"The doctor said that Third Sister is not in mortal danger, but she will need to stay in bed for quite some time." Ji Wushang looked at Ji Dingbei and knelt down. "Father, I failed to take good care of Fourth Sister. Please punish me."
Seeing Ji Wushang like this, Ji Yinxue immediately knelt down beside him, "No, Father, punish me instead! My elder sister has a wound on her forehead, please don't blame her, it's my fault."
Ji Wushang looked at her as he listened, but saw that her face was very firm. Ji Wushang said, "Why did you have to come and join in the fun? You're not feeling well, so don't just wander around!"
“Eldest sister. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have said I was going to Qingya Garden to see second sister. It was my fault. Father, punish me!” Ji Yinxue said, kneeling forward, looking up at Ji Dingbei, and reaching out to pull him up.
Ji Dingbei looked at them, his brows furrowing. "Get up, all of you! This time, I won't punish you!"
"Thank you, Father." Ji Yinxue was overjoyed upon hearing this, and knelt back to Ji Wushang. "Eldest sister, Father said he won't punish us."
"Thank you, Father." Ji Wushang bowed to Ji Dingbei.
"Get up, both of you!" Ji Tiankui looked at Ji Dingbei, confirming that he didn't really blame the two of them, but just felt sorry for Ji Wuxia. So he stepped forward and said, "The ground is cold, it's not good to kneel there, get up quickly!"
Ji Wushang and the other helped him up. Ji Dingbei was already sitting by Ji Yinxue's bedside. Through the beaded curtain, Ji Wushang and the others could see the uncertain expression on Ji Dingbei's face. He was definitely worried about Ji Wuxia! After all, Ji Meiyuan had just made a mistake and was locked up in Qingya Garden. Now that Ji Wuxia was in trouble, it would be a miracle if Aunt Bai didn't foam at the mouth!
Ji Wushang lingered in the room for a long time, still unable to understand why Ji Wuxia was so afraid to enter Qingya Garden. However, he became even more determined to see what Qingya Garden was like tonight and what was causing all this trouble!
If I'm right, Ji Wuxia must have been inside Qingya Garden, and she must have been frightened once. I don't know why, but Ji Wushang will definitely find out!
After everyone dispersed, Ji Dingbei reported to Madam Yuan that Ji Wuxia had accidentally fallen due to her mischievousness, but would recover in a few days, so Madam Yuan didn't worry too much. As for Aunt Bai, Ji Dingbei naturally downplayed the incident as well.
Ji Dingbei was troubled by the fact that Aunt Bai was carrying a cursed child, so he decided to go to the Buddhist temple at sunrise the next morning to pray. The abbot there was quite capable, and Ji Dingbei placed his hopes on him, hoping that he could find some solutions.
The capital city has been abuzz with this matter lately, forcing Ji Dingbei to take some action.
Night finally fell, and lanterns were lit all around. Dinner was eaten quietly, without any of the usual commotion. Ji Wushang, however, felt uneasy. Although Bai Yiniang, Ji Meiyuan, and Ji Wuxia had all been dismissed—either lying down or locked up—something still felt off. Nangong Yiniang hadn't shown her face in the South Garden for a long time, but it was said she was managing the entire inner quarters, overseeing various business operations.
Ji Wushang took a sip of tea, watched Xian'er tidying up the room, and said, "Xian'er, tidy up a bit later, I'm going out."
“Miss, where are you going? I’ll go with you,” Xian’er said, putting down the quilt she was tidying.
"No need, go and invite Chief Tie Yi here!" Ji Wushang thought for a moment, then added, "Invite three more Iron Guards... no, invite his younger brother Tie Feng as well." If only Tie Yi is invited to Xinyuan, it feels like people will gossip. It would be better to invite the two brothers. These two brothers are loyal people and won't be afraid of leaking information. They can explore Qingya Garden together.
These guards are skilled enough to hold out for a while, so I won't be in a too passive position.
"What do you want them to do here, miss?" Xian'er asked, walking over.
"Just go when they tell you to. Don't ask too many questions. If they do, just say that the young lady invited you." Ji Wushang frowned slightly. "Keep it a secret." It's not good for people to know too much.
"Yes." Having been by Ji Wushang's side for so long, Xian'er had learned a little about what to do.
No sooner had Xian'er left than Zhu'er came in from outside. "Miss, the tinderbox and lantern you requested, the kitchen maid was so fierce, she thought I was arsonist! She shouted that she wouldn't give them to me."
