Chapter 257: Caught in the Act Again

Chapter 257: Caught in the Act Again

"Young master, Xiao Xuan is going out again. Auntie Ge has secretly sent someone to follow her."

Qianru came specifically to inform Lu Changgong.

Lu Changgong put down his pen, his neck sore, and asked with his eyes closed, "Does anyone still listen to her?"

Qianru laughed, "You might not know, Auntie Ge always keeps an ace up her sleeve, even in dire situations. With the Duke of Xingguo's household reclaiming people and assets, she probably hid quite a bit for herself."

"With the young master being too busy to see anyone, there really is no one to supervise Auntie Ge."

Lu Changgong's expression darkened slightly, "Go tell that girl someone is tailing her."

Qianru thought for a moment and quickly grasped Lu Changgong's intention.

"If Auntie Ge catches them in the act, she'll definitely try to make the second young master witness it with his own eyes. I’ll go warn Xiao Xuan... she’ll know what to do next."

Lu Changgong remained non-committal.

After Qianru left, she followed discreetly in disguise.

Ge Baor also received news, "Auntie, Xiao Xuan is indeed meeting a man secretly! He's a twenty-something idler, just in a residence not far from here. She took several detours to enter the house, just to avoid people from our residence. But I saw it clearly, she and that man entered one after the other!"

"Let's go find Qing'er!"

Ge Baor was so agitated she almost wanted to go there herself.

Twisting her handkerchief, she said calmly, "No... no... I can't show myself."

"Xiao Xuan was chosen by Lin Yunwan when she was in charge. To make him truly despise Xiao Xuan and become suspicious of Lin Yunwan, he must start doubting on his own."

Instead of arousing suspicion that she was interfering again.

Ge Baor had a great idea, "Let the maids who often interact with Xiao Xuan casually mention it to Qing'er. Take fifty taels of silver to them."

"…Yes."

Two maids had just come out of Zhuiqing's courtyard.

Lu Changzong soon heard about Xiao Xuan's affairs from them. He grabbed the maids and demanded, "What is Xiao Xuan doing going out? Meeting a man secretly?"

The two maids were so frightened they tried to run.

Lu Changzong caught them, kicked one fiercely, and, twisting their arms, glared furiously, "If you don't explain clearly, I’ll beat you to death!"

"Spare us, young master, spare us! We’ll tell!"

The maids sobbed, "Sister Xiao Xuan is at... at..." They mentioned a specific place, crying, "Sister Xiao Xuan often goes there, we don’t know what she does. Please, young master, don't overthink it."

Don't overthink?

How could he not overthink!

He had always been so good to Xiao Xuan, giving her the best things, sharing all his secrets with her, and she dared to secretly meet other men!

"I’m going out!"

Lu Changzong summoned two bodyguards to accompany him to catch them in the act.

"Kick it down! Kick it down!"

Like a mad dog, he became reckless, not caring about anything.

In fact, he couldn't care less anymore; with his home in such disarray, what was there left to care for!

The bodyguards kicked open the door, and Lu Changzong rushed in to catch them in the act. He indeed saw a broad-backed figure in blue fabric, pinning Xiao Xuan down. It seemed clear she was having an affair!

Xiao Xuan was so intimate with him!

"You wretch!"

Lu Changzong lunged forward, separating them and slapped Xiao Xuan, turning her face red.

Xiao Xuan's face swelled, she grabbed a blanket to cover herself, holding her face, crying in bewilderment, "Young master, what are you doing!"

Lu Changgong angrily exclaimed, "You're cheating, and you dare ask me what I’m doing?"

"Cheating with whom?"

Xiao Xuan widened her eyes in shock, looking at the “man” beside her.

The “man” turned around, his voice was rough but unmistakably a woman's, "Young master, I... I am here to treat Miss Xiao Xuan’s gynecological issues."

Lu Changzong was taken aback, "You... you are..."

The old woman sighed, "I am a gynecologist for women. How could I be a man?"

Xiao Xuan, covering her face, looked at the bodyguards outside and burst into tears, "I... I can't live like this!" and attempted to dash her head against the wall.

Lu Changzong, in a panic, stopped her and quickly sent the bodyguards away.

The old woman tried to mediate the situation.

It was only after dark that Lu Changzong managed to coax her back home.

