Hongdou was emotional, tightly holding onto Gu Qingyan’s hand, refusing to let go.

“No, Young Master, don’t go confront Second Young Master Lu.”

Gu Qingyan was taken aback and quickly tried to soothe her, “Alright, alright, I won’t go. Just don’t get too worked up, or your wounds will hurt more.”

“No, you have to promise me first, that you won’t go now or ever,” Hongdou said tearfully, staring at him without letting go.

Gu Qingyan furrowed his brow. “But why? Hongdou, are you afraid I’ll offend the Lu family? Don’t worry, I can protect myself.”

But Hongdou just shook her head. “You have to promise me first, or else even if I die, I won’t be at peace.”

“You won’t die. The doctor said, as long as you rest well, you’ll get better.”

Gu Qingyan tried to comfort her, but Hongdou was unusually agitated, so he gave in first. “Alright, I promise you.”

Only then did Hongdou relax and show a relieved smile.

“That’s good. I get to see you again, Young Master.”

Gu Qingyan’s nose tingled. He smiled, “It’s not just me. Cuihong and Mama Liu are here too.”

“Cuihong is married and pregnant. When you feel a bit better in a few days, I’ll send someone to deliver a letter to her, so she can come see you.”

“Mama Liu went back with me to Lingchuan County. I made her my godmother. Once you recover, you can come with me to Lingchuan. She’s always liked you and will definitely be happy to see you.”

Hearing this, Hongdou visibly relaxed even more, her smile growing more genuine.

“It’s good to be alive, Young Master. I will get better. I want to see them again too.”

“You will get better,” Gu Qingyan said firmly.

But he realized that the emotional wounds Hongdou carried were heavier than the physical ones.

When Zhang Nian and others hurried back, Hongdou had already slipped into a drowsy sleep.

The aunt who came to help lifted her clothes and was shocked. After applying medicine, her eyes were red from the sight.

“This girl suffered from the eldest’s cruelty. Every part of her body is either healing or wounded again. It’s going to take a long time to recover.”

In the following days, Hongdou remained mostly unconscious. Fortunately, the Resurrection Pill from the system worked very well.

Although she slept most of the time and woke up rarely, her pulse was getting stronger day by day.

By the third day, Hongdou was finally fully awake.

Leaning against the headboard while drinking chicken soup, she looked much better in spirits.

Seeing this, Gu Qingyan finally felt some relief. “Is there anything else you want to eat?”

“These days I’ve just been eating and sleeping; I’ve gotten fat,” Hongdou said with a smile.

She looked much healthier now, no longer so lifeless.

Gu Qingyan chuckled, “A bit of weight suits you better. You were too thin before. When Mama Liu sees you, she’ll surely scold me for not taking good care of you.”

This made Hongdou hesitate before speaking.

After a long pause, she said, “Young Master, can I really leave with you?”

“Of course. As long as you want, we’ll go back to Lingchuan County together. You know Mama Liu, and my two little sisters are easy to get along with. The villagers in Meiling are simple and honest; you’ll definitely like it.”

Hongdou imagined that scene and couldn’t help but smile.

But the smile soon faded as she furrowed her brows. “But my indenture contract is still with the Lu family.”

Indenture contract?

Those words made Gu Qingyan’s brow tighten.

He almost forgot — this was an era with no human rights. Those sold into servitude had no personal freedom.

“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get your indenture contract and change your household registration,” Gu Qingyan promised.

Hearing this, Hongdou became even more worried. “It’s better not to.”

“You feel sorry for me, don’t you? Thinking it’s your fault I’m like this?” Hongdou asked.

Gu Qingyan pressed his lips tightly, saying nothing, but inside he clearly felt that way.

Hongdou shook her head. “No, my situation in the Lu family has nothing to do with you.”

