Chapter 367 Coercion

Chapter 367: Pressure

Qing Luo, facing the scholar's interrogation, felt her heart ache so much she could barely stand it. "I... I..." She just couldn't force out the words "I didn't do it."

She couldn't say it, but everyone there had already figured it out.

Gu Zhiru's hand shook as she pointed between Qing Luo and the scholar. "You used my name to... to secretly meet with someone? You've got some nerve!"

"Miss, it's not what you think!" Qing Luo dropped to her knees in the snow and crawled forward. The snow soaked through her cotton skirt, and a silver hairpin with pearl drops slipped out of her hair.

The Gu family was a scholarly clan that prized elegance and refinement. Gu Zhiru's accessories were mostly silver or jade, nothing flashy or over-the-top. Qing Luo had grown up alongside her, serving as her head maid. Gu Zhiru often passed down jewelry she didn't like anymore.

Country women often said, with envy, that a city lady's maid dressed better than a landowner's daughter. And it was true. If Qing Luo hadn't been a maid, she could have easily passed for a pretty young lady from a decent family with just a little dressing up.

Big families could tell the difference at a glance, but regular folks might genuinely mistake her.

Gu Zhiru never dreamed her most trusted maid would betray her. Her eyes burned with fury, and her shoulders shook with anger. "Tell me! How did you meet this scholar, and why did you tell him where I was!"

With everything out in the open, and in such a humiliating way, Qing Luo completely fell apart. She sobbed and grabbed onto Gu Zhiru's leg. "Miss, Qing Luo never meant to lie to you! I was just so mad for you at first, and that's when... when I messed up so badly..."

Ever since Qin Jiao came to break off their engagement and jilted her, Gu Zhiru had been devastated, crying day and night, completely miserable. It wasn't that she loved Qin Jiao—it was her pride that was hurt. She'd waited years for him, never expecting it to end like this.

Given how harsh Shengjing was on young women, people would just laugh at the Zhongyi Marquis Heir for being reckless and unreliable, but they'd sneer and blame the Gu family's parenting instead.

Not only had she wasted her youth—she was almost twenty now—but worse, she'd ruin the reputations of her younger siblings. That's why she was so full of regret and resentment—regret that if she hadn't been so ambitious, insisting on marrying better than her older sister, her mother wouldn't have accepted Lady Zhongyi's invitation in the first place. She hated the Qin family for betraying her; Qin Jiao was just a crude soldier, and even the marquis's trained dogs had better manners than him.

Nothing tortures a person like self-inflicted suffering, and Gu Zhiru literally made herself sick over it.

Qing Luo was loyal to her mistress and naturally hated Qin Jiao too. She'd heard somewhere that the Gu family head had once taught in the south. A group of academy students had come to the capital for the metropolitan exam. When they heard how Master Gu had been humiliated, they wanted to intercept Qin Jiao and get justice for the Gu family. Qing Luo secretly found one of them—a southern scholar named Su Jin who'd come to the capital for the exam.

Qing Luo played the pitiful role in front of Su Jin, hoping to stoke his anger and get him to really go after Qin Jiao for her mistress.

At first, she hadn't dared to claim she was the Second Miss Gu. It was Su Jin who got the wrong idea, calling her "Miss" every chance he got. After a few meetings, Qing Luo—a maid who rarely had contact with men outside the household—really fell for him, and that's when everything went wrong.

Su Jin went pale, his eyes full of pain and sorrow. "So you've been lying to me this whole time? If you'd just told me from the start you were a Gu family maid, I wouldn't have cared. Why did you have to play me like this?"

His words were surprisingly touching, and even Gu Zhiru, who'd thought poorly of him, looked at him with a bit more respect.

Hearing that, Qing Luo was crushed by guilt, her whole world falling apart. She hid her face in her sleeve and choked out, "I'm sorry—I let my miss down, and I let you down too!"

Now that the truth was out, the scholar hated her, her mistress resented her, and the madam and the old lady would never forgive her either.

Qing Luo was in total despair. She forced herself up, dragging her numb leg, and before anyone could react, she threw herself at a thick old tree.

It all happened too fast—even though Chi Yu grabbed her quickly, Qing Luo still split her forehead open and passed out.

Gu Zhiru let out a shocked cry. Despite everything, she still felt for the maid who'd been with her since they were kids. "Meng Fulang, could you ask Chi Yu to carry Qing Luo back to Huguo Temple?"

The Gu family had brought many people, men and women alike, so someone would tend to Qing Luo once she returned.

Meng Wan replied, "Of course, no problem."

To avoid drawing attention, Chi Yu covered Qing Luo's face, hoisted her over his shoulder, and headed back toward Huguo Temple along the edge of the plum grove.

