Chapter 20
After Lin Qingyu and Chang Yang separated, they went straight back to Lanfeng Pavilion. It was Hua Lu who told him what happened in the back garden. Afterwards, news came from Mianyue Pavilion that Marquis Nan'an interrogated Lu Qiaosong overnight. Lu Qiaosong refused to admit it at first. Later, Marquis Nan'an summoned the servant who followed Lu Qiaosong in and out for questioning. Only then did he know that Lu Qiaosong had spent most of the previous month staying in a comfortable place outside.
When Lu Qiaosong saw that the truth had been revealed, he said that the girls he had been looking for were those who only sold their skills but not their bodies, and that when he was with them he would just recite poems, drink wine and appreciate the piano, and he had never done anything beyond the rules.
When Marquis Nan'an heard the word "they", he became even more furious. He slapped Lu Qiaosong in the face and punished him to reflect in the clan ancestral hall for a day and then confine him to house arrest for a month. Marquis Nan'an also took his anger out on Liang, accusing her of poor parenting. She said that she couldn't even control her own son, so how could she manage such a large marquisate?
Hearing this, Lin Qingyu asked, "That's it? Are there any others?"
Huan Tong shook her head: "No more."
Lin Qingyu sneered: "Besides reflection, it's just house arrest. It's boring."
"Young Master, Young Master," Hua Lu hurried out of the bedroom, "The Young Master seems to be ill again!"
It was midsummer, and Lu Wancheng wanted to stay cool yesterday, so he ate two bites of red grapes soaked in well water. Half a day later, he developed a fever. Fortunately, it was just a low-grade fever, and Lu Wancheng was still conscious, but his face looked frighteningly ugly.
Lin Qingyu checked his pulse and asked, "Are red grapes delicious?"
Lu Wancheng curled up in the quilt, his eyes full of resentment: "It tasted good, so I couldn't help it."
Lin Qingyu narrowed his eyes.
"Don't be angry," Lu Wancheng used the remaining strength in his body to pull Lin Qingyu's sleeve, "I know I was wrong - cough."
Lin Qingyu looked down at Lu Wancheng's hands, which were so thin that their joints were clearly visible. His original anger also disappeared: "Next time you eat carelessly, I will no longer care about you."
Lu Wancheng smiled weakly: "Your threat is too scary. I'm so scared."
Lin Qingyu was too lazy to argue with the patient, so he sat down at the table and wrote a prescription for Lu Wancheng.
Lu Wancheng lay on the bed and sighed, "Why do I get sick every time I pretend a little? Is this God telling me that I am only suitable for lying flat?"
"No." Lin Qingyu said mercilessly, "God is telling you to eat less ice."
Due to Lu Wancheng's illness, Lanfeng Pavilion enjoyed a period of peace. That day, Pan went to Lanfeng Pavilion to visit Lu Wancheng who was ill. Lu Wancheng had just finished taking his medicine and rested, so it was inconvenient for him to see guests. Lin Qingyu asked Pan to have tea in the front hall and chat about some household affairs.
Lu Qiaosong kept many singing girls and actors in his mansion to entertain him in his spare time. During this period, Lu Qiaosong was under house arrest and could not go out to have fun, so he had to find fun in them. The embarrassing thing is that Qingdai Pavilion had long been running out of money, and those singers and actors sang and played the piano but didn't get a penny. When several singing girls heard that the Marquis' Mansion was now run by the concubine and the young prince, they went to Mianyue Pavilion to find Pan and ask her for their monthly salary.
Mrs. Pan said helplessly, "The Marquis' Mansion does not have a rule of giving singing girls a monthly salary. They used to live on the Third Young Master's reward money. Now the Third Young Master himself is struggling, where would he get the extra money to reward them."
Lin Qingyu asked casually: "Why don't they come to me?"
Pan's maid curled her lips and said, "How dare they? They only dared to make trouble in Mianyue Pavilion because they thought that Auntie was easy to talk to."
Lin Qingyu was in deep thought, and Pan stopped talking too, fearing to disturb him. After a moment, Lin Qingyu asked: "What will happen if we don't give them money?"
"Qingdai Building can't afford to support so many people, so we can only send them all away."
"If we send them away, who will be able to please my third brother?" Lin Qingyu smiled faintly, even with a bit of compassion, "Since my third brother likes her, there is no reason for me, as his eldest sister-in-law, not to fulfill his wish."
Pan was unsure of Lin Qingyu's attitude, so she asked tentatively, "What the young master means is..."
"Tell them that the Nan'an Marquis' Mansion does not support useless people. The monthly expenses of Qingdai Pavilion far exceed the quota, and the Marquis is just angry about the Third Young Master's kidney deficiency. The Marquis' Mansion cannot continue to support all of them. At most... they can only keep half of them. Whether they can stay or not depends on themselves."
