By the time they reached the bookstore, Xu Rong's turbulent emotions from Xiao Shan's earlier encounter had subsided.
This undercurrent finally surged, but it was quelled by Lord Xiao before it could cause a greater impact. Now that Madam Xiao has realized the seriousness of the matter, she should no longer target Xiao Shan. Therefore, this secret can still be kept within the scope of internal strife.
It must be said that although Lord Xiao was ruthless, he adopted the safest approach. He controlled Xiao Shan's contact with the outside world and ultimately chose Lin Ding, a man from a humble background with no connections, as her true identity was not suitable for marrying into any wealthy or powerful family. This was tantamount to framing someone, and if it were ever exposed, it would create a deadly feud.
Lin Ding had far fewer concerns. As a newly rich man, he was presentable, but he hadn't yet cultivated the foundation to rival Lord Xiao. Even if Xu Rong thought about it, he couldn't think of anyone better than him to take on Xiao Shan, this unpredictable time bomb.
"Grandma, we've arrived," the driver said from the front.
Xu Rong responded and got out of the car. As soon as she entered the shop, it wasn't Xiao Yue who quickly came out to greet her, but Brother Hong Liu.
"Grandma." Hongliu's brother looked both nervous and anxious.
Xu Rong followed him to a quiet inner room and asked, "What's wrong? Did something go wrong with Wei Daxiong?"
Ever since Wei Daxiong came to the shop acting like a big shot and was chased away by Xiao Xin, Brother Hongliu has been following him. He hasn't been back to the mansion much these past few days. If he wants to repay someone, it will only be through Wei Daxiong.
Brother Hongliu nodded hurriedly: "I listened to Grandma and stayed with him for a few days—"
After Wei Daxiong ran away that day, he went into the casino and quickly lost all the money he had left. He had no money to stay in a hotel, so he had to stay in a dilapidated temple with beggars on the street for a few days. Even then, he was still restless and kept going into the casino. He had no money to gamble and his body became dirty and smelly. The casino refused to let him in anymore, so he shouted that he was the maternal uncle of the Marquis of Changxing. The casino had seen too many of these crazy gamblers and did not believe him. They ordered their thugs to beat him up and throw him out.
After all, he was Xiao Xin's biological mother's younger brother, so Brother Hongliu dared not sit idly by and watch him get into trouble. Seeing him groaning in pain, she felt that he had suffered a lot, so she stepped forward, invited a doctor for him, found an inn for him to stay in, and stayed with him for two days to help him recover. Seeing that he was alright, she took out the money that Xu Rong had given her earlier and coaxed and scared him into going back to his hometown.
Little did anyone know that Wei Daxiong was a gambler who would risk his life. He was in pain and seemed to have given up. He agreed readily, but Hongliu's brother didn't keep an eye on him for a second. He turned around and went back into the casino, quickly lost all his money, and then went to Hongliu's brother for more.
Brother Hongliu was furious and dared not give him any more money. He had no money to give him either. Wei Daxiong first threatened him, then softened his stance and said that he would definitely win back his money and would pay him back double. Brother Hongliu didn't believe a word of it and insisted that he had no money. They had a big argument. When Wei Daxiong saw that he couldn't squeeze any more money out of him, he got angry and said that if he didn't give him any, someone else would.
Brother Hongliu had messed up his job and was about to return to the manor to report to Xu Rong. Considering Wei Daxiong's character, she was still worried and accompanied him a little longer. Who knew—
“I saw him approach the young master!” Brother Hongliu’s face tightened. “This morning, I followed him and saw him heading towards the Marquis’s residence. I thought he was going to the residence to cause trouble for the second young master and the grandmother. But he didn’t go in. When he saw the young master come out, he followed him. The young master was riding a horse. At first, he couldn’t catch up, but he didn’t give up and kept running after him. I chased after him all the way to the outside of the imperial city.”
The Changxing Marquis's residence was not far from the imperial city.
"You can't ride horses there, so the prince slowed down. He finally approached and tried to talk to the prince, but he was behaving very improperly. The prince didn't recognize him and was in a hurry to get to his duty, so he ignored him, handed the horse to the servant Ruiyu, and went straight into the palace. I thought he would give up, so I went up and pulled him away. As soon as he saw me, he asked me for money again. I had just said I didn't have any when he told Ruiyu that he had a big secret and wanted to exchange it for money. He asked Ruiyu if he wanted to exchange it. Ruiyu is a troublemaker, and despite my attempts to stop him, he took him with him."
Brother Hongliu took a breath: "I had no choice but to follow them. The two of them didn't go far. They found a restaurant outside Qipan Street. I wasn't familiar with Ruiyu and couldn't strike up a conversation. I thought that Brother Xiaoyue used to be a trusted man of the Prince. Ruiyu might listen to him. And the restaurant happened to be nearby, so I ran over to ask Brother Xiaoyue for help."
Then, Xiao Yue felt that gamblers' rationality could not be judged by ordinary standards, and he was afraid that Wei Daxiong would really cause trouble. So he rushed to the teahouse while sending someone to the mansion to inform Xu Rong.
Xu Rong stood up: "Take me there."
