Sixty-seven schemes succeeded——

  “…Little Jiu didn't know what was going on either? Mother, Little Jiu, and her brother-in-law were discussing business matters when Zhou Mama came to call Mother. Mother said she'd be right back, leaving Cui Mei behind as she left, but just as they sat down for a bit, Eighth Sister arrived…”

  "Because I had someone send two bars of soap to Sixth Sister and Eighth Sister earlier, Eighth Sister came specifically to thank me, but since there was no one in my room, she went to the main house instead. She said Sixth Sister originally wanted to come too, but felt a bit unwell after lunch and ended up sleeping, so she came alone. I had thought of saying a couple more words to Cousin before going back to attend to Eighth Sister, since we had already finished discussing business matters, but unexpectedly I suddenly felt dizzy..."

  "I saw the incense burner burning incense, but I just felt that the incense was too overwhelming, so I asked Sister Cuimei to change it. Sister Cuimei went to change it, but she didn't come back for a long time. I went to call her in person, but my head became dizzy and I felt more and more faint. I don't know how I ended up walking into the western wing... after that, I don't remember anything else..."

  Sitting on a stool, facing the highest leader in the mansion and several high-ranking officials, Jiuniang's two hands were clasped together in a neat and tidy manner, her head lowered, looking like she was being interrogated.

  His face was gloomy, with a hint of moisture at the corners of his eyes, and it was clear that he was suppressing a yawn, which somewhat undermined the solemnity of the interrogation.

  "It's just right, you left, and Xiao Ba stayed in the house, and even...and that shameless man slept on the same kang."

  But after Ninth Sister's efforts to narrate for half a day, there was one person who refused to buy it, and that was Zou Shi. At this moment, Zou Shi seemed to be unable to maintain her gentle and elegant demeanor, and as soon as she opened her mouth, she became sharp-tongued and sarcastic.

  The ninth sister hadn't even spoken yet, when someone already refused—

  "Big sister, what are you talking about? My nephew is just living peacefully on the three mu and one fen of land in the third house, not offending anyone. What 'shameless man'? Please speak more respectfully, okay?" It was precisely Jiang Shi.

  In front of her, he spoke like that about his nephew. It was unbearable to know that this nephew she had watched grow up was not much lower than her own son in her heart.

  Let's get this straight, it wasn't my nephew who went to sleep with your daughter in her bed, but rather your daughter took the initiative to come over here and sleep together with my nephew... Uh, of course, nothing happened.

  But that reputation is definitely ruined, if you marry her as a wife, she will be a concubine. Your family is now at a disadvantage, but you don't think about making amends and instead scold my nephew. Don't look down on my Jiang family just because we are merchants, your family may be aristocrats, but if things fall apart, you still won't want your daughter.

  Anyway, this eighth sister is also not to her liking!

  She originally belonged to the ninth sister, but... However, it's okay, she didn't lose much after all. This little eight may not be useful, but she's easy to control, which is also a trade-off.

  "You... you actually dare to speak to me like this..." This was the first time Zou had been so rebuked by Jiang, and she couldn't help but feel both angry and annoyed, her pale face changing from green to red.

  "Old lady," but before she could finish, the old woman interrupted her, "You should not criticize how others treat you, first take a look at how you treat others!"

  "Old lady..." Zou immediately changed his expression to a sad and gentle one, looking at Mrs. Li.

  "Alright, stop talking nonsense! Let's get to the point!" Li Taijun interrupted her and suddenly looked at Qi'er who was trying to sneak away behind the crowd, shouting "Qi'er, kneel down!"

  Everyone was startled, and Seventh Sister was so frightened that she trembled all over her body, "Thud" and fell to the ground with a thud.

  "You said, is all this your doing?" Li Taijun asked again in a stern voice.

  "No... it's not me, old lady, it has nothing to do with me..." Seventh Sister was so scared that she couldn't help but burst into tears.

  "It's none of your business, then tell me, why did those maids and Ninth Sister fall under the spell of the enchanted incense, while you ran to me and babbled about auspicious signs? You deliberately led us here to witness this scene, yet you say it's none of your business. It seems only family discipline can get you to speak up."

  "No, no... Madam, spare me, I'll say..." A sentence of family law scared Seventh Sister pale, and then she poured out everything she had heard behind the fake mountain.

