Chapter 307: Chapter 307: Scapegoat
The Right Minister’s Wife sat inside the soft sedan chair.
Looking at the jade pendant in her hand, her face was full of pain.
Thinking of her daughter marrying as a concubine, her heart felt like being cut by knives.
Moreover, the one she was to marry was a sickly man, with a vicious legal wife.
Isn’t her daughter jumping into a fire pit?
Though the jade pendant was exquisite, the Right Minister’s Wife only felt it was burning her hand, wishing she could throw it far away.
Returning to the Right Minister Mansion, she entered the main hall.
Old Madam Zhou asked urgently, "Whose jade pendant is that?"
"It’s Young Master Xie’s," said the Right Minister’s Wife.
"How could it be his?" the Second Madam exclaimed in surprise.
The Old Madam was anxious, "How did you handle it?"
The Right Minister’s Wife was reluctant to speak.
The maid said, "The Duke Zhen’s Mansion agreed to marry the eldest young lady as a concubine."
No one spoke for a while.
Until a sigh escaped from the Old Madam’s mouth.
The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
The Right Minister, upon hearing the news, hurried over, his voice preceded him through the door.
"Foolish!" the Right Minister said angrily.
The Right Minister’s Wife looked at him, "How was I foolish?"
The Right Minister looked at her and said, "Young Master Xie is ill and won’t last much longer; why are you sending Yiyi to him?"
"The Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion snatched Young Master Xie on the street back then. Marquis Dongxiang knew he was sick and was unwilling to marry off his daughter. It was Princess Nanzhang who pleaded with the Emperor before reluctantly agreeing. Now look at you," the Right Minister said.
The Right Minister’s Wife realized and stood up, "It really was foolish of me this time."
Young Master Xie’s days were numbered.
Once he passed away,
the matter of him molesting Yiyi would naturally die with him.
In the future, would Yiyi’s husband care about a dead man?
Such a narrow-minded person would not catch her or the Prime Minister’s attention.
At most, they would keep Yiyi by their side for a couple more years, without having to be a concubine and fight with the daughter of Marquis Dongxiang for a man.
The others in the Right Minister’s Mansion also came to their senses.
The Right Minister’s Wife, anxiously said, "I will return the jade pendant immediately; Yiyi will not marry."
She lifted her foot to leave.
But before she took a few steps, a servant came in from outside, "Prime Minister, Madam, it’s all over the street that the eldest young lady is to marry Young Master Xie of Duke Zhen’s Mansion as a concubine."
The Right Minister, "...!!!"
The Right Minister’s Wife, "...!!!"
The Right Minister’s face was so dark it shined.
The Right Minister’s Wife gritted her teeth in anger, "It was just decided, how did word spread so quickly?!"
The Right Minister took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, "Someone is deliberately spreading this."
Who that person was,
was self-evident.
This time, he was caught in a difficult situation.
His daughter being dragged into this was one thing, but it involved him as well.
It might even implicate the entire Right Minister Mansion.
Agarwood Pavilion, the backyard.
The news of Xie Jingchen marrying a concubine had spread throughout the Capital City.
Xie Jingchen was still in the dark.
Su Jin was focused entirely on preparing medicine pills, and with Xingxing assisting, they naturally had no way of knowing.
As for the Hidden Guard—
The jade pendant he was looking for had taken a trip around Duke Zhen’s Mansion and returned to the Right Minister Mansion, while he was still searching for it on the street.
Such a precious jade pendant fell on the street, it was like a drop in the ocean, where would one find it?
Inside the bamboo hut.
Su Jin was gathering herbs when Xingxing, touching her slightly hungry stomach, said, "Young Madam, I’ll go to the small kitchen for some snacks."
"Go ahead," Su Jin said.
Xingxing put down her work and hurried to the front yard.
She hadn’t yet reached the small kitchen when she overheard the maids and women in the courtyard whispering.
Listening for a moment, Xingxing’s expression changed greatly.
"Say it again!"
"Who is marrying a concubine?!" Xingxing asked.