“Second Young Master Lu is cruel and violent, beating and scolding the women in his house. When I was first sent to him, I tried to accept my fate and just get by. But who knew…”

“After coming to the Lu family, Second Young Master Lu was interested in me for a few days at first, but within half a month it was nothing but beating and scolding.”

“Later I learned from the sisters in the courtyard that he’s always been like this. You have to flatter him and treat him with care, and never offend him. Otherwise, if you die from a beating and get wrapped in a mat and thrown out, that’s the best-case scenario.”

Gu Qingyan frowned deeply. “If he’s always like that, doesn’t anyone intervene?”

Hongdou laughed bitterly. “They do, but only when things get too serious. The old master and madam of the Lu family will step in, but after this time, there will be a next.”

“We’re just slaves with indenture contracts, low-born. Even if we die from beatings, they just find an excuse and pay a fine. The Lu family has plenty of servants to take the blame.”

Hongdou even sensed that the Lu family deliberately condoned this.

Second Young Master Lu beating and scolding slaves at home is better than him causing trouble outside.

Beating a servant to death is one thing, but if a decent citizen is killed, dealing with the aftermath becomes much more troublesome.

She didn’t dare tell Gu Qingyan this, fearing that if he knew, he would be filled with righteous anger and cause an uncontrollable uproar.

Hongdou least wanted to cause trouble for the kind young master who had been good to her since childhood.

From the moment she was sent by the Li family as a gift to Lu Yanhe, Hongdou’s fate was already sealed.

“So this is my fate, a calamity destined by fate, and it has nothing to do with you, Young Master.”

Gu Qingyan said firmly, “I refuse to believe that no one can deal with him.”

Hongdou, afraid he might act rashly, smiled and said, “That day, he—he even made me entertain someone else. When I refused, I was beaten and not allowed to eat. Who would have thought that while I was crying in the yard, Miss Lu found me.”

“After hearing news about you, Young Master, I was so happy.”

“When I was thrown in the mass grave, I thought I was going to die, but I wasn’t willing. I wanted to see Young Master one more time.”

At that time, her body was cold, with only a breath of life left.

But Hongdou was unwilling to give up. She knew Young Master had returned and hadn’t forgotten her; he had traveled a long way to find her.

She thought to herself that she absolutely couldn’t die out in the wilds. If Young Master couldn’t find her, he would definitely be anxious.

Luckily, her luck held out and she waited for Young Master.

Hongdou reached out and grasped Gu Qingyan’s hand: “If it weren’t for you, Young Master, I would have died already.”

Gu Qingyan understood that she was trying to comfort him, so he wouldn’t feel guilty or sad, and so he wouldn’t confront the Lu family on her behalf.

Knowing this made Gu Qingyan’s heart ache even more.

Back when she was with the Li family, Hongdou was the trusted senior maid of Mistress Xu, taking care of other maids for years.

When he left, it was Hongdou who risked her safety to send a letter, even sending her silver bracelet as travel expenses.

When other maids ran into trouble, they always sought Hongdou’s help to mediate.

But unexpectedly, as time passed, when she herself encountered such hardship, no matter how much she cried out, no help came.

Hongdou comforted him, “As long as I live, that’s enough. When I get better, I will leave Qingzhou Prefecture with you and go to Lingchuan County. Even without a household registration, we can live under assumed names.”

“I’m already very grateful to the heavens that I’m alive.”

Gu Qingyan couldn’t smile.

He was angrily cursing fate — why could Lu Yanhe and that kind of scoundrel be born into the Lu family, be protected when they did wrong, and recklessly hurt others?

Such a kind-hearted girl like Hongdou was harmed so cruelly, and he couldn’t even make that man pay with his life.

What she said was right — slaves who signed contracts and were beaten to death, when reported to the authorities, at most resulted in a fine.

Gu Qingyan tightened his lips, cursing the unfair heavens.

After a long moment, he pulled the corners of his mouth into a forced smile. “Alright, alright, I’m not a child and won’t be so impulsive. Just rest assured.”

