Chapter 9: Countermeasures (Part 2)

Mother Chen quickly replied, "Yes"

It is said that the son-in-law did not marry a secondary wife because of the eldest daughter, who does not know that there is a clause about 'jealousy' in the seven prohibitions

Jinxiu's heart suddenly tightened, and the events of that night replayed in her mind. She had told everyone, but no one believed her

Jinxiu came to her senses, and the place before her was now empty, devoid of any people

Those who are not of my kind will surely have different intentions, such words have also been heard by Muxin

Chun Yao carefully placed the prayer beads and spoke some comforting words before leaving

Jinxiu, the only one who can determine life and death is yourself. What may seem trivial to others is, for you, a life that occurs only once, the only one you have.

A person like Madame Da would not place all burdens on the Yicheng Marquisate.

"Jinxiu." The Eighth Miss smiled gently, her smile warm and serene, "Jinxiu, what you see is me."

Madam looked at Mrs. Chen and said, "Miss Liu has been coming frequently lately"

No matter how things change, the essence remains the same; as long as she is a dutiful daughter, she will not go wrong

Ronghua smiled faintly and said, "That may not necessarily be the case."

That matter is more important than anything else; one must not choose the wrong person

"It belongs to the Eighth Miss."

Miss Wu has returned now, it is because of the resentment towards her, it must be the resentment towards her

I simply detest when someone schemes behind my back, sending a few ears around to gather information, engaging in restless activities without my knowledge, especially those who appear obedient, as they may not truly be as compliant as they seem

Mugeng widened her eyes. Although she had not spent much time beside the Eighth Miss, she was aware that the Eighth Miss harbored feelings for the heir of the Marquis's residence. Years ago, she heard from her aunt that when the Eighth Miss learned of the news of her elder sister's marriage to the heir, her face turned pale to the point of being frightening. Seventh Aunt even advised the Eighth Miss, "What can one say? He is the legitimate son of a noble family, destined for such a fate. Although he comes from a fallen aristocracy, his ancestors must have held titles, and who knows what might happen one day..."

The matron's voice was deep, "Confused, this is for you, just accept it, otherwise she won't feel at ease." The matron gave a cold smile, "This is nothing, it's just that she wants you to speak well of her in front of me."

Now is just the right opportunity; the young lady has not given birth to a son or daughter. If it were an ordinary family, it would be one thing, but the legitimate eldest son of the Zhao family is set to inherit the title. The matriarch will certainly take action to solidify the young lady's position and will not trust an outsider's bloodline

Just now

As Chun Yao was about to leave, the eldest madam suddenly asked, "Do you mean this string of prayer beads belongs to the eighth young lady?"

Madam stopped speaking, closed her eyes, and rolled the Buddhist beads in her hand while reciting the scripture twice. Then she handed them to Chun Yao, saying, "You may try it; regardless of the outcome, do not be too disheartened."

Jinxiu, that person's voice was clear, I know what you saw in the Fifth Miss's room

Jinxiu opened her eyes and for a moment felt as if her entire being had become light and airy, like a kite ready to take off; if only the string connecting it were cut, it would vanish without a trace. In another moment, she felt her body was extremely heavy, to the point where even breathing seemed to require all her strength

Madam said: "So, does the Eighth Miss believe in Buddhism?"

Ronghua stepped out of the courtyard, and Mujin hurriedly followed. "Miss, what exactly are your plans? The visit to the marquis's wife is a great opportunity. With your beauty, if you dress up, you will surely catch the marquis's wife's attention. Moreover, the items sent by the eldest madam are clearly meant for the young ladies to dress beautifully for the marquis's wife to see"

Mother Chen said, "Everything has been arranged, and the young ladies have all been notified"

Madam Chen quietly leaned in and whispered a few words into Mrs. Dahe's ear, "Do you think this would work..." her voice gradually fading. Mrs. Dahe smiled slightly, her brows and eyes gradually relaxing.

Miss Ba's gaze was clear, without a trace of hesitation or fear

She is afraid, as she overheard the madam and Mrs. Chen talking outside the window years ago, and as a result, Miss Wu fell seriously ill and died that very night

She is tired, extremely tired, yet she does not dare to close her eyes, as if once she shuts them, the boundless darkness will come rushing in upon her

The maids have all withdrawn, and Mu Jin is arranging the ornaments at the waist of the Eighth Miss. "I heard from the people in the residence that the Second Master has been recommended by the son-in-law to attend the prestigious Left Wing Academy for the talented young nobles."

Mugeng's eyebrows twitched slightly, "So, are you saying that you want the madam to like you more by doing this, miss?"

Jinxiu felt an unusual fatigue and finally closed her eyes heavily

Mugun nodded and accepted it

Mugunghwa also said: "Yes"

Chun Yao sent the prayer beads to Jin Xiu, while the madam and Mama Chen were conversing in the room

What is the reason? It is likely not as simple as just wanting to test her.

Mugua continued, "With your talents and beauty, once you enter the family and bear a son, the position of the legitimate wife will eventually belong to you."

Mugeng entered the room and, taking advantage of the absence of Spring Yao, quietly said to Ronghua: "Indeed, it is someone from the marquis's residence; no wonder it is so grand." She opened the box in her hand for Ronghua to see

Although this approach is reliable, it is ultimately too slow. To get close to someone's heart, it is not necessary to be so cautious. "I have a faster method"

Ronghua smiled and stood up, "It is time to pay my respects to Mother." The lady of the marquis was coming to the residence; how could the eldest madam take her to accompany guests? Logically, she had just entered the household and was still unfamiliar with many rules, so it was impossible for her to attend such a grand occasion. Moreover, it was excessive for the old servant to send these items to her, as it showed too much favoritism.

