Ji Wushang looked at Youlan and Shuipei, who were still standing, and said, "Youlan, Shuipei, you two come and sit here with us. Although you are just maids, you are still my second brother's women, aren't you? You should act like mistresses, otherwise people will laugh at our Marquis's mansion for treating people so badly!"
The maid standing outside the pavilion listened and glanced at Ji Yinxue's expression. Youlan and Shuipei were both from Yuxue Garden and were under the jurisdiction of Madam Ji Yinxue. However, Ji Wushang was the head mistress of the entire Marquis's mansion... It was difficult to offend either side... It was a tough situation!
Ji Yinxue looked at Ji Wushang and said coldly, "Sister-in-law, what you're saying is wrong. It's true that a maidservant is the second young master's woman, but her status is far below that of a concubine. A concubine can sit and chat with us on this stage, but before becoming a concubine, she's just a maidservant. Whether she's a maidservant or not, she's still a maidservant!" As Ji Yinxue spoke, she glared coldly at Youlan and Shuipei.
Originally, Youlan and Shuipei thought they finally had a chance to sit down and rest after listening to Ji Wushang's words. After all, they had been standing for more than an hour, and their legs were already numb. Who knew that Ji Yinxue would say such a thing! It made the two of them fall from heaven to hell in an instant!
Upon hearing this, both Concubine Jin and Concubine Leng were immediately displeased! What had she just said? "This concubine can sit and chat with us on this table!" Who was Ji Yinxue to dare to mock them like that? So what if they were just concubines? Were they so inferior? Yes, when the principal wife was present, concubines like them had to follow the rules, but the Marquis's wife had been dead for many years. Was she implying that they, as concubines, couldn't become a wife? That they weren't worthy to sit with her, enjoy refreshments, and admire flowers?
How noble is Ji Yinxue? She slept with the Second Young Master before! What a shameless woman! She still thinks she's so noble? Bah!
"Someone, bring seats for Youlan and Shuipei!" Aunt Jin said coldly, then looked at Ji Yinxue with a provocative gaze. "Youlan and Shuipei have been standing for a long time, they've had enough!"
Ji Yinxue was taken aback. She hadn't expected that Aunt Jin would speak up for Ji Wushang, Youlan, and Shui Pei. Moreover, why did Aunt Jin look at her with a hint of hatred? She hadn't provoked her, had she? Fine, if Aunt Jin dared to provoke her, she wouldn't mind letting her taste the bitterness of life and death!
Youlan and Shuipei immediately bowed gratefully to Aunt Jin and Ji Wushang, "Thank you, Aunt Jin, thank you, Princess Consort!"
"Heh heh, it seems Aunt Jin is still more charming! Even I, the mistress of the house, am slightly inferior!" Ji Wushang said coldly.
Aunt Jin listened with a smug look on her face, knowing that Ji Wushang would definitely come after her one day, so she didn't mind going against her now! You see, if she wanted to become the lady of this Marquis's mansion, besides getting rid of Aunt Leng and the others, the most important thing was to get rid of this Crown Prince's wife in front of her!
Ji Yinxue is a difficult person to deal with, but isn't Ji Wushang just as difficult?
Starting to suppress them now is also an excellent option!
Aunt Leng, observing their reactions and conversation, chuckled. "I say, Your Highness, aren't you taking this too seriously? Sister Jin didn't say anything to embarrass you; she simply stated the truth, and that's all the Second Young Mistress heard!" She looked at Ji Wushang with amusement, her eyes conveying the message: "Look at you, Ji Wushang, so petty! Aunt Jin merely told the truth, and you twisted her meaning! What kind of mistress is someone so petty!"
Ji Wushang met Leng Yinniang's clear eyes and smiled. "Yes! What Jin Yinniang said was based on facts, while what Wushang said was based on the overall situation of the Marquis's mansion. Naturally, the starting points are different, and naturally, the effects are different as well." The implication was that he had considered the reputation and interests of the Marquis's mansion when he spoke, but Ji Yinxue didn't listen. This showed that Ji Yinxue didn't care about the Marquis's mansion's interests and reputation at all, and Jin Yinniang was naturally the same; the two were equally indifferent!
Aunt Jin and Ji Yinxue glared angrily at Ji Wushang, then turned to glare at Aunt Leng. All the servants standing around lowered their heads, afraid that their masters' verbal battles would harm them.
Aunt Leng looked slightly embarrassed. She had originally intended to point the finger at Ji Wushang, but unexpectedly, Ji Wushang had taken her words the opposite, which made Aunt Jin and Ji Yinxue hate her to death...
