"How to handle this? You, you want to kill again?" Ji Zhenniangâs face turned ashen with fear, filled with terror, crying as she pleaded, "Please, no more killing. Just consider it as accumulating virtue for Zhuzhu, okay?"
The aunts in the family all said he was a soldier, heavy with the sins of killing, and it would be hard for him to have a good ending in this lifetime.
She married him, and her fate wouldnât be good either. Zhuzhu, as his daughter, would also bear his karmic burden. She was so frightened that she ate vegetarian for a while but later couldnât resist and ate meat.
But she really didnât want him to kill anymore.
Xie Cheng frowned upon hearing this. What had that demon woman, Nanny Ji, told her?
He wanted to ask but feared making Ji Zhenniang recall it, which would frighten her more, so he suppressed his questions and said, "Fine, I promise you I wonât kill Nanny Ji and Hong Xiang, but this time we are going to defend against the Rong, and I must take soldiers to kill enemies."
He continued, "The Rong have committed many evils, killed many Great Chu people, and even eaten the young as military rations. The women have suffered even more, being captured and made into playthings."
Ji Zhenniang shivered with fear. Xie Cheng hurriedly wrapped her in a quilt and comforted her, "Donât be afraid. Once we reach the Northwest, youâll be settled in the city. We will take the soldiers to fight the Rong and wonât let you be harmed."
After a moment, Ji Zhenniang calmed down, nodding, "I know the Rong are beasts. Youâre right to take soldiers to kill them."
Xie Cheng sighed with relief. He didnât leave the carriage, ignoring the mocking of the accompanying soldiers, and sat with Ji Zhenniang in the carriage all day.
When they set up camp again, he had people bring over Nanny Ji, Hong Xiang, and three servants from the Ji family.
Nanny Ji, upon seeing Ji Zhenniang, cried for help, tears in her eyes, paired with her old face, looking extremely pitiful.
Hong Xiang was the same as Nanny Ji, crying for help with tears.
They were well aware of Ji Zhenniangâs temperament. Ji Zhenniang couldnât bear to see acquaintances suffer. Even if the people around her made mistakes, if they looked too miserable, she would step forward to protect them.
However, this time Ji Zhenniang was confined in the carriage by Xie Cheng, guarded by Nanny Xie and her daughter, preventing her from speaking on behalf of Nanny Ji and the others.
Nanny Ji and the others looked at the motionless carriage curtain, then at Xie Chengâs sullen face and the long knife that had just killed Hong Xiu last night, and finally feared, kowtowing to Xie Cheng for mercy.
Xie Cheng looked at them and sneered, "Deceiving slaves finally know fear? Too late. If I dare to kill Hong Xiu, I dare to kill you all!"
He pointed the long knife at Nanny Ji, "Especially you demon woman, youâve caused great harm to my marriage. After I kill you, Iâll send a letter to the Ji family, letting them kill your descendants to vent my anger!"
Though he was in the carriage today, he had already sent confidant soldiers to interrogate Hong Xiang, threatening her to tell the truth. Otherwise, the soldiers would ruin her purity.
Donât be deceived by Hong Xiangâs quiet demeanor; sheâs smart and proud, wanting to keep her purity to plan her future. Surrounded by a group of soldiers, she grew frightened and revealed the words Nanny Ji used to scare Ji Zhenniang.
After hearing this, Xie Cheng had the heart to kill Nanny Ji. That demon woman was truly vicious, painting him as a creature more terrifying than an evil spirit, claiming he would do things like behead, dig hearts, gut, slice flesh, and bury people alive.
How could a pampered lady like Ji Zhenniang not be scared after hearing all this?
If not for fearing that killing Nanny Ji would frighten Ji Zhenniang even more, Xie Cheng would have wished to chop up Nanny Ji.
Xie Cheng didnât want any more misunderstandings between himself and Ji Zhenniang, so he walked over to Nanny Ji and said, "Iâm giving you a chance now. Honestly, tell me how you deceived Zhenniang. If you dare to hide anything, you and your descendants will surely die!"
Nanny Ji saw a ray of hope and quickly nodded, expressing her willingness to speak truthfully.
But when Xie Cheng removed the cloth from her mouth, the old demon woman shouted at the carriage, "Miss, Miss, save me, save your old servant, the lord wants to kill your old servant... Ah!"
Furious, Xie Cheng swung his knife, severing one of Nanny Jiâs arms.
Nanny Ji screamed, glanced at her severed arm lying aside, and fainted.
But Xie Cheng borrowed a doctor from Qin San Lang. Doctor Dai hurried over with San Qi and Mai Dong to stop the bleeding and treat Nanny Ji.
After three quarters of an hour, Nanny Ji was revived by silver needles, and her wounds were bandaged with San Qi and Mai Dong.
If the wound from the severed arm wasnât treated promptly, Nanny Ji would have bled to death, and there would be no one left for Commander Xie to interrogate.
Xie Cheng said, "Honestly confess your sins, or next time, itâll be your head!"
Nanny Ji finally feared, dared not cause more trouble, nor dared to lie, and confessed how she had deceived Ji Zhenniang.
Upon hearing it all, Ji Zhenniang was shocked, wanting to rush out to question Nanny Ji, but was held back by Nanny Xie and her daughter, "Madam, no need to go out. Whatever you want to say, say it inside the carriage."
Nanny Ji had lost an arm. Madam gets scared by these things. Wouldnât she faint if she went out and saw it?
Ji Zhenniang cried and angrily questioned, "Nanny Ji, youâve been looking after me since I was young. I trusted you and treated you well. Why did you harm me?!"
When she had just married Xie Cheng, she disliked the countryside, and resented that Xie Cheng was a rough soldier. But after all, he was still a Company Commander, allowing her to be a Company Commanderâs Wife, which gave her face at her familyâs home.
Besides, he was quite handsome, and if she could endure the countrysideâs shortcomings, she could live with Xie Cheng.
But Hong Xiu and her concubine sister often said Xie Cheng disliked her being a merchantâs daughter, and after acquiring her dowry, he would marry an officialâs daughter and take beauties as concubines.
She was furious, which is why she gave Xie Cheng the cold shoulder, feeling that Xie Cheng meant to harm her. Why should she treat him well?!
After she gave birth to Zhuzhu, Nanny Ji then told her about Xie Chengâs killings, which terrified her, making her constantly avoid Xie Cheng, unwilling to let him near her.
As a result, Xie Cheng became angrier, treating her more harshly, which in turn made her more afraid, avoiding him further, and their relationship soured like this.
If not for her grandfather forcing her, she wouldnât have followed Xie Cheng to the Northwest this time.
"Miss, it wasnât intentional, really. Your temperament was too fierce, always beating on the old servant... The old servant managed your entire inner yard, but since you showed no respect to the old servant, she decided to scare you." Nanny Ji struggled to say.
But she forgot about Ji Zhenniangâs temperament.
Upon hearing these words, Ji Zhenniang was incredulous, crying and shouting in the carriage, "Youâre just a servant. If Iâm unhappy inside, whatâs wrong with beating you? When Iâm happy, Iâve given you many rewards. Why donât you remember that?!"
Nanny Ji was stunned by these words.
Xie Cheng found it amusing, thinking Ji Zhenniang was sharp in spotting othersâ mistakes.
Nanny Ji, realizing her situation, was furious. She never thought she would be rendered speechless by Ji Zhenniangâs scolding one day.
But she was wary of Xie Cheng, not daring to be angry, cleverly hurried to admit her mistake, "Miss, the old servant knows the mistake, please spare the old servant this time, and the old servant will serve you to the utmost in the future..."