Chen Jiao is no longer just a lady of the inner chambers; she is now the face of the Huai’an Prince’s mansion.
The common folk all refer to her as the “Goddess.”
The envoys from Jiaozhou have recognized her value.
If they could bring such a person to Jiaozhou, there would be numerous benefits.
This time, five envoys from Jiaozhou came to escort the bride.
Two of them passed away due to illness, and the remaining three were cured by Chen Jiecai Lu, a remedy provided by Chen Jiao.
They privately probed Cui Jue’s opinion, as it was he who initially proposed the marriage alliance.
The weather warmed up significantly after the New Year.
Cui Jue had previously contracted lung abscesses and, although he had taken Chen Jiecai Lu, he had not fully recovered and could not withstand the cold.
A charcoal brazier was burning inside the room, making the air stuffy.
He ordered his servant to open the window a bit.
The fragrance of winter plum blossoms occasionally wafted into the room.
Cui Jue, half-reclining on a couch, was dressed in plain white sleeping attire.
The sunlight outside was bright, and the birds were chirping noisily.
A few rays of sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting beautiful patches of light inside.
A copper incense burner was filled with calming incense, and the thin wisps of smoke were gently stirred by the breeze from outside.
The smoke drifted into the sunlight, creating a peculiar sight.
The smoke, illuminated by the sunlight, shimmered with golden light.
The golden light, caressed by the breeze, constantly changed shape, even producing purple hues.
Cui Jue was captivated by the scene, staring intently at it.
Suddenly, he heard his servant announce that the Jiaozhou envoy Fan Guoyan had come to visit.
Cui Jue snapped back to reality and replied,
“Let him wait.”
The servant acknowledged the order.
A maid came to assist him in changing clothes.
Cui Jue put on casual attire and tidied his appearance.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Fan Guoyan was escorted into the room.
He was dressed in a dark blue robe, of average height, with a horse-like face.
In his forties, he had a lean figure and his eyes, with their distinctive three-whites appearance, exuded shrewdness.
Upon entering, Fan Guoyan greeted Cui Jue with a bow and inquired with concern,
“I heard that Cui, the assistant magistrate, recently contracted a seasonal illness. Are you feeling much better now?”
Cui Jue returned the greeting and replied,
“I am much better now.” He paused and then asked, “How are the officials in the government office faring?”
Fan Guoyan sat down and said,
“Thanks to the Chen Jiecai Lu sent by the Prince’s mansion, we managed to survive.”
Cui Jue responded, “I’m glad to hear that you, Mr. Fan, have recovered.”
He had initially thought that Fan Guoyan had come to discuss the marriage, as it was already nearly a month past the scheduled date of December 13th when Chen Xianle was supposed to have been escorted away.
Fan Guoyan, clearly deeply moved by his experience in Huizhou, expressed his gratitude for surviving the ordeal, saying:
“Thanks to Miss Chen Jiu’s discovery of the cure for the epidemic, otherwise we would have perished here.”
Cui Jue acknowledged, “She indeed made a great contribution.”
Fan Guoyan stroked his beard and praised,
“This young lady truly has a heart of a bodhisattva.”
“I also heard that it was she who proposed to make the recipe for Chen Jiecai Lu public.”
“Prince Huai’an cares for the people of Huizhou, not only saving Huizhou but also the people across the land who are troubled by lung abscesses.”
Cui Jue, following his lead, brought up the alliance between the two states,
“In a few days, you, Mr. Fan, will be able to return and report back.”
Fan Guoyan smiled and humbly said, “Wenyun, it was you who facilitated the alliance between our two states.
“Today, my dear friend, why don’t you speak frankly with me? Is Prince Huai’an willing to marry off his daughter?!”
Cui Jue carefully replied,
“The alliance between the two states is for the stability of the people. My lord understands the greater good and knows how to make the right choice.”
Fan Guoyan wagged his finger at him,
“Don’t give me official jargon to evade the question.”
Cui Jue fell silent.
Fan Guoyan got straight to the point,
“Our lord is already over fifty, while the Chen family’s legitimate daughter is not even twenty, and it is said that she was raised by Prince Huai’an himself. Is he truly willing to let her go?”
Cui Jue glanced at him sideways, pursed his lips, and smiled meaningfully,
“What do you mean by that, Brother Fan?”
Fan Guoyan calculated,
“The marriage alliance between the two states doesn’t specify which daughter to marry. There is still room for negotiation.”
Cui Jue lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the hand warmer, his thumb gently rubbing it, without responding.
