Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Beat the Dog When It's Down

"ah--"

Not only the pleasure boat, but also the guests in Qingyun Teahouse were instantly excited.

Qiao Yue covered her lips and cried out in surprise, "My aunt...fell into the water!"

"Someone fell into the water! Someone fell into the water!" Screams echoed in the dark night, and everyone on the pleasure boat was in panic.

Although Tan Yue disliked Li Susu and still harbored resentment for the slap, she thought that it was a life after all, and couldn't help but ask, "Grandma, should we send someone to rescue her?"

"No need." Zhao Qingyi rested her slender arms on the window, her expression calm. She knew Li Susu wouldn't die, but looking at the person struggling in the water, she turned around and ordered, "Find a woman to borrow some clothes and send them to her."

Li Susu suddenly fell into the water, and the pleasure boat was in chaos in an instant. Liang Shisan fell to the ground because of his limp. Fortunately, there was a servant beside him to support him, while Wang Shisan was holding on to the railing and looking into the lake.

Li Susu tried to shout for help, but as soon as she opened her mouth, the lake water poured into her mouth and nose, choking her and making her unconscious. Apart from a few flailing movements at the beginning, she gradually stopped struggling.

At this time, the pleasure boat was in the middle of the lake. Even if a small boat came from the opposite shore, it would probably be too late to rescue Li Susu.

Wang Shisan gritted his teeth secretly, if he didn't save the person, he would definitely die.

If the person died, the Bo family would lose their bargaining chip, and if he failed in his job, he would lose his usefulness in the eyes of his aunt, Lady Wang.

Wang Shisan made up his mind, took off his outer robe, jumped into the lake, and swam to the other side with Li Susu, who was on the verge of drowning.

Summer clothes are already thin, and Li Susu was fished out of the lake. She was soaked, with strings of water droplets hanging on her hair, eyebrows and eyes. It was hard to tell whether they were lake water or tears. The soaked clothes stuck tightly to her skin, outlining the girl's figure.

Because she was too frightened, Li Susu no longer cared about her dignity. She just instinctively snuggled in Wang Shisan's arms and trembled. Facing the pointing and talking of the onlookers, her mind went blank and she just kept shaking. The arrogant and fierce person in the past was now so terrified that she couldn't utter a word.

As for Wang Shisan, after rescuing the person, he pushed Li Susu away, as if he wanted to draw a clear line between himself and her.

Li Susu lay helplessly on the ground, wishing she could curl up into a ball. A woman came forward and put a piece of clothing on her to cover herself, but that was all, and it made Li Susu burst into tears.

It's over, everything is over.

Her dream of being the young lady of the Bo family, her reputation, her innocence, were all gone.

Behind Li Susu, someone in Qingyun Teahouse recognized her identity and the atmosphere became heated again.

"Isn't that Li Tanhua's sister? Why did she run out to meet with a man outside her family and even get herself into the lake?"

A young man in a brocade robe laughed loudly, exposing Li Susu's identity. If Li Che was present, he would recognize this man. It was his former classmate whom he had met at a social event not long ago, and who was now on duty in the Hanlin Academy.

He leaned over the railing and shouted, and almost everyone upstairs and downstairs heard it, which immediately caused everyone to burst into laughter. When talking about Li Susu, people would inevitably talk about Li Che. It was no secret that he was suspended from work and at home. Now the atmosphere was tense, and many people began to talk about the Li family's affairs. As a result, the rumors became more and more intense.

Zhao Qingyi was listening in the private room next door with a smile on her face. She didn't feel embarrassed at all. Perhaps she was in a good mood. She grabbed a handful of copper coins from the tray and threw them out of the window. Then bursts of exclamations came from downstairs. People gathered around to pick up the coins, adding to the liveliness.

More and more people are flocking to Mingxin Lake.

In Room No. 2, Chu Yuanhe was leaning lazily on the Arhat couch, facing the cool breeze from the window. He supported his chin with one hand and held a broken jade fan across his knees with the other, tapping it lightly from time to time.

From his angle, he could just see a fair white hand stretched out of the window next door. As she generously threw money, a pair of gold and ruby ​​bracelets on her wrist slipped slightly, making the white wrist look white and slender.

