Chapter 17
Lin Qingyu didn't want to get to the bottom of Lu Wancheng. People in this world inevitably have secrets that cannot be told to outsiders. Since Lu Wancheng didn't want to say it, he had no reason to know. Just like the vicious thoughts that pop up in his mind from time to time, no one knows about it.
...Except Lu Wancheng. Lu Wancheng really knows everything. It's not just him. Lu Wancheng seems to see through everyone, but he always acts like a lazy person who just wants to eat and wait for death. On the surface, he seems to be innocent and non-confrontational, but he can solve problems silently at certain critical moments, which makes him hard to understand.
Why.
Why does Lu Wancheng know everything about him, while his understanding of Lu Wancheng is just the tip of the iceberg.
Lin Qingyu hesitated for a long time, and called Hua Lu for help on the pretext of tidying up the study. He ordered her to find all of Lu Wancheng's calligraphy and paintings and organize them again.
He didn't know where this unreasonable reluctance came from. But since there are doubts, the usual answer is normal. No one likes the feeling of being kept in the dark.
Hua Lu was a maid sent by Duke Wen’s mansion. Lady Wen, the Duke of Wen's wife, was concerned about her grandson's long-term recovery from illness and was afraid that he would be bored, so she chose a girl with a naive personality to send to him. Hua Lu was not only nimble, but also could recognize words. She quickly sorted out the things Lin Qingyu wanted in chronological order.
Lu Wancheng's handwriting can be traced back to the time when he was just beginning to learn. Over the decades, changes in handwriting have been traceable. By the time Lu Wancheng was fifteen or sixteen years old, the "form" and "spirit" of the characters had already been determined. The turning point was when Lu Wancheng was critically ill. At that time, Lu Wancheng was unconscious and unable to write. He was in a coma for a month and only regained consciousness on their wedding night.
Since then, the "Shen" in Lu Wancheng's name has changed.
Lin Qingyu picked up a storybook that Lu Wancheng had recently read and flipped through it, and asked, "When did you arrive at the Marquis' Mansion?"
Hua Lu said, "My Lord, I have been in the Marquis' Mansion for three years."
"What kind of person was the young marquis in the past?"
Hua Lu recalled, "The young marquis used to talk less than he does now, he didn't smile much, and he didn't like to play bird-walking and pitching pots." Hua Lu smiled, "After Shao Jun came into the family, the young marquis's health has improved and his temperament has become more cheerful. Shao Jun is really the young marquis's lucky star."
Lin Qingyu did not comment: "What did he usually do before?"
"The young marquis likes to read all kinds of travel notes. He is in poor health and has been trapped in the mansion, so he really wants to go out. He also said that if he could go to Lin'an once in his life, he would die with peace of mind... Bah, bah, bah." Hua Lu slapped her mouth, "Look at my mouth, what unlucky words I said."
That lazy salted fish really wants to go out?
Lin Qingyu sneered in his heart and asked again: "He must have had a good relationship with Madam and the Second Miss in the past."
"Yes, yes, yes. The young master is filial to his wife and loves the second young lady the most. Whenever the Duke's Mansion sends any good things, he always gives them to them first."
A drastic change in temperament can perhaps be explained by experiencing life and death, and a change in state of mind. What is the reason between Liang and Lu Niantao? Did someone tell him in his dream that this mother and daughter were not good people?
The storybook that Lin Qingyu was reading was a collection of folk detective stories, and he was quite impressed by the title. This book was once widely circulated among the people. When his senior and junior brothers were studying, they were obsessed with it, neglected their studies, and were severely scolded by their master.
Lin Qingyu casually read two pages and found it interesting and fascinating. He turned to the third page and saw a name circled with a striking and scribbled note next to it: This person is the murderer.
Lin Qingyu: “…”
It is not difficult to see that Lu Wancheng wrote these words casually, without deliberately imitating anything. There is an exquisiteness that cannot be concealed in the laziness, which is exactly the same as himself.
"Master." Huan Tong's voice interrupted Lin Qingyu's thoughts, "It's time for dinner. The young marquis invites you to have dinner with him."
"Okay." Lin Qingyu said, picked up the pen and dipped it in ink, then neatly wrote the word "get out" next to his note.
May after the spring rain is a good season for eating river food. Today's shredded ginger crucian carp soup is very delicious, the fish meat is tender and the fish soup is fresh and sweet. Lin Qingyu had never been very interested in food, and couldn't help but eat more. On the contrary, Lu Wancheng didn't touch a single bite.
Lin Qingyu asked: "You don't like fish?"
“I like it.”
"I see you haven't eaten a single bite."
Lu Wancheng smiled and said, "The crucian carp has too many bones, so it's too troublesome to eat. Forget it, the other dishes are also very delicious."
Lin Qingyu: “…”
Hualu stepped forward and said, "Then I will help you pick out the fish bones."
"No need." Lin Qingyu said coldly, "Don't spoil him."
Lu Wancheng put his hands to his lips and said to Hua Lu, "So fierce, so fierce."
Lin Qingyu said coldly: "Do you think you are speaking softly?"
