Moreover, at the Shangshu’s place, the Ministry of Revenue official was hesitant, worried about damaging the lord’s reputation.
“Don’t worry about Guo Shangshu. He won’t dare to make things difficult for me over this.”
“In that case, shouldn’t my lord inform the Shangshu first?”
“Inform what? Do as I say. Do I need to ask the emperor’s permission?”
“Technically, you should,” Li Shilang stammered, his voice growing softer, “After all, she was personally demoted by the emperor.”
Gu Qingtong understood how difficult it was to change a qingniang’s status. If the emperor had demoted you, he would not easily restore your name.
Yan Mang swept his sleeve and held Liang Luoxi’s hand: “Luoxi, wait a moment. I’ll ask the emperor for permission in a few days.”
Although eager to change her status, Liang Luoxi could only nod reluctantly.
Yan Mang patted her cheek, then turned to Han Yuan’an: “Han Yuan’an?”
“This servant is here.”
“Take good care of her. I’ll bring her back to the mansion in a few days. If she suffers any grievance, watch out for your little plot of land.”
“Yes.”
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Liang Luoxi smiled slightly, thinking it was fine to stay for now. She glanced at the pair of eyes peeking from behind the wall’s fragrant camphor tree – she hadn’t gotten her revenge yet.
Gu Qingtong was about to climb down when she met Liang Luoxi’s gaze, and her heart sank: “Oh no.”
Liang Luoxi smiled softly: “My lord, I haven’t been feeling well these days and would like another attendant.”
“Who does Luoxi want to serve you?” Yan Mang, now afraid of disappointing her, smiled while glancing at Han Yuan’an.
Han Yuan’an realized her intentions and frowned: “Whatever attendant you want, just tell Ruan Niang.”
“Is that so,” Liang Luoxi smiled, moving next to Ruan Niang, “I want Gu Qingtong to serve me. I’m telling Ruan Niang, is that okay?”
Han Yuan’an and Ruan Niang immediately furrowed their brows.
“Gu Qingtong?” Yan Mang seemed to realize something and laughed, “Han Yuan’an, Luoxi wants an attendant, and you hesitate even in front of me. If I weren’t here, wouldn’t you…”
Yan Mang deliberately stopped, staring at Han Yuan’an. Although Han Yuan’an cared for Gu Qingtong, he couldn’t act against the lord and raised his hand: “Bring Gu Qingniang.”
Gu Qingtong knew this would be the outcome and saw a servant enter as she came down from the chair.
The servant, seeing her by the wall, guessed she had already heard: “Gu Qingniang, since you know, please come with me.”
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Gu Qingtong secretly lamented her bad luck and headed towards Luoxi Pavilion, almost falling when someone bumped into her at the door, saved only by Lü Guo.
“My lord.”
Yan Mang recognized the familiar voice and turned, seeing the mansion’s steward and frowning: “Why are you here?”
“My lord, Rui Wang has arrived and wishes to see you.”
Yan Mang’s eyes narrowed, then turned to Liang Luoxi: “Luoxi, I have matters to attend to. If you need anything, come find me.”
After the lord left, Liang Luoxi approached Gu Qingtong and lifted her chin: “You’ll be inconvenienced to wash hands, cook soup, and take care of me for a few days.”
“Liang Luoxi, don’t go too far,” Ruan Niang, who was protective of Gu Qingtong, spoke up.
Liang Luoxi glanced at Ruan Niang: “Ruan Niang, if I didn’t respect you as an elder, I’d be eager to taste your skills. I heard you worked in the imperial kitchen in your youth and learned excellent skills.”
Seeing Ruan Niang turn pale, Liang Luoxi smiled lightly: “But those people are surely spreading rumors. How can such a claim be believed without multiple husbands’ deaths?”
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“She mockingly covered her mouth, feigning self-reproach while gleefully watching Ruan Niang, as if speaking to herself, ‘Oh, I might have misspoken. Ruan Niang seems to have been with one, two, three men. One died of illness, one drowned accidentally, one murdered by bandits.’
Gu Qingtong was shocked by Ruan Niang’s tragic past. Seeing Ruan Niang trembling and unable to speak, she stepped forward to block Liang Luoxi’s view.
‘Oh, Gu Qingtong, you?’ Liang Luoxi sneered.
‘Liang Qingniang, that’s enough,’ Han Yuan’an shouted, seeing Gu Qingtong being bullied.
Liang Luoxi now felt triumphant. Even Han Yuan’an couldn’t do anything to her. She flipped her chest-length hair, ‘Han Guanzhang, your protection also has its limits.’
Gu Qingtong looked at Liang Luoxian becoming increasingly arrogant and steeled herself: ‘Liang Luoxian, last night at midnight when I was hungry and got up to find something to eat, I heard some unusual sounds near the wall…’ She deliberately stopped midway, and as expected, Liang Luoxian’s smiling face instantly froze.
However, Liang Luoxian thought she was just bluffing and gave a sinister laugh: ‘Gu Qingtong, don’t think I’m easily scared. I’ve seen these little tricks since I was a child!’
Gu Qingtong continued: ‘Those sounds yesterday came from that side gate.'”
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“She looked at the wall covered in ivy, where some stones were disarranged, with clear footprints on the stone steps, and a section of the ivy was torn open.
Liang Luoxian followed her gaze, seemingly able to see her own behavior from yesterday, but she twisted her silk handkerchief: “What could be at the side gate? Did you hear a cat? It’s probably you, the cat in heat!”
Gu Qingtong thought to herself, you’re the cat in heat, truly stubborn. But since Ji Chen said not to disrupt her plan, she subtly said: “Liang Luoxian, although we’ve been quarreling for over a decade, we grew up together after all. I know everything you’ve done. Now, I’m not exposing your secrets, so you’d better behave and not go too far, or you’ll provoke me.”
Hearing her serious tone, Liang Luoxian was startled and took a step back, tightly gripping her maidservant’s hand. Liang Luoxian was both angry and scared, clearly looking for someone to vent on, so she held her breath, hoping not to be noticed.
Seeing this, Gu Qingtong softly laughed and turned to hold Ruan Niang’s hand: “Ruan Niang, let’s go.”
Liang Luoxian was truly furious. She thought she was about to turn the tables, but unexpectedly, another handle had fallen into Gu Qingtong’s hands.
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Seeing her maidservant was inferior to the green fruit Gu Qingtong had kept for months, she slapped her.
Hearing the scolding and crying behind her, Gu Qingtong secretly shook her head: She was only lifting a stone to smash her own foot; that maidservant would eventually explode.
Han Yue’an saw this and didn’t stop her, quickly leaving to order a carriage prepared.
Ruan Niang followed Gu Qingtong back to Qingtong Pavilion, sitting quietly, unexpectedly with reddened eyes.
“Ruan Niang, let bygones be bygones. Don’t mind what Liang Luoxian said.”
Ruan Niang wiped her eyes, but more tears fell: “Tonger, she’s right. I am indeed a husband-killer, killing so many people…”
“Ruan Niang, it was fate. It wasn’t your fault. You deserve better people.” Gu Qingtong didn’t believe in fate, but this was perhaps the most appropriate consolation.
“Better people?” Ruan Niang scoffed, “Tonger, you’re joking.”
“Unlike me, you don’t have to remain unmarried forever. If Ruan Niang meets a suitable person, tell me, and I’ll help you.”