A beautiful woman's arms look like this.

Chu Yuanhe admired the jade arm that was throwing money out the window, and couldn't help but smile. He used his folding fan to hook down a double fish pendant with bright yellow tassels from his waist and handed it to Fugui. "I've seen the play today and I'm quite satisfied. This jade pendant is all to thank the host for inviting me today."

Zhao Qingyi is generous, so how can he be stingy?

Fugui understood, took the jade pendant with a smile, and knocked on the door of the private room next door.

Zhao Qingyi and his servant were preparing to return home when they saw Fugui bringing them a jade pendant. The two maids looked at each other in surprise.

Fugui smiled and said, "Grandma Zhao invited my master to watch a play. My master is very happy. This jade pendant is his snack money for today."

Zhao Qingyi raised her eyebrow slightly and asked Tan Yue to take the jade pendant. After everyone left, she took the jade pendant and examined it carefully. The jade was of excellent quality and could be considered top-grade. It was obvious that the person who bought it had an extraordinary background.

But no matter whether the other party saw through her plan or not, Zhao Qingyi felt that it was harmless. After all, she just invited people to have a cup of tea, and did not interfere in Li Susu's secret meeting with others. She accepted the money for the tea and snacks that was delivered to her door.

Zhao Qingyi got back into the sedan chair and staggered back to Li's house. It was almost the hour of Xu.

The incident in which Li Susu was caught having an affair with someone by the son of the Bo family and then accidentally fell into the lake had caused quite a stir in the capital after being spread by word of mouth among the people in the teahouse.

When Lady Wang of the Loyal and Brave Marquis's Mansion learned of this, she looked at Liang Shisan, who was sitting in a wheelchair with a dejected look on his face, his face pale with anger. She suppressed the subtle trace of guilt in her heart and flew into a rage on the spot, "How dare the Li family bully my son like this? Ye'er, don't worry, mother will definitely seek justice for you!"

"No need." Liang Shisan lowered his eyes, his expression indifferent, "Today's events were deliberately arranged by mother, right?"

Mrs. Wang pursed her lips and dared not respond.

After a long silence, Liang Shisan closed his eyes and said, "Cancel the engagement."

He should have known that no woman would be willing to marry a disabled man like him, and how could he expect his mother to find a decent woman to match him?

As a lame cripple, he had no qualifications to inherit the title even though he was the legitimate son. He had long been an abandoned child in his mother's eyes. The so-called marriage was just a bargaining chip for his mother to use.

His despaired look made Mrs. Wang's heart ache. She slowly squatted down and wanted to touch her son's face, but Liang Shisan dodged.

Mrs. Wang's hands froze in mid-air, tears streaming down her face. "Yer... one day, you will understand your mother's painstaking efforts."

The ten new policies included inspecting the six ministries, eliminating redundant officials, merging miscellaneous taxes, and surveying land. All of these measures would shake the foundations of the noble families. These nobles who relied on their ancestors' favors and held positions in the court without doing anything would lose their real power, and the strict inspection of taxes would cut off the Earl's source of income.

Not only that, they also had to pay additional taxes for the undeclared land under their names. She roughly estimated that once the new policy was implemented, the hidden land would be liquidated and the Zhongyong Marquis's Mansion would face a deficit of at least tens of thousands of taels.

In the past, a few tens of thousands of taels would have been a small matter, but the new policy would cut off their financial resources, and the salary from a title alone would not be enough to fill this hole.

Unfortunately, the Meng family has no daughters and only Zhao Qingyi is a granddaughter. Mrs. Wang chose to lower her status and marry into Zhao Qingyi's husband's family. This was also a precautionary measure. She hoped that this relationship could preserve the Bo Mansion. Only by preserving the Bo Mansion could she keep her son and ensure that he would have no worries in his life.

But at the moment, Mrs. Wang had no way to explain. She stood up, wiped away her tears, and regained the demeanor of the mistress of the Bo Mansion. She took a group of servants and rushed to the Li Mansion overnight.

At the same time, Li Susu also returned home crying.

Mrs. Luo looked at her soaking wet daughter and was dumbfounded. "Susu, you, you went out to buy embroidery thread, how did you end up like this?"

