Clinging to a sliver of hope, Qi Yi said, "Even your Jingzhao Prefecture holds Master Xuanming in such high regard. I knew I hadn't chosen the wrong man..."
"He's a charlatan who specializes in swindling people. In three days, he'll be exiled three thousand li away," Cen Yu said lightly. "Second Young Master Qi, it seems you chose the wrong man."
Qi Yi: "..."
"However..."
Qi Yi burned with impatience. "However what? Lord Cen, hurry up and tell me."
What if Xuanming really did have some ability?
Cen Yu said, "With that testimony from you, Second Young Master Qi, he'll probably be exiled six thousand li away instead. Please exercise more caution in the future, and don't get swindled again."
Qi Yi: "..."
[Hahahahaha, so Lord Cen is this black-bellied too.]
The servant behind Qi Yi stepped forward and whispered, "Young Master, why don't we go home and ask the earl to come?"
"No!"
His father had entrusted this matter to him. He absolutely could not botch it.
Qi Yi turned, only to see his father striding in with his head high and chest out. He looked at the servant in displeasure. "You already informed my father beforehand?"
The servant stammered, "I was only worried you'd end up at a disadvantage..."
Qi Yi cursed through gritted teeth, "Useless fool!"
Quite a few people followed the Earl of Xingchang, crowding around him as he entered. Though the shop was spacious, it was now stretched to its limits. Someone shoved the servant, sending him stumbling into Qi Yi.
Qi Yi let out a scream.
The servant asked in a panic, "Young Master, did I step on your foot?"
"Idiot, you bumped into my backside!"
Qi Yi clutched his backside. It had been burning with pain earlier; now it hurt so much it was going numb.
He wouldn't die, would he? Panic swept through Qi Yi. "Idiot, hurry up and support me!"
The servant scrambled to steady Qi Yi, but he couldn't understand it. He wasn't holding a knife, so why did his young master look as though he was in such agony?
[How tragic, how tragic. Qi Yi probably wants to hack Xuanming into eight pieces.]
[What? So Qi Yi was the one who did that outside, got injured, and went to a black-hearted doctor who swindled him out of his money and his body?]
Being swindled out of money was easy enough to understand, but what was this about his body?
[So he sought out Xuanming because he had nowhere left to turn? Xuanming certainly had some nerve. Wasn't he afraid the Earl of Xingchang would come after him?]
The Earl of Xingchang steadied his son and swept a resentful gaze over Tong Siyan and the others. "I won't let you get away with treating my son like this."
Tong Aning said, "We never laid a hand on him. Could he have some embarrassing ailment?"
Tong Siyan suggested, "We have a doctor right here in our shop. Why don't we ask him to examine the second young master?"
[Hahahahaha, isn't Second Sister ruining Qi Yi's reputation completely? How very helpful of her.]
Qi Yi unleashed a torrent of abuse. "Tong Siyan, stop pretending to be a good person!"
He grasped the Earl of Xingchang's hand, trembling, and pleaded pitifully, "Father, I won't see a doctor. I won't."
Seeing his deathly pale face and the cold sweat still beading at his temples, the Earl of Xingchang said with aching concern, "Yi'er, you mustn't conceal an illness and shun treatment."
Tong Aning said, "Yes, yes, yes. The Earl of Xingchang is right."
Tong Yi'an didn't understand, but she bobbed her head along with Tong Aning and echoed, "Yes, yes, yes."
Tong Siyan gave the shopkeeper a look. He had already gone to the rear courtyard to fetch the doctor.
Qi Yi ground his teeth. "You bunch of..."
Qi Yi was held down while the doctor took his pulse. His face grew even more ashen. It was over. Everything was over. His reputation would be in tatters, his dignity swept into the dust.
The Earl of Xingchang asked anxiously, "How is my son?"
The doctor phrased it very tactfully, but the gist was that Qi Yi would never have children.
"What utter nonsense! My son is perfectly fine. How could he be unable to have children?"
[He's been rubbing incense ash on his backside...]
The Earl of Xingchang said, "Yi'er, don't worry. This doctor is nothing but a quack. I'll send someone to the palace to fetch an imperial physician right away. I'll make sure you're cured."
Qi Yi shoved the Earl of Xingchang away and roared through his tears, "How long do you intend to keep humiliating me, Father?"
Qi Yi limped out.
The Earl of Xingchang hurried after him with his people, and the shop suddenly became much quieter.
Tong Aning suddenly said, "Lord Cen, make sure you keep a close watch on Xuanming."
Cen Yu asked, "What makes you say that, Fourth Miss?"
Tong Aning drew a hand across her neck. "I'm afraid Qi Yi will try to assassinate him."
Cen Yu couldn't help laughing, but still replied with perfect courtesy, "Rest assured, Fourth Miss. Jingzhao Prefecture is strictly guarded. Second Young Master Qi certainly won't be able to get in."
Tong Siyan asked, "Then, about the marriage to ward off misfortune..."
Cen Yu said solemnly, "I'll investigate it thoroughly."
Cen Yu took Liang Mudan back to Jingzhao Prefecture to settle her in, while Tong Siyan took her two younger sisters home.
The three froze in the courtyard. That voice...
Tong Siyan beckoned a servant over and asked, "Has Old Madam come?"
The maid nodded.
All three immediately looked miserable.
Compared with her eldest maternal aunt, Tong Aning wanted to see this grandmother of hers even less.
Ever since Su Zhouyue married into the marquis's household, Grandmother had targeted her at every turn. Su Zhouyue wasn't one to submit to bullying either, and the two quarreled every few days.
Even after Su Zhouyue left the old woman unable to get out of bed, she still insisted on cursing, like an unkillable cockroach.
Unable to endure it any longer, Tong Aobai had demanded to divide the household from the second branch. The two elders refused and even brought a complaint against Tong Aobai before the Court of Judicial Review. In the end, the emperor issued an imperial decree ordering the household divided.
After the division, they worried their second son would suffer, so they went with him, yet still visited the marquis's residence from time to time.
On their last visit, Su Zhouyue had driven them straight out. They had barely behaved themselves for a few months, and now they were back.
When the three entered the reception hall, however, they found something rather unexpected.
This time, Grandmother was actually exceptionally kind and had even prepared gifts for all three of them.
Peng Chunlan smiled amiably. "These are just a few little trinkets. They aren't worth much, but the colors are lovely and suit young girls like you. I hope you like them."
Tong Aning and the others nodded blankly.
[How sinister. How bizarre. It's no different from being possessed by a ghost.]
Su Zhouyue said, "Hurry up and thank your grandmother."
Su Zhouyue didn't know what Peng Chunlan was plotting either, but their being at odds was one thing; proper etiquette still had to be observed.
"Thank you, Grandmother."
Su Zhouyue asked, "Why did you come home so late today?"
Tong Siyan said, "Something happened at the shop and delayed us."
Tong Siyan recounted what had happened at the shop. Su Zhouyue frowned. "What a pity for that girl."
Peng Chunlan interjected, "What's there to pity? A married woman follows her husband. You shouldn't have meddled in this."
[Mystery solved. Still the same Grandmother.]
Su Zhouyue's expression cooled. The second son's wife tugged at Peng Chunlan's sleeve, and Peng Chunlan smiled awkwardly. "My fault. Why am I running my mouth about another family's affairs?"
Su Zhouyue was utterly shocked. She really was possessed!
When Tong Aobai and Tong Yibin returned, they also seemed surprised to see Peng Chunlan.
Tong Aobai walked straight past Peng Chunlan. She said sadly, "Eldest, have you truly become estranged from me?"
Tong Aobai said, "Mother."
Tong Yibin also said, "Grandmother."
Neither of them would give her an excuse to make a fuss.
"That's more like it."
Tong Aobai went to stand beside Su Zhouyue and put an arm around her shoulders. "After dinner, Mother, you and Second Sister-in-law should go home."
Peng Chunhua's eyes widened. "Are you driving me out?"
Tong Aobai refused to indulge her. "My temple is too small to accommodate two great bodhisattvas."
