Chapter 475
If it were any other man, he would never be able to accept such a thing. However, even Xie Boli, the man who took the initiative to approach her, not only did he not feel the slightest bit of gratitude after receiving the benefits, he also felt extremely humiliated and wanted to kill the original person, Zeng Yuanjing, in order to erase this stain.
But Jing Lie was happy. This was tantamount to announcing to everyone that Yuan Jing would be his from now on. Moreover, this idea killed two birds with one stone. He kept laughing and said, "My brother is as pedantic as my late father. Although our family is small, the rules are very strict. When they know about our relationship, their first reaction will definitely be to call me back and scold me, and then let me cut off contact with you. If I don't obey, my brother will definitely kick me out of the house to avoid affecting his reputation."
Yuan Jing poked the man on top of him with his finger and said, "With this bad reputation, you won't be able to become an official in the future. Officials all care about their reputation."
Jing Lie didn't care: "Let's just live like ordinary people for once, and we'll just follow each other's lead from now on."
The two discussed the plan in detail with great interest, and then sat cross-legged on the bed at the back of the study. It was just that Yuan Jing was a little heavier, so the bed always creaked, and Jing Lie couldn't help laughing.
"No matter how good the plan is, I can't go out and implement it until the one-month confinement period is over. Just wait and see."
"It's okay, I'll come over every night."
Jing Lie didn't leave until dawn. Of course, the two of them, especially Yuan Jing in his current body, needed sleep during this time, so Jing Lie just changed the place to spend the night.
After finding Yuan Jing, Jing Lie certainly didn't have to worry about money anymore. He officially started to live off Yuan Jing, and this bowl of rice was delicious.
Fortunately, Xie Boli was the debt left by Yuan Jing's original body before he came here, otherwise Jing Lie would be jealous to death. But even so, he didn't want to let Xie Boli go easily.
With the silver given by Yuan Jing, he came to the teahouse often visited by Xie Boli. Many scholars gathered here to discuss poetry and essays. He sat in a corner. Not long after, he saw Xie Boli coming. Jing Lie examined the man from head to toe with a very critical eye, thinking that this hypocritical guy was far inferior to him, Jing Lie, and could not even compare with him by a hair.
However, Xie Boli looked unhappy. The other scholars greeted him when they saw him: "Brother Boli, you came a little late today. Is there anything?"
Some people were concerned, while others showed an expression of watching a show. Who didn't know that the fat pig in the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion was chasing Xie Boli? Even if Xie Boli rejected him that day, would the fat pig really give up? If he was treated like this by a lady from a noble family, it would still be a good story. But the one chasing him was not only a man, but also a fat and ugly man. It became a joke in the eyes of others.
Xie Boli forced a smile and said, "Nothing. I caught a cold last night, so I feel a little unwell."
Could he tell the truth? Of course not. He had been busy collecting the items and money that needed to be returned these past two days. He dared not not return them because he was afraid that Zeng Yuanjing would shout about this matter without caring about anything. It didn't matter to Zeng Yuanjing, but for him, it might ruin his future. The most important thing for a scholar was not to let his reputation be tarnished.
He had been trying to find Zeng Yuanjing in the past two days. As long as he met him in person, he was still confident that Zeng Yuanjing could take back his previous words. However, after a little inquiry, he knew that something serious had happened. Zeng Yuanjing was under house arrest, and after a month, his efforts would be wasted. He also sent a letter to Zeng Yuanjing, but unfortunately there was no response.
This made Xie Boli very embarrassed. In his opinion, those valuables were given by Zeng Yuanjing willingly, and he did not ask for them. Why should Zeng Yuanjing take them back? Everyone avoided Zeng Yuanjing at the beginning. He at least accompanied Zeng Yuanjing for a period of time. Why didn't he remember this kindness at all?
Jing Lie had such good eyesight that he could not fail to see the hatred that occasionally flashed in the eyes of Xie Boli, the ungrateful wolf. He actually hated Zeng Yuanjing? Yuanjing had not yet told Jing Lie that Xie Boli had poisoned the original body, otherwise Jing Lie would have been thinking about how to kill Xie Boli.
But now, for these literati who value reputation the most, the best way of revenge is to ruin their reputation and make their life worse than death.
