Chapter 47
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Lin Qingxu had just prepared to find the right words to splash dirty water on both Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu.
After all, the external investigation was still underway, and if anything went wrong, he might get involved. So, he planned to take advantage of the opportunity to firmly stomp on Lin Qingyang before any problems arose. Ideally, he wanted to make sure Lin Qingyang would never recover. Although it was a somewhat impulsive and risky move, he was feeling desperate. Fortunately, his grandmother spoke up at the right moment, providing the perfect conditions.
As long as Chu Lishu defended Lin Qingyang just now, everyone would think that these two had something going on. Given Chu Lishu’s appearance, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for him to be dominated by a man. With their relationship changing so quickly, people would surely suspect there was something going on between them. Even without evidence, it would be challenging to clear their names.
Lin Qingxu had previously tested Chu Lishu once. At that time, Chu Lishu had staunchly defended Lin Qingyang and even got involved in the private matters of their eldest sister. Moreover, their increasing intimacy was something everyone witnessed.
However, he never expected that just now, Chu Lishu, for reasons unknown, would suddenly pretend to have an ordinary relationship with Lin Qingyang. This attitude left Lin Qingxu with no room to articulate his manipulated narrative. If he forced it, he might end up falsely accusing his elder brother.
Damn it, Lin Qingyang had slipped through his fingers again.
Lin Qingxu raised his eyes and directed his gaze towards Lin Qingyang. However, he suddenly found another pair of icy eyes staring at him. When he looked up, he collided with a deep abyss-like gaze, startling him to shiver. He then realized that the one looking at him was Chu Lishu.
Those black-and-white distinct phoenix eyes, considered by the female students of the academy as eyes full of tenderness like flowing water, appeared to him now as if burying an ominous aura.
The gaze seemed to penetrate through everything, causing Lin Qingxu’s face to pale. However, the intense gaze disappeared quickly.
A ludicrous thought crossed Lin Qingxu’s mind. Could it be that Chu Lishu had guessed his scheming and intentionally cut off his path?
Chu Lishu naturally wouldn’t sit together with Lin Qingyang due to their respective identities. After taking his seat, he glanced up and saw Lin Qingyang in the distance, lazily tilting his head, with dispirited eyelashes playing with the cup lid. It seemed like he was in a bad mood.
At that moment, Lin Qingyang was looking at him with shining eyes, as if standing behind him, waiting for him to take action and then cheer him on. Chu Lishu naturally saw through Lin Qingyang’s thoughts at a glance. Lin Qingyang hoped he would stand by his side without hesitation and speak up for him.
What a fool. He doesn’t even think about whether it’s appropriate to do so in this situation. Lin Qingyang is too used to being indulged.
But now, looking at Lin Qingyang in a gloomy mood… Chu Lishu couldn’t help but review the overall situation just now, wondering if there was a better solution.
On one side, Lin Qingxu stopped his actions, while on the other side, Madam Ru became increasingly resentful. How did it end up with everyone praising Lin Qingyang, especially the praise from Marquis An Nan, which made her more uncomfortable. Now, with the three great uncles present, if they feel that Lin Qingyang still has value, Lin Qingxu’s position won’t surpass Lin Qingyang’s. In the future, it may not be easy to support Lin Qingxu as the heir.
Madam Ru felt anxious in her heart. After thinking for a while, she couldn’t help but speak: “It’s a good thing that Yang’er now knows to make progress. Maybe there’s a chance for him to enter the palace as a study companion. We don’t know the situation at the academy while we’re in the residence. There’s not much time left. Is there any word from the head master?”
Speaking of this, the elders in the family couldn’t help but show a serious expression. After the New Year, it’s the assessment period. The slots are limited, and even among the same family, there is competition.
Lin Qingyao immediately smiled and said, “The head master didn’t say anything, but it seems that there is already an unspoken agreement on the men’s side. Third Brother and Cousin Lishu are both receiving a lot of attention; they are key candidates. I even saw people using them as bets?”
Upon hearing this, the three great-uncles immediately became interested. “Really?”
