Chapter 65: She accepted Xu Congjing, subtly testing her feelings. ...

Lou Yanxu's heart was pounding rapidly, her mind a jumble of thoughts. She leaned against the bed frame for a long while before her thoughts gradually returned to normal.

She recognized the person who delivered the message; it was a cleaning maid from the Chenghua Marquis's residence. Now that Sheng Jin was dead and Sheng Yan was imprisoned and awaiting execution, Zeng Shi had gone completely mad. It was obvious who was in charge of the Chenghua Marquis's residence. Sheng Ling was a prudent person who wanted to protect herself, and she was probably only willing to tell her this because of the mutual respect they had shown each other at Anding Gate. However, she didn't know who that person was, so she could only be extremely careful.

Just as she was deep in thought, Qingrui rushed in through the curtain, craned her neck at the door and called out, "Second Mistress, Madam Xu is awake!"

Thank goodness, she was finally awake. Lou Yanxu was overjoyed and sat up straight. Her legs went numb from standing for so long and she almost fell. She managed to steady herself and then staggered outside.

Upon entering the room, she saw Madam Zhang leaning against the headboard, wincing in pain as she accidentally aggravated her wound. She quickly went over to support her and said, "Auntie, you are injured, so please be careful."

Zhang clasped her hands together and smiled comfortingly, her haggard face showing a sickly pallor. As she smiled, her expression gradually turned serious.

"I'm fine. I called you here urgently because I have something important to tell you." She suddenly remembered the important matter and carefully recalled the events of that day. "I learned that there were guards by my side because a woman mentioned that her son had arranged for guards to protect her. That's why I kept an eye on things."

"Since Zizheng's father was killed due to the rebellion of the secret guards, I deeply resent this, which is why I ordered the withdrawal. Now, the more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel, as if someone has dug a pit for me to fall into. Zizheng is currently in a difficult situation, so I hope you will inform me of this matter." She regretted it after being chased that day. If this person was only targeting her, it would be fine, but I'm afraid their purpose is Congjing, which makes her even more regretful.

Lou Yanxu pursed her lips, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and asked her, "What is that woman's identity?"

She said her son was the newly appointed Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

The newly appointed Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices does indeed have a mother, but she has been bedridden since falling from a platform a few days ago. The woman must have figured out that Madam Zhang was generally aware of the wives of officials in the court, but due to her illness, she rarely left her home and was thus isolated from news. So she made up a story. Since this person knows that Madam Zhang is vehemently opposed to the secret guards, it's hard to say that she might be involved in Xu's father's death. If we follow the clues, we might find something.

However, to avoid disappointing Zhang, Lou Yanxu did not tell her about this speculation.

"Don't worry, Auntie, Wanwan will not let you down." She smoothed out the wrinkles on Zhang's clothes, and then gently massaged her forehead with her hand. "You can stay here and rest and recover. Just let me know if you need anything."

Such affectionate gestures delighted Madam Zhang, who thought that since Wanwan refused to be her daughter-in-law, she would accept her as her daughter. She was both disappointed and delighted, saying, "Wanwan, you have gone to such lengths for Zizheng and the Xu family. Your aunt is eternally grateful..."

Lou Yanxu was tired of hearing these words, so she simply reached out and covered her mouth, "Alright, there's no need for such polite words anymore. I treat you like my own mother, so if you keep being so polite, it will only make us feel distant."

When it was time for dinner, Lou Yanxu personally served Zhang Shi her meal and watched her take her medicine and fall asleep before leaving with peace of mind.

The next morning, the morning light pierced through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground. Dewdrops on the leaf tips trembled as if about to fall, shimmering like gold.

After Lou Yan finished her meal, Qingrui ran over and said, "Second Madam, Minister Xu has arrived, bringing many excellent tonics."

She was just about to tell him what Zhang had said, so she ordered, "Let him wait in the flower hall."

After washing her hands, she found a cloak of just the right thickness and put it on. Just as she was about to leave, she turned back and took the oil-paper umbrella that she had already folded and placed on the rack.