  "What are you talking about?" But as soon as she finished speaking, Jiang jumped up and said, "Obviously, at a young age, you had vicious thoughts and designed everything. Now, you're splashing dirty water on me and Ninth Sister. Don't you think that if my family's Ninth Sister was really so lacking in dignity, would she have been able to catch the eye of the virtuous Empress Yang and go to embroider clothes for the empress?"

  Another person who can't get the situation straight. You should know that the Ninth Sister has become the Empress now, and things are different from before. As her stepmother, she naturally speaks with a harder tone.

  "Really, I really did hear it..." Qiemei was still arguing strongly.

  "Listen carefully... now, in front of Old Lady Jiang, you will identify those two girls." Madam Jiang said.

  "This..." Seventh Sister was stunned upon hearing this, to be sure there were many maids in the mansion and she was just listening from afar, how could she identify... But then she suddenly thought of someone and immediately said, "Old Lady, actually at that time it wasn't just me who heard it, there was another person who also heard it."

  "Oh?"

  "That's Qing Ju!"

  As soon as this was said, Jiang immediately frowned, while Zou, who was standing behind the crowd, flashed a glance.

  Soon, Qing Ju was summoned up.

  "No, I didn't hear anything..." But the trembling Qingju did not bring the answer that Qījiě wanted.

  "Qingju, what are you saying? Think carefully again, behind the fake mountain." Seventh Sister was in a great hurry.

  But Qingju still shook her head.

  "Qingju, what's wrong with you? Have you betrayed me?" At this moment, Qijie couldn't help but get extremely angry and wanted to pounce on Qingju and shake her violently.

  But was pulled back by Fang's mother, and Qingju was also dragged down.

  Qī jiě ér de liǎn jìn bù zhù shùn jiān rú yī piàn sǐ huī.

  Translation:

  Seventh sister's face instantly turned ashen.

  "Go help Seventh Sister with her packing and send it to the nunnery tomorrow!" The old lady then took a deep breath and ordered her mother.

  "No, old lady... Grandma, spare your granddaughter... Please, please..." The seventh sister heard this and instantly collapsed to the ground, crying out loudly.

  The old lady didn't say a word, she just closed her eyes, and then Mother Fang came over to pull Seventh Sister.

  "Old lady, spare my life... have mercy on me... please, I beg of you, spare this wicked child. Although she is unfilial, she is the hope of my lifetime. Please, I beg of you, send me to the nunnery instead. Punish me for her sake..."

  At this moment, a woman in a pink satin jacket suddenly rushed in from the door. As soon as she entered, she cried and knelt down towards the old lady, then hugged her feet and begged repeatedly.

  It's really Lin Niang, Qiezi's own mother!

  Looking at Lin Niang's wailing, the crowd couldn't help but sigh and shake their heads, yet no one consoled her. Firstly, this matter was too outrageous, secondly, Seventh Sister's reputation wasn't very good.

  Zhen's family is not to be mentioned, the Miao family also extremely dislikes this seventh sister, Jiang's family is again the opponent of this time, and Zou's family cannot persuade because of special reasons.

  So everyone just looked on in silence.

  "Great Aunt, please spare Seventh Sister!" Finally, a clear voice broke the silence in the midst of all this commotion.

  Everyone was stunned, and Mrs. Li was also stunned. Then they all looked at the person who had spoken in surprise - Jiu Sier!

  "Xiao Jiu wasn't trying to put on a magnanimous face, she was just stating facts. Seventh Sister had always been confined to her chambers, with maids serving her front and back, and even her belongings were managed by the maids, so how could she possibly secretly stash away something like aphrodisiacs without anyone knowing? Maybe she was being manipulated by someone."

  Jiujie didn't pay attention to the gaze of the crowd and spoke to Li Taijun in a gentle tone.

  She's not pretending to be a saint, but there are two points: first, as she just said, these seven sisters are being used by others; secondly, these seven sisters can't be eliminated so quickly, since Zou Shi can use them, she can naturally counter-use them.

  After what happened today, she and Zou Shi are truly at odds. Zou Shi will no longer have any scruples in dealing with her, so she must cultivate more allies.

  Of course, what's most important is that she must let this Mrs. Li see more of the intricacies of this matter, and understand more of its cruelty and complexity.

  Otherwise, without Li Taijun's protection, she might have been quietly killed by Zou Shi tomorrow.

  Think about it, Father is unreliable, stepmother is such a selfish and unrighteous person, and own mother is not as dignified as Seventh Sister's mother.

