Chapter 8

Zhang Yuying had no intention of paying attention to the Zhang family.

Ever since the forced marriage failed, the relationship between the two families had been very bad. After the court case, it was no exaggeration to say they were sworn enemies.

Now they were coming to see her again, it definitely wasn’t anything good!

Seeing this, Fangyi immediately said to the servant, “Don’t be polite to him, chase him away immediately. If he dares to make a fuss outside, take him to the Jingzhao Prefecture!”

She was a person close to the old lady, so her words obviously had weight. The servant quickly agreed and left.

Fangyi then persuaded Zhang Yuying, “Miss Zhang, just stay peacefully in the mansion and don’t pay attention to those dirty little people!”

The accommodation was already prepared, with furniture and furnishings all in place.

Fangyi first led ten or so maids to greet Qiao Ling: “If you need anything, just tell them.”

After giving her instructions, she took out a booklet from her bosom and handed it to Qiao Ling with both hands: “This is the betrothal gift from the mansion, and the dowry the old lady prepared for you. It’s all in the backyard. You can go and check it later. If you want to use anything, just tell the mama over there.”

Qiao Ling took it, but didn’t look at it. She said first, “It really made the old lady go to so much trouble.”

Fangyi smiled, revealing two dimples: “In the whole of Beinging, who doesn’t say our old lady is kind? Among so many noble families, there’s no family more harmonious than ours!”

After she left, Qiao Ling lay down on the couch, looked at the embroidered peonies on the canopy, and sighed with relief.

Zhang Yuying sat at the round table, flipping through the booklet of gifts, and said to her in a low voice, “The old lady is really considerate. In addition to the betrothal gift and dowry, she also gave you an extra two thousand taels of silver notes!”

Qiao Ling sighed: “I should have given the old lady a bottle of pills!”

Zhang Yuying couldn’t help but laugh, then said, “You should go and buy some things. You have some spare money now, so go and buy some trinkets to give away. You should also prepare gifts for the old lady and the Mrs. Jiang. It doesn’t matter if the things are expensive or not, but you should show your attitude…”

Qiao Ling readily agreed: “I’ll go tomorrow!”

Just as she agreed, someone came to report: “Someone from the Bao Family has come to deliver things to you.”

Baofu?

Which Baofu?

Not only Qiao Ling, but even Zhang Yuying was stunned at first, not understanding.

The maid outside was quick-witted. Seeing that both of them were bewildered, she quickly whispered, “It’s our legitimate in-law. The younger sister of the Duke of Yue of Yue mother, Mrs. Luo, married into the Bao family.”

Qiao Ling immediately understood: “So it’s the Duke of Yue of Yue own aunt!” She quickly asked for the person to be invited to the hall for tea.

She thought to herself, I just arrived at the Duke of Yue of Yue mansion today, and the Bao family aunt has sent someone to deliver things. It seems she has been paying attention all along…

When she went to the hall, she saw a middle-aged mama, who said her name was Miao. Her hair was neatly combed, and she had a smile on her face. She bowed to Qiao Ling: “Our mistress heard that you have arrived and is very happy. She specially sent me to greet you.”

She then presented the gift list: “The uncle is in Shengzhou, and he also has a job on his shoulders. The last time he came to the Beijing was two years ago for his duty report. He was afraid of delaying his nephew’s wedding, so he prepared the congratulatory gift early and asked our mistress to receive it on his behalf.”

Qiao Ling was moved in her heart, and her face became even more polite. She chatted with Mama Miao for a long time, and finally, she couldn’t keep her from leaving.

She asked the maid who had told her about the Baofu: “Does Xiao Luo often come and go with the mansion?”

The maid looked a little embarrassed: “They come and go during the holidays, but rarely on ordinary days.”

Qiao Ling understood, recognizing the caution and thoughtfulness behind Mrs. Luo’s gesture.

She opened the gift list and read it from beginning to end. She couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Compared to the quietness at Mrs. Liang’s place and the serenity at the old lady’s, the main room where Duke of Yue Jiang Mai lived was a different kind of stillness, a deathly silence.

Mrs. Liang had a powerful family and a son she could rely on. She had a bright future and was therefore at peace.

The old lady was busy with court affairs and didn’t spend much time at the mansion. Moreover, she was getting old and didn’t like noise, so her residence was naturally quiet.

For Jiang Mai, however, both these peaceful atmospheres were unimaginable.

He was born sickly and had been weak since childhood. He was constantly accompanied by medicine, rarely went out, and rarely interacted with people. He was like a ghost, only able to wander around the few rooms in the main building.

At most, he would go out to the courtyard to bask in the sun when the weather was warm.

Over time, not only him, but even those who served in the main building seemed to have lost some of their vitality.

Serving a young child was certainly tedious, but there was always hope, because you knew the child would eventually grow up.

