Four Delicate Offenders – CH 017

Chapter 17. As Long As You Can Withstand Impeachments…

Right now, in front of the head of the household, she still had to clean up her own mess and not let this fire spread to her. She hurriedly called out to Chen-Xiang, “That day you came to report to me that the Young Lady was trapped. Now that she’s alive, what do you mean by that?”

Chen-Xiang trembled at Liu-niang’s rebuke, twisting her fingers and stammering, “That day, I was assigned by the nanny to go to the backyard to air out the ink sticks. When I returned, there was an earthquake. I ran into the courtyard and saw that half of the main house had collapsed. The person hit by the beam was wearing the Young Lady’s clothes. This is absolutely true! I dare not hide it from you, Master.”

Seeing Jiang Heng’s doubt, Liu-niang quickly said, “That beam smashed the heads of the servants below; there was blood everywhere, making it impossible to tell. You cannot see her features clearly. So, judging her solely by her clothing was indeed hasty. But… in her boudoir, who could be wearing her clothes?!”

Jiang Heng, caught off guard by their back-and-forth, was momentarily at a loss. “What a coincidence! Someone’s missing from the house, and no one noticed?”

“How could you know, Master?” Liu-niang said mournfully. “About ten of the servants and maids escaped during the chaos. Many had lost their homes, and we could not even catch them. After the earthquake, the mansion was in complete disarray; there was no one to guard the gates. We had to transfer people from the stables to prevent the flood of refugees from entering.”

Hearing this, it seemed Jiang Heng had found the reason, and his anger gradually subsided. Suddenly, Chen-Xiang exclaimed, “Oh dear! Mu-Xiang always prepares the clothes for the Young Lady. Could it be that Mu-Xiang stole her clothes while she was away?”

As if the truth had been revealed, Jiang Heng’s anger completely subsided. Upon hearing this, Liu-niang, feeling wronged, burst into tears.

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“My Lord, I have served you for over ten years. When the County Princess was alive, I endured those difficult years with gritted teeth. Do you not know my character? When the County Princess was alive, I respected her; now that she is gone, I treat the Young Lady well. I have never overstepped my bounds. This blunder is because I was so frightened that I only recognized the clothes and failed to carefully examine your body. If you cannot forgive me, then send me out of the mansion. It is all my own fault; I dare not utter a single word of blame.”

Just then, Xuepan, having received the news, arrived with Yupan and Jiang Mi. Amidst the weeping and wailing of children, a lively scene unfolded.

Jiang Mi said, “If Auntie is leaving, I will go with her.”

Yupan just kept crying, and Xuepan, finding her in the way, pulled her aside and called out to her father, “Are the four of us not even as good as one elder sister? If Father sends Auntie away, then from now on, only the elder sister will be able to fulfill her filial duties to Father!”

Jiang Heng was speechless. Four for one? This deal was simply not worthwhile. Besides, Jiang Mi was the only male heir in the Jiang family. If the son and father became estranged, would the family not fall apart? He rubbed his forehead and sighed, “I did not say I was going to kick you out. Why did you have to force me with your children? Forget it, thinking about it, the one who was crushed is indeed hard to distinguish by nose and eyes, and girls’ figures are similar. Even if you mistook her, I cannot blame you.”

Xuepan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, helping Liu-niang back to the rosewood chair. She turned to him and said, “Father, I do not understand. Since Eldest Sister is not dead, why did she only show up now? The family held a funeral for no apparent reason… Is this… Whose bad luck is she trying to pick on? Besides, she’s already in the capital; why did she not go to Father? It could have been explained in a single sentence; why go through all this trouble? It’s clear she’s deliberately making things difficult for Father, trying to force him to punish the concubine so she can act as the head of the household and rule like an empress.”

Jiang Heng was increasingly speechless. He had been pondering this issue for a long time, constantly resentful that Yunpan would not go to him instead of seeking refuge at the Duke of Shu’s mansion, only to be humiliated by the Duke in front of everyone today. Now, recalling the conflict between father and daughter, it was clear that this legitimate daughter was indeed deliberately trying to put him in a difficult position.

