“Miss, hide quickly he’s back again!”
Before Lingyun could say another word, Rouge came rushing in, carrying a bowl of chicken soup that had spilled half its contents.
“Who is back?”
Looking at the spilled soup, Lingyun couldn’t help but feel a wry amusement. If Zhou Hongbai knew his thoughtful gesture was being wasted like this, he would probably be quite upset.
“It’s Cao ”
Before Rouge could finish, Cao Lingcheng stormed into the room.
“You wicked little slut! You hid away outside all day did you really think you could avoid me like that? You shameless creature!” Cao Lingcheng had completely lost his temper and was now shouting insults at the top of his voice.
“Avoid you? When have I ever avoided you? You really think far too highly of yourself,” Lingyun replied, completely ignoring him and treating him as if he didn’t exist.
This attitude only made Cao Lingcheng even angrier.
“If I don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll really start thinking you’re the one running this household, won’t you?”
“I have never said such a thing. But if that is what you choose to believe, I cannot stop you.”
“You !” Seeing Lingyun remain perfectly calm and unmoved, Cao Lingcheng flew into a rage. He grabbed the bowl of chicken soup sitting in front of her and smashed it violently onto the floor.
The sharp crash of breaking porcelain echoed loudly through the room.
“What do you think you’re doing? Coming into my courtyard to make a scene and behave like a wild brute? Cui’er, throw him out!”
At once, Cui’er ran forward holding a broom. She looked at Cao Lingcheng, her anger rising with every step.
“How dare you! You lowly maid how dare you act so arrogant just because you have a powerful mistress?”
It didn’t take long before Cui’er succeeded in driving Cao Lingcheng out. As his shouting and cursing faded into the distance, Lingyun finally enjoyed some peace and quiet. She looked at the broken bowl and spilled soup on the floor; her heart felt warm, yet filled with an emotion she could not quite name.
“Miss, I have checked all the items in the room again. Nothing is missing or out of place.”
“Why would they say she was poisoned? In an official household such as ours, poisoning is never a small or trivial matter. Father would never allow such rumors to spread freely. There is definitely something hidden behind all this,” Lingyun said.
Only now did she realize that a cautious and calculating man like Cao Jianfeng would know exactly what a scandal involving poisoning would mean for the family’s reputation and his official career.
Even if there had been real poisoning, he would have suppressed the news immediately. Letting it get out would only damage his standing in court.
“Miss, now that you mention it… I think I heard something…” Bao Yan began, hesitating and stumbling over her words.
Lingyun did not scold her for being slow. Instead, she asked gently, “Did you discover something?”
“I heard one of the junior maids talking. She said Aunt Peng has been bedridden and unable to rise for three days already because of this poisoning.”
Rouge was outspoken and straightforward by nature. She grabbed Bao Yan’s hand and said, “You silly girl! Why would you believe the words of a low-ranking maid? It is obvious they are spreading false information to mislead us!”
“In my opinion, it is far more likely that Aunt Peng is feigning illness again to win the Master’s sympathy and affection. She uses these same tricks over and over again. Does the Master never grow tired of them?”
Lingyun smiled knowingly. Men were always so easily fooled by such tactics. They loved to be surrounded by softness and tears, and never wanted to see the truth.
After all, a few soft words whispered in a man’s ear at night were worth more than a hundred arguments or struggles during the day.
“He will never tire of it. Do you think he is just a fool who has been deceived? He has spent many years navigating the dangerous waters of officialdom and politics. How could he fail to understand the simple schemes and tricks used in the inner household? The truth is, he simply chooses not to expose them.”
“Because he favors her, he has protected and covered up for her all these years. And because of his love for her, he dotes on and favors both of her children as well.”
Lingyun knew there was no easy solution to this situation. Unless a disaster struck that threatened his official position or reputation, he would never wake up to the truth or perhaps, he simply did not want to wake up.
“Miss, I have chased him out!” Cui’er ran back in, still holding her broom like a trophy.
It looked rather comical, but then again, nothing that happened today was normal least of all Cao Lingcheng being chased away by a maid with a broom.
“That vicious woman! She framed and harmed my mother, and now when I only want justice and an explanation, she puts on such high and mighty airs!” Cao Lingcheng shouted as he walked away, still cursing and holding a jug of wine in his hand.
“Young Master, please! The Master has given strict orders these days the capital is unsettled, both in official circles and outside. If you are seen wandering the streets late at night carrying wine, the Master will surely punish me!” the attendant pleaded, hurrying to take the wine jug from his hand.
“Master, please do not joke about such things! I only have one head to lose if anything happens to you, I will be in terrible trouble!”
Cao Lingcheng felt annoyed and irritated by the attendant following him around. “Go back at once! Leave me alone! If you keep following me, I will beat you don’t think I won’t!”
The threat was clear and bold. The attendant dared not step closer, but seeing Cao Lingcheng stumbling about drunk, he could not bring himself to leave him alone.
If anything happened to the young master in this state, he would surely be blamed and punished.
“Young Master, wait please stay!”
Seeing the attendant still trailing behind him, Cao Lingcheng flew into a rage. He snatched the wine jug back from the man’s hands and smashed it hard onto the ground.
The sharp crash of breaking pottery was loud and jarring. The attendant froze in fear, and before he could recover, Cao Lingcheng had already vanished into the darkness.
You get what you deserve when you serve the wrong master. The young attendant was loyal and capable, but unfortunately, he had attached himself to the wrong person.
“Miss, I just went outside and heard people talking. As soon as the Second Young Master left our courtyard, he began shouting that you are a cruel and wicked woman. He did it right there in the street, for everyone to hear! The people with him tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“Let him shout then. My reputation has never been very good anyway. One more insult from him will make little difference,” Lingyun replied calmly.
She paid no attention to it at all and only wanted to go to bed and sleep.
“Life is truly hard these days. I have to wake up earlier than the rooster and go to bed later than the dog.”
She smiled wryly to herself and quickly climbed into bed to rest.
Meanwhile, Cao Lingcheng was still lingering in the pleasure quarters, unwilling to leave.
Losing himself in the company of singing girls and wine was far better than facing the tension and conflict in his own home. But he seemed to have forgotten that all these troubles were brought on entirely by Aunt Peng’s own actions. And as her son, he had been used as her weapon many times he was far from innocent himself.
“Has he left?” Ying’er stared at the direction Cao Lingcheng had gone, lost in thought for a moment.
“Of course he’s gone. I expect Young Master Cao has thirty different appointments to keep in a single day he hardly has time to stay with us. But don’t worry, he certainly has plenty of silver to spend. You will do very well staying close to him,” another woman said, as she gathered up her coins and silver.
Men like him who threw money around without thinking were rare treasures; you had to cherish them while they lasted.
“Sister, you don’t know. His heart changes faster than the wind I can never keep up with him,” Ying’er sighed.
To the women there, Cao Lingcheng was a man of unlimited wealth and generosity. But what they didn’t know was where that money came from, or how he got it.
“Cao Lingcheng!”
Walking unsteadily through the streets, Cao Lingcheng suddenly heard someone call his name. He spun around, swaying drunkenly.
“Who is calling me?”
He was completely intoxicated, staggering from side to side, still clutching an empty wine jug in his right hand.