Chapter 382 - 383: Dare Not Gamble
Chapter 382: Chapter 383: Dare Not Gamble
Upon further inquiry, she discovered that Jin Qianqian hadn’t spread the latter half of the story, which meant the Huang Mansion’s reputation was safe for the time being.
But because of these vicious rumors, Madam Huang didn’t dare to gamble any further. Without even consulting her elders, she hastily gathered a few things from the storeroom and rushed over.
She had taken some time to choose the items carefully, which was the only reason for the delay. Otherwise, she would have arrived at the Gu Mansion even sooner.
"Mrs. Gu, please be merciful and let this matter end here."
Jin Qianqian spread her hands, her face a mask of innocence. "Don’t worry. By the time the next round of rumors starts, no one will be paying so much attention to the affair of the Xiao Family’s daughter."
Madam Huang was speechless. ’If they stop paying attention to the Xiao Family’s daughter, then the Huang family will be the ones in trouble!’
"Mrs. Gu, just be direct. What will it take to make this go away?" Closing her eyes, Madam Huang knew she had no leverage to bargain, as she had no idea what other cards her opponent was holding.
The previous rumors targeting Ancient Wen Heng and Jin Qianqian were just petty gossip. But if the Huang Mansion’s secrets were exposed, it would be proof of a criminal conspiracy. At that point, even if the eunuch explained it over and over, people’s minds would already be made up. No one would ever trust the Huang family again.
’Jin Qianqian must have calculated this all along, holding back the other half of the story. It’s a trap, and I have no choice but to step into it.’
Jin Qianqian said, "Let’s not beat around the bush. Your family’s suburban manor seems to be in a rather nice location."
Madam Huang instantly knew which property she meant. "Could we offer something else? Our entire household relies on that manor’s income to live."
"No, no. I don’t want your largest manor. There’s a small one, about sixty or seventy mu, under Old Madam Huang’s name. That one will do just fine."
"This..." Madam Huang didn’t dare make such a decision on her own. "I’ll have to go back and ask."
Jin Qianqian waved her hand dismissively. "It’s no matter to me. If this doesn’t work out, I can always find a way to purchase it in a few days."
Madam Huang was speechless. ’What is she implying with that...?’
Thinking of the problems the Huang family would likely face next, she gritted her teeth. "I’ll send someone back for the deed right now."
She stepped outside and whispered a few words to the trusted nanny who had followed her. The nanny then departed in a great hurry.
Jin Qianqian sipped her tea, perfectly composed. At least for now, everything was going according to her plan.
Madam Huang watched her with a complicated expression. "This confrontational stance of yours won’t do Mr. Gu any favors."
Jin Qianqian scoffed. "Whether things go well for him or not is for you people to decide, isn’t it? Look at our reputation. Wasn’t it you who ruined it?
Let me see... what’s next? If I don’t do as you wish, will my husband be unable to survive in his official career? Does your Huang family now have absolute power over all of Shangjing City?"
The accusation was vicious. Madam Huang glanced around nervously, terrified that Jin Qianqian was setting another trap. "Mrs. Gu, you’re exaggerating. This is nothing more than a squabble between the women of the households..."
Jin Qianqian simply watched her with a smile, saying nothing. Her silent gaze made Madam Huang trail off. Inwardly, she was cursing that mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo, but she had to maintain a strained smile.
"Now that we’ve cleared up this misunderstanding, I was hoping Mrs. Gu could tell her people to stop spreading these stories."
’Just hearing a few of the evil deeds of the Xiao Family’s daughter has already caused a city-wide uproar.’
’If the entire Huang Mansion gets dragged into this, who knows how these rumors will escalate?’
’She couldn’t believe her mother-in-law had thought herself so clever, trying to use rumors to teach them a lesson. She never expected them to turn the tables so completely, leaving her own family sinking in the mire.’
’And conspiring with a venomous woman to plot against a court official... that alone would be enough for every noble house to put up their guard against the Huang family. How could they possibly move in these circles anymore?’
"Does Mrs. Gu happen to have any proof of the crimes committed by the Xiao Family’s daughter?" While waiting for her bargaining chip to arrive, Madam Huang couldn’t resist fishing for more information.
Jin Qianqian put on an innocent expression. "Since the rumors out there are so detailed and convincing, then... I suppose... there might actually be proof!
When I first heard them, I was quite shocked myself. What sort of grudge would drive someone to bring such harm to Lord Niu and his family?"
Madam Huang watched her play dumb, feeling exasperated. "If it’s true, then it is indeed vicious. I’m just afraid it’s a case of a rumor being distorted as it spreads, and an innocent person might be wrongly accused."
"Didn’t you say it yourself just a moment ago, Madam Huang? Baseless rumors eventually fade. So, we can just leave it to time. You can go back and reassure the Xiao Family’s daughter. Tell her not to panic. It will all blow over."
...
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「Huang Mansion」
Xiao Shi Yu knelt on the floor, listening to the complaints of her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law.
At that moment, all the resentment in her heart was directed at Jin Qianqian and Xiao Wanyu. ’This is all their fault. They’re the ones who put me in this situation.’
"It’s perfectly normal to scheme for your own benefit.
But what is this about your concubine-born sister? How could she do something so audacious and keep it a secret from you?
Now someone has seized on this scandal and spread it all over the city. The Xiao Family’s reputation is completely finished."
The old madam, who had always been kind to her daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law, now wore a ferocious expression. ’That unfilial daughter-in-law of mine just gave away one of my manors—a property it took me years of saving to acquire.’
Mrs. Huang Qian also looked at the daughter-in-law she had once been so pleased with, her expression complex. For the sake of her close friendship with Tian Lanfen, she had defied her family’s objections to arrange this marriage. She never imagined it would lead to such a disaster.
"Did your sister really poison Lord Niu? And was her mother-in-law also one of her victims?" Thinking of the vivid, detailed rumors circulating outside, Mrs. Huang Qian couldn’t help but take a step back. ’I wonder if all the women from the Xiao Family are like this.’
Xiao Shi Yu had her suspicions, but how could she dare admit to them now?
"The Niu Family raised a fuss at the time, and the government office investigated. Lord Niu was confirmed to have died of a sudden illness. As for Old Madam Niu, she died by slamming her own head against a wall. My sister is far too frail to have been capable of any of that."
"The fallout from this is too great," Old Madam Huang said coldly. "Now that this is all out in the open, the Niu Family has gone to the government office, demanding the case be reopened. If these accusations are proven true, you will ask for your own dismissal from this family."
At the thought of her manor, any lingering affection the old madam had for her granddaughter-in-law vanished, replaced by pure disgust.
Xiao Shi Yu was stunned into silence.
She turned to her mother-in-law for help, only to find that Mrs. Huang Qian, who had always doted on her, now regarded her with eyes full of ice.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wanyu, who was confined to the Ning Residence, noticed the servants looking at her strangely when they returned from running errands.
Then she saw them whispering behind her back, occasionally shooting odd glances her way, and a sense of foreboding began to rise in her heart.
When she approached to ask what was going on, they immediately scattered, avoiding her completely.