Chapter 108 – The Flower Picking Bandit (Part Eight)
“If this student could just soften up a bit and apologize, even if Wei Yuan feels uncomfortable, he’d let it slide for Liu Zhi’s sake.”
But right now, he was so angry he found it amusing.
He was dying to hear what kind of ridiculous excuse this rebellious student had, what could possibly be so important that she’d risk climbing over the wall in the middle of the night.
Jiang Pengji showed no fear, her face revealing not an ounce of unease, but instead exuding confidence.
The young man with a feather fan in the frigid night raised a hand, a flicker of interest flashed in his cold eyes, and he spoke to Wei Yuan, “Mr. Gongcao might as well go to the main hall and listen to what this little friend has to say. It would be best to dismiss all others; I believe this little friend won’t disappoint you.”
Wei Yuan was taken aback by the suggestion, yet as a seasoned elder, he quickly reined in his emotions and put on a stern face.
“Come here.”
Jiang Pengji interjected, “Sir, no need to rush. Before explaining, I have a humble request, and I hope you can grant it.”
“Speak!”
“I boldly wish to see the ladies of your household, including the housemaids.”
Wei Yuan was caught off guard by her audacity. If it wasn’t for the young man’s earlier words, he might have already burst out in anger.
At twelve years old, the boy was already considered half an adult in this era; many had already started families. Naturally, Wei Yuan couldn’t see Jiang Pengji as merely a child but viewed her more as a mature “male.”
For a grown man to scale your wall in the dead of night and then demand to see the women in your household—that was an open insult. He showed remarkable restraint by not hurling insults at her or sending her off, or even dragging her to the magistrate’s office.
The young man beside him squinted slightly, studying Jiang Pengji, a vague intuition flickering in his mind.
“Mr. Gongcao might as well acquiesce. This little friend’s intentions are not malicious; she likely means well for you.”
The furious Wei Yuan surprisingly calmed down due to the young man’s few words. This sudden change piqued the curiosity of both Jiang Pengji and Feng Jin, who regarded him with scrutinizing eyes. Jiang Pengji even managed to uncover his secrets, sending a chill down the young man’s spine, though he couldn’t pinpoint its origin.
With a dark expression, Wei Yuan gritted his teeth and conceded.
“I’ll hear what Wen Zheng has to say this once.”
Jiang Pengji stifled a laugh internally; it seemed this man’s sick leave was a ruse, while the reality was his courtyard was in turmoil.
Given his temper, if he discovered unfamiliar clothing or signs of male presence in his concubine’s quarters, it would likely send his blood pressure skyrocketing. No wonder he had taken sick leave until now—perhaps it was because of this scandal, and he had intended to catch someone in the act only to run into her?
Mr. Wei Yuan strode ahead confidently, while Jiang Pengji followed leisurely, keeping pace beside the young man.
With a smile playing on her lips, she tentatively queried, “May I ask how this Young Master is addressed?”
Feng Jin appeared composed, yet there was an unmistakable annoyance brewing within him.
His companion had caught him in a bind, and without providing an explanation, turned around to flirt with a strangely appealing foreign girl. Talk about imbalance!
“I am Qi Guanrang.”
Jiang Pengji furrowed her brow slightly. Though she detested the bizarre titles of this era, she habitually asked, “What is your courtesy name, Young Master?”
The young man’s expression remained bleak, showing no mercy, “You and I have little acquaintance; it’s premature for us to use courtesy names with each other.”
Translated, that meant: “I don’t know you well enough to get chummy.”
Jiang Pengji smirked to herself, lowering her voice to a level only she, the young man, and Feng Jin could hear, she asked, “There’s no need to be so formal. Strictly speaking, you are essentially a half-brother-in-law to me in the future. Why not be more familiar?”
Feng Jin perked up, then blinked in confusion, “Lan Ting has a sister?”
After asking, he came to his senses; there indeed was a non-primary daughter at Liu Zhi’s residence, but she seemed to be under nine years old?
Feng Jin was bewildered. However, her words were like thunder crashing in the young man’s ears, momentarily leaving him mindless.
“You…”
She cut him off and repeated her inquiry.
“What is your courtesy name, sir?”
She needed to know this information without fail; if he didn’t want to answer, she’d find a way to pry it out of him.
The young man was speechless.
After a brief pause, he collected his emotions and replied calmly, “Mr. Wei already called it out; did you not hear?”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow and shot him a glare.
“What you introduce yourself as is different from what others mention.”
The young man took a deep breath, feeling a tinge of sympathy for Feng Jin, who had just been put in an awkward position without warning. That had to be a similar feeling.
“I am Qi Guanrang, courtesy name Wen Zheng. May I ask how this little friend is addressed?”
“Liu Xi.”
And that was it?
The young man waited for more but only got silence, his expression twisting slightly. He suddenly recalled what Feng Jin had just mentioned about “Lan Ting.”
That must be Liu Xi’s courtesy name then.
Although they had only met for less than a tea’s worth of time, the young man felt an impulsive urge to fan her twice.
Such a nuisance!
Jiang Pengji gazed at Wei Yuan’s figure ahead, her expression somewhat complex.
“Wen Zheng is curious how I knew about Mr. Wei’s intentions for a son-in-law?”
Qi Guanrang nodded; of course he was curious. Wei Yuan had only vaguely mentioned this to him, and no one else knew. The fact that Jiang Pengji had come in and revealed this right away made Qi Guanrang question if she had eavesdropped.
That was impossible!
Just as Jiang Pengji opened her mouth, she suddenly turned to Feng Jin and said, “Ears closed, don’t listen in on anything inappropriate.”
Feng Jin: “…”
He was wronged!
Even though he was also curious, since Jiang Pengji had said so, it seemed those secrets weren’t suitable for anyone other than Qi Guanrang to hear.
Humbly, he raised his hands to cover his ears, purposely falling several paces behind to avoid accidentally overhearing anything.
His pitiable demeanor instantly drew the sympathy of countless homebodies in the livestream, showering him with a torrent of donations. Seeing this… Jiang Pengji felt even more inclined to tease Feng Jin. What to do?
“Wen Zheng’s arrival at the Wei Manor is rather ill-timed, coinciding with unspeakable scandals involving outside men.” Jiang Pengji whispered, delivering shocking news to Qi Guanrang, “This scandal not only involves Mr. Wei’s concubines but may severely affect his daughters, namely my two little disciples as well. I expect that even if the two ladies remain unscathed, their reputations will be tarnished.”
Then, Jiang Pengji calmly listed a series of high-stakes details.
“Wen Zheng, you lost your wife young, hailing from the borderlands in the north, where the customs are rough, and hold less regard for a woman’s honor, at least far more so than the noble families of Dongqing. If such an event occurs, regardless of the eldest lady or the second mistress, their future marriages would be fraught with obstacles.”
If a highborn lady from a prominent family encountered such a scandal, handling marriage arrangements wouldn’t be too challenging.
Either marry beneath her, without the qualifications to choose her husband, either a wild, irresponsible noble heir, or a talented but low-status commoner’s bastard.
Or she could simply chop off her hair, becoming a nun for life, provided with basic necessities by her family.