Seeing this scene, Nan Xianxian and Nan Zhaoxue were at a loss for words. Nan Zhaoxue didn't want to get involved in their affairs, so she turned away.
Nan Xianxian saw that her birth mother, Aunt Jin, was so angry that her face turned red. She pouted and tugged at her sleeve.
Aunt Jin sneered, "The Crown Princess is truly a woman of great virtue!"
“There’s no need for Aunt Jin to praise Wu Shang! Aunt Jin is only thinking of the Marquis’s mansion, otherwise she wouldn’t have let people sit down!” Ji Wu Shang said coldly.
Aunt Jin stared with fiery eyes, but couldn't utter a single word.
Just then, a maid brought over some snacks. Ji Wushang smiled and said, "Why are all these snacks baked? Can't you see that the masters are all very hot-tempered? Take them away! Bring up some steamed cakes!"
Ji Yinxue immediately exclaimed, "What? What? I love it the most! Bring it up quickly!" As she spoke, she pointed to a plate of corn cakes, which were freshly baked and specially ordered by Ji Yinxue! Why should Ji Wushang be able to take away her pastries with just a few words?
Aunt Leng and Aunt Jin exchanged a glance, both looking at each other with disdain. They could eat some of these pastries or not, so why should they care about the two of them arguing?
Nan Xianxian, however, found the baked purple sweet potato cake quite appetizing. "I don't have any heatiness, and this purple sweet potato cake just happens to suit my taste. Bring it over quickly."
Ji Wushang smiled and said, "Third Miss, you'd better not eat it. Your pimples haven't gone away yet! It's best not to eat these baked goods."
Nan Xianxian's face immediately showed surprise. She covered her face with both hands. Damn it, she had already applied a lot of rouge, how could she have seen through it? And to say it in front of so many people! How could she ever face anyone again! If she hadn't secretly eaten so many chili peppers and hadn't drunk any cooling herbal tea in time, she wouldn't have gotten any pimples!
"No, no!" Nan Xianxian shouted. "It's just some purple sweet potato cake! I don't care!"
Ji Wushang nodded and smiled as he listened.
Seeing the state of Nanxian, Aunt Jin comforted her gently, "Xian'er, when you get better and more beautiful, I'll have the kitchen prepare delicious food for you."
Ji Yinxue snorted coldly and told the maid to quickly bring over the corn cakes, but Ji Wushang held out a hand to stop her, saying, "Why is my sister-in-law eating such hot food? I just saw you were so angry! What if you get sick after eating this?"
“I’m not short-tempered!” Ji Yinxue said coldly. “I just want to eat. Does my sister-in-law intend to use her power to suppress my appetite?”
"How could I have done such a thing? Sister-in-law, you're too kind." Ji Wushang released his hand. "Alright, just let the Second Young Mistress have some to try, just don't let her eat too much!"
Ji Yinxue was smug, thinking, "Won't I eventually fall under your control? It's just some snacks, and she's trying to intimidate me like this! It's ridiculous!" She said she'd only try a little and not eat any? I'm going to eat as much as I can, just to annoy her!
Ji Wushang sneered inwardly, "Eat up, eat until you die!"
Aunt Leng glanced at Aunt Jin and said, "Fine, listen to the Princess Consort and take the pastries away, and bring up some steamed cakes instead!"
Youlan and Shuipei wanted to eat something, but they didn't dare to. They could only smell the aroma of the pastries, watch them being served and then taken away. Want some? No way!
Seeing that everyone else had nothing to eat while she was the only one who could eat, Ji Yinxue was very satisfied. This was exactly the feeling of being unique that she wanted! To make them furious!
Little did anyone know that Aunt Leng calmly sipped her tea and started joking with Nan Zhaoxue, while Aunt Jin smiled and stroked Nan Xianxian's long hair, her face full of kindness!
Ji Wushang, however, had somehow gone to the side to admire the lotus flowers! It seemed as if he was deliberately ignoring her! Youlan and Shuipei, the two maids who served her, were keeping their heads down, not daring to move, speak, or look.
Ji Yinxue angrily put down the pastries in front of her. "I'm not eating them anymore, you guys eat them!"
Youlan and Shuipei were surprised and looked up at Ji Yinxue. Would she really be so kind? Ji Yinxue, however, immediately knocked the plate of pastries in front of her to the ground. "Oops! I was so careless, how could I have dropped the plate!" She then looked at Youlan and Shuipei apologetically. "Sorry, that's all! Want some? No, I can't!"
Youlan looked at her, and the hatred in her heart burned even more fiercely. One day, she would make her regret what she had done!
Shui Pei lowered her head, frowning, and dared not look at anyone.
