To avoid being discovered by Xia Madam and General Xia regarding the bruises on her neck, Xia Jianxi took a detour and returned to her courtyard before their arrival.
“Miss, Madam has been looking for you everywhere. Wang Ye and the others are about to leave…” Ting Wan said as she hurried in, but immediately halted upon seeing Shi Wei tearfully applying medicine to Xia Jianxi’s neck. “What… what happened?”
“It’s all because of that Wang Ye you kept mentioning earlier!” Shi Wei stared at the bruises on Xia Jianxi’s neck, her heart aching so much that tears kept falling.
“Miss Xia shouldn’t have brought up Lord Song!” Yao Zi said, taking a jar of ointment from her bosom. “Use this. The bruises will fade by tomorrow!”
Shi Wei snatched the ointment: “No matter what she said, he shouldn’t have resorted to this! How is this any different from hitting a woman!”
“What! Wang Ye hit our Miss!” Ting Wan immediately bristled. “This won’t do. I must tell the General…”
“Ting Wan!” Xia Jianxi immediately shouted. “This is between Wang Ye and me. You are not to tell my parents! Otherwise, I’ll send you away to the estate!”
Ting Wan stopped in her tracks: “But…”
“No buts!” Xia Jianxi coldly reprimanded.
Ting Wan stood to the side, pouting, and remained silent for a long while.
After a moment, perhaps feeling she had been too harsh, Xia Jianxi softly said: “My parents mustn’t know about this. If they find out and cause a scene, offending the Prince Regent, it’s us who will suffer in the end. Moreover, Wang Ye and I have our own arrangement!”
Yao Zi observed Xia Jianxi’s demeanor, thought for a moment, and still spoke up: “Lord Song is Wang Ye’s cousin. They grew up together and share a deep bond. Matters concerning Lord Song have always been Wang Ye’s sore spot. Miss Xia, you shouldn’t have used that to threaten him!”
“I wasn’t threatening him!” Xia Jianxi lowered her gaze. “I need his influence in Bianjing, he needs my connections in Jiangnan. Our relationship is mutually beneficial. As for Lord Song… he is a good official and shouldn’t bear such accusations!”
Yao Zi said nothing more, simply crossing her arms and standing aside.
After helping Xia Jianxi apply the medicine, Shi Wei picked up some white powder and carefully dusted it over the bruises, attempting to conceal the marks.
“Ting Wan, you and Yao Zi go handle something for me!” Xia Jianxi suddenly spoke.
Ting Wan was momentarily stunned, then immediately responded: “Alright!”
Xia Jianxi looked at Ting Wan’s reflection in the bronze mirror and chuckled softly: “Aren’t you afraid I might sell you off?”
“My life belongs to you, Miss. What does it matter if I’m sold or not!” Ting Wan’s grievances instantly dissipated. “Whatever you need, Miss, just tell me. I’ll make sure it’s done perfectly!”
Xia Jianxi turned to face Ting Wan and whispered: “Go to West City Flower Street Alley. There’s a residence there with a Fang Character Plaque. A mother and daughter live there. The mother goes out daily to the market to buy fresh vegetables. Wait for her along the way!”
Ting Wan stared blankly at Xia Jianxi: “How did you know about that mother…”
“You just need to know that you must find her and tell her to go to Lanxiang Pavilion at noon. I’ll be waiting there for her. As long as she comes, I can help her and her daughter leave Bianjing!” After speaking, Xia Jianxi leaned close to Ting Wan’s ear and whispered, “By the way, bring Yao Zi with you—make sure no one notices!”
Before Yao Zi could react to being suddenly assigned this task, Ting Wan had already grabbed her hand and rushed out with her.
Shi Wei watched as Ting Wan pulled Yao Zi away, frowning slightly. “Why did you have Yao Zi go with her? Aren’t you worried she’ll report everything to the Prince Regent?”
“She was placed by my side by the Prince Regent, so of course she serves Yi Zichuan’s interests!” Compared to Shi Wei’s anger, Xia Jianxi remained remarkably calm. “As long as Yi Zichuan and I share common goals, his people can be useful!”
Shi Wei continued applying medicine to Xia Jianxi’s wounds, her eyes glistening faintly. “This servant truly can’t understand—you treated the Second Young Lady so well, and you and that Little Marquis were childhood friends. How could they do such things to you? They’re… they’re worse than beasts!”
Xia Jianxi lowered her gaze to the hair accessories in her dowry case, casually picking up a Diancui hairpin. “Look at this hairpin—it’s made from kingfisher feathers. The kingfisher did nothing wrong. It was captured and plucked simply for having beautiful feathers. It’s just a bird—innocent, yet beautiful.”
Shi Wei fell silent.
Xia Jianxi returned the hairpin to the dowry case, her gaze as calm as stagnant water without a single ripple. “The common man’s guilt lies not in himself, but in the treasure he possesses.”
When Yao Zi accompanied Ting Wan to find that Fang residence in the western part of the city, Yao Zi immediately pulled Ting Wan away from the middle of the road.
Startled, Ting Wan was about to scold her when she noticed two similarly dressed men swiftly passing by from a side alley ahead. Most importantly, they were carrying swords.
Most residents in the western city were commoners of Bianjing, with only occasional wealthy households—but rarely would anyone hire such guards specifically for protection.
Ting Wan had initially thought this would be a simple task of finding someone, but now realized the person they sought was no ordinary individual.
“Those two men just came from that Fang residence. It seems the person your mistress is looking for is likely being guarded by these people,” Yao Zi said, crossing her arms as she watched the two burly men depart.
Ting Wan frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”
“Look, that’s the Fang residence over there. Look at its entrance—it doesn’t belong to particularly wealthy people. It looks more like a place where nobles keep their playthings,” Yao Zi gestured with her chin toward the compound hanging red lanterns in the distance.
“You mean this is where the Marquis Yongchang Estate keeps a mistress?” Ting Wan suddenly understood. “But if she’s a mistress, she’s probably there willingly. Why would they need guards?”
“Bianjing City has many powerful families, and inevitably there are jealous shrews among them. Those old men don’t dare take concubines openly before their wives, so they keep women outside. The guards are there to prevent the wives from storming in,” Yao Zi examined the entrance carefully. “However, I suspect this particular household is… something else entirely.”
“You mean those kept in this courtyard were forced?” Ting Wan suddenly widened her eyes. “Then isn’t this outright abduction of civilian women?”