Reportedly, the current trip by the Feng family to Pu Du Temple to offer incense would be the largest ever. Aside from Feng Fen Dai, all who were present yesterday, were present now. Even the injured Chen shi and Feng Zi Hao were present. Feng Jin Yuan happened to be on his day off, so he could go along with them.
When Feng Yu Heng reached the Feng manor’s main gate, some strong grannies were in the process of carrying Chen shi in to the carriage. Following closely behind them were Yu Luo, Man Xi and Bao Tang.
Today, she had brought Wang Chuan with her. Huang Quan was together with Zi Rui and granny Sun was walking with Yao shi. Qing Yu remained behind with eunuch Zhang to continue their auditing. The other two first rate maidservants were left behind to tend to the house.
Their group was split in to two carriages. Feng Yu Heng specifically went to sit with granny Sun and Yao shi. Zi Rui was sent to sit with An shi and Xiang Rong.
Pu Du Temple was forty li away outside of the capital halfway up a hill. If the carriage traveled at a constant pace, it would take roughly four to six hours.
The people of the Feng family had been fussing about all night. Getting in the carriages, they quickly became drowsy and fell asleep. Feng Yu Heng saw that the area under Yao shi’s eyes were dark and advised her: “Mother, take a nap for a while.”
Yao shi instead shook her head, showing her unwillingness. From time to time, she would lift the curtain and look outside, “I am worried about Zi Rui. I worry that he will cause trouble for concubine mother An.“
”Zi Rui is very responsible.” She pulled back the hand Yao shi used to lift the curtain, “There is no need for mother to worry. If concubine mother An couldn’t handle Zi Rui, how could she have raised Xiang Rong to be so good.”
“That’s right.” Granny Sun agreed: “Concubine mother An has always been a peaceful person. She has always treated second young master well.”
Yao shi sighed, “I know her personality is good, but so many things have happened recently at the manor. I worry that Zi Rui will feel uncomfortable.” She looked at Feng Yu Heng and said: “You don’t know this, but when you did not return yesterday, Fen Dai and Zi Hao said some absolutely terrible things, and Zi Rui rebuked them on the spot. I worry that he will cause his brother and sisters to become hostile. But Xiang Rong is a good child.”
Not waiting for Feng Yu Heng to speak, granny Sun went ahead and console her: “Our second young master is also a very understanding and good child. How could he not recognize who treats him well and who treats him poorly? Furthermore, every child is the same. They will say something one day then forget about it the next. They will not seek revenge.”
Feng Yu Heng lightly laughed and asked granny Sun: “Granny Sun really understand a child’s feelings. Your age is getting up there, I do not know if you have a child or grandchild?”
Hearing this question, granny Sun was not prepared and was quite startled. Even Yao shi felt it; however, she did not find it strange. Instead she consoled her: “Granny, A-Heng does not know anything. Do not blame her.” Then turning to Feng Yu Heng, she explained: “Granny Sun’s only son and daughter-in-law passed away together many years ago. They died together in a fire.”
Feng Yu Heng displayed a sad expression and apologized: “A-Heng did not know this. Granny please do not blame me.” Thinking for a moment, she asked another question: “Then did they leave behind a grandchild?”
Granny Sun shook her head, “No, they did not.” Her expression was incredibly unnatural.
Yao shi took it as her remembering her son and did not think anything of it. Feng Yu Heng, however, took in everything that she saw and remembered it. She had always felt that granny Sun’s hidden master could not be someone of the Feng family, so who could it be? Could it be the Chen family? Perhaps she could find herself a clue.
She no longer spoke on that matter and told Yao shi to close her eyes. Wang Chuan’s had suffered bodily injuries. Unable to bear with it for very long, she also fell asleep. She knew that Ban Zou was hidden in some dark corner following along. No matter what unexpected circumstances arose, Ban Zou could definitely protect Feng Yu Heng.
