Duke Chong’s Mansion.
After Duke Chong returned to the mansion on a soft sedan chair, he went directly to the study.
The Duchess was waiting for him in the study, and upon seeing him enter, she hurriedly asked, "Why did Marquis Dongxiang invite you?"
Sothing that shouldn’t have happened took place, and the Duchess was truly worried.
After all, Duke Chong had been tricked by Marquis Dongxiang too many tis.
Duke Chong sat down and said, "What could he want from ?"
"Is it really to save Uncle Wen Yuan’s Mansion?" the Duchess asked in surprise.
To them, this was truly surprising.
After all, Uncle Wen Yuan and his wife had sold Mrs. Tang for glory and wealth.
They even fed her sterility dicine, causing her to be unable to bear children for life.
Such a hatred—
If it were them, Uncle Wen Yuan would’ve died a hundred or eighty tis already.
Tang and Marquis Dongxiang were not incapable of taking revenge.
Destroying Uncle Wen Yuan was as easy as flipping a hand for them.
It was precisely because of this that Duke Chong’s mind exchanged thoughts, and he fell into the pit.
"The Dongxiang Marquis’s wife is Marquis Dongxiang’s weakness, and Uncle Wen Yuan’s Mansion is the Dongxiang Marquis’s wife’s weakness," Duke Chong’s eyes carried a smile.
Once a person has a weakness, there’s no fear they won’t lose.
The Duchess felt sowhat at ease.
As Duke Chong aid to eliminate Uncle Wen Yuan’s Mansion, the Duchess had no words of comfort.
Uncle Wen Yuan and Madam Wen Yuan were a pair of fools, and the daughter they bore was even dumber, tarnishing her daughter’s reputation, which could not be easily forgiven.
Just as the Duchess was about to speak, a white dove landed on the window.
Dark Guard Li Zhong caught the dove and handed the letter tied to its foot to Duke Chong for review.
Duke Chong opened the letter and, after just a glance, furrowed his brow.
"What happened?" the Duchess asked worriedly.
"Princess Jiuling escaped from Nanliang and is already within the borders of Daqi," Duke Chong said coldly.
Duke Chong handed the secret letter to the Duchess.
The letter ntioned not only Princess Jiuling but also Xie Jingchen.
The Duchess frowned, "How did she escape from Prince Jing’s Mansion?"
"Regardless of how she escaped, we cannot let them return to the Capital alive," Duke Chong’s voice was as cold as frost.
...
In the blink of an eye, Xie Jingchen had already left the Capital for half a month.
During this half month, apart from paying respects to the Princess Consort, Su Jin mostly stayed within the Agarwood Pavilion.
The sound of dicine pounding in the backyard had persisted for half a month.
Inside the bamboo house, Su Jin slled the new concoction of Rouge, fresh and elegant, refreshing the mind.
Xingxing looked at the table full of Rouge, eagerly staring at Su Jin and said, "Are you really going to give these away?"
Not to ntion anything else, just the color of this Rouge made her unable to part with it.
Su Jin set down the Rouge, chuckling lightly, "If I don’t give them away, how long will it take for to use all this?"
Besides, she didn’t particularly like using Rouge.
This body was only sixteen years old.
Well.
She had just turned sixteen before getting married.
Ever since her background was revealed and she learned that Consort Yun was her birth mother, she seed to have reversed in age, being nearly half a month short of sixteen.
To conceal from others, Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang advanced her birthday by half a year.
Perhaps not just to avoid public suspicion, since Su Jin’s birthday coincided with Consort Yun’s death anniversary.
One gave life, the other faced death.
On that day, should one be joyful or sorrowful?
It’s better to celebrate early and avoid distress.
Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang did their utmost to bring joy to Su Jin, keeping her away from sorrow.
Su Jin was only sixteen, at such an age, every frown and smile was full of charm, no need for Rouge to embellish further.
