Chapter 309: Chapter 309 Brutality
Agarwood Pavilion, bamboo house.
Su Jin had just finished applying medicine to Xie Jingchen.
Outside, a young maid rushed in.
As she stepped into the room and saw everyone staring at her, her face turned red, and she forgot what she was supposed to report.
Her mind was left with only one question mark—
Why were there so many people in the backyard?
How did the eldest young master get injured?
Xingxing looked at her and asked, "Is there something you need?"
The young maid thought for a moment and hurriedly said, "The Emperor summons the eldest young master to the palace."
Xie Jingchen’s brows knitted together.
Why would the Emperor summon him at this time?
With the Emperor’s summons, Xie Jingchen dared not delay.
Especially since Su Jin urged him to hurry to the palace and not keep the Emperor waiting anxiously.
Xie Jingchen had yet to leave when Su Chong stood up first and said, "Oh no, father and mother are surely furious, I must hurry back to tell them."
Su Chong patted Xie Jingchen’s shoulder and said, "I misunderstood you twice, one of these days I’ll treat you to a meal to make amends."
After speaking, he glanced at Su Jin and added, "Reflect well, don’t always let your brother-in-law take the blame."
Su Jin, "...."
Before Su Jin could say anything, Su Chong had already run off.
Firstly, he was genuinely anxious, secondly, he wasn’t used to scolding his sister.
Scolding her felt satisfying, but he was quite guilty about it.
After all, this time, he was too hasty. If Su Jin complained to Marquis Dongxiang, Su Chong would be sure to receive a scolding.
Su Chong and his group had come over the wall and naturally left the same way.
But when they came, there was a faint bruise on their faces, not affecting their handsome demeanor.
Yet when they left, all five had a black eye.
And they were all on the left eye.
Riding on horseback, they drew 300% attention.
The Duke Chong Mansion had repeatedly stumbled against the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, and Su Chong winning over the Heir of Duke Chong made his reputation soar.
Such a presence that no one dared to provoke in the Capital City would always have bruising on their face.
Everyone couldn’t help but wonder how those bruises came about.
And how they were so uniform.
Could this be the new popular style in the Capital City?
To speak frankly—
It’s a bit ugly.
Xie Jingchen left the main courtyard, and the bruising on his face drew frequent glances from the maids and servants.
They didn’t know Su Chong had been there, assuming the injuries on Xie Jingchen’s face were inflicted by their eldest young madam...
Their inner fear of the eldest young madam increased a few notches.
However, the eldest young master had it coming.
The eldest young madam had a bad temper, which he knew best.
Still, he dared to flirt with other women behind her back, could the eldest young madam spare him?
This was likely just the beginning.
From now on, the eldest young master would have a good time.
The gatekeeper maid knew Su Chong had done it but didn’t dare say.
Xingxing had told her that the matters of the backyard mustn’t be spread outside.
Only she knew Su Chong came and hit Xie Jingchen, and if it got out, one wouldn’t have to guess to know it was her.
The young maid didn’t speak a word.
Even though everyone misunderstood Su Jin, she didn’t make a peep; she was just that tight-lipped.
Xie Jingchen walked to the gate of the Duke Mansion, and the servant had already brought the horse over.
Xie Jingchen glanced at the horse and looked at Chief Steward Li, asking, "What did the Right Minister’s Wife say when she came to the Duke Zhen Mansion?"
Chief Steward Li looked at the bruises on Xie Jingchen’s face and said, "She didn’t say much. She brought the jade pendant that the grand master gave to the eldest young master before going to war."
Xie Jingchen’s brows imperceptibly furrowed.
He roughly understood how the misunderstanding occurred.
He mounted the horse and headed towards the Imperial Palace.
Xie Jingchen had been sickly before, rarely going out and hadn’t attended any banquets, so the Right Minister’s daughter and maid didn’t recognize him.
But some people in the streets did.
Just like the maids and servants of the Duke Zhen Mansion, they assumed the injuries on Xie Jingchen’s face were because Su Jin had beaten him.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"They’ve just gotten engaged, and he’s already injured this badly."
"The eldest young master of the Duke Zhen Mansion might have to pay with his life to marry a concubine."
