Chapter 131: Sold to the Wu Family

Before selling rouge, Liu Niangzi had been a courtesan in a brothel—something that everyone in Cheng’an County knew. However, because she was kind-hearted, no one paid much attention to her past.

Lady Li’s body trembled as she gritted her teeth and said, “You’re lying! Didn’t she run away with someone?!”

Madam Xu sneered. “How unfortunate for you. The very man who wronged Liu Niangzi back then has returned, and he told your husband everything. Otherwise, why do you think he has been visiting so often?”

Lady Li was stunned by these words. She could no longer stay put. “What did he tell my husband?!”

She quickly grabbed her maid’s hand. “Hurry! We must return to the manor immediately!”

The surrounding onlookers whispered among themselves, pointing at her and condemning her cruelty.

Lady Li lowered her head and boarded the carriage, leaving in a hurry.

As soon as she left, the street fell silent.

Du Wanchun helped Zhang Qiuhua sit inside the shop to rest. She comforted her, saying, “Sister Zhang, if you ever encounter something like this again, don’t endure it. If you need to fight back, fight back—don’t be afraid.”

Zhang Qiuhua nodded, deeply grateful.

She then carefully asked Madam Xu, “Liu Niangzi… will she be alright?”

Madam Xu replied calmly, “Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. Magistrate Li will protect her. If I hadn’t spoken up today, Lady Li’s tantrum would have made everyone think Liu Niangzi was at fault. But what they don’t know is that Lady Li is the true culprit in this story.”

Madam Zhou entered with two cups of tea and asked, “From what you just said, Lady Li has done something terrible?”

The Third Prince strode over, took the teacups from her hands, and served them to Madam Xu and Zhang Qiuhua.

Madam Xu took a sip of tea and said, “Yes, Lady Li is the one who committed the wrongdoing. Liu Niangzi and I are from the same hometown. Her family was well-respected, and their status matched that of Magistrate Li’s family. Their marriage was arranged early on, with plans for Magistrate Li to formally propose after he assumed office.”

“However, Madam Li set her sights on Magistrate Li. But Magistrate Li was an upright man—he firmly refused to marry her, as his heart belonged solely to Liu Niangzi. However, later on, Liu Niangzi’s entire family encountered mountain bandits. All ten or more members of her household were slaughtered, and both Liu Niangzi and her sister went missing. Magistrate Li was devastated for a long time, believing that Liu Niangzi had died.”

“Madam Li took advantage of the situation and stayed by his side. She originally thought that if she waited two or three years, he would eventually marry her. But when she learned that Magistrate Li planned to resign and search for Liu Niangzi, she panicked. So, she drugged his wine, and after that one night, she became pregnant with his eldest son.”

“In order to take responsibility for the child in her womb, Magistrate Li had no choice but to marry her.”

Madam Zhou let out a long sigh upon hearing this. “Liu Niangzi is truly a pitiful woman.”

“Who isn’t?” Xu Niangzi continued, “Liu Niangzi wasn’t actually missing back then. After being assaulted by the mountain bandits, she and her sister were sold into a brothel. Later, her sister was purchased by the Wu family in the capital. After some time, her sister managed to buy her freedom, gave her a sum of silver, and helped her open the rouge shop here.”

Xu Niangzi stood up, gazing toward the direction of the rouge shop outside the window, and continued, “Liu Niangzi has been doing business here for about one or two years now. She has always avoided Magistrate Li, not wanting to have any ties with him. But just a few days ago, she encountered someone—the very mountain bandit who had slaughtered her entire family all those years ago.”

“That man told her the truth. It was actually Madam Li who had given a sum of silver to those mountain bandits, ordering them to kill the entire Liu family. They not only murdered everyone but also assaulted Liu Niangzi before selling her and her sister to the brothel. Madam Li did all of this just to tear her and Magistrate Li apart so that she could take her place.”

“How truly vicious!” Even the Third Prince, a man, found it unbearable to hear.

A woman from a scholarly family, who once had a good husband-to-be, had ultimately ended up with her family destroyed, her chastity ruined, and had spent five or six dark and hopeless years in a brothel.

Such a drastic turn of fate would be unbearable for most people.

Du Wanchun also sighed deeply. “I never expected Madam Li to have such a venomous heart.”

Madam Zhou grabbed Du Wanchun’s hand tightly. “Thank goodness—thank goodness you married into our Zhou family. If you had married into their Li family, who knows what kind of life you would have endured!”

As for the Li family’s young master, ever since the incident with Du Wanchun, he had become much more disciplined, no longer indulging in debauchery. However, he had not married again either.

Madam Li, both furious and anxious, had been too preoccupied with Magistrate Li’s affairs to concern herself with him.

Du Wanchun had not seen them for a long time either.

At that moment, Zhou Ruiyuan suddenly asked, “You mentioned that Liu Niangzi’s sister was bought by the Wu family in the capital. Which Wu family is that?”

Xu Niangzi chuckled. “What other Wu family could there be in the capital? It’s none other than the family of Noble Consort Wu.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou and the Third Prince’s eyes lit up.