He flung the ledger in her face and said coldly, "I'll pay back the money my mother owes you. Huiyan has nothing to do with this. From now on, her expenses won't be covered by the family's common fund. I'll take care of it. And you don't need to complain to the old lady every day!"
The thick ledger hitting Song Wanchu's face felt like a resounding slap from Liang Yuzhou.
She thought she had received a sweet treat from him today, but it turned out that this slap was the real deal.
Without even asking what Yu Huiyan had said in her bedroom today, he immediately assumed that she had embarrassed Yu Huiyan under the pretext of subsidizing Princess Jiahe and had complained to the old lady, making Yu Huiyan feel wronged.
If only he had asked a reliable person, he would have known that although Yu Huiyan seemed to be mediating, every word she said was inciting and provoking, hoping that the Duke's Mansion would be in chaos.
All Yu Huiyan had to do was shed a few tears, and she could gain Liang Yuzhou's unconditional trust and pity.
But what about her? Even if she tried her best to explain, in his eyes, she was still a deceitful, vicious, and jealous schemer.
Looking into his cold eyes, Song Wanchu no longer had the slightest desire to defend herself.
She felt as if her whole body was soaked in the sea, bitter and exhausted.
She picked up the ledger and tore it up page by page. The paper flakes fluttered like snow and piled up on her lap.
"Thank you, Second Master, for your generosity."
She was smiling, but the smile didn't reach her eyes, making Liang Yuzhou feel strange.
Her actions and words had clearly shown her attitude.
Why wouldn't she take the money that was offered for free? There would be many expenses after she left the Duke's Mansion.
Moreover, this money was originally owed to her by Princess Jiahe. It was only reasonable for the son to pay the mother's debt.
She just never thought that one day she would end up calculating with Liang Yuzhou face to face.
Liang Yuzhou had thought that Song Wanchu would defend herself a bit, but she calmly admitted that she had been gossiping, making a fuss out of nothing, and sowing discord.
He felt a bit annoyed. She was supposed to be his wife, but he seemed to be getting more and more confused about her.
Thinking of the affectionate words in Shi Luohan's letter, his chest felt even more stuffy.
...
Nanzhi and Suyue thought that Liang Yuzhou would surely stay in Shuiyun Residence tonight. Who would have thought that not long after they hid, they saw Liang Yuzhou leaving with a gloomy face.
Suyue sighed as she watched Liang Yuzhou's back. "Why did the Second Master and the young lady part on bad terms again?"
Nanzhi showed a look of contempt. "Humph, all men are the same. The Second Master is no exception. He only treats the young lady better when he wants that kind of thing. Let him go if he wants to. The young lady is not willing to serve him anyway!"
"I wish the young lady's injury would heal more slowly. It'd be best if it dragged on until the young lady leaves, so she wouldn't have to serve the Second Master at night anymore!"
It was quiet in Shuiyun Residence at this moment, and Suyue's muttering was not soft.
"Leave? Who's leaving?"
Zhou Yan appeared out of nowhere, holding a pot of peonies in his hand.
Suyue and Nanzhi were greatly startled. They were still angry at Liang Yuzhou, so they naturally didn't have a good look for him.
"What does it matter to you?" Suyue gave him a disdainful look.
Zhou Yan became suspicious. His hawk-like eyes, as black as obsidian, made Suyue feel uneasy.
Nanzhi was a bit older and more composed than Suyue. "We sisters were just chatting. No one is leaving. You heard wrong."
Suyue kept nodding in agreement.
They both knew that Zhou Yan was one of Liang Yuzhou's most trusted guards. If he heard that the young lady was about to leave, Liang Yuzhou would surely know in the next moment.
The young lady had told them to be tight-lipped and not to reveal any information, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble.
So they would never admit it even if they were beaten to death.
Although Zhou Yan was suspicious, he couldn't figure out the whole story, so he had to put down the peonies and leave.
