Chapter 80: Guilt

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and the others, stretched to their limits, worked tirelessly for a full week before everyone in Jingcheng had been vaccinated; then the Emperor Tianqi Emperor ordered Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and the imperial physicians to teach the vaccination method to doctors in every prefecture and county across the Emperor Tianqi realm, gradually rolling out the vaccination nationwide.

After receiving the order, Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and the others showed not the slightest slack; they organized a series of training courses, compiled detailed steps and precautions for vaccination into a manual, and distributed it to doctors across the land; with the Emperor's support and the Crown Prince's oversight, everything proceeded smoothly.

Meanwhile, a major incident occurred within the Jun household.

Ever since the First Lady's face was disfigured, Xiang Xiang Junzheng had not spent a night in Cuiyu Courtyard; after the First Lady, unable to control her tongue, spilled every secret in the house, he felt a chill of fear at the mere thought of that place, let alone approaching it even a fraction.

Besides the First Lady, the only concubine in the household was Zhou Zhou Yiniang; since Xiang Xiang Junzheng felt guilty toward Zhou Zhou Yiniang, he had been resting in her small courtyard these days; though Zhou Zhou Yiniang had withdrawn from the world for her children's sake, she had followed this man since youth and borne him a pair of children, so she still harbored some affection for him; now that the First Lady had fallen, Zhou Zhou Yiniang was pleased by Xiang Xiang Junzheng's arrival; when Xiang Xiang Junzheng came today, Zhou Zhou Yiniang personally prepared several fine dishes.

As Xiang Xiang Junzheng stepped into the small courtyard, he smelled the long-forgotten aroma of cooked food; seeing the table laden with dishes, his heart filled with emotion.

Zhou Zhou Yiniang gently served dishes to Xiang Xiang Junzheng; Xiang Xiang Junzheng also picked up a pair of chopsticks to serve Zhou Zhou Yiniang; Jun Jun Shuyan rolled her eyes heavenward and muttered softly:

"This is far too hypocritical."

Hearing these words, Zhou Zhou Yiniang's brows furrowed slightly, and she scolded: "Yan'er, do not be rude."

Thinking of how he had wronged this mother and daughter over the years, Xiang Xiang Junzheng did not take offense and smiled:

"Your courtyard is far too secluded; I intend to move you to a different one."

Hearing she would be moved to a new courtyard, Jun Jun Shuyan's eyes lit up, and her attitude toward Xiang Xiang Junzheng improved; she had long grown weary of this remote and cramped courtyard.

Zhou Zhou Yiniang, however, still felt some worry; she waved her hand and said softly: "Master, there is no need; we are accustomed to living here, and it is quiet."

Xiang Xiang Junzheng insisted on the move: "In the past I neglected you; now I must make amends."

Jun Jun Shuyan could not help but interject: "Father, you must not go back on your word; living here, I have to walk a long way every time I go to find Second Sister."

Seeing that the mother and daughter were willing to accept his kindness, Xiang Xiang Junzheng breathed a slight sigh of relief, smiled, and said: "When have I ever lied to you? Tomorrow I will have Qinxin Garden cleared, and you two will move in."

Qinxin Garden earned its name because flowers bloomed year-round without withling, filling the air with perpetual fragrance; it was one of the few fine courtyards in the Jun household.

Upon hearing she would move to Qinxin Garden, Jun Jun Shuyan was so excited she ate half a bowl more rice; seeing her daughter so happy, Zhou Zhou Yiniang also felt some anticipation and no longer refused.

Once Jun Jun Shuyan began speaking of Seeing Jun Jun Zijin, she could not stop; her eyes shimmered with admiration for Seeing Jun Jun Zijin:

"Second Sister is truly remarkable; she was even able to develop such a powerful vaccine."

A smile also appeared on Xiang Xiang Junzheng's face; this daughter was indeed not only exceptionally intelligent but also possessed a heart of benevolence; this time, developing the vaccine that eradicated smallpox was truly a blessing for the Emperor Tianqi realm and also the glory of the Jun family.