The old woman went to the small kitchen and said to a trembling man, "Get out of here quickly!"

This was the man who had been secretly involved with Xiao Xuan. The man nodded, wiped his sweat, and hurried away.

Back at the Marquis of Wuding's residence.

Xiao Xuan was still crying.

Lu Changzong, feeling guilty, said, "Stop crying. Why did you sneak out to see a midwife? Don’t we have doctors at home?"

Xiao Xuan bit her lip, looked at him hesitantly, then finally couldn’t help touching her belly and confessed, "I... I am pregnant... Young master, you are not yet married, can this child in my belly be kept? If I didn’t seek help, what would I have done?"

Lu Changzong was stunned, he was going to be a father?

He was just about to touch Xiao Xuan’s belly.

But Xiao Xuan asked, "Young master, how did you know I went out? Who tipped you off?"

Lu Changzong didn’t want to admit he had eavesdropped on others.

Xiao Xuan, in despair, said, "With the household in such a state, I don’t think I will live much longer, I might as well die..."

"Xiao Xuan, don’t say that!"

Lu Changzong ended up confessing everything.

Xiao Xuan turned pale, "Impossible! How could they... how could they possibly speak ill of me?" She had carefully timed her outings, knowing they were off duty. How could they know she had left?

"Young master, someone is trying to frame me. If you want to keep this child, you should interrogate them!"

Lu Changzong still hesitated.

Xiao Xuan threatened, "I'll go die right now..."

"Alright, alright."

Lu Changzong summoned the maids, who quickly confessed, "Young master, we had no choice, Auntie Ge threatened and tempted us, we couldn’t refuse..."

Xiao Xuan was furious, "So, it's Auntie Ge again! Ever since I started serving you, young master, she has disliked me. I've endured for so many years to get to this point."

Crying, she said, "Auntie Ge can't tolerate me, and probably not the child in my womb either. I might as well die with my child..."

"Xiao Xuan!"

Lu Changzong embraced her, crying out in desperation, "If you die, what will I do? With the household in such a state, if I lose you too, how can I go on?"

Xiao Xuan, seemingly softened, sat down and wiped her tears, "But Auntie Ge can't stand me. My death is one thing, but what about your flesh and blood, young master?"

"I'll figure something out, I'll figure something out..."

Lu Changzong murmured to himself.

Xiao Xuan, shaken and tired, went to sleep early.

Lu Changzong went outside to clear his mind and unexpectedly ran into Nanny Yan.

"Oh my, young master, why are you still outside so late?"

Lu Changzong glanced and realized it was Nanny Yan. They hadn't seen or spoken to each other in a long time.

Nanny Yan had been fond of him since he was a child, but everything changed as he grew up.

"Nanny Yan, I'm feeling troubled."

Nanny Yan sighed, "I'm troubled too."

Lu Changzong, worried, asked, "Is the old lady in trouble?"

Nanny Yan said, "Ah, this matter, I... I don’t know who to talk to!" She clutched her chest, looking very distressed.

Remembering the old lady's kindness from his childhood, Lu Changzong urged, "What exactly is wrong with grandmother, tell me!"

Nanny Yan revealed, "Ah... Auntie Ge poisoned the old lady, she won’t live long."

"What? Auntie Zhuiqing dared to do such a thing!"

The decline of the household meant the loss of money and influence, not murder.

Murder was a capital offense!

Lu Changzong broke into a cold sweat.

Nanny Yan corrected, "Not Auntie Zhuiqing. She’s the most honest one."

Lu Changzong was stunned, "Is it... my mother?"

Nanny Yan nodded, deeply pained, "I dare not tell anyone else. Young master, please persuade Auntie Ge! Murder is not a joke!"

She turned and walked away, a smile on her lips.

People die for wealth, as birds die for food. She could follow Auntie Ge’s orders for silver, and she could follow Auntie Zhuiqing’s to save her life.

Qianru came into Lu Changgong's room with a lamp, smiling, "Young master, Auntie Zhuiqing says everything has been taken care of."

"Good."

Qianru was also curious, "Now that the young master can save his beloved concubine and maintain his reputation for filial piety, I wonder if he will really accuse Auntie Ge..."

Lu Changgong narrowed his eyes slightly.