Pan didn't dare to think about it and responded in a low voice.
Most of the singers and actors in Qingdai Pavilion are orphans without parents. They have finally found a generous master and can live in the marquis's mansion and enjoy good food and drink. No one would want to leave unless they have no choice.
Although Lu Qiaosong is a romantic man, he is quite picky about his taste and does not accept everyone. He kept them in the yard, and most of the time he would just listen to their songs, or when guests came, he would let them serve on the side to save face, and only occasionally would he choose one to favor. It was also because of this that Marquis Nan'an and Liang could tolerate them staying in the mansion.
As domestic prostitutes, the only thing they can rely on is the favor of their master. Now that half of them were to be sent away, they had no choice but to fight.
The next day, Lin Qingyu asked Huantong to take out all the medicine jars buried under the tree, dry them in the sun for three days, grind them into powder, put them into incense sticks and give them to Zhang Shiquan.
This fragrance is rich and once you get it, it will last for a long time. After Lin Qingyu prepared the medicine, he went to take a shower and change clothes before returning to his room.
Lu Wancheng was lying on the bed reading a book. His illness this time was not serious, but it was very annoying. It did not get better, nor did it get worse. He was kept in this state of not too light or too serious. In just a few days, the blood and energy that he had restored in the previous month were almost completely consumed. His face and lips were pale and miserable, but his smiling eyes were the only ones that were not affected.
Lin Qingyu would take Lu Wancheng's pulse before going to bed every day, and tonight was no exception.
Lu Wancheng smelled a faint fragrance on him and asked, "Did you use any spices?"
Lin Qingyu withdrew his hand: "No."
"Obviously there is." Lu Wancheng moved closer to Lin Qingyu, his nose twitching slightly, "What kind of fragrance is it? It smells really good."
Lin Qingyu frowned and pushed him away: "This is not something you should smell."
Lu Wancheng smiled and said, "I see, it's poisonous."
Lin Qingyu hesitated for a moment but did not deny it.
"Then the question is, who do you want to poison? It must be someone who has offended you recently." Lu Wancheng coughed twice, "Is it Lu Qiaosong?"
Lin Qingyu was silent.
Lu Wancheng continued, "You wrote a prescription some time ago. I asked you what the medicine was. You said it was aphrodisiac. It turns out you didn't lie to me. I remember that the singing girls kept at home were not allowed to leave the house without permission. If they wanted to buy anything, they would ask the familiar servants to buy it for them from outside the house."
“…”
"To sum up, you want Lu Qiaosong to die of the most despicable stroke, just because he once humiliated you."
Lin Qingyu's Adam's apple rolled, he looked forward and said calmly: "Yes. Why, do you think he shouldn't die, and I was too cruel?"
Lu Wancheng smiled and said deliberately: "It seems... a little bit?"
"Oh, whatever you think." Lin Qingyu looked calm. "Lu Qiaosong used the matter of sex to humiliate me, and also humiliated you. He also wanted to use Chang Yang to destroy my reputation. Even if the crime is not punishable by death, I would be happy if he died, so I did it - I wanted to make myself happy, it's that simple."
He has never shown a side of himself that is different from his appearance in front of others. His parents were kind-hearted and had never done anything to harm others or benefit themselves. Before marrying into the Marquis's Mansion, he either lived with his parents or studied with his teachers, reading the books of sages and philosophers, and was able to easily suppress his dark side. But once he entered the mansion, all those malicious intentions that could not be told to outsiders surged up like a broken well. Fortunately, he still had his reason. He knew that given his situation, acting rashly would be courting death.
Until Lu Wancheng said that he liked him doing bad things, and even encouraged and helped him to do evil.
It was Lu Wancheng who indulged him into this state. What right did Lu Wancheng have to accuse him of being too cruel?
Lu Wancheng said nothing, just looked at him quietly.
Lin Qingyu felt annoyed. He closed his eyes and said, "What's more, as long as he follows the doctor's advice and doesn't touch those singing girls and actors, he may not die."
Lu Wancheng finally laughed softly and sighed, "Qingyu, you are worthy of being... Qingyu."
The tone sounded admiring, exciting, and fascinated. The slightly deep voice made Lin Qingyu feel relieved.
Lu Wancheng said again: "But..."
Lin Qingyu's expression, which had eased a little, darkened again - Lu Wancheng still dared to say "but"?
Lu Wancheng smiled and said, "But next time you do something bad, can you take me with you?"
Lin Qingyu opened his eyes wide.
"Like I said, I like to watch it."
“…”
Lin Qingyu lowered his eyes, and his trembling eyelashes seemed to be telling his owner's thoughts.
"Okay? Qingyu."
Lin Qingyu slowly raised his head, looked at Lu Wancheng with a determined look, and said softly, "Okay."
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