Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Encounter

After talking for a while, Lu Wan took Zhe Rou to the flower hall to sit down.

The banquet prepared by the Duke's Mansion was indeed extremely sumptuous, with carved honey pan-fried dishes, jade cicada soup, roasted lamb's head, steamed goose with bamboo shoots, crystal sashimi... and the newly brewed small-grooved pearl red tea from Panlou, paired with crystal clear agate wine cups, which was both delicious and beautiful.

As stringed instruments began to play, the relatives sitting at the table clinked glasses, talked and laughed, and the atmosphere became more and more lively. Zhe Rou couldn't help but feel relaxed. She smiled and drank a few glasses with Lu Wan, enjoying themselves very much.

After the banquet was over, Zhe Rou said goodbye to Lu Wan and walked out of the inner courtyard with Xiao Chan. Lu Chen was waiting in front of the carriage. He looked refreshed, obviously not having drunk much.

Zhe Rou was already a little tipsy, with waves of heat rising from her body, and she was a little unsteady when she walked. She called him softly, "Lu Bingyan."

Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, then hurried forward a few steps, took the person from Xiaochan's hands, and asked in a low voice: "Are you drunk?"

She shook her head, looked up at him with a smile, her cheeks flushed, "I'm not drunk."

Lu Chen curled his lips and smiled, wanting to help her get on the carriage, but Zhe Rou refused. She felt a little hot and wanted to take a walk in the alley and feel the cool evening breeze.

Walking out of the alley behind the corner gate of the County Marquis's Mansion, Lu Chen turned around, facing away from her, and patted her shoulder, "Come, I'll carry you."

The night breeze was slightly cool, and Zhe Rou had sobered up a bit. Hearing this, her face turned red. "This is outside."

Lu Chen smiled, put her arm on his shoulder, bent down and carried her on his back, "This alley is very quiet, there's no one around."

Dusk was falling, and the last bit of sunset light was filtered through the branches on the roadside, casting a soft and warm color at an angle.

Zhe Rou lay on Lu Chen's strong back, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. When she looked up, she could see the thick black hair at the back of his neck.

Suddenly I remembered a small incident that happened in the City God Temple.

Lu Chen had suffered a lot back then, but he was finally able to stand up again and walk slowly like a normal person. They were very happy that day. Lu Chen walked twice by himself, but it was not enough, so he insisted on carrying her on his back and trying again.

At that time, the two of them had not yet expressed their feelings for each other. She carefully leaned over the boy's lean back, her nose filled with the clean scent of soapberries. Looking at his handsome and thin profile so close before her, her heart was beating like a drum. After hesitating for a long time, she finally took advantage of his unsteady footing and gently bumped her lips against the back of his neck.

Warm and soft.

It was just a quick touch and she left immediately, but her heart was beating fast, her cheeks were burning, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her palms. She looked like a guilty thief.

Only when she saw him put her down without noticing anything did she breathe a long sigh of relief, but a vague sense of inexplicable loss also emerged in her mind.

Thinking about it now, Lu Bingyan was really stupid at that time. He didn't even notice that he was being flirted with.

But she didn't intend to tell him such a small thing, so she just let him be stupid.

She was not the type to suffer for herself. The vague sadness that had been aroused in her earlier had long since dissipated. The night breeze was gentle and charming, and Zhe Rou's mood suddenly became very good. She could not help but bury her face in Lu Chen's broad shoulders, and a smile quietly appeared on her lips.

When she was very young, her parents both passed away. She had no one to lean on and no one to love her. In the clinic, she had to please her uncle and aunt, and help her cousins ​​wash their socks. She dared not cry when she was wronged, for fear that her aunt would see her and scold her for bad luck, and even deduct her already meager meals.

At that time, she secretly told herself that she could not always live under someone else's roof and that she had to rely on herself and live a down-to-earth life in the future.

It is the same now. She cannot base her foothold on someone else, even if that person is Lu Chen.

Today's banquet at the Earl's Mansion was a good start, and she was very happy.

Apart from the minor setback with Gu Qinnan, her first social outing could be considered quite smooth, and she had a better idea in her mind. If she encountered sharp words, she would probably be able to handle it without suffering any loss or embarrassing Lu Chen.

She would open a ready-made medicine shop in the future and slowly build up the business. She would then have a foothold in Shangjing. Even without a family background to rely on, she would have more confidence and be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lu Chen and become his true "husband and wife".

