Chapter 10 Shameless She took off her clothes, her graceful figure peeking through the gauze screen...

After all, a mother's heart is connected to her son's. Even though he didn't say anything, Madam Zhang understood what he was thinking. She rubbed her forehead and asked cleverly, "I once heard your grandfather say that you often went to the home of a wealthy merchant in Suzhou. Are you interested in that young lady?"

Xu Congjing rested his hands on the chair back and tapped his fingers lightly on the gang stick, making a rhythmic sound.

Lost in thought, she picked up the ginseng soup and rambled on, “Is your mother unreasonable? We’ve all worked our way up to where we are today. If you miss her so much, you should bring her home in a grand procession. A merchant’s daughter is fine too. Your mother will never mistreat her…”

“She got married.” His voice was deep and powerful, tinged with a profound sense of helplessness.

Madam Zhang was stunned. Two drops of ginseng soup spilled from her hand and soaked into her dress. She opened her mouth and smacked her lips twice. "She has found a good match. You should be happy for her."

Xu Congjing gave a light "humph," his face as dark as a black cloud, and sneered, "You childless bastard!"

"you……"

Her son was always calm and composed, keeping his thoughts to himself. She had never seen him show any malice. Zhang hesitated, then a ridiculous idea popped into her head: "Could it be that you want to wait for her to divorce me?"

With trembling hands, she put down the ginseng soup, frowned, and asked, "If she has no intention of divorcing me in this life, how will you deal with it?"

Xu Congjing's lips curled into a sinister smirk. "She will get a divorce."

"Xu Congjing!" In an instant, Madam Zhang understood. Her eyes widened, her eyebrows furrowed, and she picked up a hat stand from the table and threw it at her son. "I'll beat you to death, you shameless bastard, meddling in other people's family affairs!"

He gritted his teeth and gripped the hat stand, meekly helping his mother sit back down. Madam Zhang, furious at his improper conduct, shook off his hand, finally exclaiming with heartache, "With such behavior, which of these two young ladies do you think you're being fair to?"

In the past, her son couldn't stand seeing her angry, but now he didn't back down at all, only smiling faintly, "I won't force her. If she wants a divorce, it must be of her own free will."

"As for the Marquis's family, it's a matter of mutual consent. Even if they knew, they certainly wouldn't break off the marriage." Not to mention, this was originally a scheme devised by the Marquis of Chenghua's wife.

The Chenghua Marquis's Mansion, which rose to power thanks to Old Madam Sheng, was nothing more than a shell. Since its marriage to the Xu family, it had gained countless benefits and was unwilling to easily let go of this ladder to climb higher.

Sheng Jin was used to having no opinions of her own and always obeyed her mother. Moreover, for her, he was already the most satisfactory husband.

After much deliberation, Madam Zhang sighed and gently grasped Xu Congjing's hand, saying softly, "Your mother only hopes that you can be happy and at peace."

“Happiness…” Xu Congjing stared blankly down, lost in thought.

On that day, the courtyard was filled with sleet and the bare branches were covered with snow. Lou Yanxu, her eyebrows frost-like, wrapped her cloak tightly and hurried out. Today she had to go to the General of the Garrison's mansion for a banquet. She waited for half an hour before Zeng Shi and Sheng Yan stepped out of the door and got into two separate carriages.

Sheng Yan, looking impatient, sat in the main seat and unintentionally poured Lou Yan a cup of hot tea. She rubbed her hands together and hid them in her sleeve.

The Zhenjun General's Mansion is located in Qinrenfang, between the Imperial City and the East Market. Heading north from the Chenghua Marquis's Mansion, a left turn will reveal a plaque inscribed with "Zhenjun General's Mansion," flanked by two auspicious beasts on either side.

Zeng walked in front, followed closely by Lou Yanxu. After exchanging invitations, Qingrui was stopped at the door, "not allowed to enter casually."

"My wife!"

