People had different reactions after learning about Lianxiang's vaginal bleeding.
When the old matriarch heard about it, she was teaching Ji Jianhui how to recognize characters while holding him in her arms. All she felt was annoyance—this had interrupted her time with her grandson.
"Send someone to find a doctor to take a look. Why are you reporting this to me?" She lowered her head and found Ji Jianhui staring at her with his big, bright eyes. Softening her heart for a moment, she said, "Try to save the baby if possible. Tell Mu Jin to watch carefully. The baby in her belly is, after all, a descendant of the Ji family. If something really happens, I'll hold her accountable."
After saying that, the old matriarch never mentioned Lianxiang again and just concentrated on playing with her grandson.
As soon as Madam Ji heard the news, she immediately sent someone to call Zhao Luoning to question her. Just as she sent the person out, Madam Ji the Second also received the news.
She was in the mood to watch a good show.
"Back then when Lianxiang entered the mansion, how arrogant she was! She even told the old matriarch that she knew Second Master's favorite. But in the end... haha." Madam Ji the Second laughed so hard that she didn't even care about her image. "This wasn't presenting Second Master's favorite at all. It was clearly presenting the old matriarch's favorite!"
The maids saw Madam Ji the Second laughing so exaggeratedly and quickly closed the door, fearing that others might hear.
And this matter finally reached Ji Shisu's ears.
Because he found the women in the mansion too annoying, he had been hiding in the shop these days under the pretext of being busy.
When the messenger from the Ji Mansion came, he was in the inner room. No one knew who he was interrogating. Yu Chi stood outside the door and wouldn't let the messenger in. After listening to the news, he told the messenger to go back. He opened the door a crack and peeked into the inner room.
Ji Shisu looked solemn.
It seemed that what Nanny Xu said wasn't good news.
He could only silently close the door again.
He'd better wait until the master finished talking to Nanny Xu.
Ji Shisu sat upright on the upper seat, looking at the old woman sitting below. His expression grew more and more solemn as he listened.
"So, you're saying that Zhao Luoning really substituted for the bride?"
"The second young lady of the Zhao family has always been the favored one. For such a good marriage alliance between the Zhao and Ji families, of course, the second young lady, Zhao Luoyue, would be given priority. But that Zhao Luoyue refused to marry you after hearing about your reputation, Second Master."
"So they made the eldest legitimate daughter substitute for the bride? Would Zhao Luoning agree?"
"Of course, the eldest young lady didn't agree. But something happened to the eldest young lady at that time. She had to agree even if she didn't want to."
"What happened?"
"The eldest young lady... was defiled!"
Hearing this, Ji Shisu suddenly stood up, his face red with anger.
"You're talking nonsense!"
"Second Master, you've been married to the eldest young lady for so long. Don't you have any idea whether she's a virgin or not?"
Ji Shisu: "..."
He suddenly remembered that he would always feel sleepy every time he went to the Furong Courtyard. And Zhao Luoning always avoided him. Even when they shared the same bed, she would go to bed later and get up earlier than him.
At first, he thought it was because she had too many things to do as the mistress of the family right after getting married.
Later, he thought she probably didn't like him, so that's why she behaved like this.
And now, all this seemed to have a more reasonable explanation.
Was she avoiding him because she was afraid that he would find out that she wasn't a virgin?!
No, that was wrong.
Ji Shisu quickly drove the thought out of his mind.
This was just one - sided talk from this old nanny!
"You have no evidence. This is pure slander."
"Hasn't Second Master even shared the marital bed with the eldest young lady after being married for so long?" Nanny Xu sneered. "Whether what I'm saying is true or false, Second Master will know after sharing the bed!"
Ji Shisu's expression instantly turned extremely cold.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Why? Does Second Master really want to be kept in the dark and be a fool?"
These words completely irritated Ji Shisu. "If I believe you instead of my wife, then I'm really a fool!"
Hearing this, Nanny Xu laughed even more recklessly.
"I didn't expect the head of the Ji family to be so naive. Do you think Zhao Luoning is a good person? If it weren't for her, how could I have ended up in such a situation? It was she and her younger brother who framed me!"
Nanny Xu harbored hatred towards Zhao Luoning.
