Suddenly, Zhou Muxuan heard some voices coming from halfway up the artificial hill. It was possible that some maids and servants, unaware that there were people at the Sunrise Pavilion, had come over here to whisper.
"Yue'er, what happened to your arm?" In wealthy families, the common way masters punish servants is by hitting their arms, or by pricking them with needles or thorns, causing them pain without letting others notice.
"No, it's nothing."
"It must have been the young lady who did it again, right?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Muxuan was greatly surprised, and the wine seemed to have sobered him up halfway.
"Stop talking."
"Look at this, heavens! How come there are so many whip marks and needle marks! I never expected that the usually intelligent, generous, and virtuous young lady would resort to such despicable means! What wrong have you done?"
"No, that's right. I'm telling you, but don't tell anyone else. The eldest young lady likes to mistreat us in the courtyard all the time. Today, I accidentally broke the newly arrived peony bonsai, and she... and she just... And now, the matriarch gave the eldest and second young ladies the same jade bracelets. How could the eldest young lady not be angry? This is about respecting elders and juniors. The eldest young lady is angry, and she's taking it out on me! Waaah!"
"How could you do this, young lady?"
"You know perfectly well that the old nanny in the kitchen was already given twenty strokes of the cane, and she's still half-dead!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Muxuan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to his heart. This young lady had just thought that she was kind to others and got along very well with her sisters. He never expected that she would be so cruel to her servants!
☆、053 Clever? Too clever for one's own good!
"You're the young lady's head maid! How could you be beaten like this!"
"Keep your voice down! Isn't it Young Master Zhou and Madam Zhou who came to the manor to discuss marriage today? Miss is very happy! Marrying Young Master Zhou is exactly what Miss wants! With Miss's methods, she will definitely make the servants of the Zhou manor obedient, and Young Master Zhou won't have a single concubine! I am Miss's head maid, so naturally I will be going to the Zhou manor as part of the dowry. Wherever there is, we will be in charge."
"So that's how it is. I never imagined that the young lady would be such a person."
"Of course, but hey, don't tell anyone what I told you! Otherwise I'll be in big trouble!"
"Yeah, you know I keep quiet."
"What, you don't have to work?" Unexpectedly, a scolding voice came from afar, startling the two maids so much that they immediately trembled.
"Quickly! Butler Xue!"
Immediately following was a series of footsteps.
Zhou Muxuan listened, his brows furrowing even more. He hadn't expected the young lady to be such a person, punishing servants in such a way. This didn't seem like a fabrication; everything the two maids said was what he knew. The fact that things were broken and people were punished was something that happened within her Xinyuan Garden, which he naturally wouldn't know about. But listening to the two maids, it was clearly true. No head maid would tarnish her mistress's reputation, would she? Ji Wushang wanted to marry him, but it wasn't happening yet; she certainly wouldn't have someone ruin her reputation. Thinking about it this way, Ji Wushang must be a spoiled and unreasonable person.
"Once she's brought home, there won't be a single day of peace." Zhou Muxuan was filled with remorse. He hadn't expected to almost misjudge her, marrying a shrew. How could he possibly take a concubine? How could he face Changyi, who had been waiting so patiently for him? Changyi was so kind; she might very well be the one to kill him in the future!
Besides, he had already conceded a step. If he didn't marry a gentle and obedient wife, what right would he have to speak? This young lady, although a suitable match in terms of social standing, was absolutely unacceptable. Even if his mother was satisfied, he would still refuse. Although he couldn't reveal her mistreatment of servants and ruin her reputation, he still needed to find another woman.
Zhou Muxuan's mind raced as he poured himself a full glass of wine, drank it down, and was just about to get up and talk to Madam Zhou to see if there was any way to change the situation when he unexpectedly heard a sweet, coquettish voice, "Cousin Zhou?"
Zhou Muxuan nodded when he saw that it was Ji Wuxia. "Fourth cousin." He was even more puzzled when he saw that she did not have a maid with her, but he did not dare to ask.
"I'm looking for my older brother! Can you see him?" Ji Wuxia looked at the handsome Zhou Muxuan with a shy expression.
Zhou Muxuan frowned, not wanting to get too involved with these people, and said, "I'm so sorry, my cousin thought I was drunk, so he went down the artificial hill to call for me, but I didn't expect him to still be here."
"Oh, I see." Ji Wuxia said, and sat down opposite Zhou Muxuan. "Can I sit down? I'm so tired after climbing the artificial hill."
“This… is fine.” Zhou Muxuan hesitated. It wasn’t very appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together here, but what she said made perfect sense, and he couldn’t refuse.
