Chapter 203 Finally a Couple
In the Hexiang Courtyard, the old madam was tired from guarding the tricks of the Sun family. The second madam sent her servant to beg Yuanyang several times before she finally agreed to ask the old madam about it.
“Always causing troubles.” The old madam was resting on a couch, with soothing incense burning on the red-paint tea table next to her. She had a headache recently, so she hadn’t rested well for quite a while.
“Old madam, so you’re not seeing them?” Yuanyang asked as she was about to send the servant girl off.
“Forget it,” The old madam straightened up and stopped Yuanyang, “Let her in.”
Soon, the second madam hurried in with four nannies. The nannies were separated into two groups, keeping watch on Li Jiaxuan and Maner. They smartly went out as soon as they came inside the room.
“What’s the matter this time?” The old madam was annoyed. “You’ve never been settled ever since your marriage.” Even though both her biological sons, Prince Ning had a completely different character with the second master Leng. Moreover, Li, second master Leng’s wife, was a dominant woman. It was natural that the old madam likes prince Ning more.
“Don’t make fun of me,” The second madam Li smiled flatteringly. “It’s all for the good of the mansion. If what happened today was leaked, it’ll be bad for the mansion’s reputation.” The second madam looked at Li Jiaxuan and Maner, then told the old madam what happened in the pavilion, with lots of her own interpretations. At last, she said firmly, “There have been rumors in the streets that there are many paintings of the third young madam in a painting house in the royal city. Today, the servant girl of the third young madam acts so close with Mr. Li. Old madam, you really can’t blame me for thinking too much.”
“You just said that this Mr. Li was having some time with this servant girl, what does it have to do with Yunuan?” Li’s words were apparently illogical and exaggerating. The old madam could tell that it was problematic.
Li opened her mouth and only said after a while, “This servant girl is close to Qin Yunuan. Mr. Li has a feeling for Qin Yunuan for a long time. If it wasn’t for Qin Yunuan, how could he approach the servant girl?”
Li Jiaxuan argued with a blush on his face, “I’m just a friend with third young madam. I didn’t do anything inappropriate.”
“See,” The second madam covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed, “If you don’t have a feeling for Qin Yunuan, why do you defend her so anxiously?”
“Third young madam has done nothing wrong. You’re the one who frames her first.” Maner could help but said.
“How dare you call me ‘you’? You’re no more than a servant, don’t you know who’s in charge here?” The second madam said angrily. Then she suddenly reacted something, and she turned to the serious old madam and smiled, “What do you think, old madam?”
“Surely you should know who’s in charge here.” The old madam sneered and looked at the second madam. Then she turned her glance to Li Jiaxuan. “Mr. Li is our guest. We should treat him politely. As for the servant girl,” The old madam turned to Maner, “For whatever reason, it’s against the rules to meet a man alone in the backyard. I can’t pretend that nothing happened, even if you’re Yunuan’s servant girl. You shall be beaten.”
“Old madam, it’s nothing to do with her.” Li Jiaxuan didn’t want to harm the innocent Maner. “It’s just that I have something to ask for, and Maner came to tell me to obey the rules. Old madam, please don’t blame the innocent.”
“A rule is a rule.” The old madam was determined about it. She signaled to Yuanyang, and people came in to drag Maner away. The old madam looked at the second madam, “Are you satisfied now?”
Apparently, the second madam wanted more than this. The old madam was clearly defending Qin Yunuan by closing the case so quickly.
The sound of slaps came in soon. The three-inch-thick timber plank was extremely rigid, and it could really hurt when hitting on flesh. Suddenly, the muffled sound stopped, and the sound of someone breaking the plank came next.
“Guard Leng, this is the old madam’s order. I hope you won’t disturb us.”
“I want to see the old madam.” Leng Wu’s voice was cold but powerful.
“The old madam is talking to the second madam.”
“Piss off! I said I want to see the old madam.”
The door curtain was opened in the next moment. Leng Wu held Maner across his chest and appeared at the door. There was sweat on Maner’s forehead, and she fainted.
“How dare you? Don’t you know what this place is? It’s not somewhere that a guard like you could enter on your own wish.” The second madam yelled.
Leng Wu didn’t bother looking at second madam, and he held Maner close to his chest. He loosened a badge from his waist and kicked it with his heel to Yuanyang. Yuan held it with her hands. It was a fourth-class guard badge granted by the imperial court.
“I’m now seeing the first-class madam Jingguo as a fourth-class guard.” Leng Wu looked at the second madam, “As for you, the second madam, you have no title nor classes. I don’t have to ask for your approval.”
The second madam was embarrassed and said with a low volume, “Surely one becomes rude if he stays with a military man for too long.”
The old madam didn’t even raise her head, “It’s a special way to see me.”
