xymnovel Chapter 70 Family Affairs and National Affairs
Chapter 70 Family Affairs and National Affairs
Just as Li Shoujie and Wang Lu were having a private conversation, Wang Jun finally finished his official duties and went home.
Handing the clothes to her personal maid, Xiao Cui, she frowned and asked, "Has Madam not returned yet?"
"Reporting to Father, Madam sent word back today that the workshop is quite busy. In addition to the Three Departments, the Privy Council, Kaifeng Prefecture, the Censorate, and even several Grand Commandants of the court have all received the news and personally went to the workshop to check on the ironware and wooden rails. They are all important figures, and we cannot neglect them. Since you and Young Master are not here, she cannot be absent."
"Um."
Wang Jun glanced at the brightly lit courtyard to the east and couldn't help but feel angry. He snorted and said, "Even the madam is so busy, but this unfilial son only knows how to play and doesn't do any proper work. He's been back for quite a while now, hasn't he?"
Xiao Cui didn't know what to say for a moment, so she could only smile awkwardly.
"snort!"
Wang Jun snorted angrily again: "That brat is definitely not studying right now, he's definitely playing."
"Father, the Old Madam came to see you today, saying she wants you to come over when you return from your business trip."
Wang Jun frowned upon hearing this and waved his hand, saying, "Let Madam go when she returns. I won't go myself; I'm quite tired today due to many things to do."
As he spoke, Wang Jun sat down in the rocking chair, closed his eyes to rest, and ignored her. Seeing this, Xiao Cui quickly knelt down to massage Wang Jun and asked Xiao Lian to bring over the perilla drink that the kitchen had prepared earlier. She also asked Xiao Lian to fetch hot water for Wang Jun to wash his feet.
He was truly exhausted. He had also drunk wine in the palace, and before long, he was sitting in a chair, emitting soft snores.
"Wife, don't listen to Wang Lu's nonsense. I haven't taken a concubine or a second wife. How could I have the guts to do that? You little bastard, you're talking such nonsense. You even found two maids for yourself. Don't tell your wife about this."
Seeing this, Xiaolian and Xiaocui exchanged a glance. They couldn't quite understand what Wang Jun's sleep-talking meant, so they simply ignored it and continued to massage and wash his feet. No one mentioned Liu Shi calling him anymore.
However, not long after, before the water for washing feet had even cooled down, someone knocked on the door. It was a head maid from the west courtyard who had come to find him and urged Wang Jun to come over.
Wang Jun wasn't a heavy sleeper to begin with, and he woke up at the slightest noise. He asked Xiaolian to wipe his feet, then frowned and asked, "What's wrong, Mother-in-law?"
"This servant does not know either."
"Then it shouldn't be anything serious. Ling'er is still busy with the ironworks. Let her go and take a look when she gets back. I am indeed a bit tired today."
After saying that, Wang Jun waved his hand and closed his eyes again. Seeing this, Xiao Cui got up and closed the door, leaving Liu's maid outside. The maid had no choice but to leave.
However, in just over an hour, the maid returned, knocked on the door again, and said, "Father, the matriarch said that since it concerns the eldest young master, even if Mother returns, this matter should still be discussed with you."
"Is it related to the unfilial son? Well then, I'll go there." With that, Wang Jun reached out his hand for the two maids to help him get dressed. He sighed inwardly and reluctantly followed the maid to the west courtyard.
As Wang Jun passed by the main hall, he glanced at the empty altar and couldn't help but stop. Normally, this place should be used to enshrine ancestral tablets. He glanced at it, said nothing, and continued to the west courtyard.
Upon reaching the west wing, they saw Lady Liu sitting high in the hall, while a rather beautiful woman lay on the ground below, covered in blood and grime, her clothes completely gone, looking half-dead, as if she had been severely tortured.
His brows furrowed immediately, and he quickly took off his robe and covered the woman with it, asking, "Who is this woman? What wrong has she committed to deserve such humiliation? Mother-in-law, this is an abuse of power!"
