Volume 1, Chapter 10: Go and Summon the Prefectural Office!

It turned out to be the old madam’s brother and nephew from her maiden family. The brother looked only a few years older than Leng Xuanru, wearing the unmistakable air of a common street rogue.

"Uncle has arrived. Please accept my condolences," Leng Xuanru said with a furrowed brow, addressing him with visible reluctance before turning to his children to introduce him. "This is your Great Uncle."

The group had no choice but to offer a stiff, unwilling greeting.

This Great Uncle was the old madam’s own brother, a notorious wastrel who had frequently come to the Leng household to sponge off them in years past, much to the old madam’s utter disgust. Ever since their parents had passed away, she had forbidden him from stepping foot in the house.

"Which one of you is Leng Yueheng? Is it true you caused your grandmother’s death through an illicit affair? Tell me, nephew, how have you been raising your daughter?"

This man, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, was clearly a brute; he hadn't even finished his performance of feigned grief before revealing the true purpose of his visit.

"Uncle, watch your tongue! My mother suffered from a heart condition; how could there be any talk of her being caused to die? As for my daughter having an illicit affair, that is nothing but baseless slander!" Leng Xuanru barked sharply.

The entire courtyard fell into a sudden, stunned realization. It was no wonder the old madam’s birthday was yesterday and her funeral was today. Many of the officials present had also been there the day before and had heard rumors of Leng Yueheng meeting a man in secret, though they had not known whether to believe them.

Whispers erupted instantly.

"I heard yesterday that Leng Yueheng was meeting an outsider in secret. I didn't believe it at the time—after all, she is betrothed to Young Master Xiao of the General’s Manor. But why did the old madam happen to pass away just yesterday? Do you think the old madam caught her in the act and was angered to death?"

"I heard that Leng Yueheng fell into the lotus pond yesterday and stayed hidden until we had all left to avoid embarrassment. There was no affair; it was just a maid slandering her mistress. I heard the maid was beaten to death with clubs by Master Leng."

"Who knows? She grew up in the countryside; for all we know, she’s a shameless woman! Even if she did have an affair, could Master Leng really report it to the authorities? He’d likely just swallow his teeth and bear the pain in silence."

"I don't care! The maid in your house said she saw a man enter your daughter’s courtyard. My sister was definitely angered to death by this! Oh, my poor sister! If you don't give me an explanation, I’m going to the magistrate to report you!"

Lady Jiang and Leng Yuemei allowed their lips to curl into faint, imperceptible smiles. Damn that Leng Yueheng; because of her, the master had actually struck her yesterday.

She thought she was so clever, didn't she? Let’s see her try to flaunt the Prince of Ji’s jade pendant now.

Leng Yueheng could see that this Great Uncle was nothing more than a street rascal. Stymied by Leng Xuanru’s sharp rebuke and lacking any real evidence, he could only resort to making a scene.

However, she absolutely could not use that wretched Prince’s jade pendant to intimidate him.

That dog of a Prince was not a man to be trifled with. He had likely realized by now that she had stolen his pendant, and he was probably trying to retrieve it secretly to protect his own reputation. If she were to use it to wield fake authority, she would be poking a tiger in the eye.

"Great Uncle, if I recall correctly, Grandmother forbade you from entering our home while she was alive, and you were not invited to the birthday banquet yesterday. How is it that you know what our maid supposedly said? Who is pulling your strings to come and smear the reputation of a Hanlin Academician’s household?"

"Never mind how I know! No one is putting me up to this. You’re Leng Yueheng, aren't you?"

"Great Uncle, didn't you say you wanted to report this to the authorities? Don't you know that a commoner reporting an official must first receive fifty strokes of the cane?"

The self-proclaimed Great Uncle clearly panicked.

"It seems the master behind you didn't tell you that! Very well, Father, please send someone to summon the magistrate! For Grandmother’s sake, let us spare the Great Uncle those fifty strokes!" Leng Yueheng gestured toward her father with a feigned expression.

Leng Xuanru, sharp as ever, had no intention of actually involving the magistrate. Seeing his brother-in-law shrinking back, he said, "Uncle, think carefully. If it is discovered that you were instigated to slander the Leng family, don't blame your nephew for being heartless!"

"Great Uncle, you should think this over. Slandering a government official and his family is a capital crime. Will the master behind you really step in to save you?" Leng Yueheng struck again, driving the point home.

The cheap Great Uncle looked left and right, unsure whether to stay or flee. The two young men kneeling behind him tugged at his clothes, but he remained frozen.

He was a shameless scoundrel through and through.

"Father, send for the magistrate!" Leng Yueheng nodded slightly to her father, signaling that she had the situation under control.

"Very well! Gao Fu, go and summon the magistrate!" Leng Xuanru immediately ordered the estate steward to depart.

"Good nephew, don't! Don't go!" The Great Uncle panicked instantly, clinging to Leng Xuanru’s leg like an old pug. "I just can't make ends meet anymore..."

His voice grew lower. The man had promised him ten taels of silver for causing a scene at the Leng residence, regardless of the outcome. If he could get Leng Yueheng reported, he would be paid another fifty. It seemed the fifty was out of reach, but if he could squeeze ten taels out of his nephew, twenty taels total would be enough to keep him fed for a year or two.

"Father, let the Great Uncle inside for a cup of hot tea," Leng Yueheng suggested, hoping to find a trail of clues through this man.

Leng Xuanru nodded and signaled for a servant to lead the three men to Minghui Hall.

The mourners in the courtyard were lost in their own thoughts. Some felt that since the Great Uncle was clearly a rogue and the Leng family dared to involve the magistrate, the rumors of Leng Yueheng’s affair must be false.

Others, however, wondered who Master Leng might have offended. A few more perceptive individuals thought that there was no smoke without fire, and remained convinced that Leng Yueheng was surely hiding something.