Madam Xiao left satisfied, and Xu Rong returned to the courtyard, also satisfied, and put the jade bracelet into her jewelry box.
The next few days passed uneventfully, with all parties in a state of anticipation and waiting. Madam Xiao waited for the net to be closed, Madam Xu waited for Madam Xiao to persuade the Zhang family to release the people, and Xu Rong waited for the show to take place five days later. Only a minor incident occurred in between.
It was Xu Rong's former head maid, Zhi Tao, who came looking for them.
Xu Rong thought she had something to ask of her, but judging from her appearance, she seemed to be doing quite well, and her clothes were neat and tidy. However, her expression was a mixture of panic and indignation.
She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhi Tao couldn't wait for her to speak and said impatiently, "Miss, I heard that Madam Xiao came and broke off the original engagement, asking you to marry that illegitimate son of the Xiao family instead?!"
Madam Xiao arrived in a very open and unpretentious manner, and Madam Xu didn't even think to ask anyone to keep quiet; the news had already spread throughout the entire household. Xu Rong nodded: "Yes."
Zhi Tao leaned forward, seemingly in disbelief: "Did Madam really agree?"
Xu Rong nodded again: "Yes."
Before leaving yesterday, Madam Xiao forced Madam Xu to tear up the original engagement letter and write a new one for everyone to keep. This meant it was no longer just a verbal agreement. However, whether verbal or written, it was Madam Xu who agreed; Xu Rong said nothing.
She didn't think it had anything to do with her.
Zhi Tao clutched her chest, gasping for breath: "How could they—how could they do this!"
Her words brought tears to Bai Fu's eyes, who had just returned. Bai Fu couldn't help but rub her eyes and said, "Who says otherwise? You're too muddle-headed. Although the Marquis is important, you can't arrange a young lady's life so hastily."
Zhi Tao didn't respond to her. She stood there blankly, looking like she had been hit hard. Bai Fu poured her some tea, but she didn't take it.
Bai Fu felt she understood her and sighed, "Alas, no one in the manor can refute Madam's reply. People like us can only complain a few empty words."
Zhi Tao snapped out of her daze, gritted her teeth, and shed tears, saying, "...Yes, no one cares what we say."
She stumbled and fell away.
Bai Fu escorted her to the door, then returned inside and sighed, "Zhi Tao still cares about you, Miss, and feels indignant on your behalf."
Xu Rong remained noncommittal.
Bai Fu had no one else to consult. Qingzao and Hongliu were too young, barely having learned all the rules of walking around the house. Unconsciously, she moved closer and closer to Xu Rong. After speaking of Zhitao, she said anxiously, "Miss, my brother said he is willing to arrange a meeting with Master Luo. However, Master Luo used to come to the mansion often. Although my brother has never served him, he may have seen his face before and he might recognize my brother."
Xu Rong sat up straighter and said, "It's alright. Tell your brother not to bring it up, but if he is recognized, he doesn't have to deny it. This is a matter within our household. It's only natural that he was ordered by his master to go out and deal with something and ran into it."
Bai Fu nodded, carefully noting it down, and then asked, "If my brother invites Master Luo out to question him, will he admit it? My brother couldn't catch him in the act back then, so if we bring it up now, I'm afraid he'll deny everything."
Xu Rong shook his head and smiled: "Who told you to ask? If you ask him directly, of course he won't admit it."
Bai Fu: "Then what should we do?"
Xu Rong tapped the lid of the cup she was playing with on the kang table with a crisp sound: "Ask him for money."
Bai Fu was stunned: "--Huh?"
Xu Rong gently instructed, "Master Luo only got a purse, right? Your brother saw it with his own eyes, so tell your brother to ask him how he got it from Xiao Lun's men."
Bai Fu blinked, slightly bewildered.
What a silly girl.
Xu Rong found it amusing, but didn't find it troublesome. She didn't want to have overly shrewd people around her, like Zhi Tao, who had just cried.
Xu Rong didn't bother to delve into who she was so distraught for; in any case, she was certain it wasn't for her.
"By doing such a thing, Master Luo has offended both the Duke of Ying's Mansion and our Marquis of Ji'an's Mansion. For his own safety, he will never admit it to anyone. But what if you don't want to force him to reveal the truth, but simply ask him for hush money?"
Bai Fu's bewildered eyes widened, and she finally slowly realized, "Miss, you mean—to blackmail him?"
