Soon, the carriage to pick up Miao Ansu and Ji Hong arrived.
Ji Hong helped Miao Ansu into the carriage and lifted the curtain, only to find the maid who had shouted “Ghost!” in Xiangxiang Court sitting inside.
She smiled and knelt to welcome Miao Ansu and Ji Hong, saying, “The Young Master said that I should serve the Second Madam from now on.”
Ji Hong couldn’t help but sigh in relief, smiling as she said, “No wonder you pulled me to find Liu Hong!”
While others were too scared to leave their rooms for fear of ghosts, this maid had sought help despite knowing the Second Madam was resting in Du Ruo’s room. It turned out she was someone arranged by the Young Master.
Ji Hong sat down beside her warmly, chatting in a low voice.
The maid told them, “Liu Hong fell down the stairs and broke her neck. She’s completely paralyzed, with only her eyes able to move. The Second Master was merciful and gave fifty taels of silver for her parents to take her home. The doctor said that in her condition if her family spends money on water, she might last three to five years. Otherwise, she has at most fifteen to sixteen days to live. As for Miss Du Ruo from the Duke’s quarters, she suddenly fell ill and was moved to the warm room on the east side of the back garden by the Duke. I heard that several doctors have been changed, but her condition hasn’t improved. The Duke has already ordered Lü Zheng’s wife to prepare burial clothes in advance.”
Miao Ansu exchanged a glance with Ji Hong, feeling somewhat emotional.
Song Han treated those around him as worthless, and quick to call for beatings and killings. In contrast, Song Mo would find ways to properly arrange for anyone who had helped him. The difference between them was clear. Song Han would never be able to surpass Song Mo in this lifetime.
She quietly settled down in Song Mo’s country estate.
A few days later, news of Liu Hong and Du Ruo’s deaths spread.
Ji Hong spat on the ground, cursing “Serves them right!”
Miao Ansu didn’t share this view.
Although Liu Hong and Du Ruo had done wrong, without the masterminds Song Han and Song Yichun, what could these weak women, whose contracts were held by others, have done?
Thinking about this, Miao Ansu felt somewhat indignant.
Why should Liu Hong and Du Ruo die while Song Han and Song Yichun continue to live carefree lives?
This was Song Mo’s estate, so Miao Ansu asked the estate manager, “I want to see my family. Is that alright?”
The manager smiled and said, “The Young Master gave instructions early on that you can go wherever you want. However, it’s best not to go too far, lest someone takes advantage of the situation to forcibly send you back home. In that case, our Young Master wouldn’t be able to help.”
Miao Ansu quickly said, “I understand. I just want to see my brother and let him inform my family, so my parents won’t worry.”
This reason was hard to refute, so the manager sent someone to deliver a message to the Miao family.
The Miao family was shocked and immediately sent Miao Anping to accompany Madam Miao to visit Miao Ansu.
Madam Miao, barely steady on her feet, anxiously asked, “How did you end up being sent to the country estate by the Song family? What about your daily necessities? Will they divorce you?”
Miao Ansu felt as if she had been stabbed.
She broke down crying in front of her brother and mother: “Song Han is not human! He had an affair with his father’s concubine! That little hussy Liu Hong, to please Song Han, even kept watch outside the door when he was having an affair with his father’s concubine. Even during the banquet for the Prince of Liao, his lustful heart didn’t change.
When the Young Master accidentally discovered it, not only did he not admit his mistake, but he also wanted to beat me in front of the Young Master and the Duke, saying I was unvirtuous for not helping him cover it up, which led to the Young Master finding out. The Young Master, fearing he might hurt me in his anger and shame, had no choice but to send me to the country estate. Brother, you must seek justice for me! I can’t just let him beat me for nothing!”
Miao Anping and Madam Miao looked at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, Madam Miao said awkwardly, “A married daughter is like spilled water. How can we, your natal family, easily interfere in your affairs? You know what happened last time. Your brother went to the Fourth Alley to make a scene for you, and what was the result? Your brother was beaten by the guards of Duke Ying’s mansion. His back still hurts, and he has to take medicine every day. All our family’s savings have gone into buying medicine for your brother…”
Miao Ansu was so angry her heart ached, but she had to feign agreement with her mother and brother.
“That’s exactly why I asked brother to come and discuss this!” she said, full of grievance. “Last time when brother made a scene for me, nothing good came of it, and I’ve been worried about it ever since! But this time is different. When the Young Master caught Song Han in the act, the Prince of Liao was also present. Shortly after, Liu Hong broke her neck in a fall, Du Ruo died of illness, and I moved into the country estate.
Think about it, if this matter were to come out, who could say we’re extorting like last time? Moreover, the Young Master promised that as long as I was willing, I could stay at the country estate for as long as I wanted. With the Young Master backing me, Song Han can’t do anything to me. If you go and make a fuss, won’t Song Han have to pay you off?”
Hearing this, Madam Miao felt somewhat uneasy, feeling that the matter wasn’t as simple as her daughter made it out to be. But if asked to pinpoint what exactly was wrong, she couldn’t say.
Miao Anping’s eyes lit up, and he said, “That’s not a bad idea! Song Han’s concubine is gone, the Duke’s concubine is dead, and you’ve moved to the Song family’s country estate and won’t return. We can say that Song Han had an affair with his father’s concubine, which angered you so much that you left the Fourth Alley. We can extort a good sum from Song Han.” He clapped his hands and laughed, “Sister, you’ve finally been clever for once!”
Miao Ansu smiled, pressing her lips together.
