Chapter 317

Side Story: Fierce Neighbor Melody 2

The Jin family residence does not occupy a large area, but it is made quite exquisitely! The small garden in the back, the rockeries, flowing water, and lotus pond—not a single thing is missing; it is truly a case of "though the sparrow is small, it has all the vital organs," and it is done quite well. It can be seen that those old fellows from the Ministry of Works truly spent a fortune and gave it their all!

Separated from the West Garden of the Prince Gong Fu is the Yue Wen Ge on the east side of the Jin residence; to put it plainly, this is the place Jin Jingwen specifically prepared for her little nephew, Jin Liangyu, to study!

Jin Jingwen is a woman and will eventually be married off. Even if Jin Jingwen had the intention to recruit a live-in son-in-law, it would not be the same thing in the end. Besides, based on Jin Jingwen's standards, she really couldn't look down upon the young masters of ordinary families, but if they were that excellent, who would be willing to be a live-in son-in-law?! So, in the end, the Jin family now only has Jin Liangyu as the sole seedling left, so Jin Jingwen must work herself to the bone to cultivate Jin Liangyu into a talent; only in this way can the Jin family be revitalized in the future!

Jin Jingwen had made up her mind, and for this very reason, long before moving into the new residence, she had specifically begged Yin Fengzhan to help find a teacher. But who would have known that just two days after moving in, trouble would arrive!

At first, it was the simplest noise!

Yue Wen Ge is adjacent to the West Garden of the Prince Gong Fu. Every day when Jin Liangyu studies, all kinds of sounds come from next door. People playing instruments and singing, shouting and yelling, putting on airs with affected voices... in short, there is nothing you cannot think of, and nothing you cannot hear!

And if it were just noise, that would be fine! Women, when there are many of them, will always cause some trouble; Jin Jingwen could understand that. When encountering such times, she would just treat it as training her little nephew's concentration. But if it is noisy, there should at least be some rest time given to people during the day! Yet next door, from the moment they open their eyes in the morning until the middle of the night, there is no peace! Not being able to study well during the day, and not even letting people rest at night—isn't this just tormenting people?!

Furthermore, the matter did not end there! Previously, Jin Jingwen thought that although Yin Fengxuan was not much, he was still Yin Fengzhan's brother, and his mother, Noble Consort Zhang, was also very good to her, so regardless of anything else, just looking at their relationship, Jin Jingwen did not find it easy to fall out with Yin Fengxuan over this matter. Otherwise, if they ended up thinking that she, Jin Jingwen, was being difficult and had become arrogant because of this, that would not be good!

So, Jin Jingwen endured the previous matters. At worst, she would just stop letting her little nephew study at Yue Wen Ge in the future. But just this morning, as Jin Jingwen was about to have the people in the residence arrange a quiet courtyard for her little nephew to study, the steward, Liang Xu, ran over from outside in a great hurry!

Liang Xu is in his forties. Many years ago, when the Liang family suffered, they were saved by Jin Qi, so Liang Xu remembered this kindness. It was just that when the Jin family met with disaster, Liang Xu happened not to be in the capital, and by the time he returned, the Jin family was already a shadow of its former self. Although Liang Xu did not work in the Jin residence back then, his daughter was there, and that daughter is Liang Hong. When the Jin family was raided, Liang Hong escaped, and not long after, Nie Jinhui found her and secretly sent her into the palace, simultaneously changing her name to Zhang Biyao!

Yes, that is the palace maid Biyao who was by Consort Tong Shu's side!

Therefore, looking at this point alone, the Liang family is still very loyal to the Jin family. So, as soon as the Jin family's new residence was built, Jin Jingwen personally went to find Liang Xu, and upon hearing that the little miss of his benefactor's family had come to invite him, Liang Xu did not say a word and came directly!

Since coming to the Jin family, this Liang Xu has always been careful in his work and quite steady in his conduct; he is rarely flustered. So, seeing him enter in such a hurry, Jin Jingwen was slightly stunned, and before Jin Jingwen could even ask, Liang Xu spoke first:

"Fourth Miss, please go to Yue Wen Ge and take a look! Over at the Prince Gong Fu..."