Ji Wuxia had changed into a pink floral dress with twin lotus blossoms, a lotus-colored jacket with gold and orchid trim, and a sachet hanging from her waist, giving off a fragrance that could be smelled from afar. The ribbon tied around her waist fluttered in the wind, making Ji Wuxia appear even more like a well-bred young lady.
She applied some foundation, which made her already doll-like face even more playful and cute. The gold hairpin in her hair made her hairstyle look beautiful and smooth.
“Your older cousin should be down there. You can go and find him,” Zhou Muxuan said to Ji Wuxia.
"Didn't you say he was going to call a maid? I'll wait here." Ji Wuxia said with innocent eyes, but when she looked down at the wine jugs in front of her, she was immediately surprised. "How come my cousin has drunk so much wine?"
"It's alright. Wine and meat pass through the intestines." With that, Zhou Muxuan elegantly poured himself another glass of wine and then downed it.
This made Ji Wuxia think that this man was not only well-educated and of good character, but also knew how to enjoy life. Watching his elegant drinking gestures captivated her. She became even more determined to win this cousin's heart. Who said a concubine's daughter couldn't marry a legitimate son? Today, she would make an exception!
"Cousin, is something on your mind? Perhaps you could share it with Wu Xia?" Ji Wu Xia asked.
"It's alright. My eldest cousin is engaged, and it'll be your turn soon, you sisters, haha." Zhou Muxuan gave a wry smile.
Upon hearing this, Ji Wuxia felt a surge of displeasure. Was he referring to her older sister marrying him? Did he not like her either? That's perfect! I have an even better chance now!
"Oh, my eldest sister... is quite virtuous, my second sister is the smartest, as for me, my mother and aunts both say I'm a bit silly, my third sister is quiet, the three of us are not far apart in age, only my fifth sister is still young!"
Zhou Muxuan listened, her worries growing. "More virtuous"—what did she mean by "more"? Why did she hesitate before speaking? Wasn't that uncertainty? Was she afraid of badmouthing her older sister? Sigh!
"Fourth cousin, you're joking. How are you silly? I find you extremely cute and lovable!" Zhou Muxuan said when she belittled him.
"Thank you for the compliment, cousin." Ji Wuxia was delighted and immediately expressed her gratitude.
Zhou Muxuan, seeing the time approaching, couldn't sit still any longer, so he stood up and said, "Fourth cousin, please wait here for a moment, I'll take my leave now." With that, he cupped his hands in greeting.
Unexpectedly, Ji Wuxia suddenly screamed, "Ah! A bug! I'm terrified of bugs!" With that, she lunged at Zhou Muxuan, who instinctively caught her. He was about to ask where the bug was and what kind it was when Ji Wuxia tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, crying, "Quick! Get it away! It's disgusting..."
Zhou Muxuan was taken aback. Men and women shouldn't touch each other like that, so why was she wrapping her arms around his neck? He immediately tried to pull Ji Wuxia's arms away, but unexpectedly, a loud shout rang out behind him, "How dare you! You're bullying Fourth Sister!"
Zhou Muxuan's face turned pale instantly. He quickly separated himself from Ji Wuxia, only to see Ji Tiankui standing in front of him. Ji Tiankui was tall and strong, and at this moment he was furious, as if he wanted to tear Zhou Muxuan to pieces.
Ji Tiankui originally intended to go downstairs to call a maid to help Zhou Muxuan return to the courtyard to sober up, but unexpectedly, he was called away by Ji Dingbei. When he returned to call the maid, he stumbled upon this scene!
The two men's actions were undeniably ambiguous, especially with so many servants watching.
"Big brother, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Just now, fourth cousin said there were bugs and got scared, so... that's why..."
"Insects? Where are the insects?" Ji Tiankui's voice boomed like a bell, making Zhou Muxuan's head buzz. "How come I didn't see them? Do you think I'm stupid? Just because there are insects doesn't mean you can hug Fourth Sister? If you did it, you should admit it! Are you even a man?" After saying that, he turned to look at Ji Wuxia, and seeing that she was keeping her head down and not speaking, he said, "Fourth Sister, you just watch carefully. If he bullies you, your eldest brother will make you get justice!"
The maids watching were all whispering amongst themselves. They never expected such a thing to happen in the Sunrise Pavilion, and what was even more unexpected was that Young Master Zhou was such a person! Or perhaps, Young Master Zhou was dissatisfied with the eldest young lady's marriage and preferred the fourth young lady? The maids were all discussing this amongst themselves.
