Upon re-entering the Capital City, Su Xiuer stood on the street with Su Xiaobao. She glanced in the direction of the Princess Manor, pursed her lips, and completely abandoned the idea of going to the Princess Manor to search for someone.
She didn't know the name of her mother's old acquaintance, and now that the only token was lost, she feared she would be beaten if she went to the Princess Manor again.
Besides, the Princess Manor was so vast. Yesterday, when she handed the jade hairpin to that young man, she didn't even know his name.
Moreover, she was now facing the formidable Minister's Estate. Even if her mother's old acquaintance was willing to help, they might be powerless.
To avoid being discovered by Wei Mingze and the Minister's Estate, Su Xiuer found another inn for herself and Su Xiaobao to stay in.
Standing by the window of the guest room, watching the pedestrians on the street, Su Xiuer frowned and pondered to herself.
There was no evidence to indicate that the fire at the ruined temple was related to Wei Mingze or the Minister's Estate. To make Wei Mingze pay the price, she could only target his ingratitude and his status as a son-in-law climbing the social ladder.
This Capital City was the Minister's Estate's territory. If she didn't want to be dealt with silently, she had to make her presence known to the people around her.
"Xiaobao, stay in the room obediently. Mother is going out for a bit."
Su Xiuer had an idea. She asked the innkeeper to bring some food for Su Xiaobao and, at the same time, to inquire about the location of the largest market in the Capital City.
Having spent years butchering and selling meat and mingling in the markets, she knew best where rumors spread most easily.
Su Xiuer squeezed her way to a meat stall and, as if she were a regular, struck up a conversation with an auntie who was queuing to buy meat.
"Auntie, let me tell you, this year's Top Scholar is truly despicable. He relied on being a son-in-law to have his wife support his entire family. Now that he's become a Top Scholar, he wants to demote his wife to a concubine and find a higher connection. His wife, who just arrived in the Capital City yesterday, was almost burned to death."
The imperial examination had just concluded, and the new Top Scholar was the most sought-after person in the Capital City. The aunties were immediately intrigued.
One of the aunties said, "Little girl, do you have proof for what you're saying? Spreading rumors about the new Top Scholar can get you arrested."
Su Xiuer's eyes darkened. She clenched her fists, then unhesitatingly rolled up her sleeves, revealing the burn on her wrist.
"To be honest, I am the Top Scholar's original wife, and I almost perished in a fire yesterday."
"Wei Mingze and Minister Duan's daughter had a secret affair, so he forced me to become a concubine. I refused, so he pretended to agree to a divorce and offered me a thousand taels of silver as compensation. Then, he sent people to set a fire, intending to burn my son and me to death in the ruined temple outside the city."
Su Xiuer's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, carrying the tremor of a narrow escape and suppressed rage.
The fresh, gruesome burn on her wrist was the most compelling evidence.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment.
The auntie who had spoken earlier changed her expression again and grabbed Su Xiuer's hand. "Daughter, you mustn't speak carelessly! That's a minister!"
"Auntie, may lightning strike me if I speak a single false word." Su Xiuer's eyes reddened, but she stood unyielding like a orchid in a desolate valley.
"I, Su Xiuer, act with integrity and uprightness. My speaking here today is not to gain sympathy, but only to seek justice and let everyone know what kind of sordid hearts these young talented men and noble ladies have behind closed doors."
"If I can stand here today, it is because heaven has spared me. If I die unjustly in the future, it will surely be Scholar Wei and the minister killing me to silence me!"
"If you are interested, you can all come with me to the Wei Mansion tomorrow at the hour of Chen to demand that thousand taels of silver. Consider yourselves witnesses, and I will offer three hundred taels of silver for tea."
Her words were forceful, highlighting her perilous situation, directly targeting Wei Mingze and the Duan family, and offering a significant reward.
With a spectacle to watch and a reward to gain, the surrounding crowd erupted, and everyone agreed.
"This is too much bullying! Can the Top Scholar and an official's daughter be lawless?"