"Wait—I'll go with you. Qing Luo made a mistake, but I bear some responsibility too. Even if I can't marry her, since I made bold claims, I can't let her face this alone." Su Jin straightened his expression and moved to follow Chi Yu.

Although Gu Zhiru had been annoyed by his earlier persistence, she softened slightly at his willingness to take responsibility. "If you want to come, then come."

Su Jin followed behind them, occasionally casting worried glances at Qing Luo slung over Chi Yu's shoulder, and other times subtly letting his gaze drift toward Gu Zhiru.

Meng Wan chuckled. "How interesting."

He and Song Tingzhou walked at the rear. One had been in business for years, always analyzing hidden motives; the other was seasoned in officialdom, having seen plenty of treacherous hearts. Neither was as easily fooled as a naive young woman like Gu Zhiru.

Song Tingzhou offered only two words: "Troublesome."

"At the end of the day, he's just a scholar. Behind him..." Meng Wan paused. "There's no one behind him, right?"

Song Tingzhou gently squeezed his palm. "Once we get down the mountain, I'll send Eleven and the others to investigate."

Meng Wan suddenly felt a bit irritated. "Can't even have a peaceful New Year. These Shengjing folks really know how to stir up trouble."

"Tomorrow I'll take you to the estate for some fun. We'll come home on the twenty-ninth." Song Tingzhou soothed him.

Meng Wan rarely thought of their son. "A Yan hasn't been home for days. When we get back, send someone to Jin Rong's house to ask if their family wants to come along."

They chatted as they walked, their interest in flower-viewing gone. Ahead, Chi Yu carried Qing Luo all the way back to Huguo Temple, to the guest quarters where the Gu family had set up rest.

The younger generation of the Gu family had all gone to the plum grove, leaving only Lady Gu in the quarters, chatting with another lady. Chi Yu was quick on his feet and barged into the courtyard without a second thought, only to be stopped by a Gu family servant. "Who are you?"

Chi Yu didn't waste words. He set Qing Luo down to show them.

"Qing Luo? What happened to her?" The servant recognized the head maid beside the Second Miss.

Chi Yu rubbed his shoulder. "She's badly injured. You'd better take her down the mountain to see a doctor."

The commotion outside the quarters alerted Lady Gu inside. "What's going on? Are you the xiaoge by Meng Fulang's side?"

Seeing Chi Yu, Lady Gu immediately thought of Meng Wan. She looked further out and first saw her daughter hurrying over with the two young maids, followed by a pale-faced scholar, and finally Meng Wan with a tall, imposing man.

Everyone in the capital knew that Lord Song doted on his husband. Though Lady Gu had never met Song Tingzhou, given his intimate demeanor with Meng Wan, who else could it be?

"Lady Liu, one of our maids has taken a fall. I'll have someone take her down the mountain to see a doctor right away. Shall we catch up another time back in the capital?" Though Lady Gu didn't know why Qing Luo was injured or who the strange man behind her daughter was, she sensed something unusual and tactfully dismissed the other lady who was friendly with the Gu family.

Lady Liu was perceptive and quickly took her leave.

Once she was gone, Lady Gu's expression turned cold. "Drag Qing Luo into the room first. Don't let outsiders see this and laugh at us."

The servant stammered, "Yes, madam."

It was winter, and the wound on Qing Luo's forehead had stopped bleeding, but it was still an alarming red. The servant didn't dare actually "drag" her, so he carried her inside instead. The bed was reserved for honored guests—servants had no right to sit there—so he laid Qing Luo on the floor.

Having served in the Gu household for years, the servant felt sorry for Qing Luo and fetched a small blanket from another maid to cover her.

"Lord Song, my husband is in the men's quarters. Shall I send someone to fetch him?" Even knowing the situation was amiss, Lady Gu still had to receive Song Tingzhou properly, given his status.

Song Tingzhou didn't approach, standing outside the courtyard. "My husband and I still need to return to the plum grove to enjoy the flowers. I'm afraid we can't stay long. Please forgive us, Lady Gu."

Meng Wan, however, stepped closer and entered the courtyard with Gu Zhiru. His voice was lower than usual, laden with meaning. "Lady Gu, my husband and I happened to be by the plum grove just now and saw this Scholar Su blocking... ahem... Miss Qing Luo. You really should keep your servants in check, lest they bring trouble upon the young ladies of the household."

After he finished speaking, Lady Gu's expression changed instantly. She forced herself to remain polite. "Thank you for your help, Meng Fulang. I was careless."

The fewer people who knew about this, the better. Meng Wan exchanged a nod with Gu Zhiru, then called Chi Yu to leave the Gu family's temporary quarters.

No sooner had they left than several maids and servants rushed out of the courtyard—some heading toward the men's guests, others searching the plum grove.

