Chapter 1043 The Two Had to Combine Against a Common Enemy
“Yes, master, there is news from the other side that Qin Yuru wants to see you and has something to tell you!” Qing’er nodded and said.
Shao Wanru seldom checked Qin Yuru. A secret in Jiangzhou was related to the Qin’s Mansion and the Qi’s Mansion. She couldn’t get it from others but Qin Yuru.
Shao Wanru was clear about Qin Yuru’s taking advantage of the situation. By relying on the power of the Grand Prince’s Mansion, she had negotiated with Qi Tianyu.
Qi Tianyu was ambitious. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have suffered losses to accept Qin Yuru. His purpose was the Duke Yong’s Mansion in the capital city. Now, seeing that he could build ties with the Grand Prince’s Mansion through Qin Yuru, how could he let the perfect chance slip?
When in Jiangzhou, Qi Tianyu was a well-known young talent who was good at studying. In addition, he was the eldest son of the magistrate of Jiangzhou, so everything fell in with his wishes back then, and he had never taken a beating. Only the Qin sisters got him in an unfavorable situation. But even so, when people in Jiangzhou talked about Qi Tianyu, they would give him a thumbs-up.!!
Though Qi Tianyu was a famous gifted scholar in Jiangzhou, he was much less popular than other outstanding men in the capital city. He was indeed the Number Three Scholar, but he had been stranded in his official career. The support he could get from Jiangzhou was so little that it was nearly negligible.
If Qi Tianyu wanted more tremendous achievements, he could only depend on his own efforts.
Qi Tianyu should want to make peace with the Qin’s Mansion. If Qin Huaiyong was willing to back him up, it would be good for Qi Tianyu. Unfortunately, she was not Qin Huaiyong’s biological daughter, so his hope of allying with the Qin’s Mansion by marriage was dashed.
It was impossible that no one was interested in his marriage. Perhaps, he just didn’t even bother to consider ladies from ordinary families.
Yan Xi was the Number Three Scholar, and Luo Xiaowan of Duke Yangqu’s Mansion happened to have canceled her marriage, so he immediately went to propose the marriage. Both Yan Xi and Qi Tianyu came to the capital alone, so Qi Tianyu must have encountered the same thing as Yan Xi. But since he married no one for a long time, he must want to marry another lady from a noble family.
It was a pity that Qin Yuru had stained his reputation. Since he became a standing joke for some people, no influential family wanted to let their daughters marry him even if he was the Number Three Scholar.
Now there came a great chance for Qi Tianyu if he could play up to the Grand Prince’s Mansion.
For this benefit, he could ignore that Qin Yuru had betrayed him and even her previous marriage. As long as Qin Yuru could get out of prison and join the Grand Prince’s Mansion as a daughter, he could even consider marriage with Qin Yuru again.
In fact, this was the best time for Qin Yuru to inquire about things. In her current situation, Qi Tianyu would not stay very vigilant against her.
Moreover, he would even curry favor with Qin Yuru. Once Qin Yuru was let out of prison, she would owe him a big debt of gratitude. However, if she couldn’t get out, he would waste some of his kindness at most. Qi Tianyu could make big profits with a small investment, so why not go ahead with it?
It was almost time to receive some news from Qin Yuru.
She saw Qin Yuru again in prison, but Qin Yuru was vastly different from what she used to be. Though dressed simply, she looked clean and tidy. Someone must be taking care of her at all times.
She was putting on weight as if she had been living more comfortably in prison than in Duke Yong’s Mansion.
When she saw Shao Wanru coming over, she didn’t look at her with intense hatred. After just looking her up and down carefully a few times, she cracked a smile.
“Second Sister, you came fast. Can you go in and out of Prince Chen’s Mansion freely?” She greeted Shao Wanru and said with a smile, addressing her like old times.
Hearing this, they fell into a trance, thinking of their past that seemed to have happened a lifetime ago. Shao Wanru had never seen such an even-tempered Qin Yuru, who appeared generous and open-minded. It was as if her previous malicious and insidious self had broken into pieces in her heart.
Shao Wanru looked down, and her eyes fell on the thick chains around Qin Yuru’s wrists. With each step, there would be creepy sounds of something heavy being dragged.
“Please take a seat!”
“Thank you, Second Sister!” Qin Yuru sat on a stool aside and pulled the chain in her hand before raising her head to say, “After I die, please bury me beside my mother. Only she is sincere to me in this life, although she had always been vicious and cheap in the eyes of others.”
Shao Wanru looked at Qin Yuru and saw the relief in her eyes. After a long while, she asked, “Didn’t the Grand Prince’s Mansion respond?”
“The mansion has granddaughters. How could they care about an illegitimate daughter like me who appeared abruptly?” Qin Yuru raised the corners of her mouth with sarcasm and continued, “Mother didn’t mention it all these years. She must have known the Grand Prince’s Mansion wouldn’t take me in nor recognize me as a descendant. It is much better for me to be the legitimate eldest daughter of the Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion than an illegitimate daughter!”
