The tense confrontation ended in a farce. Marquis Dingyuan had no choice but to order Zhao Jingyu and Xie Nanjia to apologize to Qin.
Qin felt wronged and refused to compromise. She insisted on having everyone be beaten with ten sticks before she could feel relieved.
How could Marquis Dingyuan dare to let Zhao Jingyu get beaten? He pleaded for him with kind words, asking Qin to be more tolerant and not to bother with a child.
Qin said, "Anyway, in your eyes, I am a very petty person. If that's the case, why should I put myself in a difficult position and pretend to be magnanimous? This beating is not only for my own sake, but also to serve as a warning to others. No matter what the Marquis says, I will beat him!"
Marquis Dingyuan had nothing to say and could only obey her. After all, she was the mistress of a mansion. If she lost face, she would naturally find ways to get it back. If he suppressed it now, she would inevitably resort to trickery elsewhere. In that case, it would be better to do it under his nose so that the executioner could be lenient for his sake.
Xie Nanjia felt very sorry for causing Zhao Jingyu to be beaten. Zhao Jingyu was such a proud person, but she felt uncomfortable just thinking about how he was going to be spanked in public.
"Madam, the Second Young Master bumped into you because of me. I am willing to take the punishment on his behalf. Please, Madam, spare him!" She knelt on the ground and begged Qin.
Qin said with a gloomy face: "You take yourself too seriously. How can a lowly servant be qualified to take punishment on behalf of the master? If you say anything more, each of you will be punished with ten more strokes of the cane!"
Two maids came over, grabbed Xie Nanjia and tried to push her onto the bench.
"Wait a minute!" Zhao Jingyu suddenly said, "I have something to say to mother. It won't be too late for mother to decide whether to punish me after she hears it."
He was always scheming, and Qin was worried that he would say something unfavorable to her, so she rejected him coldly: "I don't want to hear anything now. If you have anything to say, wait until the punishment is over!"
After saying this, he quickly waved his hand, signaling the old woman and guards to carry out the execution quickly.
"Let's see who dares to move!" Zhao Jingyu shouted angrily, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
The old woman and the guards were shocked by him and dared not move.
Zhao Jingyu snorted coldly and walked up to Qin: "Mother, you have to listen to what I say today, whether you want to or not!"
Qin stepped back subconsciously.
Zhao Jingyu didn't give her a chance and quickly whispered something in her ear.
Qin's body froze and her expression changed.
Everyone fell silent and looked at the two of them.
Zhao Jingyu said a few more words, took two steps back, bowed with a smile and said: "Mother, I sincerely apologize to you, please have mercy on me and forgive me this time. I really won't dare to do it again next time."
Qin clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and squeezed out three words from between her teeth: "Go!"
Everyone was surprised. The lady had just said that the fight had to be fought, so why did the second young master let him go after just a few words
Could it be that the Second Young Master has some leverage over me
"Thank you, mother, for your kindness!" Zhao Jingyu bowed again, turned around with a smile on his face, strode up to Xie Nanjia, waved away the two old women who were holding her, pulled her up from the ground, and walked away.
Everyone: “…”
In any case, Marquis Dingyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Zhao Jingyu was not beaten, everything would be fine. Otherwise, he would probably have to take off his official hat and go to the emperor to apologize.
Xie Nanjia was held by Zhao Jingyu's hand as they stumbled out of Yixin Courtyard, panting and saying, "Second Young Master, please walk slower. I can't keep up."
"If you walk too slowly, you'll get spanked." Zhao Jingyu kept walking forward as if he had the wind. "My wife was frightened by me for a moment. By the time she reacts, we'll be done for."
"What did you say to her?" Xie Nanjia asked.
"Keep it secret!" Zhao Jingyu said mysteriously.
Xie Nanjia: “…”
"Aren't you investigating the cause of death of the Crown Prince's wife? The Marquis was here just now, why didn't you take the opportunity to expose the Qin aunt and nephew?" Zhao Jingyu asked her in return.