Madam Miao, however, worried, “What if Song Han does the same as last time and has people beat us out?”
“This time is different from last time,” Miao Anping said confidently. “Last time, we were at a disadvantage because we weren’t in the right—he played with sister’s dowry maid, and we just gave him the cold shoulder. Of course, he wouldn’t bow his head to our family. Now, with sister staying at the Young Master’s country estate, arranged by Madam Dou, how can he forcibly take sister back? As long as the sister doesn’t return to the Fourth Alley for one day, the matter of Song Han’s affair can’t be settled for one day. Won’t Song Han have to pay us off?” Excited, he discussed with Miao Ansu, “I think we shouldn’t finish Song Han off in one go. We should take it slow, asking for some silver today, some tomorrow, making him support us from now on!”
It was indeed the right choice to involve her brother in this matter!
Miao Ansu nodded.
Miao Anping was still a bit worried and said, “I’m standing up for you here. Don’t change your mind halfway and go back to the Fourth Alley with that Song Han!”
“I won’t!” To reassure her brother, Miao Ansu said, “I’m counting on you to share some of the silver you extort from Song Han with me!”
Hearing this, Miao Anping immediately became nervous and said, “At most, I’ll give you one-tenth! I need to hire people to help deal with that stinking Song Han and hire people to go with me to demand silver. If Song Han gets vicious and doesn’t pay up, I might even end up in jail with one of his calling cards thrown to the Shuntian Prefecture. You just need to sit comfortably at home waiting for the silver…”
But Miao Ansu wanted more than just to ruin Song Han’s reputation.
She bargained with Miao Anping: “A 40-60 split! Otherwise, I won’t admit that I moved to the country estate because Song Han angered me.”
“At most, a 20-80 split!” Miao Anping said, “Otherwise, I can’t make the numbers work.”
They haggled back and forth for a while before finally deciding on a 30-70 split.
Both Miao Ansu and Miao Anping were satisfied.
Miao Anping didn’t even have the mind to eat lunch. He left Madam Miao to keep Miao Ansu company and immediately returned to Daxing County.
Miao Ansu had people prepare a guest room for Madam Miao.
Madam Miao was displeased and said, “Your husband won’t come anyway, so why can’t I stay with you?”
The last time Madam Miao visited the Fourth Alley, she had pretended her hair was messy and asked Miao Ansu’s little maid to help her restyle it, taking the opportunity to wear Miao Ansu’s pure gold hairpin and a pair of gold-inlaid jade gourd earrings back home.
If Madam Miao had asked why she was staying at the Song family’s country estate right away, she might have turned a blind eye and let her mother stay in her room. But this time… she was determined to distance herself from her mother. Song Han couldn’t be relied upon, and Song Mo couldn’t support her for a lifetime. The Miao family only cared about money. If she didn’t plan for herself now, she would have no way out.
Ji Hong felt that given Miao Ansu’s current situation, offending her natal family would truly leave her with nowhere to stand.
She advised Miao Ansu, “Young Madam, why don’t you give some of your old clothes and jewelry to the old madam to take back home and save face?”
Miao Ansu shook her head and said, “Greed is hard to satisfy. Besides, I’ve made up my mind to divorce Song Han. If I don’t take advantage of still being the Song family’s Second Madam to get some things now, what will we live on in the future?” Then she wrote a letter and asked Ji Hong to deliver it to Dou Zhao. “I’m asking my sister-in-law to send someone with you to the Fourth Alley to bring all my trunks over. Take this opportunity to quietly set aside my valuables separately and ask my sister-in-law to keep them for me, lest they be taken away by my uncle when they’re sent over.”
Hearing this, Ji Hong couldn’t help but cry.
Tigers in front, wolves behind. The Second Madam’s situation was too difficult!
She wept quietly to Duke Ying’s mansion.
Dou Zhao was also pondering this matter.
Song Han being found by the Prince of Liao in a disheveled state with the Duke’s concubine in the same room was a great opportunity!
Song Mo didn’t want to move against Song Han for the sake of the bigger picture, but Dou Zhao couldn’t agree to let Song Han go unscathed after he had framed Song Mo once.
However, Dou Zhao hadn’t yet decided how to deal with Song Han.
Seeing Miao Ansu’s letter, she almost laughed out loud. She immediately called for the sisters Jin Gui and Yin Gui, and said to Ji Hong, “These two personal maids of mine both have excellent martial arts skills. Not to mention women, even three or five strong men wouldn’t easily get close to them. I’ll have them accompany you to the Fourth Alley to get the things. If anything happens, just give them orders.”
Ji Hong had been a bit nervous before, fearing that Dou Zhao might not want to get involved in this matter. Hearing this, she was overjoyed. She curtsied to Dou Zhao and, addressing Jin Gui and Yin Gui as “elder sisters,” flattered them as they went to the Fourth Alley.
Song Han was feeling uncomfortable, thinking about how to bring Miao Ansu back.
Her staying at the country estate without a proper reason would invite criticism. Unfortunately, Duke Ying’s mansion only had Dou Zhao as a proper female relative. It would be good enough if Dou Zhao didn’t smear his reputation; expecting her to cover for him was impossible.
Hearing that Ji Hong had come to move Miao Ansu’s things, the veins on his temples bulged. He raised his foot to kick Ji Hong, shouting, “You little hussy, you’ve gone too far! Don’t you know whose food and drink you’re living on? How dare you come to the house to move things…”
However, before his foot could reach Ji Hong, a small maid darted out from the side, grabbed his ankle with her hand, and pulled forward, making him fall flat on his face like a dog eating dirt.