Chapter 264: Chapter 264: The authentication token of the Chen family head

The curtains of the sedan chair went up before a noble women with willow-shaped brows and phoenix eyes stepped out and looked in their direction.

“My God,” Ning Xiaoyao muttered with a tremulous sigh. “There’s killing intent!”

Ji Yuerong held Xiaoqiu tighter before telling Erya, “When we start fighting later, Erya, you take Xiaoqiu and run as fast as you can.”

Erya felt that she’d have no sense of loyalty if she fled on the eve of a battle, so she remained uncertain. Ning Xiaoyao added, “Erya, have you turned into a fool? Which one do you think is more worthwhile, two people getting beaten or all four?”

“I think it’s the one with two,” Erya replied.

“It’s not I think, it’s definitely!” Ning Xiaoyao said. “Big bro Windy and the rest are hiding in the end of the alleyway yonder. You should run away with Xiaoqiu and hide over there.”

“Née Xu is coming!” Ji Yuerong warned in a soft voice. Ning Xiaoyao examined Lady Xu as she approached them and discovered that even her way of walking took big steps. It was a very valiant and heroic stride.

Ning Xiaoyao breathed in again before tugging at Erya. “Erya, call for mother.”

“Mother,” Erya called out fearfully for Ji Yuerong, her voice trembling.

The Chen estate servants looked even more fearful at the sound. Our general has a daughter, too?!

“Big sis, don’t be afraid of her,” Ning Xiaoyao told Ji Yuerong next. “You and the general already have children. Why are you afraid of that barren thing at all?”

The Chen family servants looked at Ning Xiaoyao as if they were watching a dead girl. Née Xu’s steps faltered at the comment before she laughed and kept walking forward. Ji Yuerong shot desperate winks in Ning Xiaoyao’s direction.

“It’s enough if we get the point across. Aren’t you afraid that woman will beat us to death?”

“I can’t even die if someone stabs me, so why would I fear a thrashing?” Since Ning Xiaoyao had decided to risk everything, she was prepared to be beaten half dead by née Xu as well.

By now née Xu had stopped about ten meters apart from the two tall and small figures. “Which family are you from?” she asked. It was a normal question, but sounded high and lofty when asked from those lips. Both His Majesty Ning and Jie Yuerong felt that they’d instantly shrunk in her eyes.

“This little woman’s maternal clan is the Xiang,” Jie Yuerong managed to force out.

“Maternal clan? Sounds like you’re a married woman,” née Xu remarked.

Ning Xiaoyao held up her head and threw out her chest. “That’s right, ah. She even has a daughter and son.”

Née Xu asked, “If that’s the case, who was your matchmaker? Do you have a marriage certificate?”

Ji Yuerong and Ning Xiaoyao exchanged glances. This is going differently from what we expected. Why is née Xu standing there talking to us instead? Isn’t she supposed to beat us up by now?

“Looks like you have none,” née Xu waited a while before splitting her lips in a grin. “You must have indulged in those relations without a matchmaker at all.”

“Whaa?” Ning Xiaoyao didn’t understand.

“A runner is only a concubine, you understand things like that, right?” née Xu asked as she looked as Ning Xiaoyao, who only scratched her head. That didn’t sound like a compliment, but a runner is only a concubine? A runner was someone who ran, so is she saying women who run will end up nothing more than concubines?[1. A runner is only a concubine (奔者为妾) benzheweiqie, idiom that roughly means any man who takes a wife without the approval of a matchmaker, or just for a private affair, cannot have that wife officially recognized by either family. She would at most, only be a concubine.] What kind of logic is that? (Author: If you don’t understand it, don’t think up wild explanations, ahhhh!)

“What did you find me for?” née Xu asked.

Ning Xiaoyao gave up on puzzling out the idiom and shrugged her shoulders instead. “Nothing much. I just wanted to tell you, my brother-in-law---”

“What gall!” née Xu’s expression abruptly shifted at her words. “Who’s your brother-in-law?”

