Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 51 The Secret Chronicles of Yudu's Romantic Affairs

Just as Shen Yun was itching to become Shen Qing's apprentice on the spot, the young men who had been watching the spectacle on the various pleasure boats on Linxian Lake also came back to their senses from the shock and began to discuss among themselves as they looked at Shen Qing and his companions on their covered boat.

Most of them were still immature teenagers full of fantasies, their bright eyes filled with longing.

"Is this the legendary martial arts master?"

"So there really is such a thing as walking on water!"

"Young hero, would you mind boarding the ship for a chat?"

Seeing several pleasure boats approaching, Shen Qing immediately ordered Du Zhong, "Row the boats!"

Du Zhong immediately pushed off with his bamboo pole and slid into a secluded waterway. Seeing this, the others knew that he had no intention of making friends, so they gave up and did not chase after him.

No one blamed him for his arrogance. He left without a trace after accomplishing his task, concealing his merits and fame. Perhaps this is the demeanor of a truly great person.

Shen Qing's high-profile appearance overshadowed Lu Yuanzhi's presence, and everyone was talking about this elusive and mysterious figure, while Liang Shou, now soaked to the bone, went unnoticed.

The Yuguo region has a well-developed lake and water system, and the covered boats drift slowly along the three-zhang-wide waterways far from the central lake.

"Sanlang, why are we running?" Shen Yun asked, puzzled. If he had that skill, he would show it off eight hundred times a day.

"I am by nature averse to crowds and have always kept a low profile."

Du Zhong, standing at the stern, twitched his lips upon hearing this. If it were true, that would be wonderful.

Shen Yun suddenly realized, bowed respectfully, and then, remembering Shen Qing borrowing the cloak, asked, "Sanlang, it seems you anticipated that someone would fall into the water?"

"What do you think of the man who saved someone from the water before me?" Shen Qing asked casually, swirling her wine glass.

"Huh?" Shen Yun felt that Shen Qing's thinking was too jumpy, but still thought about who it was. "It seems to be Liang Zi'an. He is the eldest son of the Marquis of Weiyuan. He is addicted to cockfighting, dog racing, eating, drinking, gambling and whoring. He is a well-known playboy in Yudu."

Hearing Shen Yun's evaluation, Shen Qing knew that he had a very bad impression of that guy, and only then did she feel relieved and tell Shen Yun what she had just heard.

Shen Qing's haste to leave earlier was not because he was naturally low-key; he loved watching the excitement but did not want to get involved in the turmoil.

As for why Liang Shou's scheme wasn't exposed on the spot, the main reason was that there was no concrete evidence. Even if he denied it to the death, there was nothing that could be done. He could even accuse Liang Shou of having malicious intentions and deliberately slandering him. Those present at the time were all children of high-ranking officials and nobles in Yuguo, with a complex background, which could easily escalate the situation.

When a girl gets involved in this kind of thing, even if she's in the right, she'll still be smeared. As long as Lu Yuanzhi is aware of the situation, her family will take care of things and get revenge elsewhere once she gets home safely.

Many things don't necessarily need to be thoroughly explained to be considered fair. The best approach is for him to attract attention and downplay the existence of Lu Yuanzhi and Liang Shou, so that no one will associate them with this when the Lu family retaliates in the future.

After hearing this, Shen Yun felt disgusted by Liang Shou's shameless behavior, but at the same time, he admired Shen Qing even more. "Sanlang is not only highly skilled in martial arts at such a young age, but also meticulous and thorough in his work. I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as him."

"Not at all, Junyue is also a rare young talent."

The two exchanged pleasantries, each trying to flatter the other.

"Speaking of which, what's the story behind that fellow surnamed Liang saying he'd emulate old Marquis Wei Yun and win the heart of a beauty?" Shen Qing's gossip spirit was burning brightly.

"That's a long story. It happened more than 20 years ago. My mother and Madam Qiao were very close friends back then, so they knew each other quite well."

"Tell me more," Shen Qing said, cracking open a pumpkin seed.

"The late Marquis Yun, Ningyuan, admired a famous talented woman in Yudu at the time, the daughter of Vice Minister Qiao. How could the prestigious Qiao family possibly agree to a marriage proposal from a nobleman of humble origins?"