“Yes.” Xu Rong nodded. “Tell your brother to describe his meeting with the Xiao family in a vivid way. If that still doesn’t work, say that you’re going to tell the Duke of Ying’s mansion and our mansion. I’m sure someone will be willing to reward him.”
Bai Fu's eyes lit up: "If he's willing to give it to me, it proves he's hiding something?"
"right."
"Girl, how did you come up with this?"
A mixture of surprise and excitement welled up in Bai Fu's heart. She walked from one end of the bed to the other, circled around, and then returned, a hint of worry creeping in: "Miss, what if even this doesn't fool Master Luo? Or what if my brother is foolish enough to let Master Luo see through the ruse and ruin your mission—"
This isn't something that can be accomplished simply by following behind someone and keeping an eye on them; Bai Fu found it quite difficult.
"That doesn't matter. Master Luo may or may not fall for it. But remember, every thief in the world has a guilty conscience. He can't possibly leave no trace. If he does, he won't be the one in charge in the end."
Bai Fu thought for a moment with some difficulty, then tentatively asked, "—Is it Young Master Zhang?"
Xu Rong smiled and nodded.
A young man who conceived late in life, frequented brothels, was prone to fighting with others at the slightest provocation, and couldn't stay at home for more than half a month even after breaking his arm—all these traits combined are enough to vividly portray a spoiled young master.
How much evidence does a rich young man like him need to judge the situation?
No need.
**
September 4th.
As autumn draws to a close, the wind becomes cool and refreshing, and pedestrians on the street put on light jackets.
Xu Rong lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside.
This was her first time stepping outside the Marquis of Ji'an's residence—how she persuaded Madam Xu is a story too well-known to be told, as she was incredibly easy to fool. Xu Rong sat in the carriage and looked around two streets; to be honest, there wasn't much to see.
It was different from the sets in the period dramas she occasionally glimpsed, but there were similarities. The streets were lined with shops of all kinds, with various shop signs and banners. Peddlers carrying their wares on their shoulders hawked their wares along the street. There were horse-drawn carriages of different sizes and pedestrians dressed in silk or hemp. It was a relatively peaceful and prosperous year.
Xu Rong grew tired of looking at it, lowered the carriage curtain, and touched her chest.
She wasn't really moved. She guessed it was because her heart had grown old, so she was used to it and the centuries-long time warp didn't affect her much.
Bai Fu misunderstood and leaned closer to whisper, "Are you nervous, Miss? It's alright, we brought enough people with us. Even if something goes wrong, no matter how much they cause trouble, we can still ensure your safe return to the manor."
Xu Rong didn't correct her, she just nodded: "Mm."
The carriage gradually slowed down, and Xu Rong lifted the curtain again. In front of him was a two-story teahouse called Juminglou. He tapped the side wall with his finger and said, "Alright, let's stop here."
The coachman immediately reined in the horse.
Xu Rong put on a veiled hat, got out of the carriage with Bai Fu's help, and headed towards the teahouse.
A waiter from the teahouse, with a white cloth draped over his shoulder, came up to greet her and asked politely. Bai Fu told him in a tight voice that she had already reserved a private room with the name "Ganlu" on the second floor. The waiter then hurriedly bowed and led her forward attentively.
The private room was clean and tidy. After taking a seat, the waiter served tea and snacks. Amidst the clear aroma of tea, Bai Fu anxiously peeked into the lobby downstairs through the cracks in the window.
She had never done anything like this before. At most, she would go out with Xu Rong to admire flowers and attend banquets. However, that was within the circle of noble ladies. Acting like this today was far beyond her comprehension. Even though she was the one who relayed most of the message, she was still terrified.
To avoid bumping into both sides, Xu Rong left the house much earlier than usual. She wasn't in a hurry at the moment. She tasted all the four kinds of pastries on the table one by one, and then leisurely drank half a cup of tea. Finally, she heard Bai Fu's anxious voice: "Miss, the one down there—it looks like Young Master Zhang?"
Xu Rong went over when she heard the sound. She didn't recognize Young Master Zhang, but his features were very obvious: his hair was tied up with a jade crown, he was dressed in brocade clothes, and half of his arm was in a sling, with the splint still in place.
He was the fastest to arrive, showing his strong will despite his disability, which demonstrates how strong his desire to leave the mansion for some fresh air was.
