Chapter 219 Subtly Arranging Opportunities for the Couple to Spend Time Together
Before they could even offer their thanks, Nie Yun's paper umbrella slammed down on them.
"Ah!" Minglu pulled his hand back in pain and looked down to see a red mark on his arm.
"You dare hit me?" Minglu roared, relying on his master's presence. "My master is a third-rank official. I am carrying out his orders. If you lay a hand on me, it is the same as assaulting a government official!"
Nie Yun looked at Minglu indifferently, without even blinking, and said indifferently, "Since it is a dog of an official of the court, it should be watched more carefully. If it is released to bite people, it should be beaten even more."
"You dare call me a dog?" Minglu took a big step forward in anger, but when he saw Nie Yun gently move her umbrella and take a step back, he could only glare at her darkly.
Yao Qingling said, "Second Master Zhan, this is the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. Even if you want to flaunt your official power, you should at least consider the Emperor's feelings."
"Besides, they are maids of my Marquis's mansion, and how I discipline them is my business. I've never seen anyone so meddling in other people's affairs."
She rolled her eyes at him and said to the maids beside her, "Let's go home."
He turned and went into the house.
"You... Yao Qingling!" Zhan Xingzhuo shouted at her back, veins bulging on his forehead. He reached out to grab Qingling, but Nie Yun turned around and blocked his hand. Zhan Xingzhuo's face darkened, and he grabbed Nie Yun's umbrella, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "Insolence!"
No servant has ever dared to lay a hand on him!
Yao Qingling went astray because of the instigation of these disrespectful people around her.
Nie Yuncai wasn't afraid of him. She loosened her grip, and Zhan Xingzhuo was caught off guard, instinctively taking a step back. He glanced at the umbrella he was holding, threw it away, and attacked again.
The gatekeeper saw a fight breaking out at the entrance and, fearing he would offend the Duke's mansion, quickly ran inside to inform the Marquis of Zhongyong.
A short while later, Marquis Zhongyong arrived, panting, supported by Consort Zhao.
"Stop! Stop!" Marquis Zhongyong shouted in fright, fearing that the rough-handed guard would hurt Zhan Xingzhuo and that the Duke's mansion would blame him. "You lowly servant, didn't you see this is Second Master Zhan! How dare you touch him!"
Marquis Zhongyong still remembered that day at Mulan Courtyard, when the female guard's skills were so impressive that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she could take on a thousand soldiers single-handedly.
Zhan Xingzhuo didn't want people to see him fighting with a servant, as it would be beneath his dignity.
He put his hands behind his back, looked at the Marquis of Zhongyong with arrogance, and said coldly, "My lord, none of your servants know the rules. Are the rules of the Marquis's mansion just for show?"
Marquis Zhongyong was both an elder and a marquis, yet he was reprimanded by Zhan Xingzhuo as if he were a low-ranking official. Although he was dissatisfied, he dared not show it on his face.
He was only able to obtain the title of Marquis because of his short-lived younger brother. He had neither power nor family background, and he was far from the center of power. He could only endure the emperor's favorite.
He gave an awkward laugh: "Second Master Zhan is right. I'll teach them a lesson later."
As he spoke, he glared fiercely at Yao Qingling.
Before the divorce, Zhan Xingzhuo treated his uncle with respect, but now he has this attitude.
This girl is really arrogant and thinks she can fly.
He turned to Zhan Xingzhuo and smiled, "It's so cold outside, Second Master, please come inside and have a cup of hot tea."
Zhan Xingzhuo glanced at Yao Qingling indifferently, flicked the hem of his robe, and swaggered across the high threshold of the Marquis's residence with his hands behind his back.
Yao Qingling rolled her eyes speechlessly and carried the child inside.
She didn't go to the main courtyard of the Marquis of Zhongyong, but went straight back to her own Mulan Courtyard, completely ignoring him.
Taoye, Xiachan, and several other maids were unhappy.
"...I went out for a fun day, but then this bad luck came along, and all my good mood is ruined," Lou Yue complained as she brewed hot tea.
Zhao'er was taken away by the wet nurse. Qing Ling took off her cloak, turned around and looked at Lou Yue indifferently, "You should really watch your mouth, girl."