Xie Boli was somewhat nonchalant when attending the literary gathering. He would feel better only when he occasionally thought of Han Miao. He asked someone to deliver a letter to Han Miao, and he would look at the door from time to time, waiting for his beloved woman to appear.
About quarter of an hour later, Xie Boli stood up excitedly. Jing Lie took a quick glance and saw the master and servant coming in. His eyes were sharp and he could tell at a glance that both the master and servant were women dressed as men. Needless to say, they were the Han Miao, the concubine's daughter of the Marquis of Yicheng, who Yuan Jing had mentioned that Xie Boli liked.
Although the restrictions on men and women are not so strict these days and women can go out, unmarried men and women still need to be cautious about meeting each other openly outside. Han Miao often sneaked out of the Bo's house disguised as a man and strolled outside, and she also made the acquaintance of many people.
Just as Yuan Jing guessed, Jing Lie also saw at a glance that this Xie Miao was indeed a time-traveling girl. Compared with the native girl, her eyes were much more lively. She turned around as soon as she came in, and when she saw Xie Boli standing up, she waved at him happily.
"Everyone, my friend is coming. I'm going to take him upstairs to sit for a while."
"Brother Boli, please do as you please."
When Xie Boli walked to Han Miao's side, his eyes were filled with uncontrollable joy. Jing Lie curled his lips, this guy actually really fell in love with this woman. He was probably the type who would not regret even if he gave himself to her. This was indeed in line with the story of the concubine's daughter's counterattack. In the future, when he entered the court, he would also become the concubine's daughter's right-hand man. The man the concubine's daughter was most likely to marry was either the prince who would inherit the throne in the future, or a man like a prince who held great power. First there would be a fight at home, then in the palace, and finally she would become a winner in life.
The reason why she was interacting with Xie Boli at this time was simply because she saw Xie Boli's potential and believed that he would be able to stand in a high position in the future and might even become an important official.
Jing Lie's eyes showed deep meaning when he thought about it. If this time-traveling girl came from the future of this world, does that mean she is very familiar with the history of this era? Even if she is not familiar with it, she will know which historical figures have left their names, and which prince will ascend to the throne in the future. If this is the case, then her purpose in approaching Xie Boli is very strong.
Jing Lie raised his eyebrows. Since Xie Boli liked this woman so much, Xie Boli would surely be very happy to give them a ride.
The two went upstairs, and after a while, Jing Lie also went upstairs.
Han Miao looked at Xie Boli with her big eyes blinking, her heart bursting with joy. She knew that Xie Boli later rose all the way to become a first-rank official, deeply trusted by the emperor, and finally even became the regent of the young emperor who ascended the throne, holding great power. Unfortunately, his ending was not very good.
But this was not a problem for her. What made her excited was that she and Xie Boli actually met when they were both unknown. She slightly expressed her admiration for Xie Boli, which made Xie Boli fall in love with her.
But she didn't want to settle down for life yet. Xie Boli was just one of her choices, and she couldn't guarantee that she could change Xie Boli's fate in the end. What if she couldn't? She didn't want to die with Xie Boli, so she pretended that she didn't know Xie Boli's feelings and recognized him as her brother.
After entering the private room, tea and snacks were served. Han Miao stood up for Xie Boli: "I couldn't come out a few days ago, otherwise I would definitely scold Zeng Yuanjing for my brother. This man is too shameless. Brother Xie was kind enough to treat him as a friend, but he dared... Bah! Brother Xie, watch me, next time let me deal with him, I guarantee that he will never be able to appear in front of you again."
"Miao'er!" Xie Boli grabbed Han Miao's hand in excitement. He felt humiliated when others mentioned this matter. Those people were laughing at him. Only Han Miao seemed to him to be the one who truly cared about him. How could he not love such a woman? "Among the people in this world, only Miao'er understands my heart. I don't know how to thank Miao. Miao'er, wait for me. I will definitely pass the next imperial examination. In the future..."
Han Miao showed a shy expression and broke away from Xie Boli's hand: "Brother Xie, what are you talking about? You know my identity, how can I make my own decision?"
