Chapter 163
Chapter 163: Laying the Trap
After sitting for a short while, Luo Ning and her brother rose to leave.
Bai Yu Lin walked them to the door.
When he came back, he asked Qiu Shi Dong: “What was Luo Ning’s purpose in coming today?”
Qiu Shi Dong said: “She came to threaten us.”
“…Did she?” Bai Yu Lin asked.
“She knows A’Rong is sick. That is her way of telling us she has planted an informant at A’Rong’s side. If we act rashly, she can hurt A’Rong,” Qiu Shi Dong said.
Bai Yu Lin was shocked: “How could she have someone there?”
“She is Prince Yong’s intended consort. The inner residences of prestigious clans are not airtight iron buckets. How could she fail to buy a few eyes and ears?” Qiu Shi Dong said. “But I really do need to go see A’Rong and make sure she actually has those sores.”
“Most likely she does,” Bai Yu Lin said.
“Everything needs to be seen with your own eyes. If not, it is easy to step into someone else’s trap,” Qiu Shi Dong said.
Bai Yu Lin nodded: “Being careful is a good thing.”
Qiu Shi Dong went to the Marquis of Jian Ning’s manor and met Bai Ci Rong.
Two sores had broken out in Bai Ci Rong’s mouth. They hurt so much that she could hardly sit or lie in peace.
She had taken medicine but it had not helped.
“You must be careful of everyone around you,” Qiu Shi Dong warned her. “You might be sold off and still not know it.”
“The ones serving me are all people from the Wang family. I do not trust anyone,” Bai Ci Rong said.
“That is very good,” Qiu Shi Dong said with satisfaction.
Since he had come to see Bai Ci Rong, of course he had to visit the Marquis of Jian Ning first. He presented an expensive antique jade jue pendant as a gift.
Even in a wealthy and powerful household, a Han dynasty jade jue pendant was still rare. The Marquis of Jian Ning accepted it, and did not mind at all that Qiu Shi Dong came to visit Bai Ci Rong.
Bai Ci Rong’s looks were similar to the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s wife, Madam Bai. Madam Bai and Bai Yu Lin were brother and sister, so Bai Ci Rong did have a bit of Bai Yu Lin’s features.
But her eyes and forehead looked very much like Qiu Shi Dong.
This similarity would only be noticed if the three of them stood together.
The Marquis of Jian Ning knew this secret, but he had no plan to reveal it now.
He wanted to squeeze every drop of money he could out of Qiu Shi Dong.
Qiu Shi Dong’s ambitions were greater. He did not care about spending a little money.
In his eyes, the great houses of the prestigious clans were like a pack of dogs. Toss them a single bone and they wagged their tails.
He and the Marquis of Jian Ning each had something they wanted. They felt they had met late in life and got along very well.
When Qiu Shi Dong returned to his residence in Tongchang Ward, he was still lost in thought.
He lived next door to Bai Yu Lin. Both residences had been bought by him.
Bai Yu Lin had not brought his family. He said living alone was too lonely, so he bought several young maidservants and even took one as a concubine. Qiu Shi Dong, however, had only a few male servants.
He believed in living simply.
Plain porridge, weak tea, and light vegetables were his daily meals.
He rarely ate heavy meat dishes and did not care much for beauty. The only things he cared about were money and power. In that way, he was very similar to Luo Chong Ye.
But Luo Chong Ye’s desire for those things was passive and clumsy. Qiu Shi Dong, on the other hand, was an expert.
He poured all his energy into these goals and had indeed gained rich returns.
After making enough silver, the next step was power.
He had successful experience already, so he was very confident in his own ability. At the same time, he was extremely cautious.
“What was Luo Ning’s true purpose in visiting?” Qiu Shi Dong kept thinking.
In his mind, a voice warned him: [Do not keep drilling into this dead end. You will walk right into her trap.]
But Bai Ci Rong had just been tripped up by Luo Ning, and Yu Zhuo was dead. Qiu Shi Dong had become deeply on guard against Luo Ning.
Someone who fears snakes, if he knows there might be a snake in the room, cannot stay calm. Even if he tells himself to relax, his back will tense up on its own.
Right now, Qiu Shi Dong was that person.
He sighed and got up to pace around the courtyard.
He thought: [Maybe Luo Ning has sensed something and came to warn me.]
She wanted to tell Qiu Shi Dong not to act rashly.
But Qiu Shi Dong felt he had not done anything.
In all his arrangements, he had kept himself clean and apart. On the surface he had nothing to do with anything.
