A servant of the mansion said, "It just so happens that the lady is here. Look, the people from the Sikong Mansion have arrived."
The visitors were somewhat surprised to see Liang Wan meeting guests in the outer parlor.
"Third Lady, the lord knows you have been bedridden lately, so he specifically ordered me to bring over some medicinal herbs and tonics."
Well, this was certainly impeccable timing! Liang Wan maintained her usual coldness, not even sparing them a glance. "Take him to the back to see Uncle Cheng."
Before figuring out Lu Xiu's intentions, Liang Cheng inviting a doctor to check her pulse every day was nothing more than a ploy to exaggerate her illness and stall Wang Su for the time being. However, Wang Su was no fool. Sending someone over under the guise of delivering gifts was his way of probing for the truth. Liang Wan took a deep breath. The immediate crisis was far from over!
Waiting until the group headed to the back, Liang Wan slowly turned to Chen Sizheng, her face full of troubled reluctance. "I was just about to explain this to you. Now, you have seen it for yourselves.
"Uncle Cheng had previously arranged for me to marry into the Sikong Mansion. Who would have thought that later, I would become acquainted with the Grand Commandant? Seeing that the day of my marriage was approaching, I didn't want my personal matters to cause unnecessary trouble for multiple families.
"Therefore, out of absolute desperation, I wanted to arrange a meeting with him that day. Who knew I would run into such an ordeal along the way? The private meeting was originally intended to avoid drawing attention, yet I ended up bumping into quite a few people. It truly went against my wishes!"
As she spoke, she glanced at the two men sitting nearby, her haggard, sickly face tinged with helplessness.
"If it weren't for you, Chen Sizheng, I would never have wanted to bring this matter up again. I implore you all to keep this an absolute secret for me. I have already caused enough trouble for the Grand Commandant. If this reaches Wang Sikong's ears—
"To be honest with you, neither of these two sides is someone a weak woman like me can afford to offend. The reason I hid this from Uncle Cheng was also to prevent the mansion from being plunged into turmoil.
"As for Lord Zhang's murder, I don't know what that attendant told you, but this is all I know. I truly have no idea about the rest. You also know the Grand Commandant's temper—you heard yourselves what he said that night."
Having said her piece, she simply looked at them quietly and sighed. Chen Sizheng seemed to be chewing over her words.
Liang Wan thought to herself, "Other than saying he saw me, Zhang Shi's attendant definitely wouldn't have the guts to mention how he colluded with Cui Hao to kidnap me. Even at my worst, I am still a lady from a scholarly family." Furthermore, there was no way those two men wouldn't have reported the events of that night to Chen Sizheng. Anyone who witnessed it would naturally misunderstand and assume they were having an illicit affair.
Sure enough, after pondering for a moment, Chen Sizheng stood up. "We have bothered you today, Third Lady."
Liang Wan, however, added, "In a few days, I will be entering the Sikong Mansion. This matter is truly not something to be shared with others. I hope, sir—"
Perhaps out of anxiety, or perhaps due to her illness, she began to cough before she could finish her sentence. Her watery eyes glistened on her pale face, and an unnatural flush crept onto her cheeks. Already possessing a delicate and touching appearance, she now looked even more fragile and pitiful.
This sickly Xi Shi demeanor naturally fell into their eyes. Chen Sizheng's expression remained as usual. "Rest assured, Third Lady, the Ministry of Justice follows the rules when handling cases."
Liang Wan covered her mouth as she coughed, but she felt slightly resentful inside. Her story was full of holes and hardly convincing; she was simply gambling on Lu Xiu's intimidation factor in the eyes of these people.
After seeing them off, Liang Wan remained rooted to the spot, a wave of lingering fear washing over her. She knew that what she had just done was a truly risky move. Had she encountered someone strictly impartial and incorruptible, her attempts at playing the fox exploiting the Hu's might and deliberately acting mysteriously would have been completely useless. It was all thanks to Lu Xiu's usual domineering behavior; otherwise, she might not have been able to bluff her way through.
However, with her misleading them like this, what if it actually prompted them to seek out Lu Xiu? When he found out how she had used and smeared him, never mind the Ministry of Justice not letting her off—Lu Xiu would likely take her life first! At this thought, Liang Wan's scalp tingled with dread.
"Awan—"
The sudden call startled Liang Wan, causing her to flinch. She turned around to see Liang Cheng walking out alongside the men from the Sikong Mansion.
Liang Wan lowered her eyes, calming her racing thoughts. "Uncle Cheng."
"Have they left?"
"Yes."
Seeing her pale lips and distracted demeanor, Liang Cheng couldn't help but feel suspicious. However, with the people from the Sikong Mansion still standing nearby, no matter how doubtful he was, he had to suppress it for now.
"All right, since there's nothing else for you here and your health has not fully recovered, go back to your room and rest."
It wasn't that she was faking her illness. Her earlier composure had been entirely put on. It should be known that the officials from the Ministry of Justice were not easily fooled, and it was only this sickly appearance that helped conceal some of her true emotions. Liang Wan gave a soft reply of acknowledgment. Holding her forehead, she walked toward the back rooms with weak steps, showing absolutely no intention of exchanging pleasantries with the people from the Sikong Mansion. She had never paid them much attention anyway, so no one found it strange.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped out of the room, she bumped straight into several people. Besides Mrs. Zhang and Liang Jiao who had accompanied her earlier, her Mother had now joined them.
"Why were the people from the Ministry of Justice looking for you?"
Seeing her come out, Chun'er quickly hurried over to support her. "Mrs. Liang, the lady has not yet recovered from her illness. Why not—"
The lady from the He Family cast a cold glance at her. "I am speaking with the lady. What right does a lowly servant like you have to interrupt? I fear all of the lady's unruliness has been instigated by you!"
Liang Wan's eyes flickered. If this had been in the past, she definitely would have pleaded for Chun'er. But now...
"Mother, none of these matters have anything to do with Chun'er. If you must blame someone, blame me! Not to mention how wholeheartedly she has served me in the past, but just looking at these past few days of my illness, she has taken care of me without sleep or rest. For the sake of her absolute loyalty, please forgive her!
"Besides, I've always treated Chun'er as a Sister—"
Saying this, Liang Wan began coughing again, not forgetting to physically shield Chun'er by her side.
"You are becoming more and more unruly. A mere servant actually daring to call herself a Sister to her master." The lady of the He Family darkened her face, her icy voice entirely devoid of emotion. "Lock Chun'er in the woodshed! Don't let her out until the Third Lady gets married. If the Third Lady causes any more trouble during this period, there will be no need to keep Chun'er around!"
Mrs. Zhang watched silently. She had found this Chun'er to be an eyesore for a long time. However, since the maid was Liang Wan's personal attendant, it had been hard to punish her without a suitable opportunity, lest it ruin her own good reputation.
"Mrs. Liang!" Chun'er fell to her knees with a loud THUD. Pale-faced, she tried to defend herself, but the two maidservants gave her no chance at all, simply grabbing her arms and dragging her toward the side courtyard.
"My lady, my lady, please save me—" Seeing that defending herself was hopeless, she turned to Liang Wan for help.
"Mother..." Liang Wan's face flushed red. Overcome by a sudden rush of anxiety and anger, she began coughing violently and incessantly.
Mrs. Zhang gave a meaningful look. Liang Jiao understood tacitly and stepped forward. "Sister, I don't mean to criticize you, but is it really worth upsetting Aunt He over such a lowly servant?
"Aunt He is so strict with you precisely because she cares for you and wants what's best for you. Just think about it—when you really marry into the Sikong Mansion in the future, if you bring along someone with such crooked intentions, there's no guarantee she won't take advantage of you and seduce your husband!"
Liang Jiao's tone was gentle, and her words were earnest, playing the role of an intimate and understanding confidante.
The lady of the He Family's anger remained unabated. "When will you ever be as sensible as Ajiao!"