It would have been better if it hadn't been mentioned. Once it was mentioned, Li Susu regretted it so much that her intestines turned green. In order to go out for a private meeting, she didn't bring a personal maid to serve her, and only took the sedan chair arranged by Wang Shisan.

Now that her crime was exposed, no one would send her back. She could only wrap herself in a coat given by a kind-hearted person and walk back to the Li family crying. She was ridiculed and mocked along the way. She was even more embarrassed than the day when Luo came out of the imperial prison.

Li Susu couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into tears, "Mom, I'm done... I'm done..."

After noon, Mrs. Luo was immersed in the joy of the marriage with the Bo family and did not inquire about what was happening outside. She quickly helped her daughter into the house and asked someone to bring a handkerchief to wipe Li Susu's hair.

"Oh, what happened? Tell me clearly, did anyone bully you?" Mrs. Luo was tidying up her daughter's hair, and seeing her pale face, she felt very distressed.

Li Susu raised her head and burst into tears again, "Mom, we were deceived! We were deceived! Madam Wang deceived me!"

Mrs. Luo's face darkened when she heard this. "Pfft, pfft, what bad luck! What do you mean by being cheated? Don't talk nonsense!" She held up the big red marriage certificate like a treasure. "It's already been signed and sealed, how could it be fake?"

As soon as the marriage certificate came out, Li Susu's beautiful eyes turned red and she picked up a pair of scissors and cut the marriage certificate into pieces.

Luo was horrified. It was too late to stop it. She could only lie on the ground holding the broken marriage certificate with a look of pain on her face.

At this moment, Li Che came hurriedly, drunk. Before Luo could call him, Li Che approached Li Susu and slapped her to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Luo screamed and rushed forward. "Why are you hitting your sister for no reason?"

"What? Ask your good daughter!" Li Che had obviously just returned from a social event outside the house. Luo Shi didn't know what was going on outside, but he knew it clearly. On the way back, he was ridiculed a lot.

The sister of the former top scholar was so shameless that she had an affair with a man outside her family on the day of her engagement. She was even caught in the act by her fiancé! The whole of Shangjing was in an uproar, and the rumors could not be suppressed!

First, Luo was sent to prison for her stupidity, and now Li Susu is causing trouble for the family. In his opinion, this mother and daughter want to kill him!

"You've caused me to be suspended from work, and now that the storm hasn't even died down, I've made another huge joke. You want me to become the laughing stock of the entire capital! Only then will you be satisfied, right?"

The more Li Che thought about it, the angrier he became. He went over, grabbed Li Susu's collar, and slapped her again.

Li Susu screamed "Ah" and even had blood coming out of the corner of her mouth. "Brother, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong!" She quickly got up and knelt, grabbing the corner of Li Che's robe and begging.

Li Che kicked without hesitation.

Li Susu was kicked in the heart and fell backwards.

Luo naturally smelled the alcohol on Li Che and thought he was taking it out on Susu because his career was not going well. She picked up the teacup and threw it at Li Che's feet, "That's enough! You came back drunk late at night, and you didn't care why your sister fell into the water. You came up and beat and scolded me in front of me. Am I a dead mother?"

Throughout the dynasties, filial piety has always been paramount. Even if Li Che was furious, he could only hold back under Luo's shouts. He took two steps back, then laughed in anger, "Why did you fall into the water? Mother, I'm afraid you don't know yet. Your good daughter carried you on her back today, went on a night out on a pleasure boat with a man from outside the family, and was caught by the young master of the Bo Mansion. That's why she fell into the lake!"

"Now that everyone knows about this scandal, why not just beat her to death?"

Luo's face changed drastically and she looked at her daughter in shock.

Li Susu just kept crying, "Mother, it's not what you think. The Bofu used two Thirteenth Young Masters to deceive me. They wanted me to marry a cripple. The real Thirteenth Young Master of the Bofu is a cripple! He is not the young master we met in Xiangguo Temple at all!"

"That cripple even pushed me into the lake in public!"

Luo's head was buzzing and he stumbled.

What are these two "Shisanlang"? What about "crippled man"? Why doesn't she understand?

Before Li Susu could explain, Luo's mother stumbled over and said, "Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened! Madam Wang from the Zhongyong Marquis's residence has brought people to our house!"