"You-you-you..."
Peng Chunlan was so furious she nearly fainted.
Without so much as looking at her, Tong Aobai ordered, "Serve the food."
"Yes, Marquis."
Peng Chunlan refused to let it go. "Don't think that just because you're some marquis, you can behave however you please and disregard even your own mother."
"Grandmother, who isn't keeping you in their heart? Tell me, and I'll teach them a lesson," Tong Fengye said eagerly.
Peng Chunlan said, "My third grandson is still the good one. Your father has upset me..."
Tong Fengye immediately let go of Peng Chunlan's hand, his expression exaggerated. "Grandmother, a son can't hit his father!"
Tong Fengye said earnestly, "Although I'm thoroughly unruly, I'm still a deeply filial son in my bones."
[Hahahahahahahahaha.]
Su Zhouyue wanted to laugh too. She patted Tong Fengye on the shoulder. "Stop being cheeky with your grandmother. How could your grandmother truly be angry with your father? Hurry and help her to her seat."
"Yes."
Peng Chunhua had yet to swallow her anger. She certainly didn't want Tong Fengye's help.
Tong Fengye looked at Su Zhouyue and shrugged. She wouldn't let him help, would she? He didn't want to help anyway!
Throughout the meal, Su Zhouyue remained on guard. After all, nothing good ever came of Peng Chunhua's visits, and this time she had brought the second son's wife along too.
Neither was a lamp that burned little oil. For all she knew, the old man was scheming for them too.
The worst of all was that father-in-law of hers, hiding behind others and playing dumb, when in fact every poisonous scheme came from him!
Back then, Su Zhouyue had taken a liking to Tong Aobai because he was handsome and ambitious, already the heir to the marquisate at such a young age. But those parents of his were truly no good.
Fortunately, she wasn't a soft persimmon to be squeezed, and Tong Aobai sided with her too. When soldiers came, she would meet them with generals; when water came, she would block it with earth.
After dinner, Peng Chunhua spoke. "Aobai, I hear the current ministers of war and revenue both received your recommendation. You certainly enjoy great imperial favor."
Tong Aobai said evenly, "Mother, just two days ago, I was impeached for forming a faction to pursue private interests."
Peng Chunlan said, "...But hasn't everyone who offended you come to a bad end?"
"That's called justice residing in people's hearts."
Tong Aobai's words were watertight, and Peng Chunhua gained no advantage.
[Could Grandmother be worried that because the second branch is at odds with the first, they'll end up suffering too?]
Thinking it over, Su Zhouyue realized that was entirely possible.
The old woman was superstitious and kept her prayer beads in hand all year round. Worrying about retribution sounded just like something she would do.
[After all that, she's here to ask for an official post for Cousin.]
"Yes, yes, yes. Now that you're riding the wind and raising waves at court, it's time you gave your second brother and his family a helping hand."
"Is Second Brother dissatisfied with being a bureau director?" Su Zhouyue asked, raising an eyebrow.
Her meaning was very much that if he was dissatisfied, he needn't expect to remain a bureau director either.
Peng Chunhua's face darkened. This Su Zhouyue had been married into the family just to be her bane.
The second son's wife tugged at her, and she temporarily swallowed her anger. "It's not about Second. It's Rui'er..."
"Old Madam, Old Madam, hurry home with me! Something terrible has happened at home."
"You thoughtless girl, I'm still speaking... What?"
Old Madam immediately stood and hurried outside. Seeing this, the second son's wife hastily followed.
[Xixi, what happened at Second Uncle's house?]
[Cousin brought the woman he likes home, but Second Uncle absolutely refuses to agree. The three are about to come to blows... It's that lively?]
Tong Aning was still wondering how she could tag along to take a look when the others all stood.
Tong Aning asked in bewilderment, "Mother, what are you doing?"
Su Zhouyue said excitedly, "Going to watch the show! It's not every day there's a spectacle in the second branch. I can't miss it."
Tong Aning: "..."
[That's our family for you. Even when eating melons, we all go together.]