Luck Reliant Beauty – CH 251

Chapter 251: Jiang Mi’s True Colors

Wang Yingxue was the first to react. She swallowed hard and forced a dry laugh. “Alright, alright, are you all hungry? Let’s have some refreshments.”

As the maids gracefully served tea and snacks, the young women finally snapped out of their daze. They glanced at Jiang Mi with secret awe, wanting to approach her, but none dared to.

Seeing their continued timidity, Jiang Mi smiled, stood up, curtsied to Wang Yingxue, and said, “I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.” Without waiting for Wang Yingxue to reply, Jiang Mi gracefully departed with several female guards.

As Jiang Mi’s figure disappeared through the garden gate, the women’s chatter suddenly intensified.

After Jiang Mi’s revelations, the cousins ​​Zheng Tingzhi and Zheng Yingyue simultaneously investigated their husbands, and the results were exactly as Jiang Mi had described.

Jiang Mi’s reputation soared among the aristocratic women, and the incident in Wang Yingxue’s courtyard quickly spread throughout the entire aristocratic families.

Lu Clan of Fanyang Mansion.

Lu Li nestled beside Old Madam Lu, her heart pounding with fear. “Grandmother,” she said, “that Lady Jiang is terrifying! She’s investigated everyone’s background so thoroughly—what is she trying to do?”

Nearby, another Lu family woman chimed in, “Yes, just thinking about that Lady Jiang—she seems so quiet on the surface, yet she has people collecting our every move. She’s truly frightening and hateful!”

Another young woman added, “Yes, it’s terrifying! I still shudder.”

The women chattered amongst themselves, vehemently criticizing Jiang Mi, while Old Madam Lu, who had always disliked her, remained silent.

The women cautiously glanced at Old Madam Lu.

Old Madam Lu’s eyes were slightly closed, as if she were resting.

After a long pause, Old Madam Lu finally spoke, slowly saying, “Back when I was still a young girl, the Clan was at the height of its power.” She suddenly brought up the past, and the younger generation immediately pricked up their ears to listen.

Old Madam Lu looked out the window, her gaze seemingly traveling through time, back to those carefree years. “At that time,” she said, “my grandfather was the Clan Head, and my branch of the family was the most powerful. On one fortunate occasion, under my grandfather’s guidance, I met my great aunt, the most prestigious member of the Clan, whose every word could influence the Clan’s fate.”

That meeting had clearly left a deep impression on Old Madam Lu; her gaze into the distance revealed an extremely complex and multifaceted emotion. After a long pause, Old Madam Lu continued, “That meeting was unforgettable. Before that, I never knew there were people in this world so perceptive, so insightful, as if nothing in the world could escape their notice.” She slowly turned her head, glanced at Lu Li and the others, then sighed softly, closed her eyes, and asked, “The people Lady Jiang investigated, didn’t our Clan investigate them?”

This left the women speechless. Old Madam Lu continued slowly, “However, our investigation was only superficial. For example, Zheng Yingyue’s husband had dealings with Chang Xiuer, and Zheng Yingyue’s health had been declining this year. Didn’t we know? But who among us thought this matter deserved a deeper investigation? There are indeed people in this world who can see the hidden essence from the surface.”

Lu Li objected, saying urgently, “Grandmother, from what you’re saying, then… Lady Jiang actually did a good job? But, but just thinking about her words and actions fills one with a sense of dread. Was that really to be expected?”

“Silly child, didn’t I just mention my great aunt? Lady Jiang’s mistake is that she is still young and impetuous. What happened a few days ago, if it had been my great aunt, she certainly wouldn’t have said anything. Although she knew everything, she never spoke; she only acted when the time was right…”

Lu Li was startled. Suddenly, she remembered what would have happened if Jiang Mi hadn’t exposed those festering sores and if, when the Zheng sisters’ husbands took action, she had either stood by coldly or seized the opportunity to exert her influence… Suddenly, Lu Li shuddered violently.

Since she could think of it, the other young women also thought of it, and for a moment, all the women shivered involuntarily.

At this moment, Old Madam Lu was clearly tired. She waved her hand. “Alright, you may all leave.”

“Yes.”

After the younger generation had dispersed, an old maidservant walked behind Old Madam Lu. While gently massaging Old Madam Lu’s shoulders, she whispered, “Since you’re going to teach these children, why don’t you be more explicit?” Seeing that Old Madam Lu didn’t speak, the old maidservant continued, “Hearing you mention your great aunt from before, one can’t help but envy Cui Zi Xuan. With someone like your great aunt overseeing things, I wonder how many detours the clan can avoid. The Cui Clan of Boling is truly blessed.”

Old Madam Lu remained silent.

…

It could be said that Jiang Mi’s initial show of force was quite ruthless.

Since returning that day, Jiang Mi had encountered these members of aristocratic families on the road. Regardless of gender, those under a certain age all treated her with utmost respect; a single glance from her was enough to silence them.

