After hearing Song Qingshuâs words, Suo Etu thought to himself that the people of the Jin state were indeed barbaric and uncouth, not even aware of how to eat properly in front of someone elseâs husband.
âTsk, tsk, tskâŠâ
Despite his disdain, Suo Etu nodded in agreement and, after a moment, pointed at the couple and asked, âYou called them here together; what do you plan to do?â
Song Qingshu replied, âI see that their relationship is quite good, so I plan to let them go.â
Cheng Yaojia smiled, thinking that this person truly kept his word, while Lu Guanying on the other side had red eyes, completely ignoring what was being said.
Suo Etu was taken aback: âJust like that, youâre going to let them go? Isnât that a bit of a waste?â
Even though he had no interest in women, seeing Cheng Yaojiaâs timid and delicate appearance made him feel pity, and he couldnât understand why Song Qingshu would let her go.
Song Qingshu smiled without saying a word, but Suo Etu leaned in with a sly grin and said, âDid you not say this young lady is fair, tender, and smooth, wishing to enjoy her every day? Why let her go after just one night?â
Suo Etu was a smooth talker, adept at adapting his speech to fit the company he kept. When mingling with refined gentlemen, he would adopt an elegant demeanor; with rough and rude folks, he could quickly blend in. His previous experience with Wei Xiaobao had made him adept at dealing with people like Tang Kuo Bian, and he felt right at home.
Over the past few days, he had figured out Tang Kuo Bianâs personality, knowing him to be straightforward and lecherous, so his own speech style had become bolder and more uninhibited.
Cheng Yaojia listened with disdain, thinking that this person, as a high-ranking official, spoke in such a vulgar manner like a common rogue. Unfortunately, she couldnât argue back and could only glare at him with a flushed face.
Song Qingshu laughed heartily, deliberately sweeping his gaze over the couple: âAlthough the taste of this young lady is quite nice, eating it every day would inevitably become tiresome. Itâs better to go with the flow and let them be together, making her husband forever a failure in my presence, hahahaha.â
Suo Etu shivered all over, feeling a chill in his heart:
âWhat a perverse preference! Thankfully, I am much older than him, so I donât have to worry about my wifeâs safety⊠Hmm, no, I must never let Wu Yunzhu appear in front of him.â
Cheng Yaojia was both angry and anxious, but when she thought that the other party was saying this on purpose to save them, she felt a mix of frustration with no outlet for it; as for Lu Guanying, if he werenât being supported by the guards, he would have likely fainted from anger long ago.
âMy brother indeed has great insight! Letting them go means that the young lady will think of your kindness day and night, while that unlucky guy will always wear a green hat. Brilliant, truly brilliant!â Suo Etu could only suppress his discomfort and give him a thumbs up.
Song Qingshu laughed arrogantly for a while, then ordered the guards to release the couple.
As soon as Lu Guanying was freed, he wanted to rush over to settle accounts with Song Qingshu, but unfortunately, his injuries were too severe, and after a night of torment without rest, he had no strength left.
âHusband, letâs go first.â Cheng Yaojia tried to support her husband, but Lu Guanying coldly shook off her hand, not even glancing at her, and strode out with his head held high.
âHusband!â Cheng Yaojia felt wronged and hurriedly chased after him. When she left the garden, she couldnât help but glance back at Song Qingshu, only to meet his half-smiling gaze, which made her face flush red, and she hurriedly fled like a startled rabbit.
âBrother Tang Kuo, it seems this young lady is still a bit reluctant to part with you,â Suo Etu said with admiration on his face.
âOf course, who wouldnât be after tasting what a real man is like for the first time last night, hahahahaha.â Song Qingshuâs arrogant laughter echoed far away, causing Cheng Yaojia, who had just left, to stumble, feeling both angry and anxious. How could this person still be spouting nonsense over there!
Noticing that her husband in front trembled slightly, Cheng Yaojia hurriedly chased after him.
Lu Guanying walked extremely fast, and it wasnât until they had exited the government office that she caught up to her husband. âHusband, it really isnât what you think.â
Lu Guanying shook off her hand angrily and said, âFine, then tell me what exactly is it?â
Cheng Yaojia quickly explained, âMarshal Tang Kuo is actually a good person. He didnât make things difficult for me yesterday. The reason he said that today was just to deceive that Suo Etu; this way, he could find an excuse to let us go.â
Lu Guanying looked at his wife with disappointment on his face. âYaojia, I actually donât mind you losing your virtue to that man. After all, it was my failure to protect you that caused you to fall into his hands. What could a weak w0man like you do to resist? Once this matter is clarified, I will only treat you better in the future and will never hold it against you. But what is your attitude now? You actually want to hide this from me and even use such a flimsy excuse that even a three-year-old wouldnât fall for. I am truly disappointed in you.â
Cheng Yaojia was taken aback, feeling extremely wronged in her heart. Didnât she do all this to save him? âHusband, you really misunderstood me.â
âMisunderstood?â Lu Guanying thought of everything he had heard from last night to today, and images of her with that man from the Jin state flooded his mind. âThen tell me, where did you sleep last night?â
Cheng Yaojiaâs heart leaped with joy, thinking that if she could clarify this matter, it would be fine. She hurriedly replied, âYesterday, Marshal Tang Kuo specially had the maid in the manor prepare a room in the next room for me. I stayed there and did not sleep with him. Later, he heldâŠâ
âEnough, no need to say more!â Lu Guanyingâs face turned ashen as he interrupted his wifeâs words. What she said completely matched what he had heard in the cell last night; how could he still have doubts? â
[Why would the marshal go to such lengths to prepare a room for that little girl next door? In the end, didnât they all sleep in the marshalâs room?]
[I heard that Han women are usually shy. Perhaps the marshal did this out of consideration for her feelings, after all, she is a married woman and must have some reservations.]
[Our marshal is truly fierce and powerful, making that little girl plead for mercy. If you go back now, you might still hear about it.]
The sounds of the Jin guardsâ reckless laughter from last night seemed to echo in his ears.
Lu Guanying could no longer hold back; he shot a cold glare at his wife and walked away without looking back.
Although Cheng Yaojia was usually shy and timid, being so unjustly suspected by her husband made her somewhat angry, and she found it hard to explain further. However, thinking of her husband being injured and traveling alone, which could be dangerous, she hesitated for a moment and decided to follow him.
Inside the government office, Song Qingshu returned to the room after seeing off Suo Etu, only to find Shuangâer staring at him with a flushed face.
âWhatâs wrong? Is there something on my face?â Song Qingshu thought to himself that after putting on Tang Kuo Bianâs mask, he indeed looked quite ugly, no wonder Shuangâer was staring at him like that.
âBrother Song, you were too bad just now. How could you demean a young lady like that? Isnât that clearly going to cause discord between them as a couple?â Shuangâer immediately chided him lightly.
G: Donât forget to give a bit of support if you can. Things are getting real cold out there, in many ways.