Outside, Bi Zhu entered and said, "Heir’s wife, the steward from the Beauty Pavilion sent soone to report that the pool has been cleaned and it can reopen anyti. They ask you to choose a date."
Letting Su Jin choose a date, wasn’t that making her guess blindly?
Xingxing ran back into the house and brought the old calendar she had torn and glued back together.
She flipped a few pages and said happily, "Miss, the day after tomorrow is a propitious day."
"The day after tomorrow is good; it’s the day when Prince NanAn Mansion sends the engagent gifts to Nanyang Marquis Mansion," Bi Zhu agreed.
"Then let’s go with the day after tomorrow," Su Jin said.
As Bi Zhu was about to go out and relay the ssage, Su Jin stopped her, saying, "Tell the Beauty Pavilion to put up a notice at the entrance. On the day the Beauty Pavilion was frightened, any noble ladies and young noblewon visiting the Beauty Pavilion within three days can receive a box of Rouge."
"There are many Rouge colors, first co, first served."
"And don’t forget to inform the Beauty Pavilion that this Rouge was handcrafted by our lady," Xingxing added.
"I have noted it," Bi Zhu nodded.
The next day, Su Jin let the Hidden Guard deliver the Rouge to the Beauty Pavilion.
On the third day, it happened to be the day the Beauty Pavilion reopened.
Having not left the mansion for more than half a month, Su Jin took the opportunity to go out, but she didn’t enter the Beauty Pavilion, observing it from a distance while sitting in the carriage.
All the koi in the Beauty Pavilion’s pond had been poisoned to death, and soone daringly took advantage of the chaos, costing a life.
The noble ladies and young noblewon were all sowhat frightened.
With the Beauty Pavilion reopening, there weren’t many people coming to visit initially.
However, many maids and young n ca; after half a month of closure, there was no soap in their mansions, and using acorns to bathe and wash clothes made them eagerly anticipate the Beauty Pavilion’s reopening.
Finally, it happened, so how could they not rush to buy?
Xingxing, being impatient, worried, "What if no one dares to enter the backyard?"
"The hour is still early," Su Jin said.
After a short while, Marchioness Jingguo and others arrived.
Gradually, the crowd grew.
Crowds thronged the entrance, a continuous stream of people.
Su Jin lowered the carriage curtain, and the Hidden Guard drove the carriage to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.
The front of the Marquis Mansion remained as serene as ever.
It was windy today, and Young Master Su and the others were flying kites.
The sounds of laughter traveled far.
Su Jin and Xingxing went directly to the backyard, and seeing Su Jin return, Mrs. Tang was delighted.
No one from Uncle Wen Yuan’s Mansion visited, nor did anyone ntion the mansion in front of Mrs. Tang, and with the "help" from Marquis Dongxiang, Mrs. Tang’s mood had returned to its usual state.
"I guessed you would co back today," Mrs. Tang said with a smile.
Su Jin linked arms with Mrs. Tang and said, "Mother, I haven’t returned in half a month. Is everything in the mansion well?"
"Everything is fine, except for your eldest sister-in-law," Mrs. Tang said.
Eldest sister-in-law?
Su Jin furrowed her eyebrows, "What exactly is your eldest sister-in-law afflicted with? Didn’t she get better after you checked her, but then she started feeling unwell again not long after?"
"I asked Doctor Li to see her, but she keeps refusing."
"I asked Hanhan to see her, but she shook her head, only saying it’s a minor ailnt that will get better in a few days. But I don’t see any improvent, and even if she did wish to see a doctor, she wouldn’t acknowledge it."
"Does she have a psychological shadow?"
"And there’s your brother too..."
"I’ll have to speak to him seriously today."
After walking around with Mrs. Tang for a while, Su Jin said, "Mother, I’ll go check on sister-in-law."
Insisting, Su Jin went with Xingxing until they reached the courtyard entrance, just as Su Chong erged.
Xie Chong imdiately turned and went back inside.
Su Jin dropped the curtain of the carriage, and the Hidden Guard drove the carriage to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.
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