"Brother, I will definitely protect you in the future." Xie Boli knew that as Han Miao's concubine's daughter, she did not have much status in the Earl's Mansion. Han Miao also often revealed how she was bullied by the Earl's wife and her elder sister in the Earl's Mansion. In his opinion, Han Miao was the kindest person, and those who bullied her were certainly not good people. He must work hard to make a name for himself and become Miao'er's backer in the future.
When Jing Lie heard Han Miao say that she wanted to deal with Yuan Jing, he no longer gave her any chance. She was just a woman who didn't distinguish between right and wrong and only cared about herself, which made him have no worries about attacking Han Miao. Besides, he didn't want to kill this woman. She seemed to have feelings for Xie Boli, so it should be what she wanted if he kindly arranged for them to be together.
Jing Lie made some moves, and the group of people who were originally talking loudly in the teahouse suddenly became quiet. They looked upstairs in amazement, and some even spat out the tea in their mouths.
"This voice... is it Brother Boli? But why is this voice so loud?"
"Miao'er, you are so good that I am afraid I am not worthy of you. But the wife of the Marquis of Yicheng and your elder sister bully you so much. I am really worried about you staying in the Marquis's house. When I pass the imperial examination, I will definitely go to the Marquis's house to propose to you."
"Oh, Brother Xie, what nonsense are you talking about? My elder sister and mother didn't bully me. I am just a concubine's daughter, so I should follow the duties of a concubine's daughter."
"In my eyes, there is no woman more kind and beautiful than Miao Nu."
There was an uproar upstairs and downstairs. Oh my God, this must be Xie Boli having a secret meeting with one of the concubines from the Marquis Yicheng's mansion. He has even exposed his identity. There are many people in the teahouse who don't like Xie Boli. They think that he comes from a poor family, but he has a talented face and looks down on others. It's really hateful. The fact that Zeng Yuanjing clung to Xie Boli and cried that day would spread in the capital, and they were behind it to fan the flames. Now they have encountered such a good thing again, how could they miss it.
So, they brought a group of people and quietly followed the sound to the outside of the private room. They suddenly pushed open the door and saw the two people holding hands, almost hugging each other, and Han Miao's face was blushing. It was clearly a mutual consent.
"Ah——" Han Miao screamed when someone suddenly broke in and saw this scene, then broke free from Xie Boli's hand and hid behind him.
Xie Boli was furious: "What are you doing? How dare you break into someone else's private room so rudely? Why don't you leave immediately?"
A prince waved his fan and sneered, "What? Did I disturb Master Xie's tryst with his beloved woman? Is Master Xie angry out of shame?"
"Who... said who is a woman?" For Miao'er's reputation, Xie Boli couldn't admit it. He thought he had kept it a secret from others, but he didn't know that everyone in the teahouse was watching the show. The scholars who had a good relationship with Xie Boli all covered their faces with their sleeves and could not say anything for him.
Some people also investigated the strange sound that had spread before, but Jing Lie removed the small objects placed there when those people kicked open the door, and the sound in the private room could no longer be heard.
He tossed a few small objects in his hands, then put them in his pocket. This was a loudspeaker he made casually, using materials he could find at hand. He did not use anything that did not belong to this world, but only the knowledge in his head. It could not be considered cheating.
He didn't need to intervene in the following matters. Xie Boli wanted to deny Han Miao's identity as a woman, and Han Miao was even less likely to admit that she was dressed as a man. Otherwise, she would have to marry Xie Boli. You know, the Xie family is still very poor now, why would she marry him? Xie Boli was just a bad choice for her.
Unfortunately, in the chaos, someone knocked Han Miao's hat off, and her hair was scattered all over her shoulders. Looking at Han Miao's frightened eyes like a deer, no one could deny her identity as a woman, not to mention that some people had seen this concubine's daughter of the Yicheng Marquis at other gatherings.
After her identity was revealed, everyone left. After all, she was from the Yicheng Marquis's mansion, and the news would spread, so they would have nothing to do with it.
Some people even clasped their fists and congratulated Xie Boli before leaving: "Congratulations to Brother Boli for marrying his dream beauty. We are all waiting to drink Brother Boli's wedding wine."
Although Xie Boli was angry, he could not deny that he felt happy. This meant that he could marry Miao'er home earlier.
