Qingli isn’t a harsh person, nor does she like to impose ancient customs on others. She prefers women who break traditional rules. However, Su Tingxue’s eagerness to become a concubine and her provocation of the main wife is an exception.
In her previous life, the original owner was deeply resentful at the time of her death. She had restrained herself from taking action, merely planning to deal with the man harshly. If Su Tingxue wanted to be a concubine, she could be one. But to speak such words was unexpected.
If the original owner were alive, she would be devastated by such remarks, given her difficulties with childbirth.
It was necessary to hit back; perhaps that would deter Su Tingxue from appearing in front of her again.
Qingli’s palm stung a bit from the impact, as the force was mutual, but she felt a sense of satisfaction. Thus, she was still in high spirits on the way back.
Wan Yue was even more elated, almost bouncing with joy. Her usual composure vanished, and the demeanor of the eldest daughter of the Ji family seemed to return after more than five years.
However, after the excitement, Wan Yue returned to the courtyard, still worried: “What if the eldest master finds out?”
Qingli responded nonchalantly: “Let him be. He can’t do anything to me.”
Wan Yue carefully observed Qingli’s expression and, seeing her indifferent demeanor, let out a quiet sigh of relief.
At that moment, another maid from the courtyard brought over the items Su Tingxue had previously sent, along with another item: “Madam, this is a letter from the master and mistress.”
Qingli’s heart skipped a beat as she reached for it.
The letter’s cover was inscribed with the words: “[From My Son]”
Qingli hadn’t proactively contacted the original owner’s parents since arriving here; she had only communicated through Ji Shuxin to assure them she was handling things. But as their daughter, it was natural they would be concerned, especially upon hearing about Zheng Yihan taking a concubine. Thus, their letter arrived promptly.
Without even opening it, Qingli could guess its content.
When she opened it, she found several pages densely filled with writing, even more than she had anticipated.
Ji Heng, despite his rough exterior, spoke tenderly, fearful of upsetting his daughter. In contrast, Ji’s mother was more straightforward, quoting classic texts to tell her that there were many good men in the world and not to hang herself on one tree.
Their message was clear: they were urging her to divorce.
If it weren’t for the ongoing border conflicts, they would have come back immediately to handle the situation personally.
The parental care conveyed through the letter touched Qingli, though she felt regretful that the original owner was no longer around.
She took out paper and ink, wrote a letter in the original owner’s handwriting and tone, and had it sent by A Bin. Since messages frequently traveled between the capital and the border, the postal station could expedite the letter.
In her letter, Qingli didn’t say much, only that she would indeed be divorcing. Initially, she had been contemplating who had killed the original owner, but the unfolding story had confirmed her suspicions. Thus, there was no need to linger or continue causing trouble.
However, she couldn’t let Su Tingxue’s provocation go unchallenged.
No matter what, she had to respond. She intended to drink the tea served by the concubine and then divorce openly and honorably.
Su Tingxue was stunned for a long time after receiving the slap from Qingli without any warning.
When the maids gathered to check her injuries, she suddenly burst into tears, exclaiming, “Wow—” How much it hurt!
How dare Qingli act this way!
Even though she was a concubine, she wasn’t one yet!
Sobbing and running, Su Tingxue arrived outside Zheng Yihan’s study.
Since women weren’t allowed in the study, she had to wait outside, but her sobbing was loud.
Zheng Yihan, initially focused on his painting, had his wrist tremble upon hearing the noise. A drop of ink fell and ruined the entire painting’s aesthetics.
His expression darkened, and he frowned: “What’s going on?”
A servant, reluctant to disturb Zheng Yihan, said with a frown: “It’s Miss Su crying outside. It seems like she’s been mistreated and wants to see you.”
Su Tingxue?
Zheng Yihan, already annoyed, remembered her status as the Duke’s daughter and, having failed his wife to fulfill his duties for the Third Prince, he couldn’t let all his efforts go to waste. He took a deep breath to calm himself, set down his brush, and waved: “Go out and see.”
“Yes.” The servant opened the door.
As Zheng Yihan stepped outside, Su Tingxue, with a red face bearing the imprint of a slap, approached with tearful eyes and a pitiful look.
His heart softened slightly, and he asked, “What happened?”
