Lady of Fortune, Jiao Niang

Chapter 105

The courtyard on the mountain was very large, with all the flowers, grass, and trees that Ye Jiao had mentioned.

A small stream flowed through the middle. Qi Yun held Ye Jiao's hand as they walked, saying: "We can build a few stone bridges here and plant willow trees on both sides. I'll have someone draw it out for you to see later."

Ye Jiao smiled and agreed, touring the garden together with Qi Yun.

However, the garden was very large, built on the mountain with forests beside it, stretching beyond sight.

After walking for a while, they set up folding chairs by the stream to rest.

These folding chairs weren't beds, but a type of collapsible chair. Qi Yun had people bring two when they left, thinking that since the courtyard was large and couldn't be toured all at once, having chairs to rest would be good.

Ye Jiao sat down, her eyes watching the babbling stream, smiling as she grasped Qi Yun's hand: "This place is wonderful, I love it. Will it really be ours in the future?"

Qi Yun took out a land deed from his chest and gave it to her: "Keep this safe. As long as it exists, this place naturally belongs to us, every blade of grass and tree here is ours."

Actually, when Qi Yun had previously said he wanted to buy the mountain, Ye Jiao had no real concept of it.

But now, truly seeing the courtyard with her own eyes, Ye Jiao felt extraordinarily happy.

Qi Yun then said: "This place needs proper renovation. The empty land to the south can be put to good use. When the merchant caravan returns next time, they can stay there. A few days ago, Eldest Brother wrote saying he bought an excellent set of horse gear and wants to bring it for you next time. This place is spacious, perfect for you to learn horseback riding."

"Elder Brother wrote to you? Why didn't you tell me?" Ye Jiao tugged at Qi Yun's sleeve.

Second Young Master Qi smiled and grasped her fingertips, saying with a laugh: "They're all trivial matters, nothing interesting. I'll be sending a letter back soon, you can write one to send along then."

Ye Jiao didn't pursue the matter further, so Qi Yun continued pulling her forward for a leisurely walk.

Actually, the correspondence between Qi Yun and Ye Ping Rong had never stopped.

Previously, because the situation was unstable and Ye Ping Rong didn't know his own future prospects, they maintained frequent contact, though back then it was mostly Qi Yun unilaterally sending letters, essentially family correspondence.

Now that the new emperor had ascended and Ye Ping Rong had secured his position, he often wrote back.

After Lady Wu's first visit, Qi Yun had written to subtly inquire about the Lu family's affairs, essentially testing whether the Qi family's backing was reliable or not.

If it was reliable, he would handle things on a grand scale, whatever felt most satisfying.

If it wasn't reliable, he would handle things on a smaller scale. When Ye Jiao mentioned Seventh Miss Lu was pregnant, Qi Yun might have immediately ruined their schemes.

As it turned out, Ye Ping Rong's reply clearly told Qi Yun that everything should prioritize Third Brother's future prospects.

And seemingly casually mentioned that the court was purging official conduct, involving many officials, including someone surnamed Lu who would probably be transferred.

Actually, Qi Yun had never mentioned anything about the Lu family's schemes in his letters. For Ye Ping Rong to say this suggested it wasn't his own view, but that Qi Yun could guess that his third brother's sworn brother had never relaxed his attention on Third Young Master Qi.

For a moment, Qi Yun couldn't figure out whether having Third Brother watched by the emperor while studying was fortune or misfortune. He was probably the first in this dynasty to receive such treatment.

As for that Privy Council Direct Scholar, Qi Yun didn't care whether he was targeted for court affairs or implicated by family members. In any case, it gave him a reason to vent his anger.

Qi Yun had been patiently waiting, and it wasn't until yesterday when Ye Ping Rong's letter arrived again that Qi Yun finally placed the pending piece on the chessboard.

Acting on imperial orders to vent anger naturally couldn't be done softly.

As for the Lu family, they needed to be taught not to disgust people in the future. Regardless of what others thought, Qi Yun had never intended to let things end peacefully from the beginning.