"She still dares to come?"

In the past, Luo respected the status of the Bo's Mansion, but now when she suddenly learned that the people in the Bo's Mansion had bullied her daughter, she was furious and immediately walked to the door and grabbed a broom.

Mother Luo was so frightened that she hurriedly tried to stop him, "Madam, don't be impulsive! That's the wife of the Duke!"

This one sentence awakened Luo's remaining sanity. Yes, the other party was the wife of the Bo family. She was going to rush forward to seek justice for her daughter, but she was afraid that in turn she would end up being thrown into prison.

But……

Luo looked back at her embarrassed daughter. She was afraid that Susu’s reputation would be ruined tonight, and the culprit of all this was the Zhongyong Marquis’ Mansion!

Li Che straightened his clothes and sneered, "Mother, you can go up and make a scene. Who will suffer in the end, the Bo Mansion or our Li Family?"

He had never been so disgusted with his mother and sister. He was finally transferred back to Beijing, but because of them, he was suspended from work and stayed at home. Then he had to adopt his son, and now, Li Susu's scandal made him unable to hold his head up in front of everyone.

"You guys have hastily made an engagement with the Bo family without consulting me on anything. Who can you blame now?" Li Che covered his chest, which was heaving violently, and swallowed hard.

Luo was filled with remorse, blaming herself for not clarifying the situation before arranging a marriage for her daughter. She also blamed that damn girl Li Susu for secretly meeting with Shisanlang without telling her.

Luo clutched the broom, his chest heaving.

Mrs. Wang had already led dozens of people and stormed into Qionghua Hall. As soon as she crossed the gate, she saw Luo holding a broom. She snorted coldly, "Luo, if you don't give my uncle's family an explanation tonight, your Li family will have no chance of getting away with it!"

Zhao Qingyi had returned home early and had transferred the maids away from Qionghua Hall in advance. At this moment, Mrs. Wang broke in as if she was in an empty place, and no servant came out to stop her.

Seeing the overwhelming force, Luo's previous arrogance was quickly suppressed. She took a deep breath and dropped the broom. After a while, she put on a shy smile and said, "Madam Wang, what do you want me to explain? My daughter Susu was pushed into the lake by your son in public tonight."

She thought that if she could resolve the matter properly, it would be fine, but unexpectedly the other party sneered.

Mrs. Wang no longer concealed her inner contempt for the Li family and the Luo family. She raised her chin slightly, her face full of arrogance, "Isn't it because you, as a mother, failed to educate your daughter well?"

"She had just gotten engaged to my son Liang Shisan, and now she's having a secret meeting with a stranger in public! If my son hadn't caught her, I'm afraid my uncle would have been foolish enough to marry a slut!"

Mrs. Wang spoke sharply, and her eyes were full of sarcasm.

Luo's expression suddenly changed after hearing what she said, "Who are you calling a slut?"

She couldn't bear it any longer, so she picked up the broom and rushed over, "Who are you calling a slut?!"

She looked ferocious, a shrewd, unrefined person unlike any noblewoman like Madam Wang had ever seen. Seeing the broom swung and whirred in the air, Madam Wang clutched her head and screamed, "Ah! You shrew! You actually... Ah!"

Luo's movements were too fast and she hit Madam Wang's skirt, scaring her so much that she stepped back repeatedly. Fortunately, the people she brought reacted in time and immediately protected Madam Wang in the middle.

Luo was shoved hard by a rough servant and stumbled back several steps, her eyes still bloodshot. "Your Bo's Mansion used such despicable means to deceive Susu, bringing out a decent-looking person to discuss marriage, but actually wanting my daughter to marry a despicable cripple! Now you are throwing dirty water on Susu? This is simply outrageous! If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will tear your mouth apart!"

Since he had already risked his life, Luo decided to fight to the death with the other party.

Mrs. Wang was initially intimidated by her behavior, but when she heard that Luo dared to call her son a shameful cripple, she immediately became furious and pointed at Luo's nose, "Just say 'cripple' again and see!"

"Cripple, cripple, cripple!"

