A few more days passed. Xu Qing sent all her dowry to Xie Xiu.
Such a great amount of gold, silver, and jewels would surely make a splash even if thrown into a lake.
Yet, there was still not a single bit of news from the capital.
Every time she went to the courtyard of the third branch, Xie Xiu would only make excuses.
Helpless, she had no choice but to go to the courtyard of the old master Xie.
She knelt there for several days in a row, but the old master Xie always pretended to be ill and refused to show up.
In the end, she could only cry in her room every day.
As for Xie Yanchuan, the once high - and - mighty eldest young master of the Xie family, was now running around everywhere for his father, but was constantly turned away.
It was the first time he felt like a useless person!
A good - for - nothing!
"Waiter, bring me another pot of wine!"
In the tavern, Xie Yanchuan's eyes were bleary with drunkenness as he shouted at the waiter.
Hearing the sound, the waiter immediately walked over.
With a smile in his eyes and hesitating to speak, he said, "Young Master Xie, you haven't even paid for the last pot of wine yet. What do you think about this..."
After all, everyone in Qinzhou City knew that the head of the Xie family had been imprisoned.
The current Xie Yanchuan was no longer the spend - thrift eldest young master he used to be.
Xie Yanchuan lifted his heavy eyelids and said impatiently, "Do you think I'll owe you the wine money?"
The waiter still stood in front of him with a smile on his face, but his feet didn't move.
Xie Yanchuan frowned, reached into his pocket, took out some copper coins, and put them on the table. "Bring the wine first. Go to the Xie Mansion to get the rest of the silver."
When the waiter saw the only five copper coins on the table, the smile on his face disappeared instantly.
He said coldly, "Young Master Xie, don't you want to eat and drink for free?"
Just then, a man from a nearby table walked over.
He put his arm around the waiter's shoulder and sneered, "How do you talk? This is Young Master Xie. Hurry up and bring out the best wine in your shop."
Xie Yanchuan took a look and found that the speaker was He Ling, who had once competed with him for the top courtesan in Chunfeng Tower.
He remembered that he had beaten He Ling severely at that time.
Presumably, He Ling had come here to laugh at him.
"He Ling, it's not your turn to talk here!" Xie Yanchuan roared.
Hearing this, He Ling immediately let go of the waiter's shoulder. "Xie Yanchuan, do you still think you're the eldest young master of the Xie family? Your father is about to die! Your mother is almost blind! Hahaha!"
Xie Yanchuan's eyes sharpened. He suddenly stood up and rushed towards He Ling.
He punched He Ling hard in the face.
"He Ling, who do you think you are!" Xie Yanchuan roared.
He Ling covered his face and screamed, "How dare you hit me?"
Xie Yanchuan sneered. "Have you forgotten how I beat you before? You were in bed for more than half a month."
He Ling's eyes were full of hatred.
He spat out the blood in his mouth.
Then he said to his companions behind him, "Attack!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the people who had been dining at the same table with He Ling immediately rushed up.
The fists and kicks of four or five people all landed on Xie Yanchuan.
Xie Yanchuan was beaten to the ground and couldn't get up.
"Stop!"
But those people didn't stop.
Then, Su Wan immediately picked up a wine bottle beside her and smashed it hard on He Ling's head.
Seeing this, the people immediately stopped.
When He Ling saw that it was a woman who had attacked him, his anger grew even stronger.
He covered the bleeding wound on his head with one hand and pointed at Su Wan's nose with the other, scolding, "You bitch! Do you believe I'll beat you to death?"
But Su Wan wasn't afraid at all. She raised her head. "Come on!"
Hearing this, He Ling immediately raised his palm high.
But before his palm could fall, He Ling was stopped by someone beside him.
"Are you crazy? She's the eldest Miss Su! Her father is an official in the capital!"
Hearing this, He Ling immediately took a few steps back, his eyes flustered.
Su Wan sneered. "Coward, get out of here!"
Then, He Ling and his group fled in a hurry.
Su Wan squatted down, looked at Xie Yanchuan lying on the ground, and couldn't help laughing. "I'm really honored to see Young Master Xie in such a state."
Xie Yanchuan endured the pain and sat up. He said angrily, "Are you also here to laugh at me?"
"I just helped you, you know." Su Wan said as she helped Xie Yanchuan up and sit on a stool.
Xie Yanchuan rubbed the place where he had been beaten and gasped in pain.
Frowning, he said, "Anyway, I should still say thank you to you."
"If Ruan Ruan hadn't told me to keep an eye on you, I wouldn't have bothered with your business." Su Wan said.
Hearing the name Ruan Jiu, Xie Yanchuan paused for a moment.
After a long time, he slowly asked, "How is A Jiu... How is she?"
"Don't you know? Ruan Ruan and Fourth Master went to the capital a few days ago to save your father."
"What?" Xie Yanchuan was instantly stunned. "They went to the capital to save my father?!"
Su Wan nodded.
Xie Yanchuan looked shocked. His father had forced them out of the Xie Mansion, but they were still willing to save him!
Then, a bitter smile appeared on Xie Yanchuan's face. "They can run around everywhere for my father, but what about me? I can't do anything but drink my sorrows away here!"
Hearing this, Su Wan rolled her eyes and came up with an idea. "Who says you can't do anything? How about we go to the capital too?"
Su Wan thought to herself, Why does Jiang Jibai ignore me recently? He even dared to say I was annoying just now!
Let's see if he'll be worried when I leave secretly!
Anyway, I haven't seen my father for a long time.
Hearing this, Xie Yanchuan's eyes lit up. He tightly grabbed Su Wan's arm. "Are you really willing to go to the capital with me?"
Su Wan nodded.
-
Inside the Shen Mansion in the capital
A gorgeous and noble - looking woman was half - lying on a grand master's chair, closing her eyes and listening to her favorite Kunqu Opera.
This was the mistress of the Shen family, Shen Yu's mother, Qin Shuang.
Just then, a beautiful young woman walked in.
"Mother, there's news about elder brother." Her voice was soft and sweet.
The speaker was Shen Yu's younger sister, Shen Ruoxi.
However, she was not Qin Shuang's biological daughter but an adopted daughter of the Shen family.
Qin Shuang opened her eyes, raised her hand, and motioned for the opera singer to step down.
Then, she took the letter from Shen Ruoxi's hand, opened it, and read it intently.
After a moment, Qin Shuang looked gloomy. She crumpled the paper in her hand into a ball. "Outrageous! Yu'er actually contacted important court officials secretly for a woman behind our backs!"
The Shen family was now in a dilemma.
Didn't Yu'er worry that others would seize the handle of the Shen family because of this?
Shen Ruoxi beside her bit her lip and said, "Mother, Sikong also said that elder brother almost gave his personal jade pendant to that woman."
"What?" Qin Shuang was even more angry after hearing this.
Yu'er must know the meaning of that jade pendant.
Immediately, her eyes sharpened, and she said coldly, "Send more people to Qinzhou. I'd like to see which seductive woman has bewitched Yu'er's soul!"
Qin Shuang clenched her fists, and the veins on her forehead bulged.
Yu'er had never been interested in love before. Now, for that woman, he was even willing to put the Shen family in danger.
She would never allow such a dangerous person to be by Yu'er's side!