"Keep it secret!" Xie Nanjia followed suit.
Zhao Jingyu glared at her, raised his hand and slapped her on the head: "Don't keep it a secret, tell me now."
"..." Xie Nanjia pouted and rubbed her forehead, "Why don't you say anything?"
"You want to compete with me?" Zhao Jingyu glared, "I can save you, but can you save me?"
Xie Nanjia: “…”
"Hurry up and tell me!" Zhao Jingyu urged.
Xie Nanjia looked around and whispered, "She poisoned Hualou. If I expose her, I won't be able to get the antidote, and Hualou will die."
Zhao Jingyu raised her eyebrows slightly and said in surprise: "As expected of the Marquis' wife, you have quite a few tricks."
"So, I can only compromise with her now." Xie Nanjia said.
"You're compromising already?" Zhao Jingyu said jokingly, "This is not like your character."
"If I were the one poisoned, I would not compromise, but Hualou cannot. I cannot gamble with her life." Xie Nanjia said.
"So, you still lied." Zhao Jingyu said.
"What lie?" Xie Nanjia asked.
"Your identity." Zhao Jingyu said, "You are definitely not just a little girl on the farm. If you were entrusted by Xie Nanfeng only after arriving at the Marquis' Mansion, it is impossible for you to have such deep feelings for Hualou, so deep that you would rather die than let Hualou die."
"Shh, keep your voice down!" Xie Nanjia hurriedly covered his mouth.
Zhao Jingyu grabbed her hand, put it on her lips and kissed it, then said with a wicked smile: "This is my territory, why should I keep my voice down?"
"Huh?" Xie Nanjia looked around in surprise. She didn't even realize when she walked into the west wing.
Zhao Jingyu smiled with her peach blossom eyes: "It shows how much you admire me. You were so obsessed with me that you didn't even notice where I took you."
"..." Xie Nanjia's face immediately turned red, "You're talking nonsense, I didn't..."
"Even though he doesn't admit it, maybe he's really eager to go with me!" Zhao Jingyu teased.
"You..." Xie Nanjia became angry and punched him.
Zhao Jingyu dodged swiftly and made a face at her: "Ah, I didn't hit you!"
Xie Nanjia was so angry that he raised his hand and hit him again.
Zhao Jingyu dodged again, walking backwards into the garden while shouting, "I can't hit you, I can't hit you..."
"Stop right there!" Xie Nanjia chased after him angrily.
The two of them started playing and chasing each other in the garden like childish children.
The servants in the west wing heard the noise and ran out to see what was happening. They were so shocked by the scene that they could not close their mouths.
Oh my god!
Is that the second young master
Is that our handsome, charming and stunning second young master
Why is the Second Young Master teasing the little girl
Look at the way he's laughing, like a fool. Could he be possessed by an evil spirit
Oh my god! Oh my god! Why did they kiss
The maids and servants covered their eyes and peeked through their fingers, only to see the Second Young Master suddenly open his arms and hug Xiu'er tightly, then press her against a tree and kiss her on the back of her head...
Oh my god! It's in broad daylight. How embarrassing!
Everyone felt embarrassed for the Second Young Master while watching with great interest.
The second young master was so devoted that he didn't even know he was being watched by the servants. He held the beauty in his arms and kissed her passionately and attentively.
Xie Nanjia was caught off guard at first and struggled desperately, but with Zhao Jingyu's gentle and domineering attack, her heart gradually fell. An unprecedented desire filled her heart. She closed her eyes involuntarily and put her arms around Zhao Jingyu's waist.
Zhao Jingyu sensed her change and responded with a more intense attack.
Due to the huge height difference, Xie Nanjia had to look up to cooperate with him. Suddenly, something cold fell from the sky and landed on her eyelashes. She suddenly woke up and pushed Zhao Jingyu away with a red face.
