The Pretty Wife of General Jinxiu Huanian

Chapter 22 Secret Plot

Yunxi had been living in fear for the past few days, and finally felt like she could breathe a sigh of relief, but she never expected that the Marquis's wife's conspiracy had already been quietly unfolding in secret.

One day, Yunxi had just come from the other end of the garden and was lost in thought when she heard a faint voice coming from behind the rockery.

"Madam, no matter what, Yunxi must suffer this time." The second concubine's voice was sharp and thin, revealing a hint of harshness.

The Marquis's wife swung her handkerchief fiercely and said through gritted teeth, "Humph, she actually dared to ruin the Marquis's alliance. How can I let her off so easily?"

The marquis's wife had a frown on her face, and her expression was so gloomy that water could drip out of it.

Yunxi's heart skipped a beat and she stopped in her tracks in fear. Her body trembled slightly, and she tiptoed towards the rockery, not daring to breathe, just to hear what they were planning.

"Madam, what are you planning to do?" The second concubine came up to the Marquis' wife and asked with a flattering look on her face.

The Marquis's wife glanced at the Second Aunt, her eyes full of ruthlessness, and said in a low voice, "Stop nagging, I know what's going on.

The Marquis's Mansion's flower viewing banquet will be held in a few days. By then, I will have a way to make her look ridiculous!"

The Marquis's wife snorted coldly, "I have already made all the arrangements. The Marquis's Mansion's flower viewing banquet will be held in a few days. Then I will make her look bad."

"Madam is wise." The second concubine said flatteringly. The wrinkles on her face were squeezed together, her eyes were narrowed into slits, and her waist was bent like a cooked shrimp. Her fawning look was so ugly.

"Go call Lin Jiao over; we'll need her help," the Marquis's wife instructed. She reclined on the couch, the golden hairpin dangling in her hair, her triangular eyes gleaming with calculation, a sinister smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Yunxi's heart tightened upon hearing this; she knew the Marquis's wife and the Second Concubine had no good intentions. Yunxi bit her lip, her brow knitted into a knot, and she retreated quietly, her steps as light as a cat's, afraid to make any noise.

Yunxi tiptoed away and returned to her room, pondering a plan. She paced back and forth, twisting the corners of her clothes with her hands, muttering to herself, "What should I do? They must be up to something bad."

After a while, Lin Jiao was indeed called away by the Marquis's wife.

In the Marquis's wife's room, Lin Jiao walked in with a proud look on her face: "Mother, are you looking for me?" Lin Jiao was wearing a gorgeous silk dress, and she walked in a twisting manner, with the pearls and jade on her head jingling.

The Marquis's wife took Lin Jiao's hand and said softly, "Jiao'er, I'm going to rely on you this time." The powder on the Marquis's face fell down, and her intimacy looked fake.

Lin Jiao raised her eyebrows: "Don't worry, mother, I will not let Yunxi have an easy time." As she spoke, she raised her chin, her eyes full of arrogance.

Madam Hou whispered something in Lin Jiao's ear, and Lin Jiao nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, mother. I understand."

Lin Jiao's eyes rolled around and the corners of her mouth turned up, as if she had thought of a bad idea.

Over the past few days, everyone in the mansion was busy preparing for the flower viewing banquet, but Yunxi remained alert at all times. Even while working, Yunxi kept her ears perked up, her eyes constantly glancing around, fearing any movement.

On the day of the flower viewing banquet, many guests came to the Marquis's mansion. Yunxi wore a light blue dress, simple and elegant yet generous.

Yunxi lowered her head, trying not to attract attention.

When the Marquis saw Yunxi, a subtle hint of viciousness flashed in her eyes. She stared at Yunxi with a forced smile, clutching the handkerchief tightly in her hand.

During the banquet, the Marquis's wife suddenly said, "Everyone is having a good time today, why not let the young ladies in the mansion show off their talents."

Everyone agreed.

Lin Jiao stepped forward first and said, "Then I'll play a song for everyone." Lin Jiao twisted her waist, with a proud look on her face. She took two steps at a time and walked to the piano and sat down.

