The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 301 How to Break the Scandal

Liu Yue'e was filled with grievances.

She knew she had offended her mother-in-law again.

Tong Huaqiong didn't care about Liu Yue'e's thoughts; she directed the carriage to head towards Tianxiang Tower.

Tianxianglou was brightly lit, seemingly unaffected by the incident involving Qianqian and Young Master Chen, and had resumed business.

The carriage stopped in front of Tianxiang Tower.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

Gu Dashu was startled; he was terrified of Tianxiang Tower and didn't even dare to look the two stone lions at its entrance in the eye.

"You all wait here, I need to speak with Aunt Mo."

Tong Huaqiong entered Tianxiang Tower and came out quickly.

After Tong Huaqiong left, the anger that had been building up between Chen Er Gongzi and Qianqian instantly disappeared from Mo Mama's mind.

She excitedly exclaimed that she was fortunate not to have offended Tong Huaqiong, otherwise how could she have gotten close to Old Master Lu?

She had long wanted to go inside the Lu family mansion and explore it.

As for what Grandpa Lu wanted to see her about, she already had a guess.

It's all because of his grandson, Lu Zhaoyang.

As someone who ran a business catering to the pleasures of wealthy young men in the prefectural city, Madam Mo knew all the likes, dislikes, and gossip of every young master from the city's prominent families.

Among these young masters, Lu Zhaoyang is exceptionally clean-cut.

She neither had a concubine nor stayed at Tianxiang Tower; instead, she got involved with Lord Yao.

If she could straighten out Lu Zhaoyang and get him into Old Master Lu's core business circle, she would never have to put up with the attitudes of all the young masters in Pearl Lane again.

The next morning, Madam Mo went to the Lu residence. She guessed correctly why Master Lu was looking for her, but she guessed wrong about the person Master Lu was trying to correct.

Tong Huaqiong was checking accounts on the second floor of Peach Blossom Dessert Shop when she saw Mo Mama's carriage slowly passing by through the window. She knew that Mo Mama had returned from the Lu family.

Unable to resist her gossipy nature, Tong Huaqiong went downstairs and intercepted Mo's mother on the way.

"What does Old Master Lu want with you?" Tong Huaqiong asked directly.

Mom looked troubled and a little angry.

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself, "It seems that Old Master Lu has no good intentions."

Standing in a secluded spot, Mother Mo asked Tong Huaqiong, "When you visited the Lu family yesterday, did you hear any rumors about Lu Zhaoyang?"

Tong Huaqiong asked, "What rumor?"

Mother Mo hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Don't keep me guessing, you're just teasing me like this."

Madam Mo said, "Master Tong, you're from the countryside, so you don't really understand the lives of wealthy young masters in the city. I don't mean to look down on you. These young masters are served by maids from a young age. These maids not only serve them personally, but they also warm their beds when they grow up. Young Master Lu doesn't even have a single maidservant. Do you know why?"

Tong Huaqiong's gossip-loving nature was instantly ignited.

Could it be that Gu Taohua guessed right, that Lu Zhaoyang, this sickly man, has a hidden illness that prevents him from having a son?

Absolutely.

Tong Huaqiong had a brilliant idea: this would explain why Grandpa Lu was looking for Mama Mo.

To cure Lu Zhaoyang's hidden ailment, they sought remedies from brothels. Tong Huaqiong considered telling Madam Mo, "Could it be that Lu Zhaoyang's health is failing?" but then thought it would be too malicious. After all, Lu Zhaoyang had no grudge against her and had even given her twenty pigs; it wouldn't be appropriate to directly speak ill of him behind his back.
However, the thought that Grandpa Lu knew his grandson had a hidden illness, yet still wanted to betroth Gu Taohua to Lu Zhaoyang, made her furious.

So her daughter isn't a treasure, is she?
"How would I know what it is? I wasn't lying under Lu Zhaoyang's bed," Tong Huaqiong said.

