“Fine, fine, fine! If you insist on becoming a nun, then go become a nun! The Qiu family will simply pretend we never had a daughter like you!” Old Master Qiu, overwhelmed by anger, had begun speaking without thinking.
Old Master Liang said, “Absolutely not, absolutely not. This matter still requires careful consideration.”
Qiu Wan’e said, “My mind is made up. I ask only that Your Excellency grant my request.”
“Why should anyone grant it? All you need to do is shave your head and sit yourself down in a nunnery!”
“Second Miss Qiu, you—”
“Enough!” Unable to endure it any longer, Tao Mo slammed the judge’s block with a sharp crack!
The entire courtroom fell silent.
Adviser Jin looked at him with newfound respect. This was the first time Tao Mo had struck the judge’s block so forcefully without any prompting. Then he found himself speechless at both Tao Mo and himself. Since when had merely striking the judge’s block become enough to impress him?
Tao Mo looked at Liang Wenwu. “Let me ask you this. Would you rather have Second Miss Qiu marry you, or become a nun?”
Liang Wenwu frowned deeply. “As for Second Miss Qiu’s—”
“Choose one!” Tao Mo interrupted. “You are not allowed to choose anything else.”
Liang Wenwu stared blankly for a moment. After hesitating for a long while, as though finally making up his mind, he said, “If… if she truly does not mind my crippled legs… then I am willing to spend the rest of my life with her and never betray her.”
Since entering the courtroom, Qiu Wan’e had remained remarkably strong. Not even Old Master Qiu’s scolding had shaken her in the slightest. Yet upon hearing Liang Wenwu’s words, her eyes instantly reddened, and tears began streaming down her face.
Tack! Tao Mo struck the judge’s block again. “In that case, this official rules that you and Second Miss Qiu shall be married three days from now! If there is any further delay, both of you will receive fifty strokes of the board!”
“Your Excellency, this—” Sun Nuo had just opened his mouth when Tao Mo, putting on an imposing air, added, “You two will be beaten as well!”
“What?” Lu Zhenxue stared at him in disbelief.
Ignoring him, Tao Mo rose to his feet and declared, “Court dismissed!”
After leaving the courtroom, Tao Mo hurried excitedly to the study. His heart was still pounding rapidly. He gulped down several cups of cold water before the boiling blood coursing through his veins finally calmed somewhat. His outburst in court had been entirely impulsive. Now that he had settled down, he began to feel uneasy and wondered what the consequences might be.
A short while later, Adviser Jin and Mu Chun entered.
The moment they came through the door, Tao Mo grabbed them and asked, “Well? Well? What expressions did they have?”
Adviser Jin replied, “Since Your Excellency ordered them to marry in three days, naturally they had nothing further to say.”
Only then did Tao Mo relax. Feeling that he had handled the matter rather well and brought together two people who truly cared for one another, he could not help feeling pleased. “I could tell that Young Master Liang and Second Miss Qiu were in love. It would have been such a pity if they couldn’t become husband and wife.”
Adviser Jin hesitated before saying, “Still, a deadline of three days is perhaps a little too short.”
Tao Mo blinked. “Too short?” Having never married, he had no idea how much preparation a wedding required.
Mu Chun smiled. “Your Excellency had another purpose in mind.”
Adviser Jin curled his lip. “Oh? I’d like to hear it.”
Mu Chun said, “Your Excellency’s ruling certainly fulfilled the wishes of the Liang family and Second Miss Qiu, but it would inevitably cause Old Master Qiu to resent them. He cannot overturn the judgment, nor can he do anything to the Liang family, so he might very well vent his anger on Second Miss Qiu instead. By cutting through the matter swiftly and setting the wedding for three days later, Your Excellency ensured that even if Old Master Qiu wished to make things difficult for her, he would scarcely have the time.”
Adviser Jin suddenly understood. Then again, he felt that if he had sat down and thought about it carefully, he would have reached the same conclusion himself. Mu Chun had simply gotten there first.
Hearing Mu Chun’s explanation, Tao Mo became even more confused. “Then… Second Miss Qiu won’t be in danger, will she?”
Mu Chun said, “Even a vicious tiger does not eat its own cubs. I don’t think Old Master Qiu would truly make things difficult for her.”
Tao Mo still felt uneasy, afraid that she might follow in Tong Yinghong’s footsteps. “Shouldn’t we keep an eye on her?”
Adviser Jin was stunned. “How exactly does Your Excellency intend to keep an eye on her?”
“Well, I mean…” Tao Mo paused. “How high are the walls around the Qiu residence?”
“…”
Adviser Jin looked at Mu Chun.
Mu Chun poured himself some tea.
In the end, Tao Mo never did get a chance to inspect the Qiu family’s walls. The moment he stepped outside, he was invited into a carriage by Gu Xiaojia, who had been waiting at the entrance.
