Chapter 53 The Merchants Have Gone Mad, Groom

Feng Gou was wondering whether to stay or leave when he saw Zhang Mianzhi fall. Like a drowning ant seeing a floating weed, he quickly helped him up: "Are you alright, sir?"

Zhang Mianzhi clutched his lower back and waved his hands repeatedly, too pained to speak.

Hearing the sound, Lu Wensheng turned her head, and the emotions that had been building up in her heart instantly dissipated. She strode forward, her gaze falling on Zhang Mianzhi's hands on his hips, and asked with concern, "Is it serious? The floor tiles aren't slippery, how did you fall?"

With his arms suddenly empty, Shen Hegui curled his fingers, silently put his hands behind his back, stood still, and quietly looked at Lu Wensheng.

Zhang Mianzhi paused for a moment and said, "It's alright, I'll recover after some rest."

He stood outside the situation, observing closely. It seemed that the Crown Prince and Lu Wensheng were in love, while one of them regarded the other as a reliable older brother. He didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Zhang Mianzhi patted Lu Wensheng on the shoulder and said earnestly, "You have no relatives or friends in Yanjing, so take good care of yourself from now on. Your father, who couldn't help you, is gone, so there's nothing to be sad about. Life is full of hurdles, so look forward! If you encounter a hurdle you can't overcome, be gentle and don't let your stubbornness get the better of you and fight head-on!"

“Although I have no relatives or friends, I have close friends. You don’t need to worry about me, sir. I understand.” Lu Wensheng unfolded the letter Zhang Mianzhi had given her and returned it to him. She added, “You should arrange your own children’s and grandchildren’s future. I will pretend I never read this letter.”

Zhang Mianzhi took the crumpled letter and casually tossed it into the brazier beside him. "Alright, but you can still keep what's written in the letter. I'm too old to carry those things, and I don't need that many."

He looked deeply at Lu Wensheng, then turned around shakily, walked step by step to Shen Hegui, stopped, and said, "Wensheng is a good boy, I hope Your Highness can cherish him!"

"Naturally." Shen Hegui was sparing with his words.

Footsteps sounded outside the palace gate; Lin Shoubai had arrived with his men.

Shen Hegui calmly ordered, "Take the person into the Zhaoyu prison as a formality."

Lin Shoubai's eyes flickered, knowing full well that they wanted to create the illusion that Zhang Mianzhi was dead. He asked cryptically, "Where will you be placed after you are released from Zhao Prison?"

Shen Hegui: "South, the farther the better."

Lin Shoubai: "Yes!"

Watching Zhang Mianzhi leave, Lu Wensheng walked to Shen Hegui's side and asked, "Your Highness, won't you ask what Lord Zhang left for me?"

The golden morning sun shone throughout the hall, casting a light amber hue over Shen Hegui's unfathomably dark eyes.

He said with knowing satisfaction and indulgence, "It's just some money and connections anyway, I didn't expect him to treat you so well."

"Your Highness is truly intelligent!"

Yes, she herself didn't expect it.

Just as Lu Wensheng was about to bid farewell to Shen He and return to his post at the Ministry of Rites, a young eunuch in blue robes stumbled into the hall, panting heavily.

"Your Highness, Lord Lu has done something terrible..."

"I'm fine." Lu Wensheng stepped forward to help him up, but Feng Gou beat her to it.

Feng Gou grabbed the little eunuch's arm and scolded him, "Come back when you've caught your breath, don't startle me like that!"

"I just stepped out of the palace gate when I met Huo Xiuzhuan. His hand was broken. He told me to come quickly to find Lord Lu, saying that the Shang family has gone mad and wants to harm Editor Shang."

"Speak clearly!" Lu Wensheng grabbed the eunuch's collar and asked quickly, "Did Huo Qian lose his left or right hand? What happened to the Shang Lian family? Is his stepmother Su Zhi causing trouble again?"

"Right hand! I don't know."

Lu Wensheng's face turned pale instantly. For a civil official, the right hand is the foundation of his livelihood. Moreover, Huo Qian has always been calm and rarely acts impulsively. Could it be that Shang Lian's vicious stepmother wants to kill him?

The more she thought about it, the colder Lu Wensheng felt. She said urgently, "Your Highness, I'll be right back."

“I will go with you, so it will be faster.” He turned to Feng Gou and said, “Have someone prepare a carriage, and you will personally escort Huo Xiuzhuan to the Imperial Hospital.”

