Chapter 105 What should I do? She dreams of becoming the wife of a top scholar
"Didn't Second Aunt have someone silence her a long time ago? How come you heard about it too, little sister?"
Jinniang's face was very ugly, and her leisurely and contented look was long gone. She didn't mention anything about what happened this morning, thinking Su Ying knew nothing.
She was so flustered and guilty that she didn't even know what she was saying. "Sister, I really don't know how those beggars knew all this. They not only talked about me, but also about the young lady from the Shangshu Mansion. I never thought that my aunt was ungrateful to me because she found the young lady from the Shangshu Mansion. How could I have thought that?"
"And, grandma, it was grandma who said she would give me this bracelet, and it was grandma who also said she would write a letter to my parents in Fujian. I was going home, and I don't know what's going on."
Seeing Jinniang lose her composure, Su Ying felt this was a rare opportunity, so she nodded quickly and said, "Sister, I know those rumors have nothing to do with you. But if this gets out, I'm afraid my cousin will be in trouble. How will that benefit you, sister?"
Jinniang was frightened and said in disbelief, "Sister, what do you mean by that? How is this rumor related to my cousin's fate?"
The doggerel the beggars were singing was written by Jinniang. She had originally thought that as long as her cousin married her, these rumors would be dispelled and would not harm her cousin in any way. But after hearing what Su Ying said, it seemed that was not the case.
Su Ying pretended to be surprised and said, "Sister, I thought your father was the instructor of the prefectural school. You should know this, right?"
Jinniang became even more nervous. She asked anxiously, "What should I know?"
Su Ying sighed helplessly and said, "Those beggars' rumors seem to be accusing my cousin of being fickle, but in fact they are saying that my cousin's personal morality is damaged."
Jinniang was puzzled, blurting out her thoughts without even thinking. "How could his personal morality be compromised? There's no evidence of his relationship with the Shangshu's daughter. He simply went to the Shangshu's residence yesterday at his invitation. They're all talking nonsense. If they're worried about gossip, why not wait until Grandmother sends a letter to my parents? Then the truth will be revealed, right?"
Su Ying smiled bitterly. "Sister, if cousin is just an ordinary candidate, then it's exactly as you say. There's no evidence, so how can we take rumors seriously? But cousin was the top scorer in the last imperial examination, and it's been three years since he took the imperial examination. Everyone knows he's a sure thing this time. Sister, do you know how many eyes are watching him, hoping something bad happens to him or the Du family?"
"Just now, my sister said, and I thought I knew. I knew that there would be a preliminary examination before the exam. If anyone has committed immoral acts and is accused of such, they will be investigated. If the Spring Examination had not been moved up, as you said, and we had settled our affairs, what would have happened if we had conducted an investigation? However, this time, the Spring Examination has been suddenly moved up to after April for some reason, which is not good. If the investigation is delayed for even a few days, my cousin might have to miss another Spring Examination. Isn't this playing into their hands?"
When Jinniang heard this, her face turned pale. She never thought that her selfish desires would cause Du Heng to lose his rightful fate.
What should she do? She dreams of becoming the wife of a top scholar!
Seeing Jinniang no longer as calm as before, and her hand turning cold due to sweat, Su Ying felt relieved. As expected, Jinniang's true colors were revealed in her words and deeds once she lost her composure.
With her mind made up, Su Ying pretended to comfort her, "Sister, what I just said is the worst-case scenario, which may not come true. You don't have to worry too much. Also, I want to congratulate you. I believe you will hear good news from you after the Spring Examination."
When Jinniang heard this, the corners of her mouth twitched, and she actually pulled out a smile that was uglier than crying. Su Ying knew that Jinniang was afraid. However, she pretended to be unaware and bowed to Jinniang and said goodbye: "Sister, I came here to visit you." As she spoke, she looked at Jinniang's face and said, "I see that your scars have become much lighter, so I am relieved."
At the same time, in the side hall of the main courtyard, Du Heng was discussing with Rong about transferring Taoxi to Su Ying.
Du Heng said, "I had thought Taoxi, who was knowledgeable about the library, would be useful there. I've seen her getting better and better lately. Yesterday, she came to me and asked to serve my cousin. Seeing her willingness, I wouldn't refuse. I just wanted to ask Second Aunt's opinion."