Mugun looked on with delight, "Miss, which one do you want to wear? Or should we change to a more vibrant outfit? This blue robe with printed roses always seems a bit..."

Chun Yao nodded in agreement

She should have gone to inform Miss Wu; had she done so, perhaps Miss Wu would not have died

Mother Chen said, "This method has never been mentioned by anyone before, but there are similar traditional methods."

Jinxiu was arranged by Madam Chen to stay in a somewhat clean servant's room, attended to by two maids who took turns caring for her. Madam Chen has already sent someone to inform that Jinxiu's family will come to pick her up tomorrow. Once the people leave, there will no longer be anyone in the residence to attend to her with care, and only the medicine and soup will be delivered on time.

Madam extended her hand to take the string of prayer beads, and after a moment of thought, a look of sadness appeared on her face. She sighed, "This child, Jinxiu, has been by my side for some time now, and I truly cannot bear to part with her. However, there are many people in this household, and it is always noisy here; this illness cannot be nurtured in such an environment"

When Mother Chen smiled: "But no one could have imagined the true thoughts in the lady's heart..."

Moreover, the Yicheng Marquisate has been quite extraordinary in recent years

Madam raised an eyebrow and said, "I intend to use tomorrow's banquet to see who will take action."

Inside the box, there are three hairpins, several layers of gauze peonies, and a few copper inlaid jeweled butterfly hair clips

Before long, a servant from outside came in to speak with Mu Jin, saying, "The lady of the marquis has arrived at the residence and requires careful preparations for the young lady. The matriarch has instructed that we must not lose our decorum in front of guests." As she spoke, a maid brought in a box adorned with red lacquer, gold inlay, and mother-of-pearl, saying, "These are all sent by the matriarch."

The outcome indeed turned out to be as Aunt Qii had predicted

Mother Chen replied, "Yes."

Ronghua glanced at Muxin and said, "Do you still know about 'the seven departures'?"

She secretly contemplated marrying him, wishing to be together with him for a long time

The words of Chun Yao gradually reached my ears, "The prayer beads were given by the Eighth Miss... The eldest madam recited the scriptures... I placed them under your pillow; perhaps they will be effective..."

Miss Ba took out a piece of white silk, and as a gentle breeze blew, the silk floated onto her face

Madam took a sip of tea, "Yao Hua's health is not good, and in the residence, there are only the sixth and eighth young ladies."

One prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer. This is indeed too risky

Mother Chen said, "Yes, someone delivered a jar of hometown pickled vegetables to me this noon, and I was still considering whether to send it back to her." Miss Liu was too impatient, even running over early in the morning crying; not to mention the eldest madam, she could tell the truth at a glance.

Madam Chen hurriedly said: "Madam, rest assured, I have already arranged everything outside. Not a single coin for Jinxiu's medical treatment will be missing. I will instruct her family to take good care of her, and once she recovers, she can come back in"

Rong Hua said lightly: "What difference does it make if the lady of the marquis likes it?"

Mugua was surprised, "Does the young lady not wish to marry into the Yicheng Marquis's residence? However, there is no better match than this."

Madam Chen recalled the Fifth Miss from the past, who, relying on the master's favor, had the audacity to privately arrange a lifelong commitment with a man

Madam said: "That is not necessarily the case. The master favors someone, and if he inadvertently lets something slip... The people in the residence are arrogant due to their favoritism. Whatever plans they have, such things have happened before."

She was simply too afraid, as if there were countless eyes in this mansion watching her; she did not dare to move, let alone take a wrong step

In a daze, Jin Xiu heard someone calling her name. She reluctantly turned her head, and there seemed to be a figure in front of her, but she could not see it clearly no matter how hard she tried

The lady squinted her eyes, "Can you guess what I am really thinking?"

Mugun suddenly blushed, lowered her head, and said softly: "I also heard it from the old women gossiping."

No one would describe everything so clearly, no one would know the details so thoroughly, unless they were in the same room with her... But how could Miss Eight dare to speak out at this moment? Does Miss Eight not fear that she might go to the eldest madam and tell her...

Recalling the scene of our first meeting, his clear eyes resembled a river under the moonlight, with a gentle breeze caressing, his garments fluttering, and his graceful figure akin to an elegant orchid or a jade tree

Madam said: "Although I have done my utmost, I still feel reluctant to part with this girl," as she stroked the Buddhist beads in her hand, "Reciting a few verses of scripture is not difficult; I will give it a try as a gesture of my goodwill. If it doesn't work..."

Each time we met, he smiled with his eyes, full of deep affection

Early the next morning, the young ladies of the residence rose to wash and dress themselves

It is me

Mother Chen smiled and remarked, "It is indeed a blessing for Jin Xiu to be so fondly remembered by you, Madam"

This sentence was spoken softly, causing her to suddenly awaken

"What does it matter if I can be the legitimate wife?" Ronghua gazed at the red lantern tassels swaying in the wind, their graceful movements enchanting and elegant

The old woman said again: "Second Master is also going; Eighth Miss and Second Master have not met yet, so you must pay close attention to her while you are by Eighth Miss's side"

Is everything ready for tomorrow

Chun Yao nodded, "In addition to the prayer beads, Miss Eight also has some scriptures, incense, and incense burners. Last night before going to bed, Miss Eight even asked me to light a stick of incense."

The lady remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slightly, "Believing in Buddhism is good; it is essential for a person to have something to believe in."

After a while, she heard soft footsteps outside. Jin Xiu turned her head to look, and Chun Yao was approaching her with a string of prayer beads in hand

The scene before her suddenly became clear, and she saw a pair of bright eyes, those of... Miss Eight

Chun Yao presented the prayer beads to the madam, explaining the circumstances.

Jinxiu took a long time to recover from the shock