Chapter 17: What Did She Hear? Pang Yunjin Desires Her

What had she just heard?

Pang Yunjin harbored feelings for her!

This must be some kind of joke!

She didn't even know Pang Yunjin, let alone ever having met him.

The very day she and her father and brother entered the capital was the same day Pang Yunjin was rescued and brought back to the Pang family.

Their carriages had even entered the city gate one after another.

Up till now, she and Pang Yunjin had had no crossing of paths whatsoever.

There must have been some misunderstanding that led Tianci to mistakenly believe Pang Yunjin was infatuated with her.

She was certain she did not know Pang Yunjin.

Xie Yuheng, on the other hand, looked at Shen Zhao with an expression full of pity.

"Brother Chu, we all know your relationship with your esteemed wife is not harmonious, but she cannot possibly be unfaithful to you!"

"You damned fool, stop spouting nonsense!"

"Mind your tongue!"

Shen Tianci and Shen Zhao spoke in unison, both giving Xie Yuheng a glare full of annoyance.

Xie Yuheng stared back, innocent and bewildered.

Had he said something wrong?

Of course not, surely Pang Yunjin wouldn't want to marry a woman who already had a husband for no reason.

Despite his disability, there were still plenty of noble ladies in the capital who wished to marry him.

He had to admit, even in his own best days, he wasn't so fortunate to win the favor of such fine young ladies.

"I was merely stating the truth..."

Xie Yuheng tried to continue, but Shen Tianci immediately bristled.

"If you dare slander my cousin’s reputation again, if another filthy word comes out of your mouth, I’ll knock your teeth out! It’s Pang Yunjin who’s infatuated with my cousin—no, it’s entirely one-sided. He doesn’t even know her real identity, nor does he know she’s married. All he knows is that the jade pendant bears the inscription ‘Bright Moon.’

He mistakenly thinks my cousin’s name is Bright Moon.

Yesterday, I went to the pawnshop to pawn my personal jade pendant, only to find out the shop belonged to the Pang family.

I handed the jade pendant over, expecting silver in return, but instead, I got Pang Yunjin. That sly fellow didn’t reveal his identity. I’ve only just arrived in the capital, and he rarely shows himself in public, so I had no idea he was a member of the Pang family.”

Besides, Pang Yunjin, at first glance, exuded a warmth like a spring breeze, making people feel comfortable and eager to converse.

But of course, Shen Tianci would never say such a thing aloud—he couldn’t bear to lose face that way.

He went on, “He first asked about the origin of the jade pendant and said he would offer me a good price.

I didn’t think much of it, so I told him straight away. He then pointed out the inscription, and I quickly explained that it was a symbol of my identity and that I only pawned it temporarily with the intention of redeeming it in the future.”

He wouldn’t dare to pawn it for good—if his parents found out, they would break his legs.

His parents still didn’t know he had joined the army; they always thought he was out traveling and studying.

“He asked for my surname too, but I thought nothing of it, just part of the pawning process. That’s how he learned the inscription wasn’t a real name but a childhood name. Only when he later produced my cousin’s jade pendant did I realize he’d been trying to get information out of me.”

Shen Tianci, turning to Shen Zhao, hurried to explain, “Don’t misunderstand, Brother Chu. Pang Yunjin said that jade pendant was left behind by his savior—it wasn’t a gift from my cousin.”

When Shen Zhao showed no reaction, Shen Tianci couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed.

He didn’t want Brother Chu to misunderstand his cousin, but this indifference only proved the rumors true.

That Chu intended to divorce and remarry.

What he didn’t know was that, beneath Shen Zhao’s calm exterior, a storm was brewing.

Her childhood name was indeed "Bright Moon."

Her given name had been derived from the phrase "the bright moon shines," so her childhood name was simply "Bright Moon."

She never would have imagined that the person she saved all those years ago was Pang Yunjin—the legitimate eldest son of Pang Qingyun.

To think she had saved the son of her enemy! How ironic.