In fact, Rong Shi had long known Taoxi's origins, but they hadn't expected that Heng Ge'er, now surrounded by rumors, would come personally for this girl. On the surface, it was because the little girl volunteered to take care of Ying'er, but behind the scenes, it was clear that he was still thinking about Ying'er.
Rong couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This was something that could be solved by just answering yes or no, but Rong felt it was too painful.
"Heng'er, Second Aunt knows your feelings. But..." Rong hesitated slightly, but still asked, "Regarding this matter outside, can you tell Second Aunt the truth? Are you sure?"
After hearing this, Du Heng asked Tao Xi to withdraw. He then told them everything he had investigated: "I sent Li Mao to follow the group of young beggars. Although they were young, they were well-trained and quickly noticed someone following them. After that, they dispersed. Li Mao didn't bring enough people with him because he didn't want to alert the enemy. Fortunately, he was smart enough to pick out the one who seemed to be the leader and follow him."
Upon hearing this, Rong Shi felt hopeful and asked hurriedly, "So what's going on now? Do you know who started this?"
Du Heng replied, "Li Mao followed the beggar to a place called Po Luo Lane. The lane there was narrow and he couldn't follow any further. Li Mao was afraid of being discovered, so he came back to report to me."
Rong nodded after hearing this, and after a moment's thought, she said, "Brother Heng, do you remember that day during the Lantern Festival? Wasn't it a little beggar who tried to assassinate Jin Niang?"
She looked into Du Heng's eyes and said solemnly, "Second Aunt doesn't dare to speculate casually, but this is just too coincidental."
Du Heng really didn't expect that his second aunt had the same idea as him. He was stunned for a moment.
His mother had always been protected by his father, never having to worry about anything. But after his death, her world seemed to have fallen apart. With him in her heart, she had no one else in her heart, so she was easily deceived and lost her sense of proportion.
Although his grandmother was wise and clear-minded, she was old after all. It seemed that she had been coaxed into losing her sight these days.
Only Second Aunt had maintained her composure from beginning to end, and now she sees things more clearly.
The taut string in his heart finally relaxed a little, and he said slowly, "Second Aunt, I'll be honest. I'm about 70% certain in my mind, but words are not enough. Without solid evidence, I can't act rashly. I've already drawn a portrait of the assassin and sent it to the authorities. When I return to my study, I'll draw another one and have Li Mao take it to find the person. As long as we find him, the rest will be easy."
Although Du Heng didn't mention any names, Rong understood his intention and nodded, saying, "I'll also have someone monitor the movements in the wing room. If there are any clues, I'll inform you immediately. The Spring Examination is imminent, so this matter must be resolved swiftly and without further delay."
Seeing that his second aunt always cared about him, Du Heng felt warm in his heart.
There were some things he had not intended to say before the Spring Examination, but now, he really wanted to tell them what was in his mind.
Second Aunt once said that she wanted to find a noble family for Ying'er. Because only such a family would not care about what external help Ying'er could bring to her husband's family, but would only respect and protect her for her talent and character.
He did not answer at that time, not because he did not want to, but because he had no evidence to support his answer. He wanted to wait until his name was on the list of successful candidates so that he could legitimately tell his aunt about his feelings.
However, Yuan Song's visit made him realize that if some things were not made clear early, it would be too late. He did not want to regret it after everything was settled.
He calmed down and said, "Second Aunt, actually, there is one more thing I want to explain to you."
Rong looked at Du Heng in confusion.
Du Heng, however, said with a serious expression, "Second Aunt, I know you've long seen that I'm interested in Ying'er, which is why you said those words to me that day, hoping that I'd give up."
"Today, Grandmother asked me if I was willing to pursue a career in government alone. My answer is not only for Grandmother's ears, but also in response to what you said to me the other day. You said that you wanted to find a noble family for your cousin because she could neither give you wealth nor help you achieve higher official positions."
Du Heng took a deep breath, each word coming from the heart. "Others may seek high office, generous salaries, and a bright future. But what I have always sought is Ying'er to walk side by side with me. Even if my career is without support and fame is hard to achieve, I will not be afraid or worried."
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