"Who told you to disturb those old women?" Ji Wushang asked, his face showing some anger. "I told you not to disturb them, or they'll have something to say about you."
“This servant, this servant didn’t mean to, this servant just couldn’t find where the tinderboxes and lanterns were… Miss, this servant said that Miss likes lanterns and plays with them.”
"Alright, you'd better be more clever from now on. Why have you become a bit... like that..." Ji Wushang looked at her, on the verge of tears, and couldn't bear to say anything too hurtful. He just felt that she really had become stupid! How could this be the clever and obedient Zhu'er from before? Even if she had suffered a blow, she wouldn't be like this, right?
Fine, I'll be more careful in the future. If there really is a problem, I'll definitely find out the truth myself!
Zhu'er listened without saying a word and stood to the side. Ji Wushang took the tinderbox and tested it, then looked at the lantern again. After confirming that there was nothing special about it, he put it aside with peace of mind. Turning his head, he saw Zhu'er standing there with a wronged look on her face. Ji Wushang had no choice but to pack his things and then walk up to Zhu'er.
"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?" Ji Wushang asked.
“Replying to Miss, I feel ashamed that I couldn’t even help with such a small matter and made you angry. It’s my fault.” Zhu’er said, then knelt down.
Ji Wushang scrutinized her with his eyes, but in the end, he softened his tone and said, "Get up, don't kneel."
"Miss." Pearl's eyes were full of pitiful longing.
Ignoring her, Ji Wushang went to sit on a chaise lounge and suddenly laughed, "Zhu'er, why do you have to pretend so hard? No, I shouldn't call you Zhu'er, because you're not Zhu'er at all!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu'er's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Ji Wushang, stammering, "Miss, what are you saying? How come I'm not Zhu'er?"
"Why bother?" Ji Wushang sneered, gently picked up the tea, and slowly took a sip. "You should at least have studied what Zhu'er has done before, her personality, her way of doing things, and her attitude towards me. You haven't studied these things thoroughly, yet you're pretending to be Zhu'er. Do you think I'm stupid?"
Ji Wushang slammed her hand on the table, glaring angrily at Zhu'er. Zhu'er immediately looked at Ji Wushang and said, "Miss, what are you saying? Has the injury on your forehead flared up again? Should I go and call the doctor?"
"Still pretending? I should be making this clear so you understand where your act is flimsy!" Ji Wushang said coldly. "First, Zhu'er doesn't refer to herself as a servant, at least not in front of me. She prefers to call herself Zhu'er. Second, Zhu'er is very cheerful and outgoing, and also very intelligent. Like Xian'er, she's my right-hand woman, but I like Zhu'er more. She's also the one who understands me best."
Naturally, I grew closer to her. If you want to become Pearl, you should be smarter and get closer to me, instead of keeping your distance and worrying that I'll see through you! Besides, when she speaks, she always looks me in the eye; she's never afraid of my gaze!
Hearing this, Zhu'er's face turned deathly pale, and she looked at Ji Wushang in disbelief, "This servant is indeed Zhu'er..."
"Still trying to deny it?" Ji Wushang looked at her. "If nothing unexpected happens, you should have told that old nanny about my plan to sneak into Qingya Garden at night and the route, right? What tinderbox lantern! The lantern was tampered with. Do you think I don't know or that I'm blind?" As he spoke, Ji Wushang picked up the lantern and reached for the back of it. With just a slight twist, the entire back fell off. Ji Wushang was shocked. After the back fell off, the entire lantern was unusable!
"What more explanation do you need?" Ji Wushang said calmly, then looked at Zhu'er in front of him. "Do you still want to show your cowardice or your pitifulness? Who are you? Speak!" Ji Wushang stepped forward, and a murderous aura unconsciously arose from his whole body, causing Zhu'er to involuntarily step back.
Suddenly, Zhu'er laughed, "Hahaha, Ji Wushang, you are indeed exceptionally clever. That's right, I was indeed impersonating Zhu'er, but I didn't expect you to see through me! But, Ji Wushang, don't you know you're in great danger right now? Standing so close to me, aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
"Do you think you can escape?" Ji Wushang looked at the fake Zhu'er and said coldly, "Since I'm confident I can see through your disguise, I've considered the possibility that you might try to kill me after you're exposed! Do I need to remind you of that?"
