Chapter 63 Observing Quietly Isn't Quiet: It's Pity Their Parents, They've Never Had...
"Miss Meng."
Meng Lingyao suddenly snapped out of her reverie, meeting Pei Xu's dark eyes, which held a hint of doubt. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly coughed lightly, "Thank you for waiting so long, Young Master."
Fortunately... he didn't know what she was thinking, otherwise he would have frowned and scolded her for reading those indecent books again.
Pei Xu's gaze lingered briefly on her slightly reddened ears, but he didn't ask anything. He simply nodded slightly and gestured for her to enter, "Miss Meng, please."
Meng Lingyao took a deep breath and followed him into the courtyard called "Jingguan".
I had initially been curious to see what this "Taoist temple for quiet cultivation" looked like, but as soon as I stepped across the threshold, I was greeted by a riot of colors and a lively atmosphere.
Before your eyes are rows of fiery red, double-petaled pomegranate blossoms, in full bloom, each flower like a tiny, burning flame, adorning every corner of the courtyard. Beside the rockery, a few gardenias are in full bloom, and several clumps of calamus stand by the water, their fragrance wafting in the breeze.
A cobblestone path meanders through the area, lined with several of her favorite herbs: mint, rosemary, and perilla leaves. This is exactly how her garden in her mansion was arranged.
She looked closely for a few moments; the black soil in the flowerbed was still damp, clearly indicating that it had been recently turned over and replanted.
My gaze passed through the layers of flowers and landed precisely under the graceful pear tree, where an exquisite swing hung quietly. The ropes were newly woven and the wooden planks were polished to a shine.
Except for the lack of a stream, this courtyard is about 70-80% similar to the garden in her mansion.
Meng Lingyao raised an eyebrow and glanced at Pei Xu, "So, you admire my family's courtyard so much? Even the flowers you planted are exactly the same."
Her memory is really good.
Pei Xu was slightly taken aback, his gaze lingering for a moment on her smiling face before subtly sweeping over the new scenery in the courtyard. "Don't you like seeing this?"
Meng Lingyao's lips curved into a deeper smile. "Why wouldn't I like it? This scene is extremely similar to my home; it naturally feels familiar and comforting. It's just—"
She paused deliberately, "Since it's a redecoration, if I had a choice, I might add a few trumpet vines next to that rockery, or open a small lotus pond and raise a few koi. People always love novelty, and sticking to the old scenery is rather boring."
"What does Your Excellency think?"
Standing to the side, Qingzhou secretly thought that things were not going well. Poor man, he had no parents to teach him since he was a child, and he was not even good at pleasing women!
Pei Xu paused for a moment, then turned his head and called out, "Qingzhou."
"Your Excellency is here!" Qingzhou quickly stepped forward, bowing his head and holding his breath.
“Please write down carefully how Miss Meng would like to add or modify this courtyard.”
Seeing his reaction, Meng Lingyao didn't hesitate. She lightly pointed with her slender finger, "The pomegranate blossoms are already beautiful, but the plants are a bit too dense. When the flowers fall and the fruit ripens, they might compete for nutrients. Perhaps the one against the east wall could be moved back three feet to make room. As for that swing..." Her gaze then fell on the pear tree, "...a pebble path could be laid under it, echoing the surrounding rockery and preventing it from getting muddy in the rain. As for the lotus pot..."
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Well, the place isn't big. We might as well build a wisteria trellis against the wall. When the flowers cascade down like a waterfall next spring, it will be quite a sight."
Upon hearing "next spring," Pei Xu's eyes flickered. Gazing at the pristine white wall, he seemed to see wisteria blossoms hanging down, a scene both dreamlike and ethereal. A soft curve appeared on his lips, revealing a faint smile.
As Qingzhou listened, she nodded rapidly, feigning difficulty on her face. "Miss's considerations are thorough, and I am truly impressed. However, my blockhead can't possibly remember all these ingenious arrangements... If you have the time, could you write them down, or even draw a sketch? That way, I can follow along without making any mistakes, and I won't disappoint Miss's good intentions or these fresh flowers and plants in the courtyard..."
Meng Lingyao nodded, "Alright, I'll draw a simple diagram for you when I get back."
Upon hearing this, Pei Xu's gaze lingered for a moment thoughtfully on Qingzhou's lowered and respectful head.
The light boat, its eyes fixed on its nose, its nose on its heart, remained completely still.
On the other side, Dan Yue quietly clenched her fist.
Indeed, experience is the best teacher!
In just a few words, I obtained the design personally drawn by Miss Meng. I will definitely present it to the master in a solemn manner and lock it away in my private box for safekeeping!
Fortunately, he also has an important mission today, and when it is his turn to report back, it will surely be a great achievement!
Thinking this, he straightened his back.
Pei Xu led Meng Lingyao into the inner courtyard, where the two entered and sat down in the open pavilion. As soon as the tea was served, Dan Yue quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully to the two seated people, and looked solemn.
"Miss Meng, sir, the matter of the palace banquet has been reported."
Pei Xu nodded, indicating that he should speak.
"After investigation, I found that the palace maid who served wine to the young lady that day was named Caiyun. She was originally the lowest-ranking servant in the villa. Her family was poor and she was in dire need of money. On the night of the palace banquet, due to the shortage of manpower, the head nanny saw that she did her job properly and made an exception to arrange for her to work at the front."
Dan Yue recounted, "Before delivering the wine, Consort Wen's personal maid told her that there was nothing wrong with the wine, and told her to deliver it without worry. She also gave her a piece of silver and said she would give her another piece after the matter was settled."
