Chapter 60: Chapter 52 Bullying by Power_3
On this bright day, in front of the Wuhuai Garden at Wan’en Temple, Marshal Pei looked thoughtfully at himself and asked, "Where did Doctor Lu’s hand injury come from?"
It was as if he had started to suspect her.
Although she had only met this Marshal Pei twice, and he had even helped her out of a predicament, Lu Tong always felt that he was not as genial as he appeared. Moreover, at their initial meeting under Baoxiang Tower, his utter disregard for the words and actions of the people from the Department of Military Affairs was oppressive; seeing the fear on Lady Dong’s face when she found out his identity today served to confirm that this man was no good Samaritan.
Being targeted by Pei Yunmeng was not a good thing.
However...
Even if he suspected her, without evidence, he could only let it go.
Lu Tong snapped back to reality, put away the medicine bottle, pulled down her sleeve to cover the scar, closed the latticed window, and stood up.
Now that Ke Chengxing had died, despite the heavy suspicions surrounding the case, once his private worship of the former dynasty’s deities was confirmed, not only would no one intervene in the matter, but the entire Ke Family would also be doomed.
Wan Fu, in order to preserve himself and his family, would only confirm Ke Chengxing’s guilt. After all, only if Ke Chengxing died and the whole Ke Family fell would no one bother about the trivial matters of these servants, ensuring the embezzled two thousand taels of rent money would remain forever unknown.
As for others...
Lu Tong’s dark pupils reflected the flickering candlelight.
The desperate Ke Family might pin their last hopes of salvation on the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion.
But as for whether the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion would lend a hand, that was a different matter altogether.
...
The next morning, the personnel from the medicinal dispensary delivered the deed, granting Renxin Medical Hall permission to continue selling finished medicines.
However, the improved recipe for "Chun Shui Sheng" had not been delivered alongside it.
Shopkeeper Du stood in the medical hall cursing, "What is that Lou fellow implying? Hogging Chun Shui Sheng and not letting us sell it, what, he doesn’t even listen to the Minister of Imperial Treasury now?"
Passing by, Yin Zheng couldn’t help but glance sideways, "Shopkeeper Du, you speak as if you were from the Minister of Imperial Treasury’s household yourself."
Shopkeeper Du was momentarily stumped, "You little girl, what do you know!"
Ah Cheng said, "Let it go, boss, just wait a few more days patiently."
Ah Cheng had gone home to rest the night before, applied some medicine on his face, and had mostly recovered, looking quite spirited.
Lu Tong stood in front of the medicine cabinet, grinding the tonic for Dong Lin, overhearing the Tailor Ge across the way chatting with the neighboring Niu Blacksmith about yesterday’s Qing Lian celebration at Wan’en Temple. Someone secretly worshipped a deity of the former dynasty, and as a result, the deity manifested, and the worshipper, completely fine before, fell headfirst into the release pond and died.
Yin Zheng’s eyes rolled, and she immediately picked up a broom to sweep the dust in front of the door while asking Tailor Ge, "You must be making it up, right? Uncle Ge, we also went to Wan’en Temple the day before yesterday. We only knew something had happened, but we didn’t hear about anything so bizarre, did we?"
Slapping his thigh, Tailor Ge exclaimed, "Miss Yin Zheng, would I lie to you? My old lady went up the mountain to offer incense; she stayed near the hall where the incident happened. She saw everything very clearly, and groups and groups of officials rushed in! They say that when people die, they look like ghosts. Most likely, he saw the Visage of the Bodhisattva!"
His vivid storytelling attracted not only Ah Cheng and Shopkeeper Du but also nearby vendors who crowded around to listen. Lu Tong lowered her head to sort the herbs, a flicker of something unusual passing through her eyes.
Rumors always became more preposterous as they spread.
Naturally, they also got further and further from the truth.
It seems Wan Fu’s narrative had already been accepted by most, and even those who were unconvinced did not wish to involve themselves with the former dynasty.
Tailor Ge continued talking, "That Ke Family, originally a good porcelain merchant, is now ruined. Those who did business with them also want to cancel their dealings, fearing bad luck. I say, that’s the end of them."
Preserved Fruits Shop’s Aunt Liu chimed in, "Isn’t their newly wed lady’s family in the government? Our shop even delivered preserved fruits to Madam Ke before. It can’t be that they’re completely finished."
"What do you know," snorted Tailor Ge, "A young and beautiful bride, her father an official, and now with her son-in-law in trouble, they can hardly wait to disassociate themselves. I heard Lady Ke returned to her maternal home just yesterday. Alas, while husbands and wives are birds of the same forest, they fly separately when disaster strikes—"
"I’ve heard about this too." Sister Song from the silk shoe store squeezed in, "Now the Ke Family is compensating for business losses by pawning household items for cash. It’s no wonder, with Master Ke the only son, and without leaving behind any children, how long can Madam Ke hold on after Master Ke’s downfall?"