Fan Guoyan continued,
“Miss Chen Wu is, after all, the legitimate daughter of Prince Huai’an. If she were to be married off, the Zheng family would likely be displeased.”
Cui jue replied,
“This is my lord’s own affair. Brother Fan, you need not concern yourself with it.”
“But that’s not what I’m saying,” he shifted the topic, “I’m actually looking out for your best interests.”
Cui Jue raised an eyebrow and remained silent.
Fan Guoyan pressed on, “As I mentioned earlier, there is still some flexibility in the marriage alliance between the two states. Why don’t we each make some concessions?”
“We are not necessarily seeking to marry Miss Chen Wu. Any of the other daughters would do.”
“And the suitor does not have to be our lord. He has three sons under him, any of whom could marry a Chen family daughter.”
Cui Jue laughed again, not politely,
“Brother Fan, your calculations are well-known even in the Central Plains.”
“Are these other daughters you’re referring to, Miss Chen Jiu?”
Fan Guoyan chuckled but did not respond.
Cui Jue slowly got up, holding the hand warmer and coughing lightly, looking down at Fan Guoyan and saying:
“Miss Chen Jiu is now the face of Huizhou. Brother Fan, do you think my lord would give her up for an obscure Miss Chen Wu?”
Fan Guoyan shamelessly replied,
“Even so, giving up Miss Chen Jiu could ensure that you, Brother Cui, are not used as a pawn by the Zheng family.”
Cui Jue remained silent.
Fan Guoyan continued to persuade him,
“If Huizhou is willing to marry off Miss Chen Jiu, any of the three sons under our lord can be chosen. We, from Jiaozhou, will surely treat her as an honored guest.”
Cui Jue snorted, his words dripping with sarcasm, and deliberately asked:
“As far as I know, the three sons of Governor Zhang are all married. Whether they are divorcing their wives or are widowers, with Miss Chen Jiu’s current status, why would she marry someone who has been married before?”
Fan Guoyan: “That was indeed a sharp remark.”
Cui Jue retorted sharply,
“I still know what’s important and what’s not. Brother Fan, don’t mention this to anyone else. I don’t want to be punished by my lord.”
Fan Guoyan: “But……”
Cui Jue raised his hand to interrupt, “If Brother Fan brings this up again, I will have to ask you to leave.”
Fan Guoyan had no choice but to keep quiet.
They were still scheming.
If Jiaozhou could get Miss Chen Jiu, they would treat her like a deity.
When the Jiaozhou envoys saw they couldn’t persuade Cui Jue, they directly approached Prince Huai’an to ask for Miss Chen Jiu, which angered Chen En so much that he cursed them as good-for-nothings.
He considered himself not a good person, but he had never seen such shameless individuals.
Worried about complications, Chen En just wanted to get rid of the Jiaozhou envoys as soon as possible and have them take Chen Xianle away.
Seeing that her daughter had not fully recovered yet and was about to be sent away, Lady Zheng was not willing.
Chen Xianle was also crying and making a fuss.
Upon hearing that the Jiaozhou envoys originally wanted to ask for Chen Jiao but were refused by Prince Huai’an, she shifted all the blame onto Chen Jiao.
The Pear Fragrance Courtyard also heard about the behavior of the Jiaozhou envoys.
Lady Xu was extremely disgusted and very relieved that this time Prince Huai’an had come to his senses.
Chen Jiao, however, showed no reaction.
She was concerned about whether the pickled mustard greens she had placed in the public kitchen had successfully grown Penicillium.
When the five jars were brought back, four showed no reaction, and only one jar had a small amount of green mold growing.
Chen Jiao couldn’t understand the principle behind it and had to give up.
She stored the pickled mustard greens with green mold properly, just in case.
Lady Xu nagged at her, but Chen Jiao let it go in one ear and out the other.
A few days ago, she had also contracted lung abscesses.
Sensing something was wrong, she promptly took Chen Jiecai Lu as a preventive measure.
Lady Xu, on the other hand, had a strong constitution and was completely fine.
Now, Old Lady Jiang was almost fully recovered and came back to serve, expressing her deep gratitude to the mother and daughter.
Upon hearing that the maids from the Fragrant Breeze Pavilion had come to invite her, Old Lady Jiang immediately became alert.
Seeing that Chen Xianle was about to leave the mansion, Old Lady Jiang was worried about any unexpected trouble and advised Chen Jiao not to provoke her.
Chen Jiao, however, dismissed her concerns,
“Her marriage is for the stability of the people in the two states. She wants to see me before she leaves, and I should give her that courtesy.”