When the two of them had almost finished eating, a servant came outside to report: "Master, Manager Zhang is here."
Lin Qingyu put down his chopsticks: "Let him in."
Zhang Shiquan reported to the two of them the income and expenditure of the Nan'an Marquis' Mansion in April, and specifically mentioned a master - the third young master of the mansion, Lu Qiaosong.
Lu Qiaosong was born to Liang, he was the legitimate son, the youngest in the family, and most importantly, he was in good health. Everyone in the palace knew that the title of Marquis of Nan'an would fall on him sooner or later.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Qiaosong had met several times at home. Lin Qingyu didn't know much about him, but she only heard that Lu Qiaosong was good at poetry and songs, and followed the "graceful and elegant" style. He was romantic and suave, which attracted many beauties in brothels to fall in love with him. Despite his talent, he failed the imperial examination, which caused the Marquis of Nan'an to scold him severely, and he was forbad to associate with prostitutes. Lu Qiaosong has restrained himself a lot on the surface, but no one else knows what he is doing behind the scenes.
Zhang Shiquan said that Lu Qiaosong's servant went to the accounting office yesterday and made a big fuss, saying that the accounting office had embezzled their monthly salary and daily expenses. In previous years, Lu Qiaosong's Qingdai Pavilion had an income of 500 taels a month, but now it only has 300 taels; Lu Qiaosong used to have five dishes and one soup for each meal, but now he only has four dishes and one soup.
"We have always followed the rules of the Marquis' Mansion in distributing the quotas to various parties and courts, and have never been shortchanged. The servants of Qingdai Pavilion are so confident, I'm afraid it's not that we gave less, but that they took more in the past."
Lin Qingyu sneered: "Is Lu Qiaosong afraid that his mother will be released from confinement by Nan'an Marquis too early?"
Lu Wancheng picked up a crucian carp with chopsticks and picked out the bones slowly, sighing: "We just captured a few monsters, and subdued a few demons. Why are there so many evil spirits?"
Lin Qingyu frowned: "Don't talk while eating."
"……oh."
Zhang Shiquan suppressed his laughter and asked Lin Qingyu for advice: "In my opinion, Qingdai Pavilion will not let this go. Shaojun, what do you think we should do about this matter?"
"Of course we have to follow the rules." Lin Qingyu said, "If they want to make a fuss, let them make a fuss. The bigger the fuss, the better. It would be best if we could alert the Marquis of Nan'an."
As expected, a few days later, Lu Qiaosong's wet nurse, Aunt Qiu, went to the accounting office and made a scene again. This time the commotion was quite big. Nanny Qiu rolled on the ground and threw a tantrum, crying and wailing that Aunt Pan and Shaojun had taken advantage of the mistress's illness, disregarded the ancestral family rules, abused their power for personal gain, and treated the legitimate son harshly. She also asked the Marquis to come out and make the decision for them.
When Lin Qingyu arrived at the accounting office, Aunt Pan also rushed over after hearing the noise. She looked at Aunt Qiu, who was like a crazy woman in the market, and said helplessly: "Young Master, this..."
Lin Qingyu walked up to Aunt Qiu, who howled even more heartbreakingly: "I'm sorry to my wife! My wife is sick, and the third young master is also sick, but the mansion of a first-class marquis doesn't even hire a doctor for the third young master! You think the third young master is in better health than the eldest young master, so you want to wear him down too!"
Lin Qingyu asked: "Is the Third Young Master sick?"
Zhang Shiquan said, "Yes, Aunt Qiu said that they didn't have money to hire a doctor, so she asked us to send two hundred taels of silver. I said we would hire the doctor, and the cost would be deducted from the total expenses of the mansion, and then she did this."
Lin Qingyu said: "The Third Young Master is in much better health than the Young Marquis, how could he suddenly fall ill? I guess the servants didn't take good care of him."
Aunt Qiu choked up and glared at Lin Qingyu, saying, "It's because the accountant deducted the share! The Third Young Master didn't eat or sleep well, so naturally he got sick!"
"We can tell what caused the Third Young Master to fall ill at a glance. If the allowance is really insufficient, it is not a bad idea to add some. But if it is something else..." Lin Qingyu glanced at Nanny Qiu, "That's another matter. Let's go to Qingdai Pavilion and take a look."
Aunt Qiu gritted her teeth and said, "The Third Young Master needs to rest because he is ill. Qingdai Pavilion doesn't have the time to receive him."
Zhang Shiquan smiled and said, "Madam, have you forgotten that our young master is the best doctor?"
In the Qingdai Pavilion, Lu Qiaosong was leaning over the edge of the bed, retching continuously, sweating profusely, feeling cold and weak. Lu Niantao was feeding him water and patting his back. He saw Lin Qingyu and a large group of people coming in, his face became more and more ugly, and he had to call out "Sister-in-law" because of the rules.
Lu Qiaosong is considered a handsome young man, otherwise he would not have been able to win the hearts of those girls in the brothel.
Lu Niantao stood up and said, "Why is sister-in-law here?"
Lin Qingyu said: "I heard that the Third Young Master was not feeling well, so we came to visit him."