Since they harbored thoughts of plotting against him and abandoned courtesy first, Qi Yun had no reason to preserve their dignity.

The Cai family was like this, the Lin family was like this, and the Lu family was the same.

Looking at the sun's position, Qi Yun smiled and said: "I imagine Elder Sister-in-law's play has already begun."

Hearing this, Ye Jiao said to Qi Yun: "I want to watch too."

"How about before New Year, we invite a opera troupe to perform at home?"

"If I can't understand it, will you explain it to me then, husband?"

"Of course."

Meanwhile, Fang Shi, who didn't understand these intricacies, was filled with righteous anger.

The common people shouldn't contend with officials, this had been true since ancient times.

Just like in this city, even though everyone felt the Lu family were scoundrels who didn't know proper conduct, no one provoked them. Coming and going, everyone had to respectfully address them as "Young Master," just because they were related to capital officials. To put it bluntly, if they really wanted to find fault, the Qi family truly had no recourse.

Proper official families proposing marriage, whether successful or not, would have some protocol and naturally wouldn't do things like forced marriages.

But the Lu family insisted on pushing their daughter onto the Qi family. Even someone as simple as Fang Shi could see they were targeting the Qi family's property, yet they refused to be direct or clear about it, just keeping them hanging, leaving the Qi family unable to move up or down.

The Qi family had no clan backing, no official status, and wouldn't have any advantage even in the government offices.

Liu Shi originally wanted to delay and wait, seeing the Lu family's urgency. After some time, when Lady Wu couldn't wait anymore, she would naturally find someone else.

Who knew they would also gossip in front of outsiders, making it seem like everyone thought the two families would form a marriage alliance, with only themselves unaware.

Refusing would make the Lu family relentless, and the Qi family would suffer in the end.

But agreeing would harm Third Brother.

The Lu family was essentially acting like rogues, and there was nothing they could do about it. If not for this, Fang Shi wouldn't be so angry her scalp tingled.

But before coming this time, Second Brother had said not to worry, that someone would naturally handle everything. It seemed Qi Yun already had a plan, so Fang Shi was willing to take the lead.

If it were someone else, they might still worry about this and that, but Fang Shi was different. Qi Yun had identified Fang Shi as someone who protected the family and had a simple personality. Although petty at times, her character was straightforward and never afraid of trouble.

She almost needed no explanation. As long as Qi Yun guaranteed he would handle things if the sky fell, Fang Shi could take charge.

Moreover, taking a step back, Fang Shi herself increasingly felt Third Brother's importance. He was the only one among the three brothers taking the imperial examinations, so naturally he needed careful protection and couldn't be ruined by people like the Lu family.

Furthermore, knowing that Seventh Miss Lu was pregnant made Fang Shi think the Lu family had gone mad.

This wasn't forming a marriage alliance, it was clearly bullying the Qi family for having no one to rely on, forcibly putting a cuckold on Third Brother's head!

This trip, she definitely had to help Third Brother remove that cuckold completely.

But while Fang Shi gritted her teeth in the carriage, when she got out, she appeared completely calm and even smiled when seeing Lady Wu: "Lady Lu, how are you? Why didn't Seventh Miss come today?"

This emotional transformation cost Fang Shi considerable effort, using almost all her lifetime's patience.

Meanwhile, when Lady Wu got out of her carriage, her smile was also quite genuine.

She was originally from a merchant background and a second wife, lacking sufficient dignity in her husband's family. Now, to cover up her daughter's shame and being pressured urgently by her husband's family, she clung to the Qi family and wouldn't let go. But the Qi family remained unmoved no matter how many kind words she spoke. Besides spreading rumors behind their backs, Lady Wu thought of approaching Third Young Master Qi directly, but he stayed cloistered in the academy. Lady Wu had no options.

Now seeing Fang Shi's smiling face, she felt relieved and curved her mouth: "My daughter caught a cold and can't come out, she's recuperating at home."