On his way back, he struggled for a long time and finally decided not to report it to the Second Master.
He had been making the Second Master angry recently. If he caused a rift between the Second Master and the mistress because of a baseless rumor, his sin would be even greater!
If things got really bad, the Second Master might even kick him out.
Besides, everyone knew that the mistress was deeply in love with the Second Master. She had been very attentive to him for three years. How could she suddenly want to leave the Duke's Mansion?
That was absolutely impossible!
The next day, Yu Huiyan learned that nothing had happened in Shuiyun Residence last night, and Liang Yuzhou had even paid back the 50,000 taels of silver that Princess Jiahe owed out of his own pocket.
Then what was the point of her crying and kneeling last night?
She was so angry that she almost gritted her back teeth.
She had thought that since her aunt was unreliable, she could still get some silver from Liang Yuzhou to relieve the Yu family's difficulties. Now there was no hope.
A vicious thought came to her mind.
She was going to drive Song Wanchu away!
At all costs!
...
Aunt Wen came to visit Song Wanchu and brought her good news.
"The coachman who took the silver and fled the capital overnight has been found by your uncle's men! He couldn't stand the intimidation and confessed everything about Gao Chongming instructing him to deliberately cause the car accident! Your uncle reported it to the Court of Judicial Review, and Shi Jinglu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, has arrested Gao Chongming for interrogation!"
Song Wanchu had heard of Shi Jinglu. He was well-known in the capital for his strict impartiality and was nicknamed "the King of Hell on Earth".
Countless noble officials and aristocrats had been sentenced to prison, even had their families confiscated and exiled under his hand.
How could Gao Chongming, a good-for-nothing playboy, withstand the interrogation of the King of Hell?
It was only a matter of time before Yu Rongbai was arrested.
Song Wanchu wanted to see if Yu Rongbai could withstand the interrogation and whether he would betray his beloved sister.
Aunt Wen said angrily, "Although Yu Rongbai has a feud with your uncle, he wouldn't go so far as to take your life. I don't believe he did it without Yu Huiyan inciting him behind the scenes!"
Sighing deeply, she lovingly held Song Wanchu's hand. "Liang Yuzhou is really blind. For the sake of a vicious and ruthless woman, he has abandoned you again and again!"
Thinking of the cold treatment and suffering her niece had endured over the years, Aunt Wen couldn't stop her tears from falling.
Song Wanchu took out a silk handkerchief and wiped Aunt Wen's tears. Calmly, she said, "He won't have the chance to hurt me anymore."
"Oh, right." Aunt Wen took out a thick stack of silver notes from her sleeve and handed them to Song Wanchu. "Those fields of yours in the suburbs of the capital are all fertile. They were sold in a few days for a total of 150,000 taels. Keep the money well."
"Aunt, I don't need so much money for now. It's not convenient to carry it around. I'll need a lot of money when I go to the south of the Yangtze River. You can keep it for me first."
Aunt Wen smiled. "That's good. It'll save those in the mansion from coveting your money."
When she learned that Wanchu had been using her dowry to subsidize Princess Jiahe after she married into the Duke's Mansion, she was both angry and heartbroken. She almost couldn't help but go to Princess Jiahe to argue several times.
Song Wanchu knew that Aunt Wen was trying to save Liang Yuzhou's face and didn't want to make Princess Jiahe too embarrassed.
In the end, it was all for her, hoping that Liang Yuzhou would treat her better.
But their forbearance had not gained Liang Yuzhou's slightest understanding or pity.
Now that she had hit the wall and was willing to turn back, Aunt Wen was overjoyed.
"Your brother Luohan heard that you're going to the south of the Yangtze River. He put aside several escort missions and spent half a month choosing a mansion for you. Now he's found one. It's nestled against the mountains and beside the water, with a quiet environment and filled with your favorite peonies. It's just waiting for you to show up!"
Seeing Song Wanchu stunned, Aunt Wen frowned. "Has Luohan still not written to you?"