Edited by Larkspur

Chapter 27: Evil Has Its Retribution (Part 1)

Chu Jin Miao knelt on the ground with a thud as she cried out, “ZuMu, I really don’t know what is going on. You have to spare me this time!”

If one does not know what was going on then why would there be a need to ask Old Furen for mercy? Chu Jin Xian did not lose the sarcasm in her heart. Yesterday, she was still crying like raindrops on a pear blossom, repeatedly saying that Chu Jin Yao tore her collection of poems and even arbitrarily insisted that it was an individual manuscript and there were no copies. However, there appeared to be a perfectly fine copy today. Among those present, not mentioning Old Chu Furen and Chu Jin Xian, both of whom were used to weathering big storms, even a young maid would be able to figure out that it was most likely that Chu Jin Miao tore the collection of poems herself and did not want to admit to it. She then used the copy as a smokescreen and replaced the original with a fake before framing Fifth Young Lady.

Chu Jin Yao had not expected that it was only yesterday when she was beaten on the palm and today Chu Jin Miao’s retribution had arrived. Chu Jin Yao thought of how Qin Yi hadn’t been normal and afterwards even went out alone. Even though she did not ask Qin Yi, in her heart, she had already guessed it. One fears that this was Qin Yi’s trick, right?

After all, besides him, who else had the ability to silently discover the copy that was hidden by Chu Jin Miao and place it in Old Chu Furen’s rear room? There was also Lin Xi Yuan. Who was Lin Xi Yuan? How could he leave his collection of essays at Old Chu Furen’s without any rhyme or reason and even coincidently find Chu Jin Miao’s copy of the collection of poems when he was looking for his book?

There was only one person who was able to accomplish this unknown to god or ghost. Qin Yi found the collection of poems that Chu Jin Miao had hidden, then went to Lin Xi Yuan’s courtyard to take an important book, a book that one would need to look for if it had gone missing, and place them both in Old Furen’s rear room. On the next day, when Lin Xi Yuan was searching for it, he would naturally expose everything.

Chu Jin Yao thought about it and found it unbelievable. It was fine with Chu Jin Miao’s and Old Chu Furen’s things, but how did Qin Yi sneak into Lin Xi Yuan’s courtyard and even take a book out without alerting anyone at all? A man’s study and a female’s were different. Male would handle external affairs, read and write all in the study, thus that was a strategic location. Chu Jin Yao thought about it for a long time but still could not figure out how Qin Yi did it.

However, Old Furen did not know about Qin Yi’s existence. She only felt that Chu Jin Miao had framed Chu Jin Yao and was stupid enough to leave the evidence of the crime in place and on the next day was discovered by ShiZi accidentally. Leaving aside whether Lin Xi Yuan did it by accident or not, Chu Jin Miao had bad intentions and was stupid, and there was no way around it.

Chu Jin Miao knelt on the floor as if her body seemed to have fallen into an ice cellar that she kept on trembling. Old Furen especially hated others for deceiving her, even her real granddaughters would not be able to escape a harsh punishment, much less Chu Jin Miao, an outsider. She was not Marquis Chang Xing’s and Madam Zhao’s daughter and had no relations to the Chu family. Now that she had angered Old Furen, would she be sent away?

When Chu Jin Miao thought about this, she became more frightened. She knew that she could never admit to this matter, else her reputation and her image of thirteen years in the residence of Marquis Chang Xing would be destroyed. At this period, the most taboo thing for a female was jealousy, so how could she let herself be guilty of such crimes? Chu Jin Miao walked to Old Furen on her knees and grasped the hems of Old Furen’s clothes. “ZuMu, you watched me grow up. You have to believe me that I really do not know what was going on! When I returned, I really was not able to find the collection of poems. I really thought that it was torn by others and only know that it was a misunderstanding now. My collection of poems was placed at another place thus I was unable to find it. ZuMu, it is all my fault for being unable to find the collection of poems and becoming anxious, thus saying the wrong thing.” 

