Chapter Ten Betrayal

  Bai Yushu and Bai Jiangshi were watching a play on the second floor of the front hall. The two of them were discussing that the white silver needle was a treasure in tea, but they didn't know who had sent it to Master Huize, and Master Huize specially took it out to entertain them. Bai Yushu thought it must have been brought by Chancellor Lord.

  When the Grand Chancellor Luo was young and had not yet made a name for himself, he was very down on his luck. He was taken in by Master Huize at Lingyun Temple, who helped him out with silver. Later, after becoming a top scholar and rising through the ranks, he often offered incense and oil money. Although he is now in the capital, busy with official duties, every year he still sends someone to travel far and wide to send silver to Luozhou. This time, Master Huize specially wrote to invite the Grand Chancellor to come to Lingyun Temple for the Lantern Festival, hoping to catch up on old times and repay past kindnesses.

  Luofu specifically instructed in his letter that he could not disturb the officials of Luoxian, so as to avoid disturbing the local people and giving rise to unnecessary socializing.

  Huizhe then only discussed with Bai Yushu the arrangements for receiving the Prime Minister during the Lantern Festival, and did not reveal the Prime Minister's itinerary to the officials of Luoxian.

  Bai Yushu had been busy preparing for several days, his nerves stretched taut. Now that everything was almost ready, he could finally take a breather and come to the front hall to watch the play.

  Because the prime minister is about to arrive, the Zhang family's thanksgiving play was originally going to be rescheduled, but the Zhang family is a large household in Luoyang County and cannot afford to offend them. Moreover, Zhang Chun is also a well-known decadent. Bai Yushu calculated that there were still several days before the Lantern Festival, so he advised Huize to go to the Zhang family's thanksgiving play instead. After three days of performances, the temple was cleaned up inside and out, just in time to welcome the prime minister, which didn't hinder anything.

  The couple were sipping tea and watching the play when suddenly they saw a maid, Yu Mo, hastily running over and kneeling down in front of Madame Bai.

  Bai Yu and Bai Jiang's wife both cast suspicious glances at Zhen Niang, unsure what kind of trick Rain Mo was up to.

  Yu Mo walked along the way, entangled in whether to tell Master and Madam about the man hidden in Miss's boudoir. Unbeknownst to her, she had already arrived at the front hall on the second floor, where she saw Bai Yu Shu and Bai Jiang Shi. Knowing that there was no turning back once the arrow was shot, she also wanted to take revenge on Bai Yun Nuan for being unkind to her previously, so she added fuel to the fire and told Bai Yu Shu and Bai Jiang Shi about the man hidden in Bai Yun Nuan's chambers with great detail.

  Yu Mo finished speaking, and Bai Yu Shu's and Bai Jiang Shi's faces changed instantly.

  "Yu Mo, what nonsense are you talking about?" Zhen Niang scolded sternly.

  Yu Mo just caught a glimpse of Zhang Nai Chun walking out of the temple gate downstairs, and hastily pointed at his back and said: "Old master and mistress, I didn't lie, it was this young master who just came out of Miss's room."

  Bai Yushu and Bai Jiangshi cast their eyes downward, seeing a tall and slender young master with exquisite clothes and an entourage of a small follower entering the backstage of the theater troupe.

  "Isn't this the young master of the Zhang family?" Zhen Niang muttered to herself, recalling how she had been sent to find Miss earlier and had indeed seen this person chatting with Miss in the inner courtyard corridor.

  Bai Jiang saw Zhen Niang wanting to speak but hesitating with a look of difficulty on her face, and immediately got up and quickly went downstairs.

  "Madam..." Bai Yushu also followed down.

  Zhen Niang glared at Yu Mo who was kneeling down and said: "Nonsense, watch your mouth."

  "It's absolutely true, but if you don't believe me, go ask my sister." Yu Mo was delighted in her heart and waited for the master and mistress to scold Miss before following True Mother back to the boudoir to watch the show.

  Bai Yushu and Bai Jiang arrived at the East Garden and rushed straight to the White Cloud Warm Pavilion.

  Xin Yan was sitting in a chair beside her, watching the young lady of the house drink silver ear lotus seed soup from a stew pot. Suddenly, she saw the old master and mistress burst in, and was so startled that she jumped up from the chair in fright.