Lou Yanxu turned around upon hearing the sound, then went back to the doorman to explain, "This is my personal maid."

At this moment, Quan Hao was determined to bring his family here, so everyone fell silent. Zeng felt that the two of them were losing face by arguing, so she sternly said, "Alright, stop making a scene. Do you think this is a place? Wait outside."

Lou Yanxu had no choice but to have Qingrui wait outside, while she followed Sheng Yan inside alone. There she saw two or three young girls accompanying her, waiting for Old Madam Wan to appear.

After Sheng Yan exchanged a few words with his friends, during a brief silence, a lady spoke up with a smile, "Young Master, won't you introduce them?"

Sheng Yan looked embarrassed, glanced at Lou Yanxu, and said reluctantly and dryly, "My wife."

"The Crown Prince's wife is as beautiful as a lotus flower in a distant mountain painting; the Crown Prince is truly blessed."

Lou Yanxu laughed and said she didn't deserve such praise, thinking to herself that the lady before her was easy to get along with. Unexpectedly, someone else asked sneer, "I wonder what the lady's assessment of her coming-of-age ceremony was?"

"Um?"

Lou Yanxu's gaze shifted slightly. A young lady named Jin, standing beside Weng Chuchu, covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sneered, "The young master's wife probably doesn't know what a coming-of-age ceremony is, does she?"

In Chang'an, the four arts of qin (a stringed instrument), chess, calligraphy, and painting are highly valued. On the day a young woman comes of age, she must be rated in all four arts, and those with higher ratings have always had an advantage in marriage.

Lou Yanxu had heard a little about it, but she had been distracted for a moment. Now, seeing the young ladies from various families exchanging glances and whispering amongst themselves, each considering themselves superior, she shook her head helplessly and smiled it off, "I really don't know."

As expected, seeing those people raise their eyes and look contemptuous, Sheng Yan had never been ridiculed like this before. He was filled with anger and glared at Lou Yanxu through gritted teeth.

Afterwards, servants brought out fine wine. As everyone drank, they exclaimed, "The Drunken Immortal's Fragrance Wine from Drunken Immortal Abode is fragrant at first whiff, but even more so upon tasting; it can truly be called a nectar of the gods."

"Upon hearing that the General of the Garrison had sent nearly a hundred jars of wine as a birthday gift, the owner of the house was overjoyed!"

"To us, Drunken Fragrance is nothing more than fine wine, but to merchants, it is a golden nugget for making money!"

Everyone knew these words were meant to mock Lou Yanxu, but they still tried to save face. However, Madam Jin, who was on good terms with Weng Chuchu, spoke up for her, and in this situation, she couldn't help but retort, "Madam, do you agree or disagree?"

Lou Yanxu was both amused and exasperated. In public, she represented the face of the Chenghua Marquis's mansion. Weng Chuchu, indulging in momentary pleasure, hadn't grasped the bigger picture and had truly put Sheng Yan in a difficult position. Sheng Yan knew the whole story, but having betrayed her first, he dared not blame his beloved and could only secretly sulk.

“More than that.” She smiled and raised her voice, “Wine is a gold nugget, but those who appreciate it are living gods of wealth.”

Such candor drew both praise and ridicule, inevitably leading to some comments. She was prepared for this, and simply laughed it off. These so-called noble ladies of Chang'an, supposedly pure and refined, excelling in the four arts, were nothing but clowns before her.

Sheng Yan, however, was not as perceptive as her. He was so angry that he wanted to cover his face and crawl into a hole. He had no choice but to leave in front of everyone.

Lou Yanxu stood alone to the side, enjoying the peace and quiet, observing all sorts of fawning faces and listening to the gossip in the inner and outer courtyards. She found it quite amusing.

Just as she was stunned, a murmur arose from the crowd. Lu Siyue appeared with her slightly protruding pregnant belly. A woman walked past her in front, her hair adorned with four gold hairpins on each side, as if she wanted to steal everyone's attention. This must be the concubine, Qin Shi.