Mother Mo asked, "You have a good relationship with the Lu family and know Prefect Yao. Haven't you heard the rumors about Young Master Lu and Prefect Yao?"

Lu Zhaoyang and Prefect Yao.

Tong Huaqiong felt as if she had been hit by a heavy hammer.

"What rumors are you talking about?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

“They’re said to be homosexual,” said Mother Mo.

Tong Huaqiong had a huge mouthful of melon stuffed into her mouth.

No wonder yesterday at the Lu family home, when Prefect Yao's steward delivered ginseng to Lu Zhaoyang, Old Master Lu reacted so strongly, uttering a bunch of nonsensical and sarcastic remarks.

Tong Huaqiong thought that Old Master Lu, as a royal merchant, had a feud with Prefect Yao's family in Shengjing.

It turns out that it was all because Lu Zhaoyang and Lord Yao were spending too much time together.

However, Tong Huaqiong believes that the rumors about Lu Zhaoyang and Prefect Yao are complete nonsense.

She didn't believe that there was anything beyond a brotherhood between Lu Zhaoyang and Young Master Yao.

Tong Huaqiong said to Madam Mo, "Madam Mo, I don't believe the rumors about Young Master Lu and Prefect Yao. They say that public opinion can melt metal and that accumulated slander can destroy a person; it must be something made up by many people. Think about it, Young Master Lu is the most promising student at Wanliu Academy, and his family is wealthy, so it's easy for him to attract jealousy. As for Prefect Yao, needless to say, he is an honest official with a clean family background. How many people's interests were affected when he became the prefect of the city? I don't know how many people secretly hate him. Those petty people can't find any grounds to attack Prefect Yao, so they use rumors to attack him."

"Prefect Yao and Young Master Lu are fellow disciples, isn't it normal for them to be so close?"

“Young Master Yao and Young Master Lu are probably aware of the rumors circulating outside. Surely they won't come out to explain, will they? No, explaining this kind of thing will only make things worse. Those gossipy people know that it's difficult for them to come out and explain, so they keep fabricating rumors. Mother Mo, think about it and see if that makes sense.”

After being enlightened by Tong Huaqiong, Mo's mother felt that Tong Huaqiong's words made a lot of sense.

So he said, "Prefect Yao is indeed a good official. If it weren't for his impartial enforcement of the law regarding Qianqian and Young Master Chen, my Tianxiang Tower probably wouldn't have been able to get away with this."

Then he cursed, "Those who spread rumors deserve to die."

Tong Huaqiong asked, "By the way, did Old Master Lu come to see you because of this rumor?"

The best way to break up the rumors between A and B is to get A and C involved in a new rumor.

Just like Tong Huaqiong, a singer and pianist in the entertainment industry who were rumored to be dating in her previous life, she used the official announcement of her girlfriend and engagement to dispel the rumors.

Could it be that in order to dispel the rumors about his grandson and Prefect Yao, Old Master Lu also came up with this idea, sending his grandson to Tianxiang Tower to "go into business," using the rumors about him and the girls at Tianxiang Tower to dispel the rumors about him and Prefect Yao?

It must be said that Mr. Lu's approach was correct.

However, this would result in inflicting a thousand wounds on the enemy and eight hundred wounds on oneself.

If Lu Zhaoyang really does have a scandal with the girl from Tianxiang Tower, it's likely that no decent family will be willing to arrange a marriage for him in the future.

Even if he were to enter public service later, he would become a target of attacks from the other side.

"That's exactly why Grandpa Lu came to see me." Upon hearing this, Mother Mo looked speechless.

She originally thought the same as Tong Huaqiong: Old Master Lu wanted Lu Zhaoyang to have a scandal with the girls from Tianxianglou.

Isn't that easy to handle?

She's very good at it.

Under her manipulation, starting tomorrow, the streets and alleys of the prefectural city will be abuzz with rumors about Young Master Lu and a certain girl from Tianxiang Pavilion.

But Old Master Lu had a rather unconventional way of thinking; instead of having his grandson "go into business," he had Prefect Yao...