"Miss Su, we will accompany you to the Wei Mansion tomorrow. Let's see if he can silence all of us."
The news spread like wings, flying from the market to teahouses, taverns, and various marketplaces.
Phrases like "Ungrateful Top Scholar," "Vicious Minister's Daughter," and "Murderous Wife and Child" were enough to ignite the gossip souls of the entire Capital City.
Seeing that the effect was achieved, Su Xiuer said no more. She bowed to the surrounding common people, turned, squeezed out of the crowd, and quickly disappeared around the street corner.
When the news reached the Minister's Estate, Wei Mingze was painting a portrait of Duan Zhenzhu.
Upon hearing this, Duan Zhenzhu's delicate face contorted instantly, and she smashed the teacup in her hand to pieces.
"Useless, can't even deal with a village woman properly."
Wei Mingze's hand, holding the brush, trembled, and the ink smeared the face of Duan Zhenzhu in the painting.
He had clearly heard the words "village woman" and guessed the reason, yet he still asked, "Zhenzhu, what happened?"
Duan Zhenzhu did not want to expose her wickedness to her beloved for the moment. Suppressing her anger, she forced a smile. "It's nothing, just a newly acquired dog that went mad. It was troublesome to handle. Wei Lang, if you have nothing else, let's wait until you formally propose the day after tomorrow."
"Alright." Wei Mingze considerately put down his brush, reluctant to leave with tender affection. Then, he turned back and hid under the corridor not far away.
Duan Zhenzhu, thinking Wei Mingze had left, immediately reverted to her usual arrogance. "Why is that village woman so hard to kill! And she deliberately spread rumors, truly shameless."
Cui Juan trembled, "Miss, what should we do? What if Master finds out..."
"We'll keep it a secret for now." Duan Zhenzhu took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "For Wei Lang's and the Minister's Estate's reputation, we can't kill her for the moment. Let's break her legs and drive her out of the Capital City, never to return."
"That's too good a bargain for that village woman." Cui Juan gritted her teeth. "This servant will have the Second Steward handle it."
The rumors fermented, and undercurrents stirred.
Su Xiuer returned to the inn. As a precaution, she did not leave again for the next few days.
The next day, fearing Su Xiaobao would suffer if he went to the Wei Mansion, she spent silver to ask the innkeeper to look after him temporarily.
She walked towards the Wei Mansion according to the agreement made at the market yesterday.
Along the way, she saw many people heading towards the Wei Mansion. Among the crowd, she spotted several familiar faces from yesterday's market, which made her feel more confident.
The two large gates of the Wei Mansion were tightly shut.
Su Xiuer stopped and turned back. Just as she was about to speak, a middle-aged man squeezed to her side, waving a piece of dark blue fabric in front of her eyes.
Su Xiuer's chest tightened abruptly. She heard the man say with a sinister laugh, "If you want your son to live, leave the city immediately, or you can wait to collect his corpse."
Su Xiuer's expression changed. She gritted her teeth and drew the butcher knife from her waist.
She had clearly hidden Xiaobao and asked the innkeeper to help watch him, so why was he still kidnapped?
She had clearly made an effort, so why could powerful people cover the sky with one hand?
The man seemed to read Su Xiuer's thoughts and sneered, successfully gripping her throat.
"Commoners cannot fight officials. How would the innkeeper of the Sixi Inn offend the Minister's Estate for a lowly village woman like you? I advise you not to act impulsively, or I don't know what will happen to your son."
"Butcher Su, let's go."
The man urged her on. He could have called her Miss Su, but he deliberately used the word "Butcher" to humiliate her.
"What's happening over there?"
Dong Mei, along with her people, had been searching for Su Xiuer for nearly two days and one night without any leads. Accompanied by the morning dew, she returned to the city, exhausted, and happened to see the alley leading to the Wei Mansion crowded with people.
Dong Song's eyes were dark with fatigue, and his face was also weary. But upon hearing Dong Mei's words, he immediately walked towards the Wei Mansion. "Aunt Dong Mei, I'll go take a look."
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