Chapter 400 Then Go Die
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Mingzhu could clearly hear from inside the carriage. She clapped her hands lightly, and someone from the back of the carriage brought down more than a dozen pre-prepared drip dew pots and placed them on the street. “Worthless things. Our Wangfei takes them and gives them away everywhere. At the Winter Solstice, she gave away hundreds to those she favored. It’s just that you guys who haven’t seen the world think it’s something extraordinary, willing to spend twenty taels of silver to buy one. Come, take them if you want, everyone. Anyone who wants one, just take it.”
The voice of the crier was crisp and loud, attracting many passersby to come and watch the excitement. Some even went forward to pick up the pots and compare them with the pots in the Jiang family’s shop.
These pots were made by craftsmen recruited by Mingzhu earlier. Compared to Jiang Shanshan’s pots, they had slightly different patterns, colors, and sizes, but Jiang Shanshan could tell at a glance that they were indeed the same pots.
Was it that her blueprint was leaked, and Fu Mingzhu took the opportunity to change the patterns and sizes to make these pots? Or was Fu Mingzhu actually from the same place as her? Was this a coincidence or intentional? Countless waves of shock surged in Jiang Shanshan’s heart. She even almost forgot the predicament she was currently in, just staring coldly at the luxurious carriage with the curtains drawn, wishing she could drag Mingzhu out and interrogate her.
The servant from Ying Wang’s mansion continued to explain the ins and outs of the matter, “Someone from our mansion was handling affairs in the northwest and saw the locals using this kind of pot to cook, finding it delicious and rare. So, they brought some back to present to our Wangye and Wangfei. The Wangfei thought it was a good thing and even had the chefs in the mansion make a recipe because she thought it was delicious and useful. During the Winter Solstice, these gifts were sent to various mansions.”
“Who knew that someone would start selling these pots here, and still have the nerve to claim it was their own idea? Our Wangfei is a kind person. If someone wants to earn fame or whatever, it’s none of her business. Originally, she didn’t want to interfere, but when she heard that these pots were selling for twenty taels of silver each and even fooled a poor child in the mansion, who was almost beaten to death by his Mother out of anger, our Wangfei couldn’t bear to see it anymore! She’d rather offend people and be labeled as a villain than let the scammer continue to deceive and harm people!”
Just then, the group of noble ladies sitting behind couldn’t sit still and sent someone to the front to find out. After hearing what was said, they were surprised and hurried back to report. Everyone looked at the pots Jiang Shanshan had “bought with her own money” and the dishes on the table, feeling uneasy. However, they still said, “Maybe it’s Fu Mingzhu playing tricks again. Let’s go out and take a look.”
Jiang Shanshan saw her group coming out to investigate and felt not happy but rather confused. She felt like she had fallen into a terrible trap.
She didn’t know if there were such pots in the northwest, but she knew that all the major mansions that had good relations with Ying Wang’s mansion must have these pots. Even if it hadn’t attracted the attention of those people at the time, it was something that could be proven just by flipping through the gift list. Fu Mingzhu didn’t just want to cut off her financial path; she wanted to completely ruin her reputation!
At first, they accused Jiang Daiqi of stealing the blueprint to report him to the authorities to force her out. Then, they verbally pressured her to admit in front of so many people that this pot was her own idea. Now, they were saying these things to completely ruin her reputation, making her a fake talented woman who deceived the world and stole fame!
Her mistake laid in being too confident, thinking that she alone knew about this pot. Even if she described a square as a circle, no one would expose her. But she didn’t expect the other party to be prepared long ago, digging a big pit for her to jump into! Hasn’t Mingzhu been waiting for this day for a long time? She must prove herself, she must save herself, she couldn’t just sit back and wait to die, otherwise, she would really be finished!
Forced to a dead end, Jiang Shanshan calmed down instead. She calmly adjusted her sleeves and said coldly, “You guys are powerful, covering the sky with one hand, saying whatever you want. Trying to take away someone else’s hard-earned business, finding any excuse to take it away. Taking away something someone else thought of, and then casually changing it and claiming it as your own. It’s fine if you take it away, but to completely discredit me like this, isn’t it too much?”
Fu Mingzheng listened and laughed, “Look at her articulate words. You’re not her opponent.”
Mingzhu said with a smile, “I’m not her opponent, but don’t I still have many capable people by my side? Like Fourth Brother here.”
Mingzhu’s words made him show a look of horror, “Are you asking me to go down and argue with her in the street? Quickly dispel this idea, otherwise, no one will want to marry me anymore!”
Mingzhu’s teasing made him laugh heartily, not even caring about Jiang Shanshan outside. No matter how articulate Jiang Shanshan was, what did it matter? The evidence was irrefutable. Could she escape?
The laughter outside reached Jiang Shanshan’s ears, making her anger rise. Zheng Momo looked at her coldly and added, “True or false can’t be faked, and false can’t be true, just afraid of scrutiny. In the end, everyone has their own judgment. What you say doesn’t count, and what I say doesn’t count. After today’s incident, all the major mansions will immediately investigate when they received the gifts we sent to them. As for whether there are these pots in the northwest, it’s something that can be easily found out by someone who cares. Second Miss Jiang, do you want to write a letter to ask?”
Then, pointing at Jiang Shanshan again, she joked, “Otherwise, let’s make a bet. If Second Miss Jiang’s pots don’t sell tomorrow, even if you set up a ten-mile long table outside, no one will buy them. If someone does come to buy, it’s because of you as a person, not because of the pot. Do you believe it? The so-called talented woman is just like this!”
Jiang Shanshan wished she could extinguish Mingzhu and her group of evil servants directly but couldn’t. She could only say stiffly, “Who doesn’t know how powerful the Fu Mansion is? Fu Mingzhu is the Great Empress Dowager’s niece. If she wants my life, it’s just a matter of words.”
Hearing Mingzhu’s calm voice from inside the carriage, “Really? Then let me say, Second Miss Jiang, go die right away? Will you die? You said it’s just a matter of a word for me to want someone’s life. Then may I ask, whose life have I wanted all these years? Please, name them! You said the Fu family just finds an excuse to grab anyone’s shop they fancy, then please tell me, whose shops have we taken? Where are they located? Are you getting confused? As for your imported glass and soap, who is selling them now?”
At that time, Jiang Shanshan had sent the recipes for glass and soal separately to Empress Dowager Min and Yuwen Chu, but Yuwen Chu had not accepted those recipes, so he didn’t involve himself in this business.
Therefore, Jiang Shanshan couldn’t answer Mingzhu’s questions. She could only silently shed tears and retreat, “The early engagement was also bestowed by the Great Empress Dowager. If Ying Wangfei really wants me to die to be at ease, then I’ll go die, to avoid burdening my family.”
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