The Jin family had three sons and four daughters back then, and Jin Jingwen was the youngest. So, after Liang Xu entered the residence, he continued to use the old form of address. At this moment, hearing that it was the Prince Gong Fu again, Jin Jingwen's anger flared up instantly. She then stepped out and walked in the direction of the East Garden's Yue Wen Ge!

But once she arrived at Yue Wen Ge, Jin Jingwen, who was already fuming inside, instantly exploded!

It turned out that today, there was neither noise nor commotion next door; instead, they had hung a living person up there!

No! Looking at it, that living person was already dead by now!

The Prince Gong Fu is an old residence, and its layout and workmanship are beyond reproach. There are many trees in the backyard of the Prince Gong Fu, and judging by their appearance, they have been there for at least many years. Especially this one in the West Garden, which grows right by the wall; its large branches stretched out, actually covering the Jin family's side as well.

In the past, looking at the large tree extending from next door, seeing it lush and green, it was actually quite nice! It was a case of "it is cool to enjoy the shade under a big tree"!

But today, a dead person was hanging there in plain sight... so, one can imagine, let alone Jin Jingwen, even someone with a softer temperament would not be able to stand it!

Furthermore, what was even more excessive was that one of the dead person's shoes had actually fallen into her own courtyard!

Damn it! This is intolerable! Is this mother-f***er not letting people live?!

The constant noise was one thing, but today they actually pulled a stunt like this...

So, looking at everything before her, Jin Jingwen felt completely unwell! And just at this moment, Jin Jingwen's little nephew, Jin Liangyu, presumably hearing the noise, ran over. He looked up, blinked his eyes, and then tugged on Jin Jingwen's skirt, asking in a low voice:

"Aunt, what happened to that big sister? Why is she in the tree?"

Jin Liangyu is still young after all; although he is six, he was previously fostered in a temple, and after being brought over by Jin Jingwen, he has been very well protected. So, he naturally does not understand these things! At this moment, hearing her little nephew's soft, milky voice, Jin Jingwen, who was already furious, was instantly incensed. She immediately ordered Liang Xu to bring a ladder and set it against the wall. Then, Jin Jingwen stepped forward, snatched up the embroidered shoe that had fallen into her courtyard, climbed the ladder in a few quick steps, and looked up. She saw the crowd in chaos in the opposite courtyard, and among the crowd, Yin Fengxuan, who looked somewhat bewildered.

Then, Jin Jingwen did not stand on ceremony, and disregarding any notions of virtue or decorum, she roared directly from the top of the wall:

"Yin Fengxuan, do whatever you want with the broken shoes and rotten socks in your courtyard, but don't bring your chaos to my Jin family!"

Having said that, Jin Jingwen raised her hand and flung the embroidered shoe, hitting Yin Fengxuan directly in the face!

"And, you wait for me! This matter is not over!"

After leaving this final remark, Jin Jingwen climbed down the ladder, and without even changing her clothes, she went straight into the palace.

Picking up a dead person's shoe and throwing it back—most women would probably not dare to do such a thing! But Jin Jingwen is not an ordinary woman; although she comes from the Jin family and is a proper young lady of a prestigious family, she is tough and daring in her bones! Otherwise, she would not have survived until today!

And Jin Jingwen is a woman of her word. After entering the palace, she went to find Nie Jinxuan. Thus, the scene of her rushing in in a panic, as described at the beginning, occurred!

However, Jin Jingwen did not expect that her timing was not very good, as Noble Consort Zhang was also present. But upon second thought, she felt it didn't matter. Without waiting for them to ask, Jin Jingwen poured out the story like beans from a bamboo tube, rattling off the whole thing from beginning to end.