Just thinking about it makes people full of hope.

After walking for a while in the alley, the main street was in front of us, and the noisy sounds of hawkers' hawking came from afar.

Hearing the noise on the street, Zhe Rou's cheeks suddenly became hot. She stopped fooling around with Lu Chen and quickly slid down from his back. The two of them sat back in the carriage.

There was a faint smell of alcohol in the carriage.

Lu Chen poured her a cup of hot tea and asked her to drink some to warm her stomach and sober up.

The carriage passed slowly through the tile market, and Zhe Rou leaned against the window to look out. This was the busiest section of the city, with countless vendors carrying their wares bustling through the streets. Restaurants and foot shops lined the streets, and colorful lanterns hung high outside the colorful pavilions. The lights and candles along the way shone brightly, illuminating the slowly moving carriages.

Passing by several medical clinics, Zhe Rou suddenly thought of her plan and turned to Lu Chen with a smile: "I have decided what kind of medicine shop I want to open."

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"

"I've been to Ma Xing Street a few times. The largest shop is called 'Da Gu Fu,' which sells orthopedic medicines. Next to it is 'Shan Shui Chen,' which sells oral and throat medicines. Further back, Doctor Bai specializes in pediatrics, and Doctor Cao specializes in tinnitus... There are a lot of shops over there, but none that sell gynecological medicines. I'm planning to open a shop specializing in gynecology. What do you think?"

The street lights filtered into the car through the bamboo curtains, casting a soft, warm glow on her thick, long eyelashes.

Lu Chen stared intently at the bright smile on her cheek, his eyes dark and deep. He was about to nod in agreement when the carriage suddenly shook, and the driver cried out in surprise, suddenly stopping the carriage.

Lu Chen frowned slightly, but before he could ask what was going on, a clear and smiling male voice sounded outside the car.

"Lu Bingyan, why are you pretending to be a lady when you don't even ride the fine horse from the Western Regions that I gave you?"

Before he could finish his words, the car door was opened from the outside, and the dazzling lights from afar suddenly poured in.

A young man in a black martial robe with arrow-shaped sleeves stood under the carriage. His figure was as straight as a bamboo, and his waist was strong because of the belt he wore. In the dim light, his eyes sparkled like cold stars, like a blade scrubbed by ice and snow, with a clear edge.

Seeing the person outside the car clearly, Zhe Rou was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help laughing: "Mingqi? How did you find yourself here?"

The right hand that opened the door was still frozen in mid-air. Xie Yunzhou's eyes paused, and his Adam's apple rolled slightly. "Jiu Niang?"

Zhe Rou smiled and nodded at him.

When they first met in Taozhou, Lu Chen asked Xie Yunzhou to call her "cousin-in-law", but he laughed and scolded her back, saying that Lu Chen was only a month older than him, so how could he take advantage of her? He simply followed her age order and called her "Jiu Niang".

Xie Yunzhou came back to his senses, and the corners of his lips curled up unconsciously, "I didn't know you were in the car. The people from the Imperial Guards only said that Bingyan went to the banquet, but didn't mention that you were with him."

"It's okay," Zhe Rou looked at him with a smile, "I'm not a child, how can I scare you?"

Lu Chen sat aside, quietly watching the two of them exchange a few pleasantries. Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow and looked at Xie Yunzhou, "Why, do you want to talk to me about something?"

Xie Yunzhou withdrew his hand, leaned against the car, and smiled. "Don't mention it, there really is something. It's related to Wang Zhonggan. Do you want to hear it?"

Lu Chen's eyes fixed for a moment, then he turned to look at Zhe Rou, raised his hand and touched her cheek, and whispered, "Let Nan Heng take you home first, and you don't have to wait for me tonight. You drank too much today, so go to bed early, okay?"

The light in the carriage was dim, and Xie Yunzhou could vaguely see Lu Chen's movements. His gaze paused for a moment, then he calmly turned his head and looked at the wine banners waving in the distance.

Zhe Rou felt her ears burning, and quietly pushed Lu Chen, urging him, "I know, go ahead."

Lu Chen smiled, stood up and got out of the carriage, watched the carriage go away, and went to Yanglou with Xie Yunzhou to find a private room to sit down.

Yanglou is not as noisy as Fanlou, and the interior of the wine pavilion is more elegant. A soft peach bamboo mat is laid on the floor, with a square carved low table in the middle, and a green-glazed vase decorated with seasonal flowers.

