At the next table sat Nan Zaiqing, Nan Zhaoxue, Nan Xueyan, Nan Qinghao, and others, chatting casually about random things while eating snacks.
"I heard from the servants that it was Concubine Zhao who planned to use Huanfei's death to embarrass the Princess Consort!"
"Hmph, last night, the Marquis went straight into Concubine Jin's room! I wonder if Concubine Zhao will fall out of favor. What a pity! It seems like I won't even get a chance!" Concubine Leng said coldly, taking a pastry from the table and eating it.
Ji Wushang sometimes didn't quite understand. There was only one Marquis of Jinnan, Nan Aogan, but why did Nan Aogan's younger brother, Nan Aoyu, and his entire family live in the Marquis's mansion? And why was he the head steward here?
Logically speaking, such a strange phenomenon would not have occurred in the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty. If the Marquis's parents were still alive, it would be fine for the two families to live together. However, the old Marquis and his wife had long since died, so logically, the two families should have separated.
The Marquis of Jinnan is the Marquis of Jinnan, while the second branch of the family should voluntarily move out of the mansion and settle down on their own.
Now, however, it has become a bizarre phenomenon of two families living together, which is somewhat illogical.
Could it be that the second branch of the family is also vying for the future position of Marquis?
I'll ask Cong when I get back.
Ji Wushang stepped forward and greeted Aunt Leng, Aunt Liu, and Aunt Dou.
The three women looked at Ji Wushang, exchanging bewildered glances. Each was reflecting on their own words, wondering how Ji Wushang would punish them if they had spoken ill of her. Each concubine held her own thoughts and considerations. When their power wasn't yet sufficient, they should conceal their brilliance! They should wait until they were strong enough to deliver a decisive blow to their enemies!
Hasn't Aunt Zhao already started a feud with the Crown Prince's wife? Let them fight it out first! Let's see how it goes! If we can get rid of Aunt Zhao, that would be even better! Then there will be one less person sharing the Marquis with us!
Aunt Zhao was favored by the Marquis, which aroused the jealousy of the other concubines.
"Please sit, Princess Consort." Aunt Leng's tone was slightly cold, but she was still polite.
When the young ladies saw Ji Wushang arrive, they all stood up and bowed.
Nan Zaiqing looked at Ji Wushang, feeling displeased. Last night, Ji Wushang had actually managed to defeat Aunt Zhao, something that had never happened before! She needed to be careful and devise a detailed plan to strike at Ji Wushang!
Nan Zhaoxue smiled lightly at Ji Wushang, but did not express anything further.
Ji Wushang nodded, "No need for formalities, please continue playing!"
Nan Qinghao was a boy, quite handsome. Looking at Ji Wushang, he said, "Greetings, sister-in-law!"
Following the childish voice, Ji Wushang walked up to Nan Qinghao. This little boy, with a gentle and refined air, had beautiful big eyes, which made Ji Wushang feel fond of him.
"Qing, you're such a good boy." Ji Wushang tugged at his little hand.
"Yes!" Nan Qinghao nodded very seriously.
Ji Wushang smiled as he stood up and returned to the group of concubines. "I wonder what you concubines are talking about? I just strolled around the courtyard and finished my business. It's nice to keep you concubines company, have some tea, and enjoy the beautiful scenery."
Aunt Liu glanced at Aunt Leng, then at Aunt Dou, and said, "We were just chatting about some trivial matters. Hehe, now that you've finished your snacks, someone bring up some more!"
A maid immediately went to bring some snacks.
Ji Wushang smiled. Since they didn't speak, he would speak for himself! He said, "May I ask, ladies, did last night's events disturb your rest? If they did, please forgive me!"
The three concubines' smiles froze. Weren't they implying that Ji Wushang had overheard their conversation? Thankfully, it was just about Concubine Zhao...
"I went to bed early and didn't hear anything about what was happening in the manor. But when I woke up this morning, I heard some servants talking and overheard some gossip." Unexpectedly, Aunt Dou spoke up at this moment.
Ji Wushang's gaze fell on Aunt Dou. Her words had revealed everything clearly, without a single detail being added or omitted. Ji Wushang smiled.
