Chapter 88 - 87: The Eldest Miss as a Substitute Bride 3

Chapter 88: Chapter 87: The Eldest Miss as a Substitute Bride 3

"When did Lord Ji get an eldest legitimate daughter? Don’t they only have one legitimate daughter? Where did this one come from?"

"Have you all forgotten? Eighteen years ago, Mrs. Ji was pregnant. At the time, they announced that the baby died at birth."

"So... the Ji family really did have a daughter back then, and she was thrown out at birth?"

"An acquaintance of my sister’s cousin’s older cousin’s nephew used to work for the Ji family. I heard that when Mrs. Ji gave birth to this daughter, all the flowers in the Ji Mansion withered and all the fish and insects died!"

"Whoa! Doesn’t that mean this daughter is an unlucky star?"

"Exactly!"

"If she’s an unlucky star, why bring her back?"

"His Majesty decreed a marriage: the legitimate daughter of the Ji family is to be the Crown Princess Consort. But, as you all know..."

The rest went unsaid, but everyone present knew.

"Sigh, a shame for the Crown Prince. He’s diligent and loves the people. If he ascends the throne in the future, our lives would continue to be good."

"Is that something we should be discussing?"

"Right, right, you’re right."

...

The crowd’s hushed whispers reached Ji Xiaosong’s ears, but she paid them no mind.

"This main gate... are you opening it, or not?"

Ji Xiaosong asked coldly, her eyes filled with indifference.

The coachman sneered, "With your status, this main gate certainly won’t be opened for you. You’ll need your family’s support in the future, so don’t make things so ugly."

"Zixi, slap him."

Zixi received the order and immediately stepped forward.

Her gaze was sharp as she stared daggers at the coachman. "You dog of a slave!" she snarled. "How dare you disrespect the young miss? Watch me teach you a lesson!"

With that, she raised her hand. A few crisp SLAPS echoed, and red palm prints instantly appeared on the coachman’s face.

After she was done, Zixi retreated to Ji Xiaosong’s side and said obediently, "Young Miss, he has been taught a lesson."

Ji Xiaosong nodded slightly and said in a cold voice, "If you dare spout nonsense again, it won’t be as simple as a few slaps."

The coachman clutched his face, shocked and terrified.

’This... this, this, this... What’s going on?’

’For the past two months, these two were clearly mild-mannered. They weren’t this fierce!’

"Zixi, since the Ji Family won’t open the gate, kick it down for me."

Zixi acknowledged the command and walked the few steps to the gate.

She took a deep breath, settled into a firm stance, and kicked the gate with all her might.

However, the gate only wobbled slightly, showing no sign of opening.

Ji Xiaosong snorted coldly. With a gentle wave of her hand, she channeled her Spiritual Power, and a beam of light shot into Zixi’s body.

Zixi felt a surge of power course through her. She lifted her foot again, this time enhanced with Spiritual Power, and kicked fiercely. With a deafening BOOM, the heavy, imposing main gate was kicked clean open, its hinges breaking and splinters flying.

Having done this, Zixi returned to Ji Xiaosong’s side, standing respectfully.

Then, with her head held high, Ji Xiaosong strode into the mansion with Zixi in tow.

Just as they rounded the rockery in the front courtyard, Mother Ji appeared.

She hadn’t planned on coming to see Ji Xiaosong, but she never expected this daughter she’d never met would have her maid kick down the main gate.

This gate usually required two grown men working together to open, yet her maid had kicked it down.

’Just as expected of someone from the countryside. A vulgar thing unfit for polite society.’

She looked at Ji Xiaosong with a face full of disgust, stopping about ten paces away.

"I’ve already arranged a courtyard for you. You’ll live over by the corner gate in the rear courtyard. Before you’re married, don’t come out and embarrass yourself unless it’s necessary."

"I hear I have a younger sister. I was thinking, since we are both legitimate daughters, I should live in a courtyard of the same standard as hers."

Ji Xiaosong didn’t yield an inch. The Ji family was the one begging her to move in, not the other way around.

"What is your status, and what is hers? How do you have the gall to say something like that?"

Mother Ji was trembling with anger. She took a step forward, but then, as if remembering something, she stepped back again.

"Chun Cui, go and teach her some manners!"

The maid named Chun Cui received the order and hurried toward Ji Xiaosong. Just as she raised her hand to slap her, Zixi suddenly took two steps forward and kicked her several meters away.

"Rebellious daughter! No manners, no discipline! Do you even see me as your mother?"

"Mother?"

Ji Xiaosong looked at Mother Ji before her and scoffed.

’Back then, Mother Ji was poisoned. If I hadn’t been the one to cure her and neutralize the poison, how could that strange phenomenon have occurred?’

"If the Ji family hadn’t come for me, I wouldn’t have even known I had parents. You haven’t raised me for a single day, so how do you have the gall to call yourself my mother? I don’t want to argue with you today. If you still want me to stay in the Ji Mansion, then obediently clear out a proper courtyard for me. Otherwise, I will leave immediately."

How could Mother Ji be intimidated by Ji Xiaosong’s words? Her face was so dark it could drip ink. She commanded, "Men, take the Eldest Miss to the courtyard by the corner gate. Don’t let her pollute my sight!"

A dozen or so household guards waiting nearby strode toward Ji Xiaosong, cracking their knuckles with menacing expressions, as if she were already in their grasp.

The first two guards reached out to grab Ji Xiaosong’s arms, but Zixi’s figure flashed, and she appeared before Ji Xiaosong like a phantom.

She sent a flying kick, sending the foremost guard flying several meters. He crashed heavily to the ground, immediately spat up blood, and couldn’t get back up.

Seeing this, another guard threw a punch at Zixi. Zixi dodged to the side, seized his wrist in one smooth motion, and twisted hard. With a sickening CRACK, the guard’s wrist was snapped. He screamed and collapsed, writhing on the ground.

The remaining guards were stunned by this sudden turn of events, but Zixi gave them no chance to react. Her hands moved like lightning, every punch landing solidly, every kick a blur. In a matter of moments, all dozen or so guards were lying on the ground, wailing in agony.

Witnessing this, Mother Ji’s face turned deathly pale. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and she was rendered speechless.

"Mrs. Ji, no matter how many more people you send, I can take care of them all. So don’t waste your efforts."

Ji Xiaosong nonchalantly brushed non-existent dust from her skirt. Only then did Mother Ji truly look at her.

"Truly an unlucky star, bringing disaster to the family the moment you arrive. Since you insist on staying, I’d like to see just how many lives you have to live here! Men, take the Eldest Miss to Chasing Wind Courtyard."

Ji Xiaosong let out a cold laugh and, with Zixi, followed the servant who was leading the way to Chasing Wind Courtyard.

While the courtyard wasn’t opulent, it was clean and elegant.

The servant led the mistress and maid there and then left.

Ji Xiaosong surveyed her surroundings and nodded slightly. "It’s passable."

Zixi, meanwhile, got busy tidying up the room. "Young Miss," she said as she worked, "Mrs. Ji is being so difficult. We’ll have to be careful from now on."

Ji Xiaosong’s expression was calm. "We’ll face whatever comes our way," she said. "She can’t do anything to me."

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door. An old nanny walked in and said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, "Eldest Miss, the mistress has given instructions. The expenses for this courtyard are all fixed. Be sure you don’t exceed them."