You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 81 Xie Fubai is in trouble
Liang Jiang immediately became interested: "How so?"

“My master’s wife never accepted her as a disciple. Back then, she went to seek a master under the banner of the Duke’s mansion. My master’s wife only taught her acupuncture for a few days because of the Duke of Liang’s reputation.”

Who knew she would take such a trivial matter as an imperial edict, going around proclaiming that she was a disciple of Madam Liu and was now quite well-known in the capital.

Liang Jiang asked curiously, "Then my sister Liu did indeed give her the embroidery."

“Your cousin asked my master’s wife for it under the guise of your grandmother’s name. My master’s wife couldn’t refuse, so she gave her a painting.”

Liang Jiang curled her lip and scoffed, "Such a beautiful painting of a hundred birds flying among flowers, what a pity."

Lu Xingzhan winked slyly: "Didn't even you realize? That embroidery wasn't done by my master's wife alone."

"Huh?" Liang Jiang raised an eyebrow.

"The embroidery is not called 'Hundred Birds Among Flowers,' but rather 'Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.' The one in Liang Su's hand was embroidered by several of my master's wife's apprentices under her personal guidance, each showcasing their unique talents. It is almost indistinguishable from the real thing."

"But there's no phoenix on the embroidered portrait."

"That's because only the phoenix was truly created by my master's wife."

Lu Xingzhan grinned and pulled an embroidery from his pocket, patting it in front of Liang Jiang: "The phoenix is ​​here."

Liang Jiang casually opened the embroidered cloth, and her eyes were suddenly drawn to a dazzling golden light. It seemed as if a phoenix, reborn from the ashes, was rising from the embroidery and soaring into the clouds.

The painting slammed shut again: "It's true that you can't judge a book by its cover. Compared to this, the 'Hundred Birds Among Flowers' painting immediately pales in comparison. The needlework is similar, but it lacks the spirit. It only has the form, but not the essence."

"That's right. My master's wife spent almost two years of her time on this embroidery, from personally drawing the silk threads and dyeing them to the actual embroidery."

"Such a perfect embroidery, she must cherish it like a treasure, how could she bear to give it to you?"

"It's not a gift for me, it's for you." Lu Xingzhan pouted, "My unworthy disciple doesn't have that much face in front of her."

"Give it to me?" Liang Jiang was taken aback: "Why would I give it to you? That would be a waste."

Lu Xingzhan rolled his eyes at her: "Don't you understand? I'm telling you to take this to curry favor with the Empress Dowager, so you'll be able to gain a foothold in the capital later."

Liang Jiang fell silent, overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Please thank my sister Liu for her kindness. However, a gentleman does not take what others love. To use this embroidery to spite Liang Su would be a waste of its beauty."

Lu Xingzhan pouted: "My master's wife raised you like a daughter. I heard that even when you were a child, she would embroider flowers on your diapers."

The clothes, handkerchiefs, and shoes I embroidered for you with so much effort are the envy of everyone, but when have you ever cherished them? You have the nerve to say it's a waste; if I gave them to you, you should have just kept them.”

Liang Jiang refused to accept it: "Take it for now. If I really need it, I'll ask you for it again. Besides, my mother doesn't want to go to the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet."

"I heard that the Emperor is going to great lengths to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday this year, with officials from all over the country going to great lengths to collect rare and precious treasures as tribute. It would be a pity if you didn't go."

Also, I don't know if you've heard, but the governor of Yangzhou commissioned a statue of the God of Longevity made of pure gold and jade to be sent to the capital as a birthday gift. Unfortunately, it was intercepted en route.

Liang Jiang was successfully drawn to Lu Xingzhan's words: "Who is so bold as to dare to rob the birthday gifts prepared for the Empress Dowager?"

Lu Xingzhan immediately started talking: "I heard that the people who robbed the birthday gifts were a few well-known outlaw swordsmen in the martial arts world."

Rumors had been circulating for several days that many desperate criminals had their eyes on this old man.

So the emperor specially dispatched his guards to personally receive them, but they still returned empty-handed, having fallen into a trap on the way, and were easily captured by those people through a clever trick.

It turns out that the secret mission Xie Fubai mentioned was this very thing.

Liang Jiang gave a nonchalant "Oh": "With those good-for-nothings in the guards, it's no wonder they messed up."

"I heard that the Emperor was furious and ordered the guards to find the birthday gifts before the Empress Dowager's birthday, otherwise the leader would lose his head."