Fang Shi walked arm in arm with Lady Wu into the teahouse, saying as they climbed the stairs: "She should recuperate well, don't come out and catch wind. New Year is approaching, it's better to recover early, otherwise she might miss the New Year festivities."

Lady Wu thought this Fang Shi really came from a small household, only knowing how to watch excitement, but smiled warmly and said: "I appreciate your kind words."

When they reached upstairs, Lady Wu discovered it was completely empty, with no one else besides them.

This made Lady Wu look at Fang Shi: "Why is it so quiet?"

Fang Shi smiled, thinking this was recently acquired by Qi Yun and now belonged to the Qi family's property, so naturally it could be as quiet as they wanted.

But she said: "Quiet befits Madam's status and is more dignified."

This was a strange thing to say. How did having tea become about dignity or lack thereof?

But Lady Wu didn't think deeply about it and found a window seat to sit with Fang Shi.

The person who came with Fang Shi wasn't her usual attendant, but Nanny Liu from Liu Shi's side.

After the two went upstairs, she left and signaled to someone at the door.

Suddenly, the previously quiet Qi family's coachmen and servants became extremely enthusiastic, pulling the Lu family's people to drink, particularly generous in offering to pay.

After all, they were all working people, and when someone offered to buy drinks, naturally no one wanted to refuse, so they gathered in small groups.

Meanwhile, Fang Shi smiled at Lady Wu: "Though this is a tea place, the refreshments are excellent too. Madam should try some."

Lady Wu looked at the pastries on the table, raised her handkerchief to cover her mouth, and smiled: "They look good. During Mid-Autumn, my family received a box of cakes from that official in the capital, and the government office also sent pastries. We maintain close relations and can speak up for people in the future."

Fang Shi smiled on her face but knew in her heart that Lady Wu was leveraging precisely this point.

If not for this, they wouldn't dare put a cuckold on their Third Brother's head.

But just when Fang Shi was about to lose her composure, a carriage appeared on the street outside.

In the evening light, Fang Shi could see the carriage looked familiar.

She couldn't help but put down her chopsticks and said in surprise: "Isn't this the carriage I saw outside the temple last time? Madam, do you have other family members coming?"

Lady Wu couldn't help but lean forward to look, then her expression changed slightly.

The two women watched as the carriage passed the teahouse and stopped in front of a courtyard not far away. A person wearing a black cloak got out, impossible to tell if male or female or discern their figure, and quickly entered the courtyard.

But while others might not recognize them, Lady Wu was Seventh Miss's biological mother and could naturally see clearly.

That was her own daughter, her biological daughter.

Lady Wu cursed her daughter's lack of restraint in her heart. Her daughter had probably taken advantage of her going out to meet her lover, having completely forgotten all her previous warnings.

But Lady Wu couldn't expose this, only saying: "You must be mistaken. This carriage is different from my family's, just similar."

Fang Shi didn't say much more, nodding to accept this explanation without pursuing it further, just continuing to stuff pastries into her mouth.

Actually, Fang Shi was somewhat nervous. This was her first time doing such a thing, and although her anger supported her courage, she was still anxious, so eating something could bolster her courage.

But Nanny Liu watching from the side said nothing, though thinking in her heart that the Young Mistress probably wouldn't be able to eat dinner for a while again.

Fang Shi focused on eating while Lady Wu's eyes looked outside.

She prayed desperately in her heart, but things always went against her wishes.

When she saw her natal family's carriage also stop outside the courtyard, Lady Wu finally couldn't help but change expression, nearly dropping her chopsticks.

But Lady Wu held back, her fingertips trembling slightly as she signaled to the servant beside her.

That servant also knew about the scandal between their young miss and Young Master Wu, so naturally she didn't dare be negligent. She quietly went downstairs, preparing to find people to drag those two out and hide them before Fang Shi noticed anything unusual.

But when the servant went down, she saw that the two coachmen and several attendants they had brought were all drunk, mingling with the Qi family's people, and she couldn't find a single sober person!

Instead, two servants from the Qi family saw her and came over, grabbing her: "Sister, are you free? Come, let's drink together. Someone brought roasted chicken, let's eat together."