“Such an unfilial and disrespectful child; even if she returns, she will only be a menace. How can I expect her to care for me in my old age and see me off in my final days?” Jiang Heng gritted his teeth and pounded his knee. “I never imagined that my own daughter would conspire with outsiders to teach her father a lesson.”

Upon hearing this, Liu-niang, sensing a softening, said plaintively, “It’s all my fault. Because of the Madam, the Young Lady has always looked down on me. Recently, Master even considered making me his official wife, which naturally displeased the Young Lady.”

Jiang Heng, unable to resist the spurring, immediately raised his voice, “She’s just a child! What does her business have to do with adults?”

But even so, things became complicated. The Duke of Shu was waiting for him to deal with the concubine before picking up Si Si. As for himself, he could not ignore his concubine’s situation and neglect her. After all, her mistaking his daughter’s identity was not a capital offense. She had been in the Marquis’s household for over ten years, relying entirely on him. He could not simply discard the affection of those years.

“Sigh!” He exhaled a breath of stale air, glanced at the scorching sun outside, and stood up dejectedly. “I will go to the Duke of Shu’s mansion right now. Any misunderstandings can be cleared up…” He shook his head as he walked. “She’s truly my nemesis from a past life. In this heat, she’s toying with me, her father…”

Liu-niang watched his departing figure, secretly exchanging a glance with Xuepan.

Xuepan now truly admired her mother. With just a few words, she had managed to fool her father. It showed how important a man’s favoritism was; as long as you won your husband’s heart, no matter how big the storm, he would cover for you. Therefore, when there was discord within the household, it was not necessarily the woman who suffered.

Jiang Heng returned to the capital from Youzhou. His thighs were almost chafed raw from riding, and he could barely stand when he dismounted. If it were not for a servant helping him, he would have almost fallen.

Seeing the darkness, they realized they had arrived in the capital around the hour of Hai^{(9-11 PM)}. It was not a good time to talk, so they returned to their quarters and rested hastily for the night. The next morning, at daybreak, they went to the gates of the Duke of Shu’s residence.

Lady Ming was already prepared. She had spoken to Yunpan beforehand, saying, “Today, we will see what your father says. If he punishes that wicked woman, everything can be discussed. If he tries to stall, then kick him out, and you will be my daughter from now on.”

Yunpan agreed verbally, but she had a vague premonition that this time, they would not be able to reach a decision.

“I have not seen Father for many days, and I am a little scared,” she said with a shy smile. “If I force Father to ‘punish’ Liu-niang, he will probably hate me to the core.”

Lady Ming told her not to be afraid. “With your aunt here, even if he disowns you, your aunt and uncle will uphold justice for you. If he’s not afraid of being gossiped about and just protects that woman, your future will not be ruined. Cutting ties with that disreputable father will not do you any harm.”

As she spoke, she led Yunpan to the main hall. Upon entering, they saw the Duke of Shu and Jiang Heng sitting opposite each other in the hall, and the atmosphere was very heavy.

Jiang Heng stood up and bowed to Lady Ming as she entered, calling out, “Elder Sister.” A quick glance revealed Yunpan. Remembering how heartbroken he had been when he thought she was dead, seeing his living daughter again lessened the resentment that had accumulated on the way.

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“Si Si…” He blinked his sore eyes, overwhelmed with emotion. “You child, now that you’ve arrived in the capital, why did you not come to see your father?”

Yunpan curtsied to him. “Father, I’ve caused you worry; I am unfilial. But I could not enter the house. I traveled for so long to find you. Once I return to Youzhou, rumors will spread like wildfire, and my reputation cannot withstand that. Please forgive me.”

Jiang Heng was speechless, choked by her words. He lowered his head after a long pause. “You’ve always been headstrong; I know that.”