Lu Qiaosong, like his father, was very concerned about his reputation. Seeing his miserable appearance while sick and in such a mess, he was so angry that he vomited twice more: "Don't bother, sister-in-law..."
"You're welcome, Third Young Master." Lin Qingyu said as he grabbed Lu Qiaosong's wrist and knew the general situation after just one touch. "'It does not respond when lightly pressed, but only when you press hard.' The Third Young Master's pulse is deep, which is... a sign of kidney deficiency."
After saying this, Lu Qiaosong pulled his hand back abruptly, and with red ears, he shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about!" He saw everyone looking at each other in bewilderment, and some of the servants seemed to be holding back their laughter, clutching the quilt tightly with their hands, "Get out, get out!"
Lin Qingyu said calmly: "The Third Young Master has been overindulging himself and has damaged his kidney energy. I hope he can exercise moderation."
Lu Qiaosong fixed his eyes on Lin Qingyu's face and said in a low and fierce voice, "But my sickly elder brother couldn't satisfy you, so you came to me and lied to me!"
Lin Qingyu's eyes darkened, and vicious thoughts surged up uncontrollably. There is no point for such a person to live.
After all, Lu Niantao was an unmarried girl. When she heard this, she couldn't help but yelled, "Third brother, stop talking."
Lu Qiaosong was so angry that he would not listen to his sister. He said with a twisted face, "It's not enough that you framed my mother, now you don't want to let me go either!"
"Yeah," Lin Qingyu smiled slightly, "I'm not going to let it go now."
At this time, a servant came with a doctor invited from outside the mansion. "Leave the rest to that doctor." Lin Qingyu mocked, "I hope that doctor is good at men's medicine."
Lin Qingyu walked out of the house and happened to meet the doctor.
The doctor was about the same age as Lin Qingyu. He was of imposing appearance and full of heroism. Compared with the doctor, he looked more like a young general from a military camp. When he saw Lin Qingyu, his eyes lit up and he said excitedly: "Senior Brother!"
Lin Qingyu was startled and asked in surprise: "Junior brother?"
This person is his fellow apprentice, Chang Yang. He graduated a year earlier than Chang Yang, and then returned to the capital to prepare for the exam. Chang Yang continued to travel and study with his mentor, and it was unknown when he arrived in the capital.
Chang Yang said: "I heard that you married into the Nan'an Marquis's Mansion, and I was wondering if I would meet you today..."
Lin Qingyu saw Lu Niantao staring at the two of them from the corner of his eye, so he interrupted: "It's more important to treat the patient, go quickly, and we'll talk later."
Chang Yang was a little disappointed and said with a smile: "I will listen to you, Senior Brother."
When Lin Qingyu returned to Lanfeng Pavilion, Lu Wancheng had already finished his lunch and was preparing to go to bed for a nap. He heard some news from Hua Lu, and said as he got into bed, "I heard that Lu Qiaosong is sick. What's wrong with him?"
Lin Qingyu washed his hands: "Don't you know everything? Just guess."
Lu Wancheng thought without a second thought: "Based on his personality, he probably has kidney deficiency."
Lin Qingyu: “…”
"Did I guess right? Alas, these fools don't understand the path of sustainable development. They have sex seven times a night and often fight until dawn. Lu Qiaosong is one, and the prince is also one." Lu Wancheng shook his head in disapproval, "It is because of people like this who disregard their own health and force malicious competition, as if they are not qualified to be the protagonist if they don't have seven or eight times a night."
"Why do you always mention the prince, and why do you know such secrets?" Lin Qingyu narrowed his eyes, "Could it be that you and the prince..."
"Stop it," Lu Wancheng seemed to be nauseated, "I'm about to vomit."
Lin Qingyu nodded: "That's right, you are not good at men's homosexuality."
Lu Wancheng hesitated for a moment: "Yes."
Lin Qingyu didn't want to talk about such shameful things. "By the way, I just met my junior brother in the mansion."
"Junior brother?" Lu Wancheng's ears twitched. "The younger brother who studied medicine with you?"
"Yeah." Lin Qingyu's tone revealed a hint of nostalgia, "He and I followed our mentor on his travels for six years, and now we haven't seen each other for more than two years. He... has grown a lot taller."
Lu Wancheng smiled and said, "Oh, our Doctor Lin's junior brother has grown taller again, why don't we just call him Junior Brother Gao from now on."
Lin Qingyu was too lazy to pay attention to him. After thinking for a while, he said, "Come to think of it, my junior brother's ancestral home is Lin'an, so he is from the same hometown as you."
Lu Wancheng raised his eyebrows: "So?"
"When you feel better, would you like to visit Lin'an?"
"No." Lu Wancheng answered decisively, "Going out to play is tiring, and I won't be able to eat well or sleep well on the way. I'd have to be crazy to go out and suffer."
Lin Qingyu's eyes dimmed: "Really?"
The author has something to say:
Salted Fish Attack: Can we in the attack circle please stop being inward-looking and leave a way out for the salted fish?
①From "The Avenue to Heaven is Wide and Broad"
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