Only then did Hongdou smile in relief.

Gu Qingyan stood and said, “Guess who’s here.”

Hongdou’s eyes flickered as she looked toward the door.

“Sister Hongdou!”

Cuihong, with her belly sticking out, ran in fast, and upon seeing the person on the bed, immediately burst into tears, gasping for breath.

Gu Qingyan was startled and said repeatedly, “Stop crying, if you keep like this, I’ll regret telling you.”

Hongdou also comforted her, “You already have a child; why are you so reckless? Stop crying.”

“I—I just can’t help it,” Cuihong said, wiping her tears and sniffling.

Hongdou treated her like a real sister: “What’s there to cry about? I’m still alive.”

“Sister!” Cuihong threw herself into her arms.

Gu Qingyan stepped out and closed the door, leaving space for the two sisters to talk.

He thought that since Cuihong was a woman, some things might be easier for Hongdou to say to her instead of keeping them bottled up.

Standing in the courtyard, looking up at the sky, Gu Qingyan still felt suffocated.

Too suffocated — the culprit was right before his eyes, yet under the laws of the Great Zhou now, he couldn’t touch him.

If it escalated, Lu Yanhe might just get a few blows with a cane and be fined some silver.

But if Gu Qingyan had been one moment later, Hongdou would have lost her life.

“Brother Gu?” Zhang Nian was a bit worried.

Gu Qingyan took a deep breath, “I just regret it. If I’d known, I should have beaten him more times at the Tianxiang Brothel.”

Mentioning Lu Yanhe, Zhang Nian also worried, “Once Sister Hongdou recovers, we should leave Qingzhou Prefecture quickly.”

“Brother Gu, I have a feeling that guy must be plotting something bad, maybe thinking of ways to harm us.”

Zhang Nian wasn’t afraid for herself but worried they might target Gu Qingyan.

Gu Qingyan frowned tightly, not wanting to leave just like that.

First, Hongdou’s slave contract was still with the Lu family—a ticking time bomb.

Second, he didn’t want to leave empty-handed or let Lu Yanhe go so easily.

Suddenly, Gu Qingyan’s expression changed.

“A Nian, do you really think Lu Yanhe, being so arrogant, only harms the household servants?”

Zhang Nian frowned and asked in return, “You mean he might have harmed other innocent people?”

Gu Qingyan kept recalling, “I remember Lu Yanchi mentioned that his second brother had harmed many women over the years, even causing deaths. Each time, Director Lu and Lu Yanjun stepped forward to apologize and settle things quietly.”

“If they had to step in, it definitely wasn’t for a servant girl like me, and some of those victims might have had some family wealth.”

Zhang Nian quickly said, “Brother Gu, don’t get impulsive.”

But Gu Qingyan increasingly thought this could be a way.

He refused to believe the Lu family could use money and power to smooth everything over; surely there must be some victims willing to cooperate with him.

From inside the house came the sound of a woman crying, which only strengthened Gu Qingyan’s resolve.

However, this time, things were far from as smooth as Gu Qingyan had imagined.

The Lu family had the backing of Hongshan Academy and held a very good reputation in Qingzhou Prefecture.

If you asked around, everyone praised Lu family’s eldest son for his unmatched demeanor; mentioning the second son, at most they’d say he wasn’t nearly as good as the eldest.

Asking further, there was not a single person who spoke ill of the Lu family.

The more Gu Qingyan investigated, the more alarmed he became.

Before, he only knew Hongshan Academy was famous; now he truly understood what it symbolized among scholars.

After spending money and effort, he finally found a victim willing to speak.

Before Gu Qingyan could enter, he was immediately driven out.

“You’re supposed to be a scholar yourself; how can you slander the Lu family’s innocence? Nothing like this has ever happened. My sister is fine at home; we won’t allow you to spout nonsense.”

Gu Qingyan’s expression darkened.