Chu Jin Miao’s words sounded good when first heard but upon thinking about it, they were full of loopholes. If it was misunderstood because it was not found, then why did Chu Jin Miao insist that there was only one collection of poems and there were no copies? It was obvious that she was still quibbling about it.”

Old Chu Furen suddenly felt a deep sense of disappointment. She had really raised Chu Jin Miao as her granddaughter for the past thirteen years. She had never been close to the younger generation but Chu Jin Miao was a Di daughter of the Eldest Household, thus she spent a lot of effort in educating her. However, Old Chu Furen personally watched, the young lady that she raised do such a thing.

Chu Jin Yao was unwilling to admit her wrong till death yesterday and she even felt that the other was muddled. Now it seemed that the one muddled was herself.

Old Chu Furen leaned against the couch and let Chu Jin Miao grab the hem of her clothes. Her voice did not hold any emotion as she asked, “You really do not know about this?”

Chu Jin Miao thought that Old Furen believed her and quickly said, “Yes. This granddaughter really does not know.”

After a long time, Old Chu Furen sighed deeply, “Since you say that it is not you then I have nothing to say. Take this one month to meditate quietly and copy Women Doctrine.”

This was considered confinement. Confined for a month and copy Women Doctrine. Chu Jin Miao did not consider this to be a harsh punishment. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and kowtowed to Old Chu Furen, “Thanking ZuMu.”

Old Chu Furen leaned tiredly against the red soft pillow and motioned for Chu Jin Miao to withdraw. Chu Jin Miao lowered her head and obeyed her order. As she headed out, she happened to pass by Chu Jin Xian and Chu Jin Yao, who were staying by the frame.

The three of them did not look at each other but they all knew that the other party’s gaze was on themselves. In that short moment that they brush past each other, there seemed to be sparks flying but that moment quickly passed by. Chu Jin Miao walked out and stood still to dry her tears and continued with slightly lifting chin as if nothing had happened.

That was just great. The only few people who knew the truth were Chu Jin Xian, Chu Jin Yao and Old Furen. The rest of the family did not know the full story. As for ShiZi who knew the truth, even though this was a concealed danger, ShiZi was a male so how would he mention an unmarried young lady’s matter? As long as one carefully avoided and did not provoke Lin Xi Yuan, he would never be the one to take the initiative to mention to anyone.

Therefore, the fault was still on Chu Jin Yao and she was still the aloof Fourth Young Lady.

When Chu Jin Miao left, the room fell silent for a while. Old Furen seemed to be extremely tired and kept her eyes closed as she leaned against a big red pillow.

After a while, Old Furen spoke, “Jin Yao, come here.”

Chu Jin Yao’s attention slightly stirred. Chu Jin Xian nodded her head secretly, signaling her to go up at ease.

Chu Jin Yao stood in front of Old Chu Furen and heard her asking, “Why were you not willing to admit your wrongs yesterday?

“This granddaughter will say the same thing again.” Chu Jin Yao said, “I was wrong for arguing with my sisters. As for others, I am not wrong.”

“What a good ‘you are not wrong’.” Old Furen said, “Do you not understand the reasoning of it is breakable for being overly firm?”

“Even if one puts one’s own safety before matters of principle, there are things that you should do and shouldn’t do. In order to maintain the prestige of the country, His Highness the Crown Prince dared to kill the palace maid in public. Even though I am not as virtuous and bloodthirsty as the Crown Prince, when I am wrong, I am unlikely to go so far as to completely lack a moral backbone.”

“You are good at discussing, to actually bring the Crown Prince up as an example.” Old Chu Furen opened her eyes and her oppressive gaze landed on Chu Jin Yao, “You also mentioned that it is the Imperial Crown prince. No matter what he does, the entire court of civil and military ministers would only think of ways to save him. He is the Crown Prince, but you are just a weak female. The most important thing for a female is to be gentle and yielding, but you actually dare to compare with His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Chu Jin Yao quickly said that she did not dare. When Old Chu Furen was speaking those words, Qin Yi was in the jade pendant listening. As he listened, he felt that something was wrong.

What was wrong with him? Did he do something wrong? On what basis should she not learn from him?