"I don't..."

Before she could refuse, they pulled her over and stuffed a chicken leg directly into her mouth, leaving her unable to speak.

Meanwhile upstairs, Fang Shi smiled while holding her tea, chatting casually with Lady Wu, but her eyes kept looking outside, anxious in her heart.

Before long, she saw smoke rising from behind that courtyard!

The smoke was thick, as if something was burning.

Fang Shi knew in her heart that this was Qi Yun's arranged people lighting wet firewood behind the courtyard wall outside, creating smoke without easily catching fire.

On the surface, Fang Shi showed exaggerated shock: "What's happening there?"

If Lady Wu could observe carefully, she would definitely see that Fang Shi was overacting and completely unconvincing.

But at this moment, all of Lady Wu's attention was drawn to that small courtyard, and she didn't notice Fang Shi's thoughts at all.

She hurriedly stood up, cursing the servant's incompetence in her heart for taking so long without getting the people out.

She was also somewhat worried, afraid that a real fire might start and burn her daughter and nephew to death.

Then she thought that burning to death would save the embarrassment and shame, death would be cleaner.

But while she was thinking wildly, Fang Shi had already spoken: "Quick, go put out the fire, hurry, everyone go, quickly!"

Hearing this, Lady Wu was startled and grabbed Fang Shi: "This... we don't need to go..."

But Fang Shi looked at her accusingly: "Saving one life surpasses building a seven-story pagoda. How can Madam not understand even this? If you're like this, how can you properly teach your children?"

Lady Wu: ...

She inexplicably felt Fang Shi's words were somewhat sarcastic, but before Lady Wu could say anything more, Fang Shi had already taken Nanny Liu and strode down the stairs.

Lady Wu hurriedly followed. She was probably too anxious and didn't even notice when leaving that not one of the people she had brought remained, even her servant was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, Fang Shi led people to surround the courtyard and had them break down the door to "rescue people."

Quite a few people had already gathered around, but few were just watching the excitement. Most were thinking about rescue, and seeing someone come to help, the onlooking common people quickly made way for Fang Shi's people to enter first.

When they dragged out Seventh Miss and Young Master Wu, who were somewhat dazed from the smoke, Fang Shi widened her eyes and looked at Lady Wu, asking: "What's going on here?"

Lady Wu was already somewhat panicked but still forced herself to remain calm: "This is my nephew from my natal family. They grew up together and call each other brother and sister. I think this time... this time was also to fight the fire..."

Even Lady Wu herself didn't believe this explanation. Who knew that Fang Shi seemed to believe it and said very considerately: "Seventh Miss is kindhearted, truly admirable. But running around with a cold like this will probably worsen her condition." She turned her head and said, "Doctor Li, come examine Seventh Miss and Young Master Wu, make sure they haven't been harmed by the smoke."

Lady Wu was somewhat confused. Why did Fang Shi bring a doctor when going out?

But while Lady Wu was confused, Seventh Miss was clearheaded.

Her parents didn't know about her pregnancy. Seventh Miss had originally thought that since her mother said Third Young Master Qi would depend on their family, as long as they married early, even if Third Young Master Qi found out, he wouldn't spread it around, otherwise he would lose face too.

But now she absolutely couldn't be discovered!

She immediately struggled: "No, I can't..."

"The young lady is probably frightened. Nanny Liu, quickly find someone to support her." Fang Shi kindly called for people to come over.

Two servants immediately flanked Seventh Miss on both sides and forcibly held her still.

Seventh Miss Lu wanted to refuse but couldn't think of a reason and didn't dare make a scene, so she held it in until her face turned red.

Doctor Li went over and felt Seventh Miss's wrist, squinting slightly, but didn't speak immediately. Instead, he went to examine Young Master Wu before returning.

Lady Wu, not knowing the inside story, naturally wasn't panicked.

But Seventh Miss had already collapsed to the ground, while Young Master Wu was too addled by the smoke and still didn't know what day it was.