He clearly saw that the scholar before him was wearing the robe of Hongshan Academy.

“Brother Gu, maybe just let it go,” Zhang Nian advised.

“These people have definitely taken bribes from the Lu family; they won’t help us.”

Gu Qingyan sneered coldly, “I refuse to believe that just because of Hongshan Academy, the Lu family can control everything in Qingzhou Prefecture.”

“But…”

“No buts.”

Their actions obviously couldn’t be hidden.

When Li Jingtin heard the informant’s report, he was overjoyed and dropped what he was doing to quickly write a letter.

“Take this to Lu Yanchi.”

Xu Shi ran after him worriedly, “Ting’er, our priority is to get to the capital quickly, don’t delay.”

“Mother, I know, we’ll leave right away.”

Li Jingtin smiled wryly to himself, thinking that Gu Qingyan was simply asking for trouble—just over a servant girl, he had to make trouble with the Lu family.

Li Jingtin knew Lu Yanchi better than anyone else; that arrogant, overbearing man would never let Gu Qingyan off.

By the time he set foot on the boat, news of Gu Qingyan’s untimely death would likely have already spread.

Just as Li Jingtin thought, Lu Yanchi was already filled with hatred for Gu Qingyan.

Originally, he just wanted to humiliate Gu Qingyan to save face for the eldest and youngest brothers.

But he ended up not only failing to disgrace the eldest but ended up with his own face bruised and swollen.

How could Lu Yanchi swallow this insult?

After receiving Li Jingtin’s message, Lu Yanchi sneered, “That damned concubine’s son really thinks I’m a fool.”

“Go and make their journey to the capital a smooth one—add some ‘extras’ to the road for that mother and son.”

His servant quickly agreed.

“As for Gu Qingyan…” Lu Yanchi suddenly broke into a sinister laugh.

Before his laughter could end, Lu Yanjun came in from outside: “Father commands you to come see him.”

Lu Yanchi’s expression grew colder: “You’re telling me to see my father, yet you have to come with a message? What, afraid I’d run away?”

“Not afraid you’d run, but afraid you’d cause trouble.”

Lu Yanjun suppressed the impatience in his brow: “Second brother, you’re already over twenty; it’s time to be sensible.”

Lu Yanchi grew even more displeased, sneering at him.

Seeing his stubborn attitude, Lu Yanjun restrained his temper: “Go quickly, don’t keep Father waiting.”

In the study, Director Lu sat silently, deep in thought.

He naturally knew about the trouble his second son had caused, but to him, it was just minor scuffles—not something to worry about.

But this time…

Thinking of what Prefect Ding had said, Director Lu’s expression grew increasingly dark.

Tapping on the table, Director Lu’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. Originally just a humble scholar, with no backing or support, even though he had topped the prefectural exam, the Lu family hadn’t really taken him seriously.

Out of gratitude for the nephew who saved his life, Director Lu was willing to make a big issue into a small one. He liked that maidservant and was willing to force the second son to sign a contract selling her as a servant.

In this way, it could be considered a repayment for the life-saving favor, a way to return the kindness on behalf of his nephew.

If Gu Qingyan still refused to give up and continued making trouble, the Lu family had plenty of ways to make him drop the idea.

But what they didn’t expect was that this little scholar actually had a powerful backer behind him.

“Director Lu, although Gu Qingyan is only a low-ranking student, not worth mentioning, when he appeared in court, he carried a name token from the Pei family.”

“And it’s from the main branch of the Pei family.”

Director Lu was stunned: “How is that possible? Has the Prefect confirmed this?”

“I was fortunate enough to meet the old Pei back then; it’s absolutely true,” Prefect Ding asserted firmly.

Director Lu couldn’t believe it: “But the main branch of the Pei family, haven’t they long been extinct?”