  Fortunately, Su Shi Fu still took her into consideration —

  "Tai Jun's grandmother, I hope this matter can be thoroughly investigated. Xiaojie is a person of few words, but if the queen's embroidery has any more mistakes, no one will be able to bear the responsibility." This gave her a great advantage.

  The old lady heard this, couldn't help but frown deeply, thought for a moment, then looked at Lin Niang who was still crying by her feet. "Alright, stop making a fuss, get up! Xiao Jiu begged for mercy, I'll spare Xiao Qi's life this time, but although the heavy punishment is waived, the lighter one can't be avoided. Take it away and wait for family law to deal with you!"

  The last sentence was naturally said to Fang's mother on one side.

  Lin Yiniang was stunned and wanted to plead again.

  However, the mother of that side had already instructed two robust women to quickly set up the sedan chair and take Seventh Sister out the door.

  Na Lin's aunt naturally followed him out immediately, and in an instant, the room was quiet.

  "Old lady, I order you to investigate this matter immediately!" The old master said again.

  "Yes, my wife will definitely be able to see through it!" It was a very satisfying response, of course, but finding a scapegoat could still gloss things over.

  "In order to avoid you having too much trouble managing the household chores, later on, you'll have to divide some of the household matters among Erniang and the others!"

  "Ah..."

  "Oh..."

  The old man talked a lot in the afternoon, but this sentence was obviously the most effective.

  Decentralization is indeed the biggest pain point of Zou Shi, and as expected, Zou Shi was stunned, and his face suddenly turned extremely ugly.

  The other three were also stunned, but between their eyebrows and hearts, they were filled with joy that could not be hidden.

  It's been many years since Zou Shi monopolized power in the mansion, and this is the first time Old Lady has brought up the matter of dividing power, so naturally some people are amused while others are worried.

  "There's one more thing," Li Taijun glanced at Ba Jie, who had been kneeling in the corner throughout the whole process, then looked at Jiang Shi, "Go call your nephew over!"

  Jiang heard this and was taken aback at first, then quickly turned around and went to the west wing.

  The Wen family handled things, and Jiang Yuxing was naturally cleared of the scene. However, since things hadn't been resolved yet, he couldn't leave, so he was temporarily placed under house arrest in the Xier room.

  "Xiao Ba, you come over too, come on..." Li Taijun called out to Ba Jie again.

  Until she had shouted twice, the eighth sister slowly got up and walked over with her head hung low.

  Seeing this eighth sister, Zou Shi was furious and turned her head away, not even looking at her.

  But Mrs. Li insisted that she look at them, pointing to the eighth sister and Jiang Yu Xing, who was led in by Madam Jiang, saying "Arrange for them to be engaged immediately!"

  Zou's expression changed several times after listening, but he finally nodded.

  What can be done? These eight girls are all daughters of this house, and after swallowing their breath, this marriage must also be promoted.

  Besides, becoming relatives with the Jiang family isn't a bad thing after all. Although they don't have anything else, they do have money, and isn't that what this household is lacking right now?

  It seems like I should be nicer to Ba Jie from now on...

  "Old lady, don't worry, I'll arrange everything for tomorrow!" As he thought of this, the trademark smile on Zou's face gradually reappeared.

  Just as her voice fell, Jiang Yuxing, who had been hanging his head in shame like Ba Jie since he came in, was taken aback and looked up.

  Mrs. Li's sharp eyes immediately fell on his handsome face, and Jiang also hurriedly called out to him in a low voice, "Yuxing..."

  "It's all up to Aunt and the elders!" Jiang Yuxing quickly bowed his head and said.

  Everyone nodded in satisfaction.

  It wasn't until Old Lady Jiang and a few others, including Zou Shi, began to discuss the aftermath of today's events in hushed tones that Jiang Yuxing quietly shifted his gaze towards Jiu Simei, who was talking to Ba Simei with her head lowered, a hint of regret and sorrow flashing across his face.

  He and she will never be together after all...

  It's not that we're not destined to be together, it's just that I don't have a place in your life!

  The ninth sister didn't need to lift her head to feel the gaze on her body, and she couldn't help but let out a soft sigh in her heart.

  Although she was rational and self-restrained, knowing how to weigh the pros and cons, there was once a moment when she had an unspoken thought - to wait for him recklessly, after all, he was the first man in this strange world who made her feel a spark of affection, just like that fifth sister, taking a resolute step forward, being brave once.

