<h4>Chapter 135: The Spection from a Conspiracist (2)</h4>


    Trantor: Iris


    DragonRider


    Having put down the teacup, Hai shi sighed, “It turns out that fifth youngdy has... has already fallen in love with schr Wen Yanjing. They had agreed on a date at the Great Grand Temple. Actually they merely just talked a few words. But they were so unlucky! Today was the day when General Gu conducted a religious rite for his dead mother!”


    Minn’s eyes nearly popped out. Then she asked, “He, he saw... fifth sister?”


    Feeling deeply disturbed, Hai shi shook her head and said, “No. But you know why I have said they were unlucky? General Gu didn’t go there by himself because he has been busy. Besides, he has never met fifth youngdy before, so he wouldn’t know that was her even if he was there. It was a woman servant in his mansion who brought donation to the rite under his order saw fifth youngdy and Wen Jingyan when she came out to give away clothes and hats for the young monks. And she happened to have seen us when she had given presents!”


    After hearing this, Minn was already frozen on the bed, feeling reluctant to move or speak. Then she heard Hai shi sighing and continuing, “I guess that servant reported to General Gu the moment she went back. In the afternoon, a boy servant came to the Department of Supervision to see Master. After that, Master went back home at once!... Under his interrogation, fifty youngdy only said that she had already resigned to her fate and this time she had only gone there to say her farewell to schr Wen.”


    Minn almost lost her breath after hearing the whole story. After a long while, she could only utter those words, “... How could fifth sister be so careless!”


    Hai shi only sighed slightly without saying anything else. In fact, she agreed with Minn’s words. Since Rn had already made up her mind to break up with schr Wen, then everything would be fine if their rtionship was covered up well. But today her future husband’s servant had seen her bid a tearful farewell to Schr Wen. That was such a bad luck!


    “... So what now?” After a good while, Minn asked feebly. Suddenly she found Hai shi avoiding her eyes and not daring to look at her. Minn found that quite strange, so she asked several times her former question. Then Hai shi spoke with hesitation, “General sent a letter just now...”


    Before Hai shi could finish her sentence, they heard the sound of hectic footsteps from the front hall. Cuiping called out from the outside, “Master and Madam are here.”


    Minn nced at Hai shi who looked perturbed, then turned around to listen to what was happening outside. She could only hear that Sheng Hong was whispering something and Wang shi began to sob. After that, Old Madam Sheng, bursting into great anger, reproached Sheng Hong harshly, “Don’t you dare to think about it! You consider yourself a father? How can you think of a solution like that!”


    Her voice sounded sharp and furious. Minn had never heard Old Madam Sheng being so angry. Having got off the brick bed slowly, she stood next to the thick golden brown cloud patterned brocade curtain, hearing what the people outside were saying.


    Sheng Hong said fretfully, “Mother, you have to listen to me. That’s the only way! No one in our mansion has said anything about which daughter of mine would marry in the Gu family. Eldest son-inw Yuan only told the people in the Gu family that it’s Hun’s sister who was going to get married with the Second Young Master of Marquis Ningyuan Household. Since Wang shi and I haven’t had a detailed conversation with Gu Tingye and never mentioned which daughter would be betrothed to him, I guess he’s not so sure about that himself. The boy who has passed on the message for him also used subtle words. So Gu Tingye must have sent him to remind instead of ming us. Since that’s the case, we should take the wrong and make the best of it. After all, Minn was already registered as my legal daughter. Otherwise, we would start a feud with Gu Tingye. Mom, I was so desperate at that time, so I sent a letter to tell him that Rn was affianced to Wen Yanjing from the beginning and Minn was the one who was going to marry to him.”


    “Bam!” It was the sound of something smashing on the ground. Must be a teacup. Old Madam said in a trembling voice out of anger, “You wish! You and your wife don’t know how to teach your daughters and let them humiliate our family again and again. Atst, it is always someone else who would clear up the mess for them. Last time, I have helped you regardless of my own dignity. And you want toy your hands on Minn! I’m telling this, only in your dreams!”


    Old Madam Sheng continued as she breathed heavily, “You, what a good mother you are! Have you even considered of Minn when there was something beneficial to the girls? When the people from a prestigious familying to inquire about the girls, you decided to let Rn marry in that family without any hesitation! And now things went wrong, you remembered Minn! You are such a selfish woman and only consider your own daughter. And you! Sheng Hong, you are blinded by greed and only care about your fame and fortune! What a heartless and evil-minded pair of couple! Do you think that I am already dead?!”


