Chapter 19: Tao and Lu Xiaolu once again broke down.
"Tsk, what a mess, little sister A-Song." On the way back, Tao Qingyang shook his head repeatedly at Qin Song's messy hair, dirty clothes, and torn hem.
Qin Song felt annoyed. Not only was she almost forced into it, but it also turned out so badly, with her being more slovenly than a man. She really couldn't stand it.
Of course, there were other things that made her even angrier.
Tao Qingyang lied that he and Qin Song had just separated, forcibly thwarting Lei Heyang's scheme. However, he then sent men to surround the Duke of Anguo's mansion, claiming that Li Yu was the suspect who shot Lei Heyang, and sent the lying Lei Heyang back to the Lei mansion.
Why are you pinning all the blame on Li Yu?
Upon hearing this, Tao Qingyang fiddled with the arrow in his hand. "But this is indeed an arrow from the Duke of Anguo's mansion. If we don't surround the Duke of Anguo's mansion, do we want people to know about your relationship with Young Master Li?"
As he spoke, he suddenly leaned over, grabbed her wrist, and brazenly pulled open her wide sleeve. The brass buttons on the sleeve dig into her skin, and he shook his head in disgust again. "This thing is not suitable for you."
Qin Song frowned and pushed him away fiercely, "But it just saved my life."
She must have used a lot of force when she pushed him away, because he staggered backward and bumped into the wall behind him, coughing suddenly.
As the winter solstice approached, the streets were already quite cold. When he coughed, you could see white steam rising from his lips.
Qin Song suddenly remembered that he had just been punished with a military rod, which explained why he almost lost his balance when she pushed him.
He pressed his palm against his chest for a while, then raised his head, his lips even paler. "Didn't I save your life? With your body, you wouldn't have survived either whipping or caning."
Qin Song's throat tightened; it seemed that this was indeed the case.
He looked rather pitiful, and there was a faint smell of medicine mixed in with his breath; it probably wasn't faking it.
Qin Song reluctantly approached him, putting one hand around his back and the other hand on his wrist, trying to help him up.
When her fingers touched his warm skin, her body reacted instinctively, causing her fingertips to tremble slightly. He also gasped in pain the moment she touched him.
Qin Song quickly loosened his grip and carefully helped him up.
"Alright, you..." As soon as she opened her mouth, Qin Song realized that her palms were sticky. She looked up and saw that the bloodstains were dim in the yellow light.
"Are you bleeding?" Qin Song looked up at him.
Tao Qingyang took out a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it in her outstretched hand. "It's just a simple meal, wipe yourself off."
His voice was not as steady as before, but the tone was ordinary. Qin Song suddenly remembered his identity: a general on the battlefield. Bloodshed and death must be commonplace for him. However, the bloodstains on his back soaked his clothes, so it must have been torn to pieces.
Lost in thought, he absentmindedly picked up the plain white handkerchief to wipe his hands.
"Lord Qin has been detained in the Dali Temple, why didn't you come to see me?" Tao Qingyang straightened up and regained his composure. Apart from his pale face and blood-stained red clothes, he showed no signs of weakness.
"Do you have a way?" He didn't want to appear weak, and Qin Song pretended not to know.
“Of course.” Tao Qing patted the jade flute in his hand. “The Lei family used every means possible, and His Majesty could only give Lord Qin a warning. He will be released from prison in less than three days. However, after tonight’s incident, it is hard to say whether the term will be extended.”
Qin Song's face turned cold. "So what? What should I do?"
Tao Qingyang smiled faintly, "If you marry me, the Lei family's plans will naturally fall through."
Qin Song rolled her eyes at him; his abacus beads were practically about to hit her face.
"Thank you for your kindness, but it's not necessary."
Qin Song refused decisively, threw the blood-stained handkerchief back at his chest, and turned to leave.
The alley was dark and quiet, and Qin Song was terrified. Fortunately, the Qin residence was just outside the alley, and she practically ran back to the Qin residence.
When Uncle Zhao, who had been waiting at the door, saw her return alone in such a state, he was so frightened that he quickly called a doctor.