Lady Ming disapproved of his lack of self-control, immediately blaming the child. She said in a deep voice, “You are a man; you do not understand the situation of girls. You men travel far and wide with lofty ambitions, but girls… Not returning home at night is considered indecent. People dare to spit on your door. Do you think Si Si will ever find a good marriage? My sister only has this one child, raised with the utmost care. I cannot let a lowly servant girl ruin her. You come today without saying anything else, just tell me how you plan to deal with the woman in your household. Si Si, the legitimate daughter of a county princess, is no match for that little brat in terms of ruthlessness, and she would not stoop to fighting with her. I think Marquis Jiang is a man of honor and propriety; he must have rushed back to the capital tonight and already dealt with the household. Am I right?”

Jiang Heng had always been somewhat afraid of his wife’s elder sister. She and Princess Yuyang were completely different types of people. The Princess Yuyang was forbearing and kind, while the elder sister was like a female general; if anything displeased her, she could berate him until he could not lift his head.

He rubbed his hands together, then earnestly spoke, reciting the words he had carefully prepared beforehand, “When I returned, I thoroughly questioned everyone about what happened that day, and I also found the maid who used to serve Si Si. I learned that it was that girl named Mu-Xiang who stole Si Si’s clothes, causing Liu-niang to mistake her for Si Si. It was all a misunderstanding; there was no conspiracy involved, so Elder Sister, there’s no need to worry. I have already severely punished Liu-niang, and when Si Si returns, I will have her apologize to Si Si in person. Elder Sister, Madam passed away last year, and our household suffered a great loss. We have only just begun to recover this year, and I cannot afford any more. Liu-niang has raised three children in the household over the years. If I were to drive her out and sell her, I would not be able to face those three children, and our family would cease to exist.”

After he finished speaking, Yunpan felt chilled to her bones. She knew she had lost her mother, and now even her father was gone. Heartbroken and disappointed, she speechlessly hid behind Lady Ming, not wanting to look at her father again.

Lady Ming knew her heart and pressed her hand down, saying to Jiang Heng, “You do not know how to explain to your three illegitimate children, so you can only betray your eldest daughter, is that it? You’ve taken advantage of the fact that Si Si has lost her mother and has no one to support her, so you are openly bullying her. Fortunately, she’s smart and knows she cannot go back to that home. You’ve been bewitched and are being manipulated by that little woman, so you will not stand up for her. When the news of her not returning home all night spreads throughout Youzhou and ruins her reputation, you will have a legitimate reason to defile her, shut her up, and prevent her from opposing your promotion of that concubine, is that not it?”

Jiang Heng was speechless, choked by Lady Ming’s words. The Duke of Shu, standing beside her, finally stood up and sighed, “Enough.”

“In my opinion, you do not lack this legitimate daughter. You have plenty of illegitimate children anyway; they will bring you honor in the future. Since that’s the case, why make things difficult? Just let her go. From now on, you can live happily with your concubine and illegitimate children. As long as you can withstand impeachments, you can still make a living. But Marquis Jiang, do not forget how you rose to power. It truly is a case of ‘one generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade.’ In the dead of night, you will be filled with shame.”

The Duke of Shu had no more intention of arguing and walked out with his hands behind his back.

Lady Ming, her brows furrowed, asked Jiang Heng, “Marquis Jiang, are you not going to give Si Si an explanation?”

Jiang Heng was also conflicted. Looking at his eldest daughter and then thinking of the people in Youzhou, he finally managed to squeeze out a vague sentence: “Actually… I think Si Si is doing quite well at my elder sister’s residence. Otherwise… I will trouble my elder sister a little longer. Once the marriage is settled, I will prepare her dowry and send it to her residence… I will leave everything to my elder sister.”

Having said this, he felt ashamed to remain, not even daring to glance at Yunpan again. He hastily tossed out a “Si Si, listen to your aunt” and walked out of the front hall without looking back. He encountered Xiang Xu, who was rushing towards him but did not even greet him, quickly stepping out the door.

Lady Ming was furious. “What kind of incompetent father is this?!”

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Looking at Yunpan, her eyelashes were misty, and she forced a smile. “Aunt, do not be angry. I knew it would turn out this way. I am just sad for Mother. Father hurt her a hundred times worse than this.”