Chapter Fifteen: Letters from the Capital

  Qiu Yun looked at Xu Ming Jin, the aura emanating from her body at that moment made her panic, she didn't dare to think about what would happen if Madam left and Miss became like this.

  Yuqin closed her eyes and stopped looking at anyone, "Whatever Miss says goes, I will obey."

  "Alright! First, tie her up and watch her!" Xu Mingjin's face turned as black as a pot bottom. "Get a few more people to keep an eye on her, I don't have time to deal with her right now!" After saying that, Xu Mingjin didn't even glance at her again, his mind completely occupied by worry. If something were to happen to Lady Fan... Xu Mingjin shook his head, he dared not imagine it further. He shouted loudly: "Where is the doctor? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

  "Miss, the doctor has arrived!" A little maid rushed in with a happy face. Behind her was the panting doctor. "Quickly come and treat my mother!" Xu Mingjin hastily got up from the bedside of Madame Fan, she personally moved a stool to the bedside and took out Madame Fan's hand from under the quilt, the doctor hurried forward to take her pulse.

  Xu Mingjin was extremely nervous, and she very much hoped that Mrs. Fan's illness this time would be the same as last time, just a faint, nothing serious. However, the doctor took her pulse and was shocked, "Miss, the lady has been poisoned!"

  Xu Mingjin's eyes turned black and she almost fainted, Autumn Cloud quickly supported her. After a moment, she came to herself, struggled free from Autumn Cloud, and said: "I don't believe it! Can you really take the pulse? My mother just fainted!" She rushed forward, threw herself in front of the bed, and the doctor hastily retreated. She stretched out her hand and placed it on Madame Fan's nose, and after a moment, her hand began to tremble.

  "From the pulse of your respected father, it can be seen that he has been poisoned with arsenic, but the time is still shallow. There is still a chance to save him."

  "Then hurry up and save Mother!" Xu Mingjin said anxiously.

  "I will certainly do my best."

  For several days in a row, Xu Mingjin stayed at Liyuan until Madame Fan's body was not seriously ill, and then she had time to deal with other things.

  Yuqin wasn't as lucky as Hongluo, who at least managed to keep her life. Yuqin directly gave her a dose of mercury, and Xu Mingjin didn't even get a chance to interrogate her. She hated Yuqin so much that she wanted her dead, but originally hadn't planned on letting her die so easily. However, now she really couldn't spare the time, and if by any chance someone was careless and let Yuqin escape, it would be a huge loss.

  Hong Luo was driven out, and Yu Qin was poisoned to death. For a time, all the servants were frightened and cautious, fearing that they would be implicated by the two women and suffer the fate of being dragged down with them like fish in a pond.

  Xu Mingjin indeed had the heart to discipline the servants, but now she has no time to bother with it. Because her ruthless father suddenly sent someone to deliver a letter. The letter was delivered into her hands, rather than Madame Fan's hands, apparently the servants in the mansion are more afraid of her than Madame Fan.

  Xu Mingjin originally thought that her father had long forgotten them. Suddenly seeing his letter, she was very surprised and stunned. The letter wrote a few pages of paper, the central idea is that in half a month, he would send someone to pick them up back to Beijing.

  Xu Mingjin didn't want to go back, but this was just her own idea. She also had to listen to the opinions of Lady Fan and Mingxuan! Xu Mingjin reluctantly took the letter to Liyuan, actually, according to her idea, she wanted to tear up the letter and pretend nothing had happened, and continue living her carefree life here. Although this carefree life has been a bit turbulent lately. But she would rather have it be not peaceful than stay in that den of wolves! Hopefully, Lady Fan thought the same way as her. Xu Mingjin became happy.

  But soon she became worried, Mrs. Fan had very deep feelings for Xu Ruoyi, and she could feel it. If Mrs. Fan saw this letter, she would definitely agree to go. Shouldn't she not show her the letter? Xu Mingjin thought for a moment, feeling that it was still better to tell Mrs. Fan. After all, the truth will come out eventually. Besides, the letter clearly stated that half a month later, Xu Ruoyi's people would arrive. She handed over the letter to Mrs. Fan, and if she wanted to go, she could still advise her. If she waited until Xu Ruoyi's people arrived before telling Mrs. Fan, wouldn't it be too late to advise her? It was better to tell her mother early.

  After understanding, Xu Mingjin handed over the letter to Mrs. Fan with a big smile.