But what kind of state of mind would it be to take care of a patient, especially one who you knew wouldn’t live long?

That evening, Jiang Mai’s wet nurse, Mrs. Luo, saw that he was in good spirits, so she tried to say things to cheer him up: “The aunt sent some dumplings with wild vegetable filling. Would you like to have some?”

Jiang Mai nodded slightly: “Yes.”

He paused, then added: “My aunt has always been kind to me.”

“This time, the aunt came prepared. Mama Miao probably hasn’t left the mansion yet,” Xiao Luoagreed, then continued: “The lady from the Qiao family has arrived in the Beijing. She went to pay her respects to the old lady and the mistress. I secretly took a look, and she’s a very good lady!”

Jiang Mai listened to her with a smile. When she finished speaking, he said softly: “Hearing you say that, I actually want to meet Miss Qiao.”

“That’s not possible,” Xiao Luo laughed: “The customs of the Beijing are that men and women shouldn’t meet before marriage.”

She paused for a moment, then softened her tone, trying to avoid the words “rush marriage”: “But the Duke of Yue doesn’t need to worry. After you get married in a while, you’ll have plenty of time to spend together!”

Jiang Mai had a slight smile on his face, revealing a hint of anticipation.

Seeing this, Xiao Luo couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

…

The next day, East Market.

Qiao Ling had prepared gifts for the old lady and the Mrs. Jiang, and she also bought some gold and silver beans to give away. As she was about to turn back, she suddenly stopped.

“Listen.” She gestured to Zhang Yuying.

Zhang Yuying listened for a long time, but couldn’t hear anything. Just as she was puzzled, she saw Qiao Ling take a few quick steps, run a few dozen meters, and squat down on the cover stone of the roadside ditch.

She told Zhang Yuying to hold the things, then used both hands to lift the outermost stone slab.

A dirty little dog barked at them.

Zhang Yuying was puzzled: “How did it get in there…”

Qiao Ling bent down to reach out: “Its foot is stuck.”

The dog seemed a little agitated. When it saw her approaching, it barked even louder.

Zhang Yuying frowned: “Be careful, miss. It might bite you!”

Qiao Ling said, “It’s okay,” and reached out to push away the stone that was stuck on its foot. She picked up the dog’s leg and pulled it up.

When she reached out, the dog was still barking. It wasn’t just people who were worried about the dog biting them, the dog was also afraid of being hurt by people.

Once it was pulled onto the road, it seemed to realize in astonishment that it had been saved, and finally became embarrassed.

It stopped barking and looked around awkwardly.

Qiao Ling put the stone slab back in place and looked at the dog with a hint of disgust. She couldn’t find a place to wipe her hands, so she just spread her arms out in exasperation: “It’s so dirty…”

Fortunately, it was summer and not cold.

Qiao Ling spent some money to take it to the backyard of a shop and wash it with water. The dirty little dog finally revealed its true appearance.

It was just an ordinary mongrel, probably not even a month old. It had yellow fur, floppy ears, and looked at Qiao Ling with big eyes, wagging its tail eagerly.

Zhang Yuying said: “Find a good family nearby to adopt it.”

Qiao Ling touched it and sighed: “If someone was willing to keep it, how could it be stuck in the sewer?”

She ended up taking the dog back with her.

The maids in the courtyard laughed when they saw it: “If you like dogs, you can go and choose a good one. There are many beautiful ones.”

When they learned that it had been rescued from outside, they exclaimed: “This little thing is so lucky to have met our kind mistress!”

They said: “You should give it a name.”

Qiao Ling looked at its yellow fur and stroked her chin: “Let’s call it Jinzi.”

So from that day on, there was a little dog named “Jinzi” in her courtyard.

…

The gift Qiao Ling prepared for the old lady was a jade seal with a carving of a deer and a fungus.

The deer represents meaning good fortune and smooth sailing in one’s career.

When the old lady received it, she had a smile on her face. But when she actually opened the box, the smile disappeared from her face. She stared blankly for a long time, then finally sighed: “There’s nothing I like more than this.”

She said sincerely: “We’re family, so there’s no need to be coy. I’ve always hated receiving those Buddha statues and longevity paintings. They’re all superficial, what’s the point?”

Zhang Yuying, standing behind Qiao Ling, felt a cold sweat break out.

Initially, she had suggested offering the old lady a Buddha statue…

This was a safe bet, a gift for an elder that would rarely go wrong.

Qiao Ling had just smiled at the time, and now, in front of the old lady, she still smiled: “You are clearly capable of enjoying your retirement in the mansion, but you are still willing to serve in the court. It shows you have ambition. If I were to give you a Buddha statue or a longevity stone, it would be like underestimating you.”

The old lady looked at her with appreciation and asked Fangyi to make a tassel to tie the jade seal.

Naturally, there were also thoughtful gifts for the Mrs.Jiang and Mrs. Luo.

