Chapter 248: Disaster (Five)

The Live-in Son-in-Law

The scene was quiet, the atmosphere solemn. Under such circumstances, no matter how many important figures were present, everything ultimately had to wait for the prefect's arrival to officially begin.

"Your Excellency," "Lord Lu," "Prefect..." Various salutations and addresses followed one after another. Then, from the injured side, a clamor arose: "We beg Prefect Lu to deliver justice for us students!" These were scholars who had achieved some recognition, at least at the *xiucai* level, and were not required to kneel. Lu Tuizhi, known for his humility, waved his hand, inviting everyone to sit. When his gaze turned to Ning Yi, he saw the man was also observing him. Ning Yi then cupped his hands in greeting: "Prefect Lu." Lu Tuizhi nodded, and immediately someone beside them shouted, "Impudent! As a live-in son-in-law, how dare you not kneel before the Prefect?"

"It's alright," Lu Tuizhi waved his hand. "Today, everyone has come for a gathering; you are all esteemed guests of this prefecture. Though there are disputes now, the truth is not yet clear, so I will not impose my official capacity." After he finished speaking, Lou Jinlin nearby narrowed his eyes. Lu Tuizhi's gaze swept over him, then rested on Ning Yi's face. "However, if it is later proven that someone truly resorted to violence today, they must bear responsibility. This incident has resulted in so many injuries; therefore, it is my duty to meet that person in the *yamen*!"

His words were sharp and incisive. As his voice fell, Ning Yi smiled. The scholars nearby also echoed his words, some wincing and baring their teeth as they aggravated their injuries. Lou Jinlin cupped his hands, nodded, and said clearly, "In this matter, I, Lou, have a long-standing friendship with the elders of the Su family in Jiangning. If it were merely a small misunderstanding between the younger generations of our two families, I, Lou, would gladly let it pass. However, this matter has escalated so much, affecting so many people, that I cannot condone it. My son is headstrong, reckless, and difficult to teach. I, Lou, believe he must be at fault in this matter. When Your Excellency investigates it thoroughly, please punish him severely!"

"Father! I'm not wrong!" As Lou Jinlin finished speaking, Lou Shuheng stood up, his face swollen. Immediately, a chorus of support rose around him. This wave of sound spread, drawing in many of the bystanders behind them. Many were speaking up on Lou Shuheng's behalf, and the scene quickly became a tumultuous outcry. After a good while, as the clamor gradually subsided, Lou Jinlin glared at Lou Shuheng and snapped, "Wretch! Sit down! Is this a place for you to talk back?" He then apologized to Lu Tuizhi before taking a seat at a nearby round table.

Lou Shuwan was also seated among the nearby crowd. Song Zhiqian, the Lou family's live-in son-in-law, had also arrived by then, found his wife, and sat beside her. The two did not speak. Song Zhiqian did not notice his wife's slight frown and her subsequent closing of her eyes.

Father loved Second Brother the most. Lou Shuwan understood this most clearly in her heart. At home, Father was strict with Elder Brother and somewhat disheartened and helpless with her, but only indulged Second Brother. From the moment she saw her father's expression just now, she knew he was truly enraged this time. After all, deep down, Father looked down on the other party's status as a live-in son-in-law, and precisely because of that disdain, his anger grew even fiercer.

If not for this, Father would not have been so sharp from the outset. He personally spoke to the other party, hinted to the prefect, and in just a few words, provoked the crowd's rebellious sentiment. It wasn't that she had fallen for Ning Yi, but she certainly admired him in her heart. She had met many outstanding men, but this was the first time she had seen a man so exceptional and complex. But it could only go this far; Ning Liheng would have no way out. She knew he had a connection with Qian Xiwen and was quite surprised at first, but with only one visit in two months, it could only be called an acquaintance. Under her father's full suppression, Qian Xiwen could not possibly stand up for him.

On the other hand, Second Brother seemed to have genuinely fallen for Su Tan'er. While she was thinking about these things, Su Wending, who had been absent, brought a medicine box. The previous doctors hadn't provided any, so Su Tan'er had sent him back to the pleasure boat to fetch one. One by one, Qian Xiwen, Mu Bochang, and others also arrived. Lu Tuizhi rose to greet them, then sat down. What he had been waiting for was also Qian Xiwen's arrival.

