Chapter 73: Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Today was warmer than many previous days. Yueqian and Mu Heng heard news about the arrival of people from the capital, including members of the Qin family, and the soldiers’ illness causing dozens of deaths. Many others were still weak and unconscious.
This incident became a major issue. They even established a cause of disease investigation unit. The Young General faced heavy criticism from higher-ranking individuals, those people were "Third Prince and Fifth Prince" who had come along with the Qin family. They came here because of rumors of an exquisitely carved jade Guanyin.
The beauty of the carved jade made even the head of the Art Institute personally came with his people to receive it and announced plans to establish another Art Institute in this remote area to commemorate the discovery. He believed there were many more goods to be found in this distant land.
It wasn’t just the Third and Fifth Princes who were taking action. Other princes, aware of the significance of this jade piece, and some had also made their way here in advance. However, they did not travel with the Qin family due to lack of ties. Ultimately, no one wanted to miss the chance to curry favor with their father. Some Wangs even sent their confidants to gather information.
When Yueqian heard that the Qin family had arrived in the village, she instructed the younger siblings and her husband to only stay inside the house. She did not want them to meet with those dangerous people who aimed to eliminate and oppress them when they themselves had nothing good other than their money.
As for moral standards, when compared, they were at the lowest. Even beggars in the city had better intentions. At least they wouldn’t send their children to marry anyone just to please another family.
However, no matter how much they tried to avoid them, the determined ones would still come. Yueqian and her family stayed inside for just one day after hearing about their arrival. The next day, the Qin family members appeared at their doorstep.
Today, Yueqian had prepared just congee with pork and ginger as a flavoring, thinking it would be good to have a light breakfast after days of too many meat dishes. Even before she could scoop it up to eat, a call came from the front of the house.
It seemed like being called from the front of the house before meal was becoming their routine. Even the children were aware of this and rolled their eyes, since they would have to wait several more minutes to have this meal.
" Eldest Young Miss, are you home? The Master wishes to see you."
A servant called from the front of the house. At first, Yueqian pretended not to hear, but the servant didn’t stop. Seeing that Yueqian remained silent, the servant called out again.
"Eldest Young Miss, the Master wishes to see you." She repeated, and if Yueqian didn’t come out, she would call out again.
She probably did this because she knew Yueqian’s temperament well. The Eldest Young Miss was easily irritated, so if she kept calling, the other would certainly come out.
And indeed, that was the case. Yueqian took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully out of frustration. The shrill in this morning made her head hurt, it seemed as if she were back to the days when she was enduring the chaotic in the capital!
"What business do you have with me to make such a commotion in front of my house?" Yueqian asked irritably, even though she already knew why the other party was there.
The day before, she had heard that members of the Qin family had arrived in the town. This morning, after waking up, she heard the servant say that the “Master” called her over.
Yueqian was quite disgusted with them. Did they think they could just send a servant to summon her on their whim?
They didn’t care that Yueqian would have to travel into town just to show her face to them, when it was them who had driven her out of the house, leaving her to struggle and suffer. They did not care about her well-being. Despite her mother’s attempt to provide a larger dowry, they took it away, claiming they wanted to send her here to punish her.
Now, upon hearing that the Young General did not mind and still wanted to keep the promise, they even came all the way here with their shamelessness to show their mercy to her.
Yes, what the Qin family was doing now was showing mercy to the worthless villainess that nobody wanted. They traveled from the capital to this remote place to say they were willing to forgive and give her a chance to reform. They would then take her back into the Qin family, earning praise for their generosity. Even when the wretched descendant had done wrong, they were still willing to give her a chance.
Even the head of the family came in person. This performance was no small matter.
But if it were someone else, they might eagerly accept the opportunity offered to them, even to the point of groveling. However, that wasn’t the case with Yueqian. No matter if it was the head of the Qin family or anyone else, she had no desire to return.
When they cast her out, they didn’t care about her feelings at all. If Yueqian were not this Yueqian, did they ever consider how Yueqian, who loved the Young General with all her heart, would feel being forced to marry another man?
That Yueqian’s heart would have been utterly shattered.
No matter how wicked she was, do not forget that everything she did was for the man she loved, the one who was her betrothed. If blame were to be assigned, it should start with the elders who constantly told her that she must belong to him, and he to her.
Such teachings had twisted the mind of a child growing up!
