Chapter 314: Chapter 314 Pretending to Faint
A blatant threat.
For Princess Nanzhang, it was like pouring oil on a volcano.
She had already brought people to Qihao Hall.
If she let Su Jin go like this, it would really mean letting Su Jin walk all over her.
Princess Nanzhang was about to explode in anger.
The Second Madam looked at her and said, "Sister, calm down. Didn’t Eunuch Fu say that Eldest Young Madam disguised as a man and made a contribution? The Emperor won’t allow you to punish her?"
Xie Jinyu couldn’t stand Second Madam speaking up for Su Jin, so she said, "Second Aunt, when Princess Shouning disguised as a man, the Emperor punished her and even implicated the Empress, showing how angry he was. Wouldn’t it be reasonable for our Duke Mansion to punish her too?"
"I was puzzled about this when Eunuch Fu mentioned it," said the Third Madam.
Su Jin glanced at Princess Nanzhang and said, "The same disguise, yet the Emperor punished Princess Shouning and the Empress, but told Mother not to punish me. Didn’t Mother think there must be a reason behind it?"
"That’s because the Emperor is biased towards you!" Xie Jinyu said.
"If you’re going to think like that, I have nothing to say," Su Jin shrugged.
"You!" Xie Jinyu clenched her fists.
"Who are you calling brainless?!"
Su Jin sneered slightly, "I’ve said all I can. It’s just disguising as a man; it’s not a death sentence. Once I get through the punishment, I’ll go to the palace and ask the Emperor for justice myself. Why waste words with you?"
"Drag her away and give her thirty lashes with the staff!" Princess Nanzhang said coldly.
Two women came to pull Su Jin away.
Xingxing tried to resist but was stopped by Su Jin.
The two women pressed Su Jin down and led her out.
They encountered Xie Jingchen on their way in.
Xie Jingchen lifted a foot.
The two women flew toward Princess Nanzhang.
By some stroke of luck, they landed on Princess Nanzhang.
Xie Jingchen’s face was bruised.
But Su Jin had never found Xie Jingchen’s face so pleasing to the eye.
Princess Nanzhang was so angry her face turned livid, and her pointing finger at Xie Jingchen was trembling.
"How dare you!" Princess Nanzhang scolded.
"Someone!"
"Drag them both away for me!"
"Beat them hard!"
Xie Jingchen looked at the maids and said, "All of you, leave!"
The maids didn’t move.
Mrs. Wang was the first to leave, and then the other maids and women followed.
The room was left with only the Old Madam, Princess Nanzhang, Second Madam, Third Madam, and Xie Jinyu.
Xie Jingchen looked at Princess Nanzhang and said, "Yesterday, Princess Shouning disguised as a man and sneaked out of the palace; she was sold to Baihua Building, and it was Su Jin who went in to rescue her."
Xie Jinyu, "...!!!"
Princess Nanzhang, "...!!!"
"If Duke Mansion dares to hit Su Jin even once, Marquis Dongxiang will definitely pursue it to the end," Xie Jingchen said.
"At that time, Princess Shouning’s reputation will be gone, the Emperor’s face will be lost, and people will dig up that Baihua Building is the property of Duke Chong’s Mansion...."
"Mother should think about how to appease Su Jin’s anger now!" Xie Jingchen’s voice was rich and mellow like wine.
Su Jin added, "I’m telling you, without three thousand taels, I won’t feel appeased."
Xie Jingchen, "..."
"I promised the Emperor I wouldn’t mention it, and when Mother wanted to punish me, I didn’t say a word."
"The Emperor instructed via Eunuch Fu that I shouldn’t be punished, and Duke Mansion treats the Emperor’s words as nothing. Isn’t this defying the imperial command?"
"What is the crime for defying the imperial command?" Su Jin asked.
"It’s a capital crime," Xie Jingchen said.
The two echoed each other’s words.
Princess Nanzhang’s lips turned purple.
Xie Jingchen took out a jade pendant from his chest pocket and said, "I have already gone to the Right Minister Mansion to clear up the misunderstanding and annul the engagement."
Princess Nanzhang clenched her fists.
Xie Jingchen looked at Su Jin and said, "Let’s go back."
Su Jin turned and left.
"Miss, they haven’t given the money yet," Xingxing said.
"If the silver note is not sent to me within half an hour, I’ll go to the palace to file a complaint," Su Jin said.
