“Go to the capital city? Why do you want to go there?” Qin Wanru’s smile froze on her face by the sudden news.
In his previous life, Qi Baiyu went to the capital city several years later. Although Magistrate Qi would exalt someone to a higher position, one had to wait for a few years. After going to the capital city, where Qi Baiyu was appreciated and promoted by one person, he would become an official in a few short years.
“If Qi Tianyu can go to the capital city, why can’t I? I stay there to watch Qi Rongzhi falling ill and behaving like a stupid?” Qi Baiyu wore a smile as if he got over something. “If Qi Rongzhi stayed here, now her reputation is no better than that of Qin Yuru!”
“So?” Qin Wanru didn’t catch what he said. She blinked her bright eyes and then widened the eyes in an instant when an idea crossed her mind. “You mean, Qi Rongzhi goes to the capital city, too?”
“Why not? In her case, it’s impossible to find a grand marriage for her in Jiangzhou again.” Qi Baiyu laughed. When hitting upon such an idea just now, he just felt much well indeterminately. But after the chat with Qin Wanru, he was instantly purposeful.
His playmate and “good brother” both were going to the capital city. Then what did he stay for?
“After Qi Tianyu achieves success and wins recognition one day, he’ll look down on me all the more?”
He used to have few ambitions about himself. Although he was not a favorite in Magistrate Qi, he was at least the son of the magistrate. So, he was treated respectfully outside. He didn’t want anything but wine and food and hanging around with his friends.
Although what had happened recently seemed to have little to do with him, in fact, all of those things were almost connected to him completely: his hypocritical elder brother, partial father, mean sister, unkind legal mother. Everything compelled him to grow up quickly these days.
An idea even faintly came to him that if he really did nothing, he might fall behind Qi Tianyu forever. Qi Tianyu could do whatever he wanted if Qi Tianyu intended to frame him up and make him a scapegoat. Men and women were different. Reputation was not so important, but the commitment was!
“So, Qi Rongzhi will also go to the capital city. Can you go there with her in the name of escorting her?” Qin Wan a.n.a.lyzed.
“My father can’t leave home, nor can my mother. So, I’m the only one who can take her to the capital city!” Qi Baiyu said with a sly grin, with a sense of responsibility.
There was always something wrong to leave a girl to go to the capital city alone, not to mention Qi Rongzhi, who would always stir up trouble. Who knew what would happen if she went there alone?
And she couldn’t stay in Jiangzhou Prefecture any more now!
“Where do you live after you go to the capital city?” Qin Wanru frowned, still feeling a little uneasy.
“We have a house in the capital city, where Qi Tianyu lives there now. If Qi Rongzhi and I go to the capital city, we will also live together. And Qi Tianyu has always been praised himself as a modest gentleman, it’s certainly impossible to refuse me, his younger brother. He’s even more kind to me, for the capital city isn’t Jiangzhong. My father has no power!”
Qi Baiyu said in a careless manner.
“What do you want to do when you go to the capital city?” Qin Wanru couldn’t even get out of the house in her previous life, so she totally had no idea about how Qi Baiyu was valued by others. There was no good way. She was afraid that it was not necessarily a good thing for Qi Baiyu because he was too young to be in the capital city now.
“There are so many things I can do. Although I am not good at literary talent, I’m good at martial arts. I can still try it!” Qi Baiyu reached out to show his fist, and then raised his hands against Qin Wanru. “It’s no use telling you now if we can go to the capital city together. I have to ask my father to talk to your father. But I’m afraid that their relations.h.i.+p will be ‘better’!”
Having teased Qin Wanru, Qi Baiyu directly turned back with a smile. The person he dispatched to deliver a message to the magistrate has already arrived there and the person from the magistrate were both expected to arrive.
Since this matter was related to Madam Di, the responsibility could be pa.s.sed to the General’s Mansion. Now that the magistrate and the General’s Mansion were not willing to completely offend each other openly, it was necessary to consult with each other. It wasn’t a big deal for Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion to take Qi Rongzhi and Qi Baiyu to the capital city with him.
Either the previous marriage or this matter which made Qi Rongzhi suffer a scratch on the face due to Madam Di’s intervention, it was Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion who was regarded as disrespectful.
With this premise, it was also legitimate for the magistrate to make some requests.
It was best to send Qi Rongzhi to the Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion. While stroking his jaw, Qi Baiyu secretly pondered on the possibility!
In fact, it was in all probability…
Magistrate Qi came over with someone in person. After seeing the face of Qi Rongzhi, he felt relieved. Even if there was a scar on Qi Rongzhi’s forehead, it would be fine to cover it with a fringe. Moreover, the master of the Jingxin Monastery said that there was nothing serious, and her wounds even wouldn’t leave a scar if she handled the wound with care.
After asking about what happened, Magistrate Qi was so furious that he scolded and beat a few of the servants of Qi’s mansion before going down the mountain.
It wasn’t hard to investigate into the case if the wet nurse of Qi Rongzhi was involved in the case of Madam Di.
In that evening, Qin Huaiyong went up to the mountain. After paying a visit to Old Madam Qin, he asked Qin Wanru to take him to her garden.
Walking into the room, Qin Huaiyong sat in the middle chair. Taking the tea that Qin Wanru served for him, he took a sip and kept silent for a moment.
