Chapter 66: Yiyi is Expelled
In the last two days before Gu Yangui set off for the campaign, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was bustling with activity. News of troop movements and grain inventory in the front courtyard came from time to time, servants hurried back and forth, and the air was filled with the tension of an impending great battle.
Su Wanrou was in charge of the inner quarters, where she had to ensure that the daily life of the mansion was in good order, manage the trivial matters of Gu Yangui's departure for the expedition, and also comfort Mingxuan, who was depressed because his father was about to leave. She was so busy that she barely had time to be sad.
However, amidst the chaos, an unsigned note was slipped into the hands of Yunbin, Su Wanrou's personal maid, by a young, unfamiliar maid. Yunbin sensed something amiss and, not daring to delay, immediately found a moment to quietly present it to Su Wanrou.
The note contained only a few words: "Liu Shi of Jinse Courtyard has been exchanging letters frequently with Qin Ye, the second young master of the Marquis of Weiyuan's mansion, recently. I fear there may be an affair between them. I hope Madam will investigate carefully."
The handwriting is crooked, seemingly written with the left hand, obviously to conceal the writing.
Su Wanrou clutched the flimsy piece of paper, her heart sinking. Liu Yiyi? Qin Ye? Qin Ye was the second son of the Marquis of Weiyuan, the younger brother of the late Madam Qin, a notorious playboy in the capital. How could Liu Yiyi be involved with him? And at such a sensitive time?
She immediately recalled the seemingly ordinary yet strange birthday gift from Madam Qin a few days ago, and Liu Yiyi's unusually quiet and even evasive attitude lately. Could it be... that Liu Yiyi not only tipped off the Qin family, but also had a secret connection with Qin Ye?
"Where is the messenger?" Su Wanrou asked in a low voice.
"He shoved it at me and ran off. I didn't get a good look at him, but he looked like someone who did rough work in the outer courtyard," Yunbin replied. "Madam, this is no small matter. Miss Liu is, after all, a guest in our household. If she were to have an affair with a man outside the family, it would damage the reputation of the Duke's mansion and yours, especially at this critical juncture!"
Su Wanrou frowned. She knew this matter was thorny. Liu Yiyi was someone brought in by the old lady. Without any evidence, relying only on an anonymous note, if she rashly made a move, she might not only alert Liu Yiyi, but also be accused of being intolerant of Miss Liu and deliberately framing her.
However, if we ignore it, and Liu Yiyi really does something shameful, especially if it comes to light while Gu Yangui is away from the capital, the consequences would be unimaginable! Not only would the Duke's mansion lose face, but she, as the mistress of the house, would also be held responsible!
She hesitated for a moment, then held the short note to the candle and lit it, watching it turn to ashes.
"Yunbin, quietly investigate two things," Su Wanrou said calmly. "First, who has handled all the things that Jinse Courtyard has been sending out or receiving recently? Especially those related to the Marquis of Weiyuan's mansion. Second, keep an eye on the maid named Cui'er who serves Liu Yiyi, and see if she has shown any unusual behavior lately."
"Yes, Madam." Yunbin acknowledged the order and quietly withdrew.
Su Wanrou walked to the window, gazing towards Jinse Courtyard, her gaze growing cold. The trees may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. She had intended to peacefully see Gu Yangui off before slowly reorganizing the inner quarters, but someone insisted on stirring up trouble at this crucial moment. Since that was the case, then she wouldn't hesitate to show no mercy.
two
Yunbin was extremely efficient; she brought news in just one day.
"Madam, we've found out!" Yunbin dismissed the servants and whispered, "Most of the things sent out from Jinse Courtyard are delivered by Granny Zhang through the side gate. I bribed her and threatened her a few times, and she confessed. A few days ago, Cui'er, who serves Miss Liu, did indeed send her a letter to the Marquis of Weiyuan's residence, saying it was a thank-you note to the Second Young Master Qin. But Granny Zhang secretly weighed it, and the envelope felt light and flimsy, not like there was a thank-you note, but more like just a letter."
“And another thing,” Yunbin continued, “I was keeping an eye on Cui’er as you instructed, and I noticed that she sneaked off to the rockery grotto in the back garden this morning, as if she were hiding something. After she left, I went to check and found this in the grotto!”
Yunbin took out a small object from her sleeve, tightly wrapped in oiled paper. Unwrapping the paper, she found an exquisitely crafted purse made of fine Hangzhou satin, embroidered with a pattern of twin lotus blossoms, the stitches meticulous and clearly showing great care. Instead of herbs, the purse contained a folded piece of paper.