"Yes, sir!" Feng Gou flicked his whisk and hurriedly left.

The Imperial Guards led the way, followed by Shen Hegui's carriage, speeding along without hindrance.

With a gentle spring breeze, about a quarter of an hour later, the carriage quietly stopped at a street corner not far from the gate of the Shang Mansion.

Lu Wensheng jumped off the car and was stunned by the scene before him.

"What's going on here?" Lu Wensheng muttered.

The lintel of the Shang Mansion was divided in two by brand-new, dazzling red and white silk, with the characters for "offering sacrifice" and "celebrating" standing on either side, facing each other coldly. Fragments of colored paper and pale paper money were mixed on the ground, and the air was filled with the smell of incense and a faint smell of lime.

His official boots, covered in black mud, accidentally stepped on a few round soybeans, causing him to fall to the side. Fortunately, Shen Hegui reacted quickly and caught Lu Wensheng.

"Watch where you're going," Shen Hegui instructed.

"Your Highness, could you please give me your sword?" Please, please don't let it be what she's thinking!

Shen Hegui hesitated for a moment before drawing the soft sword from his waist and handing it to Lu Wensheng.

He said, "Be careful not to hurt yourself."

Lu Wensheng nodded.

She took several deep breaths, composed herself, stepped forward, grabbed the cold copper ring on the door knocker, and knocked heavily on the gate of the Shang mansion.

Who is it?

"Attending a wedding!"

The door was opened a crack, and the familiar face of the business manager peeked out.

Before he could even look up, Lu Wensheng swiftly placed his sword against the butler's neck, his voice filled with murderous intent: "Tell me where Shang Lian is?"

Caught off guard by Lu Wensheng, the housekeeper froze, instinctively wanting to shrink back and close the door.

"Don't move if you don't want to die!" The longsword pressed down smoothly, and a line of blood instantly spilled from the side of the steward's neck, the timing was perfect.

The steward's eye twitched as he glanced sideways at the cold blade at his neck, and he said haltingly, "In the east courtyard... the mourning hall. This is a family matter, Lord Lu, you should not interfere..."

Lu Wensheng sneered, kicked the man away, and pushed open the door with his sword.

The servants were alarmed and rushed over, but they were all afraid of the sharp sword in Lu Wensheng's hand and dared not step forward.

The butler got up and tried to stop Shen Hegui, who was following behind Lu Wensheng, but was kicked even further away.

Shen Hegui said dismissively, "It's in the way!"

Lu Wensheng had visited the Shang family a few times before, so he remembered the way to the East Courtyard.

She walked briskly toward the moon gate on the right, passed through the corridor and the artificial hill, and went past the small garden full of precious plants and trees, before stopping at the corner of the east courtyard.

Two meters away, Shang Lian's half-brother, Shang Jue, walked forward silently, unexpectedly bumping into Lu Wensheng, who was dressed in a scarlet official robe. As if seeing a ghost in broad daylight, his eyes were filled with horror: "You... how come you're in my house?" He hurriedly retreated, then looked at Shen Hegui, "And who is he?"

"Where is Shang Lian?" Lu Wensheng had no intention of wasting words; he just wanted to confirm it again.

Shang Jue had been beaten with a sack over his head by Lu Wensheng before, and he shrank back in extreme fear, pointing behind him: "Inside..."

Lu Wensheng strode past Shang Jue and walked inside.

Su Zhi vaguely heard Lu Wensheng's voice and quickly went out.

Su Zhi: "Why are you here? Aren't you welcome in our home?"

"I know, where's Shang Lian? Give him to me, and I'll leave immediately." Seeing Shang Jue cowering past, Lu Wensheng made the most of him, raising his hand to place a sword against Shang Jue's neck and threatening, "Or I'll kill your precious son!"

"How dare you! Murder is a crime! Are you all made of wood? Go and call for help!" Su Zhi shouted shrilly at those around her.

Lu Wensheng: "I'll kill anyone who dares to step out of the courtyard gate!"

Hearing the commotion outside, the merchant's father led a large group of people out.

When Mr. Shang saw Lu Wensheng dressed in crimson, his expression changed slightly. He was all bark and no bite: "In broad daylight, you broke into my private residence with a weapon and took my son hostage. You know the law but you're breaking it. Aren't you afraid I'll sue you and you'll lose your official position!"

