Steward Cao casually picked up a cup of tea and drank it.
“What I was going to say just now is that there’s no need to bring any additional attendants; the ones we have are all set. Just the two attendants currently with the mistress are enough,” he said.
The news about the Zhou family taking Cheng Jiao-niang to the capital quickly spread.
Upon hearing that there was no need to bring additional attendants, the maids and servants at home breathed a sigh of relief, celebrating their narrow escape—except for Chun Lan’s family.
One of the two attendants currently with Cheng Jiao-niang is their precious only son.
Chun Lan’s family was filled with sorrow and despair.
“Quick, come with me!” Chun Lan cried, pulling Jin Ge’er along. “I’ll take you to bow to Fourth Young Master and plead for your release.”
Jin Ge’er struggled and refused to go.
“I’m not going. What’s there to plead?” he shouted.
Chun Lan’s mother was crying behind them.
“My son, this means the end of our lineage,” she wept. “Lan’er, you have to save your brother!”
Jin Ge’er stamped his foot.
“What are you all doing? I’m going to the capital, not to die!” he said.
“If you go, you won’t come back. You’re going there with a fool. What chance do you have to survive?” Chun Lan cried.
“Really talking nonsense! Miss is not a fool, let me tell you,” Jin Ge’er said, impatiently picking up his bundle. Then, thinking of something, he handed another bundle to Chun Lan. “Sister, take this; you have more social obligations.”
“What is this?” Chun Lan asked through her tears, opening it to take a look.
As a maid beside Fourth Young Master, she could recognize a few characters. The three words “Xuan-miao Temple” on the oil paper wrapping were small but very noticeable.
“Why do you have so much?” she asked in surprise.
The family had just been in an uproar over not being able to get any snacks from Xuan-miao Temple, yet her own brother had turned around and given her so much.
“It was given by Miss, and I can eat as much as I want. I don’t even like this, so you take it. Both you and Mother will need this for socializing,” Jin Ge’er said. “I’m leaving.”
After saying this, he took advantage of his parents and sister being momentarily stunned to run away.
The sound of his family crying came again from behind.
At this moment, it wasn’t just Chun Lan’s family that was filled with gloom; in the courtyard of Second Master Cheng, the maids and servants were all being extremely cautious.
“What on earth is going on?”
First Master Cheng asked, his face hardened with anger.
Second Master Cheng sat with a pale complexion, his eyes red, while Second Madam Cheng lowered her head, wiping her tears and sobbing.
“Didn’t they say Lai-zhou was settled?” First Madam Cheng asked. “Why has it changed to Luo-zhou?”
Luo-zhou was not only not in Zhong-zhou but was also inferior to Bing-zhou. The only good thing was that it was closer to Jiang-zhou, but he was not a little child who couldn’t leave home. Who cared about being close to home? He wanted promotion! Promotion!
“Who is scheming against me behind my back?” Second Master Cheng shouted as he slammed the teacup in front of him to the ground.
The cup shattered with a clatter at the door, startling the maids and servants in the corridor, who scattered far away.
“Why are you throwing a tantrum! Is this really the time to be angry?” First Master Cheng shouted irritably, feeling completely frustrated.
In order to pave the way for his second brother, the family had spent money like running water, hoping that once they gained power, they would reap even greater benefits.
If they lost that power, earning money wouldn’t be so easy anymore.
The room fell into a heavy silence, with only the muffled sounds of Second Madam Cheng’s suppressed sobs.
“Is there really someone scheming behind our backs?” First Master Cheng asked.
“I don’t know,” Second Master Cheng replied darkly, which was the most frustrating part. “I thought it was certain; I had talked to my teacher, and even Scholar Liu had accepted my visiting card. It should have been foolproof, so how could this happen…”
At this thought, Second Master Cheng ground his teeth, feeling like he could spit blood from his anger.
“Foolproof, yet it ultimately failed. It seems there are always greater mountains and stronger people out there,” First Master Cheng said. “It’s likely that a more powerful noble is involved. Didn’t you mention before that there are many who covet Lai-zhou?”
It could only be that way.
But it was so hard to accept! So hard to accept!
“Who could it possibly be, that even my teacher’s intervention couldn’t prevail?” Second Master Cheng said through clenched fists, gritting his teeth.
The room fell into a heavy silence.
“Oh right,” First Madam Cheng suddenly thought of something. “I need to tell you that the Zhou family has taken Jiao-niang away. Just wanted to let you know; do you still want to go see her…”
Jiao-niang! That fool!
Ever since that fool stepped back into the house, there hadn’t been a moment of peace!
That jinx!
“Tell her to get lost,” Second Master Cheng waved his hand irritably. “It’d be best if she never came back! She’s the one who’s caused all this trouble!”
Those around them found this hard to believe; how could such a thing be connected to a fool?
Second Madam Cheng stopped her sobbing.
“Someone has taken her away?” She quickly turned to First Madam Cheng. “What about the dowry?”
First Madam Cheng let out a cold laugh.
“Don’t worry; that won’t be taken away so easily,” she said.
“You’re wise,” Second Madam Cheng said as she wiped her tears. “We can’t afford to lose something big over a small matter.”
Looking at Jin Ge’er kneeling in front of her,
“Are you willing to come with me?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
“Of course I want to go,” Jin Ge’er replied in a muffled voice.
Thinking back to how he used to treat this girl as a fool, playing with her using kites, it now seemed that she was not a fool at all, leaving him feeling awkward and uneasy.
Cheng Jiao-niang’s mouth curved slightly.
“Do you have a name?” she suddenly asked.
She had never cared about the names of those around her, but when she did care…
Abbess Sun stepped forward, wiping her sweat.
“Miss, this is a servant,” she couldn’t help but say.
Cheng Jiao-niang simply replied with an “oh” and didn’t ask any further.
“Pack your things,” she said, turning around and entering the room.
The maid and Jin Ge’er were confused.
“Abbess, why did you say he’s a servant when she asked Jin Ge’er for his name? What’s the connection?” the maid asked.
Abbess Sun smiled.
“Well, he’s a servant, not a girl. If you call him Ban Qin, it doesn’t sound nice,” she said.
Huh?
What?
The maid and Jin Ge’er were even more puzzled.
This remark had even less to do with the previous conversation!
Miss’s way of speaking and acting was strange, and now even the abbess was acting oddly. That saying about “You become like those you associate with” seemed to apply here.
Due to the urgency of the Chen family’s matters, they left as soon as they could, departing the very day they met.
“Miss, you can rest assured and go. Xuan-miao Temple will wait for your return,” Abbess Sun said respectfully, bowing.
It wasn’t Tai Ping Palace, but Xuan-miao Temple.
From July to mid-September, from the Cheng family to Tai Ping Palace, over two months later, she stepped out of the Cheng family and then out of the mountain gate.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled slightly but said nothing, being supported by her maid as she descended the stairs step by step.
At the foot of the mountain, the nuns of Xuan-miao Temple were dressed in new robes to see her off, while Steward Cao led the Zhou family’s attendants and Fourth Master Chen to greet her respectfully.
None of them were connected to her; not a single person from the Cheng family was present.
Abbess Sun let out a gentle sigh.
So, go, just go.
