Chapter 450 - Troubles and the Ding General Manors Counterplot (2/2)

“What are you talking about. Quick, apologize to your uncle. Is this something a consort should say?!” Ling Hai, who was seated by the side slapped his hand on the table and berated Ling Rui’er.

“Father…” Ling Rui’er was shocked and her eyes grew red. She was still shocked by what happened earlier. She thought of how she still had to see Feng Yuxuan later when she returned to the manor. She did not know what Feng Yuxuan would think. When she thought of how rumors would say that she was meeting her lover in secret in that shop, she felt very much aggrieved. She had only just wanted to give something nice to her elder brother. How did something like this happen?

“Apologize.” Ling Hai said angrily, unmoved even when he saw the aggrieved expression on his daughter’s face.

“Uncle, Rui’er did not mean to do that. I was just very angry. Why did so many things happen when I just wanted to buy something from the shop? It is obvious that someone was trying to frame me.” Ling Rui’er cried and covered her face with a handkerchief as she curtsied at Duke Ding. She could not hold her tears back any longer and she started to sob.

Duke Ding frowned slightly. Given his many years of experience, he knew that someone was trying to frame Ling Rui’er. However, the problem was that they did not know who it was.

“Rui’er, don’t be upset. Since you know that someone is trying to frame you to get to King Chu and the Ding General Manor, then you must not act rashly even more so. You have to know that you are now King Chu’s consort. Everything you say and every move you make represents King Chu. We still don’t know what King Chu thinks of the incident today. How can you be so rash?”

When he mentioned Feng Yuxuan, Ling Rui’er paled immediately. She did not dare to be rash any longer. She said uneasily, “Uncle, then what should I do?”

Ling Rui’er’s maid, Xiangyun, who was behind her, immediately handed her a clean handkerchief. Ling Rui’er accepted it and wiped her tears before sitting down again.

“This person seems to bear malicious intentions towards the Ding General Manor as well as King Chu’s Manor. Furthermore, the person knew that you were going to come to the Ding General Manor today, which was why they could set up such an intricate plot on the way here. Rui’er, tell me, why did you suddenly want to get that brush washer?”

Duke Ding asked Ling Rui’er confusedly. Why did she suddenly want to buy a brush washer when all she had to do was visit Ling Yang? Furthermore, it was said that she had seen the brush washer a few days ago and did not have any intention to buy it afterward. Why did she suddenly want to buy it again!

Ling Rui’er put down the handkerchief she used to wipe her tears and thought for a moment. She replied, “Uncle, when I went to see the brush washer last time, I thought that it suited Elder Brother very well. Furthermore, Elder Brother likes collecting brush washers. He would definitely like it. However, we didn’t buy it because we couldn’t come to an agreement about the price. I forgot all about it after returning to the King’s Manor. I went out today to visit Elder Brother. When I arrived at the intersection, I suddenly remembered this, so I got Xiangyun to buy it. Who would have known that, that… then that happened.”

“Did anyone mention the brush washer to you?”

“No, I saw the shop through the window and thought of it.” Ling Rui’er thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. No one had spoken in the horse carriage then, and neither did she hear about it from anyone before or after leaving the manor. If she hadn’t seen the shop and thought of the brush washer, she would not have gotten Xiangyun to get off the horse carriage then.

“Xiangyun, how did the argument start after you got off the horse carriage?” Duke Ding saw that he could not get any information from Ling Rui’er and turned to ask Xiangyun, who was behind her.

Xiangyun was so frightened that she lost strength in her legs. She knelt down with a plop and quickly explained, “Sir, I didn’t say anything. I just asked where the brush washer went. The shopkeeper said that it had been sold to someone else and it had been sold for a thousand taels of silver. His tone was filled with scorn for My Lady, so I got mad. How can the shopkeeper be such a sn.o.b? My Lady had said that she would return to buy it. Why didn’t he ask My Lady before selling it then? The shopkeeper couldn’t explain himself when he heard that and started arguing with me.”

Xiangyun knew that some things could not be said and pushed all the blame to the shopkeeper. She also did not forget to mention that she had been standing up for Ling Rui’er. Those people had been so hostile, and they were obviously trying to humiliate Ling Rui’er.

“Uncle, look. Xiangyun said that the brush washer was mine, but those people still dared to do that. This… If this isn’t them bullying me, that what is? I am Consort Chu, am I not allowed to be as stubborn as a mere shopkeeper? Listen to the rumors that they are spreading. They said that I have a lover because…”

Ling Rui’er thought of what those people said behind the horse carriage. Her eyes reddened again and she started to cry. She did not want to hear those words again in her entire life. She was Consort Chu but had been humiliated on the streets by those people. Even though she used to be the Third Miss born by a concubine of the Ding General Manor, she had never been treated like that.

“Elder Brother, what do you think?” Ling Hai asked with a frown. Things hadn’t been going well for him recently either. First, his son fought with Consort Yu’s younger brother, Yu Mingyong. His arm and leg had been broken because of a woman. The Emperor even pushed all the blame onto his son.

He had wanted to plead with the Empress Dowager for help but the servants of Cining Palace came to say that the Empress Dowager was gravely ill. They were not to bother her if it was nothing serious. The two brothers of Ling knew that the Empress Dowager was displeased with them.

He had planned to enter the palace and try to see what the Empress Dowager would say and try to b.u.t.ter up to her. After all, the Empress Dowager was the Emperor’s mother on paper. She was the most distinguished and honorable woman of the Qin Kingdom. They could not afford to offend her anyway.

However, who would have thought that more trouble would arise even before the first was solved? Ling Rui’er had gotten into trouble on the way back to the manor!

How could Duke Ding not feel like a cat on hot bricks? He did not even have a place to stand still and plan for his next move.

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