Chapter 233

After Liu Qiongzhu was driven out of the Jiangjun Fu, Li Kechuan indeed had a period of reflection.

But Li Qingluo would not give him any chance to put on an act or be hypocritical; now, because of Liu Sui'er's death, because of his own broken engagement, and even because of the words Liu Qiongzhu said that day, they have entered his heart.

He began to feel again that all of this was Li Qingluo's fault.

It is Li Qingluo who has caused him to become what he is today.

It is merely sacrificing Li Qingluo's reputation; naturally that is where his wish lies.

Deng Mama said in a low voice: "We have heard that the Cui family has broken off the engagement with the Jiangjun Fu's eldest son, precisely because that Li Kechuan lacks personal virtue and his character is corrupt!"

How could his words be believable?

If you dare to follow him and spread nonsense, be careful someone might cut out your tongues!

Liu Er and Liu San originally did not dare.

They had long feared the powerful and influential of Jinling City, and gradually realized that these lowly commoners of theirs could no longer control Liu Caoer at all.

Not even their own blood relative, Zhu'er who went to Prince Yun's Mansion, dares to provoke her; how could they have the gall to really listen to Li Kechuan's words?

We dare not, we really dare not——

We had originally prepared to carry the coffin and leave Jinling City this time, not wanting to stay any longer…heroines, please spare us……what we two brothers say is truly the truth!

Li Qingluo however smiled: "No. You dare."

Liu Er, Liu San, I want you to do one thing.

If this succeeds, I can give your Liu family a chance to leave Jinling City alive; otherwise, I will have you all follow Sui'er to be buried with her!

As soon as Li Qingluo spoke, Liu Er and Liu San nearly pissed themselves on the spot!

After Li Qingluo and her retinue of three had left, Liu Er and Liu San struggled to gain freedom and took the burlap sacks off their heads.

The two looked at each other with bitter faces, gazing at one another, full of despair.

Second… Elder Brother, are we really going to do this?

After Liu San asked Liu Er, Liu Er also wore a pained expression: "To preserve our Liu family, what else can we do? It's all Zhu'er's fault for being so ruthless, never willing to help our family."

It's all because that Li gongzi's scheming is inferior to that of Liu Caoer! No, it's because the true daughter of the Li family… Li Qingluo.

Having suffered the beatings of Jinling City, the Liu family ought to make a genuine choice that would at least allow them to continue surviving in the cracks.

Two days later.

In Jinling City, the rumors of the wanton behavior of Prince Yun's rear residence's Lady Zhu are growing more rampant.

First it was said that she, in the side rooms of the Bright Tower, gave herself on a single couch to seduce Prince Yun.

Later rumors spread that she had seduced her former elder brother at the Green Pine Temple.

Thus the daughter of the Cui family, after seeing it with her own eyes, resolutely went to break off the engagement that very night.

Lady Zhu's reputation had already been utterly ruined before; it's just that she had previously been taken into Prince Yun's rear residence, so the common folk dared not spread it too wildly.

But now this rumor actually has a momentum that cannot be suppressed……

Today Liu Qiongzhu was finally humiliated at the door by Cao Rou'er.

Then a few concubines came to her door to seek ill fortune.

They first smashed the set of white porcelain she had painstakingly acquired, then deliberately poured her tea onto the ground.

Ah, we don't drink unclean things.

Yes. I feel the smell in this room is strange.

Lady Zhu, you surely haven't taken a bath since returning from Green Pine Temple, have you? This smell is rather nauseating……

Yeah, how come there's also a strange urine-like odor……

Liu Qiongzhu's buttocks were still wounded, and her whole body was leaning sideways on the soft couch.

Upon hearing these words, she immediately flushed with anger, smashed the pillow behind her, and drove them away: 'Since you came today with the intention of causing me trouble, then get out now!'

Yo, what's with the attitude? I didn't speak wrongly; the Prince once privately told me that when he went to Guanshui Cliff to rescue you that time, he smelled a strong urine-like odor on your body……

The Prince didn't show anything then, but in fact he felt nauseous for a long time afterward; just talking about it makes him want to vomit.

Pfft—hahaha, really?

Our Prince is truly kind-hearted. Taking in a woman of low birth, endlessly depraved and lacking self-awareness, he did so out of pity, making her our sister……

Liu Qiongzhu, ashamed and indignant, pointed at the door, trembling all over: 'Get out! Get out——'

After finally managing to drive them away, Liu Qiongzhu lay prone on the couch, weeping in grievance.

Prince Yun came again.

Your Highness… Liu Qiongzhu looked at Prince Yun, not yet having uttered a word of complaint, when Prince Yun struck her with a heavy slap to the head and face.

Liu Qiongzhu, do you dare make me a cuckold? Do you really think I am reluctant to kill you——?

Liu Qiongzhu stared in terror at Prince Yun, shaking her head repeatedly.

Prince Yun now has less and less patience for her.

To be frank with you, if it weren't for the Prince Mother ordering me to win back your Jiangjun Fu, do you think I would tolerate this nauseating association with someone of your low caliber?

Before you had some looks, but you don't even see how worthless you are now!

Liu Qiongzhu, I've heard that you and your former elder brother are quite intimate.

You make people in the world wonder how to laugh at me!

Liu Qiongzhu was beaten and scolded by Prince Yun again; although he did not ultimately take her life, after he had vented enough and left, Liu Qiongzhu lay there like a dead dog, almost devoid of vitality.

