Chapter 199 Quietly touching his flat belly
“Drink—!”
Meng Changyuan left the palace, mounted his horse, and galloped away, leaving behind all the servants and slaves in the Meng Mansion.
The steed galloped through the streets of Kyoto, raising clouds of dust that caused pedestrians to avoid it, glance sideways, bite their fingers, and talk among themselves.
"Who was that person riding over there? How could someone ride a fast horse on the streets of this important city?"
"It seems... it's General Meng, who returned victorious from a long expedition. This morning, the current emperor personally led all the civil and military officials out of the city to greet him. I saw him while lying on the side of the road."
After listening to this, everyone suddenly understood.
Someone said sarcastically, "So it's General Meng, a high-ranking official. No wonder he's so ostentatious. I heard he's the Imperial Concubine's brother, the uncle of the Emperor. Who dares to control him? After all, isn't it because he has a beautiful sister? Otherwise, how could he have gotten the title of Expeditionary General?"
Another person scolded impatiently, "Sixth Brother Zhao, I just don't like to hear your sour words. They lead troops on expeditions, risking their lives on the battlefield, all to protect ordinary people like us! So what if he's a general? Swords are blind, do you think it's just for fun?! Why don't you go with the army and gain some fame and honor to show everyone? You can be as glorious as you want, and no one will say a word to you. Even if it was the Imperial Concubine, if she hadn't risked her life to make medicine for this epidemic, how many people would have died in the capital? If you don't have the ability to do anything, you should be grateful. Don't bother with this nonsense!"
After just a few words, he scolded the man until he was speechless and he went back home in shame.
Meng Changyuan galloped on his horse all the way, the strong wind blew past his ears, and he didn't take the gossip to heart at all. His mind was full of what Meng Yan had just said to him.
"The girl caught her in an adultery herself!"
"I can tell you who the adulterer is!"
I would definitely not slander someone's innocence in such matters, but Fang Chu...how could Fang Chu do such a thing?
But she was the wife chosen for him by his father himself!
Meng Changyuan rushed through the streets and alleys and stopped outside the gate of Duke Anguo's Mansion.
The blue horse stepped back and forth on the bluestone road underground, constantly emitting white breath, and sweat was dripping from its fat and strong body.
Meng Changyuan dismounted, tied the horse to the dismounting stone, strode up the steps, and began to bang on the vermilion lacquered gate.
After a moment, an extremely impatient voice came from inside, "Who is it? Why are you here so late? Are you here to catch the plague?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he poked his head out and looked outside.
Seeing the tall and strong Meng Changyuan, the servant's eyes widened and he stammered, "M-Mr. Meng..."
Meng Changyuan didn't say anything. He walked forward and pushed the door open, strode in, turned around the screen wall, and walked straight to the second door.
The servant was pushed backwards and quickly got up from the ground. While chasing after him, he called over a messenger, "Quick, go inside and tell the mistress that Master Meng is here!"
After sending the maid away, the servant hurried to Meng Changyuan's side, bowing and smiling apologetically, "Master Meng, why are you visiting at this time? We are completely unprepared."
Meng Changyuan stared ahead and said calmly, "Is the Anguo Mansion a den of filth, doing shameful things every day? They're always afraid of being caught, so they make such a fuss about a guest coming to their house."
The servant hesitated and dared not say a word. Instead, he slowed down his pace and fell two or three steps behind.
It turned out that during the time Meng Changyuan was away on the expedition, Zhuo Shiquan had visited the Duke of Anguo's mansion almost daily, often lingering in Zheng Fangchu's courtyard for hours, sometimes leaving after dinner. Everyone in the mansion, from the maids in the inner chambers to the gatekeepers, had witnessed this, and they all thought their daughter had truly done something so awful, having already given her future husband a green turban before he'd even married.
Today, during the day, we heard that the eldest master of the Meng family had returned to the capital in glory and was personally welcomed by the emperor. In the evening, we saw the eldest master Meng rushing into the mansion like a devil. Everyone knew that the good deeds done by the young lady might be exposed, and they all hid away from her, fearing that Meng Changyuan would get angry and smash their bones with his iron fists.
At that moment, no one stopped him, allowing Meng Changyuan to walk through the hall and into the upper room of the back house.