Fang Shi asked with concern: "How are they?"

Doctor Li smiled and said: "No problem, just suddenly being smoked made them a bit confused. A little rest will be fine. But this young lady has a fetus less than two months old in her womb. It's a critical time, so she should avoid intimate relations."

At these words, complete silence fell, with only the occasional sound of horses snorting outside the gate.

Lady Wu was dumbstruck, really not knowing there was such a thing, and unconsciously shrieked: "You're talking nonsense!"

Doctor Li least liked people questioning his medical skills. His face darkened: "The slippery pulse is unmistakable. This old man has never been wrong. Please don't slander me, Madam."

Before Lady Wu could say anything more, Fang Shi had already exploded.

She had been holding back this anger for quite a while and now finally had an excuse. Naturally, she showed no mercy: "No wonder you were so anxious to form a marriage alliance, so you harbor such filthy thoughts! My Qi family may not be merchant nobility, but we're at least a respectable family. My Third Brother studies diligently, passed three examinations as Top Candidate, knows propriety and understands restraint, yet suffers such mockery! You mother and daughter are truly inhuman!"

Lady Wu wanted to retort: "You mud-leg origins..."

"Deceitful words from a serpent's mouth, cunning speech and brazen face! Rotten wood cannot be carved, and walls of dung cannot be plastered!"

Lady Wu: ...

Nanny Liu looked at Fang Shi and suddenly understood why Second Young Master felt his sister-in-law was suitable for this task.

When scholars cursed, they were refined and distinctive.

After Fang Shi finished cursing to her satisfaction, she actually wanted to have them beaten. But remembering Second Brother's detailed instructions before leaving, she just glared at them fiercely and turned to leave.

The Qi family's people also left completely, leaving only Lady Wu facing her daughter whose face was dirty from smoke and tears, and Young Master Wu beside them who was still unconscious.

Lady Wu trembled with rage, but she knew she had to find a solution now.

At this time, the servant who had been gagged with a chicken leg finally ran over. Lady Wu immediately scolded: "You old thing, where did you go! Where are the people, where did everyone go!"

The servant replied trembling: "They were all gotten drunk by the Qi family, can't even stand..."

Lady Wu was stunned. Her mind was in chaos and she had no ideas. Today's shock was too much. She could only have the servant find a coachman, giving him plenty of silver to keep his mouth shut, before finally being able to drive the carriage home.

Lady Wu returned home in fear and trepidation. She couldn't even think to scold Seventh Miss, only wondering if this matter would become a big scandal and how she would explain it to her husband if it did.

The servant beside her, seeing her panic, hurriedly said: "Madam, it's alright. We still have people to rely on in the capital. We're not afraid of the Qi family. Don't worry, at worst we just won't discuss this marriage alliance. The young lady can still look at other families."

But Lady Wu frowned and scolded: "Who would dare want her? Shameless thing, I should have beaten her to death long ago."

Seventh Miss was so frightened she cried continuously, not daring to say a word.

But Lady Wu, perhaps to comfort herself, murmured: "Husband said that if the marriage alliance fails, we'll find a way to seize the Qi family's wine recipe. Now that they're ungrateful, if we don't form an alliance, we'll form a feud. They can't blame us for this. Yes, it must be so. We must block their mouths, otherwise my daughter and I will have no way to live."

She muttered a few more things that the servant heard but didn't dare respond to, only keeping her head down, cursing in her heart that she had followed the wrong master. Such morally bankrupt deeds could even be conceived.

When they returned to the Lu family home, Lady Wu immediately had Seventh Miss taken back and locked up, while she thought of a bellyful of words, preparing to preemptively accuse the Qi family to save her daughter's reputation.

But as soon as she entered, she saw several of the Lu family uncles present, all with unpleasant expressions.

Lady Wu was stunned, thinking the matter had been exposed, and her legs went weak, nearly falling to her knees.

But seeing her return, the Lu family head sighed with some dejection: "News just came from the capital saying the Privy Council Direct Scholar has been stripped of office and sent back to his ancestral home."