Time Is Slow - Chapter 57
Meeting the heavy gaze of Old Madam Deng, Li Jiao shuddered.
In recent years, the moral codes of Great Liang had grown lax. It was rare anymore to hear of a young lady losing her life over a matter of chastity. Just take the one sitting beside her. She had been abducted for quite some time before returning home, and yet she was perfectly fine now.
Like salted fish hung on a line…
The moment she thought of it, Li Jiao felt a chill down her spine, even a wave of nausea.
She couldn’t help but glance at Qiao Zhao.
Qiao Zhao sat on Old Madam Deng’s other side. She had a grave expression.
Li Jiao sneered inwardly.
Third Sister really spares no effort to curry favor with Grandmother. Showing such a “deeply sympathetic” expression, doesn’t she find it laughable?
Old Madam Deng, however, was clearly gratified by Qiao Zhao’s understanding. She raised a hand to pat her, sighing, “The older ones hanged themselves, the younger ones were hanged by their fathers and brothers. Girls, who were as delicate as flowers, were gone just like that!”
She cast a glance at the pale-faced Li Jiao and sighed, “Don’t think that their family is cruel. You must understand that once you’re in the hands of those beast-like Northern Qi men, that would truly be a fate worse than death!”
“What happened afterwards?” Qiao Zhao asked.
Her “afterwards” had been opening her eyes to find herself far away in the prosperous peace of the south, but what of other people’s “afterwards”?
“Afterwards… afterwards, thank goodness our Great Liang soldiers fought with their blood and lives to drive out those wolves. If not, beyond Shanhai Pass lies Heyu County. If those Northern Qi people had broken into Heyu, the two of you might not be here today.”
Old Madam Deng looked solemnly at her two granddaughters.
“An inch of land for an inch of blood. Remember this: without those soldiers who came home wrapped in horsehide, there would be no good days for us. From now on, you must never speak of them in such a careless tone!”
“Yes, Granddaughter understands.” This time, Li Jiao and Qiao Zhao spoke in unison.
A moment of silence followed.
Li Jiao didn’t know what to say in such an atmosphere. Qiao Zhao opened her mouth first.
“Grandmother, I’ve heard the Northern Qi soldiers fought fiercely, like wolves and tigers. It must have been very difficult for the Great Liang soldiers to drive them out of Shanhai Pass back then, wasn’t it?”
Old Madam Deng nodded.
“More than difficult. The horrors of those days are not for young girls to hear. But fortunately, we had the heaven-gifted talent of the Marquis of Zhenyuan. He turned the tide.”
“Marquis of Zhenyuan?”
Old Madam Deng suddenly fell silent. She lifted her teacup, took a slow sip, and said lightly, “Enough, those are matters from long ago. They’re not worth mentioning.”
Qiao Zhao’s eyes flickered.
The name “Marquis of Zhenyuan” sounded familiar. She thought she had heard her grandfather mention it before.
“Grandmother, is the Marquis of Zhenyuan still alive? Granddaughter doesn’t recall hearing of any noble family in the capital holding that title.”
Old Madam Deng’s expression shifted slightly.
Li Jiao, who had been at a disadvantage all day, took the opportunity to read the mood and said earnestly, “Third Sister, these are matters Grandmother doesn’t wish to speak of. It’s best not to ask further.”
“Oh.” Qiao Zhao replied calmly, though her gaze at Old Madam Deng held a trace of regret.
Old Madam Deng’s heart softened at once, and she couldn’t help saying, “They no longer exist. The Marquis of Zhenyuan’s entire household was executed twenty years ago…”
Li Jiao’s face went pale.
Qiao Zhao was just as shocked.
The whole household was executed?
She remembered now!
At the time, she had been very young, but she had overheard a conversation between her grandparents.
Grandmother had asked Grandfather: “Why arrange this marriage for Zhao Zhao with the Marquis of Jing’an’s household? One was a lofty, refined family, the other a military clan — the two families were entirely mismatched as in-laws.”