When they arrived at the flower hall, the servants had already been dismissed. Xu Congjing bowed to Yun Bing and said, "I am deeply grateful to you for helping me with my mother's affairs. I have prepared a small gift for you to accept."

The two were unusually not at odds. Lou Yanxu shrugged and smiled, truly a sight to behold. Yun Bing subconsciously moved his bandaged arm and leaned closer to look at the boxes of tonics that had been brought in.

"Black-boned chicken, ginseng, deer antler... what is all this about!" He scratched the back of his head, somewhat bewildered. "It's just a minor injury. Your big fuss makes me seem utterly useless."

"I had no such intention. It's just that I can't express my gratitude in words, so I can only offer tonics instead. There was a misunderstanding before, and it was all my fault. I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me." This time, Xu Congjing was truly sincere. He had indeed not given Wanwan a good look when he mistakenly thought he was Wanwan's lover. Now that the truth was out and he had become her benefactor, he could naturally be flexible and give her the proper gifts.

"I don't want it, take it back." Lou Yunbing raised his head arrogantly, his eyes revealing an air of arrogance. He had long seen that his elder sister still harbored feelings for this boy. By refusing the gift today, he could ensure that the Xu family would always owe him a favor. If Xu Congjing dared to bully his elder sister again in the future, they would have a lot to say about it. A gentleman first uses courtesy, then force. If courtesy fails, then force is used. These days, being confined to his room reading books, he had come to understand this principle.

Lou Yanxu, however, was not as perceptive as he was and could not understand his thoughts. She stepped forward and said, "Since he has already sent it, you can accept it."

"This is all for her own good," Lou Yunbing stomped his foot in anger, but instead of venting his anger on his elder sister, he glared fiercely at Xu Congjing.

"Are you here to bribe me?"

"Don't think you can bribe me with these things and make me agree to be your brother-in-law!"

"Yes, yes, I will try my best to perform, and I will rely on my brother-in-law for support in the future." Unexpectedly, Xu Congjing was unusually good-tempered today, which made him seem unreasonable. It was like punching cotton, which was very annoying. So his tone became even worse, "Don't try to get on my good side. There are plenty of women who want to marry my sister. Why should I choose you?"

"What are we even talking about?" Lou Yanxu was afraid he would say something inappropriate again, so she had no choice but to send him away. "Alright, I'll take care of things here. You can go now. If you have nothing else to do, read some books."

"Sister!" Yun Bingzhen was furious. There was no reason for her to keep cutting him off. Unable to vent her anger, she kicked the box, muttering, "Glib-tongued man! He never tells the truth! I really don't know what you like about him!"

"He's really grown up now, daring to nag her like that," Lou Yanxu slapped him on the back, shooing him away to copy the book.

When only the two of them were left, the surroundings were quiet. They looked at each other and their tenderness almost overflowed. Xu Congjing stared intently, trying to catch the shyness and panic hidden in her eyes, but she stuffed the oil-paper umbrella into his hand, turned her head away, and lowered her eyes to hide her feelings.

The umbrella handle was still warm. He tightened his grip and asked softly, "How is my mother now?" He had wanted to go see her, but seeing her would inevitably be sad, and it would be a sin to add to her grief. Besides, he couldn't easily clear his mind and keep checking. After thinking about it, he decided to wait until everything was settled before doing so.

"He's awake. He's eating and drinking well in the manor. Don't worry about him." After saying this, she relayed the details of the secret guard incident to him. He pondered for a moment and said, "I will investigate this matter. You don't need to worry about it."

It's not a good thing in the end. Her involvement adds to the danger. He didn't need to say anything more; Lou Yanxu understood with just a glance. So she nodded in agreement, and the two of them each did their part. That was fine.

Since it had been agreed upon, the matter was put aside. Xu Congjing ordered someone to bring over a pot of crabapple blossoms. The buds were as delicate as the sunset, the petals as soft as silk, and the leaves as upright as wings. The faint fragrance was intoxicating.