Zhao Jingyu was breathing slightly, her thin lips were rosy, and her pair of peach blossom eyes were filled with boundless spring color, which was so touching.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse with emotion.
Xie Nanjia blushed and looked up at the sky, whispering, "It's snowing."
Zhao Jingyu was stunned and looked up at the sky. Sure enough, he saw large and small snowflakes falling down.
"When I kiss you, even God will throw flowers to celebrate," he said jokingly.
Xie Nanjia's face turned red again: "Stop being so conceited, God couldn't stand it anymore and sent snow to freeze you!"
"I'm not cold." Zhao Jingyu grabbed her hand and held it in his arms. "Feel it, it's very warm."
Xie Nanjia quickly pulled her hand out and said coquettishly, "Who wants to touch you, you playboy!"
Zhao Jingyu laughed loudly and took her hand again: "Let's go, accompany the prodigal son to visit the garden and enjoy the snow."
"I'm not going!" Xie Nanjia said, "I want to go back to see the painting building."
"With the Marquis here, there's no need for you." Zhao Jingyu said, "Don't go and spoil the fun."
Xie Nanjia: "... Kehualou was poisoned."
"Don't be afraid, I'll ask Hu Qianshan to detoxify her later." Zhao Jingyu comforted.
Xie Nanjia's eyes lit up: "Really? Hu Qianshan can solve it?"
"There is no poison in this world that he cannot cure." Zhao Jingyu said.
"Really?" Xie Nanjia was still a little worried.
Zhao Jingyu's face turned serious: "If you keep nagging, I won't care about her anymore."
Xie Nanjia: "...Okay, I won't say anything."
"That's better." Zhao Jingyu snorted, "Don't think about others all day long. I have something important to tell you."
"What's the matter?" Xie Nanjia asked.
Zhao Jingyu thought about it for a while and said, "I plan to find you a capable father!"
Xie Nanjia was stunned and looked at him in confusion: "What do you mean, you are not my mother, why are you looking for a father for me?"
Zhao Jingyu almost choked to death.
Silly girl, you are such a blockhead!
"Didn't you say last time that you didn't want to be a concubine? I'll find you a daughter from a good family, so you don't have to worry about the disparity in our statuses." He explained patiently.
Xie Nanjia blinked, and blinked again, thinking to herself, I was just saying that to fool you, I was just talking nonsense, why did you take it seriously
Of course, given Zhao Jingyu's temper, she didn't dare admit that she was talking nonsense. After thinking for a moment, she declined politely, "Forget it. I can't leave the Marquis' Mansion. I have to stay with the young master."
"Why do you always keep watching over him? He is not your son." Zhao Jingyu frowned unhappily.
Xie Nanjia: “…”
"Then tell me, what kind of family did you find for me?" she asked with a smile.
"Duke Zhenguo Mansion." Zhao Jingyu leaned close to her ear and spoke word by word, "As long as you are willing, the young Duke is your father and the young lady is your mother."
"..." Xie Nanjia was speechless again.
The young duke is her uncle, and the young lady is her aunt. After all the fuss, Zhao Jingyu actually set her sights on her uncle and aunt, wanting her to fill the gap of her lost little cousin.
He really dares to think!
But then again, if she could really recognize her uncle and aunt as her parents, wouldn't she be able to go to the general's mansion anytime and anywhere under the pretext of visiting relatives
In this way, she can not only honor her aunt on behalf of her missing cousin, but also be close to her mother as a niece. As for her son, if Zhao Jingyu is really willing to marry her, she doesn't mind making some sacrifices and remarrying. In this way, she can be with all her relatives with a legitimate reason and no longer have to go to great lengths to conceal her identity.
only…
She looked at Zhao Jingyu with mixed feelings. This guy was bad, annoying, but he was really good-looking. But when she thought of their relationship in their previous life, she felt indescribable discomfort. Wasn't it too ridiculous to marry her former brother-in-law
Most importantly, is he sincere? Can he really pull it off
"I heard that the old Duke is a stubborn old man. Although the young Duke is now in charge of the Duke's Mansion, the old Duke still has to make the final decision on major issues. Are you sure you can convince him?" she asked Zhao Jingyu.