Fake Pearl was stunned for a moment, and then she was speechless.
Ji Wushang laughed and said, "Let me ask you, who are you? Who asked you to impersonate Zhu'er? And where is Zhu'er? If you don't tell me, don't blame me for being ruthless!" As Ji Wushang spoke, he immediately clapped his hands, and the door suddenly opened. Two people walked in from outside. They were the Tie Feng and Tie Yi brothers, whom Xian'er had invited. The two men held swords in their hands and looked at the fake Zhu'er in front of them with fierce expressions.
Xian'er was also standing behind, "Zhu'er, no, this servant never imagined that you were actually an imposter Zhu'er!"
"You think two stinking men can stop me?" Fake Pearl sneered, looking at Ji Wushang. "Ji Wushang, don't be too smug. I am entrusted by my master, and I will definitely not let you get away with this! You are lucky to have seen through me today. There will be plenty of time in the future. My master will definitely make you shatter to pieces!" After saying that, she was about to use her martial arts to leave!
How could Ji Wushang let her leave so easily! Tie Yi and Tie Feng had already stepped forward with their swords drawn, cutting off her retreat. Seeing this, Ji Wushang immediately stepped aside, and Xian'er also stepped forward to protect Ji Wushang.
As Ji Wushang watched them fight, it was clear that the fake pearl was gradually losing ground to the Tie brothers. However, she actually created an opening and was about to launch a hidden weapon at Ji Wushang! Immediately, Tie Yi stepped forward to block, and before Ji Wushang could even utter the words "Be careful," the fake pearl had already attacked Tie Feng's face.
Tie Feng immediately parried, but just as he was about to exert his last bit of strength, the fake pearl suddenly stopped and flew out of the window.
To Fake Pearl's utter surprise, what awaited her below were a dozen or so Iron Guards who had been waiting with their swords drawn! Not to mention that their martial arts skills were inferior to Fake Pearl's, they had the advantage of numbers!
Seeing the situation, Jia Zhu'er realized she was surrounded and had no way out! At this moment, Ji Wushang walked over with Xian'er and Tie Yi and Tie Feng.
"Surrender now! I'll spare your life!" Ji Wushang shouted at Zhu'er.
Just then, the sound of footsteps was heard, followed by a voice: "What happened!"
Ji Wushang turned around and saw Ji Dingbei, with Ji Tiankui behind him.
"Father, elder brother," Ji Wushang called out.
"Big sister, what's going on? Isn't that Zhu'er? Why is she surrounded by the Iron Guards?" Ji Tiankui asked hurriedly, noticing something was amiss.
"Brother, Father, this Zhu'er isn't my head maid! She's an imposter!" Ji Wushang pointed at her and said sharply.
"What's going on?" Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei's eyes widened like gongs, as if he wanted to devour someone.
Ji Wushang briefly explained the situation, and Xian'er added some details as well. Seeing that there was no way they could escape, the fake pearl couldn't help but harbor murderous intent.
Suddenly, she drew a sword from her waist and attacked the guards. Some of the guards were caught off guard and were killed instantly by her sword! Ji Wushang looked at her and frowned.
"Kill!" Ji Dingbei replied coldly.
The guards had already launched a fierce attack on the fake pearl, their knives and swords mercilessly slashing at her body, leaving bloody gashes! Ji Wushang watched, feeling a sense of horror, while Xian'er was too afraid to look and covered her eyes.
At this moment, the fake pearl was barely supporting her body with her sword, relying solely on a sliver of willpower to stay afloat.
Tie Feng's sword was about to pierce the fake pearl's throat when Ji Wushang shouted, "Stop!"
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and Tie Feng immediately sheathed his sword.
Fake Pearl then turned her gaze toward Ji Wushang, looking at her with a long, thin line of blood at the corner of her mouth. "And what is this? You want to let me go?"
"I don't understand. I've never hurt anyone before, so why are you treating me like this? I just want to know where Zhu'er is. If you tell me, I'll let you go," Ji Wushang said calmly as he stepped forward.
Ji Dingbei and Ji Tiankui watched without saying a word.
Fake Pearl sneered, "Do you think I would say that? Do you think I'm the kind of person who's afraid of death?"