What Gu Zhiru, a young girl, couldn't understand, her mother could discern clearly. There were unusually many visitors at the plum grove today, and many from prominent families. Had Meng Wan and the others not happened upon the scene and prevented more people from noticing what was happening near the bamboo grove, Gu Zhiru being harassed by Su Jin would surely have been seen.

Scholarly families had strict rules to begin with. Gu Zhiru had already been jilted once, and now with this incident, the Gu family would be forced to marry her off to protect the reputations of their unmarried daughters and young men.

A trick doesn't have to be new—as long as it works.

Su Jin isn't one to stay put. If he dared to follow, he must still have other cards up his sleeve.

By the time Meng Wan and the others returned to Huguo Temple for a vegetarian meal at noon, the Gu family was already gone—they must have rushed down the mountain and headed home.

The meal wasn't very filling, so on the way back in the afternoon, they stopped for wontons and sesame cakes.

Meng Wan sat beside Song Tingzhou, keeping him company as he ate. He wasn't really hungry himself—the carriage had plenty of snacks, and he'd given a pack to Gu Zhiru while still having plenty left.

"Is the banquet on the thirtieth one where family can't come?" Meng Wan scooped all the wontons from his own bowl into Song Tingzhou's, then took slow sips of the broth.

Song Tingzhou ate them almost one after another. Once he was full, he wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief. "No family. It follows the usual custom—the New Year's Day banquet is when the titled ladies enter the palace."

"So it's just me and A Yan up that night?" Meng Wan wasn't happy about that. He'd gotten used to a lively New Year, and going back to a quiet one was hard for anyone to get used to.

Song Tingzhou placed a copper coin on the table, reached over to take Meng Wan's hand resting there, and a smile curled at his lips. "It's only this year, since the emperor just took the throne, that there's a midday feast for officials on the thirtieth. In the future, unless something major happens, there likely won't be one. And it shouldn't run past evening—I'll make it home in time for the reunion dinner with you two."

That was a bit more tolerable. Going to the palace for the New Year's Day banquet was an honor for titled ladies—something low-ranking officials could only dream of. But to Meng Wan, it was just a chore.

Once home, they sent a servant to the Ge family as planned, and the two families arranged to head to Muquan Manor the next morning.

Nie Zhiyao, on the other hand, wasn't as leisurely as Meng Wan. With time tight, just opening a shop blindly wouldn't necessarily make the cotton dolls sell like hotcakes. He managed to find a shop in a decent location in the southern part of the triple-walled city, and since stock needed to be in place before the New Year, he had to hire laborers from the Cotton Mill who had already gone on holiday.

The south of the city and the Cotton Mill in the north were at opposite ends. The mill kept a few workers on duty at the rear rooms, selling to walk-in customers and bulk buyers alike.

The shop in the south, however, had been properly renovated—even the signboard was designed by Meng Wan at Nie Zhiyao's request. It featured adorable cotton dolls of all kinds holding up large characters, and the shop was simply named "Cotton Dolls."

Meng Wan had paved the way ahead of time, and the rest could be safely left to Nie Zhiyao to handle. Even between brothers, accounts must be settled clearly. When interests were involved—no matter how little in Meng Wan's eyes—Nie Zhiyao couldn't just sit back and reap the benefits, or it would look like Meng Wan was simply handing him money.

Meng Wan didn't deliberately pry into the aftermath of the Gu family affair. After returning from Muquan Manor, the Song household began receiving New Year gifts from all over—far more than they had sent out.

The storeroom couldn't hold it all, so they urgently hired workers to extend another row of rooms for storage. They also had the eastern courtyard where Chu Ci lived renovated, adding a small kitchen so that Chu Ci and A Xun could live there comfortably as a young couple.

It wasn't that Meng Wan insisted on having both sons live with him, but that was the way of the times. If he actually bought a house for Xiao Ci and had him and A Xun move out, tongues would wag. Besides, Chang Jinhua loved the bustle and was hoping for great-grandchildren—she'd never allow Xiao Ci and the others to live apart.

In these times, it was customary for xiaoge and young women not to spend the New Year at their natal home after marriage. Chu Ci and A Xun's situation was special—returning to the capital counted as their formal wedding, so they couldn't linger at the Miao residence. They set out for Shengjing before the New Year and would marry immediately upon their return.

Meng Wan had long begun preparing the wedding supplies, and the guest list for the banquet had to be announced in advance. There was a mountain of odds and ends to handle—luckily, he had Huang Ye to help, and Nie Zhiyao was keeping an eye on the Cotton Mill.

Even so, this was the most rushed and hastily thrown-together New Year he'd ever had.

"Father, what time will Papa be home?" A Yan asked, chin resting on his hand.