Shen Tianci sighed, then said with a hint of annoyance, “I know you don’t care about my cousin, but I care about her reputation. So when Pang Yunjin said he wished to meet the owner of the jade pendant and claimed she should take responsibility for him, I gave him a punch on the spot. Saving his life and now she’s to be responsible for him—what kind of twisted logic is that? No one knows my cousin’s identity, but what if someone finds out? Anyway, the punch has been dealt, and he can forget about learning my cousin’s whereabouts from me!”

Shen Zhao’s cheeks flushed as she recalled the scene when she saved him. She could swear she really hadn’t meant to pull down Pang Yunjin’s trousers.

She could also swear she hadn’t seen anything she shouldn’t have.

Suddenly, she understood why Pang Yunjin had detained Shen Tianci.

There were no signs that Tianci had been tortured—Pang Yunjin’s only goal was to force Tianci to reveal her whereabouts.

Clever as he was, perhaps Pang Yunjin had already deduced her identity from Tianci and the jade pendant.

Meanwhile, at the General’s Mansion—

Chu Mu frowned deeply as he reviewed the expenses of each courtyard.

The further he read, the sharper his gaze became.

With a snap, he closed the account book.

He turned to the steward beside him. “Is the expenditure for the Western Courtyard truly this high? Nearly fifty taels of silver a day? That’s fifteen hundred a month, nearly twenty thousand a year!”

He was shocked—his entire salary wasn’t enough to cover the expenses of just Lin Jiaojiao’s courtyard.

The General’s Mansion had limited properties and meager income.

He recalled what the cook in his mother’s courtyard had said: the family’s extravagance was sustained entirely by A’Zhao’s support.

Thinking of Shen Zhao’s situation brought a heavy discomfort to Chu Mu’s heart.

Lin Jiaojiao had more than once subtly suggested that Shen Zhao mistreated her.

More than once, he had quarreled fiercely with A’Zhao over these complaints, their arguments escalating until both faces were flushed with anger.

Every time, A’Zhao’s eyes would be filled with disappointment.

No wonder A’Zhao felt so wronged—this was what they called mistreatment? They’d practically worshipped Lin Jiaojiao as if she were an ancestor.

The steward was completely bewildered—the Western Courtyard’s expenses had always been this high, and this month was actually a little lower than usual.

Why was Madam suddenly inquiring today?

But since Madam asked, he had to answer.

After all, though Madam had little status in the General’s Mansion, everyone in the household depended on her for their livelihood.

“Madam, the Western Courtyard’s expenses have always been this high. This month, it’s nearly two hundred taels less than last month, but today another hundred taels were withdrawn—Madam Lin’s nanny came to the accounts office saying that Madam Lin was suffering terrible chest pains, couldn’t eat the mansion’s food, and needed dishes from Golden Jade Restaurant that she likes.”

Chu Mu’s face darkened instantly.

So, because she had chest pains, they took a hundred taels to order food from Golden Jade Restaurant?

How could she be so privileged!

The dishes at Golden Jade Restaurant were famously expensive.

Even as the Grand General, he had only been there a handful of times.

Thinking of A’Zhao subsisting on moldy buns and kitchen scraps every day, Chu Mu’s chest felt tight with distress.

He shot a cold look at the steward. “Did you give it to her?”

What?

The steward was at a loss.

Chu Mu’s face grew even grimmer. “Why did you hand over the money to the Western Courtyard without consulting me?”

Only then did the steward realize that Madam’s way of speaking could be quite alarming—what did she mean by “you gave it to her”? It was enough to make people’s thoughts wander.

He felt wronged. “Madam, you’re putting me in a difficult position. The General instructed Deputy Zhang that Miss Lin could draw silver from the accounts directly without your approval or interference. In the past, you never inquired about the Western Courtyard’s expenses…”

His voice grew smaller and smaller as he spoke.

With a bang, Chu Mu slammed the account book onto the table.

When had he ever given such an order to Deputy Zhang?

Why did he know nothing about this!

Very well—so they all took him for a fool.

With a cold, ruthless tone, he said: