Married Thrice to Salted Fish

ngyu brought the ledger to the front hall to Liang Shi.
Liang Shi ordered someone to serve tea and asked Lin Qingyu to wait a while.
She then flipped through the account book in front of him.

“That’s strange.
Why can’t I see last year’s charcoal money? Manager Wang, could it be that you didn’t record it?”

Wang Guanshi hurriedly said, “As I remember, it should be on page 26.”

Lin Qingyu also said, “There is indeed this account.
I’ve seen it.” 

“Twenty-four, twenty-five…twenty-seven?” Liang Shi’s eyes widened, “Why… another page is missing?”

Lin Qingyu frowned.
“Impossible.”

Liang Shi repeatedly confirmed it.
“It’s really not here.”

“Please look for it carefully, Madam.” 

Liang Shi’s face was drawn down and she threw the account book to Liu Momo.
But anyone with a discerning eye could see that she wanted to fling this account book at Lin Qingyu.

Liang Shi no longer had her usual generosity and kindness and she said coldly, “Since you don’t trust my words — Liu Momo, help Shaojun count.”

Liu Momo quickly flipped through the ledger.
“The twenty-sixth page is indeed missing…Manager Wang, how many pages were there in this ledger?”

Wang Guan said, “A total of one hundred and twenty pages.” 

Liu Momo counted from beginning to end.
“This ledger has only one hundred and nineteen pages.
Why is there another page lost!”

Lin Qingyu’s constantly cold expression round finally showed that uneasiness they wanted to see.
“How is this possible? Madam, the ledger was not lost in Blue Wind Pavilion.”

“You’ve done it again.” Liang Shi said, sincere and earnest, “Qingyu, I can protect you once, but I can’t protect you again and again.”

Lin Qingyu was silent, his eyes half closed. 

The corners of Liang Shi’s lips were silently ticked up and Liu Momo could hardly hold back the smile from appearing on her face.
Manager Wang was just as anxious as last time.
“Madam, about the housekeeping, for the sake of the peace of the Hou Mansion, please reconsider! Madam!”

Liang Shi rubbed her forehead.
“Perhaps, I shouldn’t have placed such high hopes on you.
Wancheng is so ill, you should just stay by his side and take care of him.”

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Lin Qingyu finally lowered his head in front of them.
“Young Master Hou has his own servants to wholeheartedly take care of him and Qingyu still wishes to manage the mansion’s affairs.
I’m asking Madam…to give me another chance.”

Different expressions flashed in Liang Shi’s eyes.
Just as she expected, she was right.
Lin Qingyu was coming after the Hou Mansion’s property.
What a clear and cold beauty but inside, he was unexpectedly filled with worldly treachery.
How horrible if she really were to let him take control of the household. 

Liang Shi pondered for a long time and she said, as though compromising, “Don’t meddle with the accounts anymore.
How about this? The crown prince’s birth mother, Chen Guifei, is about to celebrate her fortieth birthday.
How about you handle the selection of her birthday gift?”

Court officials were very particular about giving gifts to each other.
Reciprocity was key and so was having worldly wisdom.
In recent years, the details of the gifts given by others to the Hou Mansion were all recorded.
When it was time to give them gifts in return, it must be carefully weighed based on their official positions as well as the friendship they shared with Nan’an Hou.
A little carelessness may arouse suspicion and envy.
Even ordinary officials were like this, what more the imperial concubine-mother of the current crown prince.

Liang Shi has already done so much to set the tone.
It was finally time to play the big one.

Lin Qingyu hesitated and said, “I have never had any dealings with the Eastern Palace.
I am completely ignorant as to Chen Guifei’s preferences.” 

“I have a book that records the rewards that His Highness the Crown Prince and Chen Guifei have bestowed upon Master Hou over the years.
You will only need to prepare a commensurate gift.” Liang Shi said, “Remember, His Majesty the Emperor does not like for the Empress and his concubines to be too extravagant.
He likes it even less for the crown prince to associate with powerful ministers.
The value of the gift you prepare for Chen Guifei must be equal to the rewards they have given.”

In the Blue Wind Pavilion, Lu Wancheng was feeding himself his medicine.
Movements slow and leisurely, it took him so very long to drink half his bowl.
Watching him, Huan Tong was itching to help him drink it.