Lin Qingyao nodded earnestly. Lin Qingyang had also heard about this. Qi Yan even invited him to place a bet together, and he naturally put all his bets on Chu Lishu. Later, he thought it over and felt something was wrong. If Chu Lishu became a study companion in the palace, wouldn’t he be unable to check-in? Moreover, he wouldn’t be able to fulfill any missions that might be assigned.
The thunder rumbled in Lin Qingyang’s mind! So, his potential mission was actually to become a study companion in the palace.
Although he made great efforts to improve later, it was still a dangerous edge. The little overlord’s dark history was extensive, and there were many issues that directly affected his senses. Just thinking about the fact that his current points were still far from being surplus, Lin Qingyang felt even more melancholic.
To make matters worse, at this moment, Madam Ru was pouring fuel on the fire. “Wasn’t Yang’er doing well? Wasn’t he mentioned?”
“Second Brother has made progress, but he still can’t catch up with the parts he fell behind before. Even if it’s Third Brother and Cousin, they wouldn’t dare to guarantee, let alone Second Brother. However, Second Brother is doing well now.” Lin Qingwei probably wanted to apologize for what happened earlier, but she still ended up rubbing salt into Lin Qingyang’s wound.
Madam Ru immediately comforted him, “Yang’er, don’t mind it. Keep working hard; who knows, you might succeed. When your brother, Xu’er, has some free time, he can also help. It would be great if both brothers could be selected together.”
While others saw Madam Ru as reasonable and comforting, it didn’t sit well with the person involved. Lin Qingyang felt a surge of discomfort as if someone was cursing him to run out of points and die early to end his suffering.
However, this feeling of discomfort was too familiar to Lin Qingyang. He felt as if his body instinctively wanted to stand up.
Based on fragmentary memories, Lin Qingyang could clearly see that the original body was foolish, completely falling into Madam Ru’s trap.
Madam Ru, time and again, spoke ambiguously and provoked the original body easily with her seemingly ambiguous words and actions. When the original body, in his arrogant and unruly nature, started causing trouble, Madam Ru could effortlessly anger him. However, whenever she cried in front of Lishi and Marquis An Nan, it not only failed to harm the other party but also led to severe punishments for herself. This further tarnished the reputation of the entire Marquis’s residence.
This time, Madam Ru continued her usual practice of saying things that irritated Lin Qingyang.
She picked up her handkerchief and lightly dabbed at the corners of her mouth. However, her gaze shifted towards Lin Qingyang. Seeing him staring at her intently, she felt triumphant and was ready to handle whatever might come her way.
Madam Ru knew that as long as she made insinuations suggesting that Lin Qingyang was inferior to Lin Qingxu, the impulsive Lin Qingyang would surely get angry, possibly even causing a scene. The worse Lin Qingyang behaved, the more Marquis An Nan would pay attention to Lin Qingxu. However, she forgot that Lin Qingyang had changed.
As she waited, she was surprised not to see Lin Qingyang explode in anger. Madam Ru furrowed her brows slightly, “Why is Yang’er staring at me like that? Did I say something wrong?”
Her attempt to provoke did not work as intended. Given the history of similar incidents, Madam Ru’s words immediately made LIshi and Marquis An Nan instinctively think that Lin Qingyang was about to cause trouble again. They turned to look at Lin Qingyang, noting his familiar expression of defiance and gloominess.
“Yang’er!” unexpectedly, Marquis An Nan didn’t go after others and intended to reprimand directly. At this moment, Lin Qingyang slowly spoke with a puzzled expression, “Father, I have a question. Since today, the three great uncles and grandmother are all here, I’d like to ask.”
Lin Qingyang’s sudden use of such a cold tone made everyone pause. Only Chu Lishu felt that Lin Qingyang was genuinely upset.
“I’m not very good at studying, but not long ago, I remember Mr. Cao gave us a lesson on the word ‘rules.’ He mentioned how the family rules represent the style and education of a family.”
Marquis An Nan frowned in confusion, “Why are you talking about these things out of the blue?”
