Chapter 60: Determined to Cuckold Your Liu Family! He Weifang is Furious!

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Fortunately, however, when He Weifang fully came to her senses, a glance at the bed beside her revealed no sign of Wei Tingyu. A touch of her hand to the bedding confirmed it had long since grown cold; he had clearly departed some time ago! Looking around, she saw that daylight had already fully broken.

He Weifang let out a profound sigh of relief, her turbulent emotions gradually calming. Heavens above! That nearly scared me to death! she thought. But when did this Lord Marquis depart? How did I not sense it in the slightest?!

Having breathed that sigh of relief, He Weifang flopped heavily back onto the bed. At this moment, she was so utterly exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open. Her entire body curled up like a cooked shrimp, and she desperately wished she could pull the covers completely over her head! After all, the passionate encounters of the previous night had been somewhat overwhelming for one experiencing such intimacy for the very first time...

"Young Mistress! Something truly terrible has happened, you must wake up!" Yulu, seeing the barely-awake He Weifang immediately attempt to fall back asleep, grew even more frantic. Disregarding the usual distinctions between master and servant, she began to vigorously shake He Weifang's arm.

"What on earth is the matter?" He Weifang sighed. However, she couldn't exactly explain her current physical state to Yulu. So, keeping her eyes closed as if resting, she asked in a low voice, "Is my mother-in-law summoning me to the ancestral hall for 'etiquette correction,' or is the family short of funds again and needs to approach my father?"

In He Weifang's view, these two occurrences were all too common. Even if they were to happen again, there was no need for such excessive alarm.

"County Princess Ji'an is coming to visit the residence tomorrow!" Yulu blinked, looking at He Weifang, who still showed no inclination to rise.

"And what concern is that of mine?" He Weifang was even more exasperated upon hearing this. Why has the Liu Manor suddenly been inundated with distinguished guests these past two days? First, a Marquis arrives, and now a County Princess is to follow. However, this had little to do with her; she presumed she would simply remain secluded in her small courtyard, declining visitors as usual. At this moment, apart from the Marquis of Jining, Wei Tingyu, no one else held the slightest shred of interest for He Weifang. At this thought, she muttered to herself, "No need to pay her any mind!"

"In order to receive the County Princess, the main family has ordered people to dig up all the peonies in our courtyard!" Yulu was truly frantic now. She could no longer afford any pretense or euphemism and directly blurted out the devastating information.

And sure enough, the moment He Weifang heard these words, her eyes snapped wide open. Tossing aside the quilt, she sat bolt upright with a sharp shuā sound! It had to be known that these peonies were part of the dowry her mother had left her; in He Weifang's heart, they were more precious than her own life! Upon hearing this dreadful news, she instantly forgot all about her earlier physical discomfort!

"When did this happen?" He Weifang, paying no heed to the stray wisps of dark hair that had fallen across her forehead, stared intently at Yulu and demanded.

"I heard from the servants that they came to dig them up last night!" Yulu, seeing her mistress finally rouse herself, let out a sigh of relief and quickly relayed this information.

"Last night?" He Weifang was momentarily stunned. Then, she subconsciously glanced at the bedsheet beneath her, where a small crimson stain was still clearly visible. A wave of retrospective fear washed over her. If Wei Tingyu hadn't carried her into the room last night, it was quite possible the Liu family servants would have stumbled upon the two of them conversing in the courtyard! So, that meant this gang must have stealthily entered the courtyard after she and Wei Tingyu had already retired to bed? What an utterly despicable and shameless family!

Yulu, noticing her mistress's gaze, instinctively followed it. Upon spotting the "plum blossom" stains on the bedsheet, she too was instantly dumbfounded. For she knew that ever since He Weifang had married into the Liu family, she had been living separately from her husband, Liu Chang. Only the two of them, mistress and servant, resided in this secluded little courtyard. Could it be... that the Young Master secretly came over last night and consummated the marriage with the Young Mistress? At this thought, a flicker of hope ignited in Yulu's heart. She gently shook He Weifang's hand and said, "Young Mistress, since you have now consummated your marriage with the Young Master, then please, go and implore him! For the sake of your marital bond, he will surely be able to help put in a word for you!"

Him, help speak up for me? He Weifang nearly burst out laughing in sheer exasperation! One would have better luck relying on a stray dog than on that man! And Yulu actually misunderstands that I consummated my marriage with Liu Chang? Isn't that just adding insult to injury?