Luo cursed with spit flying everywhere, "I want everyone in the capital to know that the legitimate son of your loyal and brave man is a shameful cripple! A cripple wants to come out and cheat on a marriage! Pah!"

"you……"

Mrs. Wang was so angry that she was shaking. Her well-maintained face turned blue and red. "Shut up!"

"I insist on saying it!" Mrs. Luo almost jumped up and cursed, "How dare you, the Loyal and Brave Marquisate, do you dare not admit it? My daughter Susu has lost all her dignity, and your Marquisate will never get away with it!"

After the last curse, he threw the broom hard, causing Mrs. Wang to scream again.

Mrs. Wang originally thought that because of her family background, Luo Shi, a lowly woman from a poor family, could only be bullied by her. She said one thing and Luo Shi could not say another. She never expected that Luo Shi was a shrew! A rude and vulgar shrew!

"Well, you, the Li family, are shameless!"

Mrs. Wang couldn't bear this, so she waved her sleeves and ordered, "Pull this bitch down!"

Seven or eight servants rushed forward. Mrs. Luo was not willing to sit and wait for death. If she died, her daughter would be dead too. Thinking of this, Mrs. Luo used all her strength and wrestled with those servants.

Li Susu, who was sitting on the ground in the house, witnessed her mother fighting with a group of servants. There were so many people on the other side. She felt pained and anxious, and hurriedly got up to join in.

"Mom, let me help you!" She picked up a drum stool and rushed out.

The yard was in chaos. Li Che, who had been forbearing, could no longer bear it and shouted angrily, "Stop it!"

He was the only man in the yard, and the sound was particularly shocking. Several people who were twisting their bodies together subconsciously stopped their movements. Luo's hair, which was not very thick to begin with, was torn apart and hung on her head in a mess. The maid opposite was not much better off, with bloody marks on her face and hands from scratching.

Perhaps Li Che was the only one who remained calm in the chaos. He quickly took two steps forward to Madam Wang and bowed deeply. "Madam Wang, my mother loves her dearly, and that's why she acted impulsively and offended you. I hope you can understand each other as we're both mothers, and not take offense at such a vulgar woman like my mother."

"Besides..." Li Che raised his eyes slightly, "Madam Wang came here tonight and did not threaten to cancel the engagement. There must be room for negotiation with my Li family. Why don't you calm down and sit down and talk."

Most of the men who could become the third place in the imperial examination were handsome. Seeing his respectful attitude and kind words, Mrs. Wang decided to take advantage of the situation. She raised her head and straightened her clothes, "I really didn't come here to break up with your Li family."

Just as the situation eased slightly, Luo screamed again, "What else is there to discuss? How could I, Susu, marry a cripple..."

"Mother!"

Li Che stopped him loudly, his eyes red.

Luo rarely saw such a cold expression on her son's face, and her voice choked.

Mrs. Wang finally understood that the one who could make the decision in the Li family was still Li Che, and Zhao Qingyi was his wife. As the saying goes, a woman should obey her husband, so as long as Li Che agreed to her conditions, everything would be easy.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Wang was too lazy to argue with the shrew Luo anymore. At Li Che's signal, she walked into the main hall. Mother Luo had already been called by Li Che to make tea.

Mrs. Wang was a distinguished guest, so she naturally sat at the table. When Mother Luo brewed the tea and brought it over, she seemed to be hesitant to speak. It happened that Mrs. Luo had been scolding so much that her mouth was dry, so she grabbed the teacup and took a sip. It turned out to be the sparrow tongue tea that she used to drink.

Luo glanced at Madam Wang who was sitting at the upper seat, and understood what was going on.

Fortunately, Zhao was tactful. Knowing that there were guests, he took the initiative to bring over good tea.

Mrs. Wang also took the doucai cup with a lotus pattern. The tea in it was green and emerald, and overflowing with fragrance. She sniffed it lightly, her wide sleeves covering her nose, and slowly savored the flavor of the tea.

"This tea...is not bad." Mrs. Wang became more certain.

Queshe tea is a tea commonly used by powerful and wealthy families. The Li family, as poor as it is, can serve this kind of tea to entertain guests. This shows that Zhao Qingyi has contributed a lot to this family over the years. If she didn't have a generous dowry, she wouldn't be able to support such daily expenses.