"Why is she here too?" It was rare for the lady to attend a banquet while pregnant, and for a moment, the families had different opinions.

Lou Yanxu quietly moved away, but to her surprise, the other person saw her as if she were a ghost and they fled together, supporting each other's shoulders.

"..." Those who didn't know better might think she was some kind of ominous creature. Unfortunately, Qingrui wasn't by her side, so she could only pass the time by fiddling with her fingertips.

"Madam Liang was resting at Huiju Temple to prepare for childbirth, but Qin Shi's actions were too overreaching, and the child was almost lost. In a fit of anger, Madam Liang moved back to her mansion and decided to keep Qin Shi under her nose."

Wan Qing'an stood boldly beside Lou Yanxu and continued, "Grandmother's birthday banquet will inevitably be attended by high-ranking officials and nobles. How can Madam Liang let a concubine steal the limelight?"

"Madam Wan," Lou Yan smiled gently and bowed formally, "I didn't have a chance to thank you that day."

"I just can't stand their way of doing things." Wan Qing'an waved her hand, holding a small jar of wine. "Want a sip?"

Lou Yanxu leaned closer to smell it, and Shi Ran smiled faintly, "Nine Days of Intoxication?"

"You recognize this wine."

“My family made our fortune in brewing wine, so I have some experience in it.”

"I obtained this wine from an old drunkard when I was traveling the world. Very few people know about it." Wan Qing'an treasured this jar of wine very much. Just smelling its aroma was enough to make him smile.

Lou Yanxu found it adorable and agreed, "If you like it, I will brew two jars and send them to your residence."

In reality, she was being modest. This wine was originally brewed by her father, but due to a family tragedy, he had no choice but to sell the recipe. The process of making this wine is not difficult; the difficulty lies in the amount of the essence of a hundred flowers and the sap of ten thousand trees used. Even a slight error can result in vastly different outcomes.

"Really!" Wan Qing'an exclaimed with delight, "Madam Lou is so generous!"

After a moment, her eyes lit up, and she spoke again, "How about we become friends over drinks, and from now on we can call each other by our first names?"

"Very good."

Wan Qing'an possessed the boldness of those in the martial arts world, and was also kind-hearted. It was rare to find someone in Chang'an willing to take the initiative to befriend her. Lou Yanxu was unconsciously drawn to her and lowered her head with a smile.

Passing through Wan Qing'an's ear, Lou Yanxu looked at Xu Congjing, who was surrounded by the crowd. He wore a dark blue cloak with honeysuckle patterns, standing one in front of the other with Sheng Jin. Everyone called them "Tan Lang" and "Xie Nu." She seemed lost in thought. After a while, he turned his head, and their eyes met. In a daze, she felt that his eyes were like those of a vicious wolf, wanting to tear her apart and devour her. Thinking of the warm touch that night, she lowered her head slightly in a panic and adjusted her embroidered robe.

After Lady Wan was summoned by a servant, Sheng Yan and the other young men and women laughed heartily. Everyone at the banquet intentionally kept her out of the way, so she could only stand aside to pass the time.

A faint scent of cypress mingled with her breath. She looked up and saw Xu Congjing. He was used to being the center of attention and attracted everyone's gaze wherever he went. Not wanting to be noticed, she turned and left.

But she soon discovered that no matter where she went, she couldn't shake off the fragrance, and that figure kept coming into her sight.

A faint sense of unease welled up within her, but fortunately, the Second Madam of the Wan family invited the ladies to admire the plum blossoms, and so she gradually drifted away from the young men.

With Wan Qing'an not by her side, Lou Yanxu lagged far behind, leaving a considerable distance between them.

As she reached the pond, a young woman rushed up and bumped into her left arm. She stumbled and slipped into the pond. Her mind went blank for a moment, but she reacted quickly, grabbing the bank with both hands to support herself.