"I most certainly did not consummate anything with him!" At this thought, He Weifang frowned, then hastily rose from the bed. Of course, as an afterthought, she carefully folded the sheet stained with the "plum blossoms" and tucked it away in the most hidden corner at the bottom of a chest.

Yulu, meanwhile, stood rooted to the spot with a completely bewildered expression, watching her mistress bustle about, even forgetting to offer assistance. From what He Weifang had said, it was abundantly clear that nothing whatsoever had transpired between her and Liu Chang! Then, the "plum blossoms" on the sheet... could it be? Has Young Mistress finally, unable to endure the loneliness, 'leaned over the garden wall'?

Observing He Weifang's somewhat awkward gait and the nervous haste with which she concealed the stained bedsheet, Yulu became absolutely certain: whatever transpired last night was something the Liu family absolutely could not be allowed to discover!

"Quickly, quickly! Hurry..." Having concealed the evidence, He Weifang hastily threw on some clothes and then, leading Yulu, rushed out of their small courtyard, making a beeline for the garden in the main courtyard. Before they even arrived, they could hear Liu Shen, the master of the Liu household, thundering with rage.

"How have these flowers ended up in this state?!" "What kind of gardeners are you all?!" "You can't even transplant a few flowers properly!" "If the County Princess sees this tomorrow, both your heads combined won't be enough to atone for this!"

...And upon hearing Liu Shen's stream of curses, an ominous premonition welled up in He Weifang's heart. When she rushed over and saw the flowers, sure enough, every single plant was droopy and lifeless.

Liu Shen also spotted He Weifang at this moment. He promptly abandoned the two gardeners he had been berating and turned to approach her. "Father," He Weifang greeted. Though she detested this father-in-law to her very core, for now, she could only offer a carefully executed curtsy.

"Mudan, you've finally come! Quickly, help your father save these flowers!" Liu Shen's audacity was truly remarkable. He completely disregarded the awkwardness of having been discovered after secretly pilfering flowers from He Weifang's courtyard the previous night and, with utter shamelessness, now demanded that He Weifang personally intervene to salvage these half-dead blooms.

"Father, if you require flowers, Mudan can personally go to the flower market to select them for you!" He Weifang said, looking at the courtyard full of nearly withered blooms, her eyes reddening with heartache. Turning to Liu Shen, she continued with evident displeasure, "Why was it necessary to dig up all the flowers from my courtyard overnight and transplant them here?"

"These prized peonies of yours are exceptionally rare; how could the common varieties from the flower market possibly compare to them?" Liu Shen truly embodied the saying "when one is shameless, one is invincible," as he declared with utter effrontery, "Besides, I heard you had been drinking wine last night and retired early. Your father truly couldn't bear to disturb you!" "Mudan wouldn't blame her father for this, would she?" And to top it off, Liu Shen even attempted a bit of emotional blackmail, emphasizing his status as He Weifang's father-in-law!

He Weifang, at this point, was so incensed that she actually laughed out loud. For she now understood completely: exchanging even a single extra word with this family was a utter waste of her life! Originally, she had harbored a tiny sliver of guilt regarding her "transgression" the previous night. Now, however, even that last vestige of remorse had utterly dissipated.

At this thought, He Weifang glanced up at Liu Shen, whose eyes were filled with the smug satisfaction of having successfully manipulated her, and said, "Mudan would not dare." If this were the He Weifang of old, seeing that triumphant glint in Liu Shen's eyes would have made her teeth ache with suppressed fury. After all, he was banking on the fact that, apart from seething with anger, she could do nothing! Now, however, she merely sneered inwardly. So, you think you can bully me? In that case, I shall ensure your Liu family wears a very large, very stable green hat!

"Good child!" Liu Shen, seeing He Weifang show no signs of temper, genuinely believed he had once again successfully manipulated this daughter-in-law. He nodded in satisfaction. "Your father originally didn't wish to trouble you to handle this personally, but I hadn't anticipated your peonies would be so... delicate!" "The gardeners I hired are simply incapable of looking after them properly!" "Mudan! Quickly, take a look, can they still be saved?"

Upon hearing these words from Liu Shen, He Weifang could no longer be bothered to waste another breath on him. She turned directly and began to tend to her precious flowers. Of course, at this moment, He Weifang's conviction to one day escape this den of tigers and wolves that was the Liu family also solidified in her heart!