“Exactly because they’re extinct, it’s even more terrifying,” Prefect Ding said quietly. “I’ve heard about your second son’s troubles. In my opinion, the Hongshan Academy and the old Pei family are connected by lineage. If this escalates, wouldn’t it be like family fighting family?”

Director Lu’s heart pounded wildly; he realized things were going badly.

How did the Pei family appear in Qingzhou Prefecture? Who exactly came, and did they know what was going on?

Director Lu immediately realized this matter could not be blown up.

Make a big matter small, a small matter disappear; if possible, turn conflict into harmony.

Fortunately, although the second son was foolish, the first and third sons had a good relationship with Gu Qingyan, so perhaps they could mediate.

Director Lu quickly made up his mind and called his two sons over.

Lu Yanjun and his brother entered the study.

“Father.” Seeing Lu Yanjun, Director Lu’s eyes showed approval and he was quite satisfied.

“Father.” Then looking at the sloppy, unrepentant second son who made no effort to hide himself, Director Lu frowned deeply.

His expression darkened: “Kneel down immediately, you wretched beast. What disgraceful thing have you done this time?”

Lu Yanhe’s eyes flashed with resentment but he still obediently knelt and said, “Son knows his mistake.”

Director Lu grew even angrier: “I think you know the mistake but refuse to change, stubborn and unteachable. I told you countless times: if you are going to mess up, at least clean up the mess properly.”

He was frustrated by his son’s failure: “You can’t even control a maidservant and have caused trouble outside, making us a laughingstock.”

After a volley of scolding, Director Lu, in a rage, even raised his ruler to strike.

Lu Yanjun quickly stopped him: “Father, there will be time to hit or scold, let’s deal with the important matter first.”

Lu Yanhe sneered coldly from his kneeling position: “No need for your crocodile tears and fake kindness. Every time I got beaten, you only gloated.”

“If you want to hit, then hit me. If you kill me, you, Director Lu, will earn a reputation for strict parenting and putting justice above family.”

Director Lu was so angry his face flushed red; trembling, he pointed at him: “You, wretched beast, if I had known, I should have strangled you when you were born.”

“Now it’s too late for regrets,” Lu Yanhe sneered.

Lu Yanjun frowned: “Second brother, watch your words. Mother has gone to Qingcheng Taoist Temple and won’t be back for a while.”

The implication was clear: if Lu Yanhe got beaten, no one at home could stop it.

Sure enough, hearing this, Lu Yanhe’s arrogance diminished a bit.

“Father, look at my face. This time, it was Gu Qingyan who came knocking, not only messing with my maidservant but even hitting me.”

He pressed his swollen, bruised face close to Director Lu’s: “That guy doesn’t even regard our Lu family as worth noticing. He’s trampling all over the Lu family’s reputation, but you don’t care about me—you only scold me.”

Director Lu’s expression shifted uneasily.

Looking at his son’s face, he felt some pity, but more than that, he thought: Gu Qingyan is acting so arrogantly—he must have some backing.

Who exactly from the main branch of the Pei family is he connected to?

Lu Yanjun thought his father was softening again and spoke up: “Second brother knows better than anyone how Gu Qingyan has been acting.”

“Lu Yanjun, are you even a Lu family member? Why do you always side with outsiders? Is that Gu guy your lover or what?” Lu Yanhe snapped angrily.

Before Lu Yanjun could respond, Director Lu slammed his ruler down hard.

“Shut up. You made a mess yourself and now you want to drag your older brother into it.”

Lu Yanhe was filled with resentment, convinced everything was because Lu Yanjun was taking sides and helping this outsider, which caused him to get punished.

Maybe the eldest and third brothers had slandered him before their father, exaggerating things.

Otherwise, how could Director Lu be so furious over just Gu Qingyan?

The place where the ruler hit burned sharply. Lu Yanhe sneered: “Father, it’s not me looking for trouble — it’s that brat who’s ignorant. The man’s still alive, but he already took him away and refuses to let go.”