Jin Jingwen is tough, but her mind is also quite sharp. Knowing that Noble Consort Zhang was present, Jin Jingwen made the story sound even more realistic; she did not add oil or vinegar, but simply made her own hardships and the actual situation at the Prince Gong Fu clear. When she finished speaking, Jin Jingwen pursed her small face, glanced at Nie Jinxuan first, and then turned her gaze to Noble Consort Zhang, who was to the side:

"Grand Consort, you have known Jingwen for so long, and you know Jingwen's temper. Although Jingwen's temperament is not considered good, I am not someone who cannot endure. But now, the chaos over at Prince Gong's place is truly unbearable; it has even led to a loss of life, and this is..."

Jin Jingwen is clear-minded, and for some things, it is better to say only half. So, Jin Jingwen left the rest of her words unsaid.

And what kind of person is Noble Consort Zhang? How could her depth of mind be compared to that of an ordinary person?! Let alone Jin Jingwen only saying half, even if she hadn't said a word and just laid the facts out, Noble Consort Zhang would have seen it as clearly as a mirror!

Actually, Noble Consort Zhang also has a splitting headache regarding her own son! If she didn't know that this brat really crawled out of her own belly, Noble Consort Zhang would sometimes wonder if the child had been swapped back then! Otherwise, she herself is not stupid, and the late Emperor was also a sharp-minded person; how could they have given birth to such a thing that is even stupider than a donkey?!

As for the situation in her son's residence, Noble Consort Zhang knows it if not perfectly, then at least seven or eight parts. Her son is a profligate by nature, and no matter how many times she disciplines him, he never listens. She had thought about seizing the time to pick a formidable wife for him to go back and keep him in check, but she truly did not expect that before a wife could be found, a loss of life would occur here first!

So, one can imagine that just as Jin Jingwen was halfway through her story, Noble Consort Zhang felt completely unwell! She was so angry that she could have grabbed her bastard son and slapped him against a wall so hard he wouldn't even be able to be scraped off!

But Noble Consort Zhang is, after all, someone who can suppress her temper. So, it was not until Jin Jingwen finished speaking that Noble Consort Zhang pursed her lips:

"Look at what you are saying, child. If I didn't know the temperament of this little girl of yours, would all the affection I've shown you in the past have been in vain?! I am not someone who cannot distinguish between people's hearts and would soften just by hearing a few nice words~"

First, she said a few words to ease the atmosphere, and then Noble Consort Zhang changed the subject to the main point:

"However, what Jingwen said makes sense, and I understand it. After all, the Jin family now only has the two of you, aunt and nephew. I have also seen that child, Liangyu; he is truly heart-wrenching. It is only right for you to urge Liangyu to study hard, so, speaking of it, this matter is indeed Xuan'er's fault. Not only is his own courtyard a mess, but even his neighbors are suffering; what kind of behavior is this!"

"Of course, if we talk about it, it is also my negligence in the past. That brat Xuan'er is profligate by nature, and he doesn't use his brain when bringing people into his courtyard; he only thinks about his own whims. But with his limited intelligence, how could he handle the minds of those women?! As a result, this happened... sigh, blame me, it's all my fault!"

Although Noble Consort Zhang's words sounded a bit like polite formalities, they were also her sincere feelings. Over the years, Noble Consort Zhang always felt that her stupid son was just like this; she couldn't discipline him, so she became too lazy to manage him. So, now that such a thing has happened, in the end, it is still her, as his mother, who failed to fulfill her responsibilities!

Noble Consort Zhang is a sensible person. Hearing Noble Consort Zhang say this, Jin Jingwen could not say anything more, but the matter still had to be resolved. Thinking of this, Jin Jingwen pursed her lips, first comforted Noble Consort Zhang a few words, and then said again:

"But Grand Consort, what should be done about this matter now? We only just moved in a few days ago, and this happened. If in the future..."

Actually, in the end, Jin Jingwen also understood in her heart that although she was shouting loudly when she came, the Jin family's residence was already built, and it was not that easy to move again. At the very least, the first point is: the imperial court spent public funds to build a residence for you, and you don't even live in it—what is this, are you showing contempt for the imperial grace?