Meng Changyuan strode into the Rongshou Hall, where the Anguo Mansion usually held guests, and sat down on a jujube wood armchair at the side. He said to the maid trembling at the door, "Go and ask your young lady to come over. Just tell her I'm here."
The tall man in the maid's room guarding the gate had trembling legs and could not take a step forward. He almost knelt down in front of him.
At this moment, an old, hoarse voice sounded from behind, "Why are you here at this time, my dear son-in-law? I am sorry for not welcoming you and neglecting you, my dear son-in-law. Please don't blame me."
As soon as these words were spoken, Madam Zheng, holding the hand of her maid, walked around the soft wall and entered the hall.
Old Madam Zheng was wearing a half-new autumn-scented satin jacket, her hair tied in a bun, and a plain gold hairpin without any pearls or gems. It was a casual outfit, not something for meeting guests.
It seems that Meng Changyuan came so suddenly that Mrs. Zheng didn't have time to change her clothes.
Seeing her come in, Meng Changyuan stood up and bowed, "Old Madam, I want to see Miss Zheng and have a few words to say."
Hearing his cold tone, and no longer addressing her like aunt or nephew as usual, Madam Zheng was startled, but she still smiled slightly and said, "My dear son-in-law, you have come at an unfortunate time. My daughter has caught a cold recently and needs to stay in bed to recuperate. She will not be able to see any guests today. Moreover, the wedding date is approaching, and for the sake of sex, it is best for my dear son-in-law not to visit Fangchu again in the near future to avoid gossip in the future. After you are married, there will be so many intimate things that cannot be discussed."
Meng Changyuan raised his eyes and stared at Madam Zheng. "Let's discuss this marriage later. Is Miss Zheng really ill? If your family attaches so much importance to the separation of men and women, then how do you explain Miss Zheng's behavior in Shanghe Garden?"
This man, who had been on the battlefield, had a cold and imposing aura about him. Stared at by those eyes as sharp as an eagle, Madam Zheng instinctively felt as if a bloody smell was blowing towards her.
The mother and daughter...seem to have provoked someone powerful.
Her throat twitched up and down, and Madam Zheng forced a smile, "How can my dear son-in-law say such a thing? Fangchu is really sick..." As she spoke, her brows furrowed, and her face turned into a sad expression. She pointed at Meng Changyuan and trembled continuously.
"My dear son-in-law, you... could it be that you won a battle, performed great service, and were appreciated by the Emperor, so you have become so successful that you look down on us Fang Chu and want to break off the engagement, so you come up with these excuses?!"
As soon as she said this, tears began to fall like rain. Her thin eyebrows twisted into a knot and she sobbed and wailed, "My dear son-in-law, you and Fangchu, that was a marriage decided when the old Marquis and the old Duke were still alive! A man's word is as good as gold, how can you go back on your word?! Not only do you not want to acknowledge this marriage, you are also throwing dirty water on Fangchu! Think about it, the old Marquis was upright and a hero, and yet his son did this! If he knew, how heartbroken would he be?!"
Meng Changyuan looked at the old woman in front of him, beating her chest and stamping her feet, crying at the top of her lungs, as if she had really suffered a great injustice, and remained silent.
Madam Zheng tugged at his sleeve and choked up, "My dear son-in-law, you must not listen to those slanders! They are jealous of Fang Chu's marriage to you, so they made up all those gossips. Our Fang Chu and Zhuo Shiquan are innocent. Not to mention anything going on, they haven't even spoken a word to each other!"
Zhuo Shiquan?
It turned out to be him!
"Oh……"
Meng Changyuan, who originally had a cold face, couldn't help but laugh softly, but there was a hint of sadness in the laughter.
After just a little deception, Madam Zheng actually told him the truth herself, and even told him the name of the adulterer.
The saying "a guilty conscience is the beginning of a thief" seems to be true.
Of course he believed what his sister said, but he still wanted to hear what the Zheng family had to say, how Zheng Fang would justify herself when she first met him, and whether they... felt any regret or guilt towards him.
He felt that he had done nothing wrong to them. After the old Duke passed away, he took over the Anguo Mansion.
