Chapter 183 The Earl is Back

"This is outrageous! This old servant will take men out and arrest all these people who are talking nonsense, and send them to the yamen. How dare they spread rumors about the madam? They're asking for trouble!"

Liu, the nanny who served Su Chengniang, was so angry that she jumped up and down, rolled up her sleeves, and was about to call for people to go out and wreak havoc.

Su Chengniang remained calm, and she pulled her personal maidservant aside, saying:

"Granny, please calm down. The law does not punish the masses. Since so many people are spreading rumors, who can you arrest if you go out? You can't arrest all the neighbors, can you?"

Granny Liu was speechless for a moment. She knew it was impossible, but she couldn't just stand by and watch these people ruin the lady's reputation. She couldn't swallow this insult.

Granny Liu: "We can't arrest him, but the Lord can. This old servant will go find the Lord right now. He will always have a way."

Su Chengniang reminded her, "You forgot that the Earl is away on business these days and won't be back in the capital for three days."

Upon hearing this, Granny Liu stamped her foot and said, "This old servant is so anxious that I forgot that the Lord is not in the capital. What should we do? Are we just going to let those people spread rumors?"

Su Chengniang was also feeling uneasy, but she knew the rumors were suspicious and must be related to the thieves who tried to break into the house last night. Since the Lord was not present, she absolutely could not panic. Therefore, she said to Granny Liu:

"If you're upright, you have nothing to fear. I've done nothing wrong and I'm not afraid of gossip. Besides, someone must be behind this. If we lose our composure, wouldn't we be playing right into their hands?"

Hearing this, Granny Liu felt somewhat relieved, but she was still worried and said, "But Madam, as long as these rumors are not dispelled, your reputation will be damaged."

Su Chengniang shook her head slightly: "We've lived here for quite some time now, and we know all the neighbors. Everyone knows who we are, and many of them have even met the Earl. So even if they gossip, they don't dare to go too far."

Right now, the only thing we can do is send people to investigate. Ideally, we should catch those thieves; only then will the rumors outside have a chance of being dispelled.

Granny Liu sighed; that was all she could do for now.

For several days, the rumors not only failed to subside but actually intensified. Granny Liu said to Su Chengniang with great concern:

“It’s been several days, why hasn’t the Lord returned yet? Those people are really going too far. How can they slander people so indiscriminately without even knowing the facts? Even if outsiders don’t know, we’ve lived here for so long, and our neighbors all know what kind of person you are. How can they believe such rumors? What if the Lord and Madam have a falling out because of this?”

Su Chengniang gazed intently at the several pots of azaleas placed under the eaves, and after a long while spoke:

"Judging by the days, Lord Bo should be back soon."

She also wanted to know how Yu Jingsheng would react to these rumors—would he believe her or those outsiders?

Most couples who have been married for many years would probably still believe her.

But with such terrible rumors, will he become dissatisfied and disappointed with himself and distance himself from the rumors?

Just then, I heard a servant's voice from outside: "The Lord is back!"

Su Chengniang looked up and saw Yu Jingsheng, dressed in official robes, walking in looking travel-worn. Judging from his appearance, he must have come here before even having a chance to return to the Marquis's residence.

Yu Jingsheng also looked at Su Chengniang. He saw that she was dressed in a plain dress and had no makeup on her face. She stood there quietly like a quiet orchid blooming in a valley. Just one glance made most of the restlessness around him disappear.

Yu Jingsheng slowed his pace and walked over to Su Chengniang, who looked at him steadily with her usual gentle smile. She opened her lips and softly said:

"Lord is back."

Yu Jingsheng opened his arms and gently pulled her into his embrace: "Chengniang, I'm sorry you had to suffer."

Upon hearing this, Su Chengniang could no longer maintain her composure and the grievances she had been holding back for days, and tears streamed down her face as she bit her lip.

Seeing her tears, Yu Jingsheng panicked a little. He awkwardly reached out and wiped her face, comforting her as he spoke:

"Don't cry. Leave this to me. Don't worry, I will definitely give you an explanation this time."

The incident at the Su residence that night was quickly reported to him by a guard. Upon reading it, Yu Jingsheng was furious and immediately ordered his trusted confidant Changfeng to return to the capital to investigate the matter, reminding him to report it to the Prefect of the Capital first.

Anyone who dares to provoke him, he'll see which bandit has the guts to do so.

His men had searched the entire capital city in the past few days, but the group of people seemed to have vanished without a trace. Even the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture searched every house but couldn't find any useful information, which was highly suspicious.

The Prefect of Jingzhao privately hinted that perhaps he had offended someone, and that person was deliberately seeking revenge.

You must know that this is the capital city. How could bandits so easily infiltrate the capital, under the very nose of the emperor, and they only managed to break into the private residence of the Earl of Nanping?

If it was truly someone who did it intentionally, then it's not surprising that the Jingzhao Prefecture couldn't find the person. When gods fight, even the lowly devils can't do anything about it.

Yu Jingsheng took the words of the Prefect of Jingzhao to heart. Over the past two days, he had been thinking about it and realized that this matter was not a coincidence. Otherwise, even if he had mobilized almost the entire force of the prefecture in private, he would still have been able to find the bandits.

However, his personal guards were not to be underestimated. In two days and two nights, they actually found some clues. The last place where the group disappeared was near a house outside his good father-in-law, Minister Qiao's mansion. He sent people to inquire and found out that a branch of the Qiao family lived in this house.

Although there is no conclusive evidence, once a suspicion arises in one's mind, it will gradually amplify as the speculation in one's mind grows.

Now, when he faces his wife, he feels guilty.

Su Chengniang looked at her husband with surprise. She thought he would complain about her because of the rumors, after all, such rumors were so unbearable.

But he actually said she had been wronged.

A warm feeling welled up in Su Chengniang's heart.

She didn't say anything more, but instead took his hand and the two of them went inside together.

Liu Mama wisely didn't follow. She had been nervously watching the Earl's expression, and seeing that his attitude towards her mistress was no different from usual, and that he had said what he just said, she felt a little relieved after being anxious for two days.

She turned around and instructed the maid to quickly brew a pot of Biluochun tea, which was the Earl's favorite, and send it in. The lady had hardly eaten anything these past two days, and now that the Earl was here, she had to go to the kitchen and ask the cooks to prepare a table of dishes that the two of them liked and send it in together.

It's unclear what the two people inside were saying, but the room remained quiet throughout. Apart from the maid bringing tea and food twice, a few whispers could be heard occasionally, though they were indistinct and the atmosphere was peaceful and warm.

The next morning, the Earl of Nanping's carriage was waiting at the gate. Accompanied by a group of servants, the Earl of Nanping calmly went out and got into the carriage to go to court. Before leaving, he gave a few instructions to the steward, who dared not delay and immediately ordered people to start preparations.

The neighbors in Liuli Lane soon discovered that the gate of the Su residence, which had been tightly closed for the past few days, was wide open. Servants were coming and going, cleaning the gate spotless, and laying out a bright red carpet on the ground, as well as setting up an offering table, incense table, and other items.

The neighbors couldn't help but wonder what this family was up to. Were they celebrating a wedding?