Just like that, they slowly traveled along for who knows how long, when the presently-dreaming Feng Yu Heng felt the bumping of the carriage suddenly stop. She opened her eyes, and thinking that they had already arrived at Pu Di Temple, she lifted the curtain and looked out the window. She found that the carriage was stopped on the road by a group of people.
The dirt road was not wide, so two families traveling side by side would be a bit crowded, but if they were careful, there wouldn’t be a collision. Even if there were a small scrape, greeting them would usually be fine.
But somehow, there was clearly two carriages that had been in a serious crash. The crash awoke the people sleeping inside the carriage. Immediately, that person became unhappy, loudly screaming: “Which blind idiot is blocking my path? Quickly get out of my way! Really unbelievable, what insolence not knowing what’s good for them.”
Feng Yu Heng frowned and lowered the curtain in annoyance.
Yao shi asked her: “What happened?”
She helplessly explained: “That fatty Chen is starting an argument with something.”
Yao shi did not react to who fatty Chen was, instead Wang Chuan added: “It’s the head madam causing a dispute with someone else.”
Feng Yu Heng sighed, Wang Chuan really was a close interpreter of the ancient language! She had come to this ancient world for this long, although she paid close attention to the things she said, being as mannerly as possible, when her temper flared, she felt that speaking plainly was a bit more satisfying.
For something like Chen shi getting in to an argument, the people of the Feng family had already become accustomed to seeing it. Absolutely nobody wanted to go out and mediate. Chen shi’s legs and feet were still the same, she could lift the curtain and begin cursing for a while at most. Everyone had the mentality of waiting it out while remaining in place.
Who knew that Chen shi’s belligerence wasn’t just a front. The lightly wounded refuse to leave the front. Facing her carriage’s window, she cursed for the duration of a stick of incense, and she still did not stop. Furthermore, the more she cursed, the worse it became “Yet you still don’t open your worthless eyes to see whose carriage you are blocking. Is the Feng manor’s carriage one that you can squeeze past? What a group of lowly peasants. Even a good dog does not block the road. As I see it, you aren’t even better than a dog!”
The other side, which had remained patient, finally erupted. Feng Yu Heng heard a young girl respond to Chen shi in a clear and sharp voice: “In this year, even pigs know how to speak human words?”
Wow! She found it funny and simply lifted the curtain and sat outside to watch the spectacle.
The people in other carriages also gradually lifted the curtains. They all wished to see what type of girl dared to insult Chen shi’s pig-like appearance.
Feng Yu Heng looked over towards the carriage that had crashed with Chen shi’s carriage. Standing there, with hands on her hips, was a young girl of around thirteen or fourteen. She had a pale complexion, a pair of lively and bright eyes. She wore a set of black clothing and appeared bold and brave.
That girl stared at the window of Chen shi’s carriage, her face displaying her dislike “I dislike acknowledging you. Stop before going too far, yet you continued on and on right? Look at how your big face can’t even stick out of the window. Cursing so hard that you are gasping heavily for breath. For someone of such advanced age, isn’t this unsightly?”
Feng Yu Heng immediately burst in to laughter. She reached out and waved to Yao shi and Wang Chua: “You two, quickly come take a look. This is amazing!”
Yao shi was helpless, but she also felt that her own daughter very rarely laughed like she did now. Not willing to sweep away her joy, she and Wang Chuan leaned out of the carriage slightly.
For the first time, Chen shi had been cursed to this degree by a young girl. It angered her so much that she wanted to rush out of the carriage and strangle the other side to death. Unfortunately, her two swollen legs occasionally reminded her of the humiliation she suffered at the palace yesterday. Even if she wanted to move, she could not.
“You don’t even know to help me out?” Her anger had no where to be directed, so she turned on the servants. The three servant girls all shook their heads, as Yu Luo said: “The doctor said that head madam’s leg injuries are very serious, so do not walk around too much.”
Man Xi added: “Master has also told us servants to take care that head madam gets more rest inside the carriage. Until we arrive at Pu Du Temple, we must not get off the carriage.”
