Chapter 8: A Case of Backfire

Zhang said with a dark expression: "If he is truly innocent, then why is my daughter-in-law so anxious? Killing Hong Ge's wet nurse is one thing; she already bears the guilt of negligence. What does Chun Cao have to do with this? If she is afraid of misunderstandings, she could simply clarify the truth. If she doesn't want anyone to know, she could discuss it privately. Is it possible that a mere maid like Chun Cao would cling to Ze Ge? She is quite something, sending someone to restrain Sister Zhen Zhu's feet and then having a maid deceive Chun Cao. What is she trying to accomplish? Is it to silence someone?"

Perhaps it was because the Jiang family maintained a relatively good attitude that the Zhang family gradually calmed down. Reflecting on the entire incident, Zhao Ze had already forgotten what he had done after falling ill. There were no witnesses or evidence, and no one could clarify whether he had truly killed his half-brother. Continuing to investigate would be futile. She advised the Jiang family: "Ze Ge'er harbors too much resentment in his heart, which is not a blessing. Find an opportunity to send him to a temple to absorb some of the Buddha's fragrance, and let him copy some Buddhist scriptures regularly to cultivate his mind and character. Otherwise, when he grows older and causes a major disaster, you may not be able to protect him anymore."

Upon hearing this, Jiang immediately realized that the matter had been exposed, and she felt a deep resentment. Had she known it would come to this, she would never have acted rashly. Unexpectedly, Chun Cao had narrowly escaped a disaster yesterday due to the ignorance of a child, and after being frightened, she actually revealed the truth to Zhang, Zhao Zhuo, and Mi. Now, any attempt to cover up the situation would be exceedingly difficult.

They were all unaware that after Jiang supported Hongling's hand and walked away, she became completely weak. Hongling quickly steadied her: "Grandmother, are you alright?"

"Well said," Niu nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, I will send someone to invite Lord Zongfang shortly, asking him to act as an intermediary and first persuade the person to leave the capital."

After Zhang finished listening to what Chun Cao had said, his face turned a shade of iron blue: "On that day when you returned and heard that Hong Ge'er was gone, you already had doubts in your heart; why did you not report back?"

You still have not sincerely admitted your mistake! Zhang let out a cold snort, "Do you still think it is just your bad luck, that Ze Ge'er happened to run out, which led to this incident, right? But have you ever considered that if there had been a few more people around the child, this would not have happened? If you had taught the child more about benevolence, righteousness, filial piety, and brotherly love in your daily upbringing, and allowed him less time to engage in idle disputes, he would not have done such a thing. Do you know that if this matter gets out, Ze Ge'er’s life will be ruined, and others will not care how young he is!" If you had taught the child more about benevolence, righteousness, filial piety, and brotherly love in your daily upbringing, and allowed him less time to engage in idle disputes, he would not have done such a thing. Do you know that if this matter gets out, Ze Ge'er’s life will be ruined, and others will not care how young he is!

Mi bit her lip and fell silent. Zhang cast her a glance and said, "I know what you are thinking; I will handle this matter with discretion."

Upon hearing those words, Jiang was moved to tears, feeling only the weight of submission. She truly regretted it; even if the courtyard did not retain anyone, she should have kept a few more by her son's side

The spring grass hesitated for a moment, then could only kneel in tears and say: "I am, after all, a person of this household, how could I dare to speak of the master's secrets? Originally, I thought that when the second master separated and moved away, I would leave with the old lady, and at that time, it would not be a hindrance to speak of it. Who would have thought? The eldest lady would..."

Jiang's complexion turned pale, and after gritting her teeth, she obediently replied, "Yes." Before leaving, she took the initiative to say, "The marquis wishes for Aunt Qian to be buried together with the duke, which may not be entirely appropriate. I have heard that the lady is not very supportive of this idea either. Perhaps if I speak a few more words, the lady might persuade the marquis to change his mind. The old lady should rest assured and wait for news."

When Chun Cao rushed out, Zhao Jing was stopped by the young man and did not have time to intervene. He could only watch helplessly as she knelt down and recounted everything she had seen that day in the Jiang family courtyard, not even concealing the suspicious intentions of the Jiang family from yesterday, causing him to silently lament in his heart.

