Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 190

When Liu Ziqi saw that Yu Jiao didn’t seem to be lying, those round almond eyes, clear and stubborn like a young deer’s, there was something so pure about her that it erased all doubt.

When Su Jian was young, every time her aunt scolded her, she would hide behind him and look at her aunt with those same bright, innocent eyes.

If… Su Jian was still alive, she’d probably be around the same age as this young girl now.

He silently repeated the name “Changkui” twice in his mind, then suddenly leaned forward and asked Yu Jiao, “You’re from Changkui?”

Yu Jiao nodded. “Yes, we are.”

Liu Ziqi fell silent for a moment. His trip to Qingzhou wasn’t only to escort Xiao Ning, he had another purpose as well: to visit Changkui.

His men had found traces in Huairou that seemed to match where Meng Qingshan had once stayed, but it was seven or eight years ago, too long ago to be certain it was really him.

He’d looked into Meng Qingshan’s background. His place of origin was indeed Changkui.

Gu Yun, hearing his question, vaguely guessed at Liu Ziqi’s thoughts. He couldn’t help but pat him on the shoulder. “Ziqi…”

Liu Ziqi raised his hand to stop him and lowered his gaze to the purplish finger marks around Yu Jiao’s delicate neck. A flicker of pity stirred in his heart. He quickly looked away and turned to Yang Yuancheng. “Since they’re people from your residence, Lord Yang, I’ll leave them to your judgment.”

Yang Yuancheng felt a bit uneasy. He knew the Mu family had brought female physicians to the house. If these two were just maidservants, he could deal with them freely, but glancing at the little maid kneeling at the garden gate, his head began to ache. From the way the two girls were talking, this might even involve Yan-jie.

If Little Marquis Gu simply killed them, things would be much easier, he could make up an excuse and offer the Mu family a convenient explanation.

Yang Yuancheng hesitated briefly. He walked to the garden gate and called for a servant. “Take them…” He paused, then pointed at the little maid kneeling on the ground and added, “Gag all three of them and lock them in the woodshed for now.”

“Wait!” Gu Yun cut in sharply. “What exactly does Lord Yang intend to do with them? Only the dead can keep secrets.” His implication couldn’t have been clearer.

Yu Jiao clenched her fists but didn’t respond to Gu Yun. Instead, she turned to the only one among them who looked kind and had the authority to speak, Liu Ziqi. She said, “Sirs, must you truly press us to death? My sister and I come from humble origins, mere country girls who’ve never seen the world. In this life, we could never be involved with people of your stature.” 

“If you let us go, we swear never to speak a word of what we’ve seen or heard today. We only wandered in here by accident and didn’t hear anything. We merely glanced at the garden’s scenery.”

Elsewhere in the estate, Lady Yang was sitting indoors, chatting and drinking tea with Third Madam Mu, when a servant suddenly came to report that something had happened in the west garden, the two female physicians had accidentally offended the important guests.

Third Madam Mu’s expression shifted slightly. Lady Yang immediately stood up and said hurriedly, “Don’t worry. I’ll go take a look,” and rushed toward the west garden.

Third Madam Mu had initially wanted to follow, but seeing that Lady Yang had no such intention, she had no choice but to stay behind and wait in Lady Yang’s quarters.

Outside the west garden, Lady Yang arrived and saw the maid Xiaodie kneeling at the entrance. She didn’t dare go in directly. Yesterday, the household had received a guest, personally greeted and placed in the west garden by her husband, and no one in the residence had been allowed near. The guest’s identity was so distinguished that even she hadn’t been told.

“Where is the master?” Lady Yang called into the garden and saw her husband standing beside two young and handsome gentlemen. One was unfamiliar, but the other wore a purple robe, and when she got a clear look at his face, she was shocked, it was Little Marquis Gu from the An’nan Marquisate.

Little Marquis Gu was infamous for his debauchery. Even on the way out in Qingzhou, she’d heard the rumors. The An’nan Marquisate was a noble family granted their title during the founding of the dynasty, with deep roots in the court. They were a true aristocracy, surrounded by power. 

Gu Yun was lawless and unrestrained but still deeply favored by the Emperor. He’d been in brawls with other nobles’ sons multiple times, and even when it reached the Emperor, His Majesty merely gave a few light scoldings, never any real punishment.

Now, seeing the disheveled Yu Jiao and her companion kneeling on the ground, Lady Yang’s heart seized. She feared this notorious little marquis might treat human life as worthless and quickly called out into the garden, “Husband, these young ladies were invited here by me. If they’ve offended anyone, I beg forgiveness on their behalf. Please, sirs, don’t hold it against them, they are but weak women.”

Hearing his wife’s voice, Yang Yuancheng cupped his hands to Gu Yun and Liu Ziqi. “Apologies, Little Marquis Gu, Young Master Liu.”

He quickly stepped outside and lowered his voice to say to his wife, “Don’t meddle in this. Tell me, do you know their background?”

Lady Yang saw the seriousness on his face and rushed to speak up for the girls. “Madam Mu brought them to see me for my illness. They’re just two young girls from the countryside in Changkui, with clean backgrounds.” 

“They have a few older brothers living at the Mu residence who are taking the upcoming provincial exams. The girls are young and unaware of our household rules. Please, don’t make things difficult for them.”

Hearing that the girls had older brothers living with the Mu family, and that their background seemed clean, Yang Yuancheng sighed and softened his tone. “You don’t know the whole story. Go back for now.”

Lady Yang clutched her handkerchief and whispered, “Little Marquis Gu is known for being ruthless. Please speak for them. Third Madam Mu is still in my quarters, and if anything happens to these girls, how will I explain it to her?”

Yang Yuancheng knew his wife had a kind heart. He patted her hand. “I’ll do my best to keep them alive. Just go back for now.”

Lady Yang had no choice but to leave, though she didn’t go far, standing at a path near the west garden, she watched anxiously.

Back in the garden, Yang Yuancheng said to Liu Ziqi and Gu Yun, “My wife confirms the girls are indeed from Changkui and have several brothers at the Mu residence preparing for the autumn exam. Their background seems clean.”

“Since Lady Yang has spoken for them, we can let them live,” Gu Yun sneered maliciously, “But those tongues of theirs have got to go!”

His voice was filled with venom. “Mute people can’t spread secrets. And while we’re at it, knock out those sharp little teeth of theirs too!”

A chill wind rustled the bamboo, the leaves whispering as they swayed. Yu Jiao felt an icy chill run down her spine. This was the inhuman cruelty of a feudal regime, where aristocrats trampled over human rights, and commoners were no more than ants.

She fought to contain her humiliation, suppressing the anger in her chest. “I beg you, Little Marquis Gu, please give us sisters a way to live. We had no intention of getting involved. You are above us, we are nothing but specks of dust. You need only ignore us. A gust of wind will scatter us, we will leave no trace behind.”

Gu Yun chuckled. “Now that’s amusing!” He crouched down, grabbed her chin between three fingers, and forced her face up. “With a mouth this clever, I really can’t believe you’re just some backwater village girl.”