Chapter 55 Infamy
Yuan Chenghai had seen all kinds of beauties, and the girl in front of him might not be the most beautiful, but she was exceptionally attractive to him.
A noblewoman who offered herself up—just thinking about her identity made Yuan Chenghai's heart itch with desire.
He took a step forward, his voice tinged with amusement: "Is this Miss Qiu Liu?"
Qiu Heng looked at the person approaching.
They weren't close enough, so two guards followed closely on either side.
She certainly wouldn't take direct action, nor would she need to.
"Yes," Qiu Heng said, moving closer to Hui Niang.
Hui Niang was always sensitive to this matter, and hurriedly said, "Master, I will see Miss Qiu out."
"You can take it." Yuan Chenghai glanced at Qiu Heng again and strode forward.
Right now, this little beauty is still an unknown wildflower, so we can't rush things. Her safety is always the top priority.
For example, there would never be any sharp objects in the inner room of Fourth Sister. Every time he went there, a maid would take away the hairpins and other items that Fourth Sister wore, and he would not sleep next to Fourth Sister afterward.
He wished he could enjoy these good years for hundreds of years, and he couldn't afford to squander them all due to carelessness.
With that thought in mind, Yuan Chenghai went to see Nie Siniang.
Perhaps because he's been too meticulous in everything, he now finds himself more drawn to flowers with thorns. This is true of Fourth Sister's reluctance, and also of Sixth Sister Qiu's unapproachable nature.
Hui Niang helped Qiu Heng onto the carriage and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The way the master looked at Miss Qiu was unsettling. Could it be that, as Liniang said, he had developed feelings for Miss Qiu?
If that were to happen, it would be a terrible mistake.
"Sixth Miss Qiu, once the incense is ready, please pass on a message and I will send someone to fetch it."
"Okay." Qiu Heng nodded and bent down to get into the carriage.
The coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage gradually disappeared into the distance.
Hui Niang stood there for a while, then gently shook her head.
We must not invite Miss Qiu to our house again. Otherwise, not only will it be a waste of the young lady, but if such a noblewoman were to join the family, they would probably all fall out of favor.
Inside the carriage, Qingluo looked at the girl who was resting with her eyes closed and finally couldn't help but speak up: "Miss, if I may be so bold as to say something."
Qiu Heng opened her eyes, her gaze gentle: "Go on."
Qingluo took a deep breath to bolster her courage: "Miss, that Lord Yuan has a terrible reputation, and he doesn't seem like an upright person at all. If you keep going to the Yuan family, you'll suffer the consequences."
She couldn't understand it.
The young lady is a noblewoman from a prominent family who is not yet married. Isn't she afraid of ruining her reputation by getting involved with someone as notorious as Yuan Chenghai?
Having spent so much time together, the girl, though unpredictable in her actions, was an extremely kind person and never mistreated them. Even she, a maid, had heard about the righteous man who risked his life to post the hemp paper, and she didn't want to see the girl suffer because of the reputation of that treacherous villain cursed by the people.
Seeing Qingluo's worry, Qiuheng smiled and said, "Then I won't go anymore."
Meeting Yuan Chenghai today was clearly no coincidence, and it undoubtedly made Hui Niang wary. She probably wouldn't invite him to visit again in the future.
Fortunately, she has done what she wanted to do.
As for reputation, what does it matter if she can accomplish what she wants to do?
"Girl—" Qingluo was somewhat skeptical.
She immediately said she wouldn't go when the topic came up; the girl was so perfunctory.
Qiu Heng chuckled: "I really won't go, don't worry."
Qingluo became embarrassed instead: "This servant is afraid that if word gets out, it won't be good for you, Miss."
"I didn't make a big fuss about my two visits to the Yuan family. I'm not a big shot, and apart from special government offices like the Imperial City Guard, no one would notice me."
Even the Imperial City Guard probably only noticed her because of Xue Han.
Qiu Heng's words to comfort Qing Luo were actually correct, but she was soon proven wrong.
The rumors started outside and reached the old lady's ears.
"Go and fetch the Sixth Miss!"
Qiu Heng had been focused on making incense these past few days and had been staying at Lengxiangju. She went to Qiansongtang with the maid sent by the old lady and immediately sensed an impending storm upon entering.
"grandmother."
Seeing her granddaughter curtsying, the old lady slammed her hand on the table: "Tell me, where did you go a few days ago!"
That brat! She always goes out under the guise of buying incense, and she even goes to the home of a high-ranking official who is not related to her at all!
Yuan Chenghai's reputation for greed, lust, and exploitation of the people is now known to everyone because of the endless stream of hemp paper. Has this girl lost her mind?
The old lady's hands trembled with anger at the thought of what was being said outside. She grabbed the teacup beside her and threw it at the person outside, yelling, "Speak!"
The teacup shattered at Qiuheng's feet, spilling tea everywhere.
"I went to the incense shop and also to the Yuan family's residence."
"The Yuan family? Which Yuan family?" The old lady was even angrier when Qiu Heng admitted it directly.
How dare you admit it!
Of course, if they don't admit it, they'll be even angrier.
"At Lord Yuan Chenghai's house."
The old lady pointed a finger, as if she wanted to poke Qiu Heng in the face: "What were you doing at his house?"
His family liked the scented pendants I made.
"Family? What family does he have in the capital?" The old lady's finger finally poked Qiu Heng's forehead. "Have you lost your mind, you think of his concubines as family?"
No wonder the rumors outside were so harsh, saying that Miss Qiu frequented the Yuan family and was willingly degrading herself.
She's so angry!
Faced with the old lady's fury, Qiu Heng remained calm: "Grandfather told me to do it."
The old lady's anger suddenly got stuck in her chest, unable to rise or fall.
After a long while, she finally let out a sigh of relief: "Say it again."
So Qiuheng repeated, "Grandfather told me to do it."
Why didn't you tell me?
Qiu Heng tilted her head slightly: "Grandmother, don't you listen to Grandfather?"
"You—" Looking at the bewildered girl, the old lady suddenly couldn't continue.
This girl comes from the countryside, what could she possibly know?
That old bastard is inhuman!
"Go kneel down in the ancestral hall and think carefully about what you can and cannot do in the future!"
Qiu Heng did not move.
They're busy making incense; they don't have time to kneel in the ancestral hall.
"What are you still standing here for? Can't I control you anymore?"
“Grandmother.” Qiu Heng took two steps forward and sat down next to the old lady, pulling on her sleeve.
The old lady was shocked.
Has this brat gone mad?
The girl tilted her head slightly, looking at the old lady with gray hair: "Grandmother, your granddaughter knows what she can and cannot do. Your granddaughter also knows that she should be filial to her elders and listen to her grandfather."
These words struck the old lady like a heavy hammer, leaving her expression frozen.
Listen to your grandfather, listen to your grandfather—
That old bastard!
"Go back to your room and stay there!" The old lady waved her hand to let Qiu Heng leave, and didn't mention kneeling in the ancestral hall again.
On this day, the old lady and the Earl of Yongqing had their second fierce argument in recent years.
"What is the Earl thinking? Is he really going to sell Sixth Sister for some uncertain benefit?"
"Why put it so harshly? It's just asking Sixth Sister to make some incense to give away, there's no other meaning."
"No other meaning? Didn't you hear the rumors going around? Sixth Miss's reputation is ruined, how will she ever get married? What about Xuan'er and the others?"
The Earl of Yongqing was also furious: "I didn't mean anything by it, who knows how it got spread."
"If you hadn't let Sixth Sister do it, would the news have spread? In the end, it's because you don't take your granddaughter seriously and treat her like this!"
The Earl of Yongqing turned hostile: "Are you bringing up old grievances about the eldest maid? She entered the palace as a beauty, living a life of luxury and high status. How have I wronged her? As for the sixth maid, she might even resent you, her grandmother, for preventing her from marrying into a higher social class. Do you think that girl is so innocent—"
Before the Earl of Yongqing could finish speaking, the old lady rushed forward and scratched his old face: "You forced Sixth Girl to do something that made people laugh, and then you blame the child? Do you have any shame? Do you have any shame?"
The maids and servants who had been sent away rushed in upon hearing the commotion, terrified.
Oh no! The old man and the old lady are fighting!
(End of this chapter)
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