"I have come today with two gifts: first, a token of my gratitude to Yunbing, and second, these flowers for you." He held the flowers, his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at the flowers and at the person.

"You forgot? You used to give me flowers and told me to take good care of them, but I managed to kill them." Lou Yanxu burst out laughing, her face lighting up as she reminisced about the past. Every smile and gesture exuded a captivating charm, and she was bathed in a thin halo of light by the rising morning sun, truly like an angel descended to earth.

He stared at her intently for a long time, her bright and radiant appearance vividly before his eyes. In the past, she would always deliberately avoid talking about her time in Suzhou, but now she smiled sweetly, her every move captivating.

Only later did she realize that she had stopped rejecting him and had even begun to accept him.

Countless emotions surged in his alluring peach blossom eyes, as if trying to draw her into the depths of his gaze. His gentle voice rang out above her head, "If you can't take care of her properly, I'll come and help you take care of her every day."

He came every day, and the two vowed to be entangled for life. Lou Yanxu lowered her head, understood his tentative question, secretly smiled and laughed at him, but responded with a soft "okay" in a whisper.

"Huh?" Xu Congjing paused for a moment, then laughed heartily, "Okay, okay!"

The dark clouds of the past vanished, and the first rays of light broke through them. Seeing his silly expression, she couldn't help but chuckle as her gaze fell on the potted begonia.

Having made up her mind to grow flowers, fertilizer was essential. That day, Lou Yanxu took some time after finishing her official duties to go to the East Market to buy fertilizer.

After ordering the steward to deliver the fertilizer to the Lou residence, she stepped out of the door when a maidservant came forward to stop her, saying, "Madam Lou, my mistress invites you to a chat."

She recognized this person as someone from Meng Lingshang's side and immediately became wary. She politely declined, saying, "It's not that I'm ungrateful, but I'm just too busy with official duties today to make time. I'll definitely visit you another day."

But this maid, relying on her master's power, showed no respect whatsoever. She narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "Madam Lou, time can always be found."

She had only met Meng Lingshang a few times, so it was more like a direct interrogation than a conversation. However, Lou Yanxu knew that she had to go today, so she didn't say anything more and just glanced warily behind her.

Walking along the long street to its end, she was led to a private room in a teahouse. Meng Lingshang poured her a cup of tea and showed her a seat. She silently looked over, only to see Meng Lingshang skimming off the foam, carefully sipping the tea, and after a long while asking, "How has Madam Lou been lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Second Madam. Everything is fine." Her face clearly showed displeasure, but Meng Lingshang ignored it and continued to ask, "Your engagement with the Duke of Yingguo's heir has not come to fruition. Do you have any other plans for the future?"

Such probing questions were unsettling, and Lou Yanxu's brows furrowed with displeasure. Though she held her breath, she still smiled faintly and replied, "I have no particular plans. I'll just let things take their course."

"No plans? Xu Congjing wants to marry you, and you don't plan to marry him?" Meng Lingshang raised her eyes, her gaze sharp and aggressive. Lou Yanxu realized the purpose of her visit and finally lost her pleasant expression, coldly saying, "This is a private matter. I wonder why Second Madam Meng is asking me?"

"I love him." She suddenly spoke solemnly, standing up and bending over, placing her hands on either side of the table, staring at Lou Yanxu with hostility. "Five years ago, he saved my life in Suzhou, and I've been devoted to him ever since. I would do anything for him, I would even die for him..."

Suzhou... five years ago...

Lou Yanxu broke out in a cold sweat on the back of her neck. "So, you've always known his identity."

Xu Congjing went to great lengths to find her father's killer, changing her name and appearance, only to discover that someone had been secretly monitoring her every move—how terrifying! She lowered her eyes, a fierce light flashing within them, and subconsciously touched the bracelet on her wrist.