In the outer study of the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor, Luo Ning was inviting Luo Chong Ye.
“Father, please take A’You out for a walk and stroll through the night market,” Luo Ning said. “His scholar-teacher told him to write an essay about the night market at the river crossing. He has to write from the peddlers’ trade on both banks all the way to how the imperial court organizes the night market. A’You has no idea where to start.”
Luo You stood at the side.
His big sister had given him one hundred taels of silver and told him to obey her instructions.
With one hundred taels, he and Zhou Huai could eat meat for several months. He had to agree, or he would be letting down both their stomachs.
But he was very depressed.
Just hearing the words “stroll the night market with Father” felt unlucky to him.
Sure enough, money was hard to earn.
Luo Chong Ye glanced at his younger son, then at Luo Ning: “You read a little and now you are into all this messy stuff.”
“That is what the academy teaches,” Luo Ning said.
“All right. I will tell the house steward to arrange it later,” Luo Chong Ye said.
“I already arranged everything. You and A’You just need to go along. I also want to join the fun,” Luo Ning said.
“Nonsense. You are a betrothed intended consort,” Luo Chong Ye said.
“The prince does not stop me from going out. He always says the princess consort needs to have broad knowledge,” Luo Ning said.
Luo Chong Ye had no choice but to agree.
Luo Ning’s arrangements were very thorough. She had even rented a painted pleasure barge on the river.
The barge was very fine, and all the maidservants serving on board were beautiful. Luo Chong Ye looked displeased and said: “What kind of behavior is this? A’You is still so young.”
In his heart, though, he was very happy.
A barge like this was extremely expensive. Just stepping onto it was an honor.
“I specially found someone to rent it, Father, please do not be angry. I am here too, am I not?” Luo Ning said.
There were not only lovely maids, but also Lady Liu playing the zither.
Holding back the joy blooming in his heart, Luo Chong Ye tried to stay solemn in front of his children. He only sat quietly and listened to the music.
He drank quite a lot of wine.
Without noticing it, the drunkenness rose to his head.
He thought: [The wine today is especially strong.]
Slowly, he fell asleep.
Seeing this, Luo You looked at his sister and said: “Big Sister, I have to rush to the academy tomorrow morning.”
“Go on. It will not delay anything,” Luo Ning said. “I will take care of Father.”
Luo You looked at her and wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.
That night, he stayed at an inn. His servant boy had prepared everything, so they could leave for the academy directly from the inn in the morning.
As for whether his father lived or died, Luo You did not spare even a moment’s thought.
Luo Ning went home alone first.
She went straight to the courtyard where the two Concubine Meis lived.
They had been in the marquis manor for some time now, and their food and lodging were quite good. The Marchioness was weak in spirit, and they had not received any orders to do evil, so they had simply been kept and fed in the manor.
Between Luo Ning and these two, everything had been peaceful.
“You two also came from Yuhang. There is something I want to ask you,” Luo Ning said, as if she wanted to speak but was holding back.
The older Concubine Mei smiled and said: “Eldest Miss, please speak freely.”
“My father took people out in the night and even called my brother along. He said someone from Yuhang had come. They were caught by the regional troops he sent to Yuhang some time ago,” Luo Ning said.
The older and younger Concubine Mei exchanged a look and both pretended to be surprised.
“What kind of people did they catch in Yuhang?” the younger Concubine Mei asked with a smile.
“I overheard just a little. It sounded like someone called ‘Ah Hong’,” Luo Ning said.
The older Concubine Mei’s face suddenly changed.
“Maybe it was ‘Ah Feng.’ I did not hear clearly. But my father went out filled with killing intent. He has always been impulsive, and he is the Lord Marquis. If he kills someone…” Luo Ning looked at the two concubines.
The younger Concubine Mei lightly held the older Concubine Mei’s shoulder and secretly pinched her.
“Did that person commit some crime?” the younger Concubine Mei asked. “What did Eldest Miss hear the Lord Marquis say?”
“I do not know. They left in a hurry,” Luo Ning said. “But he also took A’You with him, so it probably is not some bloody killing.”
She looked again at the older Concubine Mei and said: “From your expression, it seems you know something?”
“No, no, Eldest Miss. I only thought of the Lord Marquis’s anger and got a little scared,” the older Concubine Mei said.
The younger Concubine Mei said: “Back in Yuhang, we were only kept outside and did not know the inner affairs of the house.”
“Then it seems you really do not know. I am worrying for nothing,” Luo Ning said.
She stood up. “It is getting late. You should rest early.”