Luo Chengzhang felt Wei Ling's aura was intimidating, and thinking of what his elder brother had said, he could only endure and agree. It had been over a decade, so there was no need to be intolerant. He still had to focus on the present. Wei Ling was now being completely rude to him, his words a mixture of threats and inducements. How could he dare to refute him?
Wei Ling thought of that unpresentable concubine who had the audacity to humiliate Yi Ning. He added, "I owe Lord Luo a favor. I hope you will keep my daughter's secret safe. As for those who gossip, Lord Luo should be more cautious. If it weren't for those words, we wouldn't have gotten into such a mess."
It would have been fine if Wei Ling didn't mention Aunt Qiao, but once he did, Luo Chengzhang's face turned slightly cold.
After Wei Ling finished his instructions, Luo Chengzhang escorted him out. He sighed softly, then called in his trusted steward and said, "...Go tell Miss Seven that the Duke of England will be coming to take her away tomorrow. Tell her to pack her belongings first and not to disrespect the Duke of England."
Luo Chengzhang didn't know that Wei Ling had already talked to Luo Yining.
The trusted steward agreed, then hesitated and said, "Master, Aunt Qiao is outside the door...waiting to see you."
Luo Chengzhang's expression suddenly turned cold, revealing a hint of gloom. He nodded: "Call her in."
He turned and walked towards the study. He heard someone coming in from behind. He lifted his skirt and closed the lattice window. The voice was still as gentle as usual: "I want to ask the master..."
Before Aunt Qiao could finish her words, Luo Chengzhang suddenly turned around and slapped her in the face.
Although Luo Chengzhang was a scholar, he was also very powerful. Aunt Qiao was slapped without any warning and fell onto the small table. Her cheeks were swollen, painful, and burning, and she was overwhelmed by a strong sense of shame.
Aunt Qiao didn't raise her head for a long time. Her neatly combed hair was now disheveled. She covered her face and trembled slightly. She was shocked and frightened. She had never seen Luo Chengzhang so angry with her before.
Luo Chengzhang said coldly, "You dare to come to me? Well, then, I won't have to come to your house to cause trouble! You keep your head up."
Aunt Qiao didn't dare to disobey, and slowly raised her head to look at Luo Chengzhang. She felt wronged again, and tears streamed down her face.
She was a tearful woman, though sometimes she pretended to be, but she was indeed a tearful person. Luo Chengzhang felt pity for her every time he saw her cry. Thinking of the girl he had brought back from Yangzhou, whom he had taught to write, how could he not feel pity for her? But now he stood before her coldly, grasping her chin without the slightest emotion: "How much truth was there in what you said the other day?"
Aunt Qiao looked at him with tears in her eyes: "Master, I don't know. I just came to pay my respects..."
"You said that Gu Minglan fled to the temple to live because of an affair, and that your mother became ill because of Yining's life experience." Luo Chengzhang spoke word by word, his tone cold and hard, "Let's not talk about your mother. How did Minglan treat you back then? You are such a vicious person, you actually turned right into wrong and slandered her! You made me believe you!" He was refuted by Mother Zheng and couldn't say a word. If Aunt Qiao hadn't misled him first, how could he be so angry with Gu Minglan.
The girl who seemed so kind and graceful back then has now become a person like this.
"Master, I really don't know whether what that girl said is true or false..." Aunt Qiao's lips were shaking with tears.
"You don't know? She is the wife of your shop assistant, don't you know?" Luo Chengzhang sneered.
"Luo Yining's biological father came looking for us. It's the Duke of Yingguo." He pinched her chin in anger. "I'll tell you this directly. I'll tell you another thing. Wei Ling said that if anyone in the Luo family dares to reveal Luo Yining's background, he will definitely not let anyone in the Luo family go. You want to deal with Luo Yining? Well, now you have made her the daughter of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion with your own hands. Are you happy?"
The study was dead silent, and the only sound was Aunt Qiao's soft sobs.
As for whether Luo Chengzhang was truly angry or just taking his anger out on her, Aunt Qiao didn't know. She didn't have the guts to criticize Luo Chengzhang. She was able to live well in the Luo family because of Luo Chengzhang's pity. No matter how angry and unwilling she was, she didn't dare show it in front of him.
However, the words that Luo Chengzhang said were as loud as the sound of a bell, leaving her speechless for a long time.
In a sense, it was indeed she who made it happen.
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