NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43
Chapter 43: The Su Family’s Past Affairs 1 (Side Story)
During the 17th year of the Zhaoping Dynasty, Pan Lu, the capital’s Director of the Ministry of Revenue was impeached for accepting bribes. The emperor ordered a thorough investigation involving a large number of people. As the imperial merchant, the Ji Family was reported to have bribed Pan Lu. The Ji Manor’s head of the household, Ji Tianfeng was jailed, and the family business plummeted.
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Fuyang, Su Family.
In September, the morning was already cool. Early that morning, the First Mistress brought her four-year-old daughter Su Yuejiu and hurried into Juxiang Garden.
Su Wenqian, the master of the Su family, stayed in his Second Mistress Surin’s yard last night. As soon as he woke up, he brushed his teeth and listened to his attendants report the arrival of his first wife.
Surin was holding a cloth towel to wipe Su Wenqian’s face, and when she heard what he had to say, she looked down and smiled gently, her tone wry. “My lord only stayed with me for one night, and Sister is already here!”
Su Wenqian pinched her tender face and said with a smile, “Jingrou is not such a person. There must be something going on. Let’s go out and have a look!”
Surin smiled charmingly. “Yes, allow me to accompany you, my lord!”
As soon as they entered the flower hall, they saw the First Mistress walking in quickly with Yuejiu, looking a little pale. “My lord, I heard you were going to annul the marriage between Yuejiu and the Ji Manor. Is this true?”
Su Wenqian was stunned, and he turned and his gaze flickered. “I had to. My lady, you don’t have to interfere!”
“My lord!” The First Mistress took a step forward and looked straight at the man with dignified and quiet eyes. “We are friends with Ji Manor. When something happened to the Su family, they expended a lot of effort to help us. Only then could we leave Shengjing safely. Now that Ji Manor is in trouble, how can we do such an unjust thing?”
Su Wenqian frowned and murmured, “This is a matter that concerns the whole Su family. My lady, do not intervene, take Yuejiu and go back to the yard quickly!”
“Although I am a woman, I understand that we should be open and forthright, and must not be ungrateful!” The First Mistress’s tone was firm and resounding. “Now that Ji Manor is facing difficult times, even if we cannot help them as far away as we are in Fuyang, we cannot annul the marriage at this time. It would be adding insult to injury, and they would despise our cold-heartedness!”
“You…” Su Wenqian’s face paled and his frustration turned into anger.
“Sister!” Surin’s eyes turned serious and she stepped forward and smiled. “My lord is also thinking of the Su family. The Ji Manor is in a lawsuit and has offended the imperial court, unlike us in the past. We finally have some foundation in Fuyang. If we are implicated in the Ji Manor’s matters, I’m afraid this family will be destroyed.
“Moreover, Ji Manor has fallen, why would Sister let Yuejiu marry into Ji Manor only to bear hardships? Even if you do not think of the Su family, or for our Lord, you should think about Yuejiu!”
“I brought Yuejiu here today to let her know that one should not expect there to be such things without conscience, and they should not behave like rats… Desperate to live and afraid of death!”
The First Mistress sneered. “No matter what you think, I will take Yuejiu to Shengjing tomorrow, and we will tide over the difficulties with the Ji family! We must not annul this marriage. If my lord is afraid that we will even implicate the Su family, he can divorce me!”
Crash! Su Wenqian dropped a teacup on the ground, his face pale with fury. “Stupid! Utterly foolish!”
Surin smirked derisively, but her tone was anxious. “My lord, don’t be angry, your health would suffer. Sister is just confused for a moment, she’ll figure it out!”
Su Wenqian’s chest heaved violently and declared angrily, “If she dares to enter Shengjing, I will break her legs!”
“My lord, calm down! Sister is just angry and did not think through her words properly!” Surin asked people to serve tea again, standing behind Su Wenqian and patting his back, but a chilling glint flashed in her slender eyes.
The First Mistress brought Yuejiu out of Juxiang Garden and took a few breaths to calm herself down. She squatted down to look at her daughter, saying in a soft voice, “Yuejiu, are you scared of hardship? Are you willing to accompany Mother into Shengjing?”
The four-year-old girl showed confusion in her big, dark, clear eyes, but nodded heavily. “Jiu’er is not afraid,” she said. “Jiu’er wants to be a loyal and faithful person, just like Mother!”
“Good girl!” First Mistress choked back tears and hugged the girl tightly in her arms. “Remember, you will be a member of the Ji family in the future, and no matter whether you are rich or poor, you must not turn your back on your family!”
“Yes, Jiu’er will remember!”