    A thud came through to Minn’s ears. She assumed that Sheng Hong might have kneeled down heavily. Then she heard Wang shi weeping in a low voice, begging Old Madam Sheng, “Old Madam, you have wronged me. Although I didn’t give birth to Minn, I have treated her just like Rn over these years. When have I ever mistreated her? Now Rn has made such a huge mistake and I also regret that she wasn’t raised by you. Or else she would learn the rules better! Old Madam, after all, you should consider for Hun. She has already lived a tough life in the Yuan family, fortunately her husband still understands her difficulties and cares about her. If this matter ends badly, General Gu would hold grudge to eldest son-inw Yuan. Do you know what kind of situation will Hun face? She was also raised by you. You can’t only favor Minn!”


    Hearing her words, Old Madam Sheng seemed to get choked. But then she still scolded fiercely, “Hun has already given birth to a boy. Also, Yuan Wenshao and her have a right and legal marriage. You think they would get divorced because of this thing? Do you want Hun to live an easier life at the cost of her sister’s lifetime of happiness?! You two find that Gu Tingye reliable, but not me!”


    Then Sheng Hong shouted, “Old Madam, please tell me what should I do now! I really don’t have any other option! I was intended to strangle that disobedient daughter as a warning to others. At the worst, we would only be sneered by other people. I haven’t taught my daughter well so I should suffer from my own mistake. But General Gu...” Sheng Hong seemed to be choked with sobs as he talked about that, then he continued, “Words came to me days ago that Gu Tingye had already invited Old General Bo and Marquis Zhongqin to be the matchmaker. Now he is about to send the Geng Tie (written marriage proposal on which stated the year, month, day and hour of the man and woman being engaged). If we call and end to the marriage, the Gu family wouldn’t just let it go like that.”


    Minn couldn’t hear clearly about their conversation afterwards. She only felt buzzing in her ears as if something had blocked her sense of hearing. Being left in a trance after hearing the shocking news, she walked toward Hai shi slowly and asked slightly, “Is Gu Tingye really willing to marry me?”


    Hai shi nodded with difficulty, saying, “Yes. In his letter, he wrote that he would like to unite the two families by marriage. I think he also mentioned that he always thought highly of the girl raised by Old Madam Sheng.” In her opinion, the words which Gu Tingye had added at thest seemed to be a bit cynical as if he was hinting at something. And she believed that Sheng Hong had also sensed that.


    In the early years, Old Madam Sheng had been famous for her jealousy. However,ter she had gained high reputation. Because after Old Master Sheng had died, she had decided to support the Sheng Family on her own at the cost of falling out with her parents’ family. As a widow at a young age, she had used the money from her dowry to pave the way for her son’s career and make marry alliance with decent family. That was why Sheng Family could have a prospering condition right now. Over several decades, more and more people began to praise Old Madam Sheng for her tough and upright characters.


    Hai shi also felt Minn and Old Madam Sheng were wronged at this time. She knew that Minn’s marriage with He Family was about to be settled. After Rn getting married, He family would send the Geng Tie. Little did she know that... Hai shi couldn’t help but sigh secretly. However, she saw Minn raising her head nkly in disbelief. After a while, Minn couldn’t help asking again, “Eldest sister-inw, that Gu Tingye really has written that he would like to marry me?” There was no aggrieved tone in her voice. Instead, Minn sounded still suspicious.


    Then Hai shi confirmed again, “It’s true.”


    As a result, Minn felt her brain being frozen. She bit her lips as she thought about this for a long time. She remembered Gu Tingye’s ironical look, his habit of getting to the bottom of everything and his extreme temper... Then Minn realized she must have thought too much. How could she imagine herself as the favorite of Gu Tingye? What had the ancient times done to her? However, after a while, she still felt her assumption reasonable.


    The sound of Old Madam Sheng’s reproach, Sheng Hong’s and Wang shi’s constant pleading kepting through. At the same time, Minn sat on the small wood chair slowly, sighing with her mouth open. After that, she held her face in a trance with head in a muddled state.


    Grandma, Master, Madam and poor Rn, I thought, maybe, we were set up