Chapter 46 Selling Off Her Own Husband

Chapter 46: Selling Her Own Husband

Xi Qianyue did not stand on ceremony: "This game is called 'Burning the Connected Camps.' It looks simple, but a single move ripples through the entire board."

She walked them through the solution, and the crowd let out a collective "Oh," as realization dawned on each of them.

"So that's how it is."

"I could only think of the first move; everything after that, I got completely wrong."

"It's after the first move that a thousand variations unfold. Truly exquisite."

Their curiosity had been eating at them for ten days, and only now were their doubts resolved, leaving everyone feeling fully satisfied.

"Miss, would you care to play a round with me?"

Xi Qianyue was taken aback—the young man in white was actually inviting her to a game of chess.

"Um, actually, I'm not very skilled at chess. I just stumbled on the solutions to these two endgame puzzles. If you wish to play, Old Master Meng would be a better match for you."

But the young man in white wasn't about to let her off the hook: "No need to be so modest, miss. Or do you look down on me?"

Meng Fu frowned. What was up with this Sixth Young Master?

He'd heard the man was aloof, happy to be a carefree wanderer, always roaming the land.

His sudden return to the capital had taken everyone by surprise.

Meng Fu spoke up: "Young man, Miss Xi is already married."

The young man in white looked at Xi Qianyue in surprise, only then noticing she had her hair done up in a married woman's style.

"That's right, I'm a married woman. I've been out a long time; I should be getting home."

Xi Qianyue clasped her hands in a farewell gesture to the crowd and left briskly.

The young man in white smiled at Meng Fu and left with his servants, without drawing much attention.

Meng Fu and the Abbot exchanged a glance—was the capital about to see a shift in the winds?

Qi Chengyun sat in his carriage, and before long, a shadow guard reported: "Your Highness, that woman is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Changping's household."

Qi Chengyun nodded. A daughter-in-law from a fallen marquisate, yet so bold—interesting.

He'd stayed away from the capital, wanting only to be a carefree idler, but clearly, someone wouldn't even let him have that.

During his travels, he'd been ambushed time and again. Since it couldn't be avoided, then let it be war.

When Xi Qianyue got back to the residence, a maid reported that the Second Miss had come by again.

This time, Xi Jiaojiao didn't say she'd come to see her elder sister—she went straight to pay respects to the Madam, then headed to the eldest young master's courtyard!

Qing Bi was furious: "That Second Miss has no shame! Whatever you decide, Madam, I'm with you all the way."

Xi Qianyue shot her a sideways glance: "Keep your cool. What's the rush?"

She then asked the maid, "How long has she been here?"

"Around half an hour."

"Perfect timing. Follow me, everyone."

The maids were thrilled—another job to do!

Xi Qianyue made a big show of it, leading ten maids straight to Yang Xingxian's Qingfeng Pavilion.

The courtyard had guards, but the two scrawny servants were no match for Ye Ling and Ye Xi and were quickly tossed aside.

Lv Zhi and A Chang, under the eaves, heard the commotion and nearly jumped out of their skin.

A Chang whispered urgently by the window: "Young master, the eldest young mistress is here."

Yang Xingxian was in the heat of the moment and didn't give a damn.

"Get lost! You ruined my fun last time, and now you're at it again?"

Xi Jiaojiao, amid her pain, clung even tighter to Yang Xingxian.

So what if her elder sister found out? Bring it on!

In just a few breaths, Xi Qianyue and her crew swept into the courtyard.

Ye Ling and Ye Xi swiftly subdued A Chang and Lv Zhi, while Qing Bi kicked the door open in one blow.

Unlike last time, when she'd only waited in the main hall, this time she barged straight in with a crowd of maids.

There on the bed, bodies were tangled in a most indecent sight.

Naturally, with so many eyes on him, Yang Xingxian went weak in the limbs.

Xi Jiaojiao was stunned. She hadn't expected Xi Qianyue to be so shameless as to bring so many people to catch them in the act! Didn't she need to save any face for her husband?

Xi Qianyue barked: "In broad daylight, you adulterous pair—what nerve!"

The two on the bed didn't dare make a sound, pulling the thin quilt tightly over themselves.

"Give them a beating!"

Before they could react, they got pummeled through the quilt.

Fists rained down on them, and they could only curl up, shouting, "Stop, stop! We'll come out now!"

These maids were trained—not only did they throw punches, they also pinched viciously.

Even through the thin quilt, the two were writhing in agony.

"All of you, head to the corridor. Send in some older maids."

Qing Bi wanted to keep fighting, but Qing Rong quickly dragged her out.

Several older maids had been waiting eagerly on the sidelines—either dowry maids or ones Xi Qianyue had bought later.

They had no reverence for this marquisate.

They knew only that if they disobeyed the eldest young mistress's orders, they'd be sold off soon.

"Rip that quilt off them."

Xi Jiaojiao screamed: "No, no! Elder sister, I was wrong, I was wrong!"

"What's the use of admitting you're wrong? Can being wrong make things right, can it turn back time?"

Xi Qianyue was mainly venting on behalf of the original owner.

The original owner was such a pushover that anyone could bully her.

The quilt over the two of them was yanked off, but Xi Qianyue had no interest in looking and sat at a distance.

The matrons said nothing but tsk-tsked.

Xi Jiaojiao was so mortified she wished she could die.

Yang Xingxian shouted, "What exactly do you want?"

"You slept with my younger sister, what do you think I want? How about I take this matter to your academy? Or spread it to the teahouses outside, let the storytellers make a good story out of it?"

Xi Jiaojiao wept bitterly, "Elder sister, I was wrong, I was wrong. Do whatever you want, but please don't spread this news."

"You went through all this trouble just to get into this household, didn't you? Though I don't see what's so great about this run-down marquis manor, since you want in, I'll allow it."

Xi Jiaojiao was overjoyed. Though the process differed slightly from what she had imagined, wasn't the outcome the same?

She had thought her elder sister was all bark and no bite, who, even if she brought people to catch them, would just sweep it under the rug, doing nothing but crying quietly in front of them.

Who would have thought they'd be beaten black and blue, have the quilt ripped off, and be exposed in front of these coarse matrons?

"If you want to be a concubine, then pay for it. Yang Xingxian still owes me ten thousand taels of silver. How much can you offer? I'm selling this man to you."

Xi Jiaojiao and Yang Xingxian couldn't believe their ears.

Xi Qianyue was selling her own husband?

Selling him to her own sister?

"You're obsessed with money. This is absurd—there's nothing more absurd under heaven..."

"Do you agree or not? It's your choice. But if not, you'll have brought the consequences on yourselves."

"Elder sister, ten thousand taels? How is that possible? Where would I get that much? You know my mother's family still needs her support, she's only managed to save two to three thousand taels..."