Grandfather had said: “The Marquis of Jing’an is an upright man. His son will be no different. Zhao Zhao will have a happy, fulfilling life if she marries him.”
Grandmother had replied: “Military men are different from civil officials. If a civil official displeases the emperor, at worst, he is dismissed and becomes a commoner. But if a general arouses the emperor’s suspicion, what awaits him is destruction of his whole household, just like the Marquis of Zhenyuan…”
Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes, the threads of information in her mind becoming ever clearer.
The Marquis of Zhenyuan… he was a man like Shao Mingyuan today. What happened that led to the extermination of his whole household?
She didn’t know why, but when she thought of the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s fate, and then of Shao Mingyuan’s current glory, her heart grew heavy.
No matter what, she didn’t wish to see someone who had fought the barbarians in a bloody battle to meet such an end.
Seeing that Old Madam Deng clearly didn’t want to say more, Qiao Zhao sensibly refrained from further questions. She decided to ask her father instead when they got home.
At that moment, Second Madam Liu’s voice came from outside the carriage.
“Old Madam, may your daughter-in-law come in? I have an urgent matter to report to you.”
“Come in.” Mentioning the past had dampened Old Madam Deng’s mood. Thus, she replied coolly.
The sound of movement can be heard. As the curtain lifted and a gust of wind swept in, Liu Shi’s rapid voice followed.
“Old Madam, Third Young Lady—”
But upon seeing Qiao Zhao sitting at Old Madam Deng’s side, Liu Shi swallowed the rest of her words. Her mouth opened and closed before she managed to force out a strained smile.
“So the Third Young Lady is back—”
Following her inside, Sixth Young Lady Li Chan pouted and squeezed in beside Old Madam Deng, pushing Qiao Zhao to one side.
“Grandmother, Third Sister is too much. Not only did she rush up to that young and handsome Champion Marquis in public, but after leaving, she didn’t even come back to find us. Mother had to drag us all over looking for her!”
“Chan’er, don’t talk nonsense!” Liu Shi scolded her, quickly glancing at Qiao Zhao.
Watching coolly from the side, Qiao Zhao was surprised to discover that her second aunt, who had always been at odds with her mother, now looked at her with a hint of nervousness and even fear.
That was… interesting.
Qiao Zhao raised her brow.
Liu Shi hastily withdrew her gaze, her expression darkening as she secretly pinched Li Chan.
This wretched girl was going to be the death of her!
All along the way, she had warned her daughters over and over that from now on, they mustn’t cross the Third Young Lady again. But Chan’er clearly hadn’t listened to a single word!
Ever since Li San had returned to the residence, it was as if some immortal were protecting her. Anyone who provoked her ended up in trouble.
First, the Eldest and Second Young Ladies had joined forces to frame her, only to be exposed on the spot and left humiliated. Liu Shi had already heard the servants gossiping about the Eldest Young Lady more than once. Today was even worse, Xiangjun had been disgraced in front of all the noblewomen in the city, and the Second Young Lady’s reputation was completely ruined.
The consequences of provoking Li San seemed to get worse every time!
Liu Shi was a woman who knew how to gauge the winds, and with the storm now too fierce, she wasn’t about to let her own daughter walk straight into disaster.
“Third Young Lady, don’t hold it against your Sixth Sister. She’s still young and doesn’t understand,” Liu Shi said with a broad smile.
Li Jiao’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
What on earth was wrong with Second Aunt today?
Without sparing Li Jiao a glance, Liu Shi turned to Old Madam Deng.
“It was very crowded at the time, and everyone kept on shoving each other. The Third Young Lady must have been pushed out. I was only worried about losing her again, but now that she’s back, I can rest easy as her aunt.”
Li Jiao: “…”
She was certain that her Second Aunt had gone mad!
Damn it. She had been planning to take the chance to tell Grandmother about Li San shamelessly flirting with the Champion Marquis in the street!
Qiao Zhao’s lips curved faintly.
Who was it that pushed her out back then?