As Zhan Feiyu's words fell, a young man in black tight-fitting attire walked in from the doorway. He also bowed respectfully to Zhan Feiyu, then, along with the young man who had been interrogating Zhao Yuan, one grabbed Zhao Yuan while the other seized Madam Chen, who was still trying to cry out and scream.
"Lord Jiao, Madam Jiao, we bid you farewell." Zhan Feiyu greeted them with a smile, clearly not intending to stay the night at the Jiao residence. Fortunately, all of Jiao Lianyu's family members were present and out of danger, so there was no need for He Nuan to stay and look after them.
After watching Zhan Feiyu and his companions leave, Jiao Lianping was in high spirits and couldn't resist a few more jabs at Prefect Jiao, "Truly the Jinlong Guard, aren't they? They don't even put you, the Prefect of Qianzhong, in their eyes. They just take people away as they please. Tsk, that's power."
Jiao Lianping was indeed envious. Looking at Zhan Feiyu's demeanor, the young girl was so young, yet no one in Qianzhong dared to offend her. Even his father treated her with utmost respect as an honored guest, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.
"Since this matter has been resolved, Ping'er, you should go back and rest." Madam Jiao was deeply grateful for Zhan Feiyu's assistance. Otherwise, whether Madam Chen stayed or died of illness would have been a difficult problem. Now, there were no lingering worries. Indeed, one force could overcome ten thousand.
Jiao Lianping still intended to criticize Jiao Lianyu, the hypocrite, a few more times. However, upon meeting his mother's warning gaze, and with the commotion, his wounds also ached fiercely. He could only obediently follow Madam Jiao away.
With everyone who needed to leave gone, Prefect Jiao could not simply go back to rest. After all, Madam Chen was also a daughter-in-law of the Jiao family and a daughter of the Chen family. Now that she had been taken away by the Jinlong Guard, Prefect Jiao still had to explain the situation to the Chen family.
"You escort Lianyu back to rest. Since the Jinlong Guard is involved in this matter, do not say any more," Prefect Jiao instructed Aunt Huang with a few words, then he also hurried to his study.
Zhujun Xuan was Jiao Lianyu's residence, and the servants here obeyed his orders. Madam Jiao was indeed generous; the deeds of indenture for the servants at Zhujun Xuan had long been given to Jiao Lianyu. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy for him to subdue these servants.
"Alright, you have all been up all night. Leave two people to guard outside, and the rest can go back to rest. You have all been working hard these past few days, so your monthly wages will be doubled," Aunt Huang said softly. Under the grateful gazes of the servants, she walked towards Jiao Lianyu, who was leaning on the bed.
The bedroom door creaked shut. Once she was sure no one was eavesdropping, Aunt Huang sat by the bed, tenderly holding Jiao Lianyu's hand. Her gentle expression was now replaced by hatred, "If only that wretched girl hadn't meddled, we could have dealt with Madam Chen and disgusted the elder branch to death!"
Jiao Lianyu's face was pale and bloodless. The once dignified and handsome second son of the Prefect's family now appeared disheveled and weak in his sickly state. Coupled with his vicious gaze, Prefect Jiao would never have thought Jiao Lianyu to be a gentlemanly, gentle, and jade-like person if he saw him now.
With every breath, his chest wound throbbed with pain. Jiao Lianyu touched his neck with his left hand. He had almost died at the hands of that foolish woman, Madam Chen. He had truly been careless.
"Mother, you don't need to worry. Jiao Lianping is useless. Even if his mother and son curry favor with Zhan Feiyu, what of it? If Jiao Lianping were an official in the court now, I might worry, but he is dull-witted and can only pursue the path of an official by recommendation. Scholar Gu is busy with state affairs; why would he care about such an insignificant ant?"
When Aunt Huang thought that her son was a dragon among men, while Madam Jiao, despite being the legitimate wife, had given birth to an idiot, her mood immediately improved. "My son is right. One must be strong oneself. Jiao Lianping is not to be feared. Moreover, that wretched girl will eventually leave Qianzhong Prefecture. Once she's gone, who will remember Jiao Lianping?"
If the person behind Li Li had not appeared tonight, Jiao Lianyu might still have worried about Jiao Lianping relying on Zhan Feiyu's influence to suppress him.
But since the other party had promised to support him, Jiao Lianyu was no longer afraid. No matter what their intentions were, they would ultimately help him achieve fame and success. With his father's and the Jiao family's connections and financial resources, Jiao Lianyu's lips curled into a smug smile. If he managed things well, becoming a marquis and a minister in the future would not be impossible.
...
