The banquet resumed as usual, but Wei Tingyu, unlike the Flower and Bird Envoy in the play, made no effort to conceal his brilliance. Instead, he was utterly flamboyant! He triumphed in all the entertainment activities, including archery and touhu (a pot-throwing game), captivating the young ladies from various official families in Dongdu, who gazed at him with admiration. However, they could only admire the Marquis from afar, for he was constantly accompanied by four beauties! Besides his three wives and concubines, Dou Zhao, Miao Ansu, and Zhao Zhangru, even He Weifang, the young mistress of the Liu residence, now followed him like a shadow. He Weifang even carried a tray of delicious pastries and tea, serving him with such attentiveness that even Wei Tingyu's three wives and concubines felt themselves outshone.
Naturally, this scene still prompted hushed whispers among the guests. After all, He Weifang, a married woman, was personally and actively serving an outside man, which was a blatant slap to the Liu family's face! However, He Weifang no longer cared about these idle rumors; her gaze, when it inadvertently met Wei Tingyu's, was filled with deep affection and admiration.
Liu Shen and his wife, eager to curry favor with Wei Tingyu and hoping he would cover for their oversight once he returned to the capital, dared not show any displeasure. Liu Chang, though his eyes blazed with fury, could only keep his distance, lurking at the periphery. He had once attempted to challenge Wei Tingyu to an archery contest, only to suffer a crushing defeat after a few rounds, becoming the laughingstock of Dongdu. What angered Liu Chang most was that even Princess Jian no longer clung to him. Instead, she stood with her maids not far from Wei Tingyu, her eyes fixed on the Marquis's figure. Even a fool could see that Princess Jian now harbored a keen interest in this Marquis from the capital; Liu Chang, her "first love," had become less significant!
"I just ran into the small servant at the second gate! Only then did I learn that Marquis Jining's entourage only prepared one large carriage! The rest of his retinue and guards followed on horseback!" After the banquet, Yulu walked with He Weifang in the courtyard. Seeing that they were alone, she cautiously shared the gossip she had just unearthed.
"Only one carriage?" He Weifang paused, a hint of confusion on her face. "Then what about his three wives and concubines? They couldn't have walked all the way from the capital behind the carriage, could they?" Yulu knew in her heart that her mistress's affections were now firmly fixed on Marquis Jining, Wei Tingyu! Her mistress was interested in anything concerning him, which was why she had taken the initiative to inquire about the Marquis's arrival that night. And sure enough, He Weifang's face lit up with interest upon hearing this, seemingly wanting to understand Wei Tingyu from every angle.
"I heard that the Marquis's official wife, Lady Dou, and his concubines, Lady Miao and Lady Zhao, all rode in the same carriage as the Marquis!" Yulu blurted out the information she had gathered without thinking.
"They shared a carriage?" Upon hearing this, He Weifang suddenly stopped, looking at Yulu with a hint of disbelief.
"I heard they did!" Yulu nodded repeatedly. "I asked several people, and they all saw the Marquis helping his three wives and concubines out of the carriage one by one that night."
"From the capital to Dongdu, it's hundreds of li (Chinese unit of distance), a journey that takes several days!" He Weifang was utterly bewildered. She truly hadn't expected Yulu to uncover such news. After all, large families usually placed great emphasis on the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born, with vastly different treatment, making it impossible for them to share a carriage! If any high-ranking official wished to travel long distances with his wives and concubines, he would certainly prepare smaller, separate carriages for the concubines to follow behind.
"Lady Dou, the official wife, wasn't displeased?" He Weifang's delicate brows furrowed at this thought. This incident was simply too different from the rules of noble families she had long understood. However, as soon as the question left her lips, He Weifang immediately had her answer. She recalled the scene she had witnessed at Fuyun Temple a few days prior. Hadn't Wei Tingyu's three wives and concubines all knelt neatly side-by-side beside her to pay respects to the Three Pure Ones? In a typical noble family, how could an official wife allow concubines to kneel in the same row as her? Even if they were praying, they would have to kneel behind her. Otherwise, how could the dignity of the official wife be displayed? But clearly, Marquis Jining's residence seemed to have no such rules! The Marquis even treated his wives and concubines equally! So, did that mean that if she were to join Marquis Jining's residence in the future, it would be the same…?
He Weifang's small face inexplicably flushed at this thought. At this moment, she almost hated herself for constantly thinking about such frivolous matters. Yet, what one could least control were one's emotions and thoughts. The more she forced herself not to think of Wei Tingyu, the more his image filled her mind.
