TGPSAC – Chapter 11

Chi Wan, who had already left the Princess’s Residence, had no idea that her earnest explanation had only made Yu Jiuzhou want to kill her more, and that she had even sent people to watch her.

She had rushed out of the residence because she had suddenly remembered something.

The people of the Marquis of Huai’an’s Residence were using the Princess’s reputation to amass wealth. When the Emperor found out, he didn’t pursue the matter on the surface, but he soon dismissed everyone in the Marquis’s household from their official posts. The point was, these matters would soon come to light. Wouldn’t Yu Jiuzhou’s impression of her become even worse?

She had to return to the Marquis of Huai’an’s Residence to warn those people to behave themselves for a while and not cause any trouble. She couldn’t bear for her image in Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes to deteriorate any further.

As long as the people from the Marquis’s residence didn’t drag her down, she could focus on earning Yu Jiuzhou’s favor back at the Princess’s Residence.

For an old, established noble family like this, the family situation was very complex. There were certainly thousands of people in the clan. It was just that her predecessor’s family had inherited the title and become the masters of the Marquis’s residence. In reality, there were many parasites clinging to the household, all of whom conducted their business outside under the Marquis’s name.

After her predecessor became the Fuma, those people began to use the Princess’s Residence’s name to throw their weight around. But her predecessor had also taken the lead in committing some unconscionable acts, so the source of the problem still lay with her.

Upon returning to the Marquis’s residence, numerous servants bowed and scraped as they greeted her. The residence had never had so many people before; it had been an empty shell. Now, the household had grown prosperous, and many servants had been added.

The people of the residence believed this was all thanks to the second daughter becoming the Fuma. Besides, the second daughter had always been doted on in the household. The Grand Madam adored this grandchild and wouldn’t allow the Marquis to say a word against her. The Marchioness was her biological mother, unlike the eldest son, who was born to the first wife. If he didn’t hold the position of heir, he would have long been cast aside.

There was also a daughter born of a concubine. She was a good scholar but was not favored. Although she was older than the second daughter, she was not given a rank in the family.

“Ah Wan.”

Chi Wan had not been in the residence for long when someone called out to her. She turned to see her predecessor’s older sister, the one who worked in the Hanlin Academy. Because her mother was a concubine, she usually had little presence in the household. It was only after she passed the imperial examination that the family began to pay her any attention.

This older sister was five or six years older than her predecessor, who had loved to bully her since childhood. Logically, their relationship should have been poor, and Chi Qing should have been unwilling to see her.

Chi Wan gave a slight nod. “Elder Sister.”

Chi Qing froze for a moment. Ever since Chi Wan had grown up, she had never called her ‘Elder Sister’ again.

“I… Ah Wan.”

Seeing Chi Qing’s hesitant expression, Chi Wan asked softly, “Elder Sister, is there something you wish to tell me?”

Chi Qing clenched the hands hidden inside her wide sleeves, then summoned her courage. “Ah Wan, the Marquis’s residence has done too many outrageous things recently, and they were all…”

Seeing her hesitate, Chi Wan finished her sentence, “All done in the name of the Princess’s Residence and myself?”

“You know?”

Chi Wan nodded. “I came back today precisely for this matter.”

Hearing this, Chi Qing breathed a sigh of relief. “There is one more thing. The people of the Marquis’s residence have annexed commoners’ land, and someone has died. Outsiders think the Princess did it.”

“What?”

Fury surged in Chi Wan’s heart. Even the servants, backed by the nobility, had learned to devour people. She had thought she had returned early enough, but it seemed she was still a step too late.

Chi Qing was silent for a moment. “Ah Wan, in the future, the master of this residence will be our older brother, not you or I. When I return today, I will inform Grandmother and Father that I wish to separate from the household. You are now the Fuma, one with the Princess’s Residence. It is best not to get too entangled with this family.”

For instance, the people of the Marquis’s residence were causing trouble under the banner of the Princess’s Residence, which brought a great deal of trouble to Yu Jiuzhou. Many commoners believed the Princess’s Residence was arrogant and had grown dissatisfied with it.

Chi Wan knew it wasn’t easy for her older sister to say these things to her today. After all, Chi Qing had no backing in the residence. Before she passed the imperial examination, a single word could earn her a beating. Towards her favored younger sister, even if there was no aversion, there should have been no closeness either.