Su Wanrou unfolded the note, on which was a line of delicate handwriting, the very handwriting of Liu Yiyi: "War has raged for three months, a letter from home is worth a fortune. I long for your safe return, to soothe my heart leaning against the door." At the end, there was no name, only a small embroidered "Liu" character.
The poem seems to express concern for the soldiers going to war, but considering the secret exchange of the purse and the implication of "hoping for news of your safety," its ambiguity is obvious! Who does this "you" refer to? It can't possibly be Gu Yangui, so it can only be the person who received the purse—Qin Ye!
"What a fine 'to console the heart leaning against the door'!" Su Wanrou trembled with rage. How could Liu Yiyi be so shameless! With the Duke about to go on a campaign and the entire household filled with anxiety, she still had the mind to secretly have an affair with Qin Ye! If this got out, what would outsiders say about the Duke's mansion? What would they say about Gu Yangui, who had just defended her in court?
"Madam, what should we do now? Should we take this purse and report to the Old Madam immediately?" Yunbin was both shocked and angry.
Su Wanrou forced herself to calm down. Caught red-handed, Liu Yiyi had no way to deny it. But how to handle it required skill. Going directly to the Old Madam would certainly drive Liu Yiyi away, but it would also make the Old Madam lose face, since she was the one who brought Liu Yiyi there. Moreover, it would inevitably offend the Marquis of Weiyuan's mansion completely, creating an enemy for Gu Yangui, who was about to go to war.
She needed a more secure way to save face for the national government.
A plan quickly took shape in her mind.
"Yunbin, go find Steward Gu Zhong and tell him this and that..." Su Wanrou whispered her instructions.
three
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
Inside Jinse Courtyard, Liu Yiyi was dressing in front of the mirror, in a rather pleasant mood. Yesterday, through Cui'er and Granny Zhang, she had received another reply from Qin Ye. The letter was ambiguous, praising her intelligence and virtue, and hinting that he would find an opportunity to visit her after the Duke went to war. This made her feel that she wasn't entirely without hope. As long as she maintained her connection with the Qin family, she might have a chance when that little bitch Su Wanrou was left to fend for herself in the mansion.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps and noises suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
"What are you doing? This is Miss Biao's courtyard!" Cui'er exclaimed.
Liu Yiyi's heart tightened. Just as she stood up, the door was pushed open with a bang. There stood the butler, Gu Zhong, with several burly women, their faces serious. Su Wanrou stood calmly behind Gu Zhong.
"Gu Zhong! What do you mean by this?" Liu Yiyi tried to remain calm and shouted sharply, "Who gave you the audacity to trespass into my yard?"
Gu Zhong bowed expressionlessly: "Please forgive me, Miss. This old servant was ordered by the Madam to inspect all parts of the mansion, especially the guest quarters, to ensure the safety of the mansion during the Duke's campaign." He specifically emphasized "guest quarters" and "the Madam's order".
Liu Yiyi looked at Su Wanrou, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, but more so with resentment: "Madam? Her? It's the Old Madam's decision that I live here! It's not her place to investigate!"
Su Wanrou stepped forward, looking at her calmly: "Cousin, please calm down. It is precisely for the safety of the manor and for your reputation that we need to investigate. After all, there seem to be some unclear rumors circulating in the manor recently, concerning men outside the manor... It would be better to find out the truth, so as not to tarnish your reputation."
Her words were polite, yet every syllable was barbed. Liu Yiyi's face turned deathly pale; she realized that Su Wanrou might know something!
"You...you're spouting nonsense!" Liu Yiyi shrieked. "I'm going to see the Old Madam!"
“There’s no need to trouble you, cousin,” Su Wanrou said calmly. “I’ve already sent someone to invite Grandmother. Before Grandmother arrives, to avoid any suspicion, please have Steward Gu take some people to investigate. If you have nothing to hide, cousin, what is there to fear from an investigation?”
Liu Yiyi tried to stop them, but the old women had already begun searching her belongings without explanation. They moved quickly and with a clear objective, soon finding several letters from Qin Ye at the bottom of Liu Yiyi's dressing case, as well as jade pendants, fan tassels, and other items that were clearly belonging to men!
"Madam! We found this in the hidden compartment under the bed!" An old woman came over carrying a brocade box.
Su Wanrou opened the brocade box, inside which were even more explicit letters and a man's undergarment embroidered with mandarin ducks! The size of that undergarment was definitely not what Gu Yangui owned!