Aunt Jin glanced at the pastries on the ground and exclaimed, "How could you be so careless!"
"Yes, she broke such a small thing. She's really something!" Aunt Leng couldn't resist adding insult to injury.
Ji Wushang hadn't seen any lotus flowers when he heard the sound of a plate being smashed. He turned around and saw the pastries on the ground. From his angle, Youlan looked furious, while Shuipei was meek and dared not say a word.
This has potential.
"Sister-in-law, it must be because you're pregnant. Sigh, pregnant women are prone to breaking things sometimes. I read that in a book, so don't worry. Someone, clean up the floor!" Ji Wushang walked over with a smile and sat down in a chair. "I just saw many lotus flowers in the lotus pond, blooming so beautifully. It wouldn't hurt to take a look too."
As she spoke, she pulled Nan Zhaoxue up. Nan Zhaoxue looked at Ji Wushang in surprise, never expecting that she would invite her to see the lotus flowers. Aunt Leng, seeing this, was naturally anxious for Nan Zhaoxue, as if afraid that she would be bullied by Ji Wushang. She immediately stepped forward and pulled Nan Zhaoxue, saying, "What's so interesting about those lotus flowers!"
Ji Wushang smiled and said, "Those lotus flowers are extremely ethereal. If you don't like them, that's fine too!"
“Aunt, I also want to see the lotus flowers.” Nan Zhaoxue smiled at Aunt Leng, indicating that she didn’t need to worry, as Ji Wushang had no intention of harming her.
Aunt Leng looked at Ji Wushang suspiciously, then stared at Ji Wushang and Nan Zhaoxue, still not at ease.
A smile spread across Ji Wushang's lips as he admired the lotus flowers in the distance.
Ji Yinxue felt it was pointless. Today was the day Nan Jinxue was marrying Zhao Yirou into the Marquis's mansion, and she had been feeling depressed all along. With Ji Wushang and the others stirring things up, her mood worsened.
"Xiuer, help me back, it's too windy here!" Ji Yinxue said as she stood up.
Xiuer, who was standing to the side, was about to step forward when Youlan saw Xiuer about to pass by her. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, Youlan stretched out a foot and tripped Xiuer.
Ji Yinxue's angle was blocked by the table, so she couldn't see Youlan's little movements. As a result, Xiu'er suddenly pounced on Ji Yinxue, "Ah!"
Ji Yinxue could have stood up and jumped away, but unexpectedly, the moment she stood up, a pain came from her lower abdomen. Immediately, Xiuer pounced on her, and due to the force of the impact, she fell backward!
"Ah!" Ji Yinxue screamed.
Xiuer was terrified and tried to scramble up from the ground to avoid being crushed on top of Ji Yinxue. Youlan and Shuipei, who were closest to them, quickly stepped forward and cried out, "Madam!"
Aunt Jin was startled when she saw this, but she quickly calmed down. The child should be gone now, right? Let's see how arrogant she can be! Aunt Leng, Nan Zhaoxue, and Ji Wushang watched in shock for a few seconds.
Ji Wushang rushed forward, "How are you? Are you hurt? How could this happen?"
"Quick, call a doctor! My stomach hurts so much!" Ji Yinxue shouted. "You wretched servant! Guards, drag her away and beat her to death!" As she spoke, she immediately began to punch and kick Xiu'er.
Xiuer knelt on the ground, enduring the beatings and insults. Hearing that she was to be beaten to death, she quickly kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Madam, please spare my life! Please spare my life! I didn't mean to! I was careless! Please forgive my life, Madam! I had..."
"Pah! Don't try that! Drag her away and beat her to death!" Ji Yinxue shouted angrily, enduring the pain as she cursed the maid Xiu'er.
Ji Wushang quickly sent someone to fetch the family physician. "How could this be so careless? What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and drag Xiu'er away! Even if you beat her to death, punish her by not letting her eat today and deducting three months' salary! Today is the Second Young Master's wedding day, and there can be no bloodshed."
Xiuer listened with tears of gratitude; she had been given a second chance at life! It was only three months' salary; she could earn it back! Thank goodness! The Crown Princess is so kind!
"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!" Xiu'er said immediately.
Ji Yinxue glared angrily at Ji Wushang. She couldn't even punish a maid anymore? "Sister-in-law, is punishment really this simple?"
"Stop talking! Men, drag Xiu'er away! Otherwise, the Second Young Mistress will get angry again!" Ji Wushang didn't care what Ji Wushang was wailing about and waved for several rough-looking women to come forward and drag Xiu'er away.
Ji Yinxue was trembling with anger, pointing at Ji Wushang but helpless!