The little maid was startled, "It’s, it’s the Eldest Young Master who is marrying a concubine."
"Why is Young Master marrying a concubine?" Xingxing said angrily.
"It’s said that Young Master molested a girl, and the girl is demanding Young Master take responsibility. Princess Nanzhang has already decided on a date for Young Master to marry the girl," the little maid replied.
Upon hearing this, Xingxing couldn’t stay calm.
She turned around and rushed back to the bamboo hut.
"Young Madam!"
"Young Madam!"
"Something terrible has happened!"
"Young Master, he is set to marry a concubine!" Xingxing ran in and said.
Su Jin was momentarily stunned, then smiled, "How could that be possible?"
Xingxing said, "It’s all over the mansion; Princess Nanzhang has already arranged a marriage for Young Master."
Mentioning Princess Nanzhang, Su Jin started to take the matter seriously.
Her fierce reputation was well-known, and the maids dared not spread baseless rumors.
Putting down the herbs in her hand, Su Jin said, "Go and find out."
Inside the bamboo hut, Xie Jingchen was taking a book.
Su Jin walked in angrily, hands on the table, and said, "You are too unfair!"
Xie Jingchen looked at her, puzzled.
"How am I unfair?" he asked.
"It’s fine if you want to divorce me or separate from me," Su Jin glared at him.
"But how can you refuse to let me go while secretly flirting with another girl on the street?!" Su Jin’s eyes were fiery.
A few more words to summarize his irresponsibility.
"Sure enough, men are all scoundrels!" Su Jin said angrily.
"Except for my Marquis, the Eldest Young Master, and the Young Master!" Xingxing added with more precision to Su Jin’s statement.
Su Jin, "...."
Xie Jingchen, "...."
Young Master Xie was bewildered by the scolding.
Could someone tell him exactly what had happened?
When had he ever flirted with any girls on the street?
The only time he was flirted with was by her.
"Who is trying to frame me?" he asked.
Su Jin glared at him, "Do you think it’s that easy to frame Young Master Xie?"
"Flies don’t swarm around an egg without cracks."
Xie Jingchen, "...."
"I will not take a concubine," he said firmly.
"But Princess Nanzhang has already arranged a concubine for you, Young Master," Xingxing said.
Xie Jingchen frowned, "Which family’s daughter is it?"
"...I forgot to ask," Xingxing said.
Xie Jingchen, "...."
He felt certain he was being wrongfully accused.
They hadn’t even gotten the facts straight before coming to scold him, was there such a thing?
"I’ll go find out," he said.
He got up and went out.
Su Jin was extremely angry.
Xingxing looked at her, "Young Madam, if Young Master really marries a concubine, what shall we do?"
"What else, pack up and leave," Su Jin said.
"How can we just leave like that? We should at least poison someone before leaving," Xingxing said with a fierce face.
Just then, a familiar angry shout came from outside.
"Xie Jingchen, stand still for me!"
"It’s the Eldest Young Master!" Xingxing said.
Su Jin stepped outside.
Su Chong was storming towards Xie Jingchen.
Just like yesterday, he grabbed Xie Jingchen’s clothes, "I wronged you yesterday; today I’ve come after getting the facts straight!"
"How dare you marry a concubine?!"
"Let me teach you a lesson about marrying a concubine!"
With that, he landed a punch.
One of Xie Jingchen’s eyes immediately turned blue.
Chu Shun and the others stood at a distance, none of them stopping Su Chong.
Su Jin walked towards them and asked, "How did you know he’s arranging for a concubine?"
Chu Shun said, "It’s all over the streets."
After their training, they were going to the streets for lunch.
As soon as they entered the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, they heard about it.
Su Chong exploded.
Su Chong had always been calm, but when it came to Su Jin’s matters, his calmness vanished without a trace, replaced only by frantic urgency.
In a word—
No one could wrong his sister.
Whether it was the Emperor or a street child, none would be spared.
Prince NanAn pointed at Xie Jingchen, disappointed, "He’s gone too far, not understanding the principle that a friend’s wife is not to be bullied."