Madam Ru then said with a sly smile, “Could it be that Yang’er wants to talk about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children? The current emperor doesn’t pay much attention to such matters. Everyone has a chance to become a prince’s study companion. I arranged for you all to be together in the hope that you can be harmonious as brothers. It’s by no means to suggest any disrespect from Xu’er towards you.” Based on her understanding of this fool, at most, he would only use this point to counter Lin Qingxu.
Sure enough, as Madam Ru spoke, Marquis An Nan’s expression turned unpleasant.
Grandmother Lishi immediately spoke unhappily, “Always idle and scheming against your brothers. What’s with you…”
“Grandmother, I haven’t finished speaking, have I? When did I mention legitimate and illegitimate? Did I say that?”
Lin Qingyang looked puzzled, leaving Lishi momentarily silenced since he hadn’t actually said anything yet.
“So, what do you want to say?” Marquis An Nan asked.
Madam Ru then wore an inquisitive expression, eager to see what Lin Qingyang would come up with.
The result was that Lin Qingyang directly pointed his finger at Madam Ru.
“Aunt Ru is a concubine. According to the ancient rules, no concubine is allowed to sit at the same table with the master. She should be standing by, serving grandmother and father, especially when there are elders visiting. But now, Aunt Ru is sitting at the table just like the main wife. If outsiders see this, they might think that the main wife of our Marquis’s residence has changed?”
The County Princess hasn’t passed away yet, and letting a concubine sit at the table is like wishing the main wife an early demise.
Lin Qingyang’s last words were delivered with the arrogant expression of the original body. “Mr. Cao taught us. If it’s not Mr. Cao who is wrong, then it’s our residence that is wrong. However, I see that the uncles from the second and third courtyards haven’t brought any concubines to dine with us, only the main house is an exception. So, I have a question, Father, where exactly did we go wrong?”
As his words slowly fell, it was like a sudden thunder in a calm sky, instantly silencing everyone in the room. Joking aside, with so many novels read, he wasn’t ignorant of a little household struggle. Seeing the changing expressions of everyone present, but no one dared to speak, Lin Qingyang knew he had won.
Madam Ru, too, was quite clever. She quickly realized the situation, stood up, and respectfully said to Marquis An Nan, “It’s all this concubine’s fault. I overstepped. I…”
“Second Brother, haven’t we always dined like this before?” Lin Qingxu, unable to bear seeing his birth mother being scolded, spoke up.
“I’m not good at studying. It was only recently that I absorbed Mr. Cao’s teachings, leading to this inquiry. However, I believe Third Brother has been performing excellently at the academy, aiming directly for the position of the Crown Prince’s study companion. You must have known these principles for a long time; why haven’t you mentioned them until now?”
Lin Qingxu was instantly furious. Lin Qingyang used Madame Ru’s previous words to counterattack.
Marquis An Nan also realized what was happening and gave Lin Qingyang a deep look. While his words were reasonable, they were still too arrogant, not only slapping Madame Ru in the face but also disrespecting him as a father.
“Alright, it’s not a big deal! It’s just a habit. We can change it in the future. Don’t make people cry. Today, the elders are here. What kind of appearance is this?” Lishi scolded Lin Qingyang, “Yang’er, shouldn’t you discuss this matter privately with your father?”
“I just suddenly remembered,” Lin Qingyang smiled and said, contrasting sharply with Madame Ru, who had already started shedding tears. Lin Qingxu and Lin Qingyao had approached to comfort her.
Madame Ru knew that this matter couldn’t be argued. Indeed, the rules were like that. Even if she occasionally represented the Marquis’s residence in receiving guests, it didn’t mean she held the status of the head of the household. Normally, no one mentioned it, but if this was used against her, it would indeed show her lack of propriety. Even if the three great uncles were biased towards her, they wouldn’t dare to use the rules to argue at this moment.
Madame Ru was so angry that she gritted her teeth. Seeing that Marquis An Nan hadn’t helped her, it seemed that she would have to serve on the side in the future. It was hard enough to gain this position…
“Mother, don’t cry…” Lin Qingyao, seeing her mother cry, couldn’t help but tear up as well. She looked at her father with watery eyes, hoping that he would say something fair.