  "Master and mistress..." Xin Yan saw Master and Mistress's serious faces and quickly knelt down beside them.

  Bai Yun didn't know what had happened, but his parents were acting as if a storm was brewing. Nevertheless, he got up and paid his respects, calling out: "Father, Mother."

  Bai Yushu and Bai Jiangshi walked straight over to the table and sat down.

  Bai Yuzhu's face sank as he asked, "Who just came by?"

  Bai Yun's face turned warm and she was taken aback, thinking to herself: Could it be that Father and Mother have found out about her meeting with Zhang Nai Chun? For an unmarried girl to meet a strange man is indeed an unforgivable sin, no wonder Father and Mother are angry.

  "No one has ever come here!" Bai Yunnuan stood in front of her father, looking very calm.

  His palms were already sweating profusely.

  "It's true," said Yu Mo, rushing into the room with Zhen Niang. She knelt down and said, "I saw it myself, Young Master Zhang just came out of Miss's boudoir, and Xin Shan is still outside seeing him off! If Master and Mistress don't believe me, they can ask Xin Shan."

  Yu Mo pointed at Xin Yan with his finger, Xin Yan suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and looked at Bai Yunnu for help.

  Bai Yushu saw Yu Mo's mouth set in determination, Xin Yan's face flushed red again, with a guilty conscience, and he was about 70-80% sure. He then asked Xin Yan, "This concerns Miss's reputation, Xin Yan is not allowed to lie, what Yu Mo said, is it true?"

  At this moment, Xin Yan's mind was a complete mess, her hands and feet were shaking violently, and she had no idea how to answer Master's question. But Yu Mo continued to fan the flames: "Master, this morning Xin Yan said that Miss has been having trouble sleeping at night, so I went to cook silver ear lotus seed porridge for Miss to clear her heat. However, when I brought back the porridge, Xin Yan wouldn't let me enter Miss's room and said she would take it in herself, pushing me away. As I walked out of the garden, I saw a young servant lurking around, so I asked him who he was and what he was doing there. He said he was a follower of Master Zhang's son and that Master Zhang had gone to the side house at Miss's invitation, telling him to wait outside the garden gate so as not to be seen by others. I was afraid he was just making it up, ruining Miss's reputation, and was about to scold him when I saw Master Zhang coming out of Miss's room! It turns out Xin Yan didn't dare let me enter Miss's side house because she was afraid I would see Master Zhang inside. What I said is true, Master and Mistress can check the table, the silver ear lotus seed porridge in the pot is still what I cooked myself!"

  As soon as Yu Mo finished speaking, a loud slap was heard, and then stars appeared in front of his eyes, and his cheek felt hot and painful. It wasn't until he came to his senses after a while that he realized it was Bai Yunnuo who had just slapped him on the ear.

  Only white clouds and warm clouds were seen, with a gentle breeze standing in front of her. Two gazes, sharp as blades, fiercely cut at Yu Mo's face, making his heart tremble with fear.

  At this moment, Yu Mo felt a sense of fear and regret, how did she become enemies with the young lady? She wasn't just a maid, she was the young lady! Wouldn't Master and Mistress help their own daughter, but instead help their own little maid? But now that things have come to this point, there's no turning back.

  "Rain Ink, I have treated you kindly, and not to mention the day I rescued you from the old procuress's hands. In all these years of following me in the White family, I have never skimped on your food and clothing. How could you repay my kindness by slandering me in front of Father and Mother? Fortunately, it was only in front of Master and Mistress that you tarnished my reputation. If this mouth of yours were to spread rumors outside, wouldn't Miss's reputation be completely ruined?"

  Xin Yan's eyes were already brimming with tears, and she hastily pleaded with Bai Yunnuo: "Miss, Yu Mo has lost her mind, please be magnanimous and don't hold it against her since she's still just a child!"

  "Sister, what I said is obviously true, why do you still want to apologize for me?" Yu Mo looked at Xin Yue fawning and flattering in front of the young lady, and a surge of indignation rose up in her heart.

  All of a sudden, there was a loud "slap" sound, and Bai Yun warmed up and gave Yu Mo another ear slap.