Chapter 313 Marquis of Qiyang
The private room was quite large, over 100 square meters. Inside, there were games for playing, such as pitch-pot, mahjong, and even archery.
Lu Xiaowu and Shi Shangzhi entered the private room and found many people already there. As soon as they entered, Lu Xiaowu was surrounded and asked many questions, such as what he did in the Secretariat and whether his shifts were hard.
Lu Xiaowu answered them with a grin, his eyes searching for Ding Zhe. He saw Ding Zhe sitting in a corner, drinking from a cup. Lu Xiaowu looked away and followed the others to a tea table and sat down.
"I thought you'd enjoy a drink," said Tong Shuzheng, a servant of the Minister of Justice.
Lu Xiaowu looked aggrieved. "You all know how busy the Duke of Chu is. I'm always on my feet. If I drink and miss my shift tomorrow, my father will definitely beat me."
This remark drew laughter from everyone, and Shi Shangzhi added, "The Duke of Chu is your cousin, why don't you ask her to make an exception?"
Lu Xiaowu: "She's stricter than anyone else. I won't say anymore; it'll only bring tears to my eyes."
Some people were curious about Jiang Yu and asked her some questions, but Lu Xiaowu brushed them off. The people then wisely stopped asking and the group sat together chatting.
A moment later, Ding Zhe came over and sat down to listen to everyone's conversation, but he still looked preoccupied. Lu Xiaowu glanced at him impassively, then went back to chatting and laughing with everyone else.
They were all a bunch of good-for-nothing second and third-generation rich kids. After talking for a while, they got bored and started to go play other games in twos and threes. Only Lu Xiaowu, Shi Shangzhi, and Ding Zhe remained at the tea table.
Lu Xiaowu poured Ding Zhe a cup of tea, "We adults can't get involved in adult matters, so don't look so sad."
Ding Zhe forced a smile, took the tea Lu Xiaowu handed him, and said, "Even if I wanted to help, I couldn't."
Lu Xiaowu sighed, "I heard that your great-grandfather and grandfather have both come to the capital? If you pull some strings, maybe the matter can be resolved. In the capital, as long as you find the right connections, there's nothing that can't be solved."
Upon hearing this, Ding Zhe looked at Lu Xiaowu with hopeful eyes, then turned to Shi Zhi and said, "Brother Shi, I would like to have a few words with Shao Yang alone."
"Oh, okay, okay." Shi Shangzhi suddenly understood why Ding Zhe had come to today's gathering; it must be because of Lu Xiaowu. The Duke of Chu was highly regarded by the Emperor, and Lu Xiaowu was now working for the Duke of Chu. Ding Zhe might be hoping to use Lu Xiaowu and the Duke of Chu's connections to solve his family's predicament.
He got up and went to watch people fight crickets. Ding Zhe sat down next to Lu Xiaowu, picked up his cup and drank the tea in one gulp. As if he had made up his mind, he looked at Lu Xiaowu and said, "Brother Shaoyang, do you think we can ask the Duke of Chu to help my family?"
Lu Xiaowu was taken aback, then frowned and said, "Although I work under my cousin, I... I'm just a handyman. And my cousin and family don't tell me anything important. I... I can't speak up for her."
Ding Zhe suddenly grasped Lu Xiaowu's hand, "Brother Shaoyang, we really have no other choice, please ask the Duke of Chu."
Lu Xiaowu's face scrunched up like a bun. "I heard that your grandfather went to plead with the people at Princess Wenxin's residence, but it didn't work?"
Ding Zhe was stunned, his face showing a "how did you know?" expression. Seeing this, Lu Xiaowu casually explained, "I overheard someone mention it casually at home. You know, it's hard to keep a secret in the capital."
Ding Zhe wore a bitter expression again. He had heard that established noble families like the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion had their own secret guards, and things that happened in the capital rarely escaped their notice. However, the person they were seeking help from was Princess Wenxin's lover, which didn't sound good.
However, now is not the time to save face. He said, "You also know that Princess Wenxin does not participate in court affairs."
In other words, their attempt to follow Princess Wenxin's path was unsuccessful.
“Um,” Lu Xiaowu leaned closer to Ding Zhe curiously and asked in a low voice, “Why did your father suddenly get on bad terms with Prince Rui? Your father is a very wise man!”
Ding Zhe frowned and remained silent. Lu Xiaowu continued, "You know that those bigwigs in the court all form cliques. Have your father find someone who's on his side!"
"I...my father isn't..." Ding Zhe looked like he had something difficult to say.
Lu Xiaowu sighed, patted his shoulder, and looked at him with an expression that said, "I understand." Then he got up to leave, but Ding Zhe grabbed his sleeve and said, "It's not what you think."
Lu Xiaowu sat down with a curious and gossipy expression, which made Ding Zhe feel a little uncomfortable. But he knew that was just Lu Xiaowu's personality; if Lu Xiaowu had a different expression, he would have been more suspicious.
"What happened?" Lu Xiaowu asked.
Ding Zhe looked constipated again, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Brother, I'm only telling you this because I trust you. Could you introduce me to the Duke of Chu?"
Lu Xiaowu frowned and pondered for a while, then slapped his thigh and said, "But I'm just mentioning it to her. I can't guarantee whether she'll see you or not."
Ding Zhe looked grateful and said, "Thank you, thank you."
Lu Xiaowu waved his hand and said, "Speak quickly."
Ding Zhe hesitated for a moment before saying, "Actually, my father was betrayed by someone else."
"Huh?" Lu Xiaowu opened his mouth wide in surprise, then said excitedly, "Tell me, tell me quickly."
Ding Zhe glared at him, and Lu Xiaowu chuckled and urged him again. Ding Zhe gritted his teeth and said, "You absolutely mustn't tell anyone."
“Yes, yes, you don’t know me, I’m very tight-lipped,” Lu Xiaowu said immediately.
"You know the Marquis of Qiyang's residence, right?" Ding Zhe asked.
Lu Xiaowu nodded. "Of course I know. Their family has produced several generations of纨绔 (spoiled brats), and now the entire Marquis's mansion is just an empty shell. I heard that such a large mansion only has about ten servants. Did they set a honey trap for your father?"
"Yes," Ding Zhe said bitterly, "My...my father met the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Qiyang at some point, and the two of them...they..."
Since it concerned his own father, Ding Zhe didn't know what words to use next. Lu Xiaowu, without any scruples, asked, "Is your father having an affair with the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Qiyang?"
Ding Zhe nodded, and Lu Xiaowu asked again, "Did you get caught while you were doing that?"
Ding Zhe nodded again, and Lu Xiaowu's eyes lit up as he asked, "But is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Qiyang willing to be your father's concubine?"
Ding Zhe's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "She wants my father to divorce my mother."
"Damn it!" Lu Xiaowu cursed, then asked, "Did your dad agree?"
Ding Zhe snorted, "My father said he was just playing around with that bitch and never thought about taking her as a concubine."
Lu Xiaowu glanced at him. "Do you believe it?"
Ding Zhe remained silent. Lu Xiaowu frowned and thought for a while before asking, "Was it the memorial that the Marquis of Qiyang forced your father to write after catching him in adultery?"
Ding Zhe nodded. "The Marquis of Qiyang said that if my father is unwilling, he will expose him."
"Does the Marquis of Qiyang no longer care about their family's reputation?" Lu Xiaowu asked.
Ding Zhe: "He's just an old wastrel, what reputation does he need? Besides, what reputation does the Marquis of Qiyang's mansion have left?"
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