to come up with a solution, Chunxuan kindly offered a suggestion:

"If the master hadn't cut down these red plum blossoms with his sword, the lady might have been tossing and turning in the tree for who knows how long."

"Stop talking."

Yunji couldn't listen any longer and interrupted her, saying, "Let's just let this matter rest and never mention it again."

Chunxuan nodded timidly, "This servant will not say anything, and no one else is allowed to talk about it in the future."

Yunji was extremely remorseful for her carelessness at the banquet, for not even realizing that her fruit tea had been replaced, and for almost losing face in front of her relatives.

"Have you found out who did it, Granny?"

"The banquet was served in a continuous stream of dishes, and there were many people coming to toast the master, so it was hard to say which maid or member of the Cui family switched the fruit tea in the lady's bowl."

Chunxuan answered her truthfully.

Yunji could easily guess that it was Lady Hou who was behind this.

What she cared about wasn't the change of drinks, but that the Lady Hou knew her preferences perfectly. Even the fruit wine that was served couldn't be tasted any different from the fruit tea.

If Lady Hou could make her look foolish by switching to wine this time, could she switch to poison next time to kill her?

After deep reflection, Yunji felt a chill run down his spine.

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Cui Zemin was preoccupied with official duties and, citing his inability to leave, sent Yunji with two sets of New Year's gifts to the Gu family alone.

Yunji's tense emotions immediately relaxed.

Because of her drunken incident at the family reunion banquet, she has been deliberately avoiding Cui Zeming.

They met in the corridor. After curtsying, she turned and walked away without a word, afraid that he would bring up the past and make her feel inferior. How could her fragile face withstand his ridicule?

Since she was returning to her parents' home for the first time, she planned to stay at the Gu family's house for a while longer.

Once the storm had passed and Cui Zemin had gradually forgotten about the incident, the absurd things she had done while drunk could finally be forgotten.

The carriage stopped in front of the Helelou Pavilion on the Imperial Street.

Yunji sat in the carriage, listening to the clamor of the market vendors pouring into the carriage wave after wave. The sounds of music, drums, and laughter filled the air, and the bustling market was as prosperous as ever.

Chunxuan carried two trays of fancy pastries, squeezed through the bustling crowd, climbed onto the carriage, and knelt on the cushion, panting heavily.

"The Helelou restaurant was packed with people, three layers deep. Even if you tried your best to squeeze in, you couldn't possibly reach the edge of the counter."

Her almond-shaped eyes were bright and particularly pleasing. She pursed her lips and said with a secret smile, "But I managed to squeeze in and even took two trays of pastries with me when I left."

Hua Chao couldn't help but expose her.

"If Granny Kong hadn't ordered the pastries from Helelou Restaurant well in advance, how would the waiter have let you squeeze in, and how would you have gotten the pastries?"

"Anyway, I've done everything perfectly as Madam instructed."

Chunxuan only cared about taking credit, and Huachao really couldn't do anything about it.

"Bring the pastries over here and wrap them in a cloth bag. Don't let them get cold by the time you get to the Gu residence and deliver them to the Second Madam and the Old Madam."

Yunji leaned against the carriage wall, finding the bickering between the two quite amusing.

The carriage braked suddenly, and the carriage came to a halt abruptly. She couldn't sit still on the low stool and almost fell headfirst to the ground.

Hua Chao quickly helped her up, "Madam, are you hurt anywhere?"

Yun Ji shook her head and said, "It's alright, let's see what's going on outside."

The carriage was blocked in the middle of the road by a mother and daughter begging who suddenly rushed out.

The coachman jumped off the carriage, cursing incessantly and waving the reins as if to shoo the women away, but they refused to leave, crying out in heartbreaking pleas:

"Please, sir, grant me a meal and save my life! I am willing to sell myself into servitude, to be your beast of burden. I beg you, sir, have mercy on me! I beg you, sir, have compassion!"

The woman knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead stained with blood, yet she continued to kowtow.

Huo Xi rode up from the front, and seeing this, took out his pouch, intending to give a few pieces of silver to settle the matter, when Chunxuan lifted the curtain and stepped out, raising her voice to ask:

"My wife has something to ask you, so raise your head and speak."

Chunxuan watched as the woman timidly raised her head and asked directly, "Why did you sell your daughter?"

The woman held her emaciated daughter in her arms, weeping bitterly:

"The woman's husband was a tenant farmer in Lijia Village, Cao County. During the summer and autumn droughts, no wheat seedlings grew in the fields, and the harvest was reduced by half. To make matters worse, they couldn't even collect enough grain from the landlord, so they had no choice but to sell their thatched hut to pay off their debts and move the whole family to the capital to beg."

"The heavy snow of the past few days has frozen many people to death, and my husband has also died in a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of Beijing. If we can't get any food soon, my daughter won't survive. Forget about selling my daughter, it would be worth it even if I sold myself!"

The loud crying attracted passersby to gather around.

Hearing the commotion on the street, the beggars hiding in the dark alleys swarmed from all directions, kneeling in front of the carriage and kowtowing repeatedly, begging for a bite to eat.

Huo Xi summoned guards to protect the carriage, drew his sword and stood in front of Chunxuan, ordering all the beggars in front of him to retreat.

"Anyone who blocks the road to beg again will be killed without mercy!"

Unfortunately, the crowd of onlookers on the long street remained, effectively blocking the beggar's escape route.

Yunji lifted the carriage curtain and saw a huge crowd of beggars kneeling on the ground. In stark contrast to the colorful lanterns hanging over the buildings, their emaciated bodies were visible beneath their tattered clothes.

She stepped out of the carriage and reached out to put the longsword that Huo Xi had drawn back into its leather sheath.

"Hua Chao, count up to these beggars in front of you. Those who come after them are not counted. Give them three days' worth of dry rations."