Thinking of this, Xiang Xiang Junzheng again recalled Wu Shi, who was confined in Cuiyu Courtyard; he had insisted on bringing Wu Shi, whom he had kept outside the household, into the house; Fang Fang Mengru, being gentle by nature, had tried to stop him several times but, seeing it was useless, had given up; he never dreamed he was bringing back a poisonous woman who had killed his wife, killed his two sons, and poisoned the old mother with whom he had lived since childhood.

These days, whenever Xiang Xiang Junzheng thought of Fang Fang Mengru lying in a pool of blood, dead herself and her unborn child, whenever he thought of that male fetus already formed but never given birth, whenever he thought of his four-year-old son who drowned in that pond, whenever Xiang Xiang Junzheng thought of their tragic fates, he suffered nightmares night after night.

This poisonous woman had harmed so many people; not even his mother was spared; the Old Lady nearly died at her hands, leaving her bedridden for so many years; even with Second Daughter's unmatched medical skill, the Old Lady still could not stand.

He thought again of Seeing Jun Jun Zijin; that poisonous woman had tried to kill his second daughter several times; had she not been blessed with a strong life, she would have died long ago; he thought again of Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's goodness; he truly felt ashamed toward Fang Fang Mengru, ashamed toward his two sons, ashamed toward his second daughter and the Old Lady.

How could he ever face the Old Lady and her daughter again? His resentment toward Wu Shi extended even to the look in his eyes when he saw Jun Jun Yiyi, a disappointment he could hardly conceal.

Jun Jun Yiyi's heart was full of grievance and unwillingness; she tried to find opportunities to explain herself to Xiang Xiang Junzheng, but Xiang Xiang Junzheng always avoided her.

One day, Jun Jun Yiyi waited in a corner of the garden along the path Xiang Xiang Junzheng must take; when Xiang Xiang Junzheng passed, she suddenly rushed out and knelt before him.

"Father, those things were done by Mother; it is not the daughter's fault; I beg you to give the daughter another chance." Jun Jun Yiyi's face was drenched in tears, pitiful beyond measure.

In the past, Xiang Xiang Junzheng would have softened his heart; but today, he merely gave Jun Jun Yiyi a cold glance, his eyes filled with disgust and weariness.

"Stand up; Wu Shi's evil deeds go far beyond these; yet you have been by her side for so many years—could you truly have known nothing? Moreover, in the past I favored you greatly, yet I never saw you stop her even a fraction."

Jun Jun Yiyi cried, claiming she had been momentarily confused and had been instigated by her mother.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng took a deep breath: "You are grown now; right and wrong should be clear; do not use your mother as an excuse again. I have kept that poisonous woman alive so that she may live in atonement for the rest of her days. As for you, from now on, simply stay quietly in the household."

Jun Jun Yiyi collapsed to the ground, opened her mouth to argue, but found she had nothing to say.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng stepped around her and continued forward; Jun Jun Yiyi, gazing at his back, cried out in despair:

"Father, are you truly so heartless?"

Xiang Xiang Junzheng paused slightly, then continued on, not turning back.

Jun Jun Yiyi's eyes were filled with despair; she sat on the ground for a long while; a surge of resentment rose within her; her eyes flashed with cruelty; she bit her lip fiercely, and a few bloodshot veins appeared in her eyes.

Night fell; all sounds ceased; the entire mansion was shrouded in a layer of tranquil darkness; Jun Jun Yiyi crept quietly into the small kitchen and personally cooked a pot of porridge for the First Lady, then delivered it.

The First Lady was deeply moved; she took the bowl, gently blew away the steam from the surface, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in her mouth; in that instant, a satisfied smile appeared on the First Lady's face, and she praised her daughter for becoming sensible.

For the first time in her life, the First Lady ate porridge cooked by her own daughter; her appetite was good, and she ate two bowls.

Early the next morning, when the sky was only faintly bright and the whole world was immersed in silence, suddenly a sharp scream rang out from Cuiyu Courtyard, piercing the long sky, startling the birds perched in the trees, waking those still asleep, and instantly shattering that tranquility completely.