She raised her chin, glanced at Yunxi sideways, and then began to play. Her fingers flew across the strings, which was quite impressive, but the smugness in her eyes made people feel uneasy.

After playing the song, she stood up, bowed slightly to the crowd, raised the corners of her mouth, and waited for everyone's praise.

The guests also gave enough face and applauded loudly.

Then, other young ladies also began to perform, some reciting poems, some painting, each showing off their talents.

When it was Yunxi's turn, the Marquis's wife curled up the corners of her mouth in a cold smile. Her triangular eyes narrowed even further, like two slits, and she stared at Yunxi intently, as if saying, "Let's see how you make a fool of yourself this time."

Yunxi walked forward calmly, and as soon as she put her hands on the zither, she realized that the tone was not accurate. She looked up at the Marquis's wife, who looked so proud that the powder on her face was almost falling off with her smile.

Yunxi knew clearly in her heart that this was a deliberate obstacle set up by the Marquis's wife.

But she did not panic. Instead, she smiled slightly. That smile was as gentle and soft as the spring breeze. "Since the piano music is not accurate, then Yunxi will dance for everyone."

As soon as she finished speaking, she moved her lotus steps lightly, stretching her body. Her waist was as soft as a willow branch, and her arms waved like dancing butterflies.

Every movement was just right, light and graceful, attracting everyone's attention.

When the Marquis's wife saw that this trick didn't work, her face became even uglier. Her face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and the handkerchief in her hand was almost torn by her.

After the banquet, Yunxi was about to return to her room when she was stopped by the Second Aunt. She put her hands on her hips, her waist as thick as a bucket, the fat on her face twitching, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, Miss Yunxi, you really stole the show today."

Yunxi glanced at her coldly, her eyes revealing a stubborn and unyielding spirit: "What do you mean, Second Aunt?"

The Second Aunt snorted, and the breath that came out of her nose was filled with a sour smell: "Don't think you can be complacent for long."

Yunxi said, "Second Aunt, I've never offended you before, so why do you always pick on me?"

The Second Concubine screamed, "You bastard, how dare you talk back?" The flesh on the Second Concubine's fat face trembled, her eyes were as big as copper bells, and her fingers almost poked Yunxi's nose.

"Don't you even consider your own status? Do you have the right to speak in this mansion?"

At this time, the marquis's wife came over and asked, "What are you arguing about? How disgraceful!" The marquis's wife was dressed in silk and satin, and the pearls and jade on her head were so dazzling that it made people dizzy.

She frowned, her face full of impatience, and her eyes swept over Yunxi and the second aunt, revealing a sense of superiority and majesty.

Yunxi bowed: "Madam." Yunxi lowered her head slightly, with no expression on her face, but her hands were tightly clenched around the corners of her clothes.

Madam Hou said, "Yunxi, your performance at the banquet today really impressed me."

The corners of the marquis's wife's mouth rose, but there was no warmth in her eyes, as if she was looking at a rare object.

Yunxi said, "Thank you for the compliment, madam." Yunxi's voice was neither too high nor too low, revealing a sense of calmness.

The Marquis's wife changed the subject: "However, don't be too proud. It's not your turn as a concubine's daughter to make the decisions in this Marquis's Mansion."

The Marquis's wife folded her hands over her chest, raised her chin slightly, and looked contemptuous.

Yunxi replied, "Yunxi dare not." Yunxi bit her lip, a hint of stubbornness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly lowered her head.

The Marquis's wife glared at her and turned away. She twisted her waist, her skirt swaying back and forth, and muttered, "Hmph, you're so ignorant of the world."

Yunxi looked at the Marquis's wife's back and secretly swore in her heart that she must prevent their conspiracy from succeeding.

Yunxi clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her flesh. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

At night, Yunxi lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Moonlight streamed through the window onto the bed. Yunxi kept her eyes open, her mind full of the day's events.

When she thought of the expressions on the faces of the Marquis's wife and the Second Concubine, she felt upset.

Suddenly, there was a slight noise outside the window. Yunxi sat up suddenly, her ears perked up.

Yunxi sat up alertly, quietly walked to the window and looked out. Only to see a dark shadow flash by.

Yunxi's heart was in her throat. She hesitated for a moment, but decided to go out and take a look.