Later that evening, Yun Qian returned in a panic. She was so frightened by the state of Qin Song that she burst into tears. She quickly knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Miss, I am useless. I was unable to see the young master. It was Jiang Yue who told me that the Duchess had locked the young master up and refused to see any guests except for official business. Later, a group of soldiers surrounded the Duke's mansion. It is Yun Qian who is useless. She found out all the information."
All the servants in Zhao Bo's household stayed up late, showing no sign of rest, anxiously awaiting news from the head of the family.
Qin Song had no choice but to tell them what she knew.
"Don't worry, Father will come back safely sooner or later."
But everyone's fear then shifted to Qin Song.
"What exactly is the Lei family plotting? Lei Heyang is already a cripple, why would he want to harm our young lady?"
The group of people were both anxious and angry.
After a moment's thought, Zhao Bo said, "I've heard that the Censorate has submitted several memorials impeaching the Minister of Justice for his crimes, and even arrested the Lei family father and son. I don't know what happened in between, but His Majesty issued an edict to release them. The Lei family is now under the Censorate's watchful eye, and the Cabinet will naturally impeach them one after another. The Lei family is probably resorting to such underhanded tactics to try and turn things around by leveraging the Qin family's influence. Miss, you should stay home for the time being. As long as you can get through this period, once the Censorate brings down the Lei family, you should be safe."
The Censorate… Qin Song immediately thought of the dossier Lu Youchuan had given her. When she opened it, it was indeed a record about the Minister of Justice. But if it weren't for tonight's events, she would never have imagined that such a distant conspiracy could have happened.
She stared at the carved wooden window, her mind reeling. She didn't actually want a career; she just wanted men. What kind of drama was this?!
As she was thinking, Yun Qian rubbed her swollen cheeks while anxiously saying, "But the day after tomorrow is the winter solstice, and the palace will hold a winter solstice banquet. All the families of officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital must attend. How can Miss not go? Moreover, the banquets in the inner palace are all hosted by the Empress. The Empress is that Lei's older sister. What will Miss do?"
The room fell silent again, and worry settled on everyone's faces.
Qin Song was also overwhelmed with worry. She rubbed her temples and said, "Let's all rest for now. As long as Father is alright, we can discuss the rest tomorrow."
·
The next day, Pan Chengjie arrived at the yamen on time, crossed the threshold, and brushed past Zhang Hu, who was leaving with a letter in his arms.
"What are you doing here?" he called out to Zhang Hu as he turned around.
Zhang Hu stopped and lowered his voice: "Sending a letter for Lord Lu. Isn't it strange? Lord Lu never contacts his family, yet he's taking the initiative to send a letter home."
After listening, Pan Chengjie frowned slightly, stopped chatting with Zhang Hu, and strode to the duty room where Lu Youchuan was.
"Oh, Lord Lu, are you planning to ask your elders for a marriage proposal?" Pan Chengjie teased as soon as he entered the room.
Lu Youchuan straightened his official robes and prepared to go to the main hall. Hearing the voice, he remained indifferent, neither refuting nor responding.
Pan Chengjie continued, "You spent the whole night writing letters home? You haven't heard a thing about Miss Qin's matter?"
Lu Youchuan paused his leisurely movements and finally looked up to face Pan Chengjie.
Pan Chengjie strode over to his table, quickly poured a glass of water, and gulped it down to relieve his parched throat from running all the way back. He said sternly, "You were being unfair last night. How could you let Miss Qin, a young lady, return home alone? Now look what happened."
"Something happened?" Lu Youchuan responded almost immediately.
Didn't she come with her groom and maid last night? How come she's alone? Doubt and anxiety made him stare intently at Pan Chengjie.
Pan Chengjie shook his head regretfully, "Something terrible has happened! Your wife is gone."
"Now the whole street is saying that General Tao and Miss Qin had a date last night, but Lei Heyang ruined it and almost defiled her. There are all sorts of rumors. I think Miss Qin's reputation is ruined."
As he spoke, he looked up at Lu Youchuan and saw that his eyes were dark and his fists were clenched, and he was almost in a state of shock and silence.