"Go ahead and sue if you want!" Lu Wensheng tilted the sword tip. "Give me Shang Lian first! Trading the life of my precious legitimate son for the life of my illegitimate son is a very worthwhile deal."

Just as tensions were about to rise, Shen Hegui, who had been observing quietly from the side, lightly dusted off his sleeves. His voice was soft but carried throughout the courtyard: "Damn, they've made it clear they don't want to hand over the person."

Upon hearing the voice, the merchant's father looked over and noticed the distinguished-looking Shen Hegui standing to the side. His heart sank: "And who are you?"

"You are not worthy to know."

As soon as he finished speaking, he snatched the long sword from Lu Wensheng's hand, grabbed her wrist, and led his men straight toward the mourning hall.

Shang Jue mustered his courage to try to stop him, but Shen Hegui slashed his clothes open against his skin, scaring him so much that he dared not go forward again.

"What are you all standing there for! Stop them now!" Su Zhi urged the servants in a sharp voice, both anxious and angry.

The servants looked at each other, all stunned by Shen Hegui's precise and ruthless sword strike. They only dared to make a feint and did not dare to step forward.

Entering the eerie mourning hall, a mix of red and white, with auspicious characters alongside funeral banners, without any hindrance, Lu Wensheng's gaze swept quickly across the room, finally settling on the black tablet with gold characters in the very center of the offering table:

Memorial tablet of the late mother, Qian Jiaoluan of the merchant family.

The huge weight that had been hanging over his chest suddenly lifted, and Lu Wensheng felt a lightness in his head and feet, staggering back two steps.

Shen Hegui quickly steadied her arm and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"It's alright." It's good that it wasn't Shang Lian who died, but this is a mix of joy and sorrow, clearly a setup for a ghost marriage. The one who died was the bride... Could it be... could the groom be Shang Lian?!

Is this place outrageous?!

Lu Wensheng suddenly turned his head and locked his gaze on the black coffin, which was much wider than a normal coffin.

It's so wide, it looks like two people could lie down in it.

She broke free from Shen Hegui's grasp, staggered to the coffin, pressed her hands against the cold, heavy lid, disregarded all etiquette and taboos, and pushed it with all her might!

The heavy coffin lid was pushed open a crack.

An indescribable stench, a mixture of sweetness and rot, instantly surged out and filled the air.

"Ugh—!" It stinks.

In his hazy state of consciousness, Shang Lian heard Lu Wensheng vomiting and began to struggle again.

"Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"

Upon hearing the voices of living people, Shen Hegui frowned, strode forward, and directly ripped open the coffin lid.

Among the huge crowd were the bride's parents. They could accept the coffin being opened, but that didn't mean they could accept the coffin lid being blown off.

"You've gone too far! Stealing the groom wasn't enough, you even overturned the coffin lid!" Mr. Qian was trembling with anger.

"My poor daughter! She had little fortune in life, and even in death she has to suffer such torment, unable to find peace!" Qian's mother was afraid of the sword in Shen Hegui's hand and dared not step forward, only wailing.

Shen Hegui ignored him. When he looked down and saw that Shang Lian was still alive, his face instantly turned ashen.

Lu Wensheng helped Shen Hegui to his feet, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and began to untie the thumb-thick hemp rope binding Shang Lian's hands and feet while suppressing his nausea.

Shen Hegui spoke in a deep voice: "The Book of Rites states that funerals must be conducted in accordance with the rites and that marriages and funerals must not be confused. The Book of Criminal Law states that anyone who plots to murder an official shall, if the act has already been carried out, be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane and exile for two thousand li; if the official has already been injured, he shall be hanged; if the official has already been killed, he shall be beheaded."

Upon hearing the legal consequences, the merchant's father hurriedly stepped forward to interrupt, "This is a family matter! We only have sons, no officials! What confusion between weddings and funerals? I was just helping a friend!"

The rope around his wrists was untied, and Shang Lian took the gag out of his mouth, sat up, and said with a mocking laugh, "So, you still consider me your son, huh... hahaha..."

Tears streamed down Shang Lian's pale cheeks and dry, cracked lips. "How ridiculous! So even beasts can act like humans!" He glared fiercely at Su Zhi. "Beast and venomous woman, truly a match made in heaven!"

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The author's note: What was that ring on the mouth of the beast in front of the ancient gate called again? I can't remember for a moment, so I just used a scientific name, which feels a bit strange.

[Dog head emoji] Escapes with a pot lid on its head.