Seeing this, Ji Wuxia burst into tears, "Big brother, no, it's not like that, this has nothing to do with my cousin."
Zhou Muxuan looked at Ji Wuxia crying, and then at the maids and servants watching the show around him. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. How should this matter be resolved?
Although he hadn't actually done anything wrong, being seen hugging and cuddling by so many people was unbelievable. No one would believe that the two were innocent... The worst fear was that rumors of a secret rendezvous would spread... Zhou Muxuan broke out in a cold sweat.
Ji Tiankui glared angrily at the maids and servants around him, and they immediately fell silent. Ji Tiankui said, "No one is allowed to talk about what happened at the Sunrise Pavilion today. Anyone who does will be punished according to the clan law!"
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this, considering it merely a scandalous affair of the Ji family.
Ji Tiankui dismissed them and then angrily said, "Zhou Muxuan, if you like my fourth sister, you should talk to our parents and elders. My fourth sister isn't bad at all. Any young lady in the General's Mansion could be a good match for you, right? Now you're doing this in broad daylight, ruining my fourth sister's reputation. How is she supposed to face people in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Muxuan's palms were sweaty. "I...I didn't..."
"What do you mean 'not'? Father just called me and said he'd take you to talk to him. Come with me now! We'll talk to Father!" Ji Tiankui was a martial arts master and a general, so he was naturally a bit rough around the edges. Right now, he was getting agitated about his two younger sisters' marriages.
"Brother, it really wasn't what you thought just now. My cousin and I are innocent. Let's not go to Father's place! It will make things difficult for my cousin, and I... I'll be too ashamed to face anyone! How about... how about we become nuns at the Yuanyue Nunnery! Waaah!"
Upon hearing Ji Wuxia's words, Ji Tiankui became even angrier and grabbed Zhou Muxuan, preventing him from leaving. Zhou Muxuan, seeing Ji Wuxia crying like this, felt frustrated but unable to express his feelings.
"Come on, for the sake of both families' reputations, hurry up and explain to Father! Otherwise, hmph!" Ji Tiankui clenched his fist, and Zhou Muxuan could only lament that he had been unlucky for eight hundred lifetimes.
So the three of them went to Ji Dingbei's place together.
Ji Wushang was embroidering when Yue'er rushed in. Ji Wushang accidentally pricked her index finger with the needle.
"Miss." Yue'er saw this and immediately came up.
"I'm fine." Ji Wushang pinched his fingers and sucked on them before asking, "How are you? What happened?"
"And everything has been taken care of." Seeing that her finger was fine, Yue'er immediately added, "That means Young Master Zhou has definitely given up the idea of marrying you. Miss, you can rest assured."
Ji Wushang nodded, finally relieved of one matter, but dared not relax. If she rejected Zhou Biao Gongzi, who knows which other young master would come to propose marriage... In this case, she still couldn't escape the fate of getting married.
But things are better now. At least I won't be getting married anytime soon, and I won't have to get involved in other people's affairs. My cousin can go and marry whichever girl he likes. I can also stay home and take care of my mother for several more days. She's been taking her medicine on time these past few days, and her heart palpitations have almost completely subsided. I bought each dose of medicine myself, and the kind-hearted Granny Shi brewed it for her. Only in this way can there be hope.
The current situation is still quite good, which makes Ji Wushang much happier. He put away his embroidery and picked up his brush, intending to copy Buddhist scriptures. However, he saw the Diamond Sutra on the table and remembered the people he met in the Buddhist scripture building. Ji Wushang shook his head and decided that he would never get involved in the Jin Nan Marquis's mansion again.
Ji Wushang copied the Diamond Sutra once, and specifically asked Zhu'er, Xian'er, and Yue'er to help him dry the ink. Afterwards, he put it in a box, rewarded each of them with a purse, and also let them choose a piece of jewelry. The three maids were immediately moved to tears by Ji Wushang's gratitude. Ji Wushang then dismissed Xian'er and Yue'er to do some work, and took Zhu'er with him to visit the Old Madam Yuan.
They're probably discussing Zhou Muxuan's marriage to me right now, aren't they?
Sure enough, as soon as Ji Wushang arrived in the courtyard, she inquired with Granny Guo, who had just come out to change the tea. She learned that Madam Zhou and Madam Bei were still sitting in Madam Yuan's room, their expressions grave, as if they were discussing something serious. Ji Wushang thought for a moment, her heart also uneasy, and knew it wasn't the right time to go in. Granny Guo also told Ji Wushang to sit in the outer hall first. She went to make tea.
