TGCFNM -Chapter 398 Don’t Spout Nonsense

After leaving the residence, Chu Ling still felt lingering fear in her heart. Lord Lu’s eyes had seemed capable of seeing through everything.

Su He was relatively calm, but Wan Sanjin had also been badly startled.

“Even if my elder brother came personally, he probably wouldn’t gain any advantage with Lord Lu,” Wan Sanjin muttered, hugging himself. “He won’t remember us, will he? If we keep running into him every few days, what are we supposed to do?”

Su He clamped a hand over Wan Sanjin’s mouth. “Use your mouth more carefully.”

Chu Ling also snapped back to her senses. “Master Wan, don’t spout nonsense!”

Wan Sanjin jumped in fright and nodded frantically.

Chu Ling let out a breath. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone to Lord Lu. I thought he’d just accept the pastries and refuse to see us.”

“Next time, let’s not show up ourselves. Let’s ask Uncle Hong to go instead,” Wan Sanjin suggested.

Chu Ling and Su He both nodded heavily. Yes—next time, Uncle Hong would go.

Wan Sanjin then looked at Chu Ling. “By the way, Your Excellency, why did Lord Lu say there’s someone backing you? Who’s behind you? How come I don’t know about it?”

Chu Ling answered honestly, “Actually, I’ve got a ghost behind me. There’s a ghostly tutor who’s been teaching me how to handle things.”

Wan Sanjin stared at her speechlessly. “…Your Excellency, why not say there are several ghosts following you, and each one offers you strategies?”

Chu Ling couldn’t help glancing across from her—Cui Xi and Wangcai probably couldn’t offer her any strategies.

Wangcai looked back at her excitedly, tail wagging wildly. “Woof! Woof!”

Even Su He’s perpetually expressionless “corpse face” cracked. “Your Excellency, if you want to seem mysterious, there should at least be a limit. Not even ghosts would believe that!”

Chu Ling roared inwardly: How could ghosts not believe it?! Ghosts would believe it!

Wan Sanjin suddenly relaxed. “I thought Lord Lu was truly all-powerful. Didn’t expect that even he could misjudge. In truth, there’s no one backing our magistrate. It’s just that he acts without a set pattern, seems abnormal, and isn’t afraid of death—so people get this mysterious impression.”

Chu Ling spoke weakly, “I am afraid of death.”

Su He looked surprised. “You are?”

Chu Ling stared at him, her brows knitting into a deep crease. “You’ve always thought I’d die, haven’t you? Are you planning to dissect my corpse or something?”

After a moment of silence, Su He quietly turned his head away.

Chu Ling pointed at him, grinding her teeth. “I am not going to die!”

Wan Sanjin looked curiously at Su He. “Why are you thinking about dissecting the magistrate?”

“Didn’t he once suffer a head injury? I want to examine his skull,” Su He replied calmly.

Wan Sanjin let out an “Oh.” “That’s… understandable.”

Chu Ling silently pointed at Wan Sanjin. “Actually, Master Wan’s brain was injured too. Ours were just hurt in different places. When the time comes, you can examine both.”

Su He looked at Wan Sanjin with visible excitement. “Sanjin, is that true?”

Seeing the look in his eyes, Wan Sanjin abruptly hugged his head. “No way! You die first. After you die, the magistrate and I will die.”

Su He shook his head. “No. I have to die last.”

Wan Sanjin shifted awkwardly. “How about this—let’s discuss it. Why don’t we agree to die together?”

Bai Su snatched the Ghost Scholar’s fan and smacked Wan Sanjin and Su He on the head with it. “Die, die—what die? No one’s dying!”

Chu Ling couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Who cares what others think? We came to the capital just to watch the show. As long as Prince Rui doesn’t come looking for me, it means what I’ve done isn’t a big problem… Besides, didn’t Master Wan’s elder brother promise half his family fortune as life-saving money?”