Gu She sat inside the carriage, looking completely at ease as he leisurely brewed tea.
Tao Mo automatically settled himself in a corner and quietly watched him. Gu She’s features were as beautiful as a painting. Even when he did absolutely nothing, simply looking at him was an indescribable pleasure. Tao Mo’s emotions had still been in turmoil when he left the yamen, but now they gradually settled down. He felt as though he could spend the rest of his life sitting there watching him.
When the tea was ready, Gu She poured a cup and handed it to him.
Tao Mo accepted it carefully and took a sip. His brow immediately furrowed. “It’s a little bitter.”
“It’s kuding tea,” Gu She said lightly.
Tao Mo took another sip. “But after tasting it again, it seems a little sweet.”
Gu She’s gaze swept toward a paper packet resting on the table, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. “Because I didn’t add coptis.”
“Why would you add coptis?” Tao Mo asked in confusion.
“Because I’m happy.”
“Then if you didn’t add it, does that mean you’re unhappy?”
Gu She glanced at him. “Do you think I’m unhappy?”
Tao Mo carefully studied the expression in his eyes. After a long pause, he said dejectedly, “I can’t tell.”
Gu She replied, “You look very happy.”
Tao Mo froze, then immediately broke into a grin. “You can tell?”
“I can guess.”
Tao Mo promptly recounted everything that had happened in court that day. Eager to please Gu She, he deliberately embellished what had originally been a rather ordinary story, turning it into a rambling and long-winded tale before finally reaching the end.
Gu She listened without saying a word.
Only then did Tao Mo remember that Sun Nuo was Gu She’s fellow disciple. Adviser Jin had once said that whenever Sun Nuo acted as a litigation master, Gu She would always help him. Could that have been the case this time as well? Testing the waters, he said, “I received the letter you sent.”
“Oh?”
“Although I couldn’t recognize those two characters, fortunately Mu Chun could. He said they meant ‘Expedite hearing.’”
“They did.”
“I handled the case quickly, just as you instructed.”
Gu She’s half-closed eyes slowly opened. He turned and looked at Tao Mo.
Tao Mo’s heart began pounding wildly. For the first time, he felt that his reflection truly appeared within those eyes, no longer merely skimming across the surface like a passing shadow.
“Very good,” Gu She said.
The carriage suddenly came to a halt.
Tao Mo lurched forward while Gu She remained completely unmoved.
“I…” Tao Mo felt that the atmosphere had become strangely awkward.
“We’ve arrived,” Gu She said.
Tao Mo was momentarily stunned. Gu Xiaojia opened the carriage door from outside.
Tao Mo looked at Gu She again.
Gu She pretended not to notice.
Left with no choice, Tao Mo reluctantly climbed out of the carriage. Then he froze. “This is…”
“Isn’t this Magistrate Tao’s yamen?” Gu Xiaojia asked.
“It is, but…”
“Since it is, we’ll take our leave.” With that, Gu Xiaojia jumped back onto the carriage and drove off without another word.
Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Tao Mo suddenly felt an inexplicable emptiness in his heart. Even walking seemed to require more effort than usual.
Seeing his absent-minded expression, Hao Guozi asked worriedly, “Young Master, are you exhausted from hearing the case?”
Tao Mo shook his head.
“Then are you feeling unwell somewhere?” Hao Guozi pressed anxiously.
Tao Mo shook his head again.
“Then why do you seem so dispirited?” Hao Guozi asked in confusion. “I heard everyone saying that Young Master handled the case very well.”
“Did I really handle it well?” Tao Mo asked seriously.
“Of course! Everyone was giving you a thumbs-up.”
Tao Mo said, “Then why do I feel… that Gu She wasn’t very pleased?”
“Gu She?” Hao Guozi frowned with obvious skepticism. “When has he ever looked pleased?”
Tao Mo glared at him.
Hao Guozi pouted. “Then why not ask the advisers? Maybe they’ll know.”
“The advisers?” Tao Mo’s eyes lit up.
Adviser Jin had gone home early that day, leaving all miscellaneous matters to Mu Chun.
When Tao Mo found Mu Chun, he was standing by the window. A pigeon could just be seen flying away in the distance.
“Adviser Mu.” He lingered uncertainly outside the door before calling out.
Turning around, Mu Chun smiled. “Master, please come in.”
Seeing the stacks of official documents piled high on Mu Chun’s desk, Tao Mo swallowed the words that had reached his lips.
Mu Chun noticed immediately and smiled. “Does Master need something?”
Tao Mo stammered, “It’s nothing, really.”
“Something about Gu She?” Mu Chun asked, hitting the mark in a single blow.
Tao Mo stared at him in surprise.
“If it were official business, you wouldn’t be hemming and hawing. As for personal matters…” Mu Chun smiled faintly. “There aren’t many possibilities I can think of.”
Tao Mo’s face instantly turned bright red.
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