Unconsciously, his tone became rather harsh.
"The reason I called you here so specially is for this matter. This person is the cousin of the head maid that Lu Ge'er recently bought. That maid was bought from her."
"Is there something wrong with Xiaotao?"
"Yes, after our severe torture, this woman finally confessed that on the day Lu Ge'er was choosing a maid at Tongfu Inn, someone gave her a gold ingot and asked her to vouch for that maid so she could be sold into the manor."
Now that girl is Lu Ge'er's personal maid, and given her unknown origins and ulterior motives, I'm afraid she might harm Lu Ge'er.
"Who sent them?"
"I don't know, but judging from her accent, she might be related to that young master Li. He and that girl were brought into the manor on the same day. Could this be a trap?"
I sent Han Daqi to investigate this matter, to find out who gave her the gold, but most of the day has passed and he still hasn't returned.
"Did someone plant a maidservant by that rebellious son's side? Or was it that young master Li?"
"Does the young master know the identity of that Mr. Li? Could he be a notorious bandit or a spy from the Northern Han?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Jun pursed his lips. Of course he knew Li Shoujie's identity, but he didn't want to tell Liu Shi.
Since this involves the young commander of the Zhaoyi Army, it is no longer a matter of the residence, and naturally, it is not something that Liu should concern herself with, or even get involved in.
"Why didn't you go directly to him? Why did you come to me first?"
"Well... I was worried that Lu-ge'er, being young and impetuous, and genuinely fond of that girl, might not trust me. If things went wrong, I might offend Lu-ge'er again, which is why I called the young master over first. Would the young master like to interrogate her personally?"
"No need. Just call that unfilial son over. Mother-in-law, you can talk to him about family matters directly. There's no need to treat him like a child. I just returned from a banquet at Chongzheng Hall today, and that unfilial son was also there. Even the Emperor doesn't treat him like a child."
"I understand. I'll have someone call him over right away."
A while later, Wang Lu, who had just finished talking with Li Shoujie, came to the west wing and, as always, the first thing he saw was the woman lying on the ground.
"Hey? Isn't this Qinghua Girl? Grandma, did you use torture?"
As he spoke, Wang Lu took off his outer robe and draped it over Qinghua, saying, "Is it about Xiaotao? Grandma, we're not the government after all, and these aren't our own servants. Arresting people and using torture is a bit too domineering."
Liu was taken aback, not expecting that Wang Lu's focus was actually on this.
Instead, they've started criticizing the others?
Some people said angrily, "Xiao Tao is suspicious. She's not this bitch's cousin. Someone paid her to place this spy by your side. I sent Han Daqi to investigate, but that person hasn't come back yet."
"You even had people investigate?"
Wang Lu turned to Liu's maid and said, "Young Master Li just finished chatting with me and went back. He's probably still awake at this hour. Go find him and ask if that Daqi has been detained by his men. If so, ask him to release him for my sake."
Just kidding. The people who handled this matter at the time were from the Jinzouyuan, which was the Zhaoyi Army's liaison office in Beijing. Anyone who could get into the Jinzouyuan was undoubtedly an elite member of the Zhaoyi Army.
If you send someone to investigate, it might be fine if they don't find anything, but if they do find something, it's hard to say whether that person is still alive.
Wang Jun: "You already knew?"
"I did have some doubts at first, but today he has admitted it to me."
"Did they proactively come to you to admit it?"
"Grandma, could you please take the servants and go outside first? I need to talk to my father about something."
"Huh? But this..."
"It's a major event in the imperial court, and also a secret."
"Okay, I'll take them out now."
As she spoke, Madam Liu led the servants from the house out to wait.
Suddenly a cold wind blew, and Liu shivered.
"Wait a minute, this is my room. Why didn't you two go back to the east courtyard to discuss your secrets?"
But since they were already out, there was nothing he could do. He didn't dare go in to warn the father and son, so he could only stomp his foot and wait obediently in the yard for them to finish their conversation.