Su Tingxue, more aggrieved, replied: “Zheng Da-ge, Sister Ji might be angry. I went to deliver a handkerchief I embroidered myself. When she wasn’t in the courtyard, I encountered her when she came out. I said a few words, and she told me I shouldn’t call her sister and slapped me…”
She spoke vaguely, not describing her own words.
From her account, it was clear that Ji Qingli’s dominance and resentment over her becoming Zheng Yihan’s concubine led to the slap.
Men have traditionally enjoyed seeing women compete for their attention but don’t like seeing women in the harem fight fiercely. Zheng Yihan would likely be displeased with Ji Qingli’s assertiveness.
As expected, Zheng Yihan’s face darkened after hearing this.
Su Tingxue, hopeful, looked at him, expecting him to seek justice for her, but Zheng Yihan said irritably: “Why did you go find her?”
“… Zheng Da-ge?” Su Tingxue was stunned.
How was this her fault?
She replied softly: “I just wanted to give Sister Ji—no, Madam—a small gift. She had been kind to me before.”
Zheng Yihan sighed in frustration and explained: “She was kind to you before because you weren’t related to me. Now that you’re about to become my concubine, how could she be happy?”
Su Tingxue was even more surprised: “But it’s normal for men to take concubines. I thought that if Madam agreed, it meant she accepted me…”
“The Ji family has different values. Their women do not share a husband with others,” Zheng Yihan said, clearly troubled by the family’s customs. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now, facing setbacks, it was more difficult. Since his wife had already compromised, he couldn’t ask her to go further. He said:
“Moreover, I promised her I wouldn’t take another wife in this lifetime. Since you’ve broken that promise, she’s been unhappy with me lately, let alone with you.”
Su Tingxue: “…”
She blinked, feeling deeply embarrassed by her situation.
She had almost forgotten that this marriage was not the grand noble union she had imagined, but a relationship between childhood sweethearts.
Whether from the Yu family’s perspective, Ji Qingli’s own words, or Zheng Yihan’s accounts, their marriage seemed to be very harmonious before she arrived.
Her tears fell even faster now, and she was genuinely distressed.
The silent crying only made Zheng Yihan more sympathetic. He touched the spot on her face where the slap had left a mark and asked, “Does it hurt?”
“It hurts!” Su Tingxue nodded vigorously, clutching at his sleeve.
Zheng Yihan turned to instruct a servant to get some ointment and apply it to her face with meticulous care, covering half of her face.
Su Tingxue, dazed by the attention of the man she admired, was extremely pleased.
Suddenly, she heard his voice: “I’ve heard that the divination at the Temple of Buddha Dharma is very accurate. Why don’t you go there and get a fortune? You can also stay there for a few days, and by then, the house my mother rented for you should be ready, so you can move in directly.”
Su Tingxue was immediately chilled, especially in her heart, feeling a deep sense of disillusionment: “Zheng Da-ge…”
She hadn’t expected that her status in his eyes was so low.
Zheng Yihan avoided her gaze. Although he felt sorry for Su Tingxue, the one compromising in this matter was Ji Qingli. The proud woman who had married him was now forced to repeatedly step back because of his insistence.
He feared that if he further provoked her, she might explode in anger.
He decided to wait until everything was settled before trying to persuade Ji Qingli again to accept the situation.
Su Tingxue felt utterly disheartened. A doubt arose in her mind—was it right or wrong for her to become a concubine and be with Zheng Yihan?
Could she measure up to Ji Qingli?
But then she touched her belly and thought to herself.
She would make it. At least she could bear children, and Zheng Yihan surely wanted a child of his own. In time, all the current barriers would disappear!
The next day, Su Tingxue was tearfully escorted to a carriage and traveled to the Temple of Buddha Dharma.
The temple was located halfway up a mountain, so the carriage couldn’t go further and stopped at the foot of the mountain. From there, they had to walk up.
Su Tingxue had good stamina; having lived alone and collected herbs for a living, she had been to many places. That was why she was able to save Zheng Yihan from the cliff.
However, the mountain path to the temple was quite long. After walking for a while, the maids and servants around her were exhausted, so they took a break by the roadside.
She was troubled, and being here was not her choice. Combined with the heat and exhaustion, she was irritable and kicked a stone in frustration.
Unexpectedly, she stepped on a small rock and slipped, her body tilting dangerously toward the edge of the slope.
