Chapter 11 Lord Bai Wouldn’t Dare Not Help Me

Chapter 11: Lord Bai Wouldn’t Dare Refuse Me

"What a coincidence to meet you here, Master Xue and Madam Xue," Zhao Wenyue exclaimed upon seeing Xue Mingtang, instantly forgetting about her mother.

Xue Shi offered Zhao Wenyue a faint smile. "Did Miss Zhao come with your sister? Why dress so plainly for an outing?"

The "sister" she referred to was, of course, A Chan, standing beside her.

Zhao Wenyue’s gaze at A Chan turned venomous. Inwardly, she blamed her mother for doting on Ji Chan while neglecting her own daughter, causing her to lose face before Xue Mingtang’s sister.

A Chan finally understood why Ji Chan had fallen so far. Xue Shi’s words were subtly designed to sow discord—no doubt the same tactics she had used against Ji Chan.

First, she would slowly erode the Marquis of Jinyang’s affection for Ji Chan, then drive her from the household, and finally, make her disappear.

"People’s hearts are unfathomable"—A Chan had learned this lesson long ago.

Zhao Wenyue might not discern Xue Shi’s true nature, but Xiao Lin Shi certainly did.

She scoffed. "Not as impressive as Madam Xue, dressed to the nines even without the Marquis of Jinyang around. I wonder which child’s father you’re here to meet?"

A Chan couldn’t help but let out a giggle, covering her mouth with her sleeve, though she made no effort to hide her schadenfreude.

Even Xue Shi, usually so composed, paled with rage at Xiao Lin Shi’s words.

Xue Shi’s two children glared fiercely at Xiao Lin Shi and Ji Chan, as if about to speak, but she raised a hand to silence them.

Glancing at Xiao Lin Shi’s belly, Xue Shi said coldly, "Madam Zhao should watch her tongue for the sake of her unborn child."

"I’ve done nothing wrong, so I’ve no need to accumulate good karma. I suppose Madam Xue must be burning incense and praying to gods every day at home?"

With that, Xiao Lin Shi glared at her daughter. "Wenyue, Ah Chan, hurry up and follow."

"Mother~" Zhao Wenyue was torn, but seeing others pointing and whispering, her cheeks burned with shame. She quickly followed her mother up the mountain.

A Chan, however, felt no shame. Xiao Lin Shi’s sharp tongue was deeply satisfying when aimed at those she disliked.

Xue Shi watched A Chan’s graceful figure walk away but made no move to follow, her gaze icy.

She had already noticed how many young men’s eyes lingered on Ji Chan.

Back in the marquis’ household, she had never realized what a temptress Ji Chan was. And Xiao Lin Shi—she hadn’t seemed close to Lin Shi while she was alive, yet now she took such interest in her daughter.

"Mother, they were utterly outrageous. We must tell Father when we return," Xue Ying said, distressed by Xue Shi’s silence.

"Enough. Don’t bother your father with such trivial matters." Her husband already harbored guilt over expelling Ji Chan—she wouldn’t let anyone remind him of her.

Scolded, Xue Ying tugged at Xue Mingtang’s sleeve. "Uncle, then you must help Mother teach them a lesson."

Xue Zhao interjected, "Enough, Ying Ying. Don’t pester Uncle."

Xue Mingtang patted Xue Ying’s head. "Of course. Uncle will take care of it for our Ying Ying."

"Mingtang," Xue Shi looked at her brother. Hadn’t he said Ji Chan might be connected to the Bright Mirror Bureau? How could he act so recklessly?

"Don’t worry, Sister. I have a plan."

Soon, A Chan’s group arrived at the Flower Goddess Temple—a small temple with a long line of young women waiting to offer incense.

Outside, vendors sold plum blossoms—two coppers per branch. Devotees would toss the branches toward a pair of jade vases before the goddess’ statue; those who succeeded would receive her blessing for the year.

Xiao Lin Shi, tired from the climb, rested on a stone bench while Sun Ma bought branches for her daughter and niece to offer.

A Chan took hers and joined the line, but Zhao Wenyue threw hers to the ground and stomped on it.

Mother and daughter argued again over the earlier incident with the Xue family.

Zhao Wenyue accused Xiao Lin Shi of rudeness, while Xiao Lin Shi called her foolish. The quarrel ended with Zhao Wenyue flouncing off in a huff.

Sun Ma sent a maid after her while staying to calm Xiao Lin Shi.

A Chan slowly entered the temple, offered incense, and tossed her branch—but her aim was off, and it hit the vase’s rim and fell.

The girl behind her sighed in disappointment.

When she came out, A Chan was surprised Zhao Wenyue hadn’t returned.

Approaching Sun Ma, she whispered, "Sun Ma, has Wenyue returned yet?"

Sun Ma replied, "One of the young mistress’s maids just returned, saying she’s at another stall picking out a jade hairpin—probably to make amends to Madam."

As they spoke, Zhao Wenyue returned.

Whether cheered by her purchase or having gotten over it, she now wore a smile, holding a white jade hairpin.

To A Chan’s surprise, the jade was of good quality.

Finding good jade here seemed suspicious—had she been swindled?

Xiao Lin Shi was similarly suspicious, but upon asking, learned the vendor had let it go for just five taels.

Annoyed by her mother’s questions, Zhao Wenyue said, "Oh, Mother, stop asking! The vendor said it was fate that he sold me this hairpin. Here, let me put it on you."

