Chapter 6
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“Aunt, Lord Marquis and Xu’er have already gone. I’m a bit worried… What if it’s really Yang’er who did something like this, then…” Madam Ru, accompanied by Lishi, waited in the hall.
Lishi couldn’t sit still, pacing back and forth with her cane. “My daughter has only one son. If he’s mistreated like this, how can I face my daughter? If Yang’er really did such a thing, I’ll make the Marquis change the heir he plans to nominate. Our Marquis An Nan’s residence absolutely cannot have such a successor.”
Madam Ru suddenly took a sharp breath, desperately suppressing a smile, and said anxiously, “But… the Marquis’s residence only has this legitimate son. Are we going to let the Second and
Third courtyards take over… The Marquis would certainly not agree.”
Lishi chuckled and patted Madam Ru’s hand. “Rest assured, the Marquis knows what he’s doing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed directly to that brat’s courtyard. After all, everyone knows that woman in the Biluo Hall won’t last much longer.”
Little did Lishi expect that marrying a county princess would stir up trouble. If it weren’t for her son, the Marquis, being capable, they might have been implicated in the matter related to the prince. Observing the legitimate son born by this county princess, he was useless, clumsy, fat, and, even better he’s attracted to men (sarcastic). He was a disgrace to the Marquis’s residence. Lishi couldn’t wait for them to be out of sight, out of mind.
Lishi believed she and her son had an unspoken understanding. This Lin Qingyang was unsuitable for the grand halls; Xu’er was the better choice.
With a clear bias toward her nephew, and with her son’s capabilities, Lishi was confident that the Marquis’s residence would thrive.
Observing Madam Ru’s apparent confusion, Lishi said, “Enough, let’s pay a visit as well. Let’s see how the Marquis handles this. If he softens up, I won’t stand for it.”
Lin Qingyang, with his androgynous charm, was a frequent visitor to the South Wind Pavilion, and such rumors were no longer a secret.
As long as he didn’t come out openly, and wasn’t caught red-handed, everyone turned a blind eye to it. After all, the South Wind Pavilion operated openly and legitimately in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
However, the heirs of the noble families were naturally unwilling to associate with such matters, especially the unmarried ones, as it would tarnish their reputation.
During this moment, Marquis An Nan was truly furious. Lin Qingyang usually engages in some questionable activities, but reaching out to his own cousin? If Chu Lishu starts making a fuss, the reputation of the Marquis An Nan Marquis’s residence will be truly tarnished.
Faced with questioning, Lin Qingyang not only refuses to admit it but also implies that, as a father, Marquis An Nan believed in slander?
It seemed that Lin Qingyang had been pampered too much, making him think he could do whatever he wanted.
“What? Wrongly accused you?” Marquis An Nan said angrily. Compared to Lin Qingyang, who often causes trouble, he naturally trusts the obedient and sensible Lin Qingxu more.
Lin Qingyang looked at his father’s confident demeanor and couldn’t help but feel amused.
“Second Brother, there was someone who saw Chu Lishu entering your courtyard last night, and he hasn’t come out since,” Lin Qingxu said.
“Oh, who saw it? I’d like to see who dares to slander this legitimate son.” Lin Qingyang maintained his image, appearing fearless.
At this moment, a follower behind Lin Qingxu stepped forward. “This servant happened to see it unintentionally. I was passing by last night and saw Shuncai carrying the unconscious Young Master Chu into your courtyard.”
Lin Qingyang reacted very quickly, “Third Brother’s courtyard is far away from mine. You are his servant, and there is no reason for you to pass by my place for any business. The fact that you could see it is truly a coincidence, even the gods wouldn’t believe it.”
The servant was stunned by this response, momentarily unsure of how to react. Even Lin Qingxu was caught off guard. When did Lin Qingyang become so quick-witted?
Lin Qingyang glanced at Shuncai, seeing his shocked expression. He understood that Shuncai must have been very discreet in his actions. The fact that he was still discovered meant that someone had been watching this matter from the beginning.
