Chapter 131: Vicious Scheme
Mu Yunyao wiped her hands clean, then allowed Liu Liang to enter.
“You mean Tan Bawang, the young owner of Caiyue Pavilion whom I beat in Huai’an City?”
“Yes.”
Mu Yunyao could not help lowering her eyes slightly. Inwardly, she pondered the matter. This was rather coincidental. The person she had saved had actually been injured by Tan Bawang. Then was this truly a coincidence, or had someone arranged it deliberately?
“That follower of Tan Bawang once had his fingers cut off by you. I imagine he should recognize you.”
“Yes. Just now, seeing that Master was saving someone, I did not step forward to report. Please punish me, Master.”
Mu Yunyao glanced at him. Ever since that day when she had asked about Liu Liang’s identity, this man had become especially cautious around her. His expression and attitude were so respectful that she was not used to it.
“I know. Go investigate what he has done after coming to Jingling City.”
“Yes.”
After Liu Liang withdrew, Mu Yunyao thought for a moment, then went to the eastern side wing.
Ding Yuelan’s injuries had almost healed, but her temperament had become much quieter than before. From time to time, she would sit there in a daze. Su Qing had secretly tried to comfort her many times, but it had little effect. On the contrary, her embroidery skills had improved day by day. The patterns she embroidered now were already not inferior to Mu Yunyao’s.
“Miss Mu, why have you come?”
Mu Yunyao saw the peony she was embroidering. The petals were layered and lifelike.
“Madam does not need to hurry your work like this. If you embroider for too long, your eyes will not be able to endure it.”
Ding Yuelan revealed a faint, bitter smile.
“Only when I embroider can my heart become a little calmer. Did Miss come to find me for something?”
“There is something I wish to ask Madam. It is only that…”
Mu Yunyao was somewhat worried that she would touch Ding Yuelan’s painful memories. Yet if she did not ask, she would not feel at ease.
Ding Yuelan immediately understood her hesitation and led Mu Yunyao into the room to sit.
“Miss may ask whatever you wish.”
She had already given up completely on the Ding family. Although she still felt sorrow, she no longer had the heartbroken despair she had felt at first.
“I wanted to ask Madam whether, after the Ding family fell, they had contact with anyone?”
Ding Yuelan recalled carefully.
“When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. After the Ding family declined, no one came to the door. Especially after my father… after Master Ding suffered a stroke and was paralyzed in bed, even relatives did not come to visit. I did not notice anyone contacting the Ding family again…”
Ding Yuelan thought carefully. After a slight pause, she suddenly added, “Only, two days before Old Madam Ding decided to sell me into Ruyi Pavilion, she changed from her usual worried and miserable appearance. She looked extremely happy. She even said that Heaven had eyes and allowed her to meet a noble person. Once she reached Huai’an City, there would still be a chance to rise again.”
“Thank you, Madam, for telling me the truth. In a few more days, Niyun Pavilion will reopen. If Madam is willing, I have always kept the position of shopkeeper for you.”
Seeing Ding Yuelan shake her head and refuse, Mu Yunyao continued, “Madam, people must always look forward. To waste the second half of your life for people who are not worth it would be truly unworthy. I hope Madam will think about it carefully again.”
“…Many thanks, Miss. I will think about it again.”
Mu Yunyao smiled and nodded.
“Then I will leave first.”
After leaving the eastern side wing, Mu Yunyao’s expression cooled.
A noble person from Huai’an City. It must be Tan Bawang without a doubt. Then the earlier trouble caused by Ruyi Pavilion was most likely also his attempt to test her from behind the scenes. As for Cai Qin,g before her eyes, what connection did she have with Tan Bawang?
Cai Qing was taking care of Nan’er and A'Mao. When she saw Mu Yunyao walk in, she quickly rose and bowed.
“Greetings, Miss Mu.”
Mu Yunyao sat down on a chair to one side. Her clear, cold gaze landed on Cai Qing, carrying a heavy sense of scrutiny.
“Cai Qing, I heard that Tan Bawang took a fancy to you and seemed to intend to take you as a concubine?”
Cai Qing abruptly lifted her head. After meeting Mu Yunyao’s eyes, she lowered her eyes again as if frightened. Her gaze trembled violently.