“Let’s go back. Go play with Nanny, and Mother will pack our belongings. We will leave tomorrow!” First Mistress caressed Yuejiu’s hair gently.
Yuejiu nodded, interlacing her mother’s fingers with her small hand, and the two went back to the Jingshui Pavilion together.
In Juxiang Garden, after waiting for Su Wenqian to calm down a little, Surin massaged his shoulder and said gently, “My lord, you’re really letting your First Mistress enter Shengjing? I know that First Mistress’s dowry still has 10,000 taels of silver, she must want to use this silver to help the Ji Manor!”
Su Wenqian frowned harder. “She dares!”
“It’s alright if she just takes the silver to Ji Manor, I’m just afraid that as soon as the silver is given, those opponents of Ji Manor in Shengjing will target our Su family, then we will be really finished! Therefore, my lord, you must stop the First Mistress!”
“How can I stop her?” Su Wenqian sighed. Unless I really break her legs?
He knew his wife best. She looked dignified and soft on the surface, but the strength and stubbornness in her bones surpassed men!
Surin turned and ordered the servants to leave. She whispered, “I have an idea, but I’m afraid my lord won’t bear it!”
“What idea?” Su Wenqian asked hurriedly.
“This marriage is arranged for Yuejiu. If Yuejiu is gone, how can this marriage happen?” Surin’s eyes hid a shade of ruthlessness, as she spoke in a low voice.
“If Yuejiu is gone…” Su Wenqian froze. “What do you mean?”
“If we send Yuejiu away for the time being, we will say that Yuejiu has been lost. If First Mistress cannot find Yuejiu, she will be anxious, and won’t have time to concern herself over the Ji family. What’s more, if Yuejiu is missing, there’s no way this marriage won’t be destroyed!”
“But,” Su Wenqian hesitated. “Yuejiu is my daughter!”
“It’s just temporary. When it’s over, we’ll bring Yuejiu back.” Surin continued to advise, “I’m doing this all for the sake of our Su family!”
Su Wenqian frowned, contemplation on his face. He got up and paced slowly in the room.
“My lord, you have to decide as soon as possible. The First Mistress will take Yuejiu to Shengjing tomorrow!” Surin urged as she stood by.
After a moment, Su Wenqian finally made a decision and nodded and said, “Well, we’ll follow what you said. However, we must make proper arrangements and pick up Yuejiu quickly!”
Surin immediately smiled and said, “My lord, rest assured, I will make arrangements right away!”
As she spoke, Surin called attendants in to serve Su Wenqian’s meal and went out of the room alone.
A moment later, Surin stood behind the fake rockery, whispering to her trusted attendant, Nanny Qin, and smiled viciously. “Do you understand what I said?”
Nanny Qin nodded again and again. “Madame, rest assured that I will do a good job of it!”
“Well, remember, send her far away, it’s best that she can never return to Fuyang!”
“Yes, I’ll arrange it!”
“Go ahead, do it well, and I will reward you handsomely!”
As soon as Surin’s voice fell, she heard a rumble on the rockery behind her, as if someone had slipped. Her face suddenly changed and screamed, “Who is eavesdropping, show yourself!”
After a moment, a little girl’s head appeared in the corner of the rockery. She looked timidly at Surin, and called meekly, “Mother!”
Surin’s expression immediately relaxed and she said, “It’s only Qiu’er. What are you doing here?”
Su Yueqiu was only a few months younger than Yuejiu. She had a beautiful face and was donned in a pink satin dress. She climbed down from the rockery and jumped into Surin’s arms.
“What is Qiu’er doing here?”
“Qiu’er was playing cat and mouse with a servant girl and I hid in the rockery.” The girl looked up and smiled.
“Did you hear everything I just said?” Surin asked tentatively.
The girl stayed silent, biting her lips.
“It’s alright if you heard it, but you can’t tell anyone, okay? If you tell someone, I’ll be in trouble!” Surin said solemnly, pinching the girl on the shoulder.
The girl nodded in mild confusion, her eyes twinkling. “Qiu’er won’t say anything. When Sister Yuejiu disappears, her clothes and snacks will be Qiu’er’s!”
“Good, my daughter is smart!” Surin smiled triumphantly and glanced back at Nanny Qin still standing with her head down and roared, “What are you still doing here? Time is running out, hurry up and arrange it!”
Nanny Qin nodded profusely, looked around, and quickly walked out of Juxiang Garden.
Surin looked at Nanny Qin’s back, and her eyes were filled with a venomous glare.
When Su Yuejiu is gone, then my daughter will be the only young lady of the Su family, she thought. Then no one will say that my daughter can not match up to Pei Jingrou’s!