Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1378: Chapter 1380: Directing and Acting in a Play_1

”It is known by many people in Gaochang that Mrs. Diao Mo and Jin Wanliang share a deep affection and she left the city to care for Jin Wanliang, who fell ill with a severe sickness. King Yuchuan was supposed to stay in Shengyao City, but he went to see Mrs. Diao Mo instead. How is this proper?” Bai Ruozhu said.

”You’re talking nonsense! Why would our lord fancy that kind of loose woman? Everyone knows that the rumors in Gaochang are about Diao Mo and the great elder!” Jin Wanliang’s flamboyant concubine said loudly.

Bai Ruozhu almost laughed out loud. Was this concubine really not one of their people? She was incredibly helpful.

Queen Yuchuan felt a headache coming on but did not stop the concubine’s words. Indeed, the concubine knew nothing of the affair between King Yuchuan and Diao Mo, so she spoke boldly and confidently. But how could the queen not know about the private relationship between King Yuchuan and Mrs. Diao Mo? She simply had no way to intervene, and this incident made her hate Mrs. Diao Mo even more. Now that the concubine brought it up, she thought there was no way King Yuchuan had done anything wrong; instead, it was Diao Mo who had behaved improperly. With the Holy Hall facing such a situation, would they not punish her?

”Our lord must have just been passing by that place, and that wanton woman threw herself at him. Everyone is saying she never truly wanted to take care of Jin Wanliang but was just eager to find an opportunity to sneak back to the city,” continued the concubine. Her voice was not low, and she spoke rapidly - going on and on, making Honglian’s face turn paler with anger.

”Mrs. Diao Mo has been by my side for a long time; how could I not know about her character? If this lady has not witnessed anything herself, then she must not spread false rumors gathered from hearsay, sullying someone’s reputation in the process,” said Honglian, who was Mrs. Diao Mo’s own daughter, finally managing to suppress her anger.

”Hmph, one person may call it a rumor, but many have seen it. She can’t deny it now. Holy Maiden, do not be deceived by Diao Mo, that wanton woman. She is no simpleton,” said the concubine, unaware of the relationship between Honglian and Diao Mo. After finishing, she even gave Honglian a flattering smile.

Bai Ruozhu, thinking it was about time, smiled and said to Honglian, ”Even if King Yuchuan’s visit was unintentional, it was still somewhat inappropriate. His Majesty giving King Yuchuan a bit of advice wouldn’t be too much, especially given some of the recent rumors that do not look good for him.” She lowered her voice a bit and looked somewhat hesitant as she continued, ”I don’t know where it started, but there are whispers claiming the unfortunate girl Jin Jing is, in fact, King Yuchuan’s own flesh and blood.”

Although she spoke softly, her words were loud enough for many to hear. After speaking, she quickly covered her mouth, chuckling awkwardly and saying, ”Look at me, how could I speak of such unfounded things? After all, there is no evidence.”

Because of her words, many people looked at Jin Jing, including Queen Yuchuan. Jin Jing tried to avoid the stares, but it was already too late, and soon someone said, ”Her eyebrows and nose do indeed resemble King Yuchuan’s very much.”

Queen Yuchuan had not been aware of this matter and was taken aback at the same moment Jin Jing and Honglian were also shocked.

Honglian inwardly cursed her luck; had she foreseen this, she wouldn’t have brought Jin Jing along. Initially, she thought Jin Jing could serve as a shield and was someone she could manipulate - it was an extra layer of protection to have her by her side, but now this unexpected turn of events unfolded.

She did not want to believe what Bai Ruozhu had said, but the more she looked, the more she felt Jin Jing looked like King Yuchuan. Why had she never thought this before?

Without the eruption of the affair between Diao Mo and King Yuchuan, Honglian would never have known that her mother had such an old lover, so why would she ever connect Jin Jing to a king from outside Gaochang City?

”Stop your slander, my father is Jin Wanliang, and I am the legitimate eldest daughter of the Jin family, not some bastard child born of an affair! Don’t spit blood!” Jin Jing cried out excitedly to Bai Ruozhu, not noticing the flash of resentment in Honglian’s eyes nearby.

Jin Jing always liked to bring up that she was the child born of an affair, implying that she was the child of a liaison outside of wedlock.

Bai Ruozhu feigned regret, ”That’s why these are just rumors from outsiders. The sovereign himself only cautioned King Yuchuan for the sake of his reputation, to prevent the rumors from worsening.”

Though she said this, many people looking at Jin Jing began whispering and pointing out similarities between her and King Yuchuan.

”Lin Zhu, you vile wretch! You want to tarnish my name after you caused me to lose a leg. Now you ruin my reputation—I’ll fight you to the end!” Jin Jing was furious and wanted to rush over to fight Bai Ruozhu, but a maid by her side held her back.

Honglian hastily muttered a spell to calm Jin Jing before turning to her and saying, ”Miss Jin, do not be impulsive, justice lies in the hearts of the people.”

Bai Ruozhu almost burst out laughing. Indeed, the eyes of the masses are sharp and clear.

Seeing a smile on Bai Ruozhu’s face, Honglian felt bitterly resentful. The title of Holy Maiden granted her endless glory and favor, but also a heavy shackle. She had to maintain her image in front of the public. She couldn’t be impulsive or lose her temper. Even a seemingly careless slip of the tongue like Lin Zhu’s could affect her image.

With her initial advantage of being trusted and revered by the people, when that advantage diminished or was no longer there, the title of Holy Maiden turned into a disadvantage instead.

Due to the sudden incident with Jin Jing, the attention of the onlookers had been diverted. They were not in a rush to petition and many even felt that there was some truth to Bai Ruozhu’s words, and of course, as someone favored by the gods, her words naturally carried credibility.

Honglian, seeing her advantage slip away, narrowed her eyes slightly and gestured with her fingers towards a woman nearby.

Her movement didn’t escape Jiang Yichun’s eyes. He gently tugged at Bai Ruozhu and whispered, ”She has poisoned the woman nearby in indigo clothes.”

Bai Ruozhu nodded slightly. Honglian intended to use a miracle to regain the adoration of the people and then re-control their thoughts.

Indeed, the next second, the woman suddenly clutched her stomach and fell to the ground. Her face turned deathly pale as she rolled on the ground, crying out in pain, which scared the nearby people, causing them to step back and leave an empty space around her.

”What sudden illness has struck her? Luckily, the Holy Maiden is here today. With the Holy Maiden present, there will surely be no issue,” someone loudly said.

Others joined in, asking the Holy Maiden to bless the sick lady.

Bai Ruozhu’s lips slightly curled up as she quietly sent Furball to the woman’s side and administered another kind of poison to her.

This poison would not be fatal. She would help the woman with the antidote later, and this poison would also be somewhat beneficial to her.

Honglian floated gracefully down from the carriage, her posture and movements indeed enchanting, just like an immortal from the heavens. The onlookers watched, captivated, and soon someone, unaware of who, began to clap in approval, prompting everyone to join in.

”Pfft, if she were really in a hurry to save someone, she wouldn’t bother with such a stunt—so hypocritical,” Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but criticize inwardly.

The Holy Maiden stood in front of the sick woman and softly said, ”Do not be afraid. I will pray for you, so that you will be safe and sound. Just relax.”

The woman, feeling grateful, endured the pain to rise and attempt to kowtow to the Holy Maiden, managing to say with difficulty, ”Thank you... Holy Maiden.”