"So what if it is? I won't harm him." Meng Lingchang acted on her own, grabbing Lou Yanxu's shoulders and digging her nails into his flesh through the thick clothes. "You two are torturing each other because your relationship is strained. Why force yourself to fit him in? Why don't you give him to me? My father is the Grand Tutor of the court. A marriage between him and me would be beneficial to his career. And what have you done? You schemed against him, causing his demotion. What face do you have left to be with him?"

"You killed his sister, how dare you say you love him?" Lou Yanxu sneered, breaking free from her restraints and piercing her heart with each word.

"That was an accident!" She suddenly swept the teacup off the table, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes. "I didn't know she was his sister!"

Lou Yanxu gritted her teeth and sneered, "Just because she's not his sister, does that mean she deserves to be insulted?"

The other women were wronged, and no one has yet sought justice for them. Yet Meng Lingshang showed no remorse and instead used this opportunity to accuse, "What do you know! We are a family. Whatever Father wants, whatever Brother wants, I will satisfy them when they need me, no matter how many people die."

"You're absolutely insane!" Such outrageous words left Lou Yanxu in disbelief. She felt that Meng Lingshang had developed a distorted mindset, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and blindly obeyed.

"How can one not go mad if one cannot have the one one's love?" Meng Lingshang smiled instead of getting angry, her captivating eyes flickering slightly. "If you die, one day he will accept me."

A dangerous aura descended, and Lou Yan could sense that the person in front of her intended to kill her. She subconsciously stepped back, gripping the edge of the table with both hands. Suddenly, she remembered something, "At the temple outside Jiaozhou City, did you order someone to kill me?" That day, she had suspected Meng Lingshang because of the black dirt on the toes of her shoes, but she hadn't found any clues after investigating. However, her intuition told her that Meng Lingshang wanted to kill her.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the young woman's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. "You are very clever, but clever people don't live long."

For example, we could end things with her right now.

Lou Yanxu realized she was in danger. Seeing the hand behind her back move, she seized the opportunity to strike first, pressing the mechanism on the bracelet to reveal a blade, each strike potentially fatal.

Meng Lingshang clearly hadn't expected this turn of events and was forced to retreat step by step. However, she still had two guards protecting her. Upon hearing the commotion in the room, they rushed in and attacked Lou Yanxu together. How could a woman with no strength to even kill a chicken resist two strong guards? She was quickly subdued, her scalp throbbing painfully from being pulled. Now, a knife was pressed against her own neck.

The blade sliced ​​through a thin layer of skin, a slight pain shooting through her, while she heard only mocking laughter, laughing at her desperate struggle and her overestimation of her abilities.

But a flash of sword light appeared in her eyes, and a woman burst through the window. With a swift movement of her two swords, she grabbed Lou Yanxu by the collar and leaped down while the two guards dodged.

They landed, fled in a swift, fluid motion, without the slightest hesitation. Without stopping for a moment, they chose a direction and sped off.

As dusk fell, the crisscrossing alleys were deserted. In the cold autumn night, Lou Yanxu grew warmer and warmer as she ran, while the chaotic footsteps behind her drew ever closer. Yet, the soreness and dull pain in her calves were reaching their limit.

This can't go on!

She abruptly stopped, slipped into an empty room, closed the door, found a round wooden stick and stuck it into the two doorknobs, then leaned against the wall, panting heavily, and glanced at the maidservant beside her. Fortunately, she had come prepared, having secretly arranged for a maidservant to accompany her; otherwise, she probably wouldn't have escaped unscathed alone.

However, she had clearly underestimated the situation. Somehow, the men found the door and began pounding and kicking at the already rusty wooden door. Their hearts leaped into their throats. They looked around; the only window was sealed shut—there was no way to escape!

Before long, the god of death will break down the door to claim her life. Lou Yanxu was so nervous that she broke out in a sweat. She knew that Wu Bi alone would not be able to withstand it. What should she do?

What should I do?

Just as she was getting anxious, the half-broken cabinet creaked, and she couldn't help but shudder. Then a person popped out from inside, and when the veil on her head was lifted, it was Sheng Ling!

