bookcurios Chapter 20: Can't Compare with Her
Chapter 20: Can't Compare with Her
"My Lord, what are you doing..."
Su Wan froze in place. She had never expected Chu Beiyu to make this request. Her voice was choked with sobs.
"Are you tired of me? Or did my sister say something to you..."
"My Lord, if Wan'er has done anything wrong, I am willing to correct it."
Looking at the aggrieved woman in his arms, Chu Beiyu felt so distressed. He really should let Ye Qingluo come over and learn how a woman should behave.
"Wan'er, I feel sorry for you, so how could I be dissatisfied with you?"
"But Zhong Huai's matter was ultimately caused by the Marquis' Mansion. If the lost silver is not repaid, I'm worried that if the news gets out, you and I will be affected as well."
"You are the one that I hold dear to my heart. How can I bear to let you suffer any injustice?"
Su Wan bit her lower lip and said, "But I heard that Huichuntang is not sister's property. If sister doesn't mind..."
"Don't mention that vicious woman!"
When Ye Qingluo was mentioned, Chu Beiyu was filled with anger. When he saw Su Wan staring at him blankly, he realized that his tone was a bit harsh.
"This matter is not as simple as her not caring about it, but the Dali Temple..."
"Wan'er, I know you are the most considerate person. Can you wait a little longer before entering the house?"
"But many people already know about this. If we postpone it..." Su Wan was reluctant, but could only pretend to be magnanimous in front of Chu Beiyu.
"Don't worry, I've already thought about this. I'll tell the Minister that I want to give you a grand wedding. Three days is indeed a bit rushed, and I think the Minister will understand."
Su Wan's expression eased a lot after hearing this, but he still asked unwillingly, "Then when does the Marquis plan to do it?"
"After January!"
"I promise to marry you with honor."
"Wan'er, you believe me."
"My Lord, don't say such things. Wan'er's heart has long been yours."
Chu Beiyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. Fortunately, Wan'er would not be as unreasonable as Ye Qingluo, otherwise, with the money he had on hand, he would never be able to raise enough money for the wedding gift.
That would be a real joke!
When Su Wan left the Marquis' Mansion, the friendly look he showed in front of others was no longer there, and his expression became terribly gloomy.
After getting on the carriage, the maid Qiao'er beside her asked Su Wan, "What's wrong with you, County Master?"
Su Wan had just been conferred the title of county princess and was about to marry into the Pingyuan Marquis's Mansion, so she should be happy.
Su Wan clenched her fists, with anger in her eyes, "The Marquis said that the engagement will be postponed until one month later."
"Ah?" Qiao'er exclaimed, "If that's the case, then Madam and Miss will have to..."
"Shut up!"
Su Wan's face darkened and she warned with her eyes that ever since she returned to the Shangshu Mansion as the second young lady, she has not had a single easy day.
Although the Shangshu's wife appears to be magnanimous, she is actually very narrow-minded, not to mention her eldest sister who often uses her legitimate daughter to make trouble.
If she had not just been named a princess by the emperor, giving her a certain degree of superiority over them, no one knows what would have happened. But now Chu Beiyu said that he wanted to postpone the engagement.
The longer the time goes, the more uneasy she becomes, but the words have been spoken, so who can she blame?
If we really have to find a name, it would be Ye Qingluo. If she hadn't caused trouble, why would the admission be delayed for so long.
She took note of this matter and would never let Ye Qingluo get what she wanted when she got married in the future.
The date for Chu Beiyu to marry Su Wan was postponed, and the news spread quickly. Many people in the mansion were watching the Marquis' attitude.
Especially since Ye Qingluo was still in confinement and there was no one to disturb her, there were only her and Cuizhu in the yard.
Ye Qingluo was happy to have some peace and quiet.
The next morning, a loud roar was heard outside the house.
"Ye Qingluo!"
"Madam, it seems that the Marquis has arrived. I will go first..."
"Don't bother."
Chu Beiyu didn't know what was wrong with him, and she was in no mood to play along with him.
As soon as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open with a bang, and Chu Beiyu stood at the door, glaring at her angrily.
"Hey, isn't this the Marquis? How come you have time to come to my place?"
"Could it be that you have raised enough silver and are ready to return it?"
Chu Beiyu's face flushed red, and he was so angry that veins popped out on his forehead. On the contrary, Ye Qingluo acted as if nothing had happened.
"Let me ask you, did you tell others that I was a gigolo?"
"Uh..." Ye Qingluo blinked. This was a really good question.
"Didn't the Marquis eat?"
"I haven't been in the mansion these years. Even if you have contributed to the mansion, I will remember your kindness in my heart!"
"But you are spreading this matter everywhere in front of outsiders!"
Chu Beiyu clenched his fist, aimed at the teacup on the table, picked it up and dropped it to the ground with a bang.
"Go out now and explain to them that I have never used your dowry."
Overnight, the news that he used Ye Qingluo's dowry spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital. Even when he was in court, the officials looked at him with strange eyes.
His future father-in-law, Minister Su, also came to talk to him.
When he thought about this matter, the first person he could think of was Ye Qingluo.
The fact that she was a gigolo came from her mouth!
First it was the Dali Temple, and now it's her who's living off her. Will this woman make the whole mansion a mess before she'll stop?
Ye Qingluo found it funny to see Chu Beiyu's angry look, "My Lord, I have been in solitary confinement for the past few days, how could I possibly go out and talk nonsense?"
"Did you offend someone, which is why this matter has become so much of a fuss?"
Ye Qingluo's words actually reduced Chu Beiyu's anger a lot.
That's true. Ye Qingluo has been in solitary confinement, and he has sent people to guard nearby. Even if she wants to do so, she doesn't have the opportunity. Could it be that someone else spread the news?
But why is the other party targeting me so much?
"I don't care about this matter. You have to come forward to clarify it."
"Okay, if I come forward, it will prove that the Marquis is a gigolo. But before the clarification, shouldn't the Marquis pay the 40,000 taels?"
Ye Qingluo sighed softly. Although she didn't know who did it, this was exactly what she wanted.
"Otherwise, if someone asks, I won't be able to explain it, which may be even more disadvantageous to the Marquis."
"Ye Qingluo, I've already told you and I are husband and wife, and what's mine is yours, and you insist on making trouble with me!"
"Besides, I don't have 40,000 taels right now!"
"My Lord, the dowry for you to marry that county lady was 40,000 taels, plus the reward. Do you think I'm easy to fool?"
"What do you know as a woman?"
"Do you think that being in the officialdom is so easy? It doesn't cost money!"
Chu Beiyu got angry when he thought about it. He had already used 30,000 taels of the original 60,000 taels as a reward, and the Dali Temple said that they had found 10,000 taels from Zhong Huai's residence.
The remaining ten thousand taels had to be paid separately, and he couldn't let his mother's reputation be affected, so he had to bite the bullet and pay the remaining ten thousand taels.
So there are only 20,000 taels left!
Otherwise, how could the engagement be postponed?
"Ye Qingluo, you think everyone is as petty as you are, but Wan'er is different!"