Amidst the sweet aroma of flowers and trees in the room, Xie Yunzhou suddenly smelled a faint, bitter, and cold fragrance. He subconsciously looked around and soon his eyes fixed on the dew-receiving bag on Lu Chen's waist.

Ordinary Songjiang cloth is embroidered with Qilin patterns, with fine and smooth stitches.

She vaguely remembered that every year when the seasons changed, she would prepare seasonal sachets for Lu Chen based on the effects of different herbs.

When the Qilin looks back, all diseases will disappear. This is really a very good omen.

Noticing his gaze lingering on her, Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, "Why, do you want it?"

Hearing this, Xie Yunzhou looked up at him and sneered, half-jokingly, "If I want it, are you willing to give it to me?"

The lattice window in the wine room was half-open, and the night wind blew in. The branches of flowers in the vase swayed gently in the wind, and a slender shadow fell on the low table, dividing the two people into two clearly.

Lu Chen didn't look at him again. He picked up the jade wine jug on the table and sneered, "If you want it, get married soon and someone will do it for you."

Xie Yunzhou took a sip of wine nonchalantly and said nothing.

Lu Chen glanced at him indifferently, "Your marriage is still unsettled. The Princess and the Duke are willing to indulge you, but the Emperor actually lets you do it too?"

"He does want to intervene," Xie Yunzhou said with a smile, his eyes slightly cold, as if he had thought of something. "But I don't like any of the noble ladies he chose. Even if he could force me to get married, could he still force me to go to the bridal chamber?"

Without waiting for Lu Chen to say anything else, he lazily waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about that anymore. Let's get down to business. I heard someone got some evidence against Wang Zhonggan a few days ago. Were you the one who secretly suppressed it?"

Lu Chen nodded indifferently and replied yes.

"Hey, Lu Bingyan," Xie Yunzhou sat up straight in an instant, tapped the table with his long fingers, and frowned, "If someone hadn't fanned the flames in the Censorate back then, taking advantage of the defeat in Hexi to attack the Eastern Palace, saying that my cousin the Crown Prince secretly instructed General Xue to refuse to fight in the battlefield in order to oppose the new policy, how could the Eastern Palace have started a rebellion?

Although it's true that the East Palace is plotting a rebellion, the cause is closely related to this Wang guy, not to mention that he also impeached your father, causing your entire family to be implicated and convicted. Why did you save him?"

Lu Chen said calmly, "The censor's impeachment will at most cost Wang Zhonggan his job, but it won't shake Xu Chong's foundation. So, why don't I do him a favor?"

Xie Yunzhou was stunned. "You want to touch Xu Chong?"

There were some things he didn't need to avoid, so Lu Chen scoffed. "When Wang Zhonggan impeached my father, would you believe him if he said Xu Chong wasn't behind it?"

After a pause, his brows darkened, "They will have to pay back the debt they owe to the Lu family sooner or later."

Xie Yunzhou's expression darkened when he heard this, and he couldn't help but remind him, "Even if you saved Wang Zhonggan once, Xu Chong won't trust you easily. He's a deep and suspicious person, and he won't release his eagle until he sees the rabbit. You have to be more careful in your actions."

Lu Chen lowered his eyes to look at the wine cup, and raised the corner of his lips coldly, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

After bidding farewell to Xie Yunzhou and exiting Yanglou, Nanheng had already returned from the Lu Residence. Seeing him, he hurried forward, handed him the item in his hand, and said in a low voice, "Sir, the Xu family's mistress has sent a letter inviting you to the Xiangguo Temple Wanxing Market within ten days. Will you accept?"

Lu Chen responded indifferently and casually took the paper from his hand.

It was a piece of light pink embossed paper sprinkled with gold foil.

Seeing that he agreed without hesitation, Nan Heng hesitated for a while, then glanced up again. Finally, he couldn't help but blurt out, "My dear, the Xu family is not easy to fool. If my wife knew about this..."

He had followed Lu Chen for many years and knew that Lu Chen and Zhe Rou had been a young couple, and had supported each other through life and death over the years, and it was rare for them to have the perfect marriage they had now.

Now, watching Lu Chen and the Xu family's wife becoming more and more familiar with each other day by day, he was secretly worried about Zhe Rou, and was also afraid that if this matter continued, once it crossed the line or could not be concealed, it would be impossible to resolve it.

Lu Chen glanced at him coldly, his eyes dark and deep.

"She won't know."