The young woman approached and reached out to pull her up. She raised her hand, but saw the person in front of her laugh and back away, coldly watching her climb up the rocks on the bank. However, she slipped and fell, cutting her forearm, and the blood dissolved into the pool water.

It was intentional!

The evildoer laughed and walked away, while Lou Yanxu's chest heaved rapidly. She bit her lip and endured the pain as she shook off the water plants that were binding her feet.

The pool water was extremely cold, causing her lower body to spasm. She shivered and weakly crawled out, hiding behind a tree.

Fortunately, the young master is playing the pitch-pot game while the young lady is admiring the flowers. There is no one around, so there is no need to worry about getting wet and losing face. However, Qingrui is not by his side, and he does not know where Wan Qing is. This situation cannot continue.

She shivered, wrapped tightly in her heavy, wet cloak, and as she racked her brains for a solution, a deep voice reached her ears, "Lady Lou."

Lou Yanxu flinched for a moment, her eyes catching the honeysuckle pattern on the hem of his cloak. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tall figure looking down at her. When she looked up, she saw that he had turned his head away. Her face flushed instantly. "Xu Situ?"

She hesitated for a moment, then took his cloak and draped it over herself.

"Is it wrapped up tightly?"

She gave a soft "hmm" sound, and Xu Congjing finally appeared, his long arm brushing against the back of her neck, rubbing against her warm skin, while his other hand went around her knee. "Excuse me."

Lou Yanxu turned and looked up at his strong jawline, her gaze lingering slightly against his warm chest. She was alone and helpless when only he came to her aid; their relationship was deepening, and she didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

In the dead of winter, a bead of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, running down his jawline to his chin and landing right on the tip of her nose. She pointed at it, and then heard him remind her in a hoarse voice, "Keep your head down."

She never showed her face, and even if someone did see her, they would only say that Xu Situ was keeping a mistress in a golden house.

Lou Yanxu secretly thanked him for his thoughtfulness. The familiar scent of cypress made her nose tingle, and she took a deep breath to clear her congested nose. He slowed his pace and stiffly comforted her, "Don't cry."

She reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, replying in a sob, "I'll be careful and won't get your clothes dirty."

"..."

As they quietly crossed the arched bridge, Lou Yanxu peeked through the latticed window at the ladies returning from admiring the plum blossoms. She instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Xu Congjing's neck, wishing she could bury her head in his chest, and asked him in a muffled voice, "Where are you taking me?"

Xu Congjing's Adam's apple bobbed, a dark glint appearing in his eyes as he stared intently at her without uttering a word.

Upon reaching a side room, Xu Congjing pushed open the door, put her down, and said, "Go inside and wait a while. I'll send someone to bring you some clean clothes."

"Thank you, Minister Xu."

The room was warm from the underfloor heating, and Xu Congjing closed the door and stood guard outside.

Lou Yanxu walked around the gauze screen and entered, removing her brocade stockings and cloud-patterned shoes, stepping barefoot onto the carpet. Her soaked underpants clung uncomfortably to her legs, and after a moment's hesitation, she decided to take them off. Her long, flowing skirt covered them, so it was alright.

The door was pushed open, and she guessed it was a maid delivering clothes, so she called out, "Just hang the clothes on the screen."

There was no response for a long time. Xu Congjing stood there, holding the clothes tray in both hands, stunned. He sent Yunlu to find Wan Qing'an but couldn't find her. So he asked the eldest son of the Wan family for a set of women's clothes, but the mansion was in such a hurry that no maid or servant could be found. Yunlu had no choice but to deliver it in a hurry.

Xu Congjing did not expect that before the clothes arrived, she would quietly take off her clothes. As she lifted her skirt, he could vaguely see her slender ankles through the gauze screen, and his gaze fell on the curve of her graceful legs.

A graceful figure catches the eye.

His mind was clouded, his breathing heavy, and a fanatical fervor surged in his deep eyes as he turned his head in self-mockery:

Xu Congjing, you truly have no shame.