Nonsense! She’s Not a Bad Woman! - Chapter 94

The Ministry of Justice guard hesitated, wondering if he should step in and say something to ease the young lady’s embarrassment. He wrestled with it for a long while, and just as he finally decided to open his mouth, a crisp voice cut through the air.

Qiao Wanyan’s face showed not the slightest trace of tears. Her palm still stung from the strike, but she turned all her pent-up frustration into raw strength.

Cry? What use was crying?

Only when the other person cried would she feel satisfied.

She wasn’t the kind to lose an argument, toss and turn at night, and then hate herself for not coming up with better comebacks.

If words didn’t work—then fists would.

And it wasn’t as though her opponent was a powerful prince. He was merely the sixth son of a declining Earl’s household. Even if she beat him, her father would clean up the aftermath for her.

The Ministry guard’s pupils shrank sharply, staring in disbelief at the scene before him.

She… she really struck him?

Just like that? No warning, no preamble—just raised her hand and hit?

“You dare hit me?!” Situ Yue’s eyes widened with rage.

Qiao Wanyan gave a disdainful laugh. “And what do you think you are? Born the legitimate sixth son of the Earl of Pingyang, yet the title went to a concubine’s son instead. That alone proves how utterly useless you are—loved and doted on, yet still unworthy of inheritance.”

Situ Yue’s face drained of color, his eyes blazing with fury as his fists clenched tight. He glared at her as though he wanted to burn her alive.

Qiao Wanyan met his rage without flinching. “A parasite who’s lived his whole life under his father’s wings, and will one day grovel under his elder brother’s command… You dare act arrogant before me? I told you at the palace banquet last time—when you see me, tuck your tail and stay out of my sight. But no, you just had to throw yourself at me, begging to be humiliated.”

Situ Yue had always been a notorious scoundrel in the capital. Noble young ladies usually avoided him, fearing he’d cause trouble.

But the truth was, the Earl of Pingyang’s influence at court was already crumbling. He held no real power. Even his eldest son, though the most capable among his brothers, was far from impressive compared to the many outstanding figures in the capital.

The only reason the Earl’s household still stood was because his daughter had entered the palace a few years back and enjoyed favor. That alone propped up their fragile reputation.

Otherwise—would Situ Yue dare to strut so wildly?

Last summer at the palace banquet, drunk on wine, Situ Yue had boasted about marrying her and even laid his filthy hands on her.

Her father had openly ordered men to thrash him in public. Even the Earl hadn’t dared say a word in protest. And now he still had the audacity to provoke her? He could only blame himself—she was no pushover.

“You’ll get your retribution for being so arrogant,” Situ Yue snarled, teeth grinding as his eyes darkened.

Qiao Wanyan tilted her head. “If I were a pushover, those words should’ve come from my mouth.”

The Ministry guard silently nodded to himself. The Sixth Young Master was simply angry because he had picked a fight and lost. If this young lady had truly been weak, he would’ve only grown more vicious.

Situ Yue glared at her retreating figure, his eyes fixed as though he could bore holes straight through her back.

Only after she disappeared around the corner did he bite down hard, his voice seething with venom.

“Just you wait!”

His sister had told him to find a way to marry that wretched woman, to tie the Situ family to the Qiao family and preserve their honor. But even if he were to marry a commoner, he would never marry such a domineering shrew!

He would never let this go. A mere woman—he had a hundred ways to make her life in the capital unbearable.

Last time, Qiao Shangshu had sent men to beat him, right in front of Situ Xi, utterly disgracing him.

And now she dared to humiliate him again…

Old grudges and new hatreds stacked together—he would definitely make that wretched woman, Qiao Wanyan, understand that he was not someone to be trifled with!

The further they went inside, the damper and gloomier the atmosphere became. Qiao Wanyan asked lightly,
“Why is Situ Yue here at the Ministry of Justice?”

A guard quickly explained,
“The Sixth Young Master forcibly took a girl as his concubine. Her elder brother went to the Earl of Pingyang’s residence to demand her back, but he was beaten half to death by the Sixth Young Master’s men. The brother then went to the magistrate to seek justice, but the officials turned a blind eye. With no choice, he kept knocking on the Earl’s gates.”

The guard paused before continuing,
“Later, a prison officer who happens to be friends with the Sixth Young Master had the girl’s brother thrown into the Ministry’s dungeon. Today, the Sixth Young Master came to visit that prison officer.”

Qiao Wanyan’s expression stayed calm. What rotten luck for that family.

The guard went on, “That girl is pitiful. Her father worked himself to death years ago, doing hard labor. Her mother is bedridden with illness. The brother toils in the fields, while the sister helps in a restaurant kitchen. They were managing just fine until disaster struck.”

Qiao Wanyan didn’t reply and clearly had no intention of meddling.

“But I have to say, the girl’s cooking is really good. My wife tried the osmanthus cake she made once, and she still praises it to this day. Too bad I can’t afford to buy it often, or else I’d eat it every day. Guess I won’t be tasting it again now.”

Qiao Wanyan frowned.
“Osmanthus cake? Where did she make it?”

“At Mingyue House,” the guard replied. “The manager there has a kind heart. Normally, women aren’t allowed to work there, but seeing her poor situation, he took her in. Who would’ve thought this would happen?”

Qiao Wanyan gave a small cough.
“Situ Yue snatching a common girl and that corrupt officer arresting people for no reason… utterly outrageous! What’s the girl’s brother’s name?”

“Sun Gui.”

When Qiao Wanyan went to see Yun Yao, the girl’s usual twin buns had collapsed into two drooping pigtails.

She was squatting pitifully in the corner, hugging her knees. At the sound of movement at the cell door, she looked up. The moment she recognized a familiar face, she bolted over, clutching the bars with tears and snot streaming down her face.

“Ah-Yan jie, I’m going to die!” she wailed.

“I really didn’t know that man was some leftover rebel from the previous dynasty. He told me if I blocked the people chasing him, he’d show me the most fun places in the capital. So I helped him… and now look at me…”

“Ah-Yan jie, please tell my brother for me… next life, I still want to be his little sister… sob sob sob…”

Qiao Wanyan: “…”

Which shameless scoundrel went around deceiving children like this?
Didn’t he know little girls had no experience with the world?!

After patiently coaxing and comforting Yun Yao until she calmed down, Qiao Wanyan finally left the dungeon.

“Miss,” Ziyuan asked carefully, “do you think His Highness King Jing will release Miss Yun?”

Qiao Wanyan glanced at her lower half.
“I don’t know. But Ziyuan, what are you trembling for? It’s not as if we can’t walk out of the Ministry alive.”

Ziyuan quickly shook her head. “This servant isn’t afraid. Just… just that my legs won’t stop shaking.”

Qiao Wanyan pressed her lips together. So her legs had turned to jelly, but she still refused to admit fear.

“If you’re really that scared, just wait for me outside.”

But Ziyuan shook her head again.
“No, I won’t. I want to stay here and accompany Miss.”

Even though fear gnawed at her heart, nothing mattered more than her mistress. If the worst came to pass and death was the price, then so be it. To die for her lady would still be worth it.