Chapter 320 is a trap.
Thinking about what Ding Shaojie had done, Madam Ding felt nauseous again. She gulped down a cup of tea, which relieved the nausea somewhat.
“I did those things not for him, but for the old master and the master.” Madam Ding looked at the peach trees in full bloom outside the door, the pink blossoms almost blinding.
She withdrew her gaze and said, "The old master and the others are still hoping that he can be reinstated or continue to serve as an official in the capital, but I think... it's very difficult. Not to mention others, even the Empress Dowager won't approve."
Prince Rui was raised by the Empress Dowager herself, as if he were her own son. If her child were bullied, would a mother tolerate that person continuing to roam freely under her nose? If it were me, absolutely not.
"What if Master is..." The maid made a beheading gesture, and Madam Ding couldn't help but laugh. "Several days have passed, and our master is still alive and kicking, which means the Emperor doesn't want to kill him. As for other consequences, it depends on whether the old master and the others can pull some strings."
At this point, Madam Ding said with concern, "His Majesty previously issued an edict that the descendants of Qi Yuanhong, the top scholar in the imperial examination, would be barred from taking the imperial examinations and becoming officials for three generations. I'm afraid His Majesty will issue a similar edict to the Ding family."
"Probably not," the maid said, her voice tinged with worry.
Madam Ding sighed and said, "I hope not."
Her forbearance was all for the sake of her two sons. Her eldest son had already obtained the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), and she hoped that the Ding family could support her eldest son in the same way they had supported Ding Shaojie.
As for her second son, Ding Zhe, she had some concerns before, but now, because Ding Zhe had used his connections, the Duke of Chu was willing to meet with the Ding family. Based on this alone, as long as the Ding family didn't completely fall into ruin, Ding Zhe would be able to live a life of comfort and security.
She was trying to appear generous and understanding, to show the old man and his family that with a mother like her around, her two sons wouldn't be bad people.
But if the Ding family were to fall completely because of this, there would be nothing she could do. However, she had done what she could; now it was up to the men of the Ding family to decide their future.
...
Ding Shaojie was unaware of his wife's true thoughts. On his way to the Marquis of Qiyang's residence, he was still thinking that after this matter was over, he would definitely live a good life with his wife and repay her for her kindness.
The carriage rumbled along for a little over fifteen minutes before stopping. A servant's voice came from outside, "Master, we've arrived at the Marquis of Qiyang's residence."
Ding Shaojie lifted the carriage curtain and saw a grand vermilion gate, its paint peeling and its bronze door knockers covered in a thin layer of rust. On either side of the gate stood stone lions, one with a broken left paw and the other with a cracked right eye.
The word "dilapidated" is the only word to describe it.
Ding Shaojie stared intently at the dilapidated gate of the Qiyang Marquis's residence for a while before stepping out of the carriage. His attendant immediately went to the gate, pressed his hand on the rusty door knocker, and rang it several times. But after waiting for a long time, no one came to open the door.
Ding Shaojie frowned and said impatiently, "Keep knocking."
The servant knocked on the door again, this time with great force, the sound of the brass ring striking the wooden door was very loud. After a while, an old voice came from inside, "Who is it? Coming, coming."
Then, with a creak, the side door opened, and an old man with white hair and beard walked out. He frowned and squinted, carefully examining Ding Shaojie and his servant for a while before confirming that he didn't recognize them. He then asked in an unfriendly tone, "Who are you looking for?"
Ding Shaojie kept a straight face and didn't say anything. He stepped forward and said to the old man in the loudest voice, "My master is from the Ding family."
The servant's voice was almost a shout, and the old man heard it, but after thinking for a moment, he asked, "Which Ding family?"
Ding Shaojie's patience had reached its limit. He told his attendant, "Tell him I want to see Marquis Qiyang."
The servant was also quite frustrated. What kind of gatekeeper was an old man on his deathbed? He loudly relayed Ding Shaojie's words again, and the old man reacted for a moment before saying with a shocked expression, "You are with my second young lady..."
"Old man," the servant immediately interrupted the old man, afraid that he would say something he shouldn't.
The old man, somewhat displeased at being interrupted, said with a stern face, "Wait here, I'll go report to my lord."
After saying this, he shakily closed the door, leaving Ding Shaojie and his servant outside. Ding Shaojie was so angry he almost laughed. Thinking of his promise to Zhu Weiyu and the airs of a young lady she had displayed in front of him, his heart bled.
He was certain once again that from the moment Zhu Weiyu met him, it was a trap, a trap set for him.
He let out a long sigh, but it couldn't ease the pent-up frustration and hatred in his heart. He no longer needed to feign a fight to the death in front of Marquis Qiyang. He genuinely wanted to fight Marquis Qiyang to the death; there was no way he was being treated like this.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Ding Shaojie was about to lose patience, the side door opened again, and this time a man in his forties emerged. Ding Shaojie had investigated the Qiyang Marquis's residence and knew that this man was Youda, the Qiyang Marquis's personal attendant.
Yoda, with a stern face, looked at them and said, "Come in."
Ding Shaojie, his face tense, stepped over the side door threshold and followed Yoda inside. All he saw along the way was ruin. Rumor had it that if this mansion hadn't been a gift from the emperor, the Marquis of Qiyang's family would have sold it long ago. He hadn't quite believed it then, but now he did.
Regardless of his inner thoughts, he was led into the study of Marquis Qiyang. Ding Shaojie casually glanced around; although there were no paintings, calligraphy, or antiques, it was still quite spacious and clean. Marquis Qiyang was sitting at the tea table under the bed, frowning as he looked at him.
Ding Shaojie's gaze was naturally unfriendly, but he still bowed and said, "Greetings, Marquis of Qiyang."
"What are you doing here?" Marquis Qiyang asked warily. "I have already made it clear to you that you and Weiyu have nothing to do with each other anymore. You have also done what I asked you to do, so we are even."
"Are we even?" Ding Shaojie sneered, walked to sit opposite Marquis Qiyang, and looked at him with a sinister and crazed gaze, saying, "I have now lost my official position, and I don't know how Prince Rui and the Emperor will deal with me next. I am now surrounded by enemies and have almost no way to turn things around. Marquis Qiyang thinks we are even, but I don't think so."
Marquis Qiyang frowned deeply, staring dangerously at Ding Shaojie for a moment. Seeing that Ding Shaojie showed no sign of backing down and seemed ready to fight to the death, Marquis Qiyang's pupils contracted, and then he adopted a nonchalant attitude and said:
"My precious young lady has been slept with by you. I've already shown mercy by not beating you to death on the spot. If you continue to cause trouble, you can forget about your life and the future of your Ding family."
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