Besides, even if Yin Fengzhan didn't care, once they moved, both the old fellows from the Ministry of Works who put in great effort and the people outside would naturally be very confused. People are all curious, so naturally, as long as the two of them, aunt and nephew, moved, people would immediately start asking questions. By then, it goes without saying that the messy affairs of the Prince Gong Fu would be exposed, and what would be lost then would not just be Yin Fengxuan's face, but Noble Consort Zhang's face, and even the face of the entire royal family!

Jin Jingwen is not stupid; she would not do such a thing. Even if she didn't think for herself, she had to think for Jin Liangyu's future. At this moment, Nie Jinxuan, who was to the side, although she had not spoken, saw the thoughts of Jin Jingwen and Noble Consort Zhang. She then smiled slightly and said in a slow voice:

"Sigh, if you ask me, Jingwen, don't be anxious. After all, moving is no small matter. Your residence was built by the Ministry of Works; if you move away just two days after moving in, I reckon there will definitely be people saying things. So, in my opinion, Jingwen, you might as well have Liangyu move to another courtyard to study first. After all, no matter how much noise there is at the Prince Gong Fu, it won't reach your other courtyards~!"

"So, for now, Jingwen, just suffer a little grievance, but it is only temporary! After all, just hiding from this matter is not a solution. Besides, Prince Gong is the Emperor's brother, and we are all not outsiders, so it is not good to just watch! So, there must be a way to deal with this Prince Gong Fu matter; we cannot let those concubines turn the world upside down!"

Nie Jinxuan spoke from both sides, and she was quite rational. Hearing this, Noble Consort Zhang also nodded:

"Yes, that is how it is. Liangyu will also enter officialdom in the future; even if he is young now, it is not good for any incidents to occur. As for Xuan'er's side, he must be disciplined... but Jinxuan, how do you say he should be disciplined? You know that brat Xuan'er; he simply doesn't listen. I have punished him and beaten him in the past, and now that his residence is like this, I cannot go over personally to help him clean up those fox-spirits who are courting death! But if I send people from the palace, given that brat Xuan'er's temper, he certainly won't be willing to listen..."

There is nothing more tragic than a son not listening to his own mother! And now, as a Grand Consort, even if she has a headache over some things, it is not appropriate for her to go down and do the work herself... sigh, it is truly a headache!

As for things that Noble Consort Zhang has no way to deal with, it goes without saying for Consort Li and Chen Yan'er, who were to the side. But just at this moment, Shui Yun, who had been standing to the side but had not spoken the whole time, raised her eyes and looked at Jin Jingwen. And this was seen exactly by Nie Jinxuan:

"Shui Yun, what is it? Could it be that you have a solution?"

"Replying to Your Highness, I dare not claim to have a solution, but it is not entirely without a way."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Nie Jinxuan had never treated Shui Yun as a servant. And now, having received Nie Jinxuan's permission, Shui Yun raised her eyes again and said in a low voice:

"Actually, things have reached this point, and although it is a private matter of the Prince Gong Fu, it has in fact already affected the Jin family. So, since that is the case, why not let the Fourth Miss help handle this matter!"

Shui Yun spoke cleanly and neatly. But upon hearing this, the few people present could not help but be stunned.

Actually, it was not that Noble Consort Zhang and Nie Jinxuan and the others were not smart, but in their view, the affairs of the Prince Gong Fu were private matters, and since they were private matters, others could not intervene! Even if Yin Fengzhan were here, he would have no way to point fingers at his brother's backyard.

But Shui Yun was different from them; she was a death soldier herself and knew quite a bit about the affairs of the Jianghu. So, according to the rules of the Jianghu, this matter was as simple as could be—

Although your family's business is your family's business, since you have provoked me now, then I will act on behalf of Heaven and help you tidy things up!

So, in the end, Shui Yun was just applying this kind of rule. After a moment of stunned silence, Noble Consort Zhang and Nie Jinxuan smiled almost simultaneously, and then turned their eyes to look at Jin Jingwen:

"Then, is Jingwen willing to do this favor?"