Lin Qingyang understood. Lin Qingxu had known about the original bodys’ plan to capture Chu Lishu all along. In the original plot, it was probably Lin Qingxu’s arrangement that led to the discovery of the plan. The butterfly effect seemed to have accelerated everything.
Lin Qingyang guessed right. Lin Qingxu indeed knew everything and was waiting for the right moment to catch Lin Qingyang in the act. Originally, he planned to wait until Chu Lishu was utterly tortured before revealing everything, making the charges more severe. However, when he saw Lin Qingyang coming well and even intending to visit his mother in the morning, it felt odd to Lin Qingxu. Unable to contain his curiosity, he decided to expose the plan ahead of time.
Marquis An Nan was not foolish. When he heard Lin Qingyang’s response, suspicion arose in his mind. Just as his gaze was about to shift towards Lin Qingxu, he heard Lin Qingxu say, “Second Brother, don’t intimidate a servant. We’ve searched the mansion, and Cousin Lishu is truly missing. If you are innocent, let us conduct a search. This way, Father can also be at ease.”
Lin Qingxu’s explanation seemed reasonable to everyone. After all, if Lin Qingyang was innocent, conducting a search to prove it would be the best course of action. Lin Qingyang’s argument, on the other hand, appeared suspicious.
Little did they know that if Lin Qingyang was wrongly accused, it would be a severe blow to the status of the Marquis’s residence’s legitimate son.
While they were discussing, Lishi and Madam Ru also arrived to see what was happening.
“Why are you still here? Where is Lishu?” Lishi tapped the ground with her cane impatiently.
“Mother, why have you come as well?” Marquis An Nan hurriedly stepped forward to support Lishi, fearing that the elderly woman might become upset and face health issues.
“This brat did such a thing; can I not be anxious? Your sister only has this one son. In case something happens…” Lishi’s eyes turned red.
“We’re investigating right now…”
Lin Qingxu timely stepped forward, “Second Brother, if you won’t let us search, we…”
Lishi immediately glared at Lin Qingyang, “You still have the nerve to obstruct. Move aside!”
Because of the old lady’s intervention, there were servants outside the courtyard sneaking a peek.
Lin Qingyang was originally hesitating because he was afraid that this group of people wouldn’t find anyone here and would immediately go back to search. This would reveal the situation where Chu Lishu had a fever. So, he had thought about delaying time or making them give up the search, but it seemed that neither option was viable.
“Fine, but what if you don’t find anything?” Lin Qingyang questioned directly.
He took a step forward, standing tall and straight. Everyone was momentarily stunned, and then they heard the Second Young Master, who used to only know how to flare up and act out, say, “Father, based on just a casual statement from a servant, you’ve come with people to search my courtyard. As a father, I have nothing to say, but if the facts prove that I have been wrongly accused, I hope Father will punish the instigator of this incident.”
“If you are wrongly accused, I will naturally punish this servant,” Marquis An Nan replied.
“Only the servant?” Lin Qingyang asked.
“What do you mean?” Marquis An Nan inquired.
“As a bastard son of the Marquis’s residence, carelessly discussing the right or wrong of the legitimate eldest son, shouldn’t there be a punishment? The one who reported to Father wasn’t this servant, but Lin Qingxu, right?” Lin Qingyang said, looking directly at Lin Qingxu. Did he think he could let others manipulate him at will?
“Second Brother, how can you say such things about me? I just…”
“How dare you do but not admit? If we don’t set rules this time, every time you make a complaint, Father will have to go through the trouble, and I’ll have to cooperate with your acting. Father, if they can’t find Chu Lishu here, it proves that both of them are lying and trying to frame me. I don’t care about the servant, but Lin Qingxu must kneel down and apologize to me. This request seems reasonable to any aristocratic family, right?” Lin Qingyang asserted.
