Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1167: Chapter 1169: Phantom of the Leng Palace_1

The gatekeeper of the Jiang Family didn’t dare to refuse entry to the Virtuous King, and upon opening the gate, he immediately ran to report the arrival. Soon after, Jiang Xuexiang and the wife of the head of the family, Chen Family, hurriedly came over and respectfully performed the ritual of salutation to the Virtuous King.

Upon seeing Bai Ruozhu, Jiang Xuexiang said with a kind face, ”Virtuous King, please do not be harsh on Ruozhu. Both she and Yichun are good children, and we couldn’t have a say in the past events.”

Chen Family used to detest the couple, Bai Ruozhu, afraid that they would return to the Jiang Family and usurp her position. But later, she found that the two had no intentions to return and actually had a very hostile relationship with Elder Jiang Ge. Moreover, with Bai Ruozhu being a cash cow and having given her own relatives their comeuppance, her opinion of Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun changed.

”Yes, Virtuous King, don’t just listen to my father-in-law alone; much of what he says is said in anger and cannot be taken seriously,” Chen Family hastily said.

The Virtuous King, seeing how Jiang Xuexiang and his wife spoke up for Bai Ruozhu, thought they were simply soft-hearted and liked to act as peacemakers. With a wave of his hand, signaling them to say no more, he said, ”It is only proper for the younger generation to show filial piety towards an elder. Since Jiang Yichun is not here, let Bai Ruozhu go see to Elder Jiang Ge’s medical needs.”

Jiang Xuexiang and the Chen Family smiled apologetically at Bai Ruozhu. Bai Ruozhu was unsure how sincere Chen Family was, but she was nevertheless happy to accept her goodwill.

The group headed toward Elder Jiang Ge’s shabby little house, where he resided. Along the way, Jiang Zhihe and Jiang Yihong also arrived and both politely saluted Bai Ruozhu, addressing her as ’elder sister-in-law.’

Bai Ruozhu nodded, happy that Achun had always treated them as close siblings.

The Virtuous King glanced sideways, wondering why the other members of the Jiang Family seemed so friendly towards Bai Ruozhu, apparently even welcoming her?

Soon, they arrived at Elder Jiang Ge’s yard, and the Virtuous King exclaimed once more, ”Elder Jiang Ge lives a life of integrity and simplicity; such modesty is truly admirable.”

”Which is why he catches a cold due to the drafts, and is always sick,” Bai Ruozhu spoke up tartly. ”This so-called simplicity and frugality ends up costing more due to frequent doctor visits and medicine. It defeats the purpose of saving and only wears down his health. Of course, if the thatched cottage is for show to receive praise and for psychological satisfaction, that would be another story,” she added.

Chen Family inwardly cheered. Wasn’t that the truth? Her father-in-law lived in such a wretched place that those in the know would say it was his own choice for simplicity, while those who didn’t might think her own family was stingy. As a result, he would always get sick, and they would end up having to summon a doctor, get medicine, and take care of him. Who was really being tormented in the end?

”Nonsense, dare you judge my affairs? Get out of here!” Elder Jiang Ge’s voice came from the room. His small thatched cottage had poor sound insulation, and he had heard everything Bai Ruozhu said, leading to such an angry outburst followed by a fit of violent coughing.

The Virtuous King quickly rushed into the room, nervously calling for a servant to bring tea to Elder Jiang Ge, then angrily turned back to glare at Bai Ruozhu, saying, ”Would you believe that I could have your head for this?”

Wang Shun hurriedly stood in front of Bai Ruozhu to protect her as he still needed to take Bai Ruozhu to report, although he had already sent a message to the emperor and expected the emperor to send someone soon.

Bai Ruozhu knew that she couldn’t avoid the situation today, and rather than bicker with the Virtuous King, she preferred to resolve the current issue quickly so she could go and cure Imperial Consort Le and then devise a plan to find Achun’s whereabouts.

She walked over to Elder Jiang Ge’s bedside and grasped his wrist firmly.

”What are you doing?” the Virtuous King yelled.

”Checking his pulse, of course. Isn’t that what the Virtuous King ordered me to do, to treat Elder Jiang Ge?” Bai Ruozhu said, barely holding back from rolling her eyes at him.

The Virtuous King was, after all, concerned about Elder Jiang Ge and decided not to bother Bai Ruozhu any further, quietly waiting to one side.

Before long, Bai Ruozhu withdrew her hand and said, ”It’s just as I’ve said before. The room is in too poor condition. At his old age, he can’t afford the stress. It would be better to move him to a more comfortable room with floor heating or a brazier soon. Letting in the drafts like this is unacceptable.”

Jiang Xuexiang hurriedly agreed, ”Yes, father, you should move to the Main Courtyard right now.”

”I’m not going!” Elder Jiang Ge roared, ”Whatever this Demon Woman says goes? It was her that made me sick with anger!”

”You have caught a cold, it’s not extreme rage overwhelming your heart,” Bai Ruozhu said from the side.

”You...” Elder Jiang Ge’s words were cut off as he began to cough violently.

At that moment, a servant ran in to report, ”Master, the eunuch from the Emperor’s side has come with a verbal edict, and he’s about to arrive.”

No sooner had these words fallen, than Wang Shun quickly stepped into the Room. As he entered, he couldn’t help but frown—the Room was just too... drafty....

He politely greeted the Virtuous King and Elder Jiang Ge and others, then spoke, ”The Emperor decrees that the Bai Family is to enter the Imperial Palace as soon as possible to diagnose Concubine Le’s pulse, without further delay.”

The Virtuous King’s expression changed slightly. He hadn’t expected the Emperor to be so urgent. He felt a bit apologetic as he glanced at Elder Jiang Ge—it seemed he couldn’t help his Teacher vent his spleen today.

”Get this woman to leave quickly, don’t delay the Emperor’s business!” Elder Jiang Ge commanded, ”And don’t let her come to my house again—I don’t need this Demon Woman as my doctor!”

Bai Ruozhu paid him no attention and turned to follow Wang Shun out. She got into the horse carriage and headed towards the Imperial Palace.

...

Inside Leng Palace, Fu Yiyi was embroidering a belt, one stitch at a time. The belt’s pattern was intricate, but it was a design used by men, likely not meant for herself. A smug smile sat upon her face, though it cooled slightly as her eyes swept over the food set aside.

”Hmmph, just wait until I get out and see how I’ll deal with you all!” Fu Yiyi muttered to herself.

Soon, her thoughts drifted back to that night when dark clouds had covered the moon.

Ahead of that night, she hadn’t known what she was doing for a long time, nor even who she was, living in a daze until a man appeared in her Room, feeding her a pill that restored her senses.

It was a man, but he wore a Ghost Mask, which made him seem mysterious and terrifying, yet his eyes shone brighter than the stars in the sky.

The man stroked her cheek and spoke softly, ”Poor dear, to be turned into a fool like this by him. Luckily, you have me to cherish you, or what would you do?”

As he spoke, he pulled her to the bed and began to remove her clothes, piece by piece. She wasn’t encountering this man for the first time, but in that moment, he felt like a god to her.

Thereafter, the man would occasionally send messages, arranging for her to do certain things. She had always thought of herself as weak, yet, to her surprise, she was able to sneak out of Leng Palace at night with ease, step by step carrying out the tasks assigned by the man. She even took pride and joy in these activities, for she was doing them for her god. No longer was she the useless Fu Yiyi.

Thinking of Concubine Le, who was still in a coma, a sinister smile spread across Fu Yiyi’s face. She just wondered whether Bai Ruozhu could accomplish the task given by the Emperor this time. What if she couldn’t, or what if she messed it up?