Chapter 163
Yining took a deep breath and looked at the scenery outside the window to calm down.
She knew Luo Shenyuan had two sides, everyone had them; human nature was complex. It was just that he usually appeared to her as a brother, a ruthless side that made her tremble in her palms and involuntarily obey him.
But at the same time, she was also shocked. Luo Shenyuan was a man of rich emotions, his emotions as deep as the ocean hidden beneath a calm surface. No matter how turbulent the situation, no one knew, and no one would try to know, as long as he kept silent. In his previous life, he ignored his teacher's death. Perhaps the criticism from the censors and his senseless indifference were similar. He was simply accustomed to silence.
Yining asked the maid to find Daimao and ask him questions.
When Daimao came over, she saw Luo Yining moving the beads on the abacus. The young lady was very good at using the abacus. The abacus was made of agarwood, dark in color, which made her fingers look like a different kind of ivory white.
Daimao was in a trance, unaware that Luo Shenyuan had come to question Yining. When the two maids forced her to kneel before the young lady, she was still panic-stricken and at a loss.
The abacus beads clicked dully, stopping after two clicks. Luo Yining looked down at Daimao. When Wei Ling first gave her Daimao, she'd thought she was beautiful, and even seemed to have some feelings for him. Most pretty girls were like this, feeling unfulfilled by their fate and yearning for frivolous possessions.
"When did it happen?" Yining asked her.
Daimao didn't come back to his senses: "Miss..."
"Let me ask you, when did you want to be a concubine?" Luo Yining put away the abacus and looked at her indifferently.
Daimao's face turned pale with fear. Being a concubine... how could this hat be put on her head! She kowtowed quickly: "My lady, I didn't do that! My lady... I did this for you..."
"You did it for me?" Yi Ning sneered, "You want to climb into the master's bed, but for me? Where does such a high-sounding excuse come from?"
"Mother Fan said... the young lady was young, and I saw that she was working hard... I... my son-in-law was changing clothes in the bathroom at that time, and I just went there to help. I had no intention of becoming a concubine!" Daimao was frightened by Luo Yining and spoke incoherently, and then kowtowed quickly.
"So you're saying that I asked you to serve me?" Luo Yining asked her unmoved.
Tears streamed down Daimao's crystal-clear face. "I didn't say anything. It was your own guess..."
Luo Yining didn't want to ask any more questions, nor did she want to watch Daimao crying any longer. She had no intention of becoming a concubine? She was really deceiving her because she was a young and ignorant girl. She asked Lou Mama to come in and said, "Take her downstairs to wash her face, and send her back to the Duke of Ying's mansion tomorrow to explain the situation to my father."
Wei Ling...If Wei Ling knew about this, would she still have a good ending?
Daimao cried even more pitifully, tugging at the hem of Yining's skirt and begging. The maids waiting outside could hear her, and they all lowered their heads and stared at the surface of their shoes, not daring to speak.
Madam Lou forcibly took Daimao out. Madam Fan knew that it was her fault for giving such a rash idea that caused the trouble. She went to Yining and bowed, saying, "Madam, this is my fault. I have no right to bring this up. Miss Daimao might not have such thoughts."
She was assigned to Yi Ning by Old Madam Wei, so how could Yi Ning lose face with her? Besides, Madam Fan was doing it for her own good. She helped Madam Fan up and said, "She has had this idea in her mind for a long time. Otherwise, why would she get angry just because someone mentioned it? It's none of Madam's business."
Luo Yining leaned against the pillow and concentrated for a moment. She wanted to find Luo Shenyuan and explain the matter of the tortoise shell clearly.
Mother Fan put a rabbit fur cloak on her and went out. When they arrived at Luo Shenyuan's study, the guard hurriedly bowed to Yi Ning and said, "It seems that Lord Xu sent someone to report a matter of utmost urgency. I saw that Lord Luo didn't even wear a cloak, so I took Instructor Lin and the others out."
He just left like that? Yi Ning asked the servant, "...did he leave any words?"
The servant shook his head: "The master left in a hurry, and the steward didn't even see him when he came to see him."
If they left in such a hurry, something big must have happened. Yi Ning frowned, thought for a moment, and asked again, "Did you hear what it was?"
The servant thought carefully and said hesitantly, "I only heard someone say something about Mr. Zhou from Guiyang Prefecture."
When Yi Ning heard these words, she felt a chill run down her spine. "You heard right, Master Zhou from Guiyang Prefecture?"
The servant said again, "As it should be, Mr. Zhou Shuqun."
Yi Ning returned to the inner chambers. Daimao was gone, leaving only two of the three older maids. Zhenzhu brought hot water for her feet. Yi Ning closed her eyes, and memories of her past life began to flood back. Lord Zhou Shuqun, though unremarkable, was the central figure in the conflict between the Wang Yuan and Qing factions.
Wang Yuan had followed the Emperor when he was still a prince. When the Emperor first ascended the throne, there were still some remnants of the Prince's Party, one of whom had a particularly good relationship with Xu Wei. Wang Yuan, also a well-known virtuous minister, saw that the Emperor did not want him to live, so he made a petition to execute him. He was cursed by the people of the world, but the Emperor trusted him even more. In addition, the Emperor attached great importance to rituals and sacrifices, and Wang Yuan was a good writer of Qingci, so the Emperor valued him even more. Moreover, he was not a military officer, so he would not pose a threat to the throne, and he was obedient. What a good subordinate he was.
After Wang Yuan became Prime Minister, he enjoyed immense power in the court. He was a master at plotting factional plots and currying favor with his superiors. Governing the country was none of his business. As long as his interests weren't threatened, he wouldn't bat an eyelid even if the Tatars attacked the capital. The Qingliu faction dared not speak out. Xu Wei, a wise man, knew he couldn't defeat Wang Yuan, so he never confronted him head-on. He endured this for years, and Wang Yuan, seeing he wasn't causing trouble, ignored him. Although undercurrents surged in the court, it remained relatively calm.
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