Su Jin and Xie Jingchen left first.
Right after, Princess Nanzhang smashed a teacup.
The sound echoed into the courtyard, making the maids and women even more afraid of Eldest Young Madam.
Disguised as a man to visit a brothel, the Duke Mansion’s family rules couldn’t punish her. Eldest Young Madam can surely act as she pleases in the Duke Mansion now?
In the garden.
Xie Jingchen walked in front.
Su Jin lagged ten paces behind.
Xie Jingchen’s strides were large.
Su Jin rushed to keep up but couldn’t, ending up panting hard.
Her smooth forehead was adorned with a sheen of sweat, glistening under the sunlight.
"Miss, the consort is still angry and doesn’t want to walk with you anymore," Xingxing said.
"This time he’s really angry," Su Jin said gloomily.
"But Miss, you’re walking slower," Xingxing said, puzzled.
"He’s walking so fast because he wants to shake us off and have some peace. Let’s not disturb him."
"Yes, yes."
Xie Jingchen walked far ahead and didn’t hear any footsteps following him.
He turned around—
And saw Su Jin and Xingxing admiring the flowers.
"These flowers are really beautiful," Xingxing said.
"Move them to Agarwood Pavilion," Su Jin said.
Xie Jingchen, "...!!!"
Seriously.
He almost spit out a mouthful of old blood.
This woman had him take the blame and even got beaten; his eyes couldn’t stand the pain, so he rushed back to apply medicine, and she had the leisure to admire flowers?!
Is there anyone more heartless than her?!
Xie Jingchen walked back.
He got to Su Jin’s side.
Without saying a word, he directly hoisted Su Jin over his shoulder.
Su Jin was startled, "What are you doing?!"
She struggled mightily.
Xie Jingchen was in pain all over.
Fighting with Su Chong, they both used full strength.
Only his face was treated with medicine, his body wasn’t.
Xie Jingchen raised a hand and smacked Su Jin’s backside hard.
Su Jin, "...!!!"
Xingxing, "...."
She saw nothing.
Xingxing blushed, picked up the flower pot, and followed behind.
She walked a distance before realizing she’d grabbed the wrong pot and ran back to exchange it for another one.
Su Jin had never been spanked before growing up, and where Xie Jingchen’s hand landed felt burning hot, the sensation raced up her spine to her face.
A face as rosy as peach blossoms in March turned as red as a monkey’s butt.
There weren’t many people in the garden, but it wasn’t empty.
Maids and women who saw it turned their faces away.
The Eldest Young Master sure is...
How could he smack Eldest Young Madam like that?
It reddened even their old faces.
Su Jin really stopped moving.
She was afraid that if she moved again, Xie Jingchen would give her another smack.
She only wanted to faint now.
Yes!
Faint!
If she fainted, Xie Jingchen wouldn’t be able to pursue her for letting him take the blame.
Treat a serious illness with a strong medicine.
Su Jin decisively pulled out the silver needle.
Biting her teeth, she stabbed herself and quickly withdrew the needle.
Su Jin fainted.
The silver needle fell into the blossoms, unnoticed.
Xie Jingchen carried Su Jin a few steps before realizing something was off.
Because Su Jin’s arms hung down and swayed to hit his back as he walked.
Xie Jingchen put Su Jin down.
But Su Jin couldn’t stand, almost falling to the ground; he hurriedly caught her.
"Don’t pretend to faint," Xie Jingchen shook Su Jin.
No one answered him.
Xie Jingchen called out twice, but Su Jin didn’t respond.
Xingxing panicked, putting down the flower pot, and ran over to check Su Jin’s breath.
Luckily.
She wasn’t beaten to death by the consort.
She thought Su Jin was pretending and tickled her.
Su Jin still didn’t respond.
Xingxing burst into tears, "Consort, how could you knock my Miss out?"
"Last time when Miss fell and fainted, she couldn’t remember anything when she woke up," Xingxing cried harder and harder.
Xie Jingchen was at a loss.
How could she be so fragile?
"Someone! Quickly call a doctor!" Xie Jingchen shouted.
He carried Su Jin back to Agarwood Pavilion.
The doctor hadn’t yet arrived at the mansion.
The news that the Eldest Young Master had slapped the Eldest Young Madam unconscious had already spread throughout the Duke Zhen Mansion.
Poor Young Master Xie had just gotten rid of one bad reputation only to take on another.