“It was Tan Bawang who deliberately found fault and beat A'Mao. I stepped forward to reason with him. Who knew he actually harbored improper intentions? That was why…”
“Nan’er told me. I know all of this. It is only that I feel there should be some things within this matter that I do not know. What do you think?”
Cai Qing stood there. Her hand, hanging at her side, tightened around her skirt. Beads of sweat fell from her forehead.
“I do not understand what Miss means…”
“I heard Nan’er say that you also take care of a child named Li’er. I wonder where she is now?”
Cai Qing gritted her teeth. Suddenly, she took two steps forward and knelt before Mu Yunyao. Her eyes could not hide her guilt.
“Begging Miss to save our lives!”
Coldness spread through Mu Yunyao’s eyes.
Back then, when Nan’er had suddenly come forward to speak to her, she had not thought too deeply about it. But now that matters were surfacing one after another, she could not help feeling that Nan’er’s approach had been deliberate.
That child Nan’er had a pure mind, but he was timid and cowardly. How could he have had the courage to come forward and remind her on his own? The only possibility was that someone had instructed him from behind.
“Why should I save a liar?”
She had long grown used to seeing the Su family’s extremely hypocritical eldest miss. Looking at Cai Qing now, she felt that her story was full of holes.
Cai Qing quickly shook her head.
“Miss Mu, I am not a liar. I never wanted to deceive you. If I had not been forced, how would I dare come and provoke you? It was Tan Bawang. Earlier, he falsely accused A'Mao of dirtying his clothes and insisted that we pay one hundred taels of silver. If we could not pay, he would beat A'Mao to death.
“For people of our status, even if we were beaten to death, the matter would end with a little silver compensation. Even the authorities would not care. So, to save A'Mao, I could only obey his orders and have Nan’er approach you.”
Mu Yunyao’s expression remained cold. Hearing this, she gave a cold laugh.
“Nan’er treats you as an elder sister. He would rather go hungry and eat nothing himself than bring the only two pieces of pastry back for you. How could you bear to use a child who trusts you so much?”
“I was also forced into helplessness. If I did not do this, they would not even be able to keep their lives…”
As Cai Qing spoke, tears streamed down her face.
“Although we are not related by blood, I watched over them as they grew up in the Ciyou Bureau. To protect their lives, I had no other choice.”
Mu Yunyao frowned and said nothing.
Cai Qing moved two steps forward on her knees and kowtowed to Mu Yunyao.
“This morning, Tan Bawang brought Matchmaker Liu here. He grabbed me and forced me to press down my handprint, making me admit of my own accord that I wanted to enter his residence as a concubine. After that, he secretly signaled Nan’er to come here and beg you for help.
“He was certain that Miss would soften your heart and rescue me. So he took Li’er away and gave me a packet of poison. When he comes to make trouble at your door, he wants me to take the poison and kill myself, then use this to frame Miss. If I follow his instructions, he will release Li’er. If I refuse, he will think of every way to beat all of us to death. I truly have no way out. Begging Miss to show mercy…”
After Cai Qing finished speaking, she took out a packet of medicinal powder from her robes, then respectfully prostrated herself on the floor. Her appearance was extremely humble.
Mu Yunyao looked at Cai Qing, who was lying prostrate on the ground, and coldly lifted the corners of her lips.
“How do I know what you say is true? Who knows whether you and Tan Bawang are secretly colluding and deliberately came to harm me?”
“I would not gamble with Nan’er and the others’ lives. Miss Mu, every word I said is true. There is not half a sentence of deception!”
“If I had not come to ask you, what were you planning to do?”
Cai Qing’s face turned pale. Under Mu Yunyao’s gaze, she felt as if the thoughts in her heart had nowhere to hide.
“I… I would have found an opportunity to tell Miss…”
“You would not!”
Mu Yunyao stood. If not for the flicker still showing in Cai Qing’s expression, she would almost have believed those words.
“Aside from using Li’er to threaten you, Tan Bawang likely promised you quite a few benefits as well, did he not?”
“No. He wants me to take poison and kill myself. How could he promise me benefits? Even if there were benefits, I would have no life left to enjoy them…”
hm. i am not sure i like mr. tbw.
ReplyDeletethank you for translating!