Hearing Aunt Dou's words, Aunt Liu and Aunt Leng immediately nodded. Aunt Liu said, "Yes, we went to bed early last night and didn't hear anything. However, what I heard this morning about last night surprised me. The Princess Consort is quite decisive; she was able to see through things in just a few moments. Aunt Zhao is not as good as you!" With Aunt Zhao gone, she could take this opportunity to put her down!
Ji Wushang chuckled, "Wushang doesn't have any guts. I just feel that things are a bit strange, nothing else. Aunt Zhao is quite anxious about that plump maid Huanfei, hehe, let's not talk about it anymore! Let's eat something."
“Okay!” Aunt Leng said first, and then picked up a pastry with her chopsticks.
Ji Wushang said, "The matter of the concubines and young ladies suffering from food poisoning and abdominal cramps due to the pastries we had at Aunt Zhao's Manor has been investigated. It was a problem with the food. I have already punished those who were responsible. You concubines can rest assured and enjoy your pastries without worry."
Aunt Leng glanced at Aunt Liu. She had already dealt with this matter yesterday, so why was she telling her own concubines about it now? What was her purpose?
"I was too busy yesterday and was unable to have tea and snacks with all the ladies. It was my fault."
"The Crown Princess is naturally busy managing this inner courtyard. How can we waste her time by making her drink tea with us?" Aunt Leng said coldly. Was Ji Wushang's intention to isolate Aunt Zhao? Or to make Aunt Zhao feel that everyone in the inner courtyard had turned against her?
Ji Wushang smiled and said, "Aunt Leng, you look so elegant and beautiful today! You're really gorgeous!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Princess Consort!" Aunt Leng didn't know why she suddenly praised her beauty, so she could only nod.
Before Aunt Leng could even put the pastry in her mouth, she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. Just then, Aunt Liu called her son, Nan Qinghao, who was at the opposite table, to come and have some pastries. Nan Qinghao, being a lively child, skipped over, but unexpectedly, he slipped and fell to the ground! He fell forward.
Just then, a piece of pastry she was playing with flew out and hit Aunt Leng right in the face! Aunt Leng was hit in the face by the pastry and felt a pain. Her chopsticks fell to the ground, and the pastry fell onto her silk robe, then onto her skirt, and finally to the ground.
It all seemed to happen in a series of events. By the time people realized what was happening, Aunt Liu rushed to help Nan Qinghao up, crying, "Good boy, good boy!" Nan Qinghao, now helped up, was crying in Aunt Liu's arms, "Auntie, Auntie, it hurts, it hurts!" She pointed to her knee. Aunt Liu immediately looked and saw that her trousers were torn at the knee, making Aunt Liu both angry and heartbroken. That damned Nan Zaiqing! Nan Zaiqing was sitting right next to her Qinghao! Who else could have tripped her Qinghao like that!
Aunt Leng was stunned for a long time. Not only was she covered in filth, but most importantly, her face was ruined! If her face was disfigured, wouldn't her life be ruined? "Ah!" Aunt Leng screamed and covered her face tightly.
Ji Wushang looked quite surprised and stared for a long time, seemingly unable to react for a while. But soon, he immediately called to the maids and nannies beside him, "Quickly, call a doctor!" He then went forward to check on the situation.
The maids and servants immediately scattered in panic, rushing forward to check on him. Aunt Liu glared angrily at Nan Zaiqing, "You'd better be alright, or I'll make you regret it!"
Nan Zaiqing was taken aback and immediately said, "Aunt Liu, I didn't do anything! Hao'er falling has nothing to do with me!"
Hearing her daughter Nan Zaiqing being scolded, Aunt Leng felt even more resentful. If Nan Zaiqing hadn't been so unsteady on her feet and tripped, would that pastry have landed on her face? He must have done it on purpose! Despite his young age, he probably listened to Aunt Liu and did it on purpose!
Aunt Leng sneered, "It's perfectly normal for Hao'er to accidentally fall to the ground. Why is Aunt Liu blaming Qing'er? Qing'er was sitting perfectly fine; why would she trip Hao'er up? Everyone can see how much Qing'er loves her younger siblings! But Hao'er! Falling to the ground is one thing, but throwing snacks at my face? Was that intentional?" Her tone was icy, and her eyes seemed to be spitting fire.