He respected Madam Zheng and loved Fang Chu, and he even had a plan for where to arrange a sinecure for her incompetent brother in the future.
But what did he get? Deception and betrayal.
Even when the affair was exposed and he was caught cheating by his sister, he still wanted to deny it.
If it weren't for the girl's alertness, Meng Changyuan would have become the biggest joke in the capital.
He could probably guess why the Zheng family would do such a shameful thing.
He was just relying on his daughter's beauty and wanted to play both sides. He was afraid that he would die in the battlefield, so he was looking for another backer as a preparation.
Just think of it as a lifelong plan. Can't she wait until he really dies and then find someone else?
She is so impatient, is it for her future, or is it just her nature?!
The woman whom Meng Changyuan had cared for sincerely turned out to be a slut!
"Madam Zheng," Meng Changyuan said calmly, not wanting to watch the old woman's performance anymore. He only fixed his gaze on the dead tree in the courtyard. "If you don't want others to know, then don't do it yourself. I didn't tell you about what happened in Shanghe Garden. How do you know it's related to Zhuo Shiquan?"
Old Madam Zheng suddenly stopped crying and looked at Meng Changyuan with horror.
To make things worse, as the saying goes
Meng Changyuan brushed off his clothes, as if they were stained with something dirty. He continued, "So, I understand. There's no need to see Miss Zheng again. I won't make things difficult for you in this matter. I also don't want the betrothal gifts. You are an orphan and a widow, so my Meng family will support you. I will ask the elders of the clan to send the cancellation documents to you someday. From now on, we can go our separate ways and marry without disturbing each other."
After saying this, he raised his leg and strode out of Rongshou Hall.
Behind her, a maid cried out, "Old Madam, Old Madam! Someone come, the Old Madam has fainted!"
Meng Changyuan didn't even look back. He walked straight out of the Duke of Anguo's Mansion and rode back home on horseback.
From now on, he has nothing to do with this place.
After returning to the Marquis of Yiyang's Mansion, he found the original engagement document and, despite the fact that it was getting late, asked someone to invite several uncles from the clan to come and discuss the matter.
Although the old Marquis Meng retired and traveled around the country two years ago, the Meng family is large and there are still several elders living in the capital.
Meng Changyuan knew Meng Yan's intentions and wanted to force the Zheng family to cancel the engagement to save him from trouble.
But since the Zheng family refused, he would be the one to cancel the engagement. After all, he is the eldest son of the Meng family.
Although the Meng clan was large, the Yiyang Marquisate had been the only one that held esteem over the years. Meng Changyuan had just been conferred the title of Protector of the Country, so his cousins dared not meddle with his marriage, so they simply agreed to whatever he said.
The letter of cancellation of engagement was finalized that night and delivered to the Duke of Anguo's Mansion the next day.
The Zheng family refused to accept the job on the grounds that the old lady was bedridden and there was no one to take charge.
Meng Changyuan didn't want to go there again, so he just sent people to deliver it again and again.
Naturally, the Zheng family would never cancel the engagement, and they invited many middlemen to mediate, but most of them were turned away. The few who went in and expressed their intentions were then grabbed by the collar and thrown out by Meng Changyuan.
This entanglement delayed the matter for many days.
Meng Changyuan was busy with the army's return to the camp and accounting for matters such as food, fodder, and troops with the Ministry of War. He had no time to spare and naturally had no time to care about the Zheng family's affairs.
In the blink of an eye, it was already the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month.
The marriage between the Zheng and Meng families was originally just a private family affair, but the two censors submitted a memorial to the throne of Lu Haozhi.
Lu Haozhi read the memorial, wrote it down with a big stroke of his brush, and threw it into the desk. He stood up, stretched his back, and walked to the outer corridor of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Looking around, I saw the sky was high and the clouds were far away, and the sky was clear blue. It was a rare good weather in this winter.
When Rong An saw him come out, he hurried forward and said with a smile, "Your Majesty must be tired. Where would you like to go for a walk?"
Lu Haozhi stood on the corridor for a moment without saying a word, then turned around and walked back.
Seeing this, Rong An waved his hands to his left and right, "Ti Shun Tang, please serve." Then he hurriedly followed.
His question was in vain. Now that the emperor was free, he refused to go anywhere except Tishun Hall.
