Black Lotus Concubine's Case-solving Notes

Shicheng is a thousand miles away from the capital. Feng Jia and Shen Jing met up with Xie Haoxuan after passing Yangcheng. Five horses died along the way before they arrived in the capital at the end of May, before Mrs. Xie's birthday.

Xie Haoxuan did not return home directly. Instead, he escorted Feng Jia to the gate of Xie's mansion and then rode his horse straight to the southern suburbs of the city.

The woman who came to greet Feng Jia was a nanny in her early fifties. Her surname was Liu. She had a plump figure but walked with great vigor.

"Ninth Miss, please follow me back to the mansion." The nanny surnamed Liu saw Feng Jia wearing tattered clothes and carrying a patched small bag on her back. She looked handsome but her clothes were too shabby. Her clothes were not even as good as those of the lowest servants in the mansion. She couldn't help but look down on her and turned around to lead the way.

Feng Jia did not follow, but looked up calmly.

The words "Xie Mansion" were written neatly on the black and red lacquered plaque. Feng Jia looked at it and felt that the hatred in her heart was like the surging river water that could not be stopped for a moment.

She is finally back, after not seeing you for three years. Xie Zilin and Xie Qian, I hope you are doing well.

In her previous life, her entire family was executed because of you. God has given her a chance to live again. Those who have hurt her, no one can escape!

Looking at Aunt Liu in front of her, Feng Jia curled her lips slightly. And you, Aunt Liu, in your previous life, you were instructed by Madam Xie to do all kinds of bad things. Since you are so willing to be a front hoof for others, I will start with you!

"Ninth Miss, what are you standing there for? Come on, Madam is still waiting in the courtyard!"

Feng Jia hurriedly followed, the hatred in her eyes instantly dissipated, replaced by a confused expression: "Don't blame me, Mammy, this Prime Minister's Mansion is really too magnificent, with carved beams and painted buildings. Look, even the pillars are painted with gold. I was dazzled for a moment and didn't hear you calling..."

Aunt Liu looked down on her even more, thinking that she was indeed from the countryside and had never seen the world! But she smiled and said, "This will be Miss Nine's home from now on..."

Before she could finish her words, she felt someone push her hard from behind. She fell face first to the ground with a thud. She grimaced in pain and cried out, "Ouch! I'm being crushed to death! Ouch!"

Feng Jia lay on top of her, pretending to accidentally fall and knock her over, apologizing non-stop: "Madame Liu! Look, it's all my fault! I was blinded by the prosperity of this mansion! Madame Liu! Are you okay?"

Although she said so, Feng Jia had no intention of getting up. She put her entire body weight on her. Bah! You can find a reason to abuse me in your previous life! I'll crush you to death!

“Ninth Miss… cough cough… Ninth Miss, please get up first! I can’t breathe! Cough cough cough!”

Feng Jia saw that it was almost time, so he patted his butt and stood up, and there was another scream from below him, like a pig being slaughtered!

"Hands, hands..." said Liu Ma Ma with a mouthful of mud.

Feng Jia asked with concern: "Mammy, what happened to your hand?"

"Miss Nine stepped on this servant's hand!"

"Ouch!" Feng Jia seemed to have just realized it, but she was not in a hurry. She moved her foot away from her paw that was swollen like a pig's hoof. Before moving it away, she didn't forget to crush it hard. Then she helped Liu Mama up and kindly patted the dust off her body: "It's all my fault, Liu Mama! How could I be so careless! I am such a stupid girl!"

"..." Feng Jia finished what she wanted to say, and Matron Liu actually felt a little at a loss for words.

"Nothing... nothing happened. It was just my own carelessness. Cough cough cough." Madam Liu felt as if Ninth Miss's hand weighed a thousand pounds. Her heart, liver, spleen and lungs were about to be slapped out by her!

Nanny Liu felt that Xie Lanzhao did it on purpose, but she could not find any evidence, so she had to swallow her anger for the time being. She thought that after all, she had just returned home today, and the Prime Minister would naturally want to question her in the evening. She couldn't let any bad rumors spread about her, so she decided to wait for a few days.

I will definitely teach this bastard a lesson in the future!

"Okay, Miss Nine, stop taking pictures! Let's go to the yard quickly. It's getting late, and the Madam must be waiting anxiously!"

As he spoke, he took Feng through the corridor and passed the back garden, which led to Wutong Garden where Madam Xie lived.

Feng Jia had walked this road countless times in her previous life, and she could have walked it even with her eyes closed. The Xie family was very particular about etiquette and rules, so as a new bride, she spent the first three months learning the rules in this corridor. The one who taught her was the maidservant who came with her mother-in-law, Madam Xie, and was the one who led the way, Madam Liu.

