Why is she still clinging to this issue? (Chapter 21)
When the officials heard that the Earl of Qingshan had arrived, they all turned to look and saw the Earl of Qingshan's sedan chair approaching. Everyone stopped discussing it. After all, it was fine to discuss the spectacle in private, but it was not appropriate to talk about it in front of others.
But Marquis Anling was someone who loved to watch the excitement and shouted towards Uncle Qingshan's sedan chair, "Uncle Qingshan, come quickly, come quickly! There's something interesting here, come and take a look."
Qingshan Bo was a serious man who usually didn't get along with Anling Hou. He lifted the sedan curtain and said coldly, "I don't have time to chat with you."
After saying that, he was about to leave, but how could Marquis Anling let him go? "It's related to your family, aren't you really going to come and see?"
Uncle Qingshan frowned and looked over there, only to see a group of officials staring at him with amused expressions. He immediately sensed something was wrong, got out of his sedan chair, and walked over to the notice. He stood in front of it and looked at it carefully, his face growing darker with each reading. Finally, he tore the notice down.
"Nonsense, utter nonsense." Uncle Qingshan's face was ashen. He tore the notice to shreds and looked at the officials, saying, "It must be a villain causing trouble behind the scenes."
"Then is your fourth young lady's husband, that newly appointed top scholar, really married?" Marquis Anling asked.
Qingshanbo said coldly, "Anlinghou, my family's affairs are none of your business."
"Oh, so what's said in the notice is true?" Marquis Anling asked again.
"I'm about to go to court, I won't talk to you." Uncle Qingshan pushed through the crowd of onlookers and strode out. When he got to the sedan chair, whether out of guilt or anger, he tripped over the chair pole and almost fell.
When Marquis Anling saw this, he burst into laughter, while Earl Qingshan's face turned as purple as an eggplant.
......
At 5:45 AM, just as dawn was breaking, the vegetable market in the western part of the city was bustling with activity. Those who came here to buy vegetables were all managers of the kitchens of various powerful and wealthy families in the capital.
These stewards often came here to buy groceries, and gradually they became familiar with each other. When they bumped into each other, they could chat for a bit. Sometimes, the news about the mansions of various powerful and wealthy families would come from here.
The vegetable market in Xicheng District was busier than usual today, for no other reason than a notice had been posted there. Those in charge were all literate, and they gathered around the notice, reading its contents aloud one after another, followed by lively discussion.
"Do you think what's written here is true?"
"I think it's probably true, otherwise who would dare to post such a blatant notice? That's the Imperial Concubine's maternal family."
"You know, Miss Su, a perfectly respectable lady from a noble family, why did she have to marry a poor man who was already married?"
"Let me tell you, I heard that this fourth young lady invites Song Yushu, the star performer of the Yale Opera House, to perform every two days."
"Is this for real?"
“Is this for real? One of my stewards is related to an actor from the Yale Opera Troupe. That’s what he said.”
"A young lady from a wealthy family and an actress, haha..."
...
"Stop talking, the people from the Marquis of Qingshan's mansion have arrived."
Some who were afraid of the power of the Qingshan Marquis's Mansion left quickly, but many other families whose power was no less than that of the Qingshan Marquis's Mansion still stood in front of the notice and discussed it.
Granny Liu was the head cook in the kitchen of the Marquis of Qingshan's mansion, and she was responsible for purchasing all the vegetables for the household. She knew the vegetable market in the west of the city as well as her own vegetable garden.
She strolled leisurely to the market entrance, noticing the gossipy gazes of many on her. She checked herself up and down; nothing was ripped or inside out. She touched her face; no crumbs of pastry on her lips, no eye discharge—everything seemed normal.
She frowned, pulled aside a familiar steward from the Beppu residence, and asked, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
The manager pointed to the notice posted on the wall and said, "Go and see for yourself."
When Granny Liu saw a crowd gathered in front of the notice, she panicked and quickly strode over. Pushing through the crowd, she stood at the front of the crowd, read the words on the notice, tore it down, and hurried away with her head down.
........
Hanlin Academy gate
The time of 4:45 AM is when the scholars of the Hanlin Academy begin their shifts, and Qi Yuanhong is currently a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. He has not been doing well these past few days, and has hardly been able to sleep at night.
Every day, he had to grovel before the Earl of Qingshan's household. Su Yuezhen had an affair, yet she showed no shame whatsoever. Not only did she not grovel before him, but she remained arrogant and haughty.
Moreover, although he didn't show anything on the surface about Su Yuezhen's affair with the actress, he couldn't get over it in his heart.
He kept telling himself that a true man can bend and stretch, so what if he had to marry a used woman? It was no big deal. As long as he rose to a high position, he could endure anything. But when the night was quiet, he couldn't deceive himself; he really cared.
Sometimes he wondered if his choice was right or wrong, but whenever the thought crossed his mind, he immediately suppressed it.
Once you've made a choice, you can't regret it.
He walked toward the Hanlin Academy with his head down, but someone snorted loudly beside him. He turned his head and saw Zhang Zhehan looking at him with disdain.
He frowned and asked, "Brother Zhang, is something the matter?"
Zhang Zhehan snorted heavily again, then strode away, as if speaking another word to him would be a great insult.
Qi Yuanhong frowned even more, but then he noticed that his colleagues seemed to be avoiding him today, as if they didn't want to associate with him.
He pulled aside Liu Bowen, who was usually on good terms with him, and asked, "Bowen, what happened today?"
Liu Bowen looked at him with a complicated expression. "Go and see for yourself."
Liu Bowen pointed to a notice at the entrance of the Hanlin Academy, but Qi Yuanhong did not see it because he was walking with his head down.
He strode over and, after a quick glance, knew the notice was written by Jiang Yu. He tore it down fiercely, took leave from his superior under the gaze of everyone, and hurriedly returned to the Qingshan Marquis's residence.
Based on his understanding of Jiang Yu, if she wanted to escalate the situation, it wouldn't be as simple as just posting a notice; she would definitely have other plans. He just didn't understand why, since Jiang Yu had already agreed to a divorce and he had returned the money, she was still holding onto this issue.
Isn't she always able to let go easily? Why can't she let him go?
What he didn't know was that Jiang Yu's ability to let go was only for herself; she held grudges against those who had hurt her.
He hurried to the Qingshan Marquis's residence. When he reached the gate, he deliberately slowed his pace, but the servant guarding the gate did not seem to have any intention of bowing to him.
Already in a bad mood, the anger and resentment that had been building up for days suddenly erupted. He stopped and looked at the two gatekeepers, who then gave him a perfunctory bow.
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