Qin Wan was in no hurry, quietly waiting for him to say something.
For a long time, she heard Qin Huaiyong saying something. “What did she do?”
Filled with exhaustion in his voice, he didn’t seem to be a military leader at all.
Qin Huaiyong said nothing, but Qin Wanru knew that he was talking about Madam Di. She hid nothing, raising her head and said, “Father, my grandmother’s bird’s nest contains the powder of Qingqu Gra.s.s, which will worsen my grandmother’s condition. Chronic smelling can worsen her condition increasingly… and even make her…”
Qin Wanru’s eyes looked red. In the previous life, that was how her grandma pa.s.sed away!
“Who sent the bird’s nest?” Qin Huaiyong did not ask why Qin Wanru knew about it, because Old Grandma had already told him that Qin Wanru was studying medicine with Mingqiu Nun and that Qin Wanru was very good at it. She had been able to relieve Old Grandma’s physical symptoms by acupuncture now and then, and the effect was very good!
“My mother. But it didn’t take long for my mother to take charge of the inner court. So, it’ll be very simple to be mixed with the powder of Qingqu Gra.s.s in the bird’s nest if she continues to use the same servants!”
Qin Wanru said dully, without looking up and any other explanatory words.
Something so serious happened to Qi Rongzhi, and Madam Di was found to be connected with it. Magistrate Jiang wasn’t the one who could suffer losses. Therefore, he would definitely ask Qin Huaiyong for compensation. Since Qi Baiyu was intended to compensate for him, he was certain to escort Qi Rongzhi and Qi Baiyu to the capital city.
In retrospect, Qin Wanru thought that What Qi Baiyu had said was remarkably feasible!
With the disposition of Magistrate Jiang, it was certainly not enough to make compensation for him. Qin Huaiyong would certainly make greater concessions. Thus, he must have gone up the mountain to ask the cause of the matter.
“I heard that the Young Lady of Qi went up to the mountain yesterday, and the bird’s nest was also sent to the mountain yesterday. After going up to the mountain, she should visit grandmother. If there is anything wrong, the first suspect is also her. With the disposition of the Young Lady of Qi, there might be something else going on. It won’t be easy to find out what happened to grandma at that time!”
With her head down, Qin Wanru continued to say that she didn’t want to hide these things. The reason why Madam Di pretended to cast the blame on Qi Rongzhi lay in that Madam Di was also keenly aware of the temperament of Qi Rongzhi. This time, Madam Di must have planned to make a scene. At that time, if she worsened Old Grandma’s health condition and left Old Grandma more sickly, who would notice anything else?
Qin Huaiyong sighed deeply. “Wanru, father has wronged you!”
“It doesn’t matter, but… please don’t hurt my grandmother. She… she’s old, and she usually doesn’t care many things,” with her eyes turning red, Qin Wanru implored while shaking her head and raising her head to look at Qin Huaiyong, who was in front of her.
No matter how good the background of Madam Di was in, she was married, which distinguished her from other unmarried women. The one she relied on was her husband’s family and her husband. If the man whom she married had been wary of her without any mercy, the marriage would have been nothing but a false appearance.
Repeated schemes had already made Qin Huaiyong lose faith in Madam Di. It wouldn’t be so feasible for Madam Di to scheme to hurt Shui Ruolan during her pregnancy. No matter what she did, Qin Huaiyong would wonder if Madam Di schemed to do something again.
Just as slight negligence may lead to great disaster, even if Madam Di had the support of Magistrate of Duke Yong, she could reach her goal as long as she kept patient…
“I… won’t let your grandmother fall into such danger! You can take a good rest. Take your grandmother down the mountain a few days later. After a while, we’ll go to the capital city. There are a lot of things to clear up in the magistrate, your own and your grandmother’s. Your mother used to care less about the inner courtyard. So, it will be better if you give her a hand!”
Qin Huaiyong was a little embarra.s.sed. As a son, what he was doing now should be considered as unfilial.
Being fully aware that Madam Di was not reliable, he still kept her around. Thinking of this, Qin Huaiyong was also ashamed. But that was all he could do at that moment!
“Father is recalled to the capital city?” Qin Wanru knew that it was the time to stop talking about this matter. So, she changed the subject.
At the moment, she wiped the tears on the corners of her eyes with the handkerchief, with a slight surprise on her face.
“Yes, we are going to the capital city. My transfer order is coming soon. When all the formalities are done, we will leave. During this time, you can stay in the magistrate to help your mother to clean up the things. Just throw away the unnecessary things!” said Qin Huaiyong. He used to consider that his little daughter was innocent, but, at that moment, he found out that her little daughter was endowed with intelligence.
She was not only clever but also useful. On the way to the capital city, he originally feared that Old Grandma might fall into poor health, but he could rest a.s.sured with Qin Wanru’s superb medical skills which were even praised by the master of the Jingxin Monastery.
If he had known that Wanru was so good at studying medicine, he would not have stopped her from studying it as her mother did.
“OK!” Qin Wanru laughed, with her arched eyebrows looking very cute. Her charming appearance has greatly dispersed the unhappy mood of Qin Huaiyong, but his face clouded over again when he thought for a moment. “Qi Rongzhi and Qi Baiyu will follow us to go to the capital city. Mr. Qi entrusts them to me.”