Rumors
"This old servant is Zou mama. Da XiaoJie is currently not inside the manor. May I ask these esteemed guests about the reason of your visit?"
"This servant greets Zou mama. I am YuSheng. We came from the capital. We would like to ask Zou mama to send someone and inform Da XiaoJie that the person she asked is already here."
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'Dear Ancestor, ah! Who is that 'Wife Jiejie' you are talking about?'
"Mu Qing! You have to find Wife Jiejie, okay? Yi'er wants Wife Jiejie! Promise me."
Xu Fei Yi extended his pinky, asking Mu Qing to seal his promise.
Mu Qing wanted to cry rivers [1]. When he found out that His Royal Highness, Qin Wangye, already had someone he fancied, he excitedly ordered the servants to gather all the portraits of the unmarried women aged fourteen to sixteen in Lu Shan, excluding those who already had engagement from other families. Although the ranks of those women were not fit to be the Wife of a Standard First Rank Prince, she could become His Highness' CeiFei [2] and enjoy the life of having a high status and unlimited wealth.
Unfortunately, none of those young maiden's portraits were able to pique His Highness' interest. Mu Qing was now in a dilemma. He realized that His Highness must have taken a fancy to an engaged woman. Although they could just lure the woman and blind her with golds and silvers, or even threaten her with the power of the Imperial family, Mu Qing was afraid that it would tarnish His Highness' image. Snatching someone else's bride had been viewed despicable and vile by the society. He did not want that his poor little highness would be subjected to other people's malicious thoughts. He was pure and innocent. How could he harbor evilness inside his heart? He must have wanted to find his 'Wife Jiejie' and be happy with her.
Mu Qing wanted to persuade His Highness to not look for that 'Wife Jiejie' but when he saw the innocent eyes staring at him with great expectation, Mu Qing felt like someone was gripping his heart tightly, making him want to slap himself for thinking of stopping His Highness' happiness.
So what if His Highness fancied someone who was already engaged?
So what if he had to forcefully snatch the bride and pressure her family?
He, Mu Qing, would do everything for His Highness sake!
'Who cares about the imperial face? Who cares about those malicious people? As long as His Highness is happy, I, Mu Qing, am willing to swim the ocean and cross the mountains!'
Mu Qing placed his pinky around Xu Fei Yi, sealing his promise to find the 'Wife Jiejie' and make her His Highness' woman.
"Your Highness, I, Mu Qing, will try my best!"
"En!"
Too bad, Mu Qing never thought that he would have to slap himself later for agreeing to Xu Fei Yi's demand.
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XuanRong was currently walking tirelessly on the road. She had been to Lu Shan for almost a month already, but she had not visited the town yet. In her previous lifetime, she was not able to leave the manor on her own free will. She could only count in one hand the instances where she was able to leave the manor and went to the town's center.
XuanRong was not alone, she had YuYing at her left side and a guard at her right side. Zou mama wanted to assign three more guards to follow them for XuanRong's safety, but she vetoed the idea. She did not want to walk around the market with many people tagging with her, invoking other people's curiosity. She wanted to move freely without any disturbance and away from the prying gazes of people. Once they know that she was the infamous XuanRong, the arrogant daughter of Prime Minister Xuan and the Eldest Di daughter of the Xuan family in the capital, for sure, she would not be able to enjoy her trip to the town's market.
She and YuYing was walking at the side of the road when they heard someone talking about the recent concubine in Fei manor.
It had been days since YuLi was married off to Fei Bai Zou's residence, and although XuanRong already had no more care about YuLi's situation, she could not help but be interested with the old man's gossip.
XuanRong looked at the guard, signaling him to move forward and look at the surroundings. When the guard made a 'go' signal, XuanRong and YuYing slowly moved to the old man who was talking with other people. XuanRong inconspicuously stood at the side, trying to listen to the old man's chatter.
"Hey! What I said is true! My brother's wife's third cousin's friend's sister is currently working inside Fei manor! When the new concubine entered the manor, she was so dazzling that Fei Daren's eyes went red from looking. She even brought a huge amount of money and many valuable things as her dowry! Ah! What a lucky servant to be able to be married off in a grand style! Although she was just a concubine, her standing inside the manor would definitely rise!"
"What you said is true! I also heard that the new concubine was a standard first rank maidservant of the Eldest Di Daughter of Prime Minister Xuan."
"Really? I thought that the Eldest Di Daughter of the Xuan family is arrogant and malicious? Seems like the rumors are not true! Ai! Poor girl, being slandered by other people! If she's truly what the rumors say, then, she shouldn't have wasted too much money on her maidservant's dowry!"
The people who listened nodded in agreement. Not all masters were willing to spend money for the sake of a mere servant. It could be seen how much the Eldest Di Daughter of Xuan family values her maidservant. Someone like her who treated her maidservant well, how could she be an arrogant and malicious woman?
When XuanRong heard them, she smiled inwardly.
Her plan was successful. She was able to wash away the rumors around her bit by bit.
Since she was already satisfied of what she heard, she signaled YuYing to leave.
Before they left, she heard the man continued his conversation with other people.
"Ai. Too bad, the new concubine died early. I heard that three days after their wedding night, the new concubine was not able to move out of the room because she caught a flu. Fei Daren was broken-hearted when he found out that she died later."
XuanRong shook her head. YuLi died due to 'sickness'? Seemed like YuLi successfully earned Fei Bai Zou's affection and was favored greatly. She could imagine how torturous it had been for YuLi. Being mounted day and night by a perverted pig twice her size, YuLi definitely suffered and regretted her decision until her intestines turned green.
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Xu Fei Yi was currently sitting inside a high-class room in a famous restaurant. His chair was near at the window, so, he was able to see the entire market buzzing with chaos. He raised his hand, planning to close the window when someone caught his attention.
"Ah! Wife Jiejie!"
Mu Qing, who was currently speaking with the waiter immediately whipped his head to Xu Fei Yi's place.
"What did you say, Your Highness?!"
[PLEASE ADOPT ME \(T^T)/ and DONATE @ paypal.me/sayurihyuuga]
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[1]. Cry hard
[2]. Side-consort: One rank lower than Qin WangFei or the Legal Wife of a standard first rank prince
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Edited and Proofread by: Prikkrang and Supremetobs