Chapter 53 Yao Qingling's Outburst
Dr. He glanced at Yao Qingling, his expression uneasy.
Zhan Xingzhuo narrowed his eyes, his icy voice carrying a sense of oppression: "Tell the truth. If even one word is false, I will have your clinic raided!"
The Censor's wife snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "Oh, so you're resorting to threats now?"
Zhan Xingzhuo gave her a cold glance, and then addressed Doctor He in a threatening tone: "Speak!"
Doctor He trembled with fright, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and humbly bowed his back. He quickly said, "When the young mistress was brought to the clinic, it was the morning after the attack by refugees in Mao'er Lane. I was terrified to see her covered in wounds and her clothes soaked in blood and mud."
"The young mistress's maid, Taoye, is awake, but she has suffered a great mental shock and has developed aphasia. She is also not mentally clear. Her hands are injured and she cannot hold a pen, so I was unable to ask her anything."
"At that time, I sent a young apprentice to the new mansion to deliver the news, but the gatekeeper turned him away, saying that something had happened at the mansion... Later, when I wanted to send someone to inform the new mansion again, I heard that the young mistress had 'passed away' and a mourning hall had been set up at the mansion..."
Yao Qingling stood quietly, tears streaming silently down her face, looking deeply wronged, and wiped her eyes until they were red with a handkerchief.
While she was recuperating in Tongluo Lane, Dr. He came to examine her pulse every day.
From the day she saw Zhou Zhining and Zhan Xingzhuo leave Yunlai Inn, and after waking up, she decided to go to Tongluo Lane to recuperate, she knew this day would come.
Zhou Zhining will definitely instigate Zhan Xingzhuo to confront her.
She taught Dr. He to say these things.
From Dr. He's perspective, he didn't know Yao Qingling had gone to Yongning Temple, and assumed she was at the Xinfu that night.
Early in the morning, Yao Qingling, covered in injuries and filth, was taken to the clinic unconscious.
Doctor He prioritized saving lives, so he allowed her and Taoye to stay at the clinic to recover from their injuries.
The medicine boy that Doctor He sent to the new mansion was a stutterer. The gatekeeper had never seen him before. When something happened at the mansion, the gatekeeper had no patience to listen to him and sent him away.
"...I don't know what happened. She's still in my clinic, how could news of her death have spread...People are being arrested everywhere, everyone is panicking, I don't know what to do, I can't make up my mind, I was just thinking...thinking that once the young mistress recovers and returns to the new mansion, I can explain everything..."
As Dr. He spoke, he bowed even more humbly, his shoulders trembling slightly, looking very flustered and afraid.
With tears in her eyes, Yao Qingling looked at Zhan Xingzhuo resentfully: "My lord, shouldn't we call the gatekeeper over and ask him if anyone came that day?"
"Should we call that apprentice doctor over and ask him what he said at the time?"
Zhan Xingzhuo frowned, unable to look at Yao Qingling's tearful eyes.
He turned his body slightly to the side, his breathing heavy, refusing to admit that he had wronged Yao Qingling. In a final struggle, he shouted angrily, "Ask! Why don't you ask? Call the gatekeeper and the medicine boy over!"
When the person arrived, what they said matched exactly what Dr. He had said.
Zhan Xingzhuo had nothing to say.
Yao Qingling forcefully wiped away her tears and looked at the man mockingly: "My lord, is there anything else you want to say?"
Zhan Xingzhu waved his hand, telling everyone to leave, and then said to Yao Qingling, "Since Doctor He saved your life, have the steward send some silver over later to express our gratitude."
He stood tall and elegant, one hand in front of him and the other behind his back, his tone calm and composed, showing no remorse.
Yao Qingling's mockery deepened: "And then?"
Zhan Xingzhu frowned and looked at her with a puzzled expression. He saw her eyes, glistening with tears, staring at him stubbornly—did she expect him to apologize to her in front of outsiders?
In the past, they would apologize behind closed doors, which was just a bit of fun between husband and wife; but if they apologized in front of outsiders, where would his dignity as a man come from?
The man took a breath, his face grim.
Zhou Zhining then stepped forward and said, "Qingling, Xingzhuo was worried about your safety, which is why he wanted to know where you've been these past few days. Since nothing's wrong, everyone can rest assured. It's so late, let's just let it go."
Yao Qingling remained silent, responding with a cold stare.
The atmosphere was tense.
Zhou Zhining bit her lip and spoke again: "This was my fault. I overthought things and made Brother Xingzhuo misunderstand you. I apologize and admit my mistake."
She took a step back, slightly bent her knees, and offered an apology.
She was a head shorter than Yao Qingling.
Yao Qingling remained silent, looking down at her coldly.
Time passed slowly, and Zhou Zhining was about to give up. Her body swayed, sweat beaded on her forehead, and her face turned red.
But she seemed to be at odds with Yao Qingling, and she would stay in this position as long as Yao Qingling didn't speak.