However, Jiang Mi never paid much attention to the opinions of others.

On this day, Cui Zi Xuan, who had been busy with frontline affairs, returned to Daliang.

The day Cui Zi Xuan returned to Daliang happened to be his birthday. Jiang Mi arrived at the Cui Clan of Boling early in the morning.

Upon entering the courtyard, Jiang Mi didn’t see Cui Zi Xuan, but only Cui Ziying. “Where’s your brother?” she asked.

“He received an imperial edict from His Majesty and went to the palace,” Cui Ziying replied in a clear voice. Then she muttered, “I wonder why they are up so early. Don’t they sleep?”

Jiang Mi smiled. Her gaze then fell on a set of gold-threaded soft armor placed on a stone table. This gold-threaded soft armor was always worn as inner armor for self-defense.

Jiang Mi picked it up casually and noticed some stitching. She instructed a servant to bring special gold thread and began to sew it up.

…

When Cui Zi Xuan returned, he was followed by a group of young noblemen. These young men were mostly teenagers, the second sons of legitimate wives or sons of concubines from various families.

They walked and laughed behind Cui Zi Xuan. “Brother Zi Xuan, it’s your birthday today; why aren’t you having a banquet?” “What banquet? Brother Zi Xuan has finally returned; naturally, he should be with his beloved.”

The moment the man mentioned “beloved,” the young noblemen were struck by the image of Jiang Mi’s actions, and a chill ran down their spines. After a while, one of them whispered, “I heard that Li Yuancheng passed away yesterday!”

Upon hearing this, their faces turned pale.

Pale-faced and trembling, these aristocratic youths looked at Cui Zi Xuan with a newfound awe, feeling a sense of reverence for their elder brother, who had always been someone they admired.

Cui Zi Xuan, however, paid no attention to their conversation. His gaze swept across the room, landing on Jiang Mi’s carriage parked in the corner. Knowing she had arrived, a smile played on his lips, and his pace quickened unconsciously. Completely absorbed in Jiang Mi, he didn’t notice that the previously chattering boys were now as quiet as rabbits.

Amidst the occasional murmurs of the aristocratic youths, Cui Zi Xuan entered the courtyard. Upon entering the courtyard, he immediately saw Jiang Mi, who was mending his gold-embroidered armor. He called out with a smile, “Ah’Mi?”

Jiang Mi, head bowed, was stitching when she suddenly heard Cui Zi Xuan’s call. She quickly stood up and turned around, but in her haste, she was caught off guard, and her knee slammed heavily against a stone table. She cried out and jumped up, but because her front foot landed on her back foot, she fell flat on her face.

The fall was quite forceful; Jiang Mi landed face down on the ground, her hair disheveled, her beautiful face covered in mud. She didn’t recover for a long time. With her hair still messy, she hurriedly sat up, but because she was still in pain, she remained seated for a while, her watery eyes glazed over as she looked towards Cui Zi Xuan. She looked like a broken bird, her eyes and mud-covered eyelashes blinking with an indescribable pitifulness and amusement.

Cui Ziying, who had just heard her cry out “Ouch!”, turned and saw her like this and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Cui Zi Xuan also couldn’t help but laugh. He rushed forward and quickly helped Jiang Mi up. Just as he helped her sit down, Jiang Mi’s eyes welled with tears, which soaked through her mud-covered face. Cui Zi Xuan asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Does it hurt a lot?”

Jiang Mi pitifully raised her left hand for him to see; it turned out that when she fell, she hadn’t been careful and had accidentally stuck a large pin into her palm.

Cui Zi Xuan was heartbroken. He quickly took her hand, grabbed the pin, and pulled it out. While ordering a servant to fetch wound medicine, he told a maid to fetch water for washing her face. Cui Zi Xuan helped Jiang Mi towards the side room, muttering, “How could you be so careless? Weren’t you supposed to be more careful?”

Faintly, the young men seemed to hear Lady Jiang sob.

Cui Zi Xuan went in and didn’t come out for quite a while. Then, Cui Ziying curtsied to the young men, saying shyly, “Please wait a moment; my brother will be out soon.”

As an unmarried young lady, she didn’t want to stay with the young men for long, but since her master wasn’t there, she felt embarrassed to leave. So she curtsied again and retreated to a corner.

At this point, the young men hadn’t reacted yet. They looked at each other, still unable to believe that the Lady Jiang they had known, who seemed like a demon, was actually such a woman.

After a long while, one of the boys said dryly, “Lady Jiang seemed quite pitiful just now?”

Another boy said equally dryly, “And…and a bit simple-minded?”

A third boy said, “Perhaps we were mistaken?”

At this moment, Cui Ziying, standing in the corner, laughed sweetly, “My sister-in-law used to be really simple-minded, but she’s become much more mature these past few years…”

Upon hearing this, the boys’ eyes widened even more. They couldn’t believe that the woman whose words alone could send chills down their spines was the same one Cui Ziying was talking about.