Chapter 32: The Great Net Unfolds

Taking two or three steps at a time, he followed the maid toward the latrine, and as they walked, he feigned nonchalance and asked, "The Vice Minister’s manor is truly vast. I wonder how the various courtyards are arranged?"

The maid, thinking him to be the future second son-in-law of the house, let down her guard and pointed out the various locations. "To answer you, Master Lu, the Master and Mistress reside in Lesheng Courtyard, the eldest young lady in Sijin Courtyard, the second young lady in Biyun Courtyard, the third young master in the front courtyard, and the old madam in Huafang Studio. There is also a Miss He visiting the manor, who is currently staying in Hanxue Pavilion."

*Hanxue Pavilion?!*

Lu Yi silently memorized the name. He knew he had no chance to see her at this very moment, but he resolved to find more excuses to visit the manor in the future. From unfamiliarity to familiarity—there would surely be an opportunity.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard the maid say, "Master Lu, we have arrived. I shall wait for you here, please go ahead."

The maid gestured toward the latrine ahead, and Lu Yi walked forward. Everything was calm, yet as he relieved himself, Lu Yi had no idea that a trap, meticulously designed for him, was gradually closing.

When a strange fragrance drifted by, he did not pay it any mind at first. But by the time he realized what was happening, his head felt dizzy and heavy. He struggled to shake it off, but his eyelids felt weighted with lead. Before he could even comprehend what was occurring, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

Just as his head was about to strike the floor, two unfamiliar servants suddenly darted out from inside and caught him just in time. They glanced around immediately, and seeing he was unharmed, they slipped a pill that dissolved on contact into his mouth. They then left quietly as if nothing had happened, their departure going unnoticed by the maid who stood with her back to the corridor.

When Lu Yi regained consciousness, he found himself sitting on the ground, his entire body gripped by an inexplicable agitation; he felt extremely strange.

"Master Lu? Master Lu?"

At the entrance, the maid was growing suspicious as to why he had been gone so long. She approached and called out, but no sooner had she spoken than she was struck unconscious and dragged away.

By the time Lu Yi emerged, there was no one in sight. The spot was some distance from the main hall, and he had not paid close attention when he first arrived, so he could not recall the way back. His head felt incredibly heavy, and no amount of rubbing could alleviate it.

Worst of all, a scorching fire seemed to be rising from within his body. The midday sun beating down on him only intensified the sensation. In his muddled state, he seemed to hear someone whisper to him, "Hanxue Pavilion is to the southeast."

He did not know what happened next, but his feet began to move, seemingly of their own accord, toward the southeast.

Once he had fully departed, the two servants reappeared, arranged the maid to look as though she had been struck from within the latrine, and vanished once more without a trace. The wind blew, and the scent vanished as if it had never been there at all.

Meanwhile, Chi Guiying, who had just returned to Biyun Courtyard, had no idea what her future held. Consumed by the humiliation of both families arriving today, she wept in frustration. Having these two joyous occasions overlap was a direct slap in her face.

She had never held a high opinion of the Lu family, and now she despised them to the extreme. How could the Lu family be so oblivious to their own standing? To be so arrogant and smug in front of the Marquis of Haibo and the General of the Town’s residence—especially the look on Mother Lu’s face—made her feel a sense of indescribable despair at the thought of having her as a mother-in-law.

If she had known this would happen, she never would have let her mother provoke the Lu family. Now, tasting the bitter fruit of her own actions, she finally understood the meaning of suffering. Her grandmother and father refused to stand up for her, her mother—the only one who could—had no say, her younger brother was unreliable, and her elder sister was her sworn enemy.

She had felt that for the past ten years, she had been the apple of her family’s eye, cherished by her parents. While not as pampered as a princess, she had lacked nothing compared to other noble young ladies. Yet, a dead end now lay before her.

With red-rimmed eyes and a sense of total hopelessness, her maid, Wen Xia, who was always by her side, suddenly crept in from the outside. With a hint of excitement in her eyes, she whispered, "Young Mistress, I just heard news: Master Lu has headed toward Hanxue Pavilion. Why don't we make a scene and smear their reputations? That way, this marriage will be ruined, won't it? What do you think?"

Taken aback by the news, Chi Guiying was dazed for a moment. Then, realizing the implications, she grew excited, grabbed the maid’s hand, and asked, "Truly? And why would Lu Yi go to Hanxue Pavilion?"

"Who knows? Didn't Miss He chime in at the hall earlier? Perhaps he wants to go and thank her? Young Mistress, such a golden opportunity won't come again. If we are going to make a scene, we must do it now, or it will be too late!"

Neither mistress nor maid had heard Chi Yunjing threatening Lady Guo, so they were completely unaware that He Lingyi was not someone they could afford to provoke. In her desperation to avoid marrying into the Lu family, Chi Guiying’s judgment had completely abandoned her.

Gritting her teeth with a ruthless look in her eyes, she told her maid, "Go and have someone prepare two bowls of sobering soup. Let’s go see Miss He. After all, she has been staying in our home for so long; it is only right for me, as the daughter of the house, to show some concern!"

It was a perfectly crafted excuse. Wen Xia raised an eyebrow and said, "Young Mistress, the soup is already prepared. Let’s go!"

One might say they were two of a kind; a master is only as good as her servants! Chi Guiying looked at Wen Xia with appreciation and promised, "If this is handled well today, all ten bolts of fabric my elder sister sent shall be yours!"

"Thank you, Young Mistress!" As a maid, she could not wear such fine fabric, but if she sold them outside, they would fetch hundreds, if not thousands, of taels—wages she could never earn in a lifetime of service. Her voice was filled with excitement.

With the sobering soup in hand, the mistress and her maid, followed by six or seven other maids and matrons, marched toward Hanxue Pavilion. The commotion was so great that one would think she was afraid people wouldn't know what she was up to; it was utterly brazen.

Living right next door, word of her actions quickly reached the ears of Chi Wanwan. Her face darkened as she stood up and scolded, "My second sister is certainly up to no good! Uncle, Aunt, please sit for a moment. I will go and see what is happening. If she dares to bully Miss Lingyi, I will make her pay!"

It was clear she was going to stir up trouble. Today was supposed to be a joyous occasion, and if a scene were to break out, her niece, who lacked worldly wisdom, would be the one to suffer in the end. Lady Qin immediately offered comfort, saying, "Don't be anxious. I will go with you. Your uncle and second cousin can wait here—it is the inner courtyard of a Vice Minister's manor, and it would be improper for them to wander about."

The Marquis of Haibo and the second young master, Hai Yu, agreed, deciding to rest in Sijin Courtyard until Lady Qin returned. With that, Chi Wanwan took her aunt’s hand and hurried toward Hanxue Pavilion.