He looked at the somewhat embarrassed Han Miao and promised: "Miao'er, don't worry, I will never let you down. When I return, I will discuss with my mother and go to the Bo's Mansion to propose marriage."
"You..." Han Miao's face turned pale this time. It was one thing for her to treat Xie Boli as a backup, but it was another thing to be forced to marry Xie Boli. She was unwilling to marry Xie Boli who was still penniless. She said with tears in her eyes, "My mother and father would not agree. I'm afraid my mother will send me to the Buddhist temple. Brother Xie, I'm going back first."
Han Miao still held on to a glimmer of hope. She could say that she and Xie Boli were just acquaintances and had not done anything inappropriate. So after returning to the Bo Mansion, she asked the servants to go out and inquire about the news. The news they brought back scared her so much that her face turned even paler.
"How could this happen? How could the sound of Xie Boli and I talking in the private room be heard? This is impossible!" How could there be a loudspeaker in this day and age? This is unscientific, and how could anyone target her and Xie Boli?
Who did it? Could it be that there were other people who traveled through time besides her? Did they travel through time with a golden finger? Han Miao was a little panicked. Who wouldn't be afraid of such a day when the enemy is in the dark and I am in the light? She didn't even know the identity of the enemy hiding in the dark.
It was a good thing for the Xie family. As soon as Xie Boli got home, he told his mother and asked her to find a matchmaker to go to the Bo family to propose marriage. Xie's mother was very excited. Even though Han Miao was a concubine's daughter, she was the daughter of the Bo family. For the Xie family now, it was a high marriage. Moreover, the Xie family was poor now, and the dowry of even the most unpopular concubine's daughter would not be too shabby. After they could get through these few years, when their son became an official in the future, the Xie family would live better and better.
"Okay, mother will go find a matchmaker and go to the Bo's mansion to propose marriage to you, Bo Li."
While Xie Boli was happy, he remembered something that spoiled his mood. However, this matter had less impact on him now. He frowned and said, "Mother, I need some money to settle the matter with Zeng first. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, what will the Yicheng Marquis's Mansion think?"
Xie's mother was originally unhappy. She shared the same view as her son. Zeng Yuanjing, the fat pig, had delivered himself to her. Why should they return him? But now there was an excellent marriage ahead. If she missed this one, she would never find a better one. Even though Xie's mother was unwilling, she had to grit her teeth and say, "Okay, I'll borrow money to settle this matter first. When you become rich, don't let that shameless fat pig go."
"Yes, I understand." A cruel look flashed in Xie Boli's eyes. He would never let him go.
On that day, Song Shi and Song Shan received 1,200 taels of silver and happily put them back in their pockets. Yuan Jing also rewarded them. The two gradually felt that there was nothing wrong in being loyal to such a master. Anyway, they were not valued in the mansion, and they had nowhere to go if they left the young master, so they might as well follow the young master wholeheartedly.
It was noisy outside. At night, Jing Lie climbed over the wall and told Yuan Jing about the noise outside. Yuan Jing clapped his hands happily and said, "Okay, you are getting worse and worse, hehe, but I like it."
Jing Lie laughed.
"But can Han Miao be willing to do that? What has she been doing recently?"
Jing Lie smiled and said, "You guessed right. I found that she had contact with the current Fifth Prince, but the Fifth Prince has already married a wife. I guess she could still hang on, but now she must be eager to send herself to the Fifth Prince's backyard first, otherwise she will have no chance."
Now the whole capital is talking about the affair between Xie Boli and the concubine's daughter of Marquis Yicheng, and the strange and unusual thing that happened that day has been ignored. If Marquis Yicheng doesn't want the woman in Marquis Yicheng to have a bad reputation, then Marquis Yicheng can only marry the concubine's daughter to Xie Boli. Even if it's aggrieved, there's nothing they can do about it.
In fact, Yicheng Bo had no regard for Xie Boli. Even if he passed the imperial examination and became an official, he would only be a minor official of a certain rank. How many more would it take for him to succeed? Yicheng Bo wanted to marry other nobles or high-ranking officials.
But now it’s a bit difficult to back down.
Lady Yicheng and the eldest sister hated Han Miao even more for ruining their reputation outside.
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