"Mudan! You absolutely must revive these flowers." "The distinguished guest arriving tomorrow is none other than County Princess Ji'an, the beloved daughter of Prince Ning!" "If it is discovered tomorrow that the flower banquet has no flowers, that would be a grave offense!" "Our entire Liu household, from top to bottom, will be implicated!"

Hearing Liu Shen still prattling on beside her about how crucial these flowers were for tomorrow's banquet, He Weifang felt utterly exasperated. Of course, at this moment, she also resolved to no longer be passively submissive. She retorted directly, "Father need not elaborate further! Regardless of who comes to this residence tomorrow, I do not care!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Liu Shen, hearing He Weifang declare her indifference, instantly grew anxious.

"These peonies are a legacy from my mother! Regardless of whether any distinguished guest arrives tomorrow, or whether a flower banquet is held, I will exert all my efforts to save them!" He Weifang cast a speechless glance at Liu Shen, her eyes even revealing a profound sense of contempt.

Liu Shen, of course, noticed this contemptuous gaze from He Weifang. His heart jolted in surprise; this was the first time he had ever seen such an emotion in the eyes of this consistently submissive daughter-in-law. However, he also knew this was not the moment to lose his temper with her. So, he immediately offered a grand, empty promise: "Excellent! As long as you can revive these flowers and ensure tomorrow's distinguished guest is satisfied, after the banquet, you may choose any of the rare treasures within this residence!"

"These peonies are my treasures. As long as they are well, I desire nothing else!" He Weifang, at this moment, naturally paid no heed to the grand promise Liu Shen was dangling before her. She focused her entire attention on trying to salvage the courtyard full of flowers.

...

"My Lord Marquis! You did not return last night. Could it be that you found your way into some young lady's boudoir?" Meanwhile, in the guest courtyard where Wei Tingyu was staying, Dou Zhao and the other two ladies were gathered around him, chattering and scrutinizing their husband intently, as if trying to ascertain if he had lost a single strand of hair or a sliver of flesh. Zhao Zhangru, in particular, actually dared to voice such a brazen question. Her forthright and unreserved nature truly revealed itself at every opportunity!

"Are the three of you really going to look at me like that?" Wei Tingyu pursed his lips. He thought to himself, I did indeed find my way into a boudoir, but it wasn't a 'young lady's,' it was the young madam of this Liu Manor. Of course, at this moment, he would certainly not admit it directly—not even if they beat him to death!

"I sense that My Lord Marquis's scent seems a little... different now!" Miao Ansu, meanwhile, leaned against Wei Tingyu's shoulder, took a few delicate sniffs, then frowned prettily as she spoke.

"Really? Let me smell too!" This time, it wasn't just Zhao Zhangru; even Dou Zhao joined in the commotion, sniffing vigorously a couple of times. Then, almost in perfect unison, all three ladies revealed expressions that clearly said, "Just as we thought!"

"..." Wei Tingyu pursed his lips but did not directly deny it. Because in this situation, it was as plain as lice on a bald man's head—glaringly obvious. Moreover, although the three ladies did not possess He Weifang's extraordinarily keen sense of smell, as women, they were undoubtedly sensitive to any unfamiliar fragrance on their husband that did not belong to them. What was that saying again? A woman in the act of catching an adulterer possesses the perceptive abilities of ten Sherlock Holmeses!

However, the three ladies also knew that Wei Tingyu had undoubtedly spent the previous night with He Weifang. So, after surrounding him and chattering playfully for a while, they each returned to their respective positions and began to attend to the Marquis as he partook of his morning meal.

For this kind of life—where clothes were presented at a gesture and food appeared at a word—Wei Tingyu naturally would not refuse it. He even felt somewhat reflective at this moment. If he were to be separated from these three lovely wives and concubines of his, he feared he would soon forget even how to feed himself. Indeed, it is easy to transition from frugality to luxury, but exceedingly difficult to go from luxury back to frugality! Having become accustomed to this lavish lifestyle, it was truly hard to readjust to that so-called "freedom" of the past, where as long as one person ate their fill, the whole family didn't go hungry.

And just as Wei Tingyu was savoring the ministrations of his lovely consorts as they served him his meal, that familiar, magnetic voice of the System finally resonated in his mind once more.