"Xie Fubai from the Marquis of Huaiyuan's residence?"

"how do you know?"

Liang Jiang then briefly recounted the incident of his visit to her door to demand an explanation that day. Lu Xingzhan clicked his tongue twice: "He really suffered in this operation. After returning, he was first given thirty lashes by the emperor. Not only was his skin torn and bleeding, but he also had to worry about losing his head."

Liang Jiang snorted: "I thought he was so capable, talking so arrogantly."

"We scions of noble families are capable enough, others may not know, but don't you know? Xie Fubai is already one of the best among them. His current official position is half due to the Marquis's mansion and the other half due to his own efforts."

Liang Jiang was somewhat gloating: "It was the old lady of the Marquis's mansion who had the foresight to ask my mother for some wound medicine in advance, and now it has come in handy."

"This matter is beyond his ability to resolve. I heard that Marquis Huaiyuan went to seek help from Prince Pingxi, and he left the capital yesterday with a dozen or so guards. With him in charge, they should be able to retrieve the Golden Longevity Star."

Although Liang Jiang had never personally experienced Gu Xizhi's abilities, she had heard about them countless times.

He entered the army at the age of fifteen and, with his three-foot-long sword, defeated many generals, commanded the three armies, and repeatedly made great achievements.

He should be able to deal with a few roughnecks without breaking a sweat.

The Marquis of Huaiyuan's residence.

Gu Xizhi returned to the capital.

Xie Fubai was lying on the bed recovering from his injuries. The wound on his buttocks had stopped bleeding, but as soon as he moved, some parts of the wound would reopen, causing excruciating pain.

Xie Fubai disregarded formalities and anxiously inquired, "How's the case going? Have those robbers been caught?"

Gu Xizhi frowned slightly, her face grave: "The matter is somewhat troublesome, and I returned empty-handed."

Xie Fubai sensed something was wrong and urged him on, grimacing.
"Cousin, stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me already. I've been so anxious these past two days."

Marquis Huaiyuan ordered someone to quickly serve tea, and then dismissed them.

Gu Xizhi cleared her throat before saying in a deep voice, "I have captured the robbers, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to recover the birthday gifts."

"Why?" Xie Fubai asked anxiously.

Gu Xizhi said slowly and deliberately, "Because after they robbed the birthday gift, they handed it over to the Demon Lord, who was feared by everyone in the martial arts world."

Xie Fubai was taken aback: "Demon Lord? Which Demon Lord?"

Gu Xizhi smiled wryly: "Who else could it be?"

Marquis Huaiyuan stammered, "The Demon Lord Baili Shouyue who slaughtered the entire martial arts underworld more than ten years ago with a demon-subduing pestle?"

Gu Xizhi nodded.

Marquis Huaiyuan slumped into his chair in dejection, seemingly talking to himself: "It's over, we definitely can't get it back. I've heard that once the Vajra Pestle is unleashed, there's no one who can rival it. Even the Duke of Liang back then was no match for it."

Xie Fubai was so anxious that he didn't even feel the pain in his backside anymore: "If I go to his door in person and explain the situation, he can't possibly refuse to give me the face of an emperor, can he?"

"Yes!" Marquis Huaiyuan said decisively, "This man is capricious, both righteous and wicked, and extremely strange. Back then, when the late emperor heard of his reputation, he also had the idea of ​​recruiting him and appointing him as a general, and specially sent the eldest prince, who is now the emperor, to visit him three times."

As a result, not only did they not get what they wanted, but they were also tricked. The Emperor probably still harbors resentment about this. However, now that the Demon Lord practically controls the entire martial arts world, the Emperor cannot easily do anything to him.

Gu Xizhi said helplessly, "I know a little about this matter. This person is a martial arts prodigy who comes along only once in a century. He is indeed not to be underestimated. It is obviously not feasible to confront him head-on, so I directly led my men back to the capital and did not go to meet him."

Xie Fubai gritted his teeth: "Then am I just supposed to accept my fate?"

Marquis Huaiyuan sighed repeatedly, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Gu Xizhi said in a deep voice, "The only way now is to ask someone for help and see if she will give the Marquis of Huaiyuan this favor. That's why I'm in such a hurry to return to the capital."

Marquis Huaiyuan and Xie Fubai were immediately filled with hope: "Whom should we ask?"

Gu Xizhi said, enunciating each word clearly: "The Lady Liang of the Duke's Mansion."

(End of this chapter)