Heavens! This plain-looking, plump girl is truly remarkable!
Witnessing this scene, the surrounding onlookers widened their eyes in disbelief.
Soon after, the fallen leading officer slowly opened his eyes.
At first, the officer seemed dazed, but he quickly regained his senses.
Struggling to rise from the ground, he immediately knelt before the plainly dressed—almost shabby—young woman with a loud thud.
“Young lady, I was blind to your true worth! I offended you earlier, and now I kowtow to apologize. Thank you for disregarding my past transgressions and saving my life!”
As he spoke, the officer promptly kowtowed three times to Ji Yunsu, each knock resounding heavily.
“Young lady, you saved our leader—we are eternally grateful!”
Seeing their leader seemingly unharmed, the other officers also expressed their gratitude to Ji Yunsu one after another.
In an instant, Ji Yunsu’s image in the eyes of those around her grew tall and radiant.
Everyone praised her act of returning good for evil, speaking highly of her virtue.
Meanwhile, inside an ornate carriage not far away.
Behind the curtain lifted by a slender, elegant hand, a stern, chiseled face revealed no emotion, its expression obscure and unreadable.
Pei Wuheng pressed his moist, thin lips into a tight line.
Reflected clearly in his profound phoenix eyes was the face of a woman, round and plump like a large steamed bun.
Though her face was swollen, it was a full size smaller than that of the ruffianly, obese woman from that night.
Moreover, despite its plumpness, her features were delicate and finely proportioned, unlike the crowded, pig-like face of the ruffian woman.
Yet, for some reason, though the two faces bore no resemblance, they evoked an inexplicable sense of familiarity?
As if he had seen her before?
Pei Wuheng’s scrutinizing gaze was direct and sharp, carrying a cold intensity that seemed to pierce through everything.
Staring at the woman being thanked repeatedly by the officers, the elegant hand holding the curtain slowly clenched, its five slender fingers tightening gradually.
Sensing a slight chill at the back of his head, Zhan Yi muttered inwardly.
What is His Lordship staring at so intently?
Curious, Zhan Yi craned his neck and stealthily cast a glance in the direction of his lord’s gaze.
Not looking was one thing, but looking startled him!
His Lordship had always been indifferent—whether to elegant maidens from noble families or high-born princesses, he never spared them a second glance.
This was the first time Zhan Yi had seen His Lordship stare so fixedly at a young woman.
Could it be that His Lordship prefers plump, fleshy women?
Though those high-born ladies are radiant and captivating, their figures are too lean—perhaps His Lordship doesn’t care for skinny women?
A thought flickering in his mind, a spark of gossip ignited in Zhan Yi’s eyes, and he couldn’t resist murmuring.
“I heard that the censorate’s memorial impeaching Grand Tutor Ji for abandoning his humble wife has already reached the Emperor’s desk.”
“Grand Tutor Ji acted swiftly—he’s already brought back the wife and children he neglected in the countryside for over a decade to the capital.”
“Moreover, judging by the current situation, although Second Miss Ji started off at a disadvantage—being demoted from legitimate daughter to common-born, with looks and figure falling far short of the noble daughters of the capital’s officials—she does possess some capabilities.”
“I’ve also heard that Grand Tutor Ji, in response to the impeachment memorial from the Censorate, has long since registered this common-born daughter he abandoned in the countryside to participate in the Imperial Concubine Selection Banquet.”
“I wonder what will happen after Second Miss Ji and her mother and brother enter the Grand Tutor Manor?”
Zhan Yi pretended to mutter to himself, his gossipy little eyes occasionally stealing glances at his master’s expression.
Pei Wuheng’s impassive face revealed no emotion, his expression obscure and unfathomable. From his thin lips came two icy words, cold as shards of frozen debris: “Noisy.”
His deep, cold magnetic voice was like a frigid wind blowing from an ice cellar in the twelfth month, making one shiver uncontrollably.
Zhan Yi shrunk his neck, his timid heart trembling thrice. He had only casually mentioned it, thinking his master would be interested—why was his master displeased?
“Master, we’ve seen enough of the commotion. Should we…”
“Twenty lashes to the buttocks. Return to the residence and administer the punishment yourself.”
Zhan Yi made a pained face: “Master, I…”
“Thirty.”
Zhan Yi’s expressionless face twitched twice: “…”
Fine, his master was being unreasonable. Was it easy being a subordinate? Waaah…
On this end, Zhan Yi, inexplicably punished with thirty lashes to his backside, felt utterly aggrieved.
His full sense of injustice could only transform into a whip strike on the horse’s back as he urged the carriage to gallop along the dedicated lane into the city.
The ornate carriage picked up speed, rushing past the line of carriages waiting to enter the city with a sudden roar!
At that moment, Ji Yunsu was helping her mother onto their carriage. The speeding carriage swept past theirs, stirring up a cloud of dust that blew directly into their faces.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Liu Rumei choked on this sudden gust of dusty wind and couldn’t help but cough lightly.
Ji Yunsu, blasted head-on by this strong wind carrying sand, instinctively narrowed her eyes.
Hearing her mother cough, her temper flared. She angrily shouted at the carriage disappearing in a cloud of dust:
“Hey! You up ahead! How are you driving that carriage? Is this road yours or something?”
This clear, annoyed shouting voice drifted leisurely through the air.
Zhan Yi, driving the carriage up front, heard these cursing words with perfect clarity.
“Gulp…”
An inexplicably cold and oppressive pressure surged from the carriage behind him like a tidal wave, making Zhan Yi secretly swallow.
This Second Miss Ji might look tough, but she’s got a fiery temper too—daring to curse at the Ninth Prince’s Residence’s carriage. Truly admirable courage!
“Miss, lower your voice. That carriage that just passed belongs to the Ninth Prince’s Residence.”
“The entire Great Qian Dynasty belongs to their family, let alone this road. Be careful of bringing trouble upon yourself.”
The lead guard, stationed day and night at the city gate, had long memorized the carriage styles of the capital’s nobility and high officials.
Although the carriage that had just sped past on the dedicated lane didn’t openly display the Ninth Prince’s Residence’s insignia, he had seen this carriage before—it was definitely from the Ninth Prince’s Residence, no mistake.
The lead guard, feeling heartfelt gratitude toward his lifesaver, hurried forward to quietly warn her.
Hearing this, Ji Yunsu’s exquisitely featured but swollen face furrowed its brows slightly.
That carriage rushing to the crematorium just now looked somewhat familiar?
It seemed similar to the carriage that arrived at the post station late last night?
The privileged class, tsk tsk tsk…
A quarter of an hour later.
At the entrance of Grand Tutor Manor, three shabby carriages came to a gradual halt one after another.
The gatekeeper, seeing this, immediately turned and hurried to the main hall to report.
“Madam, Concubine Liu and the others have arrived!”
As the servant’s words fell, Concubine Su Lihua—who had been quietly seated in a lower position than Qin Shi—flashed a look of resentment in her eyes.
Liu Rumei was nothing but a vulgar country woman. How dare she enjoy the same allowances as the madam? Hmph, how presumptuous!
Just wait and see how I deal with you!