The next day, the weather was hot, and the chirping of cicadas on the branches made people feel irritable. In the courtyard, He Nuan leaped and landed on a tree.
A moment later, there were seven or eight chirping cicadas in a cloth bag. He Nuan unceremoniously tied the bag shut and threw it outside the wall. He saw a figure move as fast as lightning, disappearing within a few breaths. Along with the cicadas that disturbed people's dreams, the figure also vanished.
"Miss, you're awake?" He Nuan turned around and saw Zhan Feiyu leaning against the window, her hair loose.
The young girl's skin was fair, as delicate as a peeled egg. Her eyes were dark and deep. Coupled with her loose, dark hair, she looked both charming and adorable.
"If I sleep any longer, I won't finish today's homework." Yawning, Zhan Feiyu glanced at the bright, glaring sunlight outside the window. Fortunately, this was the separate residence of the Qiu family, and there was plenty of ice stored in the cellar. Otherwise, Zhan Feiyu would probably have woken up from the heat two hours earlier.
After He Nuan helped Zhan Feiyu wash up and comb her hair, and they had eaten breakfast, which could serve as lunch, another half hour had passed.
"Miss." He Sheng strode in from outside and handed her a letter, "A post from the Qiu family arrived this morning."
The post was written by Madam Qiu, inviting Zhan Feiyu to visit the Qiu family. In terms of status, Madam Qiu was the wife of the Provincial Administration Commissioner, a noble title granted by the imperial court. In terms of age, she was also an elder. To receive a personal post from Madam Qiu in Qianzhong Prefecture was an immense honor.
"A'Nuan, put the post away." After reading it, Zhan Feiyu handed the post to He Nuan beside her, then asked He Sheng, "Have you found out who is behind Li Li?"
He Sheng, who had been hiding in the secret room in Jiao Lianyu's bedroom last night, had seen everything that happened. "That person is an advisor in Lord Wei's mansion. His wife is a distant cousin of Lord Wei. Five years ago, the couple offended someone in their hometown and came to Qianzhong Prefecture to seek refuge with Lord Wei. Zhong Shaofang advises Lord Wei and also helps manage the Wei family's external affairs."
Generally, the external affairs of official families were managed by their own brothers or cousins. However, Lord Wei's family had only one son for three generations, with no brothers or even cousins. Fortunately, Lady Wei was fruitful, and ten years after the birth of their eldest son, she gave Lord Wei a second son.
Because of this, the young master of the Wei family was pampered from a young age, which led him to become a dissolute young man, constantly mingling with people like Jiao Lianping.
The Wei family had few relatives, so Zhong Shaofang, as a cousin-in-law, came to seek refuge. Moreover, he was a scholar with a Xiu Cai degree, so he quickly gained Lord Wei's trust and was heavily relied upon. Zhong Shaofang managed most of the Wei family's external affairs. He was also discreet and always remained behind the scenes. Matters concerning the inner chambers were handed over to Lady Wei, while external matters were handled by the steward.
Hearing this, Zhan Feiyu nodded in understanding, "So Zhong Shaofang is so low-key that the outside world doesn't notice him. People like Li Li and Tu Da Niu are indeed hard to guard against."
In terms of age, Tu Da Niu was over thirty years old, which meant that the person in the shadows had started planning thirty years ago, or even longer. Zhan Feiyu dared not imagine how vast the old master's influence was.
"Miss, you don't need to worry too much." He Nuan walked over and placed the freshly brewed cooling tea on the table. She continued, "The aristocratic families of the Great Qing Dynasty generally rely on servants born and raised in the household, and rarely trust servants hired from outside."
Whether it was a scholarly family of a hundred years or a prestigious lineage, there were usually two to three hundred servants born and raised in the household, plus ordinary servants. A large mansion would likely house four to five hundred servants.
Therefore, the servants trusted by large families were those born and raised in the household. Those hired from outside were mostly rough maids, nannies, and young servants, rarely becoming confidantes of the masters, making it difficult to gather secret information.
"Li Li's ability to enter Prefect Jiao's study was likely also facilitated by Jiao Lianyu." He Nuan had no good feelings for Prefect Jiao's two sons, one arrogant and the other insidious and malicious.
"Cleverness defeats itself." Zhan Feiyu took a sip of the cooling tea. Its sweet and sour taste, combined with being chilled with ice, instantly dispelled the heat around her. She squinted and took a couple more sips, "It's a pity that Prefect Jiao is blind to what is right before his eyes."
After Jiao Lianyu risked his life to block a knife for Prefect Jiao and almost died, Prefect Jiao's trust and affection for his son Jiao Lianyu would no longer be doubted.