In addition, all their servants received small gifts, ensuring everyone was taken care of.

As the saying goes, treat others as you would like to be treated. They were kind to her, so she should reciprocate.

The old lady privately asked the maids in the guest house: “Madam Qiao used anything from the booklet?”

The maid shook her head: “No, the lady used the money you and the Mrs. Jiang gave her earlier – she may have also used some of the aunt’s gift money.”

Mrs. Jiang, who was listening nearby, looked slightly surprised: “Then, after all this, she probably doesn’t have much money left.”

She felt a mixture of admiration and pity: “She’s so silly. It was meant to be a supplement for her, why did she use it to return the favor?”

But the old lady said: “It’s better to be grateful than not, isn’t it?”

She instructed her daughter-in-law: “If you are feeling better lately, you should also give her some guidance. Miss Zhang is certainly clever, but she’s still unfamiliar with our family’s social interactions.”

The Mrs. Jiang nodded in agreement, and naturally, she didn’t mention it again in their future interactions.

The previous sensational event of the “Number One Beauty of Capital of Gods ” being sold had come to an end. Ultimately, the one who got what she wanted wasn’t Prince Lu, who had been so determined to have her, but a young lady who claimed to be the Duke of Yue of Yue wife, newly arrived in Capital of gods. This incident caused quite a stir in the city.

The people of Capital first wondered – when did the Duke of Yue get married?

Then they thought, this woman is so bold, she actually dared to challenge the Tai Sui head!

Of course, there were also those who admired her after hearing the news.

Even though she might have been fearless due to her youth and naive about the entering of the State of trance, her heart was good.

The Eldest Princess returned to the palace after her shift and was surprised to learn that Miss Zhang had not ended up with Prince Lu. When she heard that the one who bought her was the newly arrived Duke of Yue of wife, she became interested: “What kind of person is this Duke of Yue of wife?”

The maid who served her removed her court robes and took out her usual clothes from the rack: “She seems like a very lively and bold lady. She’s probably new here and doesn’t understand the rules of In the capital of gods

If Qiao Ling were there, she would recognize that this maid was one of the maids who had come downstairs to serve her.

The Eldest Princess wasn’t surprised: “I already knew about the Duke of Yue of Yue engagement. It was a rush marriage, and they had to consider birth dates and ages. How could they find someone from a noble family in such a hurry? It’s not surprising that she doesn’t understand the local customs and rules. The old lady will help her. But as for my third brother…”

She pondered for a moment, then finally said: “Send a pair of jade pendants to the Duke of Yue of Yue wife, saying that I’m congratulating her on her engagement.”

The maid agreed and added: “Also, Duke of Yue Xing had a disagreement with the Eastern Pavilion Master official from Prince Lu’s mansion while returning to the city.”

“Duke of Yue Xing?” The Eldest Princess raised an eyebrow: “What happened?”

The maid explained concisely: “Wang Qun rode his horse and injured someone. Duke of Yue Xing retaliated in kind.”

The Eldest Princess said “Oh” and asked: “How is Wang Qun?”

The maid said: “He’s dead.”

The Eldest Princess nodded and asked: “What did Prince Lu say?”

The maid hesitated slightly, handed her a hot towel to wipe her hands, and then said: “He said it was good that he died, and then he immediately drove Wang Qun’s family out of the capital.”

The Eldest Princess paused, her brow furrowed slightly.

In a teahouse in a corner of Capital of gods, there were some unusual guests.

They were unusual because they seemed completely unrelated and shouldn’t be in the same room.

In the private room, there was a scruffy middle-aged man with a beard.

He was lying on the floor, oblivious to others, drawing something on a thin, cicada-wing-like piece of leather. A box with an open lid was placed at his feet, filled with various tools.

Kneeling upright at the tea table was a middle-aged man with a distinguished appearance and elegant manner, dressed as a Scholar official.

Opposite him was a young man with a relaxed posture, resting his chin on his hand. He had single eye lids, a long face, delicate features, and a youthful look.

The Scholar official-like man looked regretful: “I really don’t understand why you did that. Even if those were just defective products, it’s too wasteful.”

The young man answered without answering: “I heard that she has arrived in In the capital of gods”

The Scholar official-like man was a little surprised: “Really?”

“Yes,” the young man smiled, then said: “So I have to let them know that I’m here too.”

The Scholar official-like man said: “Whether it’s the south or the north, they’re not easy to deal with.”

The young man smiled again, although there was no real amusement in his tone.

He said: “Isn’t that more interesting?”

The scruffy man who was drawing on the floor raised his head, looked at the middle-aged man, then at the young man, but said nothing.

In the brief moment he looked away, the ink in his brush had already dried.

He lowered his head again, naturally opened his mouth to moisten the brush.

Inside his mouth were black teeth and a black tongue.