Qin Yuru had been locked up in prison for such a long time. In the beginning, she was busy plotting and was filled with boiling anger. Then she felt aimless and helpless before being caught in a whirlpool of hate. Later on, she dug up the past, little by little. Everything that had happened seemed to be a dream, a crazy one. In it, she was out of her mind. For an illusion that she could enjoy no end of wealth and honor, she sacrificed everything she had.
But in the end, she got nothing and even lost Madam Di.
“My life is a tragedy. My mother lost her virginity and gave birth to me, but she was always afraid that others would know it, so she tried every means to marry me back into Duke Yong’s Mansion. For one thing, Duke Yong’s Mansion was inferior to the Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion at that time. For another, she feared the matter of her losing her virginity at a young age would come to light. It would be better for me to marry back and shut up everyone. Unfortunately, my mother forgot the wild ambition of my uncle and others.”
Qin Yuru said slowly without jor and sorrow as if she were talking about someone else’s business. After spending a long time in prison, how could she not understand the past after taking her time recalling every bygone event?
In the past, she was blinded by the glitter and the glamor of the luxurious life, so she didn’t know about herself, nor did she want to see her true self.
“The Duke Yong’s Mansion broke up, and I can’t go back to the General’s Mansion. As for the Grand Prince’s Mansion, it has nothing to do with me. Royal blood? I’m an illegitimate descendant, which will only tarnish the royal bloodline,” Qin Yuru said. The clearer she saw the reality, the more ridiculous she felt she was.
For others, she was as malicious and selfish as her mother. They were right because she could sacrifice everyone else only to benefit herself.
Now that she ended up with nothing, she finally realized what she had possessed was the most precious to her.
“Father didn’t come to see me even once. I know, I brought dishonor upon him…” The rims of Qin Yuru’s eyes were red, and she couldn’t finish what she was saying. Silently, she wiped the corners of her eyes with her rough sleeves.
Shao Wanru didn’t interrupt her and just listened to her quietly, waiting for her to recall the past. Her liquid eyes remained serene and tranquil.
As far back as her rebirth, she had already recalled her previous life. Now it was Qin Yuru’s turn to recollect the path she had taken in this life, including her mistakes and her regrets.
“Second Sister, I don’t want anything else, but please bury me beside mother.” Raising her head, Qin Yuru wiped her tears and begged.
After Madam Di’s death, the shameful story about her was exposed, which damaged her reputation. The Qin family expelled her, and Old Madam of the Duke Yong’s Mansion casually buried her in an open place.
Qin Yuru was in a similar situation as Madam Di. No family would accept her. Taking her long sleep with Madam Di could be regarded as the best ending for her.
“Okay, I promise you!” Shao Wanru nodded and spoke unhurriedly.
“Magistrate Jiang and General Qin reached a mutually beneficial agreement at the very beginning. It was about the time that you arrive at my family.” Qin Yuru stopped recalling and went straight to the point with gratitude in her eyes.
“When I got to the Qin’s Mansion?” Shao Wanru’s heart thumped heavily. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes looked deep and solemn.
“Yes, not in Jiangzhou at that time, but Magistrate Jiang and General Qin were there. They had a good relationship and were like old friends at first sight. Originally, they were not officials in the same place.” Qin Yuru nodded, telling her the information she got from the servant.
It was also her achievement in the past few days.
The servant was clever and careful, but what she asked was all about the past events in Jiangzhou. From time to time, when she mentioned some other things, the servant would answer in passing. After that, Qin Yuru would go back to their previous topic without him noticing anything wrong.
Fortunately, Qi Tianyu ordered the servant to accompany her to chat about the past. Even if Qin Yuru made a slip of the tongue, it did not alarm the servant.
“Because of one thing, something that both of them didn’t want others to know, they made the mutually beneficial agreement. They said they felt like old friends from the start, but it was just a story to hide the truth from outsiders.” Qin Yuru said, “I couldn’t get any more information from the servant. It seemed that General Qin and Magistrate Jiang joined hands because of the arrival of one person.”
“With this cooperation, the two families felt like sharing honor through marriage, but my mother thought differently. After that, many things happened. But even so, after they came to the capital, Qi Tianyu and his sister were still entrusted to General Qin. If it weren’t for the close relationship between the two families, such a thing would never happen at that time.”
Qin Yuru added with certainty.
The servant was Qi Tianyu’s trusted subordinate, who came from Jiangzhou with him. Qi Tianyu had several other servants, but this servant was the most favored one. He handled some affairs related to Jiangzhou, including the letters and gifts between Qi Tianyu and Magistrate Jiang and some other private matters.
However, this tight-mouthed servant never talked about these things. He would only put in and say a few words when Qin Yuru raked over the past in Jiangzhou. At other times, only Qin Yuru was talking.
“I heard this person went there occasionally and seemed unwilling to let others know. Moreover, since they didn’t dare to offend this high-status person with great power, they had no choice but to agree to resist him together. They must have discovered some of this person’s secrets, so they allied out of fear.”
“Does this person have anything to do with me?” Shao Wanru asked, staring at Qin Yuru.
“Yes, sure. He is your Second Uncle, Marquis Xing!” Qin Yuru looked at Shao Wanru and inclined her head very slightly.
Shao Wanru closed her eyes and opened them slowly. A trace of blood crawled over her deep eyes. “Indeed. Sure enough…”