Niu was somewhat surprised: "Originally, it was you who suggested, under the pretext of sending the spirit away, to send their entire family back to their hometown. With the heavens high and the emperor far away, out of sight is out of mind. Moreover, with filial piety weighing in, no one would blame the marquis for mistreating his stepmother and younger brother. Why have you changed your mind today?"

Zhao Zhuo could hardly believe it: "He must have been frightened after discovering that his brother had an accident upon entering the room, which is why he ran out? He is just a child, raised in a strict family environment, how could he possibly commit such a heinous act?"

Jiang lowered his head, wearing a gentle and graceful smile on his face, yet his eyes revealed a chilling aura.

Jiang said with a busy smile: "Mother has misunderstood. My wife did indeed say that, but... with the marquis being so open about the matter, and considering the situation with my aunt, how could they possibly agree? If this were to escalate, what good would it do for the marquis?"

Jiang exerted all his strength to sit up straight and gritted his teeth, saying: "Let Ze Ge'er go to the temple? Are you suggesting that I should let my son become a monk? Just for killing a lowly bastard? This is truly a joke! The more one copies Buddhist scriptures, the more one's temperament changes. I only have this one son; how can I allow him to be harmed? Since you are heartless, do not blame me for being ruthless!"

She lowered her head to wipe away her tears, and after a moment, she said: "I didn't mean to harm Miss Chun Cao. I was just thinking that I would first take her to a secluded place and clarify things with her. If she agrees not to tell anyone, I would reward her with a few taels of silver as a hush money. If she refuses, I would think of another way. At worst, while we are still not separated, I could sell her whole family far away..."

Zhao Zhuo and Mi Shi were just saying they wanted to invite Jiang Shi to act as a mediator, but they were also afraid they wouldn't be able to persuade him. Now that Chun Cao has revealed the matter, what if they use this incident to threaten Jiang Shi into helping? That woman does not seem to be soft-hearted; we must be careful not to create a situation that forces her to take even more drastic actions.

Niu felt at ease and smiled, saying: "Is it really that easy? They are not short of money, and they have a few people at their disposal. Even if they return to their hometown, do you think they won't come back?"

Zhang was moved by her genuine emotions and couldn't help but soften a little: "What on earth is going on? Was it really Zege who did this?"

Jiang lowered her head and assumed a submissive and cautious demeanor: "Mother's words are too harsh. On ordinary days, I show them respect out of courtesy, but as a daughter-in-law, I will never forget who my true family is"

Jiang secretly despised her in-laws for their crude methods, yet she smiled and said, "As a daughter-in-law, I believe we still need to find a reasonable excuse to coax them into willingly setting off first. Once we arrive back home... just as you said, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away; even if things escalate, who would stand up for them?"

Mr. Jiang nodded repeatedly, pitifully admitting fault: "It was the granddaughter-in-law who was reckless. Since the old aunt came over, she was making a fuss and saying some ridiculous things. The granddaughter-in-law did not dare to contradict her elder, but if she were to always show deference and compliance, she feared that the servants would look down on her from then on. Therefore, she had no choice but to dismiss everyone in the courtyard, leaving only two trusted aides to serve inside. Ze Ge'er should have been in his own room practicing calligraphy; who would have thought he would come out?"

Jiang looked at her with tears in his eyes, then glanced at Chun Cao: "Have I ever wanted to eradicate them completely? It is just that Xiao Qian has been making a fuss, insinuating that I deliberately caused Hong Ge'er’s death. Even the elder has begun to harbor some suspicion against me, so I simply moved into that wretched woman's house, leaving me with no dignity at all! If they were to find out that Ze Ge'er was in that house at the time, I fear the child would not be safe! He is my only son, and he is so young; what could he possibly understand? Perhaps he did nothing at all? Hong Ge'er is not even a month old and was already ill. Xiao Qian abandoned the child and only focused on entangling with me; how can she then blame me for not taking care of the illegitimate child? There is not just Hong Ge'er among the illegitimate children; when have I ever treated the others poorly?"