Xia Chan said, "That's right. If others hear this, they might cause trouble for Miss."
Lou Yue retorted, "What gives you the right to lecture me? You were just cursing at him in front of him."
Xia Chan said, "I cursed him to his face, and everyone could hear it. Even if it gets out, it will be clear word for word. But if someone hears you and adds some embellishments, you could lose your head."
Lou Yue pursed her lips, feeling deflated. But she quickly cheered up again, "Xia Chan, you really dare to say that. Every time I see him, I'm reminded of the scene where we were kneeling."
She bent down and touched her knee.
After the weather turned cold, her knees started to ache slightly. Fortunately, He Yin gave her acupuncture and prescribed some ointment, and she feels much better now.
Xia Chan looked at Qing Ling: "Miss, it's fortunate that you were there at that time."
If they had fallen into the hands of that vicious woman Zhou Zhining, they would have been tortured beyond recognition long ago.
They made the right choice.
Qing Ling said, "There's no need to bring up the past, but you still need to be careful with your words and actions. If it weren't for Nie Yun today, you would all have been beaten up."
“Zhan Xingzhuo holds a grudge against me. He doesn’t dare to lay a hand on me, but he could easily kill you all.”
There's a saying: "When you beat a dog, you have to consider its owner." But if the master has no power or influence, those powerful and influential people don't care about your reputation at all. If they beat you to death, that's it; no one will seek justice for you.
The maids all nodded and made a note of it.
Tao Ye sighed, "But Miss, judging from Master Zhan's attitude, it seems you're going to get entangled with him."
Zhan Xingzhuo even considers himself the young lady's husband.
...
In the main courtyard, Marquis Zhongyong was having tea with Zhan Xingzhuo, and he started using the old title again, calling him "nephew-in-law" repeatedly.
He used to complain that he was tired of working at Shanglin Garden, but recently he has received a lot of benefits and there will be more in the future, so he is content to stay here.
Far from the center of power, with plenty of money to be made and few people watching him, he was happy to enjoy it.
He fawned over Zhan Xingzhuo for no other reason than for the sake of his sons.
In particular, the eldest son, Yao Qingxu, had somehow offended someone and was demoted to the Buddhist Registry to manage the monks.
When dealing with monks and Taoists, one must be upright and honest, and have few desires; otherwise, one will be caught doing something wrong and will be demoted.
Therefore, Yao Qingxu had no choice but to sell off several of his concubines in the courtyard, and he didn't even dare to go to brothels.
They lived a very frugal life.
Before leaving the Marquis's residence for the estate, Ma forced the Marquis of Zhongyong to swear an oath that he must allow her son to inherit the title and obtain an official position for him, or she would expose all his misdeeds.
Marquis Zhongyong actually went to ask someone to help him, but he couldn't succeed no matter what he did.
Someone relayed a message to him, implying that if Yao Qingling could rekindle her romance with Zhan Xingzhuo, Yao Qingxu's job would be much easier to secure.
Only then did Marquis Zhongyong realize that everything was the Grand Princess's doing.
Marquis Zhongyong, shoveling tea foam aside, spoke eloquently: "Qingling has a bad temper and is prone to throwing tantrums. Isn't she able to be like this thanks to you, her nephew-in-law? You spoil her too much, making her even more willful and unable to tolerate the slightest anger."
"Men shouldn't spoil women."
"However, she's suffered quite a bit these past few days, and she still misses the good old days she spent with you. If she remarries you, she'll instantly become the wife of a vice minister. She's so smart, how could she not see that advantage?"
Zhan Xingzhuo smiled slightly, quite satisfied with the words of the Marquis of Zhongyong.
However, he didn't show it on his face, but instead pretended to be indifferent: "My lord, Qingling's temper has become even worse since she returned to the manor. She still needs your discipline. I don't want to become the laughing stock of the whole capital again."
"Of course it is my duty...of course it is my duty." Marquis Zhongyong readily agreed. He invited Zhan Xingzhuo to stay for dinner before leaving, and even sent a servant to Mulan Courtyard to call Yao Qingling over, subtly arranging for the couple to spend time together.
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