"Uh, greetings, Eldest Young Miss. My name is Xin Shen, and I have been tasked by the Master to invite you to meet with him," the servant avoided the gaze of the villainess.
It wasn’t that the other didn’t know Qin Yueqian; if she had a choice, she wouldn’t want to be the one to come and invite her.
In the past, every servant by the Eldest Young Miss’s side ended up getting hurt daily to bear the brunt of her moods. No one wanted to approach her, as her temper could flare up at any day, and she could vent her frustration on them. Now, being sent here, she could only pray that the Eldest Young Miss wouldn’t be in a furious mood like before.
"I don’t know who you are. I don’t know who your Eldest Young Miss is. When I arrived here, I suffered a severe head injury and lost all my memories. I only have my husband and his two younger siblings. Please, go back," Yueqian waved her hand, her demeanor extremely arrogant.
Her beautiful eyes gazed at her, pressing her. The aura was the scariest thing Xin Shen had ever encountered, causing the servant to tremble. However, she could tell that the lady wasn’t truly suffering from amnesia. She was merely resisting the Qin family.
"M... Miss, why would you say such a thing? Even if you don’t remember, your father has traveled all this way to this remote place. As his daughter, you should go pay your respects," the servant frowned.
She couldn’t leave because of Yueqian’s lie. If she returned to report to the head of the family that the Eldest Young Miss claimed amnesia and refused to come, she would be the one who got lashed for being foolish.
As for the task, the master wouldn’t care about the reason for her failure; they would only focus on the fact that she had failed!
"Which household do you serve? Oh, the Qin family, isn’t it? Your Qin family is quite capable. Even the servants think they can lecture others," Yueqian let out a short laugh. Servant Xin’s face turned pale.
"Please, Eldest Young Miss, don’t say such things. It was wrong of me to speak so arrogantly, but it was all for your sake. The Master himself sent the invitation. If you don’t go, it would be seen as unfilial," the cunning servant quickly knelt upon hearing Yueqian’s words.
Yueqian’s words were too severe. She was merely a servant, but she lectured the Eldest Young Miss. If Yueqian returned to the Qin family and mentioned this, Xin Shen would be flogged to death.
A servant lecturing the Eldest Young Miss? Such news would humiliate the Qin family! Instead of allowing themselves to be shamed, wouldn’t it be better for them to dispose of an insignificant servant?
"Why are you so anxious? Besides, I already told you I’m not your Young Miss. You say that this person from the Qin family is my father, and he went to great lengths to find me here. Is that true?"
"It’s true, miss.”
"Then why did he have to go to such lengths? And why am I here? If I am indeed his daughter, why am I not in the capital with him? Or is it because I was forced to come all the way here first, so he must come all the way here to take me back? And in that case... do you still think I should rush to see him as soon as he pretended to put his effort into coming all this way to such remote town like this?" Yueqian tapped her slender fingers against the wooden railing of the house.
The rhythmic tapping was melodious, yet the words made the servant tremble uncontrollably.
As the little servant had suspected, Yueqian didn’t actually have amnesia. She was pretending in order to indicate she had no family or friend. Moreover, the reason she was sent here was due to the Qin family’s orders, not wanting to be embarrassed by a vile daughter like her.
Yueqian, having been cut off from the Qin family, was sent to marry a poor man far away. Eventually, she was using this banishment as a condition.
To assert her position firmly—that she would never return!
"E... Eldest Young Miss, saying this..." Xin Shen stammered. What should she say to a woman like Yueqian?
She had expected the Eldest Young Miss to throw a little tantrum but once she heard about the opportunity to go and beg the Master to let her return to the capital, she would certainly rush back. What she didn’t expect was Yueqian’s adamant refusal to go back.
This situation was something she wasn’t prepared to handle. Xin Shen knew that if she returned with this outcome, she would be severely flogged. But it seemed the Eldest Young Miss had no intention of going back.
As Xin Shen hesitated, unsure of what to do, a tall figure appeared. It was as if he had anticipated that Yueqian wouldn’t go back easily.
The man’s stern face broke into a small smile, and with just a few words from the man’s thick lips, he managed to convince Yueqian to agree to see the Qin family.
"Qian’er, I think you should go back. According to tradition, a husband should accompany his wife to visit her parents at their house. But since your family is far away, you never had the chance to return. So, isn’t this a good opportunity for you to take your rightful husband to visit his wife’s family?"