While agreeing, Hongliu's brother said anxiously, "Grandma, it's my fault for not doing a good job—"
"It's not your fault, he's the one who's completely inhuman," Xu Rong comforted him as they walked.
It's really no wonder that Brother Hongliu is like this; when you run into a gambling addict like that, even a god can't help you.
The carriage sped along and soon arrived at the restaurant.
Brother Hongliu looked around and was stunned: "They were sitting in that spot when I left—"
He pointed out the location in the lobby to Xu Rong, and said that a strange couple had replaced them there. Had they left?
"Let's go in and ask."
Ruiyu and Wei Daxiong, one a wealthy young servant and the other a down-on-his-luck gambler, were quite distinct characters. Xu Rong spent two copper coins to find out from the restaurant waiter that they hadn't left but had moved to a private room upstairs.
She asked for the private room number, then went up the stairs. Just as she turned the corner, she saw Xiao Yue coming down.
Upon seeing her, Xiao Yue breathed a sigh of relief: "Grandma, they were eating inside. They've been eating for a while, and I saw an opportunity to come down and take a look. It just so happened that you came, Grandma."
Xu Rong nodded, understanding the implication in the voice, and asked, "Didn't they say anything important?"
Xiao Yue shook his head: "I didn't hear it. When I arrived, they had just come up from the bottom. I felt it was strange, so I didn't show myself. I followed them and listened to them from the next room for a while. It seemed that Master Wei was very hungry and kept eating. Ruiyu kept urging him."
The problem arose in the main hall. None of the servants chosen to serve Xiao Lun were fools; they wouldn't waste money ordering a table of dishes for Wei Daxiong. It seems they really did get something from him.
Suppressing his emotions, Xu Rong followed Xiao Yue into the private room where he had been. It was quiet here, but the room next door seemed very lively, with the clinking of cups and the slurping of wine.
A slightly shrill and impatient voice rang out: "Alright, are you a reincarnated starving ghost? It's been so long, how come you're still not full?"
Another voice came out muffled, as if its mouth was stuffed with something: "I haven't eaten for two days, have you? Young man, you should eat too."
"Forget it," Ruiyu said with undisguised disgust. "Look at this mess I've made for you, it looks like pig swill. Let me tell you, you want to eat? I'm treating you. If you don't explain yourself clearly after you finish, I'm confident I can make you vomit it all up!"
"You're just a kid who hasn't even grown up yet, what are you talking about, calling yourself 'Grandpa'?" Wei Daxiong, being a brash and unruly man, wasn't afraid of him. "I'm your maternal uncle, so by all accounts, you should call me 'Grandpa'."
"Pah, if you dare say that to Madam, see if she breaks your legs." Ruiyu said disdainfully, "Besides, didn't you say that the Second Young Master isn't the Marquis's son? Then what kind of master are you?"
Xu Rong: "...!"
She was stunned. She hadn't expected such a coincidence; she had just arrived and immediately heard such an unbelievable statement.
Without even looking up, she knew that Bai Fu, Brother Hong Liu, and Xiao Yue, who had come with her, were all stunned.
After a moment of shock, Xu Rong regained her composure. From Rui Yu's tone and the fact that he didn't lower his voice at all, she realized that he didn't actually take Wei Daxiong's words seriously.
Wei Daxiong's demeanor didn't exactly suggest he was reliable.
But the news was so explosive that Ruiyu was instinctively drawn in the moment she heard it, wanting to get more information out of Wei Daxiong.
Whether it's true or not, what matters is the thrill.
This stimulation would be enough to make him go to Shawn to curry favor, then the money wouldn't have been wasted.
Ruiyu's next sentence confirmed her guess: "Are you out of your mind? What good will it do you to talk bad about the Second Young Master? You're all family."
"What a bunch of bastards! I only asked him for money twice, and he's already trying to send me to the authorities!" Wei Daxiong also got agitated, his voice so loud that Xu Rong could hear him clearly. "He's putting on such airs of a noble family—humph, does he really think he is?"
"So you think it's true just because you say so? Where's the evidence?" Ruiyu mocked him. "I'm not saying this to be mean, but you're good at finding someone to go to our young master, but at least make your lie believable. Aunt Wei has been in the manor ever since she entered, and she's never left the second gate. She's known for being honest in the manor. You're saying she cheated on someone? Where would she have gone to cheat on someone?"
“That’s because you don’t know, she already—” Wei Daxiong suddenly stopped speaking, then drew out the words, “I certainly have evidence, but I can’t give it to you for nothing.”
"You just want money, right? Name your price." Ruiyu's tone was flippant, clearly mocking him.
Wei Daxiong didn't understand, and said three words in a firm voice: "Ten thousand taels!"
"puff!"
Hearing the commotion, Ruiyu spat out a mouthful of tea, and then choked twice more; "Go to hell, why don't you just rob me? No wonder the second young master wouldn't give you any money, and I didn't give you a single coin either."
"Then five thousand, five thousand."
Wei Daxiong lowered the price quickly, but Ruiyu still refused repeatedly: "Dream on, no way."
"four thousand!"
"Three thousand!"