Leng Wu slowly put Maner in a chair. His eyes were bright as he suddenly knelt to the ground, determined. The loud thump daunted the other servant girls in the room. Leng Wu seriously kowtowed thrice to the old madam and said, “Old madam, Leng Wu wants you to assign a marriage for me.”
The old madam raised her brows, “Don’t tell me that you’re marrying this servant girl.”
Leng Wu raised his head and said extremely firmly, “I’ll marry no one else.”
“It’s not worth it.” The old madam took a sip of tea.
“It’s worthy as long as I find it worthy.”
The old madam sneered, “Young people like you always live in fantasies. There’s a law in Qi that officials can’t marry servants. Servant girls like Maner, who was sold into the mansions since young, always sign live and death contracts with them, which means that she is a servant for the rest of her life. If you want to marry her, either you become a servant, or it’s impossible.” The old madam twitched her mouth in disdain, “Think about it. You’re a fourth-class guard. This is a title that so many people would dream of. You need to be certain about it.”
Leng Wu said without any hesitation, “I’ve made up my mind.”
The old madam turned her head away, “Well, I have no say in this, though. Maner’s live and death contract is with the Qin family. Her belongings are also a decision of the Qin family.”
Leng Wu was sad, but a soft woman’s voice came in, “Not necessarily.”
“Third young madam.” The servant girls outside greeted her as she came close.
“Greetings, old madam, and second madam.” Qin Yunuan smiled like a breeze in spring. It was refreshing. But it all seemed like teasing to the second madam.
“It’s nice of you to talk with the old madam even when it’s so late already.” Qin Yunuan smiled towards the second madam, but the second madam sneered hostilely.
Seeing Qin Yunuan, the old madam’s expression relaxed a bit. She just pointed at Maner, who was still fainted and said, “You’re to decide the belonging of a Qin family servant girl.”
“I heard it all just now.” Qin Yunuan looked at Leng Wu. “In face, Maner is not a servant.”
People were stunned, as they heard Qin Yunuan continued, “I was having a hard time with my mother in the back room of Qin’s Mansion back then. My mother was kind, so she took out all the live and death contracts of the servants and set them free. Maner and nurse Liao were the only ones who stayed. However, mother didn’t want to restrict them, so she burnt their contracts.”
“Huh,” The second madam laughed, covering her face, “Which means that this girl doesn’t have an identity? That’s even worse than a servant. She should be sent to the officials.”
“Not anymore.” Leng Changxi appeared at the door before anyone had noticed, with a brand-new identity certificate in his hands. “Fifteen minutes ago, Maner had become the fourth Miss of the Shang family, who had gone missing twenty years ago. She’s now a daughter of an official, which will make a perfect match with Leng Wu.”
The second madam wasn’t satisfied, “But she didn’t have an identity for the past many years.”
Leng Changxi shrugged, “So what? Not anymore.”
“You…” The second madam was speechless.
“Alright. If everything is settled, then return to your own places. I’m old now, and I just want some rest.” The old madam rubbed her brows. Lately, her headache was getting more severe. Even Sun Miaoyang can’t improve her situation. Perhaps there was too much for her to worry about.
“Then what about my wedding and the maner?” Leng Wu asked rigidly.
“Dummy,” Maner had woken up and opened her eyes. She pinched Leng Wu’s arm lightly, “Everyone had understood, yet you’re still asking.”
Leng Wu was embarrassed, while Leng Changxi and Qin Yunuan looked at each other and smiled.
Everything was perfectly solved. Even Maner had regained her consciousness, Leng Wu wouldn’t allow her to walk back on her own. He didn’t care that so many people were watching them, and he put Maner on his back. Maner was shy and blushed.
“Look at him, third young madam.”
“He likes you a lot, so he naturally wants to treat you well. Just accept it.” Qin Yunuan smiled. The determination and directness of Leng Wu were just like Leng Changxi.
The second madam was naturally dissatisfied. However, with Leng Changxi on Qin Yunuan’s side, she couldn’t even say nasty words to her.
A while later, when they were about to arrive at Jiyu Pavillion, some rapid foot sounded behind them.
Qin Yunuan turned back and stunned, “Yuanyang? Why are you here?”
Yuanyang said with a low voice, “Third young madam, the old madam had a heartache, and she wants Doctor Sun.”
Qin Yunuan immediately turned around and was about to ask the nanny guarding the door to invite Sun Miaoyang. However, Yuanyang stopped her and said, “Third young madam, what the old madam means was to tell no one else about it. It would be best if only you, Doctor Sun, and third young master know.”
Qin Yunuan frowned. The old madam had been unwell recently. Everyone knew about Sun Miaoyang treating her in the past. Now that the old madam wanted to hide it, the situation must be quite severe.