However, compared to fantasizing about escaping the Liu residence and entering Marquis Jining's residence in the future, He Weifang had a more important goal at hand. That was to find Liu Shen and his wife and request their permission to move all the peonies that had been relocated to the central courtyard back to her own small courtyard, so she could feel at ease. In the past, He Weifang would have been anxious and helpless, but now, Wei Tingyu had subtly become her backing! Surely Liu Shen and his wife already understood that Wei Tingyu harbored feelings for her! Although a daughter-in-law using her lover to threaten her in-laws sounded utterly absurd and unfilial, He Weifang had no other choice! Furthermore, in her heart, this couple, Liu Shen and his wife, were never worthy of respect or filial piety!
Thinking this, He Weifang led Yulu into the courtyard where Liu Shen and his wife resided. As she did, she happened to hear the voices of Liu Shen and his wife coming from within the half-open window.
"Mudanya cannot raise so much money at the moment, and the family doesn't have it either!" He Weifang's mother-in-law was speaking, and from her tone alone, one could tell she was clearly in distress. Upon hearing that their attention had turned to her, He Weifang immediately stopped and perked up her ears.
"Even if we can't raise it, we have to find a way!" Liu Shen's voice then emerged, his tone clearly anxious. "Today's incident, although the Princess and Marquis Jining have pardoned us, if it reaches the capital, and Prince Ning finds out… then… we're finished!"
"Princess Jian is Prince Ning's only daughter, his precious darling!"
"If he knew she encountered an assassination attempt in our residence and almost succeeded, wouldn't that be terrible?!"
"Our entire Liu residence will certainly not be able to withstand Prince Ning's wrath!"
"By then, let alone being promoted and returning to the capital, it's even hard to say if our lives will be spared!"
Liu Shen's voice trembled as he spoke, as if he could already envision the tragic scene of the entire Liu family's property being confiscated and themselves being exiled.
"Then what do we do?" Liu Shen's wife was also terrified, her teeth chattering.
"We can only properly honor Marquis Jining with money, so that when he returns, he can speak well of us to Prince Ning! After all, he also saved Princess Jian, so Prince Ning will certainly view him favorably! Only if he speaks for us can this disaster be resolved!" Liu Shen sighed. "That's why I said we must prepare a hefty gift to thank Marquis Jining! What wealth and property can compare to life itself?"
"Then… why don't we let Mudanya go to… Marquis Jining's courtyard… to accompany him for a few days…" At this point, Liu Shen's wife finally timidly spoke. "I think Marquis Jining seems quite interested in our Mudanya, perhaps he'll…"
At these words, He Weifang and Yulu, standing outside the window, were completely stunned. Good heavens! Are they planning to sell their daughter-in-law? Although she was already completely Wei Tingyu's, that was her own choice! What was this about them secretly conspiring to sell her? Furthermore, a father-in-law and mother-in-law secretly plotting to offer their daughter-in-law to another man, thereby cuckolding their own son… that was truly something only the Liu family could do!
Yulu's small face flushed with anger. Her mistress liked the Marquis, and the Marquis liked her mistress; that was their mutual affection! And here they were, whispering about such sordid private transactions? It would only defile her mistress's pure feelings and loyalty! Of course, the loyalty Yulu thought of was He Weifang's loyalty to Wei Tingyu, which had nothing to do with Liu Chang or the Liu family!
"Did you think I hadn't thought of that?" However, Liu Shen interrupted his wife directly. "Mudanya must go to accompany him! And the gifts must also be sent!"
"Who is Marquis Jining? He's seen the greater world in the capital!"
"Aside from anything else, just look at the three wives and concubines following him; aren't they all top-tier beauties?"
"You think if we send Mudanya to accompany him for a few days, he'll willingly speak for us to Prince Ning?"
"It's absolutely impossible without sending gifts!"
Liu Shen's shamelessness reached its peak! As he spoke, He Weifang, eavesdropping outside the window, was completely bewildered. Good heavens! You shameless in-laws! So you had already reached a tacit understanding before even discussing it. It seems I was destined to be offered up no matter what, is that it?
It's a good thing they're talking about Wei Tingyu now! I'm willing to accompany him without these two old foxes even asking! But what if it wasn't Wei Tingyu? What if it were some other fat, greasy, old high-ranking official? They would surely offer me up without hesitation for the sake of currying favor! The thought of her fate if she hadn't been lucky enough to meet Wei Tingyu—that she might truly be sent by this shameless Liu couple to some other bloated, oily, old official on the bed one day—made He Weifang's stomach churn with revulsion.
"They…!" Yulu's face was filled with indignation. She even wanted to directly kick open the door and thoroughly scold these two old farts. After all, Marquis Jining favored her mistress so greatly now, and he would surely take her mistress with him when he left this time! Then she wouldn't have to suffer any more indignities from the Liu family!
