Chapter 975 Something Bizarre in the Marriage
“Has anyone informed him?” Shao Wanru sat down, picked up the teacup, and asked after taking a sip.
“No one. I’ve sent people to watch him closely. After he returned to his previous residence, he asked people to pack up the things and left immediately. He even left some things that he had no time to clean up. It could be seen that he was really in a hurry.” Qing’er felt uncertain. If Liu Xincheng was really so sharp-witted, such a thing would not happen.
Even for the sake of his decisiveness to leave, she would think highly of him.
“Really?” Shao Wanru didn’t think so. At first glance she saw him, she knew that Liu Xincheng was a boastful good-for-nothing.
The words he had said to tease Luo Xiaowan in the private box would also bring shame to Duke Yangqu’s Mansion. Even worse, it was also a disgrace to the Empress. In this case, he was far from a thoughtful and cautious person. Then, how could such a person leave quickly after the incident and push Duke Yangqu’s Mansion to a dead-end street?
Such an action was entirely beyond Liu Xincheng.
Someone must have secretly come up with this idea for him.
“My Lady, it’s impossible for anyone to be there for him. Right after he came back and got off the carriage, Liu Xincheng asked a few servants to clean everything up as soon as possible. He did all of this without hesitation, so he must have made up his mind when he was in the carriage. But except for his servant, there were no others staying in the carriage with him. The servant standing aside meekly appeared to be a little smart, but he didn’t look like a person who could come up with such a brilliant idea!” Qing’er replied. It made her a little disconcerting. In any way, Liu Xincheng shouldn’t have reacted like this.
Fortunately, Shao Wanru had arranged for her to keep an eye on Liu Xincheng before entering the palace. Otherwise, if he successfully escaped this time, everyone would think that Liu Xincheng had left the capital and headed for his hometown. They would chase him in the wrong way. They could never catch up with him if they arrived at his home.
“The person does not belong to his mansion and isn’t anyone around him. Then he must be someone from the Ministry of Justice!” Shao Wanru said. A name astonished her all of a sudden.
“Go and check if Qi Tianyu from the Ministry of Justice was there that day.”
“My Lady, are you suspecting him?” Qing’er asked in surprise. This was an answer that no one could have imagined.
“Go and check it out. He used to have a good relations.h.i.+p with Qiu Yu from the Ministry of Justice!” Shao Wanru reminded her.
......
“Yes, Miss, I’ll do it now!” Qing’er nodded. In a short while, she came in with the news.
“Miss, the First Young Master of the Qi Family happened to visit Lord Qiu in the Ministry of Justice today. He did see Liu Xincheng who looked pitiful. He even asked Lord Qiu to find a doctor to check him over, so as not to cause any other accidents.” Qing’er reported. Since it was not a secret, she could easily find it out.
Qi Tianyu talked about it casually while Qiu Yu did it in pa.s.sing. Neither of them did it on purpose, so no one paid attention.
“It should be Qi Tianyu!” Shao Wanru weighed the process in her heart and said with understanding.
“Why do you think it’s Young Master Qi instead of Lord Qiu?” Qing’er asked in confusion. In her opinion, many people in the Ministry of Justice had been in touch with Liu Xincheng. Qiu Yu also held a position in the Ministry of Justice. It would be much easier for him to say or do something than Qi Tianyu!
In other aspects, Qiu Yu had all the more reason to offer help than Qi Tianyu. Those aristocratic families in the capital city had never united as one. No one knew if there was a conflict between the Qiu’s Mansion and the Luo’s Mansion.
Qi Tianyu was a complete outsider.
Since arriving in the capital city, he barely had any close contact with other aristocratic families. He had been alone in the official circles and didn’t even get engaged. Besides, he didn’t know Liu Xincheng. Anyway, it couldn’t be him.
Of course, this was just an outsider’s idea. Shao Wanru had never looked down upon Qi Tianyu. In her previous life, Qi Tianyu maintained a successful official career with the help of Qin Yuru, Duke Yong’s Mansion, and Duke Xing’s Mansion. Even without help from his father, he took to the capital city like a duck to water.
He should be a Prince’s man. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to live such a good life.
But Shao Wanru didn’t know which prince he worked for exactly. Her last life faded, so she didn’t pay close attention to other things, let alone discover these esoteric things. As she pondered over the matter now, the answer became evident.
In this life, also because of Qin Yuru, Qi Tianyu suffered some setbacks. Nevertheless, he developed his career at a quite steady pace.
She must not underestimate such a person.
Of course, Qi Tianyu would not do it for no reason. Neither him nor other people in the Ministry of Justice would lend a hand for nothing. Qi Tianyu was the first person she suspected, according to the experience of her last life.
She hadn’t yet found any reason for his intervention, but she was almost sure that he was related to this matter because he was in the Ministry of Justice at that time and talked to Liu Xincheng.
Qi Rongzhi would be in Prince Zhou’s Mansion, but she couldn’t guarantee that the person behind Qi Tianyu was Prince Zhou.
Most likely, it would be Chu Liuyue.
She had to be careful.