  But this idea collapsed when she heard that he had agreed to another marriage, and at that moment she suddenly realized that for him, she was just a potential partner, his affection and closeness were all because of this.

  On the other hand, it's not like she can't do it!

  What's there to regret then?

  She would never fall into the trap of Zou's family for him, making her life so passive, so she took advantage of his good intentions and planned a counter-measure.

  Furthermore, Zou's plan was not simply to marry her off to a merchant's son. This vicious woman, apart from the aphrodisiac, must have also prepared something else for her.

  Because she brought Qing Tao over, she specifically instructed Qing Xiang and Qing Zhu to hide in a dark place and watch. Once they see the old woman or servant girl acting suspiciously, don't make a sound, just quietly swap them out and strangle that sinister plot.

  At this moment, she hasn't had a chance to communicate with these two people, and she thinks that today's smoothness may be due to the efforts of these two people behind her back...

  It turned out that Jiuniang's guess was correct ——

  "Miss, it turns out that the vendor who pruned the flowers is really the wife of a wealthy man..."

  "Oh?"

  "This shopkeeper took advantage of Sister Cui's absence while she was in the latrine, and secretly put some things into the teapot by the stove. Myself and Qingqi saw her clearly, and after she left, we quietly went over and poured out the water from the teapot."

  As soon as she returned from Zheng's house, Qing Xing came forward and helped Jiu Si Er change her clothes while whispering to her in a low voice.

  The ninth sister just nodded with a stiff face and didn't say anything.

  That shopkeeper must have put in something with aphrodisiac effects, originally she was already under the influence of the bewitching incense, and now adding this to it, she and Jiang Yuxing would become dizzy and disoriented, and lose control of their desires, just thinking about such a result made her dare not think about it, Zhou Shi's intentions were truly sinister.

  "Girl..." was infected by her emotions, and Qing An couldn't help but call out to her.

  "Don't worry, she won't be able to make a move on me for the time being—" After glancing at her, Ninth Sister continued, "Firstly, she doesn't dare to, tomorrow Old Lady will have Cui Feng come over and she'll definitely have some reservations; secondly, she's been busy with Eighth Sister's affairs and has to guard against Second Madam and the others trying to seize power, these trivial matters are enough to keep her occupied for a while."

  The old lady indeed was a sensible person, after arranging everything, she asked about her embroidery business again, then said that her personal maid Cuifeng's needlework was good, and asked if she wanted Cuifeng to come over and help her, she naturally hastened to agree.

  As she said this, she clearly sensed the anger and hatred hidden beneath Zou's smiling face.

  In addition, the matter of these eight sisters also gave Zou a headache. Although marrying off a concubine's daughter to a wealthy merchant was not bad, the problem was that she had already sold this concubine's daughter to another family.

  Adding Jiang Shi, Miao Shi, especially Zhen Shi, who dream of having great power in the mansion, this Zhou Shi is getting annoyed...

  And she needs to find a better way to protect herself before Zou's clever and capable people can take care of these.

  Her gaze fell on the half quilt on the arhat bed, and the best way to protect herself was to press it onto Empress Yang.

  "You're just a few years older than me, right?"

  "You and Junzhe are both good kids..."

  Last time they met, Empress Yang would always mention her and Su Junzhe together, of course under the influence of Master Su.

  Because Su Shifu had always had the idea of helping her and Su Junzheng to report their marriage, this was also the reason why she saw Su Junzheng looking at her deeply when they met at Wen Jing's place that time. It should be that Su Shifu had also revealed this intention to Su Junzheng.

  It's just that because of her unresponsive attitude, Master Su had never brought up this topic clearly.

  Why didn't he respond? Of course, it was because Su Jun was not to his liking. He was disappointed in Jiang Yuxing's lack of integrity, but at the same time, he wasn't interested in Su Jun, who was too clever and somewhat flattering.

  Although she fell into this ancient time and space, unable to control her own destiny, but for this love, she still holds a beautiful expectation.

  In her expectation, the man she loves must be a strong and unyielding person who can give her absolute sense of security and be her shelter from wind and rain.

  "Miss, Miss Ten invites you to go see Miss Eight together!" Just as she was thinking about it, a voice came from outside the green peach.

  "Oh..." She paused, stood up, just in time...

  ……

  Digression

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