The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice left the Duke Mansion, giving a signal with his eyes to the follower behind him.
The follower then wandered onto the bustling street.
An acquaintance ca up and asked, "Where are you coming from?"
The follower told him about the case investigated at the Duke Zhen’s Mansion, where a maid was silenced after poisoning.
One person told ten, and ten told a hundred.
By the ti it reached Princess Nanzhang’s ears, the story had already changed.
Princess Nanzhang was furious when she heard it.
She slamd the table, glaring at the little maid who delivered the ssage, "Say it again!"
The maid trembled, "O-outside, they’re all saying it was you, Commandery Princess, who ordered the maid to poison the Eldest Young Master and Eldest Young Madam, and then killed to silence them..."
Princess Nanzhang, unstable with anger, gritted her teeth, "Call the Eldest Young Madam over here!"
The maid said softly with her head down, "The Eldest Young Madam has gone back to her family."
"What about the Eldest Young Master?!"
"The Eldest Young Master went with her."
Princess Nanzhang’s face turned purple with rage.
That bandit woman has only been married for a few days!
Has she ever quietly stayed at the Duke Mansion for a full day?!
Usually, the Eldest Young Master rarely goes out for even a few days, but now he’s inseparable from her!
Princess Nanzhang huffed in anger.
At this mont, the carriage just stopped in front of the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.
Xie Jingchen stood beside the carriage, ready to help Su Jin down.
Su Jin crawled out of the carriage, her hand just reaching out, but then her nose tickled, and she sneezed.
Xie Jingchen, "...!!!"
Su Jin’s nose felt relieved, while Xie Jingchen’s face turned as black as coal.
The gatekeeper servant at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion stifled his laughter until his face turned red.
Su Jin quickly took a handkerchief to wipe Xie Jingchen’s face, but he snatched it away.
Xie Jingchen walked to the side, no longer helping Su Jin.
Xingxing was busy moving things and couldn’t help her.
Then Su Jin just stood on the shaft of the carriage, not knowing what to do.
The gatekeeper servant was stunned.
The lady’s only been married a few days, and she’s already beco so reserved?
If it were before, she probably would have already run to the second gate by now.
Quickly coming over to help with a stool, Su Jin then got down.
Su Jin walked to the second gate.
A snow-white dog ca running towards her, upon seeing the dog, Xingxing was thrilled, "Miss, it’s Little Black!"
Su Jin, "...."
Xie Jingchen, "...."
The dog ran up and barked at Xie Jingchen.
Xie Jingchen, "...."
Even a dog at the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion holds hostility towards him.
Xingxing picked up Little Black, patting its head, "This is the son-in-law, he’s one of us, in the future, don’t bark at him, or else the Miss will cook you into soup."
Su Jin, "...."
Xie Jingchen, "...."
To his dismay, these words were very effective.
Little Black instantly beca well-behaved, as Xingxing put him down, he not only refrained from barking at Xie Jingchen but also circled around him, licking his brocade robe to show welco.
Xie Jingchen was speechless.
The dog on Qingyun Mountain has turned into an essence.
Wherever Su Jin went, Little Black followed.
Su Jin curiously asked, "It’s clearly a white dog, why na it Little Black?"
"Little Black’s full na is Little Black Spot," Xingxing replied.
"...."
"Except for a fingernail-sized black spot on its front paw, the rest is white."
"...."
"Later on, sohow it just got called Little Black, now if you call it Little Black Spot, it doesn’t even react," Xingxing lanted.
"...."
As they walked along, Xingxing proudly said, "Little Black is aweso, it once bit the Left Minister."
Su Jin, "...."
Xie Jingchen, "...."
A bit curious now.
Su Jin asked, "Why did it bite the Left Minister?"
Xingxing recounted the story of how Little Black bit the Left Minister to Su Jin.
After Su Jin saved the Emperor, they were brought up Qingyun Mountain, and since they weren’t familiar, Little Black barked at the Emperor. Xingxing picked it up and, just like before, told Little Black not to bark at the Emperor, or it would be cooked into soup.