Youlan and Shuipei stepped forward, both looking pitiful. As the saying goes, the first thing you need to learn to survive in a wealthy family is to pretend, to act!
Ji Yinxue snorted coldly and slapped both of them across the face! "Get lost! You still have the nerve to call me 'Miss'!"
Youlan and Shuipei stood to one side, listening to each other's soft sobs. Their aggrieved expressions made everyone feel that Ji Yinxue was truly outrageous, not only did she scold this person, but she also hit them!
"Alright, alright, Second Young Madam, get up quickly. Don't sit on the ground, or you'll catch a cold." Aunt Jin said, immediately stepping forward to help Ji Yinxue up. Ji Wushang, seeing this, also immediately stepped forward, "That was so careless!"
Ji Yinxue glared angrily at Ji Wushang, her eyes conveying the message: "Stop pretending!"
Ji Wushang didn't intend to go forward and help her up, as her steps were rather slow. Nan Xianxian saw Aunt Jin go forward and naturally followed.
"Ah!" Ji Yinxue screamed again, "You pig-headed idiot, are you dead? What are you doing, making such a big fuss!" Ji Yinxue yelled at Nan Xianxian, who was furious, "I was just helping you up, what, I didn't even use much force! And you're insulting and cursing me like this? Aunt, you must stand up for me!" As she spoke, she cried out to Aunt Jin with tears in her eyes, "Aunt, she's bullying me!"
Aunt Jin's anger surged, and she released Ji Yinxue's arm, using the force to push Ji Yinxue to the ground. She then reached out to help Nan Xianxian up, asking, "Xian'er, how are you? Are you hurt?"
Ji Yinxue fell to the ground on her back, feeling sore all over. "Ah, it hurts so much!"
Ji Wushang was shocked. "Quickly help her up!" The maids and nannies standing on the side rushed forward, three or five at a time. Youlan saw this and her eyes flashed with cold light. Taking advantage of the crowd, she made them all rush forward and surge towards Ji Yinxue. Instantly, two or three maids couldn't stop in time and fell on top of Ji Yinxue. Ji Yinxue was hit like this and fainted from the pain.
Everyone around was terrified.
"Something has happened to the second young mistress!" a maidservant screamed.
Ji Wushang looked at them, shrugged, and said, "Let it be a mess, it doesn't matter... But, with all this commotion, she should have miscarried, so why isn't there any blood coming out?"
At this moment, the Marquis came over from the other side of the bend and saw that the pavilion was in complete chaos. He quickly caught up and asked, "What happened?"
Everyone around immediately knelt down. Ji Wushang quickly helped Ji Yinxue up and shouted anxiously, "Quickly send the Second Young Mistress back to Yuxue Garden!"
"Quickly!" Seeing the Marquis arrive, Aunt Jin naturally wanted to show her care and affection for the younger generation! Aunt Leng quickly stepped forward, "My lord, it was these servants who were careless, alas!" As she spoke, she used a silk handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Actually, there was nothing there; it was just for show to impress the Marquis.
The Marquis snorted coldly, then stepped forward, and Nan Xianxian and Nan Zhaoxue quickly bowed.
"Today is Jin Xue's wedding day, but I never expected you to make such a blunder! Wu Shang, what happened?"
"Father, Wu Shang doesn't know what happened, he's become like this. It's all because these servants don't know how to do their jobs. Hey, men, drag them all away and give them thirty strokes of the cane! Deduct their monthly salary for three months, and if they do it again, they'll be kicked out of the manor!" At this moment, a manor physician came forward to diagnose Ji Yinxue, and Ji Wu Shang handed her over to them.
She glanced back at Ji Yinxue, whose face remained expressionless. "Doctor, how is the Second Young Mistress?"
"Why is your stomach so bloated?" the physician asked. "Did you just fall?"
"Yes, oh dear, so careless! Luckily, there was no bleeding, and it's good that the child is alright!" Aunt Leng stepped forward at this moment. Aunt Jin was putting on an act, so she had to do the same. Otherwise, how could she possibly compete with her for the position of Madam?
The Marquis gave Concubine Leng a cold look, "Why don't you all give way to her!"
"My lord, this is strange! The second young mistress's pulse is very strange!" the physician exclaimed in surprise. Then he looked at Ji Yinxue's face. Ji Yinxue was lying on the chaise longue that the servants had brought in.
It will take some time before we can move him back to Yuxue Garden; treatment is the priority.
"What's wrong? Is the baby gone?" This is the first newborn life to arrive in the Marquis of Jinnan's mansion, and there can be no room for error! The Marquis stepped forward and grabbed the physician's collar, his face filled with anger and tension, as if he would kill the physician if he heard anything bad about the child!