Pan Chengjie also felt sorry for him, coughed softly, and patted his shoulder reassuringly, "This is obviously a setup by the Lei family. Lord Qin's unjust detention is just one part of it. Miss Qin is definitely innocent, but things have come to this, Lao Lu, you mustn't..."
Before he could even utter the word "impulse," Lu Youchuan had already stepped out the door and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The Qin residence was in chaos early in the morning. Various noises kept the servants from going out. Uncle Zhao dispatched wave after wave of secret guards to completely surround Qin Song's courtyard.
When Lu Youchuan arrived, Uncle Zhao was startled for a moment, then turned cold and tried to shoo him away, saying, "Does Lord Lu even have to meddle in the private affairs of officials' families? Miss is just a weak woman; there's no need for Lord Lu to come all the way here to target her!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Youchuan's eyelashes trembled. He wanted to explain, but before he could speak, a carriage bearing the insignia of the General's Mansion stopped in front of the Qin Mansion.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a handsome young man in red robes and a silver mask looked down at him with disdain: "Cousin, what a coincidence, you didn't go to the palace for the meeting today?"
Lu Youchuan suppressed a smile and glanced at him sideways, "You seem to have a lot of free time."
Tao Qingyang stepped out of the carriage, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Of course. The whole street is buzzing about my relationship with Sister A-Song. How could I just stand by and do nothing?"
Lu Youchuan averted his gaze, his hand gripping the hilt of the knife suddenly tightening, the metal hilt digging into his knuckles until they turned white. "General Tao's skin is getting thicker and thicker."
Standing in front of the mansion gate, Zhao Bo was so angry that his beard trembled as he heard someone so brazenly defaming his young lady's reputation. He quickly spoke up to warn, "General Tao, my young lady and your sister are even close friends. How dare you speak so recklessly and tarnish my young lady's name?!"
Tao Qing looked up without changing his expression and met Zhao Bo's gaze. "Don't worry, Steward Zhao. It's precisely because Sister Asong and Ayao are getting along that I will not abandon Sister Asong. I am not the kind of person who starts something and then abandons it. I will definitely take responsibility for Sister Asong."
He looked at Lu Youchuan, "Don't you think so, cousin?"
Lu Youchuan's lips pressed into a straight line. If this were the Censorate, he would definitely cut out his tongue.
"Cousin A-Chuan, what are you doing here?" Another woman's voice rang out during the silence.
With the help of her maid, Tao Yao bent down and stepped out of the carriage. Her legs were not fully recovered, and she rushed over anxiously upon hearing the news of Qin Song.
Lu Youchuan still didn't smile, but Tao Yao's expression was noticeably gentler.
Before he could speak, Tao Qingyang answered for him, "Of course we're here to see your future sister-in-law. Let's go see Asong."
Tao Qing put his arm around Tao Yao's shoulder and walked towards the Qin residence.
Tao Yao couldn't overcome her brother's strength, so she could only limp and follow him.
Steward Zhao was initially unhappy with Tao Qingyang's entry into the mansion, but out of respect for Miss Tao, he had no choice but to let him in. However, Lu Youchuan was not so lucky. Steward Zhao flicked his sleeve and ruthlessly shut him out.
As she closed the door, Tao Yao glanced back at Lu Youchuan. She had never seen such a distraught look on a man's face before.
Beneath Lu Youchuan's somber face, it seemed as if a surging tide was crashing and clamoring, yet he remained standing in the crowd, gazing at the gates of the Qin residence, like a puppet.
As soon as the door closed, Tao Qingyang suddenly spoke up: "Steward Zhao, we don't know what Censor Lu's intentions are in coming here, and Lord Qin has not yet returned home. It would be better not to tell Sister A-Song that Lord Lu came to the Qin residence, so as not to worry her. What do you think?"
"That's natural."
Although Steward Zhao was also dissatisfied with Tao Qingyang, he disliked Lu Youchuan even more and naturally wouldn't say another word about him.
A note from the author:
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I briefly updated the scenes with the carp earlier, adding a kiss. You can check out chapter 10 if you want, but it won't affect your reading much if you don't. [Thumbs up]
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