“Caiyun was timid and cautious. After taking the wine pot, she was still worried and secretly tasted it herself. Seeing that nothing was wrong, she was relieved and focused on delivering the wine so she could get the money.”
Meng Lingyao's eyebrows twitched slightly; she really was a simple-minded palace maid. But she didn't believe that Lin Yunshu had sent her wine as an apology for no reason.
After a moment's thought, she asked, "What's in a regular Ice Soul Brew?"
“Miss Hui, it’s mainly glutinous rice, osmanthus, and a few kinds of fruits for flavoring,” Dan Yue said, listing them off as if they were her own treasures, “…and mulberries to add color and fragrance.”
“Mulberries!” Songlan interrupted him. “Our young lady cannot eat mulberries.”
Meng Lingyao continued, "I have a constitution that clashes with mulberries; eating even a little will cause me to break out in rashes all over my body."
That's right.
She breathed a sigh of relief and felt a sense of clarity.
This is Lin Yunshu's style of doing things: making her uncomfortable without actually causing her serious harm.
He then frowned, "But there was definitely something that shouldn't have been added to the wine."
“What you say is absolutely right, Miss,” Dan Yue replied. “I asked Caiyun several times before she remembered that on her way to deliver the wine, she had run into a small estate manager from another courtyard. The man asked her what fruits the nobles at the banquet liked to eat. The estate manager was generous and gave her a string of copper coins on the spot before she spoke with him for a while. There are too many servants like this who ask about their masters’ preferences, so she didn’t notice anything amiss.”
"The drug in the wine was secretly added to the wine while the two were talking."
After speaking, Dan Yue called out towards the outside of the pavilion, "Bring the person up!"
Shortly after, a burly man in gray entered the hall, carrying a small figure as if it were a chicken. The man had a black cloth covering his head and was bound tightly with thick ropes, so tightly that he couldn't move. His legs hung limply as if they were broken. Even when thrown to the ground, he only let out a suppressed groan.
Upon seeing the man's figure, Songlan immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, it's him!"
Pei Xu glanced at Meng Lingyao, who then briefly recounted how Song Lan had seen this person that day.
Upon hearing the noise, the man immediately struggled and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Don't kill me, don't kill me! I'll confess everything, I'll confess to everything! I was just momentarily out of my mind... I really didn't mean it, I'll never do it again, I really won't!"
Dan Yue coughed softly, and the man immediately fell silent, his body still trembling unconsciously.
He said respectfully, "This is the head of the estate who stopped Caiyun that day. He is in charge of cultivating fruit trees in the villa. His name is Wang Chaogui." He paused and added, "Miss, please be aware that he broke his leg by falling from the tree, not by us."
He stared at Meng Lingyao expectantly, hoping that his future mistress wouldn't misunderstand that they had used cruel torture.
Meng Lingyao smiled demurely and nodded.
This explanation is rather superfluous. Even if he didn't break the leg, his methods were probably not much lighter.
She lowered her eyes and asked in a cold voice, "Who ordered you to do this?"
Wang Chaogui's throat made a gurgling sound, as if something was blocking it, and he couldn't utter a clear word for a long time.
Dan Yue lowered her voice and said in a sinister tone, "The master is asking you a question."
Wang Chaogui trembled violently and stammered, "It was...it was Lord Sun Fanghai, the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Personnel! My wife's maternal uncle. Please spare my life, Your Excellency! He secretly contacted me three days before the Dragon Boat Festival..."
He dared not stop breathing, for fear that the slightest pause would result in his death. "He said to... to find an opportunity, no matter what, to make Miss Meng humiliated in public. He wanted her to lose face! Whether it was getting her clothes wet, splattering her makeup, or stepping on her skirt... anything would do."
He was hiding in a corner when he saw Miss Meng's outstanding beauty from afar. He harbored evil intentions, hardened his heart, and took the medicine he had previously obtained from the market. He was originally worried about how to do it, but he happened to run into the maid who served Miss Meng wine, so he went with the flow and threw the medicine into the wine.
He knew that these noble ladies valued their reputation above all else. After such an incident, who would dare to speak out? They would simply have to swallow their pride and bear it. Besides, it was wine bestowed by a high-ranking official, so he wouldn't be held responsible for any trouble, and he had no worries about the future.
He thought he had covered his tracks perfectly, but when he saw Miss Meng enter the back garden, he couldn't find her anywhere. Then the palace started investigating, and he realized something was wrong. He was terrified and accidentally broke his leg, so he dared not do any work anymore.
No sooner had he left the villa than he was arrested and has suffered greatly these past few days.
By the end, Wang Chaogui's voice was trembling uncontrollably, and his mouth and nose were covered in snot and tears.
Meng Lingyao listened quietly to Wang Gui's rambling confession, her expression calm and unchanging, though her brows furrowed slightly as if she were deep in thought.
Sun Fanghai was not a name she was familiar with. There were more than a thousand officials in the capital, and the head of the Qingli Division of the Ministry of Personnel was only a sixth-rank civil official, and quite old. They had never met before, so it was normal for her not to know him.
However, there is never love or hate without a reason in this world. If this person wants to cause trouble for her, there must be a reason.
Suddenly, several scattered fragments in my mind, like beads on a string, gradually became clear—
-----------------------
Author's Note: I wonder if any observant readers noticed that I quietly changed the title of this story [shy]
I always felt a little uncomfortable using "scumbag" as the title of my stories [question mark]
My friends and family are working on the new cover, and it will be used as soon as it's finished!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