Later, the Left Minister wandered around Qingyun Mountain, observing the terrain.
Little Black barked at him.
The Left Minister threatened it, "Bark again, and I’ll cook you into soup."
For Su Jin and the rest, such threats worked, but for an outsider, that’s provocation.
It instantly infuriated Little Black.
And then—
The Left Minister was bitten.
"That day, the Emperor laughed happily."
"...."
"Miss, let’s bring Little Black to the Duke Mansion, and if we see anyone we don’t like, we’ll have Little Black bite them," Xingxing suggested.
"...."
Su Jin held her head.
The Duke Zhen Country Mansion isn’t the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, nor is it Qingyun Mountain.
If she really brought it into the mansion, her only maid would always have to stay by the dog’s side, lest soone snatches it to make soup.
Thinking that even following the dog isn’t safe, as she might be eliminated together, she might as well follow too.
Su Jin, "...."
"Once we fully take over Duke Zhen Country Mansion, we can bring Little Black," Su Jin hedged.
"Then Miss, you should hurry," Xingxing urged.
"...."
Xie Jingchen had black lines all over his face.
After walking a dozen or so steps, Su Jin saw Mrs. Tang coming out, and quickly went to et her.
"Why are you back?" Mrs. Tang asked with a smile.
"I heard the Marquis Mansion sent over a dozen bodies to the Ministry of Justice, I was worried, so I ca back to check. Where’s Father?" Su Jin asked.
"Your father went to the palace to file a complaint, no idea when he’ll be back," Mrs. Tang said with a laugh.
"...."
Xie Jingchen held his forehead.
Never seen soone talk about filing complaints so lightly.
Su Jin was surprised, "Mother, what’s actually happening?"
"It’s nothing big, last night, Duke Chong sent eighteen assassins to destroy our Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, none of them managed to leave alive, your father had the bodies taken to the Ministry of Justice to file a report, but the Ministry said there wasn’t enough evidence, your father was furious and went to the palace to complain," Mrs. Tang explained.
"Mother-in-law, are you sure the assassins were sent by Duke Chong?" Xie Jingchen asked.
"The assassins said as much themselves to make sure your father understood why he was dying."
"...."
In the end, the Dongxiang Marquis didn’t die, but all the assassins did.
Xie Jingchen was speechless.
Su Jin then said, "If the evidence is insufficient, the Emperor can’t do much for our Marquis Mansion."
"Your father knows, but it’s heard that when subjects suffer grievances, the Emperor usually gives so rewards as consolation. Your father waited a long ti but didn’t see any rewards coming. Worried that the Emperor might have forgotten, he went to the palace to remind him," Mrs. Tang said.
Su Jin, "...."
Xie Jingchen, "...."
Xie Jingchen looked at Su Jin.
The reminder from the mother-in-law could be understood as robbery?
Su Jin blinked.
Your understanding is completely correct.
Xie Jingchen felt a bit sympathetic for the Emperor.
Xingxing looked around and asked, "Madam, where’s the little young master? I haven’t seen him."
Su Jin rembered she has a brother and asked, "Yeah, where’s my brother?"
Mrs. Tang held her forehead.
"Your father won’t let Yangyang leave the mansion, he’s busy digging a dog hole now and doesn’t have ti for you."
"...."
"Take a walk around before you leave and don’t say I told you, your father has him digging where he made the wall several layers thicker, and your brother doesn’t know."
"...."
Su Jin went to see her poor brother.
Xie Jingchen followed her closely.
Surprisingly, Little Black didn’t follow them.
He actually stayed and circled around Xie Jingchen.
"At least you have so sense," Xie Jingchen said, relieved.
Suddenly it didn’t follow them out.
"Still a bit of conscience you have," Xie Jingchen said appreciatively.
Then Little Black suddenly ran in a circle around him, and his black spot was swaying with his movent...
Then it stuck out its tongue and licked the brocade robe again in welco.
Xie Jingchen was left speechless.
User Comments
0 comments from readers