At this moment, Aunt Leng's maid, Dingxiang, came forward and said, "Aunt, wipe your face first." She then presented her with a silk handkerchief.
Aunt Leng snorted coldly and snatched the silk handkerchief away. "Hmph!"
Seeing Aunt Leng's attitude, Aunt Liu became even angrier. "If anything happens to my son, I will definitely not let you get away with this!"
Nan Qinghao is the legitimate son of Second Master Hou. Although he was born to Concubine Liu, he is greatly favored by Nan Aoyu. Concubine Liu does not believe that Nan Aoyu will not stand up for her and Nan Qinghao!
Nan Zaiqing was filled with resentment. How could he pin the blame on her? How could she ever hold her head high in front of these maids and servants again? She had clearly done nothing wrong! He was just a little kid; why should she bother scheming against him?
However, if those people from their second wife's side are this arrogant, I will definitely teach them a lesson!
Seeing that things were almost settled, Ji Wushang stepped forward and said, "We should always strive for harmony. What happened just now was indeed unexpected. We should get a doctor to take a look as soon as possible. I also bear some responsibility for Hao'er's fall; I'm truly sorry." Ji Wushang apologized politely, then said, "Zhu'er, go see him. Has the doctor arrived?"
"The doctor is here!" Just then, the doctor, carrying his medicine box, was led up by Xian'er. Ji Wushang stepped forward and said, "Doctor, please take a look at Hao'er quickly."
Aunt Liu's resentment slowly subsided after seeing Ji Wushang first have the doctor examine Nan Qing's injuries. However, Aunt Leng was furious. "Doctor, quickly look at my face! It hurts so much!"
Ji Wushang sneered inwardly, "It would be best if she left a scar, so that your Aunt Leng could stop pretending to be so noble!"
The doctor was in a dilemma, but decided to check on Nan Qing first, since it was a small child who had fallen and hurt his knee, and they needed to be careful.
Ji Wushang's lips curled into a slight smile, which vanished instantly as he looked at the doctor with concern. "How is he?"
The doctor said, "It's nothing serious. Just make sure to rest in bed for a few days, don't move around too much, don't walk or jump, and pay attention to your diet, otherwise you'll have abrasions."
"Thank you, doctor!" Aunt Liu nodded. Damn it, she'd made Hao'er bedridden for days! He couldn't move or jump. She would definitely avenge this!
Ji Wushang nodded, "That's good, thank you for your help, doctor."
"Why are you making such a fuss over such a small thing!" Aunt Leng sneered. "Doctor, come and look at my face!"
Ji Wushang looked slightly embarrassed; these two were really fiercely competing! But he still politely invited the doctor to examine Aunt Leng, saying, "Please take a look at Aunt Leng's face." He needed to play his part convincingly!
"Shameless thing, why are you even looking at my face!" Aunt Liu said angrily. "Alright, let's go! Doctor, you'd better watch over my good boy carefully, or you'll regret it!"
"You! You! You little brat, Liu Yanyan! Just you wait and see!" Aunt Leng pointed her finger at Aunt Liu in anger. This shameless woman dared to call her shameless! She was nothing but a courtesan! What was she anyway! How dare she call herself a shameless thing! "You are the one who is even more shameless, with your beautiful arms that everyone wants to sleep with! You don't even know how many men you've slept with! That's what's truly shameless!" Aunt Leng shouted without restraint, her words becoming increasingly vicious.
Aunt Liu's face turned pale as she listened. Yes, she came from a brothel, but she sold her art, not her body. Everyone in the capital knew that! But in the end, the brothel was shut down, and she was sold off cheaply, which is why she was bought by Second Master Hou, Nan Aoyu, to be his concubine!
She digs into her own sore spots like that; she deserves to die!
Aunt Liu flung Nan Qinghao's hand away and almost pounced on Aunt Leng, tearing at her hair. "I'm going to kill you! How dare you pin this on me! I'm going to kill you!"
Aunt Leng was already angry, and when she saw Leng twisting and pulling her hair like that, she went crazy and started wrestling with her.
Aunt Dou was surprised, and the young ladies next to her immediately stepped forward, intending to separate the two who were tearing each other apart, but it turned into them all joining in the fight.
Ji Wushang immediately sent someone to summon the Marquis and the Second Master.
