Nonsense! She’s Not a Bad Woman! - Chapter 92

Half a month quietly passed. The biting wind began to ease, and the gloom of winter slowly melted away.

The frozen earth loosened, cotton-like clouds drifted across the sky, and migratory birds returned in flocks. On the eaves of the Shangshu Manor, sparrows chirped merrily, as if announcing the change of season.

That noon, a distinguished guest arrived at Madam Jin’s courtyard.

It was the Marchioness of Jing’an.

Seated beside her with a gentle smile was Qiao Wanyan, politely accompanying the two elders’ conversation filled with pleasantries.

“Madam Jin, you’re fortunate indeed to have such a well-behaved daughter. I’ve always wished for one, but fate gave me no such blessing. All I have is that mischievous little rascal.”

Though the Marchioness said so with a sigh, her words were laced with nothing but affection for her son.

“I often wish he would spend more time keeping his poor mother company. But sons are never as attentive as daughters. He’s always running about, and these days he practically lives at the Princess’ Manor. It’s giving me a headache.”

Madam Jin chuckled. “Young Lord is outstanding in both looks and talent. No wonder half the noble ladies in the capital secretly admire him. As for you, Marchioness, you should just count your blessings. Still, the Tenth Princess’s sudden return to the capital truly startled everyone. And that son-in-law of hers—so brazen! To behave so wantonly in Yunxi City, and even dare attempt to silence the Princess with murder!”

Just a few days ago, the Emperor had decreed that all the concubines taken by the Imperial Son-in-law were to be demoted to military prostitutes, while the son-in-law himself was executed by beheading. His entire clan of nine generations was exiled, never again to leave Lingnan.

By all reasoning, with the Tenth Princess being so out of favor, the Emperor should not have bothered with such a severe punishment.

But the son-in-law’s reckless defiance had trampled the Emperor’s dignity. Such an open slap to the face could not go unpunished.

“Serves him right,” the Marchioness said coldly. “Useless trash—once he climbed up by marriage, he should’ve kept his tail between his legs. Reaching too high only leads to death.”

The two women exchanged a knowing glance, then laughed together.

“I heard the Shangshu Manor’s eldest daughter has been getting rather close to the Princess recently,” the Marchioness continued. “My Qiyun often visits the Princess’ Manor too, and mentioned that your daughter is preparing some sort of birthday offering for His Majesty’s longevity celebration. For some reason, she even roped him into helping. He’s been busy to no end these days.”

Madam Jin raised her brows. “Oh? That explains it. She’s been leaving early and returning late every day. So it’s for this.”

The Marchioness thought for a moment before adding, “I recall Qiyun mentioning she asked him to buy several hundred jin of ginger. The whole Marquisate reeks of it now. I’ve no idea what she intends to do with it.”

She paused, then added thoughtfully, “I happened to glimpse it once—looked like she was storing all that ginger in a giant barrel. These young ones with their odd notions… truly beyond our understanding.”

Madam Jin snorted. “A whole barrel of ginger? What a joke. Don’t tell me the silly girl plans to present that to His Majesty as a tribute. Utter nonsense.”

Later that afternoon, after the Marchioness took her leave, Qiao Wanyan returned to Yongning Pavilion.

“Miss,” Ziyuan whispered, “if Qiao Yihuan really is preparing a whole barrel of ginger, she’ll make a complete fool of herself at the celebration!”

Qiao Wanyan’s brows curved in thought. A barrel of ginger?

Qiao Yihuan wasn’t some brainless simpleton. Timid she might appear, but cowardly she was not. There was no way she would sincerely present something so ridiculous to the Emperor.

Liu Yanran had been staying at the Princess’ Manor all this time. With no chance to seize her back, who knew what schemes she might have whispered into Qiao Yihuan’s ear?

What’s more, with the Tenth Princess and Jiang Qiyun both advising Qiao Yihuan, there was no way her birthday tribute for the emperor would be something so simple.

A whole bucket of ginger?

Qiao Wanyan’s expression grew serious.

Ziyuan, ever careless, laughed and said, “Miss, look—the snow in the courtyard has melted now that winter has passed into spring. The little snowman I built with my fingers has already lost half its face. It looks so ugly.”

Qiao Wanyan glanced over. The servants were busy shoveling away the half-melted snowmen.

Snow could be piled into snowmen, and ginger, when heaped into a bucket, could look like a small mountain.

Qiao Wanyan paused in her steps, her eyes lighting up.

A mountain of ginger?

Jiang Shan—a ginger mountain.

Jiang Shan—a kingdom.

Her gaze suddenly shifted to Ziyuan, and she gently stroked the girl’s cheek. “Ziyuan, you really are my lucky star.”

“Huh?” Ziyuan’s eyes widened, confused as to why her mistress was suddenly praising her.

One bucket of ginger mountain—One unified empire. The words sounded the same, but carried an exquisitely clever meaning.

The Great You Dynasty had stood for a hundred years, yet it had never reclaimed the northern frontier. That was the single greatest worry in every emperor’s heart.

Helian Li had guarded Beiming City and taken back Luan City, earning the emperor’s delight and a royal pardon to return to the capital. Already, many believed the emperor was deliberately giving him a chance.

As for who would truly secure the position of crown prince, that was still uncertain.

If this “bucket of ginger mountain” were really presented as a birthday gift, the emperor would surely be delighted—and would no doubt reward heavily.

This gift was anything but stupid.

“No wonder they call the Marchioness worthy of being the mistress of a marquis household.”

Ziyuan blinked in confusion. “Miss, what do you mean by that?”

Qiao Wanyan entered Yongning Pavilion and accepted a cup of warm tea from a maid. “The Marchioness has always been arrogant, too lofty to associate with the officials’ wives in the capital. She only keeps company with the empress and a few favored concubines. For her to suddenly visit the Minister’s Estate today, and to conveniently bring up Qiao Yihuan’s ginger through Jiang Qiyun—she’s clearly using another’s blade to kill.”

Ziyuan still looked completely lost, her little head trying in vain to make sense of it.

Qiao Wanyan didn’t bother explaining further.

Jiang Qiyun spending all day circling around a lowly, neglected concubine-born girl of the Minister’s Estate—someone as prideful as the Marchioness naturally couldn’t stomach it.

But if a Marchioness herself went after a little girl, how unpleasant would that sound if word spread?

Far better to let the Minister’s daughters handle their own grudges, while she sat back to enjoy the show.

Otherwise, why would the Marchioness insist on her presence today?

Even if she was being used as a chess piece, this was a role Qiao Wanyan was more than willing to play.

That “bucket of ginger mountain” Qiao Yihuan prepared—well, as a younger sister, she would be sure to help her out.

Just then, a maidservant rushed in, panic written across her face.

“Miss! Something terrible has happened—Miss Yun is in trouble!”

Qiao Wanyan frowned. “What happened?”

The maid swallowed hard before blurting out, “His Highness Prince Jing has been handling the remnants of the previous dynasty in the capital. At a critical moment, Miss Yun interfered, causing the criminals to escape. Now she’s been detained by Prince Jing, who says—whoever she belongs to had better come and claim her!”