I feel sorry for Zhan Xingzhuo.
He helped Zhou Zhining up and said to Yao Qingling with a grim expression, "I'm the one who needs to investigate. Why are you making things difficult for Zhining?"
"I'm investigating because I want peace of mind and for my family to be at peace. As the young mistress, can't you have a little more tolerance?"
Looking into Yao Qingling's teary eyes, his heart softened, he frowned slightly, and his tone became gentler.
"You are weak, so tell the kitchen to make more nourishing soups and medicines so you can rest well. As for the matter at Yongning Temple, I will put pressure on the people of Shuntian Prefecture to investigate it thoroughly and make sure they arrest all those refugees and give you justice."
"Heh..." Qing Ling lowered her eyelids and laughed speechlessly.
The censor's wife had certainly broadened her horizons.
After making such a big fuss, everyone has been investigated, but he's the only one who's innocent?
He's got a dirty job himself, yet he expects people to have any magnanimity?
Is that even human language?
The censor's wife laughed in exasperation.
As an observer, she was furious. Yao Qingling must be so frustrated that she was internally injured.
The censor's wife recalled that there was an official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices whose wife died of depression because her husband favored his concubine over her.
The Censor's wife said angrily, "The young mistress has returned after surviving a near-death experience, and not only did Doctor Zhan fail to comfort her, but he also conspired with his sworn sister to smear her with accusations of infidelity. Now that the matter is over, is he just going to let it go so easily?"
Zhan Xingzhuo's brows were furrowed tightly.
I almost forgot there was also a meddlesome censor's wife here.
Did Yao Qingling think that someone was backing her up, which is why she dared to be so presumptuous towards him?
The man's cold gaze swept over Qingling, implying that she shouldn't have dragged outsiders into this.
He took a deep breath, turned to the censor's wife, and said, "Madam, this is my family matter. Please do not interfere."
Before the Censor's wife could say anything more, Yao Qingling spoke up.
“My lord, I have given you instructions on what you wanted to do. Now, I also have something to say to you.”
At this moment, Rong Mama, who had been waiting in the flower hall for a long time, sent someone to inquire about the situation.
Yao Qingling glanced at Zhan Xingzhuo, her expression indifferent: "Perfect, let's go to the flower hall and talk about it together."
She went to the flower hall first; Zhan Xingzhuo could only follow with a sullen face.
Upon arriving at the flower hall, Rong Mama and Madam Ma were talking.
Madam Ma spoke with great enthusiasm, but Granny Rong seemed unwilling to pay attention to her, listening only indifferently.
Ma felt bored, thinking that no matter how favored an old nanny was, she was still just a servant who served others, so why act so noble?
Seeing Qingling come out, she stood up and said, "What were you talking about? You talked for so long? I saw people coming and going..."
She craned her neck to look inside, just as Zhan Xingzhuo and Zhou Zhining stepped through the door one after the other.
Madam Ma didn't care at all, and only asked Zhan Xingzhuo: "When will this mourning hall be demolished? My Qingling is here perfectly fine now, and I feel unlucky to see those things. After it's demolished, please invite some high monks to chant sutras to cleanse the impurities."
After saying that, she realized the trouble at Yongning Temple and added, "I know someone at Huian Temple—"
“Aunt,” Yao Qingling spoke up, interrupting Madam Ma’s incessant chatter.
She turned to look at Granny Rong, then at Zhan Xingzhuo, and calmly recounted what had happened that evening.
This includes Zhan Xingzhuo insisting that she go to Yongning Temple, only to leave her there, which led to her being in danger; and Zhan Xingzhuo not investigating the matter afterward before holding a funeral for her.
Ma was shocked, but she did not seek justice for Qingling. Instead, she smiled and comforted her, saying, "This was just a misunderstanding. Now that it's been cleared up, it's all over. Who could have predicted a peasant uprising?"
“No one would willingly go out of their way to suffer that kind of bad luck, right? Qingling, you shouldn’t blame Xingzhuo for this. It was raining so hard at the time, and he left you in the temple for your safety.”
"Don't be angry. You've finally come back, so you should cherish the good days ahead. I'll have your son-in-law keep you company. If Yongning Temple isn't suitable, we'll go to another temple..."
Granny Rong remained silent.
Although the Censor's wife was dissatisfied with Madam Ma's attitude, Madam Ma was Yao Qingling's family member.
The room was filled with Ma's persuasion.
Amidst her monotonous persuasion, Yao Qingling was suddenly struck by a thunderbolt.
“Granny Rong, you must have already noticed this when you came to the manor to take over the general affairs. Now that things have come to this point, I don’t want to drag it out any longer.”
"I want to divorce Zhan Xingzhuo. Please inform the Grand Princess of Deyang and the Duke."
Yao Qingling turned around and said to Madam Ma, who was so shocked that her lips were agape, "Aunt, I want to divorce Zhan Xingzhuo, and I am informing the Marquis's residence of this."
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