Lin Qingwei, who had been stunned all along, suddenly became full of righteousness. She said to Lin Qingyang, “Second Brother, you have no conscience. Aunt usually takes care of all of us so diligently. She does everything thoroughly. Just now, she even encouraged you. We’re all family eating together. Do you have to say such things?”
Her tone was like defending her own mother.
“Weiwei, stop talking!” Lin Qinglan immediately intervened. In fact, she had also been dissatisfied with the situation for her mother, but as Madam Ru managed the household, it was not something she, an external daughter-in-law, could say much about.
“I… I’ve been wholeheartedly taking care of Yang’er and Weiwei. I didn’t expect…” Madam Ru cried as if she were unfairly treated, leaning towards Marquis An Nan, who seemed willing to support her.
Lin Qingyang shrugged, wearing an innocent and annoying expression, “What did I say wrong? Well, if you cry, Father will scold me. I must be wrong then. Okay, since everyone is unhappy, let’s pretend I didn’t say anything, alright?”
Madam Ru’s melodrama hadn’t finished, and Lin Qingyang unexpectedly preempted her, leaving even Marquis An Nan stunned. He immediately withdrew his offer to assist Madam Ru, saying, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Lin Qingyang rubbed his head and said, “Hasn’t it always been like this before? I’m used to it. What’s the punishment this time?”
Marquis An Nan, witnessing a sudden melancholy expression on Lin Qingyang’s face, though fleeting, felt a pang in his heart. Was he really punishing his legitimate eldest son frequently over matters involving a concubine? If this news got out, what kind of rumors would circulate?
“Cough, cough. This time, you didn’t say anything wrong. Instead, you pointed out the truth. Naturally, there’s no punishment.” Marquis An Nan declared reluctantly.
Suddenly, the atmosphere among the people present underwent a major shift. Lin Qingyang chuckled lightly, realizing that this convenient father of his did have some rules befitting a marquis.
The battle at the dining table concluded with Madam Ru standing beside the table, watching them eat like a servant. Despite her magnificent and dignified attire, she could only red-eyed help with serving dishes.
Let’s see who dares to let Madam Ru openly sit at the table in the future.
After the meal, Lin Qingyang hurried to visit his mother. The news of his heroic deeds at the table had already reached her. For the first time, she greeted him with a smile that reached her eyes.
County Princess Yawen, seeing him dusty and fatigued, felt sorry for him and urged him to go back and rest. After all, there would be more work to be done the next day. Coincidentally, his eldest sister and younger sister had also arrived.
Lin Qingyang inquired about the details and learned that this time, it was the Ying family who took the initiative to propose the divorce. It seemed that there would be no more obstacles.
Lin Qingyang originally wanted to inform his mother about Lin Qingxu’s use of Lin Qingwei to harm him, but after some thought, he decided it would be better to resolve his eldest sister’s matter first. This matter was expected to be settled by the morning, and then he could deal with Lin Qingxu and his mother. Moreover, Lin Qingwei was present, and he had a feeling she might cause trouble, so it was better to keep quiet for now.
Saying goodbye to his mother, Lin Qingyang returned to the courtyard and saw Shuncai standing at the door. As soon as he saw Lin Qingyang return, Shuncai hurriedly approached, expressing joy, “Young Master, Young Master Chu is looking for you. Earlier, I heard Young Master Chu talking in the front hall and thought he was treating you poorly. But in no time, he came to find you, saying he brought explanatory books for you. Indeed, Young Master Chu is still favoring you.”
Lin Qingyang felt a bit awkward. After some thought, he realized that he might have been a bit petty in the front hall. After all, as the male lead, Chu Lishu must have considered things more comprehensively. There must be a reason for his actions. At least their relationship seemed to have genuinely improved.
Adjusting his mood, Lin Qingyang went to the study with excitement. Upon entering, a gust of wind swept through, causing the curtains to flutter. In the quiet room, a young man was engrossed in reading. The lamp illuminated his profile, creating a beautiful silhouette against the wall behind him.
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