Wan Sanjin put his hand down. “True enough. But, Your Excellency, I kind of want that mysterious ‘backed-by-someone’ aura too.”

Chu Ling: “…Then let’s just say we all have someone backing us. That person is mysterious, highly capable—so capable that even Lord Lu can’t see through them.”

Wan Sanjin thought it sounded workable. “Alright.”

He then went out and informed Zhang Dong and Xiao Hua as well. Just like that, everyone now had a mysterious figure behind them.

After returning to the Wan residence, Steward Liu opened the door to greet them. The moment he saw their secretive expressions, he paused.

Steward Liu: “…Are you hungry? Want to eat?”

“YES!”

Everyone shouted in unison and practically dragged Steward Liu into the residence.

They had truly been busy from morning till night, and on top of that had been thoroughly frightened at Lord Lu’s place. They absolutely needed a good meal to replenish themselves.

After everyone had eaten their fill, washed up, and gone back to rest, however, Uncle Hong’s side became busy.

—

The next morning.

At daybreak, Zhuang Tianyou came to the door with gifts under the pretext of apologizing. However, he was told that everyone was still resting. He left the gifts and departed.

Not long after Zhuang Tianyou left, Uncle Hong arrived.

Thus Steward Liu had people drag the still-resting group out of bed.

By the time Uncle Hong had conveniently eaten some breakfast and finished two cups of tea, Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin finally shuffled over.

“Where is Forensic Officer Su?” Uncle Hong asked.

Chu Ling slumped over the table weakly. “Su He said he smeared medicine on the door handle. Try opening it if you dare.”

Wan Sanjin also lay sprawled over the table. “Uncle Hong, we haven’t rested enough yet.”

“Weren’t you lively enough yesterday?” Uncle Hong shot them a glance and snorted. “You’ve made quite a name for yourselves again—leading that many commoners to demand debts. What a grand commotion it was.”

Wan Sanjin suddenly remembered something. “Uncle Hong, did you cooperate with Shiyu?”

“Miss Shiyu has talent. The master craftsman is willing to take her in,” Uncle Hong replied. Then he frowned at him. “Don’t change the subject. I’m asking you—about Wei Liang being beaten with a sack over his head. Do you know anything about it?”

Wan Sanjin clapped his hands and burst out laughing. “Well done!”

Chu Ling also straightened up. “Who was it? So kind-hearted?”

Uncle Hong understood at once—it wasn’t them. So he stated the true purpose of his visit.

“I’ve come today for another matter.” His gaze sharpened slightly. “The so-called ‘inauspicious’ incident was originally just a rumor, meant to cut off Zhao Linlang’s mother’s path. But someone seems to have taken advantage of it… Now the selection of the palace maidens has suddenly ended, and they’ve all been sent back to their families.”

“Then Zhao Linlang…” Chu Ling looked at him. “How will she be dealt with?”

“Last night I received the news. I took advantage of the darkness and directly abducted the two of them. I’ll send them away first by land, then by water—package them up and ship them off entirely. By the time they figure out a way to return, all previous arrangements will have become useless,” Uncle Hong said.

Chu Ling’s eyes lit up. “That’s a good method.”

Wan Sanjin looked at the two of them happily. “With such a major hidden danger resolved, shouldn’t we go out for a meal to celebrate?”

Uncle Hong refused outright. “No. Starting today, stay home obediently. You’re not to go anywhere. There’s trouble brewing these next two days.”

Wan Sanjin’s expression sobered. “Uncle Hong, what happened?”

Uncle Hong frowned deeply. “The eldest young master was almost here already. After hearing this news, he decided to delay his return by a few days. And you two—don’t wander around.”

Chu Ling sensed that things were serious. She couldn’t help but raise a finger and point upward, lowering her voice. “Something wrong up there?”

“Not sure. It’s being kept tightly under wraps. So don’t go out. If anyone comes to visit, have Steward Liu send them away,” Uncle Hong said.

Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin exchanged a glance and nodded in unison. They understood the gravity of the situation.