Sheng Ling didn't say much, but beckoned the two of them over and led them into the secret passage inside the cabinet. The passage was full of forks and paths, making it difficult for ordinary people to find, but with Sheng Ling leading the way, they quickly found the exit. However, as soon as they turned a corner, they saw the lead guard searching, so Sheng Ling had to turn around and lead the two of them to another place.

Soon the surroundings fell silent. Sheng Ling wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "It's safe here. You can wait here until those people leave before making any moves."

"I have no way to repay your great kindness, Third Sister." Lou Yanxu bowed deeply in gratitude. She knew that Sheng Ling was very tactful in Chang'an and never offended anyone. She had come here at great personal risk, and she would remember this kindness.

"It was nothing." Sheng Ling pulled down her hat veil, not wanting to linger. As she walked to the door, she turned her back and gave a final reminder, "Madam Lou, you haven't seen anyone tonight."

Lou Yanxu understood her concerns and solemnly promised not to drag her into the mess, only then did she leave with peace of mind.

The two waited for another half hour, and when all was quiet, they decided to leave and head to the Xu residence first, as they needed to inform Xu Congjing about this matter as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, in front of the Xu residence.

"I want to see Minister Xu!" A woman clutched her stomach, which was bleeding profusely, with one hand, while the other clung to the auspicious beast in front of the mansion, leaving a bright red handprint. "I want to see him..."

The gatekeeper recognized Cao Ying, the adopted daughter of the former Privy Councilor Cao Yiyuan, and was immediately startled. He quickly ran to report to Xu Congjing, who stepped out the door and ordered with a stern face, "Send her in!"

“It’s too late…” The bloody hands scrambled over his body and whispered in his ear, “Xu Situ, my godfather never gave up investigating that embezzlement case back then, but he was poisoned before he could tell me where he was hiding.”

Xu Congjing remained silent, his gaze sweeping around the Xu residence. He silently weighed the credibility of his words. In the short span of time, Cao Ying could no longer hold on, her body collapsing to the ground. With all her remaining strength, she tightly gripped the hem of his robe and uttered her dying words, "Those people who searched the Cao residence tonight without success will not give up easily. You must find that evidence to avenge your father and my godfather!"

Having witnessed countless deaths, Xu Congjing showed no expression. He simply ordered the body to be disposed of. After a while, he emerged from the room clutching the token bestowed upon him by the Crown Prince and called out, "Yunlu, prepare the carriage. I am going to the palace."

"My lord, there are still about ten guards watching outside the mansion." Yun Lu reminded him from the side. If they entered the palace in a grand manner, they would be found out in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. But Xu Congjing raised one corner of his mouth and sneered, "That's exactly what I want them to know."

Those people have been watching him for so long, they must have known that Cao Ying was coming to see him. If he rushed into the palace at this time, he would be misunderstood as having obtained evidence. At that time, the person behind the scenes would definitely kill him. As long as the other party makes a move, they can catch one or two people and very likely uncover corrupt officials who have been hiding for many years.

He felt a surge of excitement; after waiting for so long, the other party was finally about to lose patience!

But just as everything was ready, the secret guards sent word.

"My lord! Something has happened!"

"Something has happened to Lady Lou!"

The guards were originally clearing obstacles for Lou Yanxu from behind, but they accidentally lost sight of her. When they came to their senses, they saw Meng Lingshang taking her away.

Xu Congjing's face turned frosty, and no one dared to provoke him. Finally, Yun Lu spoke up, "My lord, what should we do? Should we go to the palace or save Lady Lou?"

He remained silent and put the token back.

The night was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The lanterns shone with a faint light. Lou Yanxu finally managed to shake off her pursuers and slowly approached the Xu residence after observing the area in front of the gate.

Just then, Yun Lu came out and saw her, and was taken aback. "Madam Lou?"

"Yunlu, where is your husband?"

"My husband has gone to save you!" He slapped his thigh and briefly explained the situation.

Lou Yanxu's heart sank. "Oh no!"