Lu Haozhi walked all the way to the Tishun Hall courtyard, and suddenly saw the palace maid Ruizhu hurried in from the side door holding a carved lacquer tray.
On the tray, there was a small blue and white porcelain covered cup.
Lu Haozhi looked curious, so he called Ruizhu over and opened the lid himself to take a look. Inside was a bowl of ham stewed with pork elbow. Steam was rising and the aroma of meat was fragrant. It was obviously just out of the pot.
He couldn't help but ask, "It's neither early nor late. Is the imperial concubine hungry again? She's eating such rich food."
Ruizhu nodded and replied, "Your Majesty, that's right. I don't know what's wrong with Your Majesty these past few days. She feels hungry right after a meal, and she loves meat dishes. This dish was ordered by Your Majesty early in the morning, and it's only now ready. It just so happens that Your Majesty wants to eat it, so I brought it to you."
Lu Haozhi smiled and closed the lid again. "In that case, send it to the Empress quickly, don't let it get cold."
Ruizhu obeyed the order and hurried into the house.
Lu Haozhi followed and just as he reached the door, the water-red door curtain with gold sprinkled on it was suddenly lifted up, and Yunxiang came out holding a pot of daffodils.
Lu Haozhi took a look and saw that it was the pot of Zhangzhou daffodils that he had sent when Meng Yancai moved in. The flowers were in full bloom with clusters of white flowers, and the appearance was elegant and graceful, with a pleasant fragrance.
He was a little puzzled and asked, "What happened to this Narcissus? Doesn't the imperial concubine want her anymore?"
Yunxiang replied, "Your Majesty, the Queen said she was in the room and felt dizzy from the smell of the flowers, so she asked me to take it to another room."
Lu Haozhi felt more and more puzzled. He remembered clearly that Meng Yan had always loved this flower and had never felt dizzy after smelling its fragrance. What happened?
At that moment, he stepped into the door.
Turning into the main room, I saw Meng Yan wearing her usual persimmon-red plain-fronted jacket, honey-colored silk-cotton trousers, and no skirt. She had a bunch of hair on her head, and a golden filigree bun. Her simple attire made her look even more charming.
She sat on the edge of the kang, with a small, gold-painted, colorful porcelain bowl in front of her. Inside was a small piece of stewed ham pork elbow that Ruizhu had just brought her.
"It's neither early nor late. You've added a snack."
Lu Haozhi walked up and sat opposite her.
Meng Yan smiled when she saw him coming, and ordered the maid to pour tea. She said, "I just felt hungry suddenly, so I asked them to bring it. Your Majesty, would you like to try it? The cooking is perfect, and the pork elbow is stewed to perfection."
Lu Haozhi also smiled and said, "It's a good thing that you can eat. If you want something, just tell the kitchen. But, I heard from those two girls that your tastes have changed recently."
Meng Yan pursed her lips and smiled slightly, and after a while she said, "I feel a little uncomfortable, but it's nothing, I'll be fine after a while."
Lu Haozhi frowned, looked at her carefully, and then said, "You look fine. We haven't had that recently, and it doesn't look like you were tired at night. If not, let Xia Houyu come over to take a look."
Meng Yan smiled and said, "There's no need to mobilize a large force. I'm in this place, so it's better for me not to make a fuss. It's okay. I know what's going on. Your Majesty, don't worry."
As she spoke, Ruizhu brought over the bowl and chopsticks, and holding a small Zen silver knife, she cut a piece of pork elbow and placed it in the emperor's bowl.
Lu Haozhi was in high spirits and ordered the palace maid, "Heat up a pot of the finest Huiquan wine for me and the imperial concubine to drink together."
Meng Yan hurriedly said, "Just bring a wine cup." Then she said to Lu Haozhi, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for not wanting to drink."
Lu Haozhi was getting more and more puzzled. He squeezed her hand unconsciously and said, "You've always been a good drinker. What's wrong with you now?"
Not only that, she had been telling him recently that she was not feeling well and would not let him touch her at night. She also said that she knew what was wrong and refused to call a doctor.
Meng Yan smiled without saying a word, and quietly touched her flat belly with her small hand.
In a few days, it will be accurate.
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