She carefully opened the door and followed in quietly. Yunxi's footsteps were so light that they were almost inaudible. She didn't dare to breathe, for fear of disturbing the dark figure in front of her.

The shadowy figure came to the storehouse of the Marquis' Mansion and looked around furtively. The shadowy figure was wearing a black nightgown and his face could not be seen clearly. He was only seen wandering around the storehouse door for a while, as if looking for something.

Yunxi hid behind a pillar and stared at the black shadow.

I saw the black shadow take out a key from his arms, his hands shaking like sieve chaff in the moonlight.

The key swung around in the keyhole for a few times before it was finally inserted. With a "creak", the warehouse door was opened.

Yunxi hid in the dark, thinking that this person was most likely sent by the Marquis' wife. Just as she was about to show herself, she heard the sound of footsteps.

Yunxi was startled and quickly crouched down, hiding in the bushes nearby. The bushes pricked her face, but she didn't care and didn't dare to make a sound.

Soon, they turned out to be the guards of the Marquis' Mansion. Each of them was strong and sturdy, holding bright lanterns in their hands, the light was so bright that it was almost blinding.

When the black shadow heard the footsteps, his body shuddered violently, and he rushed into the warehouse in a panic like a frightened rabbit.

The guards were sharp-eyed and immediately noticed the door to the warehouse was open. "Oh no! There's a thief!" one of the guards shouted, and a group of them rushed in like tigers descending from the mountains.

The warehouse was pitch black, with only a series of crackling sounds. After a while, the guards emerged, dragging the dark figure with them.

Yunxi walked over and saw that it was a maidservant of the Marquis' wife. This maidservant usually relied on the Marquis' wife's power to show off in the mansion.

At this moment, her hair was disheveled, her face was dirty, and her eyes were full of fear.

The guard brought the maid to the marquis' wife. When the marquis' wife saw her, her face changed instantly and her face became as white as paper.

Yunxi took a step forward and said, "Madam, what's going on?"

Madam Hou pretended to be calm, twitched the corner of her mouth, and said, "This, this must be the maid who stole the things from the storehouse herself."

Yunxi narrowed her eyes and said, "Madam, I'm afraid it's not that simple."

When the Marquis heard this, her eyes widened and she glared at Yunxi fiercely: "You little girl, don't talk nonsense."

Yunxi was not afraid of her and continued, "Madam, this maid appeared in the warehouse late at night. She must have been instructed by someone."

The Marquis's wife was furious and pointed at Yunxi's nose, cursing, "Don't slander me! I've always treated you well, yet you're accusing me like this!"

At this moment, the prince suddenly came to visit. The prince was dressed in a brocade robe, walked steadily, and was followed by several followers.

The prince asked, "What happened?"

Yunxi told the prince what had happened.

Upon hearing this, the prince frowned, looked straight at the Marquis's wife, and said sternly, "Madam, this matter must be thoroughly investigated!"

The Marquis's wife's face was pale, her body trembling slightly, and she nodded helplessly. She looked like an eggplant hit by frost, completely devoid of her former majesty.

The officers took the maid away for interrogation, and soon the maid confessed everything like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.

It turned out that it was Madam Hou who ordered her to steal things from the warehouse and then put the blame on Yunxi.

Upon hearing this, the prince was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, and shouted loudly: "Madam Hou, how could you treat Miss Yunxi like this?

Your thoughts are too vicious! "The Marquis's wife fell to her knees with a plop, tears and snot streaming down her face. She kept bowing and begging, "Your Majesty, please spare my life. I was confused for a moment and was bewitched by a ghost!"

The prince's eyes widened in anger, and he pointed at the Marquis' wife and said, "Since you are the Marquis' wife, I will forgive you this time. If you do it again, I will not let you off easily!"

The Marquis's wife nodded repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy. I will never dare to do it again, never again."

Yunxi looked at the prince gratefully, bowed, and said, "Thank you, Prince, for taking care of Yunxi."

The prince waved his hand and said in a gentle voice, "Miss Yunxi, there is no need to be polite. I will uphold justice."

The prince smiled slightly and said, "Miss Yunxi, you are welcome."