Bao Tang nodded: “The matriarch also had a similar order.”
Chen shi could not get off the carriage and felt depressed. She felt that everyone under the heavens was bullying her. Thus she simply began screaming loudly from inside the carriage. As the howling screams grew louder, all the birds nesting in the nearby forest flew away.
Feng Yu Heng sighed, “This imposing manner, so arrogant!”
At this time, a steady and noble sound pierced through Chen shi’s ghastly wailing, followed immediately by a few words, “I will slap you.”
Immediately, someone that looked like an imperial guard rushed before Chen shi’s carriage. Opening the curtain, he pulled Chen shi out and immediately began wailing on her “pow pow pow pow” delivering ten strong slaps across the face. The force behind each slap was enough to make even Feng Yu Heng grimace.
Chen shi was completely dazed by the ten slaps. It wasn’t that she merely saw stars, the other side had stopped hitting her, yet she continued to move her head from side to side. Only after the servants helped support her did she stop.
She completely did not understand. She was once the impressive Feng family’s head wife. Wherever she went, people would crowd around. Wherever she sat, people would look at her enviously. Why was it that she had recently only been getting hit? She was hit at home. She was hit in the palace. Now that she was outside, she was still getting hit?
Drowsily opening her eyes, her face had already swollen and become unsightly. Even her eyes became tiny little slits.
“You dare hit me?” Chen shi was unwilling to back down. She did not notice the blood coming out of her mouth, as she screamed herself hoarse: “I am the official wife of the current court’s prime minister, Feng Jin Yuan. Yet you still dare to hit me?”
The girl standing on the carriage spoke once more: “Stop causing lord Feng to lose face. You are simply someone who drags others down, yet you aren’t ashamed to hide behind the family name. You truly are shameless to no end.”
The people of Feng manor began to move, as they could no longer sit and ignore it. Moreover, Chen shi had already made use of the Feng manor’s name, and the other side still had the audacity to act that way. This meant it was no longer just Chen shi being attacked. It was the face of the Feng family.
Feng Jin Yuan personally accompanied the matriarch and walked over. An shi and Han shi, as well as Jin Zhen, also followed forward. Feng Yu Heng pondered a little before bringing Yao shi over as well.
From far away, the matriarch could be heard saying: “I really do not want to care. Does that vile woman cause trouble no matter where she goes? It’s truly too tiring.”
Chen Yu followed behind, her mind full of the same thoughts the matriarch had. If she were like Feng Zi Hao and had injuries, she would rather die than get off the carriage and come lose face. This mother had previously only made a show of her power in the manor, which was whatever. But now she did not know when to stop, extending her reach as far as she could. She had even caused trouble in the palace. For the sake of a little greed, for the sake of the Chen family’s interests, she even sold her own daughter’s future. What use was there for this sort of mother?
On one side, Feng Jin Yuan was presently advising the matriarch: “Mother, be lenient. Just bear with her for this one final time.”
“Hah.” The matriarch let out a deep sigh, “The Feng family’s face has been completely lost by her alone.”
Chen shi, seeing Feng Jin Yuan and the matriarch coming over, immediately found a pillar of support. Dropping to the ground, she cried: “Husband! Mother-in-law! You must support me! Daughter-in-law was nearly beaten to death!” As she spoke, she pointed to the girl on the carriage and continued cursing: “It’s that lowly slut. She insulted me, calling me a pig!”
The matriarch wanted to say being beaten to death would serve her right. Aren’t you basically just a pig! But since this concerned the matter of Feng family’s face, she did her best not to let her emotions show. She prepared to say a few words about the disaster and to ensure the other side did not appear too mighty. Beating the wife of the highest rank official in the street was a crime punishable by death.
But before these words could leave the matriarch’s mouth, Feng Jin Yuan looked at the girl on the carriage and said in a startled voice: “Sovereign Wu Yang?”