Zhang Weiling was still walking quickly. Xu Rong saw that he didn't even ask the waiter before excitedly stepping up the stairs. Two sturdy men followed closely behind, and then the waiter hurriedly chased after him.
Bai Fu returned to her seat, somewhat relieved, and said, "It's good that Young Master Zhang is here."
If he doesn't come, their entire performance will be for nothing.
Xu Rong casually praised, "Young Master Xiao is a trustworthy man."
Despite his sour face, he was surprisingly steady in his actions.
Bai Fu didn't want to say anything about Xiao Xin; he was simply not good enough for her daughter, and it would have been better if this marriage had ended long ago.
So she sat up again after only a short while, craned her neck for a moment, and saw a familiar figure outside the shop. She recognized him immediately and said, "Miss, my brother is here."
Xu Rong hummed in agreement and squinted to look. From a distance, and only through a crack in the window, she couldn't see clearly, but she could make out the appearance of an ordinary-looking young man.
Brother Bai Fu also booked a private room in advance, which is to the right of the Ganlu Room, the Yuhua Room.
Xu Rong strained his ears and gradually heard some conversations coming from next door. It was Bai Fu's brother and the waiter. The sounds faded away and the next door returned to silence.
About half a cup of tea's time later, Xu Rong finally heard the sound of the waiter leading another person in, and that waiter was quickly sent away.
"You look familiar. Have I seen you somewhere before?" After a moment of silence, a gloomy and unfamiliar male voice rang out.
“My lord, I am a lowly person. You can see people like me all over the street. If you find me familiar, that would be my honor.”
Xu Rong raised an eyebrow and glanced at Bai Fu.
My younger sister is a sweet and gentle girl whose true nature is obvious; it's rather interesting that she doesn't want to be the older brother.
The soundproofing in houses in this era was really limited, and a teahouse couldn't afford to invest much in it. The gloomy man snorted, and his response was clearly heard: "Don't try to fool me. I'm here to see which ditch you crawled out of. You're spouting nonsense and you even dare to think about money from me!"
He lowered his voice, but because his tone became heavy, it was still audible: "Do you know what my family does?"
Bai Fu's brother's voice was respectful and steady: "So that you may know, I followed you all the way from your residence to Xiaoliuzi Lane that day."
He meant that he certainly knew what kind of social standing the Luo family was.
"You—!" Master Luo suddenly stopped talking and chuckled dryly: "What Little Willow Alley? I've been staying at home cultivating my character lately and haven't been to any willow alley or brothel. You're just spouting nonsense!"
"You esteemed sir, you say I'm talking nonsense, and I dare not deny it." Bai Fu's brother's voice rang out unhurriedly. "But you also know that I can't control what I'm talking about. Since you're here, you might as well listen a little longer. If you don't like it, I'll turn around and leave without bothering you. But if you can hear the difference, then please be kind enough to let a little bit slip through your fingers. I would be eternally grateful and will definitely keep my mouth shut properly in the future so as not to cause you any trouble."
Xu Rong held the teacup, leaning halfway on the table, and chuckled silently.
Bai Fu blushed and leaned in beside him, speaking in a very low voice, "Miss, my brother—he just speaks a bit crudely, but he's actually a very honest person."
Xu Rong waved her hand, indicating that it was no problem, and then pointed to the next room. Bai Fu quickly shrank back and covered her mouth.
Master Luo sneered, "Fine, speak! If you dare to spout nonsense and make fun of me again, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Bai Fu's brother was not intimidated, nor did he follow Master Luo's lead and immediately try to coerce him with the secret. Instead, he said, "Sir, there's no need for you to be so angry with me. Fundamentally, we are the same. You, sir, seek wealth and power through perilous means, which is why you dare to scheme against even a mansion as high as the Duke of Ying's. I, on the other hand, have only this lowly life. If I want to build a family fortune, I can only beg for your pity—"
"What Ying...!" Second Master Luo mumbled the last part of his sentence, then suddenly lowered his voice.
"I have already said so much, why should you pretend to be ignorant?" Brother Bai Fu lowered his voice as well, but it was still a little louder than Second Master Luo's. "If the Duke of Ying's mansion knew exactly how Young Master Zhang's arm was broken, even if you were reborn as Nezha with six arms to compensate, it would still be difficult to appease the Duke of Ying's anger."
bump!
It was the sound of a teacup being slammed onto the table.
Xu Rong straightened his back, focused intently, and gave Bai Fu a thumbs up in approval.
This person is capable of being used.
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