Chapter Forty-Eight: Rumors and Slander

Kong Sheng carried a heavy burlap sack on his shoulder, riding a tall white horse, passing calmly by the two women, Liu Xinru and her companion. Liu Xinru looked up at the young man's upright figure, a trace of bitterness and self-contempt curling at her lips: such a magnificent youth, for her to boldly recommend herself to him—if only he would take her in, even as a slave or servant, it would be far better than becoming a concubine in a wealthy household.

Kong Sheng returned to the Shunsheng Inn, unloaded the heavy sack, and after a quick wash, was about to head downstairs for a meal. Most of the money from selling his ancestral home had gone to pay the rent, the rest spent on food. Ever since he began to train diligently in martial arts, his physical exertion had increased dramatically, and so had his appetite. Filling his stomach was now his sole priority; as for taste or presentation, those were luxuries he no longer cared for.

At times, Kong Sheng couldn’t help but secretly complain about his inexplicable return to this wretched old society; what troubled him most was the coarse, unpalatable food—words could hardly describe it.

The two women ascended the corridor together. Kong Sheng glanced up, seeing the taller one slowly remove her veil, revealing a face of ethereal beauty. He was taken aback—it was Liu Xinru from the Rose Pavilion! What could she want now? Was she still unwilling to give up and had come to seek him out herself?

Liu Xinru’s face was full of sorrow as she bowed low. “Young master Kong, this humble woman pays her respects!”

Kong Sheng sighed softly. “Miss Liu, have you come to see me? Come inside, let us speak.”

He turned and went in, with Liu Xinru and Tian’er following behind.

Upon entering, Liu Xinru immediately knelt, voice choked with sobs. “I beg you to save my life, young master!”

That day in the Rose Pavilion, she had cried out for help in much the same way, but Hong Mian’s sudden interference had left the matter unresolved. Now, seeing this famed songstress so desperate, Kong Sheng was stirred, though he maintained a calm demeanor. “Please rise, Miss Liu. There’s no need for this. Speak plainly. Tian’er, help your mistress up.”

But Liu Xinru remained prostrate, her grief genuine, not feigned. She explained the true reason for her visit—that she was threatened and coerced, her own and Tian’er’s fate hanging by a thread—setting aside all shame, for honesty might be her only hope with a man like Kong Sheng. Any trickery would surely doom her cause.

After hearing her out, Kong Sheng couldn’t help but smile wryly and shake his head. Though Liu Xinru hadn’t named her tormentors, he immediately guessed it was the Zhou family. The Yixing Zhou clan was truly despicable, resorting to such means—offering a beauty like Liu Xinru to tempt him. If he faltered, even if he only accepted her as a concubine or servant, let alone as a wife, he would surely incur Yang Qi’s wrath.

“Miss Liu, I deeply sympathize with your plight. I am not a heartless man, but I am already betrothed. As grateful as I am for your regard, I must apologize.” Kong Sheng spoke in a low voice and gestured for her to rise.

Liu Xinru had long been prepared for this. Even without various concerns, it was unrealistic to expect a scion of a noble house like Kong Sheng to marry her.

She bit her lip, pushing aside her shame. “I am willing to stay by your side as a concubine or servant, to serve you for life. Please, young master, take pity and give us sisters a way to survive!”

Grief overcame her, and she collapsed in tears, her frail body wracked with sobs. Tian’er clung to her, weeping bitterly as well.

Kong Sheng frowned—not out of coldness, but because he could not afford to be soft-hearted or fall into their trap.

“Miss Liu, as you see, I have no fixed abode, no means to support myself, let alone take a concubine or start a family.” He forced a bitter smile. “I am truly sorry. I sympathize deeply, but I am powerless to help.”

Liu Xinru’s heart sank to the abyss, her body growing cold and her eyes vacant.

Tian’er, furious, glared at Kong Sheng. “You are truly heartless! My lady is willing to serve you as a slave, yet you refuse? Treat us so now, and retribution will come someday!”

Without waiting for a reply, she helped Liu Xinru up. “Miss, let’s not beg him. Let’s go!”

The two women stumbled out, Tian’er supporting Liu Xinru. Kong Sheng’s eyes flickered, but at last he pressed his lips together, letting his sympathy dissipate, and sighed softly. He closed his door, sat in meditation, using inner cultivation to calm his troubled mind.

For now, he wished only to wait quietly for his opportunity, unwilling to let anything complicate matters further.

Zhou An had gambled on precisely this. Even if Kong Sheng had never been enamored with Liu Xinru’s beauty, what young man could refuse when such a charming woman came to his door? At his age, hot-blooded and impulsive, a moment’s weakness would serve Zhou An’s purpose.

Kong Sheng did not know that Liu Xinru and Tian’er had actually taken lodgings at the Shunsheng Inn. By evening, rumors were already circulating throughout the city: that Liu Xinru had redeemed herself and come to join Kong Sheng, and that he was about to marry her. The facts—her redemption and their shared lodgings—lent credibility to gossip, and tongues wagged that the two were already secretly involved.

Given Kong Sheng’s close relationship with Miss Yang of the Yang family, most people doubted he would marry a songstress as his primary wife; the likeliest outcome was her becoming a concubine. But repeated enough, rumors become truth, and few cared about the reality behind the tale.

Kong Sheng ignored it all. The Zhou family was certainly behind the slander, but since he had no proof, the wisest course was to disregard it. What is true cannot be disguised; what is false cannot be made real. In time, the rumors would die of their own accord.

At the Yang residence, Yang Qi pored over confidential reports and dispatches from the Central Plains and the Lingwu Hedong region, trying to glean the progress of Li Heng’s court in quelling rebellion and the broader situation of the realm, weighing how best to arrange his own affairs in Jiangnan.

Lady Zheng quietly entered. Yang Qi frowned, not wishing to be disturbed, but seeing it was his wife, he forced a gentle smile. “You’re here.”

Zheng set a bowl of lotus seed soup before him, speaking softly. “My lord, you must take care of your health and not overwork yourself. I made this soup myself; please drink it while it’s hot.”

Yang Qi nodded. Zheng continued, “I hear that Liu Xinru, the songstress from the Rose Pavilion, has redeemed herself and sought out Kong Sheng, and now he’s to marry her? Truly, a leopard cannot change its spots! Barely a few days of acting the proper scholar, and his true nature is already revealed.”

Yang Qi’s lip twitched in annoyance—such was the way of women! At a critical time like this, the Liu Xinru affair was surely orchestrated by someone behind the scenes, aiming to tarnish Kong Sheng’s reputation and force his own hand. The Yixing Zhou clan was indeed ambitious and unscrupulous, and he would have to be doubly on guard.

“Do not believe such rumors, my lady. Someone is fanning the flames behind the scenes. On the surface, it targets Kong Sheng, but in truth…” A hint of coldness flashed across Yang Qi’s face, but he did not finish his thought.