“Second Young Master, how does this concern my son, Xu’er?” Madam Ru protested.
“What’s the matter? You’ve made a mistake, and now you want to drag Xu’er into it?” Lishi also expressed her anger.
Lin Qingyang remained calm and composed. “If you insist on framing it this way, then it seems our family matter has escalated into a public affair. I don’t mind inviting the emperor to ensure justice. If His Majesty says I have grievances, I can always seek his intervention in the future.”
Indeed, the emperor had made such remarks, but it was merely to appease Concubine Liu, not to handle such unsightly matters at the imperial court. However, given the impulsive nature of the original body, who was capable of anything, no one dared to take that risk.
“Outrageous! You’re using the emperor to suppress me!”
“Father, I can’t bear this injustice!” Lin Qingyang echoed the words frequently spoken by the original body, attempting to salvage some semblance of his reputation.
For a moment, even Marquis An Nan was uncertain whether Chu Lishu was truly in this place.
Lin Qingxu gritted his teeth, feeling for the first time that he was at a disadvantage when facing Lin Qingyang. Normally, Lin Qingyang seemed extremely foolish, so why was he suddenly so difficult to deal with today?
Nevertheless, he still believed that Chu Lishu was here. Lin Qingyang’s unexpected show of strength today, in his opinion, was merely an attempt to cover up the horrifying things he had done, forcing them to retreat. He thought Lin Qingyang was resorting to such strong tactics out of desperation to conceal his misdeeds, bringing up the emperor to pressurize them.
“Second Brother, whatever you want to do to me, I don’t care, but I genuinely worry about Lishu.”
Damn, Lin Qingxu remained the pure little white lotus[8], fully inheriting his mother’s true teachings. He was genuinely hard to deal with.
With Lin Qingxu’s words, Marquis An Nan decided to take a chance. He wanted to teach this unruly son a lesson.
Unfortunately, after the servants searched the entire courtyard and found no trace of Chu Lishu, the expressions on everyone’s faces changed.
“No… it’s impossible. I really saw it, and there’s really no Young Master Chu anywhere else.” The servant who reported the incident was the most anxious.
Lin Qingxu’s face also looked extremely unpleasant. When he noticed Lin Qingyang looking at him, he quickly said, “When we arrived just now, Second Brother also had the appearance of just returning. Could it be…”
The servant immediately exclaimed, “He must have relocated!”
“What? Refusing to admit even after wrongly accusing someone?” Lin Qingyang sneered.
Marquis An Nan hesitated, and Madam Ru quickly pulled on Lishi’s clothes. “It’s meaningless to argue now. Let’s find Chu Lishu first and ask him directly on what have happened!”
Marquis An Nan hurriedly agreed, and the entire Marquis’s residence was now in turmoil.
Finally, a servant reported that Chu Lishu was sleeping in his own room.
Everyone rushed there.
Lin Qingyang kept praying inwardly. A step behind the others entering the room, he heard Lishi’s voice becoming sharp, followed by a hoarse and deep voice.
“Grandmother, I’m fine… I just felt dizzy from studying this afternoon, so I took a rest. I feel much better now,” said the male lead.
The sound of the male lead’s voice was truly pleasant to the ears, and Lin Qingyang finally felt relieved. The special medicine from the store was effective. He managed to delay for about an hour, enough time for the male lead to wake up. As long as he was awake, no one would force him to see a physician. Also, according to their private discussion last night, Chu Lishu wouldn’t spill the beans.
At this point, Lin Qingyang had already walked in and, from a distance, took a glance through the crowd.
Chu Lishu had already dressed and was sitting at the edge of the bed. His hair was slightly tousled, and his deep phoenix eyes were filled with mist. His cheeks were rosy, and he looked confused, clearly showing signs of just waking up. However, Lin Qingyang could tell that he was probably still running a fever, albeit within a manageable range.