After his conversation with Qian Yu, Lu Tuizhi already had a rough idea and direction in mind. After Lou Jinlin's brief words just now, his thoughts became even clearer: although there was a connection with Qian Xiwen, he still intended to convict Ning Liheng. This was a difficult decision, but if he favored Ning Liheng, too many people would be dissatisfied. If Ning Liheng were to be convicted, he would only need to convince Qian Xiwen. And the surging public sentiment before him was something he could ultimately leverage. Once the situation became untenable, Qian Xiwen would also understand: convicting Ning Liheng, and then quietly granting him leniency to spare his life, would be a win-win-win outcome. It would gain favor with Lou Jinlin and the Hangzhou scholars, earn goodwill with Qian Xiwen, and also with Ning Liheng.

In any case, this was also the most impartial way to handle it, as Ning Liheng had indeed hit so many people and incurred public wrath. Soon after, he began questioning. A moment later, in the great hall, the crowd's emotions began to stir.

The wind on the lake brushed past the large boats lined up together. In the main hall of the official vessel, hundreds of people were gathered. In front, several officials, prominent figures, and esteemed elders sat together, inquiring about the recent fight.

Among the crowd, Song Zhiqian, seated beside Lou Shuwan, felt a degree of shared sorrow for Ning Liheng, who was also a live-in son-in-law and was being questioned at the front. Ning Liheng's composure at the front seemed very strange, even unsettling, to Song Zhiqian. Although they hadn't really become close since meeting—apart from their initial encounter during a visit to the Lou family, they had only occasionally run into each other on the street and exchanged greetings once. Nevertheless, there was still a sense of sympathy for one's kind.

It was only much later that he realized Ning Liheng was not at all in the same category as him. The process of Ning Liheng hitting people and everyone else being hit could actually be easily reconstructed.

The focus then quickly shifted to Ning Yi's status as a live-in son-in-law. In Song Zhiqian's eyes, Ning Liheng was indeed a bit strange. When asked about his live-in son-in-law status, he nodded unhesitatingly and affirmed it. When asked about the process of hitting people, he replied, "There were twenty or thirty people coming at me, and I was just one person with a girl behind me. Under such circumstances, I don't think it can be called me hitting people..." He referred to the maid as "a girl."

This answer was actually quite good; even Prefect Lu nodded. But the problem lay in one detail: he mentioned the girl behind him. Lu Tuizhi emphasized, "So you were indeed protecting Miss Xiaochang behind you?" He also nodded, and Song Zhiqian thought, *This guy is an idiot.*

When Lu Tuizhi asked him for his opinion on who was right and who was wrong in this incident, he thought for a moment and said, "I think it was actually a misunderstanding; there's no right or wrong to speak of." A wave of cold laughter swept through the hall.

"Regarding this matter, it was actually my recklessness..." Lou Shuheng said as he stood up to answer. "My Lou family and the Su family have long been family friends; my father and Sister Tan'er's father have been acquainted for years. This Ning Liheng is a live-in son-in-law, and I originally treated him with the courtesy due to a brother. Who would have thought that he, a live-in son-in-law, would today be seen openly flirting with a maid? Prefect, if it were a minor matter, it would be fine. I personally saw them holding hands under the tree. Recalling that I had only recently seen Sister Tan'er, I was immediately overcome with anger and rushed over to try and separate them and confront them. I admit I acted improperly at that moment. But as a live-in son-in-law, his dalliance with a maid is undeniable. I wasn't the only one who witnessed this!"

At this point, several people also stood up, admitting they had witnessed it. They had assumed the two were husband and wife. Song Zhiqian waited for the Prefect to solemnly question Ning Yi, and the answer he received was definitive. But only the next sentence made him feel as if he couldn't understand.

"Xiaochang and I are mutually in love, and in a few days, I will take her as my concubine."As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar. Lu Tuizhi frowned. Qian Xiwen, who had been sitting quietly with lowered eyelids, seemingly unconcerned, also frowned. A wave of whispering broke out. Lu Tuizhi looked at the always quiet Su Tan'er: "Madam Su, he is a live-in son-in-law in your family. What is your opinion on this matter?""To answer Your Excellency, this matter was arranged by your humble servant." The woman who had been sitting quietly, saying nothing and showing no expression, finally spoke. She glanced at Ning Yi and smiled softly.