“Chen Lu, ah. Who else could it be?” Ning Xiaoyao wore a I know you’re playing dumb with me expression as she looked at née Xu. “The Grand Preceptor sent his head steward to tell us that my brother-in-law is in Fangqi Lane, and to have my big sister come over with the children.”

“The Grand Preceptor?” née Xu didn’t believe it.

“Oh, right. Who said my big sister didn’t have a matchmaker?” Ning Xiaoyao suddenly came to her senses. “The Grand Preceptor was the matchmaker between my big sis and my brother-in-law. The marriage certificate is in the Grand Preceptor’s estate.”

Née Xu looked at Ning Xiaoyao for a moment before she asked, “Who sent you? You’re trying such meager attempts to sow discord in front of this lady’s face?”

“......” said Ning Xiaoyao.

“......” said Ji Yuerong.

We’re screwed. We haven’t even started fighting yet and she’s already called us out.

“Cheep.” a little mouse’s cry rose up from Ning Xiaoyao’s feet. She looked down and saw none other than Oil Jar. Noticing the glance, he quickly scampered up Ning Xiaoyao’s leg and climbed onto her shoulder, before opening his mouth. Ning Xiaoyao held out her hand and caught a small copper fish. It wasn’t very big, but it was very heavy. The eyes of the fish were made out of cat’s eye stones. As Ning Xiaoyao ran her finger down the length of its body, she could feel words etched into its scales.

“Xiaoyao,” Oil Jar said as he panted, “This is what my Ancestral Grandfather told me to bring you.”

Ning Xiaoyao quietly backed up a few steps until she was standing behind Ji Yuerong.

“.......” said Ji Yuerong. Is His Majesty leaving me to take on the tigress alone, now that we’ve been exposed?!

Ning Xiaoyao stood behind her and asked Oil Jar quietly, “What is this?”

“The copper fish of the Chen Clan,” Oil Jar explained. “Ancestral Grandfather had my uncle on my third cousin’s side take it from Chen Lu. Xiaoyao, this is good stuff, ah.”

“H-how is it good?” Ning Xiaoyao asked.

“This is the authentication token of the Chen Clan, oh~” Oil Jar explaiend. “Ancestral Grandfather told Oil Jar that anyone who has this is the head of the Chen Clan in Jiangyin County.”

“Well, shoot!” The copper fish seemed to feel even heavier in Ning Xiaoyao’s hands. “This fish sounds super important, ah!” She sighed with feeling.

“Yep,” Oil Jar nodded.

“Speaking of which, how did that third uncle get this?” Ning Xiaoyao asked curiously.

“Chen Lu is staying in my third uncle’s house, ah,” Oil Jar explained. “He took it off Chen Lu’s body.”

“Ah geez,” Ning Xiaoyao sighed again, impressed. This time the third uncle had taken a huge risk.

“It wasn’t hard at all,” Oil Jar raised a paw to stroke Ning Xiaoyao’s cheek. “My third uncle said that Chen Lu was sleeping like a dead pig.”

Ning Xiaoyao brushed a hand across her twitching lips. He’s not sleeping. Great General Chen’s almost dead, so that’s more like a coma.

“Xiaoyao, my Ancestral Grandfather said that you’d find a use for this, oh,” Oil Jar continued. “I haven’t come too late, right?”

“No,” Ning Xiaoyao cocked her head to one side so her chin could nuzzle against Oil Jar’s face. “When you go back, remember to introduce me to your third uncle sometime.”

“Will there be peanuts?” Oil Jar asked.

“More than enough,” Ning Xiaoyao said haughtily.

“Mm, okay!” Oil Jar was thrilled as he hopped a few times on her shoulder.

Erya tugged on Ning Xiaoyao’s hand then and whispered, “Big sister Ji’s about to cry.”

Ning Xiaoyao looked up and saw that Ji Yuerong was already suffering a crushing defeat before née Xu’s verbal abuse. She hastily had Oil Jar hide in her sleeve before stepping forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with her partner. “Big sis, stop wasting words with her. Even if you pity her, that woman won’t accept your feelings.”

