Chapter 4: Shamelessness
An Unexpected Arrival
As night fell, the gates of the Weiyuan Marquis Residence were about to close.
Suddenly, the gatekeeper spotted a group of men approaching swiftly.
Leading them was a figure dressed as an inner court eunuch, clearly from the palace.
Not daring to delay, the gatekeeper hurriedly reopened the gates, bowing respectfully to greet them while sending someone to alert the household.
Moments later, Wu Que rushed out from the inner courtyard. At this late hour, he had already bathed and retired for the night, so the sudden arrival from the palace filled him with unease.
Seeing the man seated in the outer hall, sipping tea, Wu Que forced a smile onto his face.
“Eunuch Qing, what brings you here at this hour? Does His Majesty have any instructions?”
The visitor was Qing Dong, second-in-command at Chengming Hall and a disciple of Yang Zhian.
Upon seeing Wu Que, Qing Dong took another sip of tea before standing with a beaming smile, cupping his hands in greeting. “This servant comes to congratulate the Marquis.”
“Congratulate? For what?” Wu Que’s face showed confusion.
Qing Dong merely handed over a bright yellow scroll. “The Marquis will understand upon reading it.”
A Shocking Decree
Wu Que’s expression shifted—it was an imperial edict.
His heart filled with apprehension, he dared not hesitate and quickly accepted it.
After a hurried glance, he looked up at Qing Dong, his eyes brimming with panic and confusion.
“Eunuch, what… what does this mean?”
Why would the emperor suddenly issue an edict summoning Xie Jiu to the palace as Princess Wenxi’s tutor?
Qing Dong, still smiling, replied unhurriedly, “Tonight, Madam entered the palace and conversed pleasantly with His Majesty. Impressed by her talent and virtue, His Majesty specially summoned her to serve as the princess’s tutor. The late Virtuous Consort passed early, and the princess is deeply cherished by His Majesty. For Madam to enlighten Princess Wenxi shows His Majesty’s trust in her learning!”
Pausing, Qing Dong’s small eyes narrowed as he added deliberately, “However, Madam will need to attend the princess for some time and stay in the palace. The Marquis should try not to miss her too much.”
A Devastating Revelation
These words struck Wu Que like a thunderbolt, leaving him reeling.
Something was wrong—terribly wrong. Wasn’t Xie Jiu still in the residence, waiting to be sent to the emperor in two days? How could she have gone to the palace tonight?
Wu Que’s gaze darted to the steward, Chen Shun, who stood equally bewildered.
Tonight, Chen Shun had sent a Yangzhou courtesan named Yan’er to the palace—how could it have been Xie Jiu?
“What’s this? Is the Marquis displeased?” Qing Dong’s smile faded as he noticed Wu Que’s ashen face and lack of joy, his tone turning cold. “Marquis, among all the court officials’ wives, Madam has received a singular honor. Could it be you think her tutoring the princess is a burden?”
Qing Dong’s words hit like a cudgel, snapping Wu Que out of his daze. Cold sweat broke out on his back.
Even if he hadn’t grasped the situation, he dared not delay further. He quickly tucked away the edict and spoke with forced respect.
“No, no, Eunuch, you misunderstand. It was just so sudden that I was momentarily stunned. To receive His Majesty’s personal summons to tutor the princess is my wife’s fortune and the honor of the marquis residence.”
As he spoke, Wu Que’s teeth clenched, his face twisted as if he’d swallowed a fly.
Satisfied with his compliance, Qing Dong gave a slight smile. “Good. Since the Marquis has been informed, this servant must return to the palace to report. Madam will reside in the palace for a while, and without familiar attendants, she may be inconvenienced. I’ve come to bring her personal maids as well.”
“Of course, of course,” Wu Que nodded, his smile uglier than a grimace.
He sent for Chunrong and Qingfang to be summoned.
Wu Que’s Fury
Once the group departed, Wu Que, trembling with rage, gasped heavily and collapsed into a chair.
As Chen Shun stepped forward to console him, Wu Que lashed out, kicking him squarely in the chest. Chen Shun cried out, crashing to the floor.
“Useless fool! You’ve ruined my plans!” Wu Que’s anger boiled over, and he delivered another kick.
Originally, by offering Xie Jiu, Wu Que expected the emperor to reward his loyalty. But now that Xie Jiu had gone to the palace on her own, would Zhao Xingjin credit him at all?
Worse still, the edict about tutoring the princess was clearly a flimsy excuse for Zhao Xingjin to seize his wife, forcing Wu Que to swallow the humiliation of being cuckolded while expressing gratitude. Utterly shameless!
As for Xie Jiu’s主动献身, it fueled Wu Que’s rage further.
“That vile woman! How dare she act so shamelessly, without a shred of decency!”
He cursed and shouted, smashing the hall’s ornaments to pieces, yet it changed nothing.
Exhausted from his outburst, he slumped amidst the wreckage.
Reunion in the Palace
Meanwhile, in the palace, Chunrong and Qingfang reunited with Xie Jiu in a side hall of Chengming Hall.
“Miss!” Qingfang embraced Xie Jiu, tears streaming down her face. “Miss, you’ve suffered so much!”
Chunrong, wiping her own eyes, cautioned, “Keep your voice down. If someone overhears, it could cause trouble.”
Indeed, no matter the truth, on the surface, entering the palace was a blessing—how could they speak of suffering?
Especially here in Chengming Hall.
“Chunrong is right. The palace has strict rules, and we’re still in a precarious situation. We must be cautious,” Xie Jiu said, holding their hands, her eyes faintly red.
After comforting each other, Xie Jiu inquired about the Weiyuan Marquis Residence.
Learning that Wu Que had been livid yet too cowardly to defy Qing Dong, Xie Jiu’s disgust for the man deepened.
“He thinks this is the end? Just wait—the real spectacle for the Weiyuan Marquis Residence is yet to come.”
At this, Chunrong and Qingfang felt a surge of satisfaction, their anger easing slightly.
Uncertainties in the Palace
As their emotions settled, Qingfang looked at Xie Jiu with concern, hesitating before asking, “The emperor… he didn’t hurt you, did he?”
At this, Xie Jiu’s brows furrowed slightly.
“His Majesty did not touch me.”
In truth, Xie Jiu was somewhat anxious.
She had assumed Zhao Xingjin wasn’t a man swayed by lust, believing she could negotiate with him purely on mutual benefit, without needing to offer herself.
After all, as a married woman, how could an emperor, surrounded by countless beauties, truly be interested in her?
Yet, unexpectedly, Zhao Xingjin had kept her in the palace.
Calling it tutoring the princess was clearly just an excuse to keep her there.
But he hadn’t touched her—did he plan to favor her later?
Still, Xie Jiu sensed Zhao Xingjin had other motives regarding her.
What exactly he was plotting, she couldn’t yet discern, her mind still clouded.
Regardless, she resolved to survive. Reborn, she valued her life too much to lose it again.
There would be plenty of time to make those who had harmed her pay a thousandfold.
Not one of them would escape!