Chapter 89

The night is as dark as water.

There was a small lamp on in the study, and a hazy and blurred light appeared through the green gauze.

Lu Jiaxue didn't say anything. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

Cheng Lang walked in, slowly stood in front of Lu Jiaxue, and called him uncle.

When he knew that Lu Jiaxue was safe and sound, he understood that Lu Jiaxue had not fallen into the trap. Cheng Lang had even prepared himself for Lu Jiaxue not to let him go, as this person would not tolerate betrayal.

Lu Jiaxue opened his eyes and said, "When your mother married into the Cheng family, she hugged me and cried because she was going to be a concubine. I felt sorry for your mother, so when I became the governor, I immediately forced the Cheng family to make her my wife and gave you a good birth. I made your career smooth sailing. Is this how you repay me now?"

Cheng Lang immediately knelt down, lifting his robe and kneeling neatly.

"Uncle, you really misunderstood. I didn't mean for anyone to know. It was just that the news leaked that day..."

As he spoke, Lu Jiaxue slowly walked up to him, raised his hand and slapped him hard in the face before he could finish.

Cheng Lang pursed his lips and endured it, his expression not changing.

"You're repaying kindness with enmity." Lu Jiaxue looked down at him and said coldly, "With someone as cautious as you, Cheng Lang, how could you accidentally leak the news?"

Cheng Lang's expression remained unchanged, and he continued, "If uncle doesn't believe me, there's nothing I can do. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes..."

"If it weren't for the fact that you're your mother's only son, I would have crippled you long ago," Lu Jiaxue said. "Get up! If I ever find out you're doing something behind the scenes again, I'll be merciless to you. Even if your mother comes to beg me in person, I won't let you go."

Cheng Lang replied with a "yes," then stood up and left the study. It was only when he stepped outside that he felt a chill run down his spine. He had escaped a disaster.

Unexpectedly, Lu Jiaxue had been on guard against him all along.

Wei Ling saw Cheng Lang coming out. He went in to discuss the future of the court with Lu Jiaxue. It wasn't until midnight that news arrived from the palace that the matter had been settled. That was the end of it. Lu Jiaxue took his men back to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, while Wei Ling went to visit her in Yining's courtyard.

Knowing that she was already asleep, he stood at the door for a while and finally left.

The next day, Yi Ning woke up and ate breakfast as usual, pretending she hadn't seen Lu Jiaxue the day before. She was relieved to learn that Lu Jiaxue had already left the Duke of Yingguo's mansion.

Two days later, someone from the Rectification Office arrived, delivering New Year's cakes, candies, red paper, and gold foil. Yi Ning played with Ting'er, playing with paper-cuts. It wasn't until the day before the 30th that news arrived from the palace: the Emperor had passed away after a long illness. Lu Jiaxue had already led troops into the Crown Prince's residence to provide close protection. But news of the eldest prince's death hadn't reached them yet.

It didn't matter. After all, once the emperor died, the crown prince's ascension to the throne was a matter of course. It didn't matter when the news of the eldest prince's death came.

Wei Ling was therefore even busier, often with people visiting him in the middle of the night. He would be up and heading to the palace or the guard post only a few hours after resting. Yi Ning, feeling his overwork, and with Old Madam Wei's health declining towards the end of the year, took it upon herself to take on the duties of welcoming and seeing off guests at the Duke of Yingguo's residence during the Lunar New Year holidays. This kept her busy as well. While the Duke of Yingguo's residence was small, it was a grand affair. The servants employed within the mansion alone numbered three or four hundred, not counting the land and shops outside.

Anyway, everyone was busy when the court got involved. Cheng Lang had no time to come and teach Ting'er, nor did he have time to come and pay his respects to Old Lady Wei. Old Lady Wei was also anxious about Zhao Mingzhu's marriage being unsettled, but no matter how anxious she was, there was nothing she could do. A good horse cannot be forced. Who would be willing to do it?

Zhao Mingzhu was not in a hurry. Thinking of what Mrs. Wei said about trying to please Yining, she brought Shen Jiarou, the daughter of the Zhongqin Earl, to the East Garden to find Yining. As a result, she ran into Yining meeting the steward.

During the holidays, the outside stewards would come to their masters' homes to pay their respects. Some would bring cured chickens and ducks, while the more affluent would even send golden pheasants and wild ginseng. When Yi Ning met them, she also asked about the current state of the shops and farms. She had naturally accumulated considerable experience over the years, and since she had been with Luo Shenyuan, no one could fool her.

Through a beaded curtain, Zhao Mingzhu heard Yi Ning ask, "Last year we harvested four thousand taels, but this year it's 30% less. The manager said it was due to the drought, but other families haven't seen such a huge loss in their harvests from droughts."

The steward was so anxious that he was sweating. "Miss, it's because our area is high up, so the rain can't stay, so the drought is more severe!"

"Then you won't have to go back yet." Yining continued, "After the New Year, I'll send someone to go with you and see what happens. You can go down now."

After saying that, he closed the teacup in his hand.

The steward and the head maid sitting outside heard it all. The young lady seemed gentle and soft-spoken, but in reality, she was not easy to fool. She had sharp eyes and was probably an expert at reading and deciphering characters. Even a slight embellishment of the account book wouldn't conceal it. Any losses would require a solid justification.

Zhao Mingzhu's face turned ugly when she heard the word "young lady". She also heard Shen Jiarou exclaiming beside her: "Your young lady is so grand and elegant. We don't have such a grand family!"

She felt very upset.

Of course she was impressive, the only one of her kind in the Duke of Ying's mansion. She was timid when she first arrived, but after a while, she's become increasingly composed and self-possessed. This is the steward. She usually accompanies Old Madam Wei in her interactions with aristocratic families, and she's never shy, always graceful and elegant. People praise her for being more respectable than the women raised in aristocratic families... Isn't that a slap in her face?

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