Jiang choked back tears and said: "The granddaughter-in-law truly did not know. At that time, only Ze Ge'er was in the room, and he was terrified. The granddaughter-in-law privately asked him, but he could not say anything. Afterwards, he developed a high fever and started talking nonsense... After he recovered from the illness, however, he remembered nothing at all."

She immediately called another maid, Qiuye, into the room and ordered, "Go and invite the eldest lady over, I want to clarify something clearly!"

She did not reveal that her sister-in-law advised her to temporarily conceal the truth about the master. After all, they are family; if punishment is to be meted out by the master, it is sufficient for her alone to bear it, without dragging her sister-in-law into the matter.

It does not seem to be an excessively harsh way of handling the situation. Although Zhang has some dissatisfaction with this granddaughter-in-law, her expression has softened considerably. She sternly reproached the other party: "This matter was your fault from the very beginning. If Xiao Qian wants to make a fuss, let her make a fuss. How can the child be entrusted to her care? The maids and servants in the courtyard should not have been sent away. If a few people had been guarding at that time, could Zege have entered Hongge's room?" She sternly reproached the other party: "This matter was your fault from the very beginning. If Xiao Qian wants to make a fuss, let her make a fuss. How can the child be entrusted to her care? The maids and servants in the courtyard should not have been sent away. If a few people had been guarding at that time, could Zege have entered Hongge's room?"

This sentence clearly implies a kind of transaction, where she acts as an intermediary for the Zhang family, and in return, the Zhang family keeps her and her son's secret. The Zhang family remains noncommittal, yet Mi seems to breathe a sigh of relief, personally smiling as she sees her out the door, which can be considered as an agreement between them.

After she returned to the courtyard to check on her son, she went back to her room to freshen up. She applied a bit of rice powder to her face, and when she saw that there were no abnormalities, she supported herself with a red silk scarf and went to find her mother-in-law, Mrs. Niu. She brought up the matter of the joint burial of Aunt Qian and Grandma, as well as the issue of the Zhang family mother and son returning home to observe the mourning period.

Mi asked anxiously: "If that is the case, why are you fixated on the spring grass?"

Zhang listened, his expression stern. Before she could say anything, Zhao Zhuo preemptively rebutted his wife: "Do not speak nonsense! Such a significant matter cannot be feigned ignorance, nor should it be used to threaten in return. Daughter-in-law? This is not the conduct of a gentleman"

Jiang slowly knelt down on the ground, lowering his head, remaining silent, with only his eyes slightly reddening. After a while, tears began to fall: "Madam, please forgive me, the granddaughter-in-law had no choice, she was truly frightened... that is the granddaughter-in-law's own flesh and blood!"

Niu's expression softened a bit: "How could I not know? But we can't let them continue to stay in the capital, can we? Even if we don't interact, just the thought of it is quite bothersome."

As Qiu Ye was about to turn and leave, she was called back by Mi. Mi turned and walked closer to Zhang, lowering her voice: "Mother, weren't we just thinking of having our daughter-in-law help us as an intermediary?"

Jiang leaned close to her ear and spoke in this manner for half a day, making Niu feel even more at ease: "This is indeed a good idea, but you, my girl, are also one with a kind face but a hard heart. Usually, you show respect over there, but when it comes to a real situation, you do not show any softness."

Mi's face turned pale upon hearing this: "This, this, this... this can't be true, right? How old is Ze Ge'er? He is only six years old in nominal age, how could he possibly do such a thing?"

Qiu Ye invited the Jiang family over. Upon entering, Jiang was surprised to see Zhao Zhuo and Mi sitting nearby. Looking again, he noticed Chun Cao kneeling on the ground, which startled him. However, he maintained a composed demeanor, as if nothing was amiss, and respectfully greeted Zhang.

Zhang sat upright in his position, looking at her coldly: "Madam, you are quite composed, pretending to be calm. Just yesterday, you dispatched two armies, one to capture people and the other to abduct them. You certainly handle this with great skill. I just wonder what you intend to do with the people you have abducted"