“Miss Su!” Several maids turned pale with fear and shouted.
In the next moment, a young man in splendid attire quickly came over and caught Su Tingxue in his arms.
She closed her eyes, fearing she would be bruised all over, but to her surprise, she was held securely. When she opened one eye in fear, she saw a handsome young man smiling at her.
Su Tingxue quickly regained her composure, looked around, and seeing that she was safe, pushed the young man away. The maids hurried to support her, and she curtsied, saying, “Thank you for saving me, sir.”
“No need to thank me, it was a small effort,” Jiang Tianning waved his hand casually with a smile still on his face. “But you, you were climbing so steadily before. Why did you need a rest and become so careless?”
Su Tingxue’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I was feeling unwell and took out my frustration on a stone. I accidentally slipped. Please don’t blame me, sir.”
Jiang Tianning, who had been observing her from behind, had originally intended to tease her, but her sincerity made him look at her with new respect. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are all the women from the capital like this?”
“Ah?” Su Tingxue, a bit confused, muttered, “I’m not from the capital.”
“Hm? You’re not?” Jiang Tianning repeated her words, leaning in slightly to listen.
Su Tingxue took a step back, not comfortable being too close to another man. Nodding casually, she said, “Thank you for saving me, but it’s getting late. I should be on my way.”
Jiang Tianning, instead, became more interested in her and suggested, “Miss, I’m not from the capital either. It’s my first time at the Temple of Buddha Dharma, and I’m quite lonely. Why don’t we walk together for the rest of the way? It would be nice to have some company.”
“… Alright.” Su Tingxue felt awkward but, grateful for his help, she didn’t refuse.
“Then it’s settled. Please lead the way,” Jiang Tianning said with a smile, making the decision and gesturing for her to go ahead.
Su Tingxue exchanged a few polite words and followed him.
However, during the climb, they didn’t have much chance to talk because it was tiring!
Fortunately, having already walked for a long time, she gritted her teeth through the last and most exhausting part of the climb, and soon the Temple of Buddha Dharma was in sight.
The grand palace seemed to reach the sky, spacious with a bustling crowd, filled with the aroma of incense and resonating with the sounds of Buddhist chants.
Su Tingxue was awestruck by such a majestic building for the first time.
Jiang Tianning, seeing a woman with such stamina and beauty for the first time, was also amazed. Once they both recovered from their awe, Jiang Tianning cupped his hands and asked, “It’s a stroke of fate that we met unexpectedly. May I ask for your name? I am Jiang Tianning.”
Su Tingxue was hesitant to reveal her name. Being engaged, her reputation wasn’t great, and she feared causing trouble. However, upon hearing the name Jiang, she changed her mind and said, “My surname is Su, and my given name is Tingxue.”
The Jiang surname was a royal one, and considering he wasn’t from the capital and it was nearing the emperor’s sixtieth birthday with various princes arriving to pay their respects, he was likely a son of some prince!
Su Tingxue hadn’t expected her luck to suddenly improve, meeting a prince’s son just by chance in the capital.
If Zheng Da-ge had someone like this to speak well of him, it would surely help him through his troubles.
Thinking this, she smiled more sincerely.
However, after hearing her name, Jiang Tianning’s smiling eyes suddenly grew serious, and he asked again, “Did you say your name is Su Tingxue? I didn’t catch that.”
Su Tingxue, puzzled, repeated, “My name is Su Tingxue.”
Su Tingxue?
What a coincidence!
Jiang Tianning looked at the innocent girl before him, his expression growing complex.
At that moment, a guard, who had been silent, stepped forward and whispered in his ear, “Young Master, the princess consort said that if you find… you should kill her!”
Jiang Tianning shot him a cold glance, and the guard immediately stepped back and fell silent.
Jiang Tianning smiled faintly, with an added distance in his demeanor. He had come to the Temple of Buddha Dharma hoping to kill time and had not expected to encounter someone his mother had warned him about. Although this girl might be the daughter of the concubine, she did not seem unpleasant, making it difficult for him to act as his mother instructed.
Sighing internally, Jiang Tianning politely said, “Miss Su, I’ve just remembered I have urgent matters to attend to. I must take my leave.”
With that, he turned and left, as if something were chasing him.
Su Tingxue was left speechless.
Her thoughts were choked by the sudden change, and she was left with her feelings unresolved.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152