“…One thousand!” Wei Daxiong’s voice sounded extremely pained. “One thousand taels, that’s the lowest I can go.”
Ruiyu didn't react for a moment, while Xiaoyue shook his head slightly.
He also felt that Wei Daxiong was just talking nonsense; there wasn't a single truth in a gambler's mouth.
"Alright, go ahead and tell me. If you really have evidence, I'll accept it on behalf of our young master," Ruiyu said, seemingly intrigued by Wei Daxiong's shamelessness, but still not taking it seriously.
Because he couldn't actually make that decision for Shawn.
The logic is very simple: if Wei Daxiong really produces evidence, it will be a huge scandal. Does he still want money? He'll have to pay with his life first.
“What if you go back on your word and refuse to pay?” Wei Daxiong was also quite “shrewd.”
"Then forget it, let's not talk about it anymore."
The chair next to them creaked, as if Ruiyu was about to get up and leave. But Wei Daxiong, obsessed with gambling and desperate for money, finally gave in: "Fine, fine, I'll tell you half first—"
Although he thought he was talking nonsense, Xu Rong still perked up his ears.
It was an indescribable feeling. Perhaps it was because of what had just happened with Xiao Shan that she was a little sensitive to this kind of issue, to the point that she had a strange premonition of impending danger.
“My honest eldest sister had an affair while she was at home.” Wei Daxiong’s voice finally lowered this time, but he didn’t have much of a sense of secrecy. In addition, thinking that this would be a way to get revenge on the ruthless Wei family and Xiao Xin, his tone became more agitated. “So she made a huge fuss and refused to come into the mansion. Go back and ask the people in your mansion if this is true.”
Ruiyu: "..."
After a long pause, he asked suspiciously, "Are you serious? With whom?"
“That kid next door, he’s a toad trying to eat swan meat. My older sister is so beautiful, she could easily be an empress, but he managed to trick her into marrying him first.” Wei Daxiong’s voice was full of regret and anger. “He was so poor that all he had left were four walls, and he still wanted to marry my older sister. Luckily, God had eyes and made him die out there in time. My older sister was still waiting for him. Humph, what a waste that was for our parents raising her all these years.”
Ruiyu asked suspiciously, "You said the adulterer died outside, so what's with all this talk about waiting?"
“It wasn’t there at first, but it must have died later.” Wei Daxiong said gruffly, “You don’t even know where the bones have dried up.”
Ruiyu found his words somewhat untrue, yet somehow plausible, and became skeptical: "So you mean—Aunt Wei was already pregnant with the Second Young Master's child when she entered the manor?"
He was, after all, with Xiao Lun, so he changed course quickly.
Wei Daxiong didn't speak, but he seemed to have nodded.
Ruiyu's voice became even more hesitant: "Impossible, right? How could the Marquis and his wife not have noticed—"
"Wasn't Xiao Xin a premature baby?" Wei Daxiong said smugly. He really hated Xiao Xin and stopped calling him nephew. "Do you think noble people are so shrewd? They still raised other people's sons for so many years."
"evidence--"
“Midwife, I know where the midwife who delivered my eldest sister’s baby is now,” Wei Daxiong said confidently. “Give me the money, and I’ll give you the address.”
He muttered to himself sullenly, "My eldest sister also said that she gave the family a large sum of money back then, and a lot of that money went to that midwife. She was unfaithful, yet she forced Mother to clean up after her. You say she's honest? She's just that honest, which is why we didn't dare stay in the capital later..."
...
Xu Rong's thin nails dug into her palms, and she used the stinging pain to steady herself. She stood up and said in a low voice, "Let's go."
Once they were out of the private room, it was easier to talk. She immediately instructed her brother Hongliu, "Go to the Su family and find the second young master. Tell him not to return to the manor yet."
Brother Hongliu never dreamed he would hear such a bombshell. He was completely stunned. He could only nod subconsciously as he stumbled down the stairs.
"Xiao Yue, go back to the bookstore and pretend you were never here and know nothing."
Xiao Yue was more experienced than his brother Hong Liu. His eyes were filled with undisguised surprise and doubt, but he still stood up straight and said, "Grandma, I'll stay here and keep watch."
Xu Rong immediately refused: "No need."
It's impossible to keep quiet. Just like when Chang Shuyin revealed Xiao Shan's secret, once a little bit of news gets out, anyone who wants to know will find a way to find out. There are no secrets that last forever, and this applies to everything.
Then there's no need to drag Xiao Yue into this. He has a family to support in the Marquis of Changxing's mansion, and she probably won't have time to guarantee their safety.
"Bai Fu, go back to the manor now. Go to the outer courtyard and tell our people there to find an excuse to leave the manor and return to the Marquis of Ji'an's manor. Wait for my instructions when you return."
Bai Fu was also bewildered: "—And what about you, Grandma?"
"I'm looking for Aunt Wei."
Xu Rong hurried down the steps.
She didn't fully believe Wei Daxiong's words; only the Wei family could give her the truth.
If it's just Wei Daxiong's nonsense, that would be best.
If this biggest bombshell really did explode on Xiao Xin—
Then, her time is running out.
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