“Qi Tianyu is more likely to be the person. Have you dealt with this matter now?” Shao Wanru shook her head and put away the doubts in her heart. That was what she could do with Qi Tianyu for the time being.
“The engagement has been canceled, finally!” Qing’er said with a smile.
Shao Wanru smiled and nodded. It was a good thing that they did it. Anyway, Luo Xiaowan, who had not married into the family, was much luckier than in her previous life.
It harmed her reputation, but it was Liu Xincheng’s fault. Some sensible families would not blame Luo Xiaowan. Though there weren’t many, Luo Xiaowan, a Young Madam of Duke Yangqu’s Mansion, still had a chance to get a promising and decent husband.
Now that the Palace Examination was over, some talents from humble families must have managed to get into the list of successful candidates. It was the best time to choose a husband from the candidates of the Palace Examination.
It was the best time for Luo Xiaowan to withdraw from this marriage.
“Miss, Miss, His Highness has sent a letter!” Yujie suddenly ran in excitedly and shouted.
“Where’s it?” Shao Wanru couldn’t help showing a smile on her face, but she looked at her empty hands and asked with her watery eyes flas.h.i.+ng with doubts.
“It’s with the Second Young Master!” Yujie wiped the sweat from her face.
“Second Young Master?” Shao Wanru didn’t know who exactly she was referring to!
“It’s the Second Young Master Qi. His Highness asked him to send a letter to you. Now he is waiting outside!” Yujie said with a smile.
It turned out to be Qi Baiyu. Shao Wanru stood up happily and said, “Let him in!”
Shao Wanru hadn’t seen him for a long time. When she met him again, she found that Qi Baiyu was no longer the thin teenager he used to be. He looked stronger and darker, and he was full of spirit.
“Second Young Master Qi!” Shao Wanru said joyfully, delighted to see her old friend at this time.
“Princess Chen!” Qi Baiyu cupped one hand in the other before his chest to salute.
The two of them were no longer the children in the past, and he should be courteous.
“Sit down, and let’s talk!” Shao Wanru invited him to take a seat with a smile. After they sat down, the maid served them the tea.
“When did you work for Prince Chen?” Seeing Qi Tianyu take out the letter, Shao Wanru asked with a flicker in her eyes.
“It has been almost three years. Fights brought us together!” Qi Baiyu handed the letter to Yujie with a smile.
“Three years. So long ago?” Shao Wanru blinked her watery eyes.
“Almost. Maybe shorter. At that time, you had already gone to the Yuhui Nunnery. I went to visit you once, but not only did I not see you, but Prince Chen also caught me. Sure enough, I was not convinced, so I started a fight with him. I didn’t expect him to be so good at fighting!” Qi Baiyu said casually.
Prince Chen seemed sick and weak and couldn’t even walk steadily. It had never occurred to Qi Baiyu that he was a master of martial arts who could knock him down. How could he accept this result? After that, he would go to fight with Chu Liuchen from time to time. Then they joined hands.
“I went with Prince Chen this time. However, I had to come back halfway to deal with something. He asked me to bring a letter to you. Well, you’d better take a look first and write a reply by the way. I will catch up with him tomorrow morning!” Qi Baiyu smiled.
“Are you still going back to the mansion?” Shao Wanru asked.
“Yes, and I have to do some other things together. After that, I’ll hurry back.” Qi Baiyu said with a smile.
“Then come and get it tomorrow morning!” Shao Wanru nodded.
Qi Baiyu stood up without hesitation and said, “I have something to do now, so I have to go. I will come to fetch the letter tomorrow morning. Please get it ready early!”
“How about 3:45 in the morning?”
“Okay!”
Knowing that he was in a hurry to do something else, Shao Wanru didn’t keep him and asked Yujie to send him to the door for her.
After having a little supper, she couldn’t wait to read the letter under the lamp.
Chu Liuchen wrote a lot. He told her what places he had been and what different sceneries he had seen. Those experiences were novel to Chu Liuchen, and it was the same to Shao Wanru. For a time, she read it with great interest.
Chu Liuchen also put a landscape painting in the letter. Although the picture was simply painted, it looked vivid.
At the end of the letter, he mentioned some wonderful things about Xu State. They were the rumors about the past and present lives. He did not know if they were true, but if it was real, he hoped to be with Shao Wanru for the rest of their lives...
Shao Wanru colored a little upon seeing these words, and Chu Liuchen’s idle look seemed to appear in front of her. She couldn’t help smiling. After thinking for a while, she picked up the pen and wrote a reply. Then she drew a simple painting. It was a string of wind bells hanging by the window – Chu Liuchen hung it there for her before he left.
Whenever the wind blew, the bell would tinkle softly!
After that, she thought for a while and drew the profile of a woman looking out into the distance near the window.
“My Lady, it’s time to rest!” Yujie had checked on her several times, but Shao Wanru had been writing and drawing carefully at the desk. Seeing that she finally stopped, Yujie reminded her to sleep.
“Prepare the letter early tomorrow morning and let Second Young Master Qi take it away!” Shao Wanru ordered.