"A live-in son-in-law... how can a live-in son-in-law take a concubine?""The Great Wu Code doesn't say a live-in son-in-law cannot take a concubine."

Her voice was soft and enchanting, and she answered as if it were the most natural thing. Everyone looked at this puzzling couple with strange eyes. Song Zhiqian watched from afar, blinking in astonishment, completely dumbfounded. Then he reacted: "A lie! She actually told such a lie for this philandering man..." However, Su Tan'er had already stepped forward, moving past Ning Yi, and performed a slight curtsey.

"Your Excellency's surprise is understandable. Ning Lang did indeed become a live-in son-in-law in my family, but Xiaochang was also married to him by my decision. Your humble servant is originally from a merchant family. Generations ago, my ancestors had a pre-birth betrothal agreement with Ning Lang's family elders. By my generation, my father only had me, a daughter. As a merchant, profiting is key, so I managed the family business from a young age. Ning Lang knew my family's situation, pitied my hard work, and thus agreed to be a live-in son-in-law..." Although Su Tan'er had cleaned Ning Yi's wounds earlier, she had remained silent, even appearing somewhat aloof. In everyone's eyes, they thought her mood was complex, that she was angry, and even if she was trying to maintain composure, her feelings were certainly very complex. Only now did she speak. Although some immediately realized she was lying, Su Tan'er continued speaking, word by word, softly yet sincerely. For a moment, no one could interrupt her.

"Although your humble servant has studied poetry and literature since childhood, I don't truly understand much about the art of poetry. If not for the heavy burden of my family business, which I've carried since childhood and cannot lay down, your humble servant would rather have married Ning Lang myself, instead of him becoming a live-in son-in-law. I now realize that this matter was due to my own selfishness, causing Ning Lang to make too many sacrifices. Alas, it is a regret I cannot change..." These words were extremely convincing. Although from a merchant background, Su Tan'er had indeed received an education befitting a young lady of means. Dressed in white, her countenance dignified and graceful, she stood tall and elegant. As she spoke, she glanced at Ning Yi, and her eyes were already red. Others probably began to imagine it: the two betrothed before birth, innocent childhood sweethearts. Later, when Su Tan'er had to take over the family business, Ning Liheng was actually willing to become a live-in son-in-law. Such a sacrifice, though strange, was truly happening before their eyes.

"As for Xiaochang, she and your humble servant grew up together from a young age; it's no exaggeration to say we are like sisters. Ning Lang is humble and gentle. After marrying your humble servant, he has been kind to all the maids and servants in the household. Everyone who came to Hangzhou with your humble servant knows this. When we first married, I assigned Xiaochang to attend to Ning Lang. Ning Lang treated her like a younger sister. It has been more than two years now, and everyone in the household knows this..."

"That's right, as soon as Brother-in-law entered the Su family, Xiaochang was assigned to serve him," Su Wending interjected, raising his hand. Su Tan'er placed one hand in front of her, reached back with the other, gently took Ning Yi's hand, looked up, and smiled as she took a breath.

"Although your humble servant has studied poetry and literature since childhood, I don't truly understand much about the art of poetry. Ning Lang is a famous scholar from Jiangning, and your humble servant has always admired him. Although he became a live-in son-in-law, your humble servant respects him and loves him, no different from any ordinary woman. His compassion and forbearance towards your humble servant, I have always kept in my heart. The sincerity of this heart, heaven and earth can attest..." She uttered these words deliberately, one by one. To be honest, it was a bit saccharine. At that time, people were generally conservative, and many had probably never imagined such a scene in their lives. But the woman stood there, her words echoing through the hall, spoken so naturally and openly. For a moment, the great ship was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Many women, after their initial astonishment, now had reddened eyes. As for the many men, including Song Zhiqian, they remained dumbfounded. They couldn't tell what feelings stirred within them: envy, jealousy, or hatred. Lou Shuwan pursed her lips, rested one hand on her chin, turned her head to glance at him, then moments later, numbly turned back.