"Wait!" He Weifang, however, pulled Yulu back, stopping her from acting impulsively, and said, "Don't be anxious, let's see what else they have to say!" He Weifang was naturally also seething with indignation, but at this moment, she had calmed down! This in-law family no longer held anything or anyone she wished to linger over. Now was the perfect time to see just how bottomless their shamelessness truly was…
"If that's the case then!" Liu Shen's wife, hearing her husband's words, first paused, then subconsciously said, "It seems we can only sell the Imperial Gifted Purple Rhinoceros Pill!"
Purple Rhinoceros Pill? He Weifang was startled. She immediately exchanged glances with Yulu, and both women saw shock and confusion in each other's eyes. Didn't the Liu family only have one Purple Rhinoceros Pill? And when she married into the Liu family, hadn't it already been given to her maternal family as part of the bride price to save her mother's life? Could it be that her mother-in-law spoke incorrectly in her haste?
However, before He Weifang could think clearly, she heard Liu Shen angrily shout from within, "That Purple Rhinoceros Pill can save lives at critical moments, it must not be sold!"
"Didn't Mudanya's father give a large sum of money when she married in?"
"Is it all gone now? How do you manage the household?"
"Master! With these two esteemed guests in the residence, not to mention how much the banquet cost, they will also be staying here temporarily…"
"You, a woman, are short-sighted! Whether our son's future official career and the Liu clan's reputation can be glorious depends on these few days!"
The conversation inside the room filled He Weifang with utter shock! At this moment, she was certain: the Purple Rhinoceros Pill the Liu family had given to her mother was absolutely fake!
"Didn't someone show interest in Mudanya's dowry shops before?" Liu Shen then spoke again. "Have Xiang Fu take the accountant to sell them! That should tide us over for a while! Don't even think about the tribute medicine!"
He Weifang returned to her room in a daze, like a walking corpse. Yulu turned and closed the door, and He Weifang collapsed weakly onto the floor. This truth had simply struck her too hard! Previously, she had believed her mother's fate was simply thus; even with the tribute medicine, the Purple Rhinoceros Pill, she couldn't be saved, so there was no one to blame. But she never imagined that the medicine the Liu family gave was actually fake! In a sense, the Liu family was the murderer of her mother! After all, if they hadn't deceived her with fake medicine, her mother might have sought medical help elsewhere and still had a glimmer of hope!
"I will make them pay! I will make them pay!" Two lines of sparkling tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto the floor, as He Weifang angrily slapped the ground, yet felt no pain in her palm. At this moment, she harbored no other emotion towards the Liu family but hatred!
"But we are weak and alone, how can we resist!" Yulu asked He Weifang, then slapped her forehead. "That's right, we'll go to the Marquis and ask him to preside over justice for us!"
"No!" He Weifang immediately shook her head. "This matter cannot involve the Marquis! After all, this is still the Liu family's private affair!"
"If my affair with the Marquis were exposed like this, who knows what those censorate officials in the capital would write to impeach him!"
"Moreover, we have no evidence, and the Liu family will certainly deny it vehemently!" He Weifang thought for a moment and shook her head. At this moment, she truly wished to avenge her mother, yet she also worried about causing trouble for Wei Tingyu.
"Then why don't we tell the master of our own family!" Yulu thought for a moment and suggested again. "Let the master seek justice!"
"No!" He Weifang shook her head even harder. "We have no proof now. Even involving my father would be useless."
"Even if we turned the Liu residence upside down and found the real tribute medicine, they would deny it vehemently!"
"At that time, if the two families fall out, we, the He clan, as mere merchants, might even be branded with the reputation of being ungrateful!"
"What we can do now is to leave the Liu family completely and then plan our next steps at home!"
As He Weifang finished speaking, she suddenly heard a soft creak from the door behind her. Then, the door was gently pushed open from the outside, startling both He Weifang and Yulu. They turned to look. When they saw that it was Wei Tingyu, they both simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. If the Liu family had overheard their secret conversation just now, everything would have been ruined.
"Marquis!" He Weifang quickly winked at Yulu, then the two women helped each other stand up and bowed slightly to Wei Tingyu. "How did you come to my small courtyard?"
"This Marquis has been to your small courtyard before!" Wei Tingyu chuckled, then walked straight forward and gently wiped away the clear tears from He Weifang's cheeks. He Weifang was startled, then her heart was warmed by Wei Tingyu's gentle gesture. This touch of tenderness was undoubtedly a timely comfort for her, who had just witnessed such a cold and disgusting side of the Liu family! She didn't even feel embarrassed by Wei Tingyu's earlier remark that he had been to her small courtyard before, a statement with a hint of teasing and intimacy, even with Yulu standing nearby. Of course, Yulu at this moment was not surprised at all; instead, she was overjoyed! The Marquis's current actions clearly showed how much he doted on her mistress, which would only make her mistress's backing more stable! Moreover, in Yulu's eyes, helping her mistress cuckold the Liu family was certainly a form of revenge, and the thought of it brought her a sense of vindication!