Qi Yuan greeted Madam Lu briskly, “Aunt, please trouble yourself to bring a set of clothes for Ah Chan. I’ll take her out for a trip.”
Madam Lu froze for a moment.
At a time like this, going out?
Right now this matter was causing a storm throughout the city, and everyone was waiting to watch Wang Chan’s scandal.
Some clan elders of the Wang family had even stepped forward suggesting that Wang Chan be temporarily sent back to her hometown to recuperate and avoid the limelight, yet Qi Yuan wanted to take her outside?
She subconsciously opened her mouth. “Yuan Jie’er…”
Qi Yuan knew Madam Lu’s concerns. She raised her brows and insisted firmly, “Aunt, trust me. If I take her out, nothing will happen.”
Although Madam Lu still didn’t fully understand, when she thought about how Qi Yuan had immediately exposed the people scheming behind Wang Chan as soon as she arrived, she hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth. “Alright! I’ll go prepare it right away!”
She immediately instructed the servants to prepare a set of clothes for Wang Chan.
Qi Yuan looked at Wang Chan. “Ah Chan, put it on and come with me.”
Only then did Old Madam Wang come back to her senses. She turned to look at Old Madam Qi. “Is Yuan Jie’er taking Ah Chan to the Wei family?”
Wasn’t that obvious?
Old Madam Qi had not slept all night, yet it didn’t affect her lively spirit at all.
She took a sip of tea and smiled. “Other than the Wei family, what other spectacle is there to watch now?”
Seeing Old Madam Wang’s dazed expression, Old Madam Qi set down her teacup and said lightly, “You still don’t understand Yuan Jie’er well enough. But after today, you’ll know what kind of person she really is.”
She curled her lips. “Don’t worry about Ah Chan. After going out today, all her troubles will disappear.”
After Qi Yuan helped Wang Chan onto the carriage, she instructed the driver, “Go back to the Qi residence first.”
Wang Chan was still somewhat absent-minded. Her hands and feet were icy as she tightly held Qi Yuan’s hand. Hearing that they were going to the Qi residence, she asked in confusion, “What are we going to your house for?”
Qi Yuan understood why Wang Chan now resembled a frightened bird.
She gently patted the back of Wang Chan’s hand to comfort her. “To bring someone along.”
After picking up that person from the Qi residence, they headed toward Bajing Hutong, where the Wei family lived. By the time they arrived, quite a few people were already standing along the street.
The Wei family did not hold a high official position, so their residence was actually a house belonging to Madam Wei’s natal family.
Most of the residents in Bajing Hutong were court officials, especially those from the Hanlin Academy.
It was the hour for morning court, and everyone had originally been rushing out.
But unexpectedly, early in the morning, the entrance to the Wei residence was completely blocked.
A compiler from the Hanlin Academy had been stuck for a long time and grew annoyed. “What exactly is going on? Are we moving or not?”
The steward hurried over. “Sir, the entire alley is blocked. I’m afraid we won’t be able to move for a while!”
The whole alley was blocked?
The compiler lifted the curtain of his sedan chair and looked ahead. Sure enough, several other households’ sedan chairs were also stuck at their gates, unable to move. He frowned. “What day is it? Is someone getting married?”
The alley was narrow, so whenever neighbors held such major events, the road would indeed be blocked.
The steward’s expression turned strange. “No, sir, not a wedding. Someone is kneeling at Lord Wei’s gate, carrying a bundle of thorn branches to plead for forgiveness, and proposing marriage.”
…
The compiler felt he couldn’t understand anymore. What did it mean to kneel and propose marriage while pleading for forgiveness?
Were those the same thing?
Normally, wouldn’t a proposal involve a matchmaker formally visiting the household?
Unable to suppress his curiosity, and since he couldn’t leave anyway, he simply got out of the sedan chair.
As soon as he stepped down, he saw many commoners and servants from nearby households crowding toward the Wei residence. The gate was surrounded three layers deep inside and out.
Within the crowd, Wang Chan’s palms were slightly sweaty, her limbs icy as she stared at He Shengchang kneeling on the ground, her eyes filled with fear and disgust.
The weather was freezing, yet He Shengchang was bare-chested, carrying thorn branches on his back, kneeling with both hands raised above his head while waiting for the Wei family to open the gate.
Meanwhile, the crowd was buzzing with discussion.
“What exactly is going on? Is this a proposal or an apology?”
“How pitiful, kneeling like this in such cold weather?”
He Shengchang shivered violently. On top of that, he had just been beaten by Qi Yuan earlier, making him even more disheveled and humiliated. Yet he still remembered the icy look in Qi Yuan’s eyes when she had stepped on his ankle.
His mother was still in Qi Yuan’s hands!
That woman truly could snap his mother’s fingers one by one!
He could easily imagine what would happen if he didn’t follow her instructions.
The sachet was in their hands, and his mother was also in their hands.
If Qi Yuan and the Wang family wanted to ruin him, it would be far too easy.
People were like this, when interests clashed, they instinctively protected themselves.
Compared to complete ruin or even death, he would rather kneel longer.
Trembling, he raised his hands and shouted loudly with his eyes closed, “This humble graduate, He Shengchang of Song City, is mutually in love with the Wei family’s Third Miss, Wei Qingyang, and we privately pledged ourselves to each other! I now know my mistake and have come carrying thorn branches to plead for forgiveness, sincerely requesting marriage! I beg Father-in-law and Mother-in-law for mercy!”
The crowd, which had been growing impatient from waiting so long, instantly became excited.
After all, they had gathered to watch a spectacle.
Ha, who would have expected such a dramatic show!
Stories of poor scholars privately pledging themselves to noble daughters, only for the young lady to be dragged home while the poor scholar pursued her devotedly, were always popular drama plots.
And now it was happening right before their eyes!
This was far more interesting than a stage play.
For a moment, everyone began shouting and cheering.
The noise nearly lifted the Wei residence’s roof.
Even the Hanlin compiler coughed lightly and squeezed forward.
Who would have thought that in this world there were still lovers forcibly separated like this?
Tsk, the Wei family was actually so snobbish.
Meanwhile, inside the Wei residence, it felt as though the sky had collapsed.
Lord Wei had originally planned to attend court early that morning, but before he could even finish a sip of hot tea, he heard that someone was kneeling outside his gate pleading for forgiveness.
He frowned and ordered a servant to ask what was happening.
He then sat down with Madam Wei to eat breakfast.
But just as the meal was served, a servant rushed in anxiously. “Master, Madam! This is bad! A graduate named He Shengchang is kneeling at our gate with thorn branches on his back, saying he and the Third Miss are mutually in love and privately pledged to each other…”
Lord Wei immediately spat out the mouthful of hot soup he had just swallowed and asked in disbelief, “What did you say?!”
Why couldn’t he understand a single word?!
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