Now that she thought about it, Madam Xie must have disliked her at the time, so no matter how well and quickly she learned the rules, Madam Liu could always find some faults and use them to teach her a lesson or even punish her.

After three months, she no longer had to learn the rules, but she had to visit her mother-in-law every morning and evening and offer her tea. Even when she became pregnant and had physical difficulties, she did not break this rule. As a result, she suffered from severe physical weakness after giving birth, and she would have constant headaches every time it was cloudy or rainy, and she suffered a lot.

Feng Jia couldn't help but wonder in her heart whether Princess Pingchang would also learn the same rules and regulations as her after she got married, or even suffer corporal punishment? Would she also be served tea every day like she did back then, without missing a moment?

After passing through layers of rockery, we entered the Wutong Courtyard. From afar, we saw a few people sitting in the pavilion, making tea around the stove.

"Madam, the Ninth Miss is here." Nanny Liu bowed, her face full of flattery, and then she led Feng Jia to the front.

Feng Jia felt that several pairs of eyes were looking at her. She was neither humble nor arrogant, and her eyes swept among them.

Sitting in the main seat was Mrs. Xie Meng. She was wearing a dark purple silk dress embroidered with intricate orchid patterns and a white fox fur coat around her neck. She looked very luxurious. Standing on either side of her were two women wearing one pink and one white. The pink one had a graceful face, like a blooming peony. She was Xie Yunyao, the legitimate daughter of the Meng family. The white one had a faint orchid-like fragrance, like an elegant chrysanthemum in bud in autumn. She was Meng's niece Meng Shubai. Because her parents died early, she was fostered in the Meng family. Now her name is Xie Shubai.

Sitting on the left and right are the third and fourth wives, each with a legitimate daughter and a concubine's daughter. They are all beautiful and charming, each with their own unique beauty.

There was not a single male member of the family present. Prime Minister Xie was not present either. Princess Pingchang and her husband lived in the princess's mansion, so of course they were not present either. Even the old lady of the Xie family was not present.

It seems that the Xie family doesn't care about a concubine's daughter who came back from the countryside.

"Mother." Feng Jia greeted Meng with a cup of tea.

"As expected, he is from the countryside, and has no manners at all."

Feng Jia heard a sarcastic, childish female voice coming from her left. She turned around and saw a girl about her age, wearing a light green brocade jacket and with a rosy face. It was Xie Changrong, the legitimate daughter of the third house.

This reminded Feng Jia of when she first married, she served tea to each room as a newlywed, and the third room's daughter was only ten years old. She said to her in public: "What the most beautiful woman in the capital? I think she is just so-so. She is far inferior to my sister Yun Yao!"

She was young and naive at that time. When she first heard it, she felt panicked and even almost spilled the tea, causing everyone to laugh at her. Now that she has lived her life again, Feng Jia realized that the trap she set back then was so clumsy.

It was just a warning to her, which made her feel frightened at the time.

Obviously it was so clumsy, why couldn't I see through it in my previous life? It was probably because I cared about Xie Zilin's face, so I couldn't see through it when I was in the situation.

Feng Jia held the tea in her hand without any hesitation. She walked to Meng and said, "My daughter apologizes to my mother."

Meng took the tea but didn't drink it. She just brushed off the tea foam and said, "What crime has Miss Nine committed?"

Feng Jia said meekly, "My daughter has been away from home for thirteen years and has not been able to show filial piety to her mother. I am truly unworthy of being a son, and I must make amends."

Mrs. Meng looked at her with a little more contempt in her eyes. She originally thought that Xie Lanzhao, who grew up in the countryside, would be a fierce person, but she didn't expect her to be so gentle. It seems that she has done a good job of what she told the old woman of the Wang family many years ago. She really beat and scolded her so hard that she dared not fight back, and taught her to be a useless person. Thinking of this, Mrs. Meng smiled slightly, put the tea to her lips and took a sip.

"Although I haven't changed my appearance in the past thirteen years, I still need to practice my posture. After all, I am the daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Don't let others laugh at you when you go out."

Feng Jia nodded her head, but sneered in her heart. Her figure and posture were the result of her being beaten with many sticks in her previous life. She was even better than her biological daughter of the Meng family. But now that she has changed her face, people say that she has no manners and is laughing at her? They just want to find a reason to make her suffer again.

Sure enough, the next second, Mrs. Meng said, "I have arranged a courtyard for you. It is a quiet place. I have also transferred a few maids and servants there. But I am afraid that those servants will not be able to serve you well because you have just returned to the mansion. Madam Liu is the old nanny in the mansion. She is also my dowry maid. She is a steady person. Let her wait in your courtyard during the day to discipline the servants. She can also teach you the rules of the mansion."

Feng Jia curled her lips. She just didn't have a suitable reason to keep Madam Liu by her side, but she didn't expect that Madam Meng would send her directly to her door.