[Ding! Congratulations, Master, for successfully marrying the 2nd Great Female Lead, Dou Zhao!] [This System has now upgraded to Level Two! The Level Two Mall is officially open, and concurrently, Master is presented with one Level Two System Grand Gift Pack!]

Wei Tingyu was momentarily stunned. Suppressing the surge of joy in his heart, he quickly entered the System Space with his consciousness to investigate. Sure enough, the current state of the Space was even more magnificent than before, and the perceived quality of the Mall had also improved! Upon reaching Level Two, the previous restrictions on purchasing goods had been somewhat relaxed, and new discount rates were also available! For instance, the perfume that Wei Tingyu had previously been limited to purchasing one hundred bottles of per day, now had its upper limit increased to one hundred and twenty bottles daily. Simultaneously, the unit purchase price had decreased from ten taels per bottle to nine taels per bottle! Alright! he thought. Even a fly is still meat! Besides, upon careful consideration, this represents a considerable increase in profit for me!

As for what treasures the Level Two System Grand Gift Pack might contain? Wei Tingyu's heart thrummed with excitement. Without a second word, he chose to open it.

[Shadow Guard Upgrade Card x18 (Upon use, this card can upgrade Silver Shadow Guards to the more intelligent and powerful Gold Shadow Guards!)] [Grass-Stepping Flight Secret Manual x1 (Upon use, this card allows for mastery of the peerless lightness skill of the Green-Winged Bat King, Wei Yixiao!)] [Silver Shadow Guard x36 (Upon use, this card permanently summons 36 absolutely loyal Silver Shadow Guards!)]

The moment he saw the three cards that had been revealed, Wei Tingyu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets! Holy smokes! This Level Two System Grand Gift Pack is indeed even more incredible than the Level One pack!

Firstly, the Grass-Stepping Flight Secret Manual was simply too phenomenal! This was the signature skill of the Green-Winged Bat King, Wei Yixiao, whose lightness skill was unparalleled in martial arts novels! It had to be known that Wei Tingyu's so-called "lightness skill" up to this point was merely agile movement and a lightened body supported by his profound internal energy; it wasn't a true lightness technique! But once he mastered this Grass-Stepping Flight, traveling a thousand li in a single day would be child's play! Combined with his own exceptional internal energy, taking an enemy general's head from amidst an army of ten thousand would truly be as easy as reaching into one's own pocket to retrieve something!

The thirty-six Silver Shadow Guards spoke for themselves; the quantity was a full double that of the Level One System Grand Gift Pack! Most importantly, he could also upgrade eighteen Silver Shadow Guard positions to Gold Shadow Guards! The intelligence of Gold Shadow Guards was already comparable to that of ordinary humans; they were no longer like Silver Shadow Guards, who could only mechanically execute their master's commands. When the master was absent, it was difficult to guarantee that Silver Guards wouldn't make errors or blunders. And for Wei Tingyu, who was in urgent need of capable personnel, this was truly like receiving charcoal in snowy weather—a timely boon! As for their martial prowess, according to the System's introduction, one Gold Shadow Guard could roughly fight two Silver Shadow Guards to a standstill! However, in an actual battle, two Silver Shadow Guards would inevitably be no match for a single Gold Shadow Guard! Why? Because of intelligence! This was a decisive factor that played an incredibly important role in combat! By this calculation, he now had eighteen Gold Shadow Guards and thirty-six Silver Shadow Guards under his command! Combined with the Grass-Stepping Flight lightness skill, his overall strength had leaped by more than just a significant margin!

...

"My Lord Marquis, have you heard?" Wei Tingyu's consciousness had just returned from the System when he found Dou Zhao looking at him with a serious expression. "It seems there will be another distinguished guest visiting the Liu Manor tomorrow!"

"Yes, yes! I also heard the Liu family servants discussing it!" Zhao Zhangru hastily chimed in. "It seems it's County Princess Ji'an who is coming as a guest?!"

"But why would County Princess Ji'an visit the Liu family? They are merely minor officials here in the Eastern Capital..." Miao Ansu blinked, astutely pointing out the incongruity in this matter.

"This County Princess Ji'an and Liu Chang were originally childhood sweethearts!" Wei Tingyu, having "seen the drama," naturally knew the whole story. He smiled and said, "Her visit this time, I fear, is a case of 'the drinker's heart not being in the wine'!"