Volume One, Chapter 20: Hong Ying Taken Away by Madame Hou

“Second Young Master, please slow down.”
A servant supported a tall, thin man.
Ji Ming had just returned from the tavern, having drunk quite a bit, his mind still foggy.
“Get lost!”
Ji Ming shook him off roughly and strode forward, cursing incessantly, “That bastard Ji Yu—what right does he have? I only asked him to get me an official post, yet he looked down on me as if I were nothing. Does he really think he’s so special…”
The servant nearby wiped the sweat from his brow anxiously. “Second Young Master, please lower your voice. We’re close to the residence of the Eldest Young Master; if he and madam overhear…”
“Let them hear! Am I afraid of him?” Ji Ming’s anger flared even more. “He’s just lucky to have survived the battlefield and happened to be promoted to general. If the Emperor hadn’t taken pity on the late Marquis, would he even have been granted the title?”
“Hmph, if the Emperor truly valued him, why hasn’t he been given the formal rank yet?”
The servant dared not say more. The second young master was stubborn about official positions. He had failed the imperial exams twice but still hoped the eldest brother would secure a post for him.
“Greetings, Second Young Master.”
Ji Ming’s mood was foul; when a young maid suddenly blocked his path, an unexplained fury rose within him, and he lifted his foot to kick her away.
“Where did this insolent maid come from, daring to block my path!”
The maid, dressed in her servant’s uniform, offered a polite bow but was too slow to react before being kicked hard to the ground.
The blow landed fiercely on her lower back, causing a sharp pain. She collapsed with a thud, kneeling, bewildered as to what she had done wrong.
“I, your humble servant, am at fault.” She struggled to steady herself, enduring the pain as she knelt and confessed her mistake.
Normally, young masters wouldn’t trouble a stranger maid, but Ji Ming was not a normal man. His temper was volatile, and in his rage, he sought relief through violence.
Seeing the maid’s humble posture before him, Ji Ming finally found an outlet for his anger, which somewhat lifted his spirits.
His eyes swept casually across her face, and as he raised his foot to leave, he caught a glimpse of her pale, delicate features.
This maid was unfamiliar. She was quite pretty.
On a whim, Ji Ming thought of his older brother, who was already married, while he himself had no concubine, which made him feel stifled.
Since fate had brought this girl to him, why not take her as his own…
“Raise your head; let me have a look.”
Ji Yu had been visiting frequently these days, and Yun Xi dared not buy too much contraceptive medicine at once, so she sent Hong Ying out to purchase supplies every few days. Yet today, Hong Ying had not returned by this time, filling Yun Xi with worry.
Usually, Hong Ying would be back by now. Why was she still missing?
She waited anxiously in her room, pacing left and right until she could no longer bear it. Just as she was about to step out and search, a young servant hurried toward her.
Yun Xi recognized him—Han, a gatekeeper at the rear entrance.
During her days in the Marquis’s mansion, Yun Xi had become familiar with the staff at the back gate. She often brought small gifts and spoke softly, earning their favor. The rear gate staff had thus been particularly accommodating to her.
Han was usually the one to open the door for Hong Ying when she went out. Seeing the anxiety on his face, Yun Xi’s heart sank.
“Brother Han, what’s happened?”
“Miss Mi Yue, it’s bad news. Madam has taken Hong Ying away, saying she’s going to be punished with the cane!” Han panted, sweat still dripping from his brow. He had no time to wipe it away before telling Yun Xi the grave news.
“What? How could this happen?” Yun Xi’s voice suddenly rose, her expression visibly distressed as she took a few hurried steps closer to Han.
“It was unfortunate timing,” Han swallowed hard, glanced at Yun Xi, then lowered his gaze. “Hong Ying was passing through the rear garden when she ran into the Second Young Master. You know how unruly he is… He forcefully tried to claim her as a concubine. In the scuffle, Madam saw them and mistakenly thought Hong Ying was seducing the Eldest Young Master. Hong Ying was seized and the commotion was quite loud, or else I wouldn’t have known.”
That worthless Second Young Master—how could Hong Ying be involved with him?
Corporal punishment… A few days ago, Yun Xi had seen a maid who stole Madam’s jewelry and was beaten nearly to death. If the same happened to Hong Ying… what would she do? What could she do?
It was all her fault. If she hadn’t sent Hong Ying to buy the contraceptive medicine, none of this would have happened.
Seeing Yun Xi distracted after hearing this, Han grew worried and comforted her, “Right now, we need to find a way to rescue Hong Ying. You’re the personal maid of the Young Mistress, aren’t you? You should plead with her; maybe she can save her.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll also ask the steward if he can put in a good word.”
Yun Xi looked at Han, planning her next move. She thanked him and promised to repay his kindness, telling him to go ahead while she thought of a way out.
What should she do? She had already threatened Nurse Li once; using that tactic again might not work.
Besides, repeatedly threatening with life and truth would only raise their suspicion, tightening their control over her and Hong Ying…
Yun Xi glanced toward the main gate and inadvertently caught sight of the flowering crabapple trees—those had been planted by Yun Xiang with artisans not long ago.
What if she started with Yun Xiang?
Her fist clenched tightly, and her toes instinctively turned toward the main house.
“You’ve truly lost your mind!”
Madam Qin looked at the unpromising Ji Ming and sighed deeply, “Sigh—”
“Failing the exams is one thing, but why must you go provoking the maids?”
She struck her useless son hard in frustration.
Ji Ming rubbed his shoulder and took a few steps down the hall, wary of another blow.
“Mother, you can’t blame me. You drove away everyone close to me; I have no confidants. I’m just…”
Qin had previously hoped Ji Ming would succeed in the imperial exams, so she had learned from Ji Yu’s example and sent away all the maids around Ji Ming, leaving only a few servants, hoping he would earn a degree and have something to rely on if he couldn’t inherit the marquisate.
“What? You’re just a bad influence,” Qin cut him off before he could finish.
Sometimes, she truly couldn’t understand how two sons of the same father could be so different.
Holding her forehead, she looked at Ji Ming, who stood there timid and shrinking.
Well, at least he was filial.
“That maid will be beaten and sent away one way or another. You’d better focus and prepare for your exams.”
Having said that, Qin waved him toward the study to study hard and instructed Nurse Meng nearby, “Give that maid a proper lesson, or others will follow suit. Ten strokes with the cane should teach her a good lesson.”
Nurse Meng leaned in to whisper something to Qin.