"Thank you, mother."

"Okay, you're tired from the journey, go back to your room and clean up," Meng waved her hand, signaling her to leave, "Come over for dinner later, your father and several brothers from the mansion will also be here."

"Yes, mother."

Meng looked at Feng Jia's coarse linen clothes and felt disgusted: "Remember to change your clothes. If you dress like this, others will think that I, your stepmother, have treated you harshly!"

As soon as the words fell, a woman's suppressed laughter was heard.

After Feng Jia and Aunt Liu walked away, the suppressed laughter gradually became louder: "Look at what that Ninth Girl is wearing, ragged clothes with several patches on them, like a beggar. It's really hilarious, hahahaha."

"Chang Rong!" The third wife was a soft-hearted woman. Seeing her daughter speaking so recklessly, she could not help but scold her: "What beggar? That's your ninth sister!"

"Who wants a beggar to be my sister!" Xie Changrong walked quickly to Xie Yunyao and pulled her sleeve: "A beauty like Sister Yunyao can be my sister! Or someone as gentle and dignified as Shubai can also be my sister! Not those random people! She is just a concubine's daughter, I don't want to be her sister!"

"Chang Rong!" The third wife subconsciously glanced at the side. Xie Yunxian, the third concubine's daughter, lowered her head and her face was pale, while the two daughters from the fourth room did not look very good either.

"If you keep talking without restraint like this, you'll get into trouble sooner or later!"

"Third sister-in-law, you are too kind," Meng said with a smile, "Chang Rong has a straightforward and lovely personality. I like her, and she is the daughter of the third wife. She is protected by the Prime Minister's Mansion. What trouble can she cause?"

The third wife smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes. She knew too well what Meng was thinking. She just wanted her daughter to be arrogant and domineering so that the daughters of the first wife would look elegant and dignified. So she thought that she must talk to Chang Rong again when she returned, asking her not to get so close to the two sisters of the first wife.

Feng Jia followed Madam Liu back to her own villa. To call it a villa was an overstatement. It was just an abandoned garden with a few apricot trees planted temporarily and some flowers and plants. The tables, chairs and benches were all abandoned, and from a distance, there was a layer of dust on them.

A few maids and servants pretended to wipe here and there, looking at her with contempt in their eyes.

Feng Jia ignored all of them and followed Madam Liu into the inner room. The room was dark and damp, and a musty smell filled the air when the door was opened. Madam Liu choked and coughed a few times, and said against her will, "Miss Nine, you can live here from now on. Look at the courtyard, which is well-arranged and elegant and quiet."

I think it's desolate and dilapidated. Feng Jia suppressed her sneer and suddenly looked up and asked in confusion, "Madam Liu, whose yard is this next door?"

"Next door?" Madam Liu followed Feng Jia's line of sight and saw a few old trees growing outside the wall. They had lost all their leaves because no one had taken care of them for a long time. She asked in confusion, "No one lives next door. What's wrong, Ninth Miss?"

"That's impossible," Feng Jia said in confusion, "How can there be a crying baby when there's no one living here?"

Madam Liu's face changed, and she couldn't help but shivered, as if she was startled: "Ninth Miss, where is the crying sound? Why can't I hear anything? It's broad daylight, please don't scare me."

"Mammy, I'm not lying to you. If you don't believe me, just listen!" Feng Jia stood on tiptoe as if she was really trying hard to listen to something. "Mammy, this child is crying so miserably. He must have suffered some great injustice."

"Why didn't I hear anything?" Aunt Liu also imitated Feng Jia and listened attentively, "Nothing!"

"Oh, I finally heard it clearly, Mammy, the child is calling you!"

"Call me?" Aunt Liu was surprised and got goose bumps all over her body.

Feng Jia frowned slightly, as if trying to make out what was happening, "She's shouting, 'Mammy, it hurts, Mammy... Yangyang hurts...'"

Yangyang...

It hurts so much...

“Ah!!!” Nanny Liu suddenly screamed, as if she remembered something, and her face turned pale as paper.

Feng Jia asked with concern: "Mammy, what's wrong with you?"

“No…” Aunt Liu looked around suspiciously as if she had seen a ghost, but still could not see anything. Seeing Feng Jia approaching, she quickly waved her hand, as if to drive away something unclean. “Miss Jiu, Jiu, please go to the inner room and rest first. I still have to report to the Madam, so I’ll take my leave now!”

After saying this, he ran away crookedly without waiting for Feng Jia to say anything.

Perhaps because she was in a restless mood, she bumped into a few cleaning maids when she ran to the door. She could hear Aunt Liu cursing from far away.

Feng Jia looked at Madam Liu's back, her face filled with frost.

Sure enough it was her.