A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

”Where did this crazy old woman come from, daring to block our young lady’s carriage?”

”Exactly! Raving like a lunatic—must be tired of living. Watch out or the horse will trample you to death!”

”Get lost, or this young master will give you another whipping!”

A few servant boys bared their fangs like fiends, cursing nonstop, their whips never stopping either.

The lashes fell on Lady Zhu one after another.

She howled in pain, mumbling and sobbing something indistinct, but no one could hear what she was saying.

Inside the carriage, Tang Ying was happily cradling a delicate little Sandalwood Box, gazing in infatuated delight at the jewelry she had just bought on the street.

Hearing the commotion outside, she immediately frowned.

”Who doesn’t have eyes, making such a racket out there? It’s ruining my mood!”

The maid beside her hurriedly lifted the curtain and leaned out to ask.

”Who is it? What’s going on?”

Those servant boys, eager to please the young lady, hastened to recount everything in full detail.

When Tang Ying heard this, she at once knitted her brows, her face twisting with malice and anger.

”Since she’s a crazy hag, why haven’t you beaten her to death already?”

”That screeching is far too unpleasant. If it sullies my ears, can you afford the consequences?”

”Yes, Miss! This maid will tell them to take care of it at once!”

With that, she turned and issued a few instructions outside.

The servant boys received the order.

They picked up their whips and quickly gave Lady Zhu a vicious beating; after knocking her unconscious, they dragged her off to the roadside some distance away and left her there.

The back gate of the Tang Residence swung wide; the small, exquisite carriage soon entered, and the gate closed again.

As if nothing at all had happened.

...

When Lady Zhu woke up, it was already the next day.

The pain dragged her back to consciousness. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw half-dried blood all around her. Remembering that all the wounds on her body had been inflicted by order of her own daughter’s mouth—

Her heart felt like a heap of dead ashes; she no longer had even the slightest will to live.

She did not know how she got back.

She did not remember how Old Scholar Zhu treated her either.

All in all, over the next month, she suffered torment both of body and mind.

Physically, all those wounds were lash marks. Her flesh had been whipped to a bloody mess, and with the weather so hot—

Old Scholar Zhu had no silver to buy good medicine. He just used the cheapest herbs to slap on haphazardly and call it done.

The wounds festered again and again; it took more than a full month before they slowly began to heal.

As for her mind—

Not only did she not work, she also brought a heap of trouble down on Old Scholar Zhu. One could well imagine his attitude toward her.

He cursed and grumbled at her every single day, wishing he could see her drop dead that very instant.

Lady Zhu had never in her life endured such suffering.

She wept her heart out day after day, with no desire to go on living, only wanting to die.

But every time she truly made up her mind to die, she did not dare.

So she dragged out her days, living a life worse than death.

...

When Xia Jingfeng received this news, he could not help but lift the corner of his lips in a high curve.

”I don’t even need to dirty my own hands; it seems they’re perfectly capable of wearing themselves to death.”

He murmured to himself.

Tang Xun walked in, brow furrowed, a book in her hands.

Hearing him say something about ”wearing themselves down,” she asked suspiciously,

”Wearing themselves down how?”

Xia Jingfeng rose, pulled her into his arms, and said casually with a smile,

”Nothing!”

”What brings you here?”

Tang Xun pointed in distress at several pages in the book.

”This book seems too difficult. In every three sentences, there are two I don’t understand.”

”I don’t recognize a lot of these characters.”

Xia Jingfeng led her to sit down at the desk and comforted her with a smile.

”It’s all right, take it slowly.”

”I’ll explain it to you.”

Tang Xun nodded, cast the matter from earlier aside, and began to listen intently.

...

Just after the seventh month had passed—

Old Master Xia decided to set out for home, saying he was worried about the household.

Xia Tingfeng and his brother did not try too hard to stop him.

They did their utmost to arrange decent horses and carriages and sent their aged father off in a proper, measured way, but did not press him to stay, nor did they say anything more.

They watched the carriage roll farther and farther away until it finally vanished at the mouth of the alley.

Ni Manxue sighed softly, a trace of reluctance showing in her eyes.

It wasn’t Old Master Xia she couldn’t bear to part with, but Lady Wen.

She quietly turned her head to look at the brothers Xia Tingfeng and Xia Jingfeng, and when she saw that there was reluctance in their eyes as well, she sighed again in her heart.

”Master, let’s go back,” she said.

Xia Tingfeng nodded slightly and looked over at the couple, Xia Jingfeng and Tang Xun.

”You two should head back early as well.”

With that, he did not wait for them to reply; he turned and walked away on his own, his retreating figure full of loneliness.

Ni Manxue gave a slight nod by way of farewell and quickly followed him.

The two of them returned together to the small courtyard deep in the alley; that needs no further mention.

As for Xia Jingfeng—

He stood at the alley mouth for a while longer before leaving with Tang Xun.

On the way back to the residence, Xia Jingfeng said mildly,

”Xunxun, there is something... I thought it over and decided I should tell you.”

Tang Xun looked a little puzzled.

”What is it?”

Xia Jingfeng then told her what had happened to Lady Zhu, and at last he let out a long sigh.

”Originally I hadn’t planned to tell you. Originally... I meant to make a move myself, but now I seem to understand a few things.”

Tang Xun’s face went a bit pale, but she still forced herself to ask,

”What have you understood?”

”Heaven’s misfortunes may yet be forgiven; the sins one brings on oneself cannot be survived.”

Tang Xun remained silent for a long time. Only after a while did her gaze grow firm as she said,

”Those who seem pitiful must have something hateful about them.”

Xia Jingfeng’s eyes lit up, amazement stirring in his heart.

’She truly is just like me. She’s the one who understands me best!’

He drew her into his arms by the shoulders, exhaled in relief, and laughed.

”Come on, let’s take a walk in the rear garden.”

Tang Xun’s smile blossomed bright.

”All right.”

The husband and wife walked hand in hand together to the rear garden.

From that day on—

She practiced her calligraphy; he composed poetry.

She painted; he played the zither.

She dressed and did her hair; he drew her brows.

She laughed, and he laughed with her.

The two of them were deeply devoted, husband and wife in perfect harmony, you and I wrapped in mutual tenderness, love sweet as honey.

As for the Tang Family’s affairs, Xia Jingfeng never again interfered in the slightest, letting things take their course, and Tang Xun never asked about them again.

The same went for the Xia Family; Xia Jingfeng no longer involved himself at all.

They now both believed—

Those who commit evil will meet with retribution; those who are kind will receive blessings.

Old Master Xia might not have done any great evil, but he was truly muddleheaded. Even now, in his old age, with faltering steps and hair white as snow, he still failed to inspire any sympathy.

Just for the suffering he and his sister had gone through after their mother died early, he would never forgive him.

The same went for Xia Weifeng.

With no one to back him and no abilities of his own, he had only a Magistrate father left to leech off; who knew how much longer he could live comfortably.

There was even less need to speak of the Tang Family.

Even though Xia Jingfeng never intervened by so much as a hair, and Tang Xun never asked in the least,

they did worse and worse as time went on.

Word that Tang Jincai had offended the Magistrate had already spread throughout Jinling City.

His business quickly went into a steep decline.

He had no son, no one to inherit; he had only three daughters, and not a single one could marry.

He had no capable subordinates, and his former connections all avoided him like the plague.

The once grand and bustling Tang Family soon saw its tree fall and all the monkeys scatter.

Three months later, Old Master Tang fled his home to hide from creditors and dared not return. The servants in the residence, unable to get any silver, each grabbed whatever valuables they could; some ran, some drifted away.