Luying stepped forward and shouted at her: 'Lady Zhu! Lady Zhu?'

Liu Qiongzhu stared blankly, tears streaming: 'Why has this come to be……why……'

Is the path she has chosen truly mistaken?

No!

No!

Liu Qingzhu's eyes gradually gathered madness.

"I won't be wrong, I won't be wrong—hahaha…"

"It's just a misunderstanding; once I bring Jiangjun Fu back into the fold, Your Highness will value me again. Didn't Your Highness say he pointed me toward a path…"

"I want to return to Jiangjun Fu, I want to go back!"

Liu Qingzhu hurried to stand, not even changing her clothes, and with the green firefly she rushed out of the courtyard.

She knelt before Prince Yun's Consort, pleading to be allowed to leave the mansion for a trip to Jiangjun Fu.

Prince Yun's Consort saw her frantic state, did not block her, waved a hand and said, "If that's so, then go."

After Liu Qingzhu went down jubilantly, the granny beside Prince Yun's Consort asked, "Consort, sending this wretched woman out in that state isn't tarnishing our Prince's Mansion's face?"

Prince Yun's Consort sneered, "What face does our Prince Yun's Mansion still have? When the Prince first brought this fake back, did he ever ask me a word?"

"If she wants to act, let her act enough."

"Anyway she now has the Prince dealing with her. When she eventually brings about her own death, how long do you think this rear house can stay quiet?"

The granny sighed, then fell silent.

Liu Qingzhu, with the green firefly, staggered along the way back to Jiangjun Fu.

She lunged to the main gate, pounding on it and shouting, "Father—Mother—Brother—come out and see Zhu'er, please save Zhu'er—"

"Wuwuwu… Father Mother… Zhu'er is your daughter… Zhu'er is brother's sister…"

"These rumors of the world, could you speak a few words to defend Zhu'er…"

"Zhu'er is about to die—"

But at that moment, another familiar voice came from behind Liu Qingzhu, "Zhu… Zhu'er?"

Liu Qingzhu turned her head.

She saw the person deepest in her heart.

"San… oh no, Zhuang Sanlang!?"

How did he also come?

Could it be that she heard about her own matter and came to question her brother?

Or he knew she had returned, so wanted to come see her once?

Liu Qingzhu's eyes were filled with tears.

At this moment her clothing was a bit disheveled, and her cheek, having just been struck by Prince Yun, was swollen on half of her face.

A fresh bruise from a punch marked her neck.

Seeing him like that, Zhuang Wei also felt reluctant.

They both simultaneously recalled the past.

In the past, Li Kechuan, Zhuang Wei, and Liu Qingzhu were so happy, simple and blissful.

But all that… can never return.

Liu Qingzhu admitted that these happinesses were lost by her own hands.

At this moment, looking at Zhuang Wei, she finally felt an unbearable pain and regret in her heart.

If it were Sanlang, he would never treat her like this!

Clearly, she could have been Sanlang's great wife…

She originally fought for a breath of pride, to obtain what she thought truly belonged to her.

But she completely lost the person she truly cared for…

"Sanlang, I…"

The main gate behind Liu Qingzhu opened at that moment.

Qu Shi, with a pained expression, walked out of the mansion.

Li Kechuan, leaning on his crutch, saw Liu Qingzhu's disheveled state and was greatly shocked.

"Zhu'er, what's wrong with you?"

Li Kechuan first asked Zhuang Wen, "What are you doing here? Zhuang Sanlang, our Li family no longer welcomes your Zhongyi Hou Fu!"

Obviously, Li Chao Jing was still blaming the Zhongyi Hou Fu for the broken marriage.

In fact, if the Zhongyi Hou Fu hadn't abandoned the marriage, he wouldn't have so quickly taken a dislike to Luo'er, and perhaps father and daughter wouldn't have reached this day so soon.

Zhuang Wei stepped forward, clasped his hands and said, "Uncle Li, I, the junior, have heard that Qu family's Fourth Young Master Xun has already been sent by his elders to propose to Miss Li."

"I, the junior, do not wish to regret for life."

"Therefore, today I shamelessly come to ask Uncle Li for a word."

"If I can become a first‑rank Jinshi in this spring exam, I hope Uncle Li can give me another chance, so that I may also have the opportunity to marry Miss Li."

Qu Shi, without thinking, shouted, "No! Xun may not necessarily score lower than you!"

"The Qu family is my maternal family, and Xun, being the legitimate son of my elder cousin, though his lineage is not as strong as yours, you once missed Luo'er; on what grounds can you now claim you want her, and have Luo'er become yours again!?"

Li Chao Jing whispered harshly, "Silence! Ignorant woman, step back!"

"Who truly runs this house, you or this old master of mine!?"

Upon hearing that, Qu Shi's complexion changed.

She anxiously looked at Li Chao Jing, fearing he might actually agree to it.

Li Kechuan, however, turned his gaze toward Liu Qingzhu.

Seeing Zhu'er's face turn as white as snow, her whole body trembling as if about to collapse, his heart pained as he shouted harshly, "Zhuang Sanlang! Have you gone mad!?"

"You now wholly disregard the friendship you once had with Zhu'er, insisting on acting like this in front of her, right!?"

"Moreover, Li Qingluo is a poisonous woman, do you know what she did to me and Zhu'er!?"

"Your eyes are now completely blind, yet you still set your sights on her!"

Li Kechuan's words just fell, Liu Qiongzhu's grief-stricken body went limp, fainting completely onto the ground……