“I have always respected you because you are so loyal! But I also feel deeply sorry for you and saddened by your plight! Did you achieve your goal by impersonating Zhu’er? Did you satisfy your master? How have I treated you? Have I ever mistreated you? That green snake jade bracelet was originally meant for Zhu’er, but now I’m giving it to you. I know perfectly well that you are not the real Zhu’er, but I still gave it to you.” Ji Wushang sighed, “Well, I’ve already rambled on a bit… I’ll stop now. I just feel sorry for you.”
Hearing this, Jia Zhu'er's heart softened. It was indeed true, but she couldn't change her mind about the master she had chosen! Jia Zhu'er looked at her for a long time before saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss."
Ji Wushang gently shook his head, "Is Zhu'er alright now?"
Fake Pearl was stunned, neither nodding nor shaking her head. After a long while, she suddenly said, "Miss, if you come forward, I will tell you."
Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei flew into a rage, "You audacious, lowly servant! How dare you try to negotiate? You'd better die!"
Ji Wushang immediately stopped Ji Dingbei, "Father!"
Ji Dingbei stood there, flicked his sleeve, and said, "You should really think about it yourself!"
“Father.” Ji Tiankui tugged at Ji Dingbei. “I trust my younger sister. She’s handled things well. Nothing will happen.”
Ji Wushang looked at the fake pearl and smiled. "As you say, I believe you." With that, he stepped forward with firm steps.
Zhu'er looked at Ji Wushang, her eyes suddenly filled with a hint of cruelty. As she looked at Ji Wushang, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, and she gripped the sword in her hand even more firmly.
Ji Wushang seemed oblivious to her movements, while the surrounding guards were ready to kill Zhu'er at any moment. Tie Feng and Tie Yi, their handsome faces fixed on Ji Wushang, were constantly watching to ensure her safety. Xian'er, watching from the side, had her heart pounding in her chest.
Is that maid Zhu'er really that important? That Ji Wushang, a dignified eldest daughter of the main wife, would risk her life for a mere maid?
At this moment, the fake pearl had a cruel look on its face as it watched Ji Wushang come forward.
☆、086 Ji Wushang, sneaks into Qingya Garden at night!
"Big sister, don't go!" Ji Tiankui cried out immediately, seeing Ji Wushang step forward, knowing the danger. Ji Wushang turned back and smiled slightly. They might not know the significance of Zhu'er to her, but she had never forgotten her past life and death.
"Speak!" Ji Wushang stood before her, looking at Jia Zhuer with an open heart. Jia Zhuer's eyes softened slightly. She sized up Ji Wushang, then suddenly sighed, "This servant truly never imagined that Miss would be willing to risk so much for a maid. Miss, can you tell this servant why?"
“Actually, I cherish you too, because you’re calling me ‘Miss’ right now, aren’t you?” Ji Wushang smiled slightly. “To me, Zhu’er represents loyalty, care, and unwavering devotion. Although she’s just a maid, she’s always protecting me.”
Fake Pearl was taken aback. She looked at Ji Wushang, her eyes softening. "Miss, come closer, I'll tell you."
"I believe you." Ji Wushang leaned forward again, looking at Jia Zhuer expectantly. Jia Zhuer softly said, "Qingya Garden."
Just as Ji Wushang was about to ask more questions, he saw that the fake pearl had already died, spitting blood from its mouth!
"Zhu'er!" Ji Wushang suddenly caught her collapsing body. "How are you, Zhu'er?" But the fake Zhu'er was bleeding from her mouth and couldn't say anything!
Ji Tiankui and the others were shocked and rushed towards Ji Wushang, only to find that the fake Zhu'er was already dead... They could only stand aside silently and watch everything unfold.
Seeing that she had ceased to kill, Ji Wushang had no choice but to put her down, then stood up, turned around, bowed to Ji Dingbei and Ji Tiankui, and then walked back to his own courtyard.
Ji Dingbei and Ji Tiankui looked at her. Ji Dingbei sighed, "Handle it well, and don't spread this matter around."
"Yes," the guard replied immediately.
Seeing this, Xian'er immediately bowed to Ji Dingbei and Ji Tiankui, and then followed Ji Wushang.
Ji Tiankui looked at Ji Dingbei and said, "Father, my eldest sister..."
"She'll be alright." Ji Dingbei looked in the direction of Ji Wushang's figure. "You should focus on your marriage! Go to the Buddhist temple early tomorrow morning to meet the abbot. I'll be heading southeast after sunset. You'll need to take on more responsibility while I'm away."