Ji Yuerong wanted to cry, but had no tears. Right now it’s her pitying me, alright?

Née Xu only laughed as she looked at Ning Xiaoyao. “Just what kind of thing are you?”

Ning Xiaoyao quickly stuffed the copper fish into Ji Yuerong’s hands. “Big sis, why are you still talking to her? Take out the thing that brother-in-law gave you so she can scram already!”

Ji Yuerong stared at Ning Xiaoyao.

“Let her see,” Ning Xiaoyao said.

Ji Yuerong relaxed her hand until the golden loop attached to the fish was dangling from her fingertips. The copper fish that had turned pitch-black with age revealed itself before née Xu’s eyes. Her mocking, superior expression immediately shifted.

“Looks like this is it. Erya, prepare to run,” Ning Xiaoyao instructed Erya quietly. The girl nervously nodded her head and got ready to grab Xiaoqiu and run for the head commander’s hiding place.

“Impossible,” née Xu muttered to herself.

“When my big sister takes this to enter the Chen estate’s gates,” Ning Xiaoyao said with her nose in the air, “You can beat it.”

“This is impossible!” née Xu shouted.

Ji Yuerong’s face was cold. “Née Xu, I wanted to meet with you on cordial terms since you’re the great general’s consort, but I never thought you’d treat me like this. I have nothing else to say now.”

“That’s right,” Ning Xiaoyao piped in. “Hurry up and get out of here.”

All of the Chen family servants couldn’t help but think, why do these two sisters look so much like they deserve a thrashing?

“Where’s Chen Lu?” née Xu demanded.

“Big sis,” Ning Xiaoyoa tugged at Ji Yuerong. “After this, you should have brother-in-law write divorce papers and cast off that woman!”

After this, divorce papers? In other words, Chen Lu isn’t on his deathbed after all? Then all the sadness and alarm I felt, and my plans to die with him, were nothing more than a joke? Née Xu stared coldly at the sisters before her. The older one was stunning and gorgeous, while the young one was lively and cute. These pair of fresh blooming flowers was probably where Chen Lu found solace in feminine warmth and tenderness, right? (Author: Your suspicions are too intense...)

“Go snatch those children,” née Xu ordered coldly. “And beat those two sluts to death.”

As soon as Ji Yuerong heard those words, she stuffed Xiaoqiu into Erya’s arms and said desperately. “Hurry, go find your father!”

Erya hugged Xiaoqiu and fled. The Chen estate servants immediately gave chase. Meanwhile, Ning Xiaoyao stood heroically in front of Ji Yuerong and cried, “Big sis, don’t be afraid! I’ve fought before!”

Before Ji Yuerong could reply, the pair of “sisters” were completely surrounded by the other Chen estate servants on all sides.

“Throw away the copper fish,” Ning Xiaoyao muttered while fighting off some servants.

Ji Yuerong was dedicated to her act, so she faked being kicked to drop the fish from her hands. Quickly, one of the nannies ran forward, picked up the fish, and took it to née Xu’s hands. Under the lantern light, née Xu inspected the item: cat’s eye stone irises, one purple, one green; the Diamond Sutra carved perfectly into its scales, the historical name of the Jiangyin Chen Clan’s head etched in the high backed fins---none of the essential details were missing. This was indeed the Chen Clan’s copper fish token!

“Give that back to me!” Ji Yuerong cried out in a sad, shrill voice.

“Tigress!” Ning Xiaoyao jumped in front of née Xu and prepared to snatch it back herself.

“......” said the servants and nannies by née Xu’s side. Where did this shameless girl come from?

Née Xu avoided Ning Xiaoyao’s greedy claws and stared at her coldly. Ning Xiaoyao sensed that she was going to get a beating soon. Née Xu raised her hand, and Ning Xiaoyao stood there stoically before the woman slapped her soundly on the face.

Oh, God.

Ning Xiaoyao’s eyes were filling with tears as she cradled her cheek.

That hurts! （╥﹏╥)