"Yo, you've got some nerve. What do you think this place is? This is the Emperor's doorstep. You could bump into a high official just like that, and you wouldn't even know how you died," Steward Li mocked him.
Wang Jinbao looked at him indignantly, clenching his fists, suppressing the urge to punch him.
"What? You want to hit me?" Steward Li looked at him, somewhat shocked.
"Shouldn't I? Let's not beat around the bush. You lured us to the capital with a hidden agenda, right? We've reached a dead end, who else can we turn to but you? Don't try to scare me with your nonsense, I'm not afraid," Wang Jinbao flicked his sleeves and stared at him fiercely. He was the type who yielded to gentleness but not to force. He had never suffered such a great loss before, how could he stand it?
"Fine, you don't think I'm the mastermind behind all this, do you? Let me tell you, that's someone you've only heard of in the plays," Steward Li sneered at them. At first, he thought he had accidentally let something slip, allowing them to follow him. He hadn't expected it to be Wu Caiwei who had told them. He had heard some of the grudges between the adult and her, and since it didn't involve him, he could easily shift the blame.
After speaking, Steward Li turned to leave. He had just gone out on an errand and they had caught him at a moment when he was free. He was still waiting to report back to his master.
"Are you really not going to do anything?" Wang Jinbao asked for the last time, his face dark.
"I'm just a servant, I can't meddle in your affairs." Steward Li didn't take them seriously, and from the bottom of his heart, he didn't believe that these country bumpkins could achieve anything earth-shattering.
"What should we do now?" Wang's parents looked at their son in despair. If they couldn't get money, it wasn't just about sleeping on the streets. All these mouths needed to be fed, and where would they get the food? This was a big problem, after all, man is iron, and rice is his life. A meal missed and hunger sets in.
Wang Jinbao remained silent and angrily walked towards the gate of the mansion.
The Wang family quickly followed him. They saw him standing at the grand entrance of the Liu family, gazing thoughtfully at the two characters "Liu Fu" hanging above the gate.
Just as the Wang family thought he was going to knock on the Liu family's door, he sat down on the ground and wailed loudly, employing the same tactic he had used against Wu Caiwei.
"Everyone, come and see! Lord Liu and my sister secretly pledged their love and climbed the social ladder, only to discard her. Not only that, but he brought us all the way here to cause trouble for her and leave us with no way out..."
The Wang family also put on sad expressions. Unfortunately, after performing for so long, no one gathered. This was not what they had expected. Earlier, at the entrance of Wu Caiwei's courtyard, there had been an immediate crowd. Why wasn't it working here? The Wangs were bewildered.
In reality, they had no idea that this street was lined with the residences of officials, who were already well aware of Lord Liu's affairs. Who didn't have some troublesome matters? Even if they were spectators, they would secretly lean behind their doors, watching the situation unfold. Soon, they learned that these were the family members of the courtesan from the rumors.
To them, as officials, anyone who could break ties with a courtesan was clear-headed. Moreover, what kind of decent family would sell their children to a brothel? Although they were watching their every move, they also cast looks of disdain at them.
The Wang family didn't understand this logic. Wang Jinbao thought that as an official, he would quickly come out to resolve the matter if he ruined his reputation in front of his gate. He was even secretly calculating how much silver he could demand. Unexpectedly, things did not develop as he had anticipated.
Wang Jinbao hardened his heart and led his family to the front of the Gao family's residence, reenacting the same scene, but changing the content of their lament.
"You tell me, how can my sister be so miserable? She spent money for Liu Moran to pass the imperial examination, only to be snatched away by Miss Gao. She kept making secret troubles for her and brought us all the way to the capital to cause her inconvenience, leaving us with no way out, and she didn't care..."
This time, the Gao family reacted quickly. Before long, a man who looked like a steward hurried over to them and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking? Our young lady doesn't even know who you are, how could she have any dealings with you? If you want to extort money, just say so, don't make up stories. You must know that my master is an official of the court. Slandering us can land you in jail. My master is kind-hearted and doesn't want to bother with you. Here is ten taels of silver. Take it, have a meal and a place to stay, and leave quickly."
The Wang family's faces lit up with joy and surprise. They didn't expect to actually get money after going in circles. And it was ten taels! They would have to work for several years in the countryside to earn this much. They felt that they had indeed come to the right place.
Having obtained the money, they didn't linger. They found a small eatery and had a hearty meal. In a blink of an eye, an ounce of silver was gone, and their hearts ached. Although the money came quickly, it also disappeared quickly. It probably wouldn't last a few days, so they still had to find a way.
Gao Xuejuan was furious. The moment the Wang family left, she was summoned by her father and reprimanded. He said with disappointment, "What can I say about you? Liu Moran is just a poor boy from the countryside. What does it matter if he passed the imperial examination? Without connections in the court, he can't get anywhere. There are plenty of people who want to be my Gao family's son-in-law. Why did you set your heart on him? You must have heard what's happening outside. If it really doesn't work out, we can just switch. He's too petty and unlikely to achieve great things."
Gao Xuejuan lowered her head and remained silent. Her father had said similar things many times recently, but she had only heard them with one ear and let them out the other.
What he didn't know was that Liu Moran had no intention of causing trouble for Meng'er. It was she who felt disgusted every time she thought about it and simply didn't want her to have an easy time. Liu Moran couldn't refuse her, so he came to help.
Lord Gao vented his frustrations and felt much better. Seeing his daughter's demeanor, he knew she wasn't taking his words to heart. He couldn't help but sigh. If it were any other daughter, he would have punished her with the family law long ago. This was his first precious daughter, whom he had once doted on. He waved his hand, letting her leave, out of sight, out of mind.
Gao Xuejuan, who walked out of the study, became furious at the thought of those people coming to their door and ruining her reputation. She secretly resolved to teach them a good lesson.
However, before she could act, the same group of people came to their door again the next day.
They continued to make a ruckus at the main entrance, and this time the story they concocted was even more outrageous, attracting quite a crowd. This was different from causing trouble at the Liu family's gate. In any era, a woman's reputation was paramount. Everyone knew that Miss Gao and Liu Moran were too close, but that didn't stop them from having a gossipy heart.