Watching Xie Jingchen ride away.
Those people were genuinely curious about what would happen next.
This was just the eldest young madam of the Duke Zhen Mansion; the more powerful and temperamental Marquis Dongxiang hadn’t acted yet.
Peony Garden.
The news that Xie Jingchen was going to marry the Right Minister’s daughter had already spread.
Princess Nanzhang had rarely won a round.
Her mood was unprecedentedly good.
A young maid entered, covering her mouth with a smile, "Commandery Princess, the eldest young master was beaten up, all bruised and swollen."
Princess Nanzhang was slightly startled.
"Was it the eldest young madam’s doing?" Mrs. Zhao asked.
"It should be," the young maid replied.
"No one else could get into the backyard."
Mrs. Zhao sighed.
The eldest young madam was truly ruthless.
"And what about the eldest young madam?" Mrs. Zhao asked.
The young maid shook her head, "The eldest young madam is still in the backyard. Not sure if she’s hurt."
Xie Jinyu walked in, "Mother, the sister-in-law dares to lay hands on my brother, she’s so jealous, punish her to kneel in the Buddhist Hall."
Princess Nanzhang laughed, "This matter, mother shouldn’t meddle."
"Why?" Xie Jinyu asked, puzzled.
"What if she claims it’s a matter of their marital pleasure, wouldn’t your mother be inviting ridicule," Princess Nanzhang laughed.
"...."
Imperial Study.
Xie Jingchen walked over.
The gatekeeper guard and eunuch were stunned seeing the bruising on his face.
Since Xie Jingchen had been summoned by the Emperor to the palace.
The little eunuch didn’t block the door and let him in directly.
The Emperor was reviewing memorials, and Xie Jingchen paid his respects.
The Emperor didn’t respond to him.
Eunuch Fu looked at Xie Jingchen’s face, his heart skipping a beat.
How did he get so badly hurt?
Eunuch Fu looked at the Emperor and called out, "Your Majesty."
Only then did the Emperor lift his head.
Hmm.
More surprised than Eunuch Fu.
"Was this done by your wife?" the Emperor asked.
Xie Jingchen, "...."
Could Su Jin have beaten him up like this?
The Emperor was underestimating him a bit, right?
"It was Su Chong," Xie Jingchen said.
The surprise on the Emperor’s face subsided a little.
Although the Emperor was displeased with Xie Jingchen marrying a concubine.
But if the legitimate wife beat her husband like this, the Emperor wouldn’t allow it either.
The three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues couldn’t be disarrayed.
The Emperor threw the memorial in his hand onto the imperial desk and said, "Wasn’t it just a few days after you got married, and now you want to marry a concubine at it again?!"
Xie Jingchen, "...."
Feeling exhausted.
Xie Jingchen looked at the Emperor, "Your Majesty misunderstood, the one wanting to take a concubine isn’t I, but my wife."
The Emperor, "...."
Eunuch Fu, "...."
"Su Jin wants to take a concubine?!"
"Absurd!"
"How can a woman take a concubine?!"
Xie Jingchen replied, "Su Chong hit me," said Xie Jingchen.
The Emperor raised his eyebrows and said, "You got married just a few days ago, and already you want to take a concubine?!"
Xie Jingchen, "...."
Feeling so exhausted.
Xie Jingchen turned to the Emperor, "Your Majesty misunderstood, it’s not I who wants to take a concubine, but Su Jin."
The Emperor, "Ridiculous!"
"How can a woman take a concubine?!"
Xie Jingchen started explaining, "Su Chong came and hit me."
Meanwhile—
The commandery princess Nanzhang was feeling elated, for once she won a round.
Her mood was unprecedentedly good.
The little maid came in, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, "Commandery princess, the eldest young master got beaten up, face all bruised and swollen."
The commandery princess was slightly taken aback.
"Did the eldest young madam beat him?" Mrs. Zhao asked.
"I think so," the young maid replied.
"No one else could have gone into the backyard."
Mrs. Zhao sighed.
"That eldest young madam is really fierce."
"So what about the eldest young madam?" Mrs. Zhao asked.
The young maid shook her head, "She’s still in the backyard, I don’t know if she’s hurt."