On the day of Zhao Luoning's wedding, the madam of Tianxiang Tower came to present a gift. Caixue, Zhao Luoning's maid, found Nanny Xu and said that the jade stone the madam presented was the one that Zhao Luoning had lost in Tianxiang Tower. It was bought for Zhao Luoning by Zhao Luojing at a great price. She wanted Nanny Xu to help get the jade stone back.
The matter of Zhao Luoning losing her virginity in the brothel was, after all, disgraceful. Zhao Luoning didn't dare to ask for it directly, and Nanny Xu could understand.
She didn't explicitly agree to Caixue at that time, but she had a crooked thought in her heart.
She had long heard from Madam Ji the Second that Zhao Luojing had established his own business outside and had a huge private fortune. What he gave to Zhao Luoning must be top - notch.
Anyway, Madam Ji the Second hadn't examined the jade stone carefully yet, and Zhao Luoning definitely wouldn't ask for it directly.
Nanny Xu thought that she might as well embezzle it and replace it with a similar one to make some extra money.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Nanny Xu entered the room and found the jade stone, she was knocked unconscious. When she woke up, she was facing Madam Ji the Second's accusation of arson and theft.
And the jade stone that Nanny Xu thought was priceless was actually just a flint decorated to look like a jade ware.
Nanny Xu didn't even know that the thing was a flint. How could she start a fire!
But no matter how she explained, Madam Ji the Second just didn't believe her.
When she was driven out of the Zhao Mansion by Madam Ji the Second, Nanny Xu suddenly understood.
Once the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.
Madam Ji the Second had used her to achieve her own goal, making Zhao Luoning replace Zhao Luoyue in the marriage.
Back then, she had tricked Zhao Luoning into the brothel to solve Madam Ji the Second's problems.
Unexpectedly, after the problems were solved, she was abandoned by the mistress she had served for so many years.
Ji Shisu had heard about Nanny Xu being driven out of the Zhao Mansion for arson and theft, but was this matter related to Zhao Luoning? He frowned and asked, "Why did she frame you?"
"Why? Isn't it because..." Nanny Xu almost blurted out the fact that she had tricked Zhao Luoning into Tianxiang Tower. She quickly changed her words at the last moment. "Isn't it because she was jealous of Madam Ji the Second's rise to power and didn't dare to offend her openly? I'm an old servant beside Madam Ji the Second, so she naturally took me as an example."
Hearing this, Ji Shisu knew that she must be making things up.
He didn't know whether Zhao Luoning would be jealous of Madam Ji the Second's rise to power.
But he knew that with Zhao Luoning's personality of seeking justice from the right person, she wasn't even afraid of the old matriarch. Would she be afraid of a second madam of the Zhao family?
Ji Shisu didn't want to listen to her anymore. He opened the door and walked out.
Yu Chi quickly stepped forward to greet him. Seeing Ji Shisu's bad complexion, he asked with concern, "Master, how's it going?"
"She's full of nonsense!" Ji Shisu felt disgusted just thinking about Nanny Xu's face. "This woman is useless. Pull out her tongue and throw her into the beggars' den in the east of the city. Since she dared to slander Luoning, let her taste the consequences of talking nonsense!"
Yu Chi shivered.
The beggars' den?!
This Nanny Xu was probably going to be tortured to death!
No wonder outsiders said that Second Master was cruel and ruthless. Some of Second Master's methods even made him feel creepy.
It was better not to offend Second Master.
Suddenly, Yu Chi remembered the matter reported by the messenger from the Ji Mansion just now and quickly reported it to Ji Shisu.
"Second Master, a messenger from the mansion came to say that Miss Lianxiang is bleeding."
This Lianxiang had never been peaceful since she entered the mansion. Ji Shisu was also very troubled.
"Find a doctor to take a look. Don't report this kind of thing to me in the future."
"Then... do you want to go back and take a look, Master?"
"No."
"But... Madam heard about Lianxiang's bleeding and has already sent a message to the second young mistress. It seems that..."
After hearing this, Ji Shisu rushed out in a hurry. Yu Chi quickly trotted to follow him.
"Second Master, where are you going?"
"Back to the mansion!"