Song Mo did not deliberately suppress the news of that day. Rumors gradually spread among the servants of Duke Ying’s mansion that “the Second Master and the Duke’s concubine were caught in the act of adultery by the Young Master, causing the Second Madam to angrily retreat to the country estate to recuperate.” People in the Four Lanes also heard about it. So when Ji Hong led servants from Duke Ying’s mansion to move Miao Ansu’s luggage, the more perceptive servants all found excuses to avoid the scene. Those who couldn’t avoid it stared at Song Han lying on the ground, then glanced at Jin Gui who had retreated expressionlessly behind Ji Hong, unable to come to their senses for a long while.
A servant hitting the master was punishable by exile!
How could this little maid be so bold?
Everyone in the Four Lanes was stunned.
Inside the main room, there was complete silence, as if even the air had frozen.
Ji Hong couldn’t help but lick her lips.
No wonder Lady Dou dared to treat Duke Ying as if he didn’t exist. The maids by her side were truly formidable!
If she wanted to leave the Four Lanes safely today, she would have to rely on the Jin Gui and Yin Gui sisters.
Her attitude towards Jin Gui and Yin Gui became even more respectful: “Sisters, it’s getting late, and you need to report back. I think we should quickly help the Second Madam pack her things and send them to the country estate!”
Jin Gui and Yin Gui understood that the madam had sent them to intimidate these people. As for moving things, that wasn’t their job.
The two sisters smiled and nodded, standing guard at the door of the inner room.
Ji Hong hurriedly led several servant women into the inner room.
Song Han’s servant finally reacted and rushed forward to help Song Han up.
Song Han pushed the servant away and struggled to get up himself.
“Bring me the guards!” His mouth was swollen, and his jaw was bruised. Looking at the nonchalant Jin Gui and Yin Gui sisters, his face was very gloomy. “You train soldiers for a thousand days to use them for an hour. I don’t believe that a few women can move things out from under the noses of the guards!”
The servant responded and quickly went, but soon returned in panic: “Second Master, it’s bad! That Ji Hong has somehow brought in more than a dozen highly skilled men who have blocked the second gate. We can’t get out at all!”
Song Han trembled with anger.
That bitch Miao Ansu dared to confront him!
If he let Miao Ansu step on his head today, how could he face anyone in the future?
He strode towards the outside: “I want to see who dares to stop me!”
The servant hurriedly followed.
Ji Hong was efficiently packing things.
Her successful intrusion today was, frankly speaking, due to the element of surprise and borrowing Lady Dou’s manpower. Such an opportunity wouldn’t come again. The urgent task was to take away the most valuable items. As for those half-new, half-old clothes and ordinary furnishings bought from shops, they would have to be left for Song Han.
Ji Hong politely urged the rough servant women borrowed from Dou Zhao: “Please hurry, ladies. We might not be able to leave once the Second Master returns.”
Seeing that Song Han had been beaten, the servant women were also feeling guilty. They smiled and agreed, working even faster. Soon, they had packed three or four trunks.
Fearing that delay would lead to trouble, Ji Hong stuffed Miao Ansu’s valuables into Jin Gui and Yin Gui’s arms: “Please, sisters, help take these to our Second Madam.”
Jin Gui and Yin Gui only listened to Dou Zhao’s orders. Since Dou Zhao told them to help Ji Hong, they didn’t refuse and tucked the items into their bosoms.
Ji Hong breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly there was a commotion outside.
She was anxious and sent a little maid to see what was happening.
The little maid ran back excitedly: “Sister Ji Hong, it’s the Uncle! He’s come with a big group of people, saying he wants to reclaim face for the Second Madam!”
Great!
With the Uncle’s help, things were more likely to succeed.
A smile appeared on Ji Hong’s face.
Song Han, however, was so angry he rolled his eyes.
Miao Anping had twisted black and white, constantly accusing him and his father of being caught in adultery with the concubine by Miao Ansu. He wouldn’t listen to kind persuasion and even sent Miao Ansu to the Song family’s country estate to recuperate, demanding a thousand taels of silver as hush money.
He must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to become in-laws with the Miao family! Apart from money, the Miao family knew nothing else!
Song Han’s teeth ground audibly as he sneered: “Slandering and framing officials is also punishable by imprisonment!”
Miao Anping was unfazed and smiled: “Second Master Song has truly spoken to my heart. Then let’s go to the Shuntianjin yamen to reason it out! I don’t believe that a son sleeping with his father’s concubine can be justified! Oh right, I heard my sister say that Prince Liao was also present that day. Isn’t Prince Liao still here? We can invite Prince Liao to the yamen as a witness. Others might not be able to invite Prince Liao, but your Song family is the top among the nobility, you surely can invite Prince Liao!”
Song Han was so angry he couldn’t speak, but he didn’t dare to go to the Shuntianjin yamen to file a lawsuit with the Miao family.
He wasn’t afraid of losing face. After all, Song Mo had already said that he was drunk and entered the wrong room. Even if they went to the yamen, he could use this as an excuse. But if Prince Liao found out that not only had he botched the job, but he could not also clean up after himself, how could the prince still take him seriously?
His success today relied on the Empress’s support.