“Do you know what he’s been doing these past few days? He’s trying to drag everyone involved into this, even making them testify, trying to drag the Lu family down with him.”

“If you don’t handle this, when the truth comes out, your son will be the one who suffers — and the entire Lu family won’t fare well either.”

Lu Yanjun’s face darkened. “Lu Yanhe…”

“You— you damn bastard.”

Director Lu’s face flushed red as he stared fixedly at his son.

He finally realized his son really might have been spoiled rotten by his mother. When he first got into trouble, it shouldn’t have been covered up by them.

One mistake, then another after another.

Lu Yanhe had a bad temper and little skill, couldn’t even hide the things he did wrong, and the family had to clean up after him every time.

Director Lu slumped heavily into his chair, head aching nonstop.

Lu Yanjun looked worried while Lu Yanhe appeared indifferent.

After a long moment, Director Lu said, “You’re right. This matter needs to be resolved.”

Lu Yanhe’s face brightened: “Father, that’s more like it. What’s Gu Qingyan? Just a poor student from Lingchuan County, still only a county-level candidate—not even a proper scholar.”

“The Lu family could crush him like an ant, it’s that simple.”

Lu Yanjun looked reluctant: “Father, Gu Qingyan is quite talented—he was top scorer in the county exam. It would be a shame to treat him like that.”

“Lu Yanjun, do you want to see me dead? Do you want the Lu family to collapse before you’ll be satisfied?” Lu Yanhe reproached.

Director Lu didn’t want to see the brothers fighting. “Enough.”

“If he’s holding a grudge, then you go and apologize to him, and send over that servant girl’s contract.”

The two brothers were both stunned.

Director Lu valued family status more than anyone. There was no way he would let Lu Yanhe go apologize.

Lu Yanhe even shouted in shock: “Father, are you crazy?”

Director Lu snorted coldly: “I don’t care what methods you use—gifts, beauties, kowtowing, whatever it takes—you have to make Gu Qingyan drop this and not pursue it any further.”

His cold, ruthless gaze turned to his own son. “Second son, if you can resolve this, you remain the second young master of the Lu family. If not, I will open the ancestral hall, invoke family law, and expel you from the Lu family.”

Lu Yanhe was completely stunned.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyan was hitting dead ends everywhere, unable to find anyone who shared his views.

It was as if the whole Qingzhou Prefecture had been silenced by the Lu family’s grip.

Although the person hadn’t been found, Hongdou’s injuries had improved a lot.

The Resurrection Pill was incredibly powerful—after five days, Hongdou could get out of bed despite such severe wounds.

She recalled the incident at the mass grave: “That day when I was left at the mass grave, it seems someone rescued me.”

Gu Qingyan found it strange.

Though there was a small hut there, it was tiny and didn’t seem suitable for living.

He sent Zhang Nian back to search, but indeed no one was found.

“There’s no one inside, nor any useful food. Probably no one lives there.”

Hongdou felt a bit disappointed: “Maybe I remembered wrong. I must have climbed there myself.”

Maybe she was just too desperate at the time, hoping someone would save her.

On the seventh day, Hongdou urged to leave: “Young master, let’s leave Qingzhou Prefecture and go to Lingchuan County.”

Gu Qingyan found excuses to delay, but Hongdou said: “I miss Mother Liu so much, I want to see her soon.”

Seeing he couldn’t hide it anymore, Gu Qingyan finally relented: “A few classmates plan to stay in Qingzhou Prefecture to prepare for the academy exam. After I have a farewell drink with them, we’ll leave.”

Hongdou was reassured.

Who knew that morning, a letter arrived.

Gu Qingyan opened it and read: “The Lu family is holding a banquet, inviting many students from Hongshan Academy to attend. They invite me to the feast.”

He looked at Hongdou: “The letter says Director Lu feels guilty about your situation, and will have Lu Yanhe apologize on the spot and give me your servant contract.”