“I understand, the aristocratic families are aloof.” Shen Qing knew the nature of the aristocratic families all too well.

"That's not quite right. When our ancestors migrated south, in order to establish a foothold in Yudu, they betrothed my great-aunt to the Duke of Yu, who was then the General Who Conquers the West. The Duke of Yu was just a military man and didn't understand my great-aunt's talents in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, and flowers at all. They couldn't communicate with each other, and after having a son, he died of depression."

It's probably postpartum depression. Shen Qing thought about it and agreed. Marrying someone of similar social standing is still very important. How can people with different values ​​get along?

Shen Yun probably realized that the topic had gone astray, so he quickly steered the conversation back on track and continued, "Moreover, Madam Qiao at that time had a childhood sweetheart, who is now Prime Minister Fang. The two families had long intended to arrange a marriage between them."

"And then the accident happened, right?" Shen Qing was sure she had guessed correctly this time.

Shen Yun nodded. "Back then, just like today, Madam Qiao attended a poetry gathering on the lake and accidentally fell into the water. She was rescued by Marquis Wei Yun at the time, and the scene was just as Sanlang had imagined. It was quite unpleasant."

Shen Qing sighed, "Needless to say, the Fang family definitely won't want to marry her."

Shen Yun also sighed, "My mother went to comfort her, and Madam Qiao resigned herself to marriage. Soon after, she became pregnant. She could barely make ends meet, but she unexpectedly learned that Ning Yuan had orchestrated the whole thing. She was so angry that she suffered a heart attack and went into premature labor with severe bleeding. She almost didn't make it through the gates of hell."

"After that, Mrs. Qiao was heartbroken and stopped caring about household affairs and children. She spent her days in the Buddhist hall eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers."

"The late Marquis Yun named his child Ning Cuo, with the courtesy name Wu Jiu."

"..." This name sounds like someone who's utterly unrepentant!

“Ning Cuo was also pitiful when he was young,” Shen Yun said with a complicated expression. “The late Marquis Yun was away fighting battles all year round. Madam Qiao ignored him. My mother tried to persuade him a few times to pay more attention to her child, but it was to no avail.”

"When Ning Cuo was fifteen, the late Marquis Yun died in battle. The Ning family was a newly risen noble family with a weak foundation. With the head of the family gone, all sorts of evil spirits emerged to try and seize the Ning family's military power. It is often said that a mother is strong, but even at this point, Madam Qiao neither asked her family for help nor used her title to make connections. If it weren't for General Nie, the late Marquis Yun's sworn brother, Ning Cuo might not have even been able to keep his marquisate."

This is difficult to judge. Although Ning Yuan and Madam Qiao were legally married, they essentially used coercion. The young lady could have married her beloved and become the Prime Minister's wife. It's a case of loving someone and then the opposite.

"Judging from the complicated look on your face when you mentioned Ning Cuo just now, has that guy gone astray now?"

"It depends on which aspect. In terms of talent, Ning Cuo once quelled tens of thousands of rebels and now commands the Imperial Guard. In terms of personal morality... he frequents brothels and has countless concubines in his mansion."

"That's it?" Shen Qing waited for the rest of the story.

"It's gone."

That's it? In this era, a nobleman like him, with power and money, shouldn't be considered something to criticize if he's a bit lecherous, right?

Shen Yun seemed to understand what Shen Qing was thinking and explained, "Back then, in order to help the Ning family maintain order, General Nie married his eldest daughter, Nie Yiren, to Ning Cuo during the hundred-day mourning period."

"When Ning Cuo was in the army, he received a lot of care from the General. After he took command of the Imperial Guard, he brought one concubine after another to the mansion on the grounds that Nie Yiren had not conceived in the five years since their marriage. But there were rumors that Ning Cuo almost never shared a room with Nie Yiren. How could she have children? Two years ago, Nie Yiren died of illness. It was said that she was angered to death by Ning Cuo."

Damn! A man from a humble background who achieves success despite his circumstances!

Shen Qing was filled with righteous indignation when he suddenly felt that his shoes were a little wet.

"Jun Yue, can you feel the ship sinking?"