  Madam Fan looked at the letter and indeed showed a joyful and tearful expression. Xu Mingjin sighed in her heart: "Got it, just as expected." Then she heard Madam Fan say to her with joy: "Jin'er, your father said in his letter that he wants to take us back to Beijing, now it's all set, once we're in the capital, your father will definitely find you a good marriage."

  "Mother, you're thinking too optimistically. If we go to the capital, Father will acknowledge us as his own, but you'll only be a concubine." Xu Mingjin sighed and said: "Mother, in that case, you'll suffer greatly."

  "My daughter is not afraid of hardship." Lady Fan said: "As long as you can have a good home, your brother has a good future, I am willing to suffer!"

  "Mother, have you ever thought that if we lived in Liu City, the marriage of our daughter would be entirely up to you. But if we move to the capital, you will be handing over control of your daughter's marriage to Madame Xu. At that time, she can marry off your daughter to some worthless person and you won't be able to stop her."

  "It won't be!" Madame Fan hastily said: "Your father will not let things slide!"

  "Mother, the household is managed by the mistress, and Father shouldn't interfere either." Xu Mingjin continued to persuade with a bitter tone: "Mother, going to the capital city would be like throwing ourselves into the tiger's den."

  Mrs. Fan said: "You're talking too seriously, what's this about a sheep entering a tiger's mouth? That's your father!"

  Xu Mingjin muttered: I'd rather he wasn't my dad!

  She persisted in persuading: "Mother, think carefully."

  Madam Fan said, "Aren't you going to open the embroidery shop? In the past, your father didn't send a letter asking us to go to Beijing. Your mother indulged you in your nonsense. Now that we are about to leave for Beijing soon, this embroidery shop won't be opened anyway. Why not sell it off?" Xu Mingjin was anxious as soon as she heard this. It seemed like Madam Fan hadn't listened to a single word she said! At this time, Xu Mingjin calmed down instead. She knew that if she only talked about the disadvantages of going to Beijing, Madam Fan wouldn't believe her much. Thinking for a moment, Xu Mingjin slowly said, "Mother, what will Uncle do if we sell the embroidery shop?"

  Madam Fan fell into deep thought.

  Xu Mingjin saw her expression and knew she was worried about Fan Yicheng. So he said: "Mother, why don't we leave the embroidery workshop to Uncle? Firstly, he can have a livelihood, secondly, if his business goes well and he earns money, then the workshop will be ours, and we can split it half and half! In this way, when we arrive in Beijing, if we are short of money, Uncle can also help us out of trouble!"

  Madam Fan carefully considered Xu Mingjin's words, and the more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Xu Mingjin added fuel to the fire: "Mother, since ancient times, there has never been a case where both the legitimate and illegitimate wives coexisted peacefully. Madam Xu will not let us live in peace. You no longer have your natal family to rely on, but if Uncle makes a comeback, you'll have someone to depend on, won't you? If Madam Xu wants to bully me and Mingxuan, she'll have to think twice, won't she?"

  Xu Mingjin's last words hit Mrs. Fan right in the heart, and she smiled: "You're so clever! Alright, I'll do as you say!"

  Xu Mingjin's heart was not happy, how could she persuade Mrs. Fan to change her mind!

  The distance from her birthday is only ten days left, that is to say, the Embroidered Villa will open in ten days, and five days after opening, she will leave here for Beijing. Xu Mingjin's heart surged with reluctance, although she had been here for just over a month.

  There's no time for sighs here, Xumingjin cheered himself up, there are still many things waiting for him to do!

  She gathered all the paintings she had done since then, including the "Clear and Bright River" picture that had already been started, and handed them over to Autumn Cloud. She asked Autumn Cloud to take them to Fan Daliang, who was now living in the embroidery workshop, and to stay there to teach the embroiderers how to do cross-stitch embroidery. Autumn Cloud's embroidery skills were originally very good, and after learning diligently, she had already surpassed Xu Mingjin, a mediocre embroiderer. Xu Mingjin had assigned her to Fan Daliang precisely because she hoped that Autumn Cloud could use these few days to teach the embroiderers how to complete the "Clear and Bright River" picture. Otherwise, she would have regrets in her heart.

  After finishing the embroidery, she put away those poem papers that Lady Fan had given her to practice calligraphy, and now her handwriting was quite similar to the model. After finishing these, she began to think about the Zhuang's affairs.

  She decided to go to Xiu Zhuang in person after all!