The Marquis Is Innocent

The next day, Xiao Qiao received an invitation from Su E Huang. She said that she was passing by Jinyang on her journey to Luoyang, and was surprised Xiao Qiao was also in Jinyang, so she sent an invitation to visit her.

Chun Niang said, “You don’t have to pay attention to her.”

Xiao Qiao said, “I have nothing to do either. Since she is here and has sent an invitation, there is no harm in meeting her.”

Chun Niang was stunned and quietly looked at Xiao Qiao. Seeing that she was smiling and looking indifferent, she turned around and replied to the invitation.

After Chun Niang left, Xiao Qiao abandoned the half-written letter from yesterday. Then, she wrote a new one containing her situation and said in a flirtatious tone that she was honored that her husband had dreamed of her every night, but how could she dare to have other gentlemen in her dreams?

At the end of the letter, she added another stroke: I heard the wife of Zuo Feng Yi, Ms. Su, had arrived in Jinyang not long ago. I know you and Ms. Su have an old friendship, so I do not dare to ignore her. I will do my best to receive her on your behalf. You can rest assured and do not need to worry about it.

After writing the letter and the ink dried, she rolled it up to put it in the tube and asked the messenger who came yesterday to deliver it.

……

Xiao Qiao met with Su E Huang in a side room of the back house of the government office.

After the Luli Conference at the end of last year, Su E Huang left Yuyang. Nearly a year has passed, but she still looks the same as Xiao Qiao remembered. With beautiful clothes and accessories, she was charming and had good manners.

Once she saw Xiao Qiao, she praised Xiao Qiao’s beauty and elegance. She said, “Do you know why I keep calling you my younger sister? Apart from the fact that I am related to the Old Madam and my relationship with Zhonglin when I was young, I feel close to you, and also because I saw that in other people’s homes, sisters go out together and close to each other. I have been longing for them, but I am the only daughter in my family. I cannot help but regret it. When I saw you, I was envious of your beauty, and since I am a few years older than you, I took the initiative to call you my sister. Sister won’t laugh at me, right?”

Xiao Qiao invited her to sit and smiled, “Madam, there is no need to be so humble. Who in the world does not know the beautiful name of Madam Yu Lou? I was just a woman in the household. Earlier, in Yuyang, I was busy with the daily chores and serving my Grandmother and mother-in-law. When I arrived here, I only knew how to serve my husband with all my heart and soul, nothing else. How can I deserve such praise from you? As for what you called me, it’s just a small thing. You can call me as you like.”

Su E Huang looked at Xiao Qiao with a smile, but the smile faintly lagged for a moment.

……

Last year, in Zhongshan, she met the Qiao girl for the first time. They had met several times since then, but Mrs. Xu has been around each time.

Su E Huang noticed that the Qiao girl was quiet, and her conversation with her was only a few.

During these brief encounters, Su E Huang secretly evaluated the wife of Wei Shao, the daughter of the Qiao family in Yanzhou.

She was young, beautiful, and liked by Mrs. Xu, which was her advantage.

Wei Shao hated the Qiao family and married her for a different purpose. The Qiao girl had no strength to speak of, and her temperament was as gentle as water. She was like a shadow behind Mrs. Xu – these are her disadvantages.

These ‘young and beautiful’ and favored by Mrs. Xu could make Wei Shao stay in the Qiao girl’s bed for a few more nights. But Su E Huang did not believe this kind of woman could take Wei Shao’s heart.

Moreover, how many of the Qiao girl’s advantages could she weigh in Wei Shao’s mind compared to her disadvantages?

Su E Huang has been very confident about her return. From the time she began to redirect her attention back to her childhood friend, Wei Shao, a few years ago, she had analyzed her strengths and weaknesses. As a teenager, Su E Huang abandoned him to marry another man. This year, as she was older, this was her disadvantage.

But she also had a unique advantage that no one else could have. No one knows better than her how exactly Wei Shao was, what he loved and hated.

In the eyes of the world, Wei Shao’s treatment of his enemies was so ruthless that everyone shivered. But Su E Huang knew he was sincere to the people who had entered his heart and could not part with them. As the pain from his father and brother’s death, no one knew better than her. Because his loved ones hurt, he would hate his enemies to that extent.

Su E Huang’s confidence was not without reason.

Wei Shao was twelve when he experienced the unexpected loss of his father and brother. He was seriously injured and bedridden for half a year. She was the one who was always there to care for him and comfort him in every way.

With this kind of affection, even ten Qiao women were not comparable to her. Furthermore, Su E Huang remembered that before leaving for Luoyang, she wanted to say goodbye to him and asked for a meeting. Although Wei Shao did not attend the appointment, the fifteen-year-old boy asked her messenger to convey a message.

He said, “I only wish you endless happiness.”