A cold light flashed in Song Han’s eyes: “I don’t have a thousand taels of silver. At most, two hundred taels. Take it or leave it. If not, then we’ll meet at the Shuntianjin yamen.”
Miao Anping had already decided to eat this piece of fatty meat bit by bit. He was also afraid of mutual destruction, so he bargained: “At least eight hundred taels. My brothers have come with me, they need some tea money too.”
“At most three hundred taels, not a penny more.”
Song Han’s attitude was firm. Miao Anping persisted, and they finally settled on four hundred taels of silver.
Miao Anping left the study and scolded the servants of the Four Lanes to serve tea and snacks to the idle helpers sitting in the flower hall waiting for him.
Song Han looked at those ruffians sitting in his carefully arranged flower hall, feeling another stab of pain in his heart.
Ji Hong in the inner courtyard received the news, looked at the clothes piled up on half of the kang bed, bit her lip, and said to the Jin Gui and Yin Gui sisters: “Let’s carry the things out now. We might be able to meet the Uncle in the front courtyard and ask for his help.”
Jin Gui and Yin Gui couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
Miao Anping was not fit for polite company. Even without his help, they could walk out of the Four Lanes relying on just the two of them.
They were happy to let the Miao family take the lead and followed Ji Hong out.
When they reached the hanging flower gate, they encountered several old women guarding the inner courtyard who blocked them and refused to let them leave, saying they would report to Song Han.
Ji Hong started crying and making a fuss loudly.
Miao Anping, sitting in the small flower hall, heard the commotion and came out to watch. He immediately recognized Ji Hong.
He led several idle helpers and surrounded them.
“What are you doing?” Miao Anping shouted at the old women guarding the inner courtyard.
Ji Hong, as if seeing a lifeline, cried out “Uncle”: “The Second Madam is inconvenienced staying at the country estate. She asked us to return to the mansion to carry the trunks to the estate, but the Second Master refused to agree. Please help us, sir.”
Miao Anping’s gaze fell on the several camphor wood trunks that were part of Miao Ansu’s dowry behind Ji Hong.
Why hadn’t he thought of this?
A woman who has lost her husband’s family can only rely on her maiden family. If Miao Ansu’s trunks were moved to the country estate, wouldn’t they be at his disposal?
He cursed and rolled up his sleeves to help.
Seeing this, several of the Song family guards also ran over, unwilling to be outdone.
The people from Yizhi Hall stood by watching the commotion.
By the time Song Han’s steward came with the silver, the area in front of the hanging flower gate was already in chaos with people chasing, fighting, cursing, and jumping.
He hurriedly went to report to Song Han.
Song Han, who had been pretending to be confused in his study, had to come out and shout: “What are you all doing?”
Both sides sheepishly stopped.
Several severely beaten old women, regardless of the situation, lay on the ground groaning even louder. The guards of the Four Lanes had to step forward, mumbling a report of what had happened.
Miao Anping immediately retorted defiantly: “Those were originally part of the dowry our Miao family gave to my sister. Now that you’ve angered my sister into hiding at the country estate, what right do you have to stop us from taking my sister’s trunks away? Song Han, do you want me to reveal all the shameful things you’ve done?” He then pointed at his own torn clothes and a nearby idle helper with a bruised face, “Not to mention anything else, first give us five hundred taels of silver for medical expenses!”
I’d rather spend five thousand taels of silver to get rid of you!
Song Han was furious inside, but his face became even more gentle. He pointed at the people groaning on the ground: “Then how do you explain these? Since there are losses on both sides, let each bear their own.” As he spoke, he nodded to the steward.
The steward immediately presented four hundred taels of shining silver.
Miao Anping knew that Song Han was a miser and it wasn’t easy to get money from him. With the idea of a steady stream in mind, he glared fiercely at Song Han, took the silver, and escorted Ji Hong and the others carrying the trunks out the door.
He had come to make trouble once before, and now he had brought people again. The people of the Four Lanes had long been waiting at the door to watch the excitement. Seeing them come out, they stood in groups of three or five, pointing and whispering.
Miao Anping, having grown up in the marketplace, knew that rumors could kill. Wanting to frighten Song Han a bit, he smiled broadly and bowed repeatedly, saying: “I’m taking my sister back to stay for a few days. She’ll return in a while. It’s not that my sister has been sent to the country estate because the Song family dislikes her.”
Hearing this, a woman boldly asked: “So the Second Madam went to the Song family’s country estate to recuperate. I was wondering why I hadn’t seen the Second Madam’s people come out to buy vegetables and rice for several days. What illness does the Second Madam have that requires recuperation at the country estate?”
Some troublemakers laughed: “If that’s the case, why did the big uncle come so aggressively and even have his clothes torn?”
Miao Anping just chuckled and urged the people from Yizhi Hall to quickly load the trunks onto the carriage.
No one from Song Han’s family came out to face the situation.
Seeing there was no more excitement to watch, people gradually dispersed. Some curious ones ran to Duke Ying’s mansion to inquire about what had happened.
Miao Anping couldn’t wait for the carriage to reach the country estate before eagerly opening the trunks to check.
Thank goodness! Thank goodness!
The more valuable parts of the dowry from back then had all been brought out.
He couldn’t help but smile and called Ji Hong over to ask: “Where are the young mistress’s jewelry and valuables?”