Chapter 93: The Tree Wants to Be Still but the Wind Does Not Stop
Not seeing Qi Heng's confused look, she hesitated but still spoke, "Young Master, every day when you return home, the princess always asks about your relationship with the girls in Sheng Mansion. It is only because the Sixth Miss does not have that intention and you have not done anything out of line that the princess is relieved. Look, there are no female servants around you. Even if there are, they are all plain-looking. The princess now wants you to study hard and does not want you to think about anything else. The princess will definitely consider your marriage carefully. The Sixth Miss... Although the Sixth Miss is good, she is indeed of low family background and is a concubine's daughter. I told you before, but you refused to believe me. Now that Second Uncle Gu says so, you should believe it. Why don't you give up the idea while the Sixth Miss is not tempted! I am really afraid that the princess..."
"I only want her!" Qi Heng interrupted Buwei, "Don't tell my mother about my feelings, and I won't disturb her rashly. Let's talk about everything after the Spring Examination!"
"Good Yuanruo, a real man should stand up straight and take up his responsibilities. You can't drag a girl into the disputes between you and your son for no reason."
Gu Tingye and Minglan were not actually familiar with each other. Today, he came here eagerly and risked being disliked to give Qi Heng some advice just to repay a favor. Thinking back to the time when they were at Yangzhou Wharf, Aunt Wei told Gu Tingye a lot. Gu Tingye was confused at that time and had no idea what she was talking about. The story was strange, but because of the confusion, he kept the words in his heart, especially remembering that she told him to be careful with women, especially beautiful women. This sentence saved him from a plot!
It turned out that Gu Tingye met a woman on the way to Bailudong Academy. The woman was being bullied on the roadside. Gu Tingye rescued her and gave her money to shelter her. He thought that his good deeds would end here. Unexpectedly, the woman ran to the academy to find Gu Tingye and told him about her desperate situation. She said that her brother had died and she had no one to rely on. She hoped to stay by Gu Tingye's side to serve him and only asked for a place to settle down. Seeing her pitiful and weak appearance that could not take care of herself, Gu Tingye almost softened his heart and agreed.
In that split second, Gu Tingye somehow remembered what Aunt Wei said, telling him to be careful of pretty women. Gu Tingye immediately became alert and just gave the woman money and asked her to find a house to live in first, saying that it was inconvenient to live with her because she was studying in the academy. After settling the woman down, Gu Tingye paid someone to find out about the woman's background. He didn't know until he found out that her brother was not dead. She deliberately made her life miserable in order to win his sympathy and to get close to him. Gu Tingye was so frightened when he knew the truth that he went straight to find the woman who had captured her brother and said that he didn't want the money he gave her and asked her not to bother him again, otherwise he would take her to the authorities.
From then on, Gu Tingye no longer dared to misbehave in Qinlou and Chuguan, fearing that he would be entangled again. Therefore, Gu Tingye was very grateful for Aunt Wei's reminder. Seeing that Qi Heng did not do things properly, he persuaded him kindly.
"Thank you for your reminder, second uncle. I know what to do." Qi Heng thanked Gu Tingye.
The two said goodbye. After that day, Qi Heng settled down a lot. He studied harder every day. He changed to eating with Changbai Changfeng and Gu Tingye. He had fewer romantic thoughts and only looked at Minglan every day to cheer himself up.
Two months passed like this, and suddenly some rumors about Gu Tingye spread in the capital.
"I told you before that he was a cynical person and asked Bai'er not to have any contact with him, but he refused to listen to me, saying that Zhong Huai was not that kind of person and asked me not to talk about him behind his back. Now, I don't talk about him, but everyone in Bianjing is talking about him!" In Wei Rui Xuan, the eldest lady was so anxious that she was dizzy.
"He is the son of a marquis, how could he act so absurdly?" Mother Liu also looked worried. "I wonder if it will affect the reputation of the second young master?"
"My son Bai is a man of integrity and uprightness. He has never visited any of the Qin and Chu mansions, nor has he followed his example of keeping a concubine. He has always been studying hard in the mansion. How can others say anything about him?" After saying this, the eldest lady suddenly felt relieved. Her son was pure and untainted. He stayed with that playboy every day and was not affected by him. However, the eldest lady was also worried that if there was no impact now, it would be in the future.
"The second young master has his own ideas and will not make mistakes. If the eldest lady is worried, just go and talk to him." Mother Liu suggested.
As for the school, Mr. Zhuang left after class, and the brothers and sisters of the Sheng family, plus Qi Heng, were talking in the school.
"Why didn't Zhong Huai come to the school today?" Changbai asked in confusion, because he had been staying in the mansion these days and didn't know what happened outside.
"He must have been locked up by the Marquis and punished by family rules!" Changfeng said gloomily, "It was originally some harmless things, but everything was put on Gu Erge."
Changfeng's words were too impolite, and Changbai glared at him fiercely, "Why did the Marquis use family rules on Zhong Huai?" Changbai was very puzzled, "Hasn't Zhong Huai been studying with us recently? We often discuss until late at night, what reason does the Marquis have to punish him?"
"This is what makes me angry! There are rumors outside that the second son of Ningyuan Marquis's mansion hangs out in brothels all day long, and fought with others for prostitutes. He wanted to redeem the person but had no money, so he had to go to Ningyuan Marquis's mansion to settle the account. It was Ningyuan Marquis's wife who gave the money to settle the matter. Some people even said that the second brother Gu had a mistress outside, and the mistress came to the house. What kind of thing is this? How can a person who is studying in our mansion take time to visit prostitutes?" "
When did it happen?" Changbai asked.
"Just recently, I don't know how it got around. I explained to people outside that Second Brother Gu had been studying in our house, but no one believed me. They also said that I was testifying for him because I wanted to curry favor with Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, which left me speechless!" Chang Feng still feels angry when he thinks about it now. Those people who said they were their friends didn't believe what he, the witness, said at all. They only believed those nonsense, and they made it sound plausible.
"It's simply nonsense. Even if Zhong Huai did something outrageous when he was young, he has changed over the years. Who wants to maliciously spread rumors about him?" Yes, it was a malicious rumor. Chang Bai absolutely didn't believe that these rumors would spread so quickly if no one was fanning the flames.
"I also think someone did it on purpose. When I returned home yesterday, my father and mother were waiting for me in the study room. They specifically asked me about my second uncle. I was still confused at the time, so I just said that my second uncle had been studying with us recently, and then my mother let me go back to my room." Qi Heng also expressed his own opinion. "
Then my second brother, my third brother, and my brother Yuanruo, are you sure that my second brother Gu didn't do any of these things?" Minglan listened to their analysis and determined that it was a rumor, and raised her own doubts.
Several people were silent. After a while, Chang Bai said firmly: "I can't be sure about the past, but since he came back from the academy, he has definitely not done anything beyond the rules! Zhong Huai has great ambitions in his heart, but the Marquis was too strict with him before, which made him a little rebellious. But since he went to study at the White Deer Cave Academy, he is no longer the Zhong Huai of the past. Now he is focusing on the imperial examinations, waiting for his name to be on the gold list, so as to prove to the Marquis that he is not an unlearned playboy."