Old Lady Jiang worriedly said, “What if she……”
Chen Jiao interrupted, “Doesn’t Mother Jiang want to experience the feeling of walking sideways?”
Old Lady Jiang:…………
Chen Jiao: “Today, I will let you see something.”
So, the mistress and her servant went to the Fragrant Breeze Pavilion, giving them face.
Chen Xianle, having been overly protected, was naive and did not know the treachery of human hearts.
She had no idea that Chen Jiao’s arrival was meant to make an example of her.
Suddenly, she heard the maid announce that the mistress and her servant had arrived.
Chen Xianle, holding a grudge, saw the two being escorted into the side room and said with a forced smile,
“Today’s Ninth Sister is too high for me to reach.”
The mistress and servant bowed to her, but Chen Xianle turned her face away, clearly upset.
Chen Jiao, however, did not mind and said,
“Fifth Sister is joking. You are not fully recovered yet, and yet you are marrying off to Jiaozhou for the sake of the people in the two states. Such a noble sacrifice, I admire you greatly.”
These words hit Chen Xianle’s sore spot, and she angrily retorted,
“Don’t speak sarcastically!”
Then she let out a cold snort, showing a look of disdain, and maliciously said,
“A prostitute is still a prostitute. You and your mother, using your seductive ways to bewitch our father, what face do you have to show off here?”
As soon as these words were spoken, Old Lady Jiang knew it was bad.
As expected, Chen Jiao’s face darkened, and she coldly said,
“Fifth Sister, say that again, will you?”
Chen Xianle, not knowing any better, shouted,
“You wretch, a bastard born to a prostitute has no right to……”
Before she could finish, Chen Jiao quickly lunged forward and slapped her across the face.
There was a loud “smack,” and Chen Xianle was stunned.
She covered her face, her eyes wide with disbelief, and she exploded, “How dare you hit me?!”
Chen Jiao coldly replied,
“So what if I hit you? Do I need to pick a special day for that?”
Chen Xianle, not willing to back down, tried to get up and fight back but was unreasonably pushed back to the ground by Chen Jiao.
The maids in the room wanted to step forward, but they were all intimidated by Chen Jiao’s fierce demeanor and shrank back.
Chen Jiao, with a cold and stern expression, looked down at Chen Xianle and said,
“Fifth Sister, you’ve had a bad day and are venting your frustration on me. What kind of person does that make you?
“If you have the guts, go and curse at Master Cui. I heard he was the one who facilitated this marriage.”
“If you still feel wronged, you can also curse at Father. It was he who arranged for you to be married off.”
“Now you’re taking out your anger on me, Chen Jiao. What kind of hero are you?
“Back then, you and your mother schemed to make us mother and daughter scapegoats. I haven’t settled on that score yet.”
“And now that Fifth Sister has contracted the epidemic and was cured by me, not only are you ungrateful, but you also bully me. Who gave you the nerve?!”
Her scathing rebuke was logical and left Chen Xianle speechless and furious.
Old Lady Jiang had never seen such a scene before and could only marvel at Chen Jiao’s sharp tongue!
When Lady Zheng from the Golden Jade Courtyard heard about the situation, she rushed over.
By then, Chen Jiao and her servant had already left.
Seeing her daughter being bullied, Lady Zheng was both frustrated and heartbroken, saying,
“My child, why did you provoke that good-for-nothing from the Bai Hall?”
Chen Xianle’s face was swollen on one side, and she couldn’t swallow her humiliation.
She made a fuss about going to the Green Beauty Hall to complain to Prince Huai’an.
Chen En, upon hearing that his two daughters were quarreling, felt a headache coming on.
Faced with Chen Xianle’s tearful complaints, he was speechless for a long time before he said,
“Why did Fifth Lady go and provoke Ninth Lady for no reason?”
Chen Xianle, wiping her tears, stubbornly said,
“I didn’t provoke the Ninth Sister. She was the one who started it!”
Chen En massaged his forehead and blatantly took sides,
“Today’s Ninth Lady is the face of Huizhou. If it weren’t for Chen Jiecai Lu, your life would have been lost long ago.”
“The Fifth Lady owes her a life. What’s one slap?”
Hearing this, Chen Xianle looked astonished.
Chen En, once a horse trader, naturally lacked the integrity of a scholar and shamelessly said,
“Even if she wanted to hit me, I would let her do it and be happy about it.”
Chen Xianle’s eyes filled with tears as she listened to his words, feeling her entire worldview shattered.
An old scoundrel and a young scoundrel, the whole family were shameless and despicable!