"Stop fighting! Stop it now!" Ji Wushang was pacing anxiously, but dared not step forward. At this moment, Nan Jinxue, who was just strolling through the courtyard, heard the screams and shouts and rushed over, yelling, "Stop it, all of you!"
Hearing that it was Nan Jinxue's voice, everyone had no choice but to stop. Aunt Liu and Aunt Leng were taken aback for a moment but did not separate. Seeing that it was Nan Jinxue, both of them were disdainful. Aunt Zhao had already lost favor and power, so what was Nan Jinxue? Let him take care of his own marquisate!
Ji Wushang, recognizing Nan Jinxue, said anxiously, "Second brother, quickly make them stop!"
Nan Jinxue looked at them helplessly, "Let them fight!"
Just as the two were about to fight again, a loud shout rang out, "Rebellion! What are you doing!" Aunt Leng and Aunt Liu saw that it was the Marquis and the Second Master, and immediately stopped.
Ji Wushang immediately stepped forward, "Father, Second Uncle!"
The Marquis was extremely unhappy, glaring at them angrily, "You've all disgraced the Marquis's manor!"
The second master glared angrily at Aunt Liu, "How could you do such a thing with her!"
Aunt Liu looked at the Second Master, her heart ached, and tears streamed down her face. "She insulted me!"
Aunt Leng was also indignant, pointing at Aunt Liu, "That shameless woman called me shameless!"
With a "slap," the Marquis slapped Aunt Leng across the face, and Aunt Leng didn't react for a long time.
This play was absolutely fantastic!
☆、179 Zhenbei Prince's Mansion
Aunt Leng looked at the Marquis with teary eyes, "You, you, you actually hit me! She was in the wrong first!"
"Outrageous!" The Marquis glared angrily at Consort Leng. "This is ridiculous! You're not a child anymore, how can you behave like this in front of outsiders!" Consort Leng wasn't his woman, and he didn't have the power to deal with her. He believed that his younger brother, Nan Aoyu, would naturally teach her a lesson!
I never expected that these girls would fight here. If word gets out, will the Marquis's mansion still be able to hold its head high in the capital?
Nan Aoyu glared angrily at Aunt Liu, "How could there be a dispute!" He was about to slap her when his own brother slapped his concubine. If he didn't slap Aunt Liu as a show of it, how could he live with himself?
As the slap was about to fall, Aunt Liu suddenly knelt down in front of Nan Aoyu and cried out, "Go ahead and hit me! It would be even better if you killed me! I wouldn't have to suffer like this! Why did you marry me! I'm constantly being pointed at, scolded, and beaten. How can I have the face to live in this world?" She stared defiantly at Nan Aoyu as she spoke.
Seeing that Nan Aoyu was about to hit Aunt Liu, Nan Qinghao immediately rushed over, ignoring the scrapes on his knees. "Father, it's not Aunt's fault. If you want to hit someone, hit me instead!" he said, and then lay on top of Aunt Liu to block her from being hit.
Nan Aoyu was furious, but seeing her good son speak like this, and hearing what Aunt Liu had just said, was it possible that the Leng family was using Liu Yanyan's background to their advantage again? It was truly hateful. Whether she was innocent or not, she should verify it herself. Did she have to let others say it?
"Get up!" Nan Aoyu's anger subsided slightly, and then she helped the two of them up.
The young ladies, seeing that they dared not come forward, stood to one side, as did Ji Wushang. He figured it was best to let them handle things themselves; he had already done so much, and today he considered his mission accomplished!
Back in my past life, I never understood why the second branch of the family lived together in this Marquis's mansion. I didn't dare ask back then, and these concubines often ganged up on me! These wolves, I'll deal with them here for now! Let them fight amongst themselves! Watching them fight to the death, know that this is just the beginning!
Nan Jinxue's gaze fell on Ji Wushang. He stared at Ji Wushang for a long time, but Ji Wushang ignored him, as if he were invisible. Just then, the Marquis stepped forward, "Jinxue!"
"Father!" Nan Jinxue stepped forward at this moment.
"What did you just say? Let them keep hitting each other? What kind of son are you?" the Marquis roared. "Go, kneel in the Buddhist hall, and you won't get any food tonight!" He pointed in the direction of the Buddhist hall.