After seeing the constable off, Master Mu immediately ordered his steward to prepare to carry the Bai family's betrothal gifts out. After a while, the steward and his servants went to the Bai family's residence.
Master Mu ordered the gates to be closed, preparing to discuss Hongyu's matter.
Hongyu walked out dejectedly, her face pale and her eyes vacant, like a cold corpse without a soul, trembling incessantly.
thump!
She knelt before Chen Yu again, her forehead pressed to the ground, pleading in a trembling voice, "Miss, Miss, please save Hongyu! Don't send Hongyu back! You know what will happen to the Bai family after this..."
What Hongyu didn't say was understood only by Chenyu.
Shen Yu nodded repeatedly, her face full of worry. Hong Yu's indenture was in Madam Bai's hands, and she could only get it back if the Emperor or the Empress issued an edict.
However, she feared that if she met the Emperor, he would pressure her to fulfill her marriage agreement with Bai Yehua; if she begged the Empress for favor, the Empress would surely take the opportunity to betroth her to Liu Yu.
Just as he was caught in a dilemma, a servant ran over to report, "Master, Young Master Liu from the Duke's Mansion has come to visit, saying he has a great gift to give you."
"Alright, alright, I'll go out to greet you myself." Master Mu said, hurrying off to greet you.
Shen Yu was full of suspicion. Before she and Bai Yehua got engaged, Liu Yu often visited, bringing rare trinkets or expensive gifts. Master Mu always avoided seeing him. After all, in Master Mu's heart, Bai Yehua was the future son-in-law of the Mu family, while Liu Yu was a dissolute and unruly member of the royal family.
Now that Master Mu is personally welcoming Liu Yu, there must be a hidden reason.
The three hid behind the bamboo grove and peered through the gaps as Master Mu led Liu Yu toward the hall.
Cuizhu grumbled, "Tch! Young Master Liu came alone, empty-handed, and yet he said he had a big gift to give him. What a rip-off..."
Shen Yu didn't think so. Now that she and Bai Yehua had broken off their engagement, Liu Yu was too busy trying to please the Mu family to dare to mess with them.
She lightly tapped Cuizhu's arm and said with a hint of reproach, "Zhuzhu, don't jump to conclusions or make unfounded accusations. Maybe... Young Master Liu can send a living person to our Mu family."
"A living person? Could it be that Young Master Liu wants to be a live-in son-in-law? Master will not agree to that, and besides, would the young lady even be interested in Young Master Liu?"
Shen Yu didn't shake her head; instead, she frowned uneasy. The living person she was referring to... was her guess that Liu Yu had asked the Empress for a favor in order to please her—to bestow Hongyu upon her.
If Liu Yu really does this, does he expect her to repay him with her body?
She couldn't help but tremble, goosebumps rising all over her body, when she suddenly noticed the jade pendant at Hongyu's waist.
That's the auspicious cloud jade pendant.
In her previous life, after Nian'er died, Yuan'er always wore the auspicious cloud jade pendant, which had the character "Qi" engraved on it, presumably the surname of Hongyu's biological father.
There are quite a few prominent families in the capital with the surname Qi. If Hongyu's biological father were a high-ranking official, Hongyu would also be a lady from a prestigious family.
Shen Yu was overjoyed. She reached out and pulled Hong Yu closer, examining the jade pendant closely. The jade was of poor quality and not a rare treasure. To find Hong Yu's biological father, she could only rely on the character "Qi" on it.
“Hongyu, as long as you can acknowledge your ancestors and return to your clan, you can naturally leave the Bai family.”
Hongyu shook her head and smiled bitterly, taking off the jade pendant and placing it in Chenyu's hand. "In my previous life... I searched before, but no high-ranking official surnamed Qi recognized this jade pendant. If it were a poor family, it would be better not to look for it."
Shen Yu frowned as she looked at the jade pendant. The poor scholar must have abandoned his wife and daughter to climb the social ladder and marry someone else. It was impossible for him to have fallen on hard times.
If "齐" is not a surname, then it must be a given name.
Several court officials had the character "Qi" in their names, such as Zhang Ruiqi, who was the Grand Tutor; and Jia Tianqi, the elder brother of the Duchess of the State...
Perhaps Hongyu is the daughter of a court official.
Overjoyed, Chen Yu pushed Cui Zhu away from her side, saying, "Cui Zhu, go to the Gu family quickly and ask my elder brother to come see me."
The older brother that Chen Yu mentioned is Gu Dalang, who is an official in the court. He will definitely be able to find out the official from Jiangnan named "Qi".
------
No sooner had Cuizhu left than Muli rushed over, “Miss, Master has asked Hongyu to push you to the hall.”
Hongyu pushed Chenyu to the center of the hall, where Master Mu sat down to greet her, smiling and nodding at Chenyu.
Could it be that Liu Yu obtained Hongyu's indenture?
With a smile in her almond-shaped eyes, Chen Yu looked at Liu Yu with anticipation.
Liu Yu had already gotten up and walked towards Chen Yu. Although he was all smiles, his restless peach blossom eyes seemed a little restrained. He habitually reached for his waist, but found nothing. Without his folding fan, he could only hide his unease by putting his hands behind his back.
He was originally a man who lived a life of debauchery and unrestrained behavior, but for some reason, he would feel flustered and uneasy whenever he saw Chen Yu, so he deliberately carried a folding fan to cover himself.
With his folding fan gone, he blushed and lowered his head in the face of Chen Yu's gaze.
The usually dashing and debonair young master Liu, who frequented brothels and entertainment venues, was actually embarrassed?
Shen Yu pursed her lips and chuckled to herself. Eager to confirm her guess, she spoke first, "Young Master Liu, what do you wish to say to Shen Yu?"
Liu Yu kept her eyes downcast, her pointed chin resting on the white collar of her clothes, her rosy lips particularly eye-catching.
With peach blossom eyes, a pointed mouth, and cherry-red thin lips, he looked every bit the delicate lady. Fortunately, his face had strong features and a straight, imposing nose, which added a touch of masculinity to his handsome face.
This handsome young man even had a clear and melodious voice. "I heard that Miss Chenyu wanted to keep Hongyu by her side, so I begged the Empress for her grace and obtained Hongyu's indenture."
Shen Yu was right.
Overjoyed, Chen Yu stomped her feet repeatedly, clearly having regained feeling in her legs. She was probably too happy to realize it.
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