Chapter 2002
Lady 6
When Granny Li came out of the courtyard, she no longer acted superior and controlling towards Liu Qiu. Instead, she became humble and subservient, treating Liu Qiu as her master.
Liu Tong was very satisfied: "From now on, I'll have to trouble you, Granny, to cover for me in front of my grandmother and mother."
Granny Li immediately said, "Please rest assured, young lady!"
Princess Yinghua's flower-viewing banquet was essentially a large-scale matchmaking event, providing a chance for young men and women to meet and get to know each other. If they found someone they liked and whose family background was suitable, they could soon arrange a marriage.
Li Han pulled Liu Tong behind a tree, and the two looked at each other. Liu Tong's tears immediately streamed down her face.
Li Han felt sorry for him and said, "Don't cry!"
Liu Tong: "What do you want from me again?"
Li Han: "Um, um, I... you, you will be my concubine, okay?"
Liu Tong was furious: "You actually want me to be your concubine?"
Li Han: "I want to marry you, but my parents won't allow it. At most, they'll let me take you as a concubine."
Liu Tong shoved Li Han away abruptly: "Although our Liu family cannot compare with your Duke's Mansion, we have our own integrity. The daughters of the Liu family will never be concubines."
Li Han: "If you don't come with me, are you really going to marry another man? What about all the years of our relationship?"
Liu Tong cried, "Do you think I'm willing to give up on our relationship? But my Liu family has a rule that daughters of the Liu family cannot be concubines. If you truly love me, why don't you marry me?"
Li Han was unable to answer this question.
He was silent for a moment, then said, "Wait for me for three years. After three years, I will definitely marry you as my wife."
Liu Tong blinked, unsure of what Li Han was going to do, but still agreed.
"Ok, I will wait for you."
Liu Dong watched the performance, then turned and left.
She arrived at the lake and found several small, covered boats moored there.
At the bow of each boat stood an old woman rowing.
In a good mood, Liu Dong boarded a covered boat with Mo Shu and Mo Yan. The old woman rowed the boat into the middle of the lake, where they drifted on the water.
Liu Tong and the other two enjoyed the scenery of the lake.
After them, many more people, both men and women, took boat trips on the lake.
Suddenly, the people on a cruise ship started arguing.
The two maids were arguing fiercely and actually started to fight.
The small boat rocked and swayed because of their actions, and finally capsized, causing everyone on board to fall into the water.
Liu Tong and his boat were not far from the small boat, and Liu Tong ordered the old woman to row over and rescue the people.
Besides their boat, there was another small boat closer to the capsized vessel, but it carried a man.
One of the men had already jumped into the water and was swimming toward the woman who had fallen in.
The man's servant swam toward the other young lady who had fallen into the water.
Liu Dong: "Speed up."
It would be bad if the servant got close to the young lady first.
In ancient times, when women's chastity was highly valued, if a woman was embraced tightly by a man and did not marry him, she could only live a life of seclusion, either with a Buddhist lamp burning in the dark or with a white silk ribbon hanging from her head.
The young lady who fell into the water could not possibly marry a servant; her only fate would be to live a life of seclusion and religious devotion.
Fortunately, they arrived before the servant could reach the young lady, and a boatwoman rescued her and brought her aboard.
Seeing that the person had been rescued and his goal had not been achieved, the servant glared fiercely at Liu Tong and the others.
Liu Tong laughed in exasperation.
This servant clearly has ill intentions.
Liu Dong: "Mo Shu." Mo Shu took out a copper coin from his purse and threw it at the servant.
The servant felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and all his strength vanished at once. He could no longer swim and sank to the bottom.
Liu Tong then directed the old woman to rescue the two maids onto the boat.
At this moment, another boat arrived, and Mo Shu said to the boat full of men, "There is one more person, a man, who has already sunk into the water."
Someone jumped into the water from the boat and rescued the servant who had swallowed a lot of water.
The three boats rowed back to shore, and servants from the princess's residence came forward to take the person who had fallen into the water away for medical treatment.
The princess rewarded Liu Dong and the others who saved people, and they were taken home by their elders.
Liu Tong returned to her courtyard and, while taking a bath, instructed Mo Shu to go to the princess's residence to gather information.
She always felt that this was not a coincidence, but rather something planned.
She asked Mo Shu to convey her suspicions to Princess Yinghua.
Princess Yinghua was furious that someone had sabotaged her flower viewing party and ordered a thorough investigation, which quickly uncovered the truth.
The two girls who fell into the water were the eldest and second daughters of Minister Liang of the Ministry of Revenue.
They were not born to the same mother; the second young lady was born to a second wife.
Miss Liang is also Li Han's fiancée.
Miss Liang the Second was extremely jealous that Miss Liang the First was able to marry into the Duke's mansion, while she herself was likely to only marry a scholar from a poor family.
Miss Liang was unwilling, so she contacted her cousin.
This cousin was deeply in love with Miss Liang, and when Miss Liang approached him, the two devised this plan for a hero to save the beauty.
Miss Liang the Second bribed the maidservant of Miss Liang the Eldest. She pretended to quarrel with the maidservant, then pretended to accidentally push Miss Liang the Eldest onto the boat, and then her cousin rescued her.
Thus, the two had physical intimacy, and Miss Liang had no choice but to marry her cousin.
The marriage between the Liang family and the Ningguo Duke's Mansion could then naturally fall to the second young lady of the Liang family.
But Miss Liang did not expect that the two maids' movements were too drastic, causing the entire boat to capsize and her to fall into the lake.
The cousin's servant was even more audacious; he actually wanted to emulate his young master by saving a life and gaining a beautiful wife.
This man is ambitious; he looks down on the two maids and has his eye on Miss Liang.
Liu clicked his tongue, relieved that he had saved Miss Liang the first time.
Although Miss Liang was wicked and plotted against her own sister, she shouldn't have been defiled by a servant.
Although Miss Liang's cousin's family background is not as prestigious as that of the Duke of Ningguo's family, it is still an official family. If Miss Liang marries into that family, her life will not be too difficult.
Although her husband's character wasn't great, at least he wouldn't treat her badly because he loved her. It was better than marrying Li Han, who had another woman in his heart.
Miss Liang is determined to marry into the Ningguo Duke's mansion, but she doesn't know that her future husband has someone else in his heart. How could he be truly sincere towards her?
Moreover, Li Han promised Liu Tong that he would definitely marry her and asked Liu Tong to wait for him for three years.
What will happen in these three years?
They certainly won't be very friendly to Li Han's wife.
Liu Tong was waiting to see if Miss Liang would regret her actions after successfully outmaneuvering her own sister.
Princess Yinghua delivered the information she had gathered to the Liang family, leaving them to handle the matter themselves.
Lord Liang was furious; this was a disgrace to the royal family.
Miss Liang was confined to her quarters, but the marriage agreement with the Duke of Ningguo's family still fell into her hands.
After all, with everyone watching, Miss Liang was being held in her cousin's arms; she had no choice but to marry him. (End of Chapter)