The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me!

Chapter 414: Ding Family’s Eldest Young Lady

The four servants and two guards had already gotten up.

The maid who had been screaming like she was being slaughtered was also hiding in a corner. At this moment, everyone was looking outside the courtyard.

Xia Wenjin heard a horse snorting and remembered that her horse was still outside, perhaps blocking someone’s way. She decided to go and lead the horse away.

The steward hurriedly said, "Miss Xia, don’t go! You cannot leave; if you do, I cannot explain it to the young lady!" He pleaded, "The young lady went to Yan State and should be back within these days. Can you stay for two days until our young lady returns?"

Xia Wenjin was also filled with doubt at this moment and wanted to meet the young lady he mentioned. She said, "I’ll get the horse!"

The steward immediately called out, "Li Tai, hurry and bring in Miss Xia’s horse!"

One of the four servants promptly ran towards the door.

As he reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back and exclaimed excitedly, "The young lady is back!"

What a coincidence.

Xia Wenjin turned her head around.

A group of people walked in through the door.

In the middle was a young girl around eighteen or nineteen years old with a graceful figure, a brisk stride, a travel-worn look, yet a hint of relaxed joy.

Her features were elegant, her expression gentle, and her appearance charming. Dressed in light pink, her skin appeared as white as snow, like a flower budding in early spring.

Surrounding her were two maidservants, two older women, and about seventeen or eighteen house servants.

It was neither extravagant nor simple.

The steward immediately approached her, "Oh, my young lady, you’re finally back!"

The young girl looked at the steward with a gentle gaze, "Uncle Qin, thank you for your hard work during this time!" As she spoke, she also noticed the silent girl standing aside.

The sky was a bit dark now, and there had been a fight just now, so no lamps were lit. At this moment, a servant finally came to light the lamps.

Upon seeing Xia Wenjin, the girl was first stunned, then an expression of surprise appeared in her eyes, which quickly filled her entire being with joy. However, her eyes became a little moist, and she quickly ran towards Xia Wenjin.

Even though it was only a few steps, she stumbled as she ran.

She stopped in front of Xia Wenjin, looking at her, lips trembling, and with a voice filled with both confusion and great surprise, she asked, "Wenjin, is that you?"

Xia Wenjin was also very surprised. This young lady, isn’t she Jing Xian?

However, the Jing Xian she knew had just been expelled from the nunnery, with only an inch of hair, wearing a nun’s cap and gray clothes. But now, she was dressed in exquisite and luxurious attire. That light pink blouse was made of top-grade purple silk and golden cloud brocade, something ordinary people could not afford.

Though her hair was still not very long, it was long enough to be styled into a beautiful spiral bun.

Xia Wenjin understood now; Jing Xian was the young lady of the Ding Family!

She was still a bit puzzled, "Where’s Ke’er?"

Jing Xian said happily, "Ke’er’s parents came looking for her, so I sent her back!"

The steward no longer had any doubts; the girl in front of him was the one the young lady often mentioned, who did not want to return to the Ding Family, and even before going to the Ding Family, she made it clear she was only going to recognize her ancestors and would still come back to wait for Miss Xia here.

The steward was a bit annoyed as he glared at the gatekeeping maid.

It was all because of this blind person who somehow offended this young girl, angering her and causing the gate to be damaged. They came out afterward without clarifying the issue, resulting in a conflict.

He just hoped that Miss Xia would be magnanimous and not tell the young lady about this incident.

Otherwise, the young lady would surely drive them all out.

As for this maid, she could not stay; she would be sold off tomorrow.

Xia Wenjin was relieved to see that the house was not occupied, and was extremely surprised by Jing Xian’s identity.

Jing Xian... no, after the eldest daughter of the Ding Family recognized her ancestry, she couldn’t continue using her monastic name, so her parents named her Ding Jingxian.

Jingxian, the ’jing’ sounds like ’jian,’ which was also Jing Xian’s requirement.

At that time, Ding Jingxian’s father was supposed to take over the family business. But he was too young; after Ding Jingxian’s grandfather died, a branch of the family attempted to seize the position of family head, forcing him and his wife to flee.

That day, they faced a brutal ambush, and nearly all the guards they had with them were killed. To protect his wife and children, Ding Jingxian’s father lured away the pursuers, not realizing there was another group relentlessly chasing them.

Ding Jingxian’s mother, with no other choice, placed Jing Xian on a plank of wood and let her float downstream, hoping she could survive, while she fought the pursuers, seriously injured and on the brink of death, until fortunately, rescuers came.

But by then, Jing Xian had been sent away down the river. They only found the plank at a shallow spot, but there was no trace of the child.

Mrs. Ding was nearly in despair, but the family issues needed to be addressed, so they returned to the family. They quashed that rebellious branch, secured the Ding Family’s power, and became the rightful family heads.

Yet the pain of losing their daughter continued to haunt the couple.

Over the years, although they had other children, they never stopped searching for their lost eldest daughter, not knowing if she was still alive.

A year ago, just after Xia Wenjin had left Jinzhou City, Jing Xian followed the recipe Xia Wenjin left behind and cured Ke’er. She thought Ke’er, like her, was an abandoned child and cared deeply for her.

One day, she saw a well-dressed couple, though in ragged clothes, asking along the street if anyone had seen a child. The description matched Ke’er’s appearance.

Jing Xian started talking with them, only to find out that Ke’er had been kidnapped by bad people.

Those individuals initially wanted to sell Ke’er for a high price but did not expect her to be born sick. Who would want a sick child? That’s why they abandoned Ke’er in the mountains, where Jing Xian happened to find her.

The couple were Ke’er’s parents, who were traveling merchants. When they returned from a long trip, they found their daughter had been kidnapped and didn’t bother with their business, instead focusing on getting the kidnappers, turning them over to the authorities. Upon learning Ke’er had been abandoned, they went to the place mentioned by the kidnappers, but by then, Jing Xian and the others had been driven out of the nunnery by the new abbess.

They followed the trail and asked around, knocking on doors, asking if anyone had seen a child like this. Hearing about it brought tears to people’s eyes, and seeing it broke hearts.

To find the child quickly, they endured hardships, their clothes in tatters, unwilling to buy new ones.

Having grown up in the nunnery, and being treated kindly by the old abbess, Jing Xian retained a pure and kind heart. Seeing this couple’s genuine love for Ke’er, she couldn’t bear to keep them apart from their daughter.

When she saw the couple embracing Ke’er, weeping with joy, Jing Xian felt happy for Ke’er, yet also sighed over her own situation. Ke’er was kidnapped by evildoers and then abandoned, but what about her?