Chu Lishu got up to bow, his movements slow and sluggish as if he had just woken up. However, there was nothing abnormal about it. Observant individuals could tell that he hadn’t been mistreated, eliminating any suspicion of intentional concealment.
Therefore, Lin Qingyang really hadn’t done anything to Chu Lishu!
In the next moment, Chu Lishu stood up, and their eyes met. Lin Qingyang blinked at him, but Chu Lishu immediately shifted his gaze away.
Marquis An Nan promptly asked, “Lishu, were you here all day today? Did your Second Cousin come to see you yesterday?”
“Yesterday, I didn’t meet Second Cousin, and I’ve been in my room reading all day today. Did something happen?” Chu Lishu wore an innocent expression.
The awkward expressions on everyone’s faces indicated that they couldn’t reveal their suspicions. Marquis An Nan put on a concerned look and said, “You look unwell. Do you need to see a physician?”
“It’s alright. I’ve always had a weak constitution, some chronic issues. I’m used to it. Thanks for your concern, Uncle. It’s just that my appearance is a bit disheveled now, and I need to freshen up. Uh…”
“Right, right, you go tidy up first. Oh, by the way, where are the servants from your courtyard?”
Chu Lishu awkwardly explained, “Earlier, something came up, so they asked for leave.” He only had two servants in his courtyard. One had genuinely asked for leave, and the other one…
In fact, the Marquis’s residence had been quite neglectful towards him. The others couldn’t endure the situation any longer and found excuses to leave.
After everyone left, Lin Qingyang was the last to exit. Chu Lishu watched Lin Qingyang’s departing figure, understanding what had happened. However, he was more perplexed about how he had come back. Wasn’t he supposed to find a safe place to hide? Did he become confused during the fever, or was there someone else…
Chu Lishu returned to the bedside and reached under the pillow, pulling out a sky-blue hairband.
Whose was it? Why did he have it in his hand? If someone noticed something was amiss about himself, he needed to figure this out.
Then…kill him!
The servant, who was anxiously awaiting news while being pressed in the courtyard, continued to look around. As Lin Qingxu emerged, his face was completely darkened. Seeing Marquis An Nan glancing over with suppressed anger, he immediately kicked down his own servant, “It’s all your fault, daring to deceive the master.”
“Third Young Master, it’s not like that. You know, the servant…” Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Qingxu violently knocked him to the ground.
“Father, this servant must have sought revenge because Second Brother beat him some time ago. I was also deceived. This led to such a misunderstanding. It’s all my fault for not investigating properly, and I wrongly accused Second Brother. Please, Second Brother, punish this servant as you see fit.” Lin Qingxu bowed and apologized.
Marquis An Nan’s eyes flickered slightly. After a pause, he angrily said, “Damn servant! Drag him out, give him a thorough beating of twenty lashes, and then sell him off! Alright, let’s end it here for today. It’s time to prepare for the family banquet.”
“Lord Marquis, please spare me! It’s not the servant’s fault; it’s Third Young Master who…” Before he could finish his words, Madam Ru stepped forward, angrily declaring, “This servant still wants to bite back at others. Shut his mouth and give him a good beating right here to vent Second Young Master’s anger.”
Marquis An Nan agreed to Madam Ru’s approach, and thus, the servant who had been with Lin Qingxu since childhood was sacrificed.
“Father? Are you going back on your word?” Lin Qingyang, seeing the entire play unfold, smiled and spoke.
The atmosphere shifted slightly as Lin Qingyang, now with confidence, took bold steps forward. Without waiting for Lin Qingxu to speak, he lifted her foot and kicked him in the knee, forcing him to kneel.
“You don’t know how to kneel? Let me teach you how!” he asserted, displaying dominance and enforcing the image of oppressing the legitimate son. The carefully constructed persona must not crumble; he wouldn’t allow it!
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Glossary:
[8]: little white lotus meaning looking innocent and pure on the outside but ruthless inside
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Without waiting for Lin Qingxu to speak, he lifted her foot -> his foot