Shen Zhou nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Those who spread unfounded rumors without clarifying the matter first can't even control their own mouths. Who knows what false rumors they might make up one day. What if one day they deceive the Emperor? That would be terrible. We might as well punish one of them severely now as a warning to others."
As the two of them sang in chorus, the chattering commoners who had been discussing the matter fell silent and scattered in all directions.
Cao Sheng had his cheeks swollen from the beating, and there was a metallic taste in his mouth. Despite his unwillingness, he had no choice but to slink back home in disgrace.
The entrance of the Ye Mansion, which had been as bustling as a market just now, instantly became deserted.
Yi Yuan didn't want Shen Zhou to look at Ye Xi any longer. As soon as the crowd dispersed, he immediately pulled Ye Xi away, leaving behind Shen Zhou and Sheng Yu, who still had smiles on their faces.
"Sir, Miss Yun must have arrived by now. We can't delay any longer," Sheng Yu dutifully reminded him.
"Got it," Shen Zhou replied, his smile gradually fading.
"Since we're late, let's buy her a piece of jewelry she likes first and then go."
With that, the two of them also set off.
Neither of them noticed Yun Qianying in her sky-blue dress and her maid around the street corner not far away.
"Miss," the maid Liuyun whispered.
"Mr. Shen has left. He must be going to the appointment. Let's go too."
"You said..." Yun Qianying ignored what Liuyun said and asked herself.
"What on earth does Miss Xi look like? How can she make A Zhou and the Prince of Yu'an protect her like this?"
"She must be far inferior to you, Miss," Liuyun replied without thinking.
"I've inquired in detail. Miss Xi was originally ugly, and then she got disfigured. She's like a hideous monster. I heard that her former fiancé, Cao Sheng, secretly had an affair with her elder sister, Ye Jueyao, who was famous for her beauty and talent in the capital at that time, just because of her unsightly appearance."
"Moreover, apart from her appearance, Miss, you heard just now that Miss Xi is just an adopted maid. She's even lower than a commoner. How can she compare with our Yun family, a prestigious family with a long history?"
Without the slightest attempt to hide the contempt in her eyes, Liuyun flattered her.
"In my opinion, that Miss Xi can't even compare to a single hair on your head, Miss."
"Really..." Yun Qianying half-lowered her eyelids, and her long, thick eyelashes hid all the expressions in her eyes. Then she suddenly said firmly,
"You're right. I'm the daughter of the Yun family. My grandfather is a founding hero, my father is the General Who Guards the North specially appointed by the late Emperor and commands hundreds of thousands of troops. My mother is a specially enfeoffed princess with a fief, and my brother is highly skilled in martial arts and so hardworking that he's sure to pass the imperial examination soon."
"As the legitimate daughter of the Yun family, Miss Xi will never be able to catch up with me in this lifetime. A Zhou... A Zhou protects her like this. Maybe there's some unknown reason."
Forcing down the inexplicable uneasiness in her heart, Yun Qianying gave herself a smile. As she tidied up her hair, she walked forward and said,
"Moreover, Miss Xi is already the prospective fiancée of the Prince of Yu'an. The Prince has no elders to comment on Miss Xi's appearance. But A Zhou is different. A Zhou's family members are all alive. With Miss Xi's appearance and family background, she will definitely not be able to meet their standards."
"Only I, only my status as the legitimate daughter of the Yun family, can be worthy of A Zhou..."
As she spoke, her figure gradually disappeared into the distance.
Zhihong Garden -
Ye Xi told Jiang Ning what she had learned from Qian Fangxue about the lotus silk plain cloud satin.
Jiang Ning thought for a moment and said,
"The satin is not extremely expensive, but the weaving technique of the lotus silk requires a lot of effort. After it's made, the color will be relatively light. If it's made into clothes for daily wear, the person who wears it must be a very high-ranking nanny who doesn't need to do any rough work."
"The main reason is that I've only been in the capital for a short time, so I don't know which wealthy families are so generous. Otherwise, if they give such satin to their servants to make clothes, I'm sure I'll have a deep impression."
"No wonder Qian Fangxue still remembers what that Nanny Xi was wearing after all these years..." Ye Xi suddenly realized.
"In that case, the people at that time must also have a deep impression. Since it's easy to remember and it's confirmed that she's a very high-ranking nanny, the scope will be much smaller. That's great, great."
The Qingyun Competition was approaching. After the two of them talked for a while, they found Steward Chen to inquire about which cloth shops had produced that satin and where it had been sold later. Then they went their separate ways to do their own things.
Maybe because the autumn imperial examination was just around the corner, the whole capital was immersed in this tense atmosphere. Even if there were some frictions usually, most people thought it was inappropriate to cause trouble during the imperial examination, so they tried to minimize the problems. In addition, the court was also afraid that something might go wrong at the last moment, so they doubled the number of patrolling soldiers. The whole capital was unexpectedly peaceful for quite some time.
Except for the Luo family -
Recently, the entire Luo Mansion had been feeling rather uneasy, as if they had encountered some evil spirits.
First, Zhou Zhanlan took Zhou Qingqing to the Buddhist hall to pray for the young masters of the Luo family who were about to take the autumn imperial examination. However, the incense just wouldn't light. After trying several kinds, they finally managed to light it, but the incense inexplicably emitted a blue light. Everyone was so frightened that their faces turned pale.
Zhou Zhanlan flew into a rage. To prevent any unfavorable rumors from spreading, she punished several relevant servants and told them to keep their mouths shut.
As if that wasn't enough, Luo Linrui was sound asleep during his afternoon nap when he suddenly started talking in his sleep. He said things like, "Uncle, why do you have a bull's head? I don't want to be chained up," and "You, this auntie, are so ugly. I can't even see your face because of all the hair..."
He even mentioned Lian Yi and said things like, "Bad mute, you're not allowed to eat the good fortune of our family! Grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother, don't go with her. There's something evil on her."
His words sent chills down people's spines.
The nanny who was accompanying him during his nap was so scared that she broke out in a cold sweat. She quickly tried to wake him up, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't. Just then, Zhou Qingqing came to see her precious son. After hearing what the nanny said, she was both scared and angry. But since Luo Linrui just wouldn't wake up, in a moment of desperation, she remembered the safety amulet that Ye Xi had given her and immediately took it and put it on Luo Linrui.
Strangely enough, not long after, Luo Linrui stopped talking nonsense, and he woke up soon after.
Zhou Qingqing was extremely frightened. She quickly hugged Luo Linrui and went to find Zhou Zhanlan to tell her everything in detail.
Coincidentally, Luo Ji and Luo Fuxian, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, were also there. Although Luo Fuxian refused to believe it, he couldn't stand the other three people insisting on their stories so vividly. So he decided that they would go to Lian Yi's remote small courtyard to take a look after they were done with their business.
It was just the time to light the lamps. The sky wasn't completely dark yet, and the deep gray of the sky was intertwined with the warm yellow of the candlelight.
As soon as the group of people reached the courtyard gate, they saw a slender, pale figure with disheveled hair standing straight under the big tree in the courtyard. Hearing their movement, the figure slowly and stiffly turned around. Her face was so pale that there was not a trace of color on her lips. She slowly pulled out a smile, and her pale lips parted and closed as she said,
"Grandfather..."