Hearing “Shaojun has returned” from outside, Lu Wancheng looked towards the door, waiting for Lin Qingyu to come in.
He hurriedly drank down the remaining half of the medicine.

Huan Tong asked, confused, “Why is Young Master Hou so willing to drink his medicine as soon as he sees my family’s Young Master?” 

Lu Wancheng smiled and said, “The medicine is too bitter so you've got to down it with a bit of eye candy.
—— Doctor Lin, how was it?”

Lin Qingyu ignored him.
“Huan Tong, go and ask Manager Zhang to come here.”

When Zhang Shiquan heard that the ledger was missing another page, he grew quite emotional.
“How is that possible? I have confirmed it over and over!”

Lin Qingyu said, “It’s very simple, Liang Shi has people within the Blue Wind Pavilion, and they took the ledger at the last minute.” 

“It’s probably Feng Qin,” Lu Wancheng said casually, “She is quite loyal to Liang Shi.”

Everyone’s eyes flicked and focused on Lu Wancheng.

Lu Wancheng laughed and said, “Why are you all looking at me?”

Lin Qingyu asked, “How do you know?” 

“I observed it.”

Huan Tong yelled, “How could Young Master Hou not tell us about such an important matter?!”

 

Lu Wancheng was also surprised.
“Liang Shi has been in power within the Nan’an Hou Mansion for many years, and she had been the one to personally select the Blue Wind Pavilion’s servants.
Except for Hua Lu who is a maid sent by my maternal grandparents, everyone else would obey Liang Shi.
Don’t tell me that you didn’t know.”

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The people gathered remained expressionless for a while.
Lin Qingyu said calmly, “Thank you, Young Master Hou, for reminding us.
We know now.” 

Huan Tong said fiercely, “I’m going to go and talk some sense into her!”

“No need,” Lin Qingyu stopped Huan Tong.
“Let her be.”

Huan Tong said in disbelief, “Young Master? But why?”

Lu Wancheng smiled and said, “My guess is, there’s someone here who wants to do ‘something bad’?” 

Lin Qingyu did not deny it.
“She made the first move.”

Lu Wancheng looked at Lin Qingyu.
In his eyes, was a smile that couldn’t be hidden.
“It’s fine.
Doctor Lin also looks beautiful when he’s doing ‘something bad’.”

“Young Master Hou, sleeping haphazardly is fine, but speaking so is not.” Huan Tong said seriously, “Our family’s Young Master is good-natured and warm-hearted.
He would never do bad things!”

Lin Qingyu: “……” 

Lu Wancheng smiled.
“He hasn’t done it before, but he must have thought about it.
In the future, he might do it.
Am I right, Doctor Lin?”

Lin Qingyu’s heart tightened imperceptibly.

Huan Tong had grown up with him but he didn’t know some of the secret thoughts in his mind.
Huan Tong thought him a good person.
While Lu Wancheng, who had only known him for a few months, seemed to be able to see through him.

He originally thought that once he married into the Hou Mansion, he would have to endure the humiliation in silence and rot in the quagmire.
He never thought that he could meet a… close friend and confidant? 

Lin Qingyu looked down at a certain someone lying on the bed, clearly ill but relaxed and content.
The bottom of his eyes were dark and unclear.
Soon after, he smiled softly and said, “Wrong.”

Lu Wancheng’s coughing symptoms relapsed.
He coughed when he was awake and coughed even when he was asleep, waking himself up.
It was late into the night, after he’d woken up, that he subconsciously looked towards the screen.
However, he couldn’t make out anyone behind it, so he forced himself to sit up.
He saw Lin Qingyu standing by the window.

He was standing alone, his figure lonely and cold, looking as though he was caged in light.

For a long while, Lu Wancheng looked at him in a daze.
He couldn’t help calling out: “Qingyu?” 

“Here.”

Lu Wancheng asked: “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

 

Lin Qingyu was silent for a long time before he said, “You said, I look beautiful when I do bad things.”

Lu Wancheng smiled and said, “Hey, if you’re talking like that, I won’t be sleepy anymore.” 

Lin Qingyu looked back at him and asked softly, “If that ‘bad thing’ I do is poison people, or even…take the lives of people, would you still think that I look beautiful?”

Lu Wancheng was slightly startled.
His breath seemed to hide faint excitement and anticipation.
He slowly smiled.
“Of course, you’d be beautiful.
The way you look when you use poison is the one I like best.”