After sipping tea, Madam Wang felt it was time to get down to business. "I don't know how the Mingxin Lake incident spread, but one thing is undeniable: Li Susu's reputation has been ruined. If my uncle's family were to marry her, they would undoubtedly be ridiculed."

Mrs. Luo stood up and said, "If you hadn't created two Thirteenth Brothers to deceive my daughter, I wouldn't have arranged this marriage with you!"

The Bo family was a noble family, but what good was a cripple to them? A person with a disability could not take the imperial examinations to become an official, nor could he inherit the title.

Li Che warned with his eyes again, and then told Mother Luo, "Mother is tired, send her back to her room."

"No need." Luo suppressed her anger and sat back down. "I'll just listen."

Madam Wang sneered, "My uncle's family wouldn't bother deceiving your Li family. The marriage certificate clearly states that the person betrothed is my uncle's legitimate son, Liang Ye, Liang Shisan, and not my disappointing nephew, Wang Shisan. You have misunderstood, so my uncle's family cannot be blamed."

Luo's back teeth creaked. Before this, who could have imagined that the dignified Earl's Mansion would resort to such despicable means to plot against her?

Thinking of this, she suddenly remembered what Zhao Qingyi reminded her a few days ago.

"What kind of family is the Bo Mansion? They are a well-known noble family in Shangjing. Mother-in-law should also think about why, Madam Wang, you are so interested in the Li family."

Luo's heart was filled with alarm. It turned out that the trap was here.

It would be difficult for a lame man, even if he was the son of an uncle, to marry a lady of equal status. So Mrs. Wang set her sights on the Li family. Although the Li family was a poor family, they had Li Che, the third place winner in the imperial examination. Over time, the Li family would be able to turn things around, and by then, Li Susu's status would also rise. It would not be a disadvantage for the lame man from the uncle's family to marry her Susu.

Hate it! It’s really hateful!

This Zhao Qingyi must have known the reason a long time ago, but deliberately didn't tell me!

Mrs. Wang looked at Luo's radiant expression, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "Li Susu's secret meeting with a man outside her family is now a foregone conclusion. She also fell into the water in public, which has jeopardized her innocence. Now, she has only two options."

Li Che knew that this was the point they needed to discuss, so he nodded and said, "I'd like to hear the details."

"A woman who has lost her reputation should either be hastily married off or hanged at home. It depends on what decision your Li family will make." Mrs. Wang said in a calm tone.

When Mrs. Luo heard that she wanted Li Susu to hang herself at home, she was so angry that she wanted to jump up again, but this time she was held down by Mrs. Luo.

Li Che frowned and thought, "What does Madam Wang mean by a hasty marriage?"

"She had a secret meeting with my nephew, and it was my nephew who rescued her after she fell into the water. She can choose to marry my nephew."

"You're dreaming!"

Luo's body was pinned down, but she could still move her mouth. She glared at Madam Wang, "That Wang Shisan has no parents, no property, and yet he dares to seduce my Su Su. How could I possibly let Su Su marry such a man?"

Mrs. Wang was waiting for these words, but she remained dignified. "Your daughter has no sense of shame. She's marrying above her station by marrying my nephew."

"You..." Luo covered her chest, fearing that she would pass out.

Mrs. Wang smiled at her and said, "However, if you are willing, it is not impossible. It will remain as we agreed upon originally: a dowry of three thousand taels, not a cent less."

Li Susu stood behind, tears falling. Although Wang Shisan had a good appearance, he was just Mrs. Wang's distant nephew as his mother said. He had no father or mother, no family property to inherit, and no achievements. She even had to pay him three thousand taels of silver. He was not a good match.

But my reputation and innocence have already...

Li Susu covered her face and ran out.

Seeing this, Mrs. Wang also understood Li Susu's attitude. She looked down on her nephew and was unwilling to marry him.

She said coldly, "If you don't want to marry my nephew, there is one last way."

"My uncle's family can still abide by the marriage contract and marry Li Susu, making her our young lady, but..." She raised her hand and counted, then said lightly, "The dowry must be increased tenfold."

Everyone present was stunned, their minds working rapidly.

The dowry of three thousand taels, ten times... thirty thousand taels!