Ji Wushang watched as Granny Guo walked away, thought for a moment, and seeing that no one was around, decided to go closer to the curtain to listen.
"This is outrageous! I've only been back at the manor for a few days, and Wu Xia has already caused such a mess! Sigh, it's heartbreaking to see something like this happen." It was the voice of the matriarch, filled with helplessness and disbelief.
"It's a matter of concern for Aunt. In any case, it's a matter between the two younger generations. Mu Xuan still has to take responsibility for the reputation of the Fourth Miss. Originally, we were thinking of having the Eldest Miss marry into the family, but now that I think about it, the Fourth Miss is also a well-behaved girl. So let's change the marriage proposal to the Fourth Miss!" Madam Zhou sighed.
Madam Bei frowned. "Well, the Fourth Miss is, after all, a concubine's daughter, while Mu Xuan is a legitimate son. This isn't a good situation."
Madam Zhou listened without saying a word. It was indeed true. The Zhou family was a famous family, so how could a legitimate son marry a concubine's daughter as his legitimate wife?
"How about this, let the Fourth Miss be placed under Luo'er's name, and she will become the legitimate daughter," the Old Madam said after a long silence.
Ji Wushang listened intently, wondering what had happened. Wu Xia was going to marry Zhou Muxuan? She liked Zhou Muxuan? What on earth had happened?
Seeing that Granny Guo was about to enter the room from a distance, Ji Wushang immediately returned to his seat and sat down.
Granny Guo went inside to pour tea, then came out again to have Ji Wushang pour tea for her.
"Granny, Granny, what happened?" Ji Wushang tugged at Granny Guo's sleeve.
Granny Guo glanced inside the curtain, leaned closer, and whispered, "Young Master Zhou was secretly exchanging lessons with the Fourth Miss by the rockery! The Eldest Young Master and a group of maids and servants saw them and took them all to the Master..."
Upon hearing this, Ji Wushang was extremely surprised. Private instruction? Wasn't Zhou Muxuan involved because of that woman at the private school? How could he be secretly getting together with Ji Wuxia? Could it be Ji Wuxia? Was it because Young Master Zhou was present that she tried to steal the old lady's reward from him? This… she's too extreme! They were originally from unequal social classes, and if she liked him, there was nothing she could do. But she's actually disregarding her reputation just to marry Young Master Zhou? If all the maids and servants saw this, there would be a lot of gossip!
This is really going to be tough for her!
Ji Wushang took a deep breath, never expecting that what he wanted to refuse was what others actually wanted. He was truly speechless.
However, according to the old grandmother, the current suggestion is to have her adopted by her mother and become the legitimate daughter? This...
Well, she's destined to marry into that family anyway. She chose this path, so she has to bear the consequences. Even if she becomes the legitimate daughter and marries into the Zhou family, if Young Master Zhou wants to take concubines, she can't say anything. At most, her mother will look after her from behind!
Before long, Madam Zhou and Madam Bei came out, and Ji Wushang immediately bowed and greeted them. Madam Zhou looked at her with pity and even a hint of resentment in her eyes, while Madam Bei looked at her with the same expression, feeling so sorry for her that she couldn't speak.
Ji Wushang stepped forward to greet Madam Bei, then turned to Madam Zhou and said, "Aunt, why don't you sit down for a while longer?"
"No, thank you." Madam Zhou glanced at Ji Wushang, then turned her gaze to Madam Bei. "I'll go talk to Aunt Bai."
"Hmm." Madam Bei nodded, then asked Ji Wushang, "Wushang, what brings you here?"
“I copied some Buddhist scriptures to show my grandmother, and I also hope that they can be offered before the Buddha to bless the whole family.”
“Alright.” Madam Bei came over and pulled Ji Wusi, while Madam Zhou had already given a wink and left. Madam Bei held Ji Wushang’s hand and said, “Alas, there are some things I still need to tell you. I’m afraid your marriage will have to be put on hold for now.”
"Mother, don't say anymore." Ji Wushang knew what she wanted to say, but he felt neither heartache nor disappointment.
"Go and give the Buddhist scriptures to your grandmother! I'll go back first." Madam Bei's face clearly showed some sadness, and Ji Wushang felt heartache just looking at her. "Yes, Mother, take care."
Still feeling somewhat uneasy, Ji Wushang lifted the curtain and went inside. He saw that Madam Yuan was leaning against the large pillow, her eyes closed, seemingly asleep but not quite, as if she was deep in thought about something, or as if she was already fast asleep.