mtl008 Chapter 423 Encouraged by Wine and Lust, He Seeks His Own Death
Chapter 423 Encouraged by Wine and Lust, He Seeks His Own Death
The faint sounds of merriment from the front courtyard of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion only served to highlight the seclusion and tranquility of Tingyu Xiaozhu. Lu Yun's bridal sedan chair had already been carried away, and the guests were exchanging toasts. It was a time when the guards in the mansion were changing shifts and the flow of people was relatively frequent, making it the easiest time for attention to wander.
Zhou Jianming had drunk a lot of wine, his cheeks were flushed, his steps were unsteady, and he was completely drunk. His personal servant helped him to a corner of the garden to sober up.
His mind was in turmoil. One moment he was thinking of the immense wealth of the Marquis's mansion, the next he was thinking of Yuan Wanru's cold yet stunningly beautiful face and the gold hairpin that almost blinded him, and then he was thinking of all the noble ladies in the garden that he could see but not touch... A surge of anger mixed with humiliation and resentment was churning in his chest.
Just then, two lowly servants, seemingly passing by unintentionally, began to whisper among themselves behind a flower bush not far from him:
"Sigh, speaking of which, that Concubine Liang in our household is truly pitiful..."
"Look, even with such a joyous occasion in the manor today, she can't come out to drink the celebratory wine. She's all alone, coldly and quietly guarding the empty courtyard."
"Tsk, what a waste of such a good-looking face."
"That's right, she's as beautiful as a flower, and has a gentle nature, but... sigh, she lives in that most remote little courtyard, even ghosts don't want to wander around there."
"I heard that the young master has not yet consummated his marriage with Consort Liang. It's such a pity that such a delicate woman is still alive."
"I saw her from afar, and her figure and appearance were enough to make my body go weak just by looking at her. How could the young master resist?"
"If you ask me, she lives in such a remote place, if she were to encounter some flower thief, wouldn't she be completely helpless?"
"The Crown Prince's wife dislikes her and secretly wishes she would die sooner. If anyone were to defile her, she could kick them out. The Crown Prince's wife may have arranged for her to stay in the small courtyard with that in mind."
"Who isn't he? He's a pitiful person, really. It's fine on ordinary days, but today is a time when the guards in the manor are changing shifts and there's a relatively high turnover of personnel. Everyone is too busy to take care of this courtyard. If something happens..."
"Hehe, do you dare?"
"Don't dare..."
The sound gradually faded away.
These words, like a demonic whisper, precisely penetrated the ears of the drunken Zhou Jianming.
Aunt Liang?
A small courtyard?
The image of the beautiful woman who had been terrified by him that day, turning pale and as docile as a little rabbit, flashed through his mind.
Alone in a secluded courtyard... no one paid any attention to him...
Zhou Jianming's eyes lit up instantly, and flames of greed and lust burned in his turbid eyes!
Yup!
How could he have forgotten her!
Last time, he failed and was even taught a lesson by Yuan Wanru's guards, losing all face!
Now everyone in the manor is busy with Lu Yun's wedding, and the front yard is noisy. Who would care about that little courtyard in the back alley?
Who would care about an unfavored concubine?
The thrill of revenge and the lust fueled by alcohol gnawed at his reason like venomous snakes.
Whom are they taking revenge on?
He wanted to retaliate against the Lu family's disdain for him and against Yuan Wanru's humiliation!
If he can't touch Yuan Wanru, surely he can't touch a forgotten, helpless concubine?
If I could really succeed... I could vent my anger and taste the beauty... It would be a godsend!
A surge of evil thoughts and malice rushed straight to the top of his head.
He suddenly stood up and whispered to his personal servant Zhou Wang, "Come on, help me get some fresh air!"
Seeing him sway as he straightened up, Zhou Wang quickly stepped forward to help him: "Where are you going, young master?"
He always followed Zhou Jianming around, and he wasn't a good person either.
Zhou Jianming gave him a flirtatious look, and Zhou Wang immediately understood. He helped him up, and the two of them avoided the bustling front hall and main paths, sneaking towards the most secluded part of the Marquis's mansion.
Under the influence of alcohol and driven by wicked thoughts, Zhou Jianming staggered but was unusually anxious, muttering indistinctly, "Hmph, they look down on me. That damned bitch Yuan Wanru scares me every day. Today I'll show them what I'm capable of."
Aunt Liang, you are such a beauty! Wait for your brother to pamper you.
Zhou Wang chimed in softly, trying to embolden his master: "Young Master is wise! That place is a godforsaken place, guaranteed to be deserted! That little wench didn't know what was good for her last time, this time Young Master will definitely teach her a lesson!"
-
Early this morning, everyone in the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion was busy, but Liang Yuhua's courtyard remained unusually quiet.
Liang Yuhua was sitting by the window, listening to the sounds of music and celebration coming from inside the mansion, when a rough-looking, loud-voiced old woman carrying a broom walked in, cursing, "What bad luck! On such a joyous day, I still have to sweep the floor!"
Yunxiu had already gone out to get breakfast, leaving Liang Yuhua alone here.
She walked over in a very good mood and said, "If you're busy, there's no need to sweep here. I'll have my maid sweep it again when she comes back later."
Actually, the courtyard is quite clean; there's not much to clean.
The old woman slammed her tools down on the ground with a loud bang, her spittle almost landing on Liang Yuhua's face.
"What do you know? Today is the second young lady's wedding day. The mansion is full of distinguished guests. The first madam and the heir's wife have already given orders that every place must be cleaned spotlessly, not even a single leaf is allowed, so as not to embarrass the Marquis's mansion."
"If you don't let me sweep, what if you guys slack off and don't sweep later? If someone sees that, is it your fault or mine?"
Liang Yuhua never expected this old woman to have such a bad temper.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure Yunxiu cleans it spotlessly."
The old woman snorted coldly: "It's not your place to arrange things for me."
"Who do you think you are? You're just a nosy freeloader in this manor."
Liang Yuhua was easily embarrassed, and being scolded like that made her very sad, and her eyes even turned red.
Why put it so harshly?
The old woman pushed her towards the corridor, saying, "Come on, come on, don't stand here in the way. I don't have time to chat with you here."
In the midst of the shoving, a tiny, tightly wrapped package, concealed by her clothes, was quickly slipped into Liang Yuhua's loosely clenched hand, along with a small crumpled piece of paper.
Liang Yuhua's heart skipped a beat, and her fingers tightened instantly, gripping the two items tightly.
Whose people are these?
What does this mean?
The old woman's voice was very rough: "By the way, when I came, the young master's wife had something to tell Aunt Liang."
"There are many distinguished guests in the manor today, so Aunt Liang should stay in the room obediently. If you dare to take a single step out, you'll regret it!"
Liang Yuhua's eyes lit up.
This old woman is the Crown Prince's wife's person!
She gripped the object in her hand tightly, met the gruff old woman's suggestive gaze, and meekly replied, "Yes, yes, I understand, I dare not go out."
"Alright, stop standing here in the way."
The old woman cursed a few more times, picked up the broom and started working. After she finished sweeping the floor, she deliberately slammed the door loudly.
Liang Yuhua returned to her room and carefully found a safe corner, making sure that no one could see her from there. Then, with trembling hands, she carefully unfolded the crumpled piece of paper.