Chapter 4: Utterly Shameless

Night fell.

The gates of the Marquis of Weiyuan’s manor were just about to be closed when the gatekeeper saw a troop of men galloping rapidly toward them.

The man in the lead was dressed as a palace attendant, looking as though he had come from the palace.

The gatekeeper dared not delay. He hurriedly reopened the gates, welcomed them in respectfully, and sent someone inside to report the news.

A moment later, Wu Que rushed over from the courtyard. He had already bathed and laid down for the night, and he couldn't help but feel nervous about the sudden arrival of someone from the palace.

Seeing the man already seated in the outer hall drinking tea, he immediately plastered a smile on his face.

"Gonggong Qing, why have you come at this hour? Does His Majesty have some instruction?"

The visitor was the second-in-command of the Chengming Palace and a disciple of Yang Zhi'an: Qing Dong.

Seeing Wu Que arrive, Qing Dong took another sip of tea before standing up with a beaming smile and cupping his hands in a salute. "I have come to offer my congratulations to the Marquis."

"What joy could there be?" Wu Que looked puzzled.

Qing Dong simply handed over a bright yellow scroll. "The Marquis will know once he takes a look."

Wu Que’s expression changed instantly. It was an imperial decree.

Feeling deeply anxious, Wu Que dared not delay and immediately took it.

After reading it in a rush, he looked up at Qing Dong, his eyes filled with panic and confusion.

"Gonggong, this... what does this mean?"

Everything was fine, so why would the Emperor suddenly issue a decree summoning Xie Jiu to the palace to be the tutor for Princess Wenxi?

Qing Dong remained smiling, speaking unhurriedly, "The Madam entered the palace tonight and had a very pleasant conversation with His Majesty. His Majesty admires the Madam’s talent and virtue, so he has specially summoned her to the palace to serve as the Princess’s tutor. Consort Xian passed away early, and the Princess is deeply cherished by His Majesty. That the Madam can enlighten Princess Wenxi shows that His Majesty trusts the Madam’s scholarship!"

At this point, Qing Dong narrowed his small eyes and said deliberately, "It’s just that the Madam will need to accompany the Princess for some time, so she will likely have to stay in the palace for a while. I hope the Marquis won't miss her too much."

These words poured into Wu Que’s brain, and he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

No, this wasn't right. Wasn't Xie Jiu still safely in the manor, waiting for him to present her to the Emperor in a couple of days? How did she suddenly end up in the palace tonight?

Wu Que quickly swept his gaze toward the steward, Chen Shun, who was equally bewildered.

The person he had sent into the palace tonight was clearly the Yangzhou "slender horse" named Yan'er. How did she turn into Xie Jiu?!

"What, is the Marquis unhappy?" Seeing the blue and white hues shifting on Wu Que’s face and the lack of a smile, Qing Dong’s expression immediately turned gloomy. "Marquis, among all the officials' families, this is a unique imperial favor for the Madam. Does the Marquis think that the Madam entering the palace to teach the Princess is a burden?"

Qing Dong’s words were like a blow to the head, leaving Wu Que dazed, cold sweat suddenly breaking out on his back.

Even though he hadn't figured out the current situation, he dared not delay any longer. He quickly put the imperial decree away and spoke respectfully.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Gonggong has misunderstood. It’s just that the matter was so sudden, I was merely surprised for a moment. To be personally summoned by His Majesty’s decree to enlighten the Princess is my wife’s good fortune and the glory of the Marquis’s manor."

As he said this, Wu Que was practically gritting his teeth, his face looking as if he had swallowed a fly.

Seeing that he was at least sensible, Qing Dong finally revealed a somewhat satisfied smile.

"Very well. Since I have notified the Marquis, I must return to the palace to report. The Madam is staying in the palace, and it would be inconvenient without familiar people to serve her. I have come to take the Madam’s personal maids back with me as well."

"Yes, yes, that is only right." Wu Que nodded, his face wearing a smile uglier than a cry.

He ordered people to call Chunrong and Qingfang over.

After the group left, Wu Que trembled, gasping for air, and collapsed into a chair.

Chen Shun was just about to step forward to comfort him when he was kicked hard in the chest. He let out a miserable cry and fell heavily to the ground.

"You treacherous slave, you useless fool! You’ve ruined my plans!" Wu Que was furious to the core and kicked him again.

Originally, if he had presented Xie Jiu and Zhao Xingjin had taken a fancy to her, he would surely have been rewarded for his merit in offering a beauty. But now that Xie Jiu had offered herself, how could Zhao Xingjin credit him with any merit at all?

And that imperial decree Qing Dong had brought—the so-called special summons to teach the Princess—was clearly just Zhao Xingjin forcibly seizing a subject’s wife and making up such a high-sounding excuse, forcing him to offer thanks even while wearing a green hat. It was utterly shameless!

As for Xie Jiu offering herself, it made Wu Que even more hateful.

"Vile woman, this vile woman! How dare she be so unchaste and shameless!"

He cursed and shouted, smashing the ornaments in the hall to pieces, yet nothing could change the outcome.

By the time he had vented his rage and collapsed powerlessly amidst the wreckage, Chunrong and Qingfang had already reunited with Xie Jiu in the side hall of the Chengming Palace.

"Miss!" Qingfang hugged Xie Jiu, her eyes blurred with tears. "Miss, you’ve been wronged!"

Chunrong also kept wiping the corners of her eyes, but she reminded her, "Keep your voice down. If someone hears you, be careful of trouble."

That was true. Regardless of what was happening inside, on the surface, entering the palace was a blessing; how could one mention the word "wronged"?

Especially since they were currently in the Chengming Palace.

"Chunrong is right. The palace rules are strict. We are in a difficult situation now and cannot be careless." Xie Jiu held the two of them, one on each side, the corners of her eyes slightly red.

After the three mistress and servants comforted each other, Xie Jiu asked about the Marquis of Weiyuan’s manor.

Learning that Wu Que had been furious and hideous, yet hadn't dared to breathe a word in front of Qing Dong,憋屈 (suffocating) in his frustration, Xie Jiu’s disgust for this man grew even stronger.

"Does he think this is the end? Just wait. The real spectacle at the Marquis of Weiyuan’s manor is yet to come."

Hearing this, Chunrong and Qingfang both felt a secret sense of relief, and the annoyance on their faces dissipated quite a bit.

But after her emotions calmed down, Qingfang looked at Xie Jiu with concern, her tone hesitant. "The Emperor... he didn't, didn't hurt you, did he?"

When Qingfang asked this, Xie Jiu’s brows furrowed slightly.

"The Emperor did not touch me."

In truth, Xie Jiu felt a bit restless herself.

She had originally thought that Zhao Xingjin was not a man driven by lust, so she only needed to exchange benefits with him and wouldn't need to truly offer herself.

After all, she was a married woman. As an emperor, Zhao Xingjin had all kinds of women around him; why would he really be interested in her?

But she hadn't expected Zhao Xingjin to keep her in the palace.

He called it being a tutor for the Princess, but anyone with eyes could see it was just an excuse to keep her in the palace.

Yet Zhao Xingjin hadn't touched her. Could it be that he was planning to favor her another day?

But Xie Jiu vaguely felt that Zhao Xingjin seemed to have other designs on her.

As for what exactly those designs were, Xie Jiu’s mind was still a bit chaotic, and she couldn't quite guess.

However, no matter what, she had to survive first. Having been given a second chance, she had to cherish her life even more.

There would be plenty of time in the future to return the pain she had suffered a thousand times over.

Those who had harmed her—not a single one would escape!