With the evidence irrefutable, Liu Yiyi trembled all over and collapsed to the ground.
Just then, Granny Fang helped the old lady, whose face was ashen, into the room quickly. The old lady had obviously already heard the gist of the story, and seeing the mess on the floor and those disgusting objects, she was so angry that her hands were trembling.
"You wretched child! You shameless wretched child!" The old matriarch pointed at Liu Yiyi, heartbroken and indignant. "I took you into the manor because of your orphaned state, raised you in luxury, hoping you would learn to be good, and you... you actually did such a disgraceful thing! And with that good-for-nothing from the Qin family! Where do you want me to put my old face! Where do you want the Duke's mansion to put its face!"
Liu Yiyi crawled over, crying, trying to hug the old lady's leg: "Grandmother! Grandmother, please forgive me! It was...it was Qin Ye who seduced me! He forced me to do it!"
"Shut up!" The old lady disgustedly shoved her away. "Even at a time like this, you still want to implicate others! Gu Zhong!"
"This old servant is here!"
"Tie up this shameless thing and her maid right now! Burn all these things, along with all the unclean things in her room!" The old lady's chest heaved violently, clearly furious. "Send someone to her family home with a message, saying that I, this old woman, have failed to discipline her properly and have no face to keep her in the mansion any longer. Tell them to send someone to take her away!"
This means Liu Yiyi will be completely expelled from the Duke's mansion!
Liu Yiyi was struck dumb, collapsed to the ground, her face ashen.
Su Wanrou stepped forward at the opportune moment, supporting the old lady, and said gently, "Grandmother, please calm down. It's not worth getting upset over something like this. I think it's best not to make a fuss about it. Since my cousin has no one left to rely on in her family, why not find a reason to say that she misses her hometown and voluntarily goes to the family temple in the suburbs of the capital to meditate and pray for the Duke and the soldiers in the northern border? In this way, we can save face for the family and give my cousin a chance to reform herself."
Her words, seemingly pleading for Liu Yiyi, were actually aimed at minimizing the impact of the matter. "Quiet retreat at home" was tantamount to imprisonment, cutting off any possibility of Liu Yiyi causing trouble again, while also preserving the reputation of the Duke's Mansion and the Old Madam.
The old lady glanced at Su Wanrou, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, before finally closing them wearily and waving her hand: "Do as you say. Gu Zhong, go and make the arrangements. Send her away today! I don't want to see this wretched child again!"
Four
That afternoon, a small blue cloth carriage quietly drove out of the side gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and headed straight for a secluded family hermitage on the outskirts of the capital.
Liu Yiyi and Cui'er were crammed into the carriage like cargo. Through the swaying curtain, she took one last look at the imposing gates of the Duke's mansion, her eyes filled with endless resentment and bitterness. All her years of painstaking effort had ended like this! Su Wanrou! It was all that Su Wanrou's fault! She would never let her go!
Inside Guiren Residence, Su Wanrou listened to Yunbin's report that Liu Yiyi had been sent away. Her face showed no joy, but rather a hint of weariness.
"Madam, why are you still pleading for her, saying she should go to a nunnery for quiet contemplation? Wouldn't it be cleaner to just let her family take her away directly?" Yuebai asked, puzzled.
Su Wanrou shook her head: "To drive someone to their wits' end is not the best policy. Sending her to the family nunnery is to give the old lady a way out and also to save face for the Marquis of Weiyuan's mansion. After all, this matter involves Qin Ye. If it gets too big and we completely break ties with the Qin family, it will not benefit the Duke who is about to go to war. Now that things are as they are, the Qin family is in the wrong, and they probably won't dare to make any rash moves in the short term."
She walked to the window, gazing at the darkening sky. Eliminating Liu Yiyi had only cleared one potential threat from the inner quarters. The real challenge would come after Gu Yangui left. The Marquis of Weiyuan's mansion, potential political enemies in the court, and even other restless elements within the household would all be waiting for their chance to act.
But at this moment, she had no time to think about it. Tomorrow was the day Gu Yangui would set off for the campaign.
She took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing all her anxieties. Now, all she had to do was make the most of this last night, and then bravely send him off to war.
As night fell, the Duke's mansion seemed to regain its tranquility, but a deeper unease, like an undercurrent, surged beneath the calm surface. Meanwhile, far out on the official road in the outskirts of the capital, the carriage carrying Liu Yiyi was heading into the unknown darkness, sowing the seeds of future hatred.
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