Edited by Larkspur

Chapter 20: The Glint And Flash of Knives (Part 2)

The chapter title is a Chinese phrase that refers to the fights on the battlefield.

Chu Jin Yao thought that it was surely retribution. She pouted, was cautious but continued tugging his arm, looking at him with that pitiful look. Qin Yi’s brows did not move at all but he held the book in his hands for a while, without even turning a page.

Qin Yi could no longer bear it and closed the book before saying calmly, “You are truly getting bolder.”

Chu Jin Yao immediately smiled, “I knew that you wouldn’t not care about me.”

Qin Yi felt helpless and funny, “This is really retribution.”

Chu Jin Yao revealed an attitude of being obediently educated and even poured a cup of tea for Qin Yi. He was previously putting on a stern face but upon seeing her like this, he could not help but glare at her angrily and laugh.

“Sun Momo is given to you by your mother and I don’t need to tell you for you would know who is instigating the matter. With this person present, it is troublesome for you when you see Madam Zhao.”

“I understand.” Chu Jin Yao sighed, “It was clearly Chu Jin Miao that is the Young Lady that grew up here and she is also the one who assumed my rank and status. I have not stood against her but instead she has targeted me.”

“There is no end to a human’s heart.” Qin Yi knew he was leaving sooner or later. Originally when Chu Jin Yao encountered any difficulty, Qin Yi would help her solve it but now that he knew that he would be leaving soon, he no longer helped her stop the matter and instead taught her all these scheming against others, little by little. “It is a good thing that she took the initiative to make a move. Even if she did not do anything, I would have provoked her into taking action. Now, you are the one that is accused unjustly and have all the logic at your side. Be it that old woman or that your mother is biased, one does not need to be bothered by it. Rest assured and indulge that old woman. Let her be as rampant as possible. When the opportunity arises, you can disclose everything to the person in charge and show it to everyone. This move is called ‘stay immobile and kill with a blow’.”

Chu Jin Yao nodded her head with some understanding, “You are saying that I should deliberately show some weakness and let Sun Momo be more rampant and finally make an intolerable mistake, making ZhuMu intervene to deal with me?

“That is exactly so.” Qin Yi continued, “If you have a high enough status, you can do what you want to do directly. However, you cannot do it now and only do things in a roundabout manner, sparing no efforts in gaining pity in front of the elders. And your father, Chu Jing, is one who can differentiate things. You should accidentally reveal what Chu Jin Miao did to you but it is enough just to reveal a little, so that he can investigate the rest by himself. Since your mother is biased, you can only find another way to let Chu Jing see what kind of life you live in the inner courtyard.”

Chu Jin Yao had understood completely. She nodded, “I understand. To put it bluntly, the disputes of the inner courtyard are the same as those in the village, but they cover themselves with a blanket of passiveness as if everything is done reactively and one is compelled to do everything.”

It turned out that in the Su family, if anyone were to ask Chu Jin Yao for the keys to the family money, she would definitely scold them to death and also reason with the others in the village. No one would be able to say that she was wrong and she had been able to stand on her feet because she was right, be it in feelings and reasonings. However, now in the Marquis residence, things could be done so straightforwardly. If she were to really scold Sun Momo, everyone would only say that she was not filial and not why she did it.

Since the environment was different, the methods of dealing with things were completely different. Chu Jin Yao was trying hard to adapt to the new rules in the Marquis residence.

“Yes, it is exactly so.” Qin Yi smiled, “Men often like innocent and weak females. When you are too strong, it is instead harder to please.”

“Men are all like this? Can’t they tell that all this is fake?”

Qin Yi was stunned at the questions. He was used to seeing such a situation in the Inner Palace, but when he saw Chu Jin Yao’s bright eyes, he could only avoid them before he spoke, “Not all men are like this…”

“How about you?” Chu Jin Yao blurted out without waiting for him to finish.

“Me?” Qin Yi smiled. “I have too many things to do. Matters between male and women are far from my plans.”

Chu Jin Yao had asked that question recklessly and she herself was somewhat shocked after she spoke. However, upon listening to his answer, she felt a somewhat unfathomable emptiness in her heart. Suppressing those inexplicable thoughts, she smiled at him. “You are right. Men are all fickle in love. It would be better to focus on one’s matter when one has that energy, after all, living one’s life well is the most important. As for love, it is all fabricated.”

Qin Yi rationally thought that Chu Jin Yao’s words were logical, but there was something wrong with it psychologically. He frowned as he said, “You are a girl. Don’t keep on talking about love all day. How old are you now? You cannot keep on thinking about marrying.”

“Who thought about it?” Chu Jin Yao was annoyed and retorted immediately, unwilling to be outdone. Both of them spoke consecutively as the evening light slowly disappeared.

On the next day, when Chu Jin Yao went to give her morning greeting to Madam Zhao, she saw Chu Jin Miao sitting by Madam Zhao’s side when she entered, passing Madam Zhao peeled orange. By Madam Zhao, stood Sun Momo.

Chu Jin Yao then knew that she had been accused.

“Mother.” Her facial expression was calm, pretending not to know anything, she greeted Madam Zhao with her normal bearing.

Madam Zhao placed her hand on the table and the gold bracelet on her wrist bumped onto the surface of the table, making a crisp sound. “I heard from Sun Momo that you refused to comply with being disciplined and even contradicted her deliberately?”

Sun Momo folded her hands, looking aggrieved, while Chu Jin Miao bowed her head, concentrating on peeling the oranges, without even raising her hand to take a glance.

Chu Jin Yao calmly retorted, “Mother, from where do you speak of this matter?”

“Sun Momo has told me in detail about it. She went to teach you discipline and even if you contradicted her, you actually were very rude to her in front of everyone. Do you still have me, your biological mother, in your eyes?”

“Mother, so you also know that you are my biological mother.” Chu Jin Yao looked at Madam Zhao and said each word clearly, “Why do you not ask me about what happened? Sun Momo came to my courtyard yelling. I had only returned from Hua Momo and did not even have time to sit down and drink some water when I heard her say that with your orders, she was here to retrieve the keys to my clothes and jewelry.”

Chu Jin Yao raised her head as she looked at Madam Zhao, “Mother, is this what you instructed her to do? To not care about distinguishing right and wrong and grasp all my wealth into her hands so that she can restrain me?”

Madam Zhao frowned as she looked at Sun Momo. She had instructed Sun Momo to manage Chu Jin Yao’s servants so that they would not tread all over Chu Jin Yao. Why did this old woman rashly ask for the keys from her? In the inner courtyard, clothes and jewelry are the greatest possessions for females. If it wasn’t one’s trusted servants, who would let others touch such things? Madam Zhao’s gaze started to be pressurising, Sun Momo quickly lowered her head. Madam Zhao’s heart was filled with irritation, “Why did you not speak of this matter just now? Who let you decide on your own?”

“Replying to Furen, it is not this old servant that decided for oneself!”

“Then speak, who instructed you to do this?” Madam Zhao became angry and her arms were on her hips as she questioned. “I just want to see where you got the courage to act against me from.”

Sun Momo’s back was sweating. She did not dare to speak but her eyes were secretly looking at Chu Jin Miao. Chu Jin Yao was also staring straight at Chu Jin Miao, wanting to see how she would be able to smooth things over.