The Marquis’s residence was rotten to the core. To put it bluntly, she had already married into the Princess’s Residence and was no longer a member of this household. Having escaped the mire, she shouldn’t fall back into it.

And Chi Qing had almost no chance of inheriting the title. It was better to leave the residence early to avoid being implicated later.

“Thank you, Elder Sister. I understand,” Chi Wan said, her mind made up. The thought of Yu Jiuzhou’s hatred, and how her predecessor had dragged her down and humiliated her, weighed heavily on her heart.

Moreover, she became even more certain that Yu Jiuzhou had been reborn. When she had claimed to be a lonely soul reborn, she didn’t know if Yu Jiuzhou had dismissed it as nonsense or, being reborn herself, was simply not surprised.

In any case, her predecessor had left behind too many troubles. If she hadn’t known that something was about to happen at the Marquis’s residence, she would have preferred to stay and curry favor with Yu Jiuzhou rather than return. Who knew that trouble had already struck.

The two of them went to the Grand Madam’s quarters together and found everyone present. “Grandmother, Father, Mother, Older Brother, Sister-in-law.”

Chi Wan and Chi Qing bowed in unison, but all eyes were on Chi Wan.

Feeling ignored, Chi Qing silently stepped aside. In fact, on the way there, Chi Wan had discovered that this older sister of hers was quite talkative. Even if Chi Wan only nodded in response, Chi Qing could carry on a long conversation by herself.

The gist of her words was to advise Chi Wan to live a good life with Yu Jiuzhou, find a post and work hard, and visit the Marquis’s residence less often, even though her doting grandmother and biological mother were here.

When the Marquis of Huai’an married his current wife, the residence had been in decline for a long time. He could only marry the naive young daughter of a common merchant family—a rich sucker, as some in the capital would say.

With the household’s vast expenses, Chi Wan’s mother’s dowry didn’t last more than a few years. Coupled with her predecessor’s gambling habits, the dowry had long been exhausted.

Chi Wan’s gaze swept over everyone’s faces, getting a general sense of the situation.

Her older brother, Chi Xu, immediately walked over and clapped her on the shoulder. “Second Sister, you didn’t even send word ahead that you were coming back. Where’s Yue Luo? Why didn’t you bring a single servant with you?”

Yue Luo was the study attendant who had been with her since childhood. It was just that after yesterday, Yue Luo had been detained.

“Yue Luo is running an errand for me.”

Chi Wan didn’t want to elaborate, nor did she know how to exchange pleasantries with them. She went straight to the point. “I heard that the Marquis’s residence annexed commoners’ land and that someone died? Grandmother, Father, I am now the Fuma, a member of the imperial family. Too many eyes are watching me. Yet the deeds of the Marquis’s residence are being blamed on the Princess’s Residence. Have you ever considered my position there?”

The Grand Madam’s doting on her predecessor was, in fact, compensation for her inability to inherit the title, and also a way to prevent her mother from plotting against Chi Xu for it.

Chi Xu was burly and strongly resembled the previous Marquis of Huai’an. The Grand Madam was his staunchest supporter for the succession.

As for her father, the Marquis of Huai’an, Chi Mingwu, he was a mediocre man with a fondness for literature. After becoming a scholar, he studied hard for ten years but never passed the provincial examinations. He had to pull strings to get a minor official post. For such a person to become a General of the Jinwu Guard was a wonder. Thankfully, he wasn’t a Grand General or the commander of the imperial army. It was said that in the Jinwu Guard, no one listened to him; he had been completely sidelined by his subordinates.

But sometimes, mediocrity combined with ambition was not a good thing.

Before anyone else could speak, the Marchioness stepped forward. “What is it, Ah Wan? Did the Princess say something to you?”

Then, she said angrily, “So what if she’s a princess? She let you return to the residence alone. From your wedding day until now, she has never come to pay respects to your grandmother, your father, or me. What does it matter if such an unfilial person is a princess? At worst, I’ll have your father report her at court.”

Hearing this, Chi Wan frowned, finally understanding the source of her predecessor’s audacity.

She performed a formal bow and said, “Mother, I am one with Her Highness the Grand Princess. If you think ill of Her Highness, what do you think my situation will be?”

“I hope Mother understands that Her Highness and I are bound together for life. To scold and insult her is to scold me. If she is punished, I will take her place. If anything should happen to her, I will follow her in life and death!”