Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 172 Canglan Ferry (42)

Madam Zhang was stunned. She couldn't catch her breath and the air stuck in her throat, turning into a question with a distorted tone.

"what?"

Madam Feng was also taken aback: "The person is back?"

Xu was outspoken: "Dead or alive?"

These words, spoken in front of Madam Zhang, angered Madam Feng to the point of disregarding etiquette and jabbing her hard with her elbow.

Xu then realized she had misspoke and quickly corrected herself: "Is he alright?"

"I don't know," the servant said. "The carriage is parked at the gate of the mansion, and there are too many onlookers. They haven't gotten off yet."

The group exchanged glances, then ignored Yan Jinhe and turned to run outside in a swarm.

In the blink of an eye, only Yan Jinhe and Yin Xin remained in the wrecked Jinxiu Garden.

Yan Jinhe stood there, stunned, forgetting even the pain on her face.

"They're back? They actually came back!" Yan Jinhe muttered to herself. "Did Big Brother make a mistake? Why didn't he kill them?"

After saying that, she continued to herself, "Impossible, it's impossible for them to have failed. Pei Wangzhou must have brought their bodies back. It must be that way... Yin Xin!"

Startled by her name being called, Yin Xin quickly replied, "Madam?"

"Help me up, I need to go see what's going on."

Yin Xin helped Yan Jinhe up from the ground. Looking at her still bleeding face, she whispered, "Madam, your face is still bleeding. Let's tend to the wound first..."

"Shut up!" Yan Jinhe didn't care about her injuries at this moment. She wanted to see Jiang Li's body with her own eyes. She needed to confirm that this woman was dead before she could feel at ease.

The main gate of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

A carriage bearing the emblem of the Marquis of Pingxi was parked outside the gate, surrounded by a bustling crowd of people craning their necks to watch the spectacle. At a glance, there were at least several thousand people.

Yan Zhen sat in the carriage, with Old Madam Lu at the head of the table and Zhang Shulan beside her, her palms sweating with nervousness as she tightly gripped Yan Zhen's hand.

Hearing the discussions outside, Yan Zhen was somewhat surprised.

She had expected Yan Jinhe to make a big fuss, but she didn't expect it to escalate this much.

Yan Jinhe is probably going to great lengths to make her infamous this time.

Then came Madam Zhang's tearful cry from outside the carriage curtain: "Lan'er, is that you? Have you come back?"

Yan Zhen squeezed Zhang Shulan's hand, nodded to Old Madam Lu, then adjusted his expression, revealing an innocent and confused look, before lifting the carriage curtain and getting out of the car.

When Madam Zhang and Madam Feng saw Yan Zhen and Zhang Shulan get off the carriage safely, they were filled with indescribable excitement and hurriedly went to greet them.

Madam Feng pulled Yan Zhen up and down, while Madam Zhang hugged Zhang Shulan tightly and burst into tears.

"Aunt, what's going on?" Yan Zhen looked at the crowd of onlookers with confusion. "Why are there so many people here?"

Madam Feng didn't know how to explain for a moment, so she could only gesture with her eyes for her to come into the mansion first.

Just then, a discordant voice rang out, filled with suppressed anger and resentment: "Oh, isn't this Aunt Jiang from our Duke's mansion, who was kidnapped by bandits? You're back."

When Yan Zhen turned around and saw Yan Jinhe, she raised an eyebrow slightly.

Yan Jinhe was disheveled, her clothes were torn, and her face was untreated. She looked utterly wretched, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, like a fighting rooster that had lost its mind in a battle and was waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow to its enemy.

"What bandits?" Yan Zhen feigned ignorance. "Sister, what happened to you? Your face..."

Yan Jinhe stared intently at her, his gaze sweeping over her face and neck, trying to find any signs of injury.

But Yan Zhen stood unharmed in front of her. Even though she was unwilling to admit it, she had to face the reality that Yan Jinqing had failed. This bitch was not only not killed, but she wasn't even injured.

She had painstakingly planned for so long, yet she hadn't managed to harm that bitch in the slightest.

A deep-seated hatred churned and fermented in Yan Jinhe's heart. Her hands clenched into fists under her sleeves, her nails digging deep into her palms. Only one thought occupied her mind.

We can't let Jiang Li get away with this!

She was kidnapped and humiliated by bandits, and the blame for losing her innocence must be pinned on her today.

Let her forever bear the shame, unable to explain herself.

Anyway, she had spread rumors for so long that most of the people in the capital believed them, otherwise so many people wouldn't have come to watch the spectacle today.

Now, whenever Jiang Li is rendered speechless in front of onlookers, she will never be able to shake off this humiliation for the rest of her life!

Thinking of this, Yan Jinhe stepped down the stairs and looked coldly at Jiang Li: "You still have the nerve to come back!"

Yan Zhen was even more confused: "Why can't I come back? I only went to Qingshan Temple to burn incense, how come I can't even go home?"

"Why did you stay out all night after going to Qingshan Temple to burn incense?" Yan Jinhe said sternly. "Rumors are circulating that you were kidnapped by bandits and your purity was defiled. A woman's chastity is of utmost importance. Since you are already impure, you should atone for your sins with your death, lest you return and tarnish the Duke's Mansion's century-old reputation!"

Yan Zhen frowned: "Sister, where did you hear this rumor? When was I kidnapped by bandits?"

"Since you weren't kidnapped by bandits, why didn't you return home last night? The young master searched almost the entire Qingshan Temple for you, but couldn't find you anywhere!"

Yan Jinhe's words were forceful and resounding. Although they seemed to be rebuking Yan Zhen, they were actually meant for the people present, emphasizing that Yan Zhen "did not return home last night" and "was not at Qingshan Temple last night."

As expected, the onlookers were full of discussion, pointing and whispering about Yan Zhen and Zhang Shulan.

"The young master came looking for me? I was indeed not at Qingshan Temple last night, but stayed at Chongyang Temple."

Chongyang Temple?

Yan Jinhe felt the name sounded familiar, but couldn't quite place where she had heard it before.

Yan Zhen noticed her confusion and considerately explained, "That is a Taoist temple where female Taoists practice seclusion."

Yan Jinhe dismissed it as an excuse: "You still want to argue! The Duke's mansion cannot tolerate a woman like you who has lost her chastity. If you still have feelings for the heir, then commit suicide to atone for your sins..."

"I have been practicing meditation at Chongyang Temple for three years, and I never knew that the atmosphere in the capital had become like this. The principal wife forced the concubine to commit suicide in broad daylight." A deep and weathered voice came from the carriage, interrupting Yan Jinhe's words.

Granny Lu lifted the carriage curtain, and the next moment, Old Madam Lu stepped out under everyone's gaze.

The onlookers were taken aback at first, but then someone recognized him.

"The old lady of the Marquis of Pingxi?"

"you know?"

"Yes, I know her. A few years ago, there was a drought in other places, and many refugees came to the capital. She opened a soup kitchen and personally distributed soup. She also vacated the estate under the name of the Marquis of Pingxi to accommodate the refugees. She is a very good philanthropist."

Madam Zhang was also startled and quickly stepped forward to help her up: "Madam, what brings you here? And you're with my Lan'er and Miss Jiang..."

Before Madam Lu could speak, her attendant, Granny Lu, said, “Yesterday, this old servant went down the mountain to fetch medicine for you. On the way, the carriage broke down, and I met Miss Jiang and Miss Zhang, who were on their way to Qingshan Temple to burn incense. They escorted me back to Chongyang Temple. Madam Lu and Miss Jiang hit it off immediately and chatted very congenially. Since it was getting late, I decided to let them stay overnight.”