The hairpin’s cloud motifs looked odd with Xiao Lin Shi’s elaborate jeweled hairpins, yet she kept touching it, clearly delighted by her daughter’s gift.

Perhaps she was simply happy her daughter had tried to please her, regardless of the gift.

With Zhao Wenyue cheered up, Xiao Lin Shi smiled. She picked a blossom for her daughter to offer, and this time, Zhao Wenyue obeyed.

Noticing A Chan watching wistfully, Xiao Lin Shi waved her over and slipped two silver taels into her hand. "Don’t just stand there. Go look around and buy something you like."

She had brought A Chan today to put her on display—suitors would make inquiries later.

A Chan took the silver and went to look around.

Curious about the jade hairpin, she sought the stall the maid had mentioned—but it was gone.

Puzzled, she asked a nearby vendor selling silk flowers.

"Shopkeeper, where’s the jade hairpin seller who was here earlier?"

Without looking up, the vendor said, "Him? Packed up already. Only set up for a short while."

"Were the hairpins selling well?"

"Not really. Only sold one. The old man chatted with the girl who bought it, made her laugh, and she paid five taels just like that. She was probably cheated."

A Chan frowned. Something wasn’t right—had that vendor singled out Zhao Wenyue?

No one knew where he’d gone, so she let it be.

She wandered around the stalls again and bought some hundred-flower cakes when she saw them being sold. On her way back, she also came across a vendor selling candied chestnuts and bought a bagful.

Unfortunately, while returning to Xiao Lin Shi, she ran into Xue Shi again.

This time, Xue Shi only had a maid with her, no one else.

As the saying goes, enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road. The two saw each other, and neither stepped aside.

Instead, Xue Shi’s maid stepped forward and said rudely, "Miss, you're blocking our Marquise’s path. Step aside, now."

Marquise—if Ji Chan heard this title, she would surely be heartbroken. A Chan couldn’t help but think that Xue Shi truly understood Ji Chan, knowing exactly where to strike to cause the most pain.

Unfortunately, that tender-hearted girl of hers was long gone.

"What a coincidence. I have something to say to the Marquise."

Xue Shi narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at A Chan, who remained composed, her faint smile unwavering.

Glancing around and seeing no one under the nearby tree, Xue Shi walked over first, and A Chan followed.

"Out with it. What do you want?"

"My mother’s dowry is still in the marquisate. I hope the Marquise will find time to have it sent to me." A Chan was direct, demanding Lin Shi’s dowry from Xue Shi.

Xue Shi scoffed lightly. "And what status do you have to make demands of me? Your mother committed adultery. She was long stripped of her status by the marquis’s household, and her dowry belongs to the marquisate."

"Is that so? Then I’ll just have to go sound the petition drum. Let me think—what should I accuse them of? How about this: the Marquis of Jinyang disregards the law, attempting to pass off a bastard as the rightful heir to inherit the marquisate." A Chan smiled and leaned in to whisper in Xue Shi’s ear, "Your son won’t just fail to become the heir—he’ll be lucky to ever see daylight again. And your daughter—do you think she’ll hang herself from shame?"

A Chan knew that in Great Xia, inheritance of titles followed the rule of brothers succeeding brothers, legitimate heirs succeeding legitimate heirs, and even distant kin could inherit—but bastards were excluded.

"You wouldn’t dare!" Xue Shi snapped.

"Of course I dare." A Chan’s words were like needles stabbing into Xue Shi’s heart. "If you make my life difficult, then I’ll make sure no one has a good life. You accuse my mother of adultery, yet you can’t even find the man she supposedly slept with. But if I say you and the Marquis of Jinyang were carrying on in secret, your two children are the proof."

Xue Shi dug her nails into her own palm, finally regaining her composure.

She sneered. "You arrogant little fool. Do you really think anyone would believe you? Even if they did, no one would dare lift a finger for you."

A Chan blinked, her thick lashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and her next words nearly made the Bright Mirror Bureau Guard hiding in the tree fall from shock.

She said, "Others may not dare help me, but Lord Bai wouldn’t dream of refusing me."

Xue Shi’s expression shifted instantly, recalling what her brother had told her earlier. Ji Chan had somehow gotten involved with the Bright Mirror Bureau—he had mentioned Qianhu Feng Yang, but in Ji Chan’s words, it was now Commander Bai Xiuming?

And the way she spoke carried heavy implications.

"Ji Chan, don’t drop names of people you can’t afford to offend just for a bit of dowry."

"I’m nothing compared to the Marquise. At most, Lord Bai and I have only been… intimate. Not like you, who gave the marquis two children."

A Chan thought to herself—human women called it intimacy if a man so much as touched them. She had been whipped by that man, her skin split open—wasn’t that also a kind of touch? Why couldn’t that be called intimacy?

If he wouldn’t let her use Feng Yang’s name, then she’d just borrow his reputation instead. It wasn’t like Xue Shi would dare ask him directly. It was a shame she hadn’t gotten his name—that would’ve made it even more convincing.

As A Chan’s words grew increasingly outrageous, the Bright Mirror Bureau Guard hiding above couldn’t help but wipe the sweat from his brow.

During the past few days of surveillance, he had thought this Miss Ji was gentle and mild-mannered. Who knew she’d take such a wild streak—and one that played by no rules?

According to protocol, he had to record everything Ji Chan said and did each day and submit the report.

He didn’t want to imagine the look on the Commander’s face when today’s report reached him.