Zhao Jingyu was stunned at first, then she smiled like a flower: "So, you agree, right?"
Xie Nanjia said: "It doesn't matter whether I agree or not, the key is the old Duke."
"Don't worry about it. As long as you agree, I will get it done at the risk of my life." Zhao Jingyu patted his chest and promised.
Xie Nanjia bit her lower lip and said vaguely: "Then go and try it!"
"Really? Did I hear it right? You agreed?" Zhao Jingyu asked repeatedly, reaching out and pinching her face.
"Hiss!" Xie Nanjia pushed him away with a stern face, "What are you doing?"
Zhao Jingyu chuckled and said, "Let me see if I'm dreaming. Since you feel pain, it's not a dream."
"..." Xie Nanjia rolled her eyes at him and said seriously, "There are countless girls in Beijing who want to marry you, why did you choose me?"
Zhao Jingyu stopped laughing and looked at her seriously. After a while, he shook his head and said, "This is a huge secret. I can't tell you now. I will tell you when the time is right."
Xie Nanjia couldn't understand how his secret was related to her, but when he said this, his expression was very solemn and he didn't seem to be joking at all, so she couldn't help but choose to believe him.
The snow gradually got heavier, like a white gauze curtain covering the world and covering them as well.
…
Xie Nanjia's mind was not fully clear until she left the west wing. She walked towards Sijin Courtyard with one foot deep and one foot shallow. She felt like she was walking in an illusion. Everything that had just happened was like a dream, and she had given herself away in a daze in the dream.
She was not sure whether her decision was right or wrong, but she knew that she had to speed up the implementation of her plan, take revenge before leaving the Marquis' Mansion, remove all obstacles that were unfavorable to her son, and create a safe and quiet environment for her son to grow up in, so that she could leave with peace of mind.
She will come back eventually though.
This first snow fell intermittently for two days. The sudden cold weather kept people indoors, and they didn't dare go out unless it was something serious.
At this time of year in previous years, Zhao Jingyu would usually drink around the fire with a bunch of friends, or go out to the suburbs to enjoy the snow and plum blossoms. But this year he suddenly became very busy and elusive, and even his best brother Cheng Zhiye couldn't find him.
On the third day, the snow finally stopped, the clouds and fog dissipated, the sky cleared, and a red sun shone on the white snow, making the entire capital city seem like a dream.
After Zhao Jingyu parted with Xie Nanjia that day, he took Wei Jun to Hu Qianshan's secret residence in the suburbs of Beijing in the snow. It took him two days of coaxing and persuading Hu Qianshan to return to Beijing to diagnose Hualou's pulse and detoxify him. When he left, he also stole the ancient sword of the Western Zhou Dynasty that Hu Qianshan had treasured for many years.
In the evening, the three of them entered the city under the cover of darkness. Zhao Jingyu asked Wei Jun to send Hu Qianshan back to the Marquis' Mansion first, and he went directly to see Minister Cheng. He gave Minister Cheng the ancient sword that he had carried with him all the way, and ordered Minister Cheng to take the sword to visit the old Duke immediately.
Minister Cheng took the sword and examined it carefully, then he sighed, "It is indeed a good sword, but it is a pity that the old Duke may not be lucky enough to own it."
Zhao Jingyu was shocked when he heard this: "What do you mean, could it be that the old Duke has passed away?"
"That's not the case." Minister Cheng looked at him with a complicated expression, "Just yesterday, the old Duke's granddaughter was found."
"What?" Zhao Jingyu stood up suddenly and said in shock, "What did you say? Say it again!"
(End of this chapter)