Chapter 12 He wept bitterly, “What I want is to take it, and I will take it by force…”
Xu Congjing's blatant protection of her did not please her. She was afraid of being accused of another of the seven grounds for divorce, so she subconsciously glanced at Madam Zeng. Seeing that the latter was calm, she calmed down a little.
One of them looked rather unfriendly. "Xu Jun has arranged a marriage with the second daughter of the Marquis of Chenghua's family. He is practically a member of the Marquis's family, so naturally we should help him."
“Not so.” Another young man gathered the group together and whispered, “I heard that this morning at court, Minister Weng and Minister Xu argued heatedly over the famine in Jiangnan. Minister Xu was dissatisfied, so he naturally took his anger out on Lady Weng.”
...
There were many conflicting opinions, and no one dared to ask Xu Congjing a single question.
Lou Yanxu felt a tightness in her chest and remained hidden among them without making a sound. Xu Congjing noticed that she had no joy on her face and her complexion was dark and pale.
Later, when he was drinking alone in sorrow, she found an opportunity to come and thank him. His brows relaxed, but before he had even taken a sip of wine, she hesitated for a moment before speaking, "However, you and I are not related by blood, and we must abide by the proper boundaries between men and women. This action may invite criticism, or even affect my official career. I am terrified, and I ask that you not concern yourself with it in the future."
If she were to be called his future sister-in-law, they would be related in some way, but that's a matter for the future, and she certainly wouldn't dare accept that title right now.
Originally intended to be for the benefit of the two, these words took on a different meaning in Xu Congjing's ears.
Is he being accused of meddling? His face turned from pale to black, his expression frighteningly cold.
A moment later, he left without a word, leaving Lou Yanxu standing there dumbfounded.
When he returned to his residence, he was still feeling sullen. When the gatekeeper announced that someone had come to visit, he ordered the person to be driven away without thinking. However, when he learned the person's name, he stopped talking and went straight out to greet them.
It was indeed a familiar figure. Xu Congjing was overjoyed and rushed forward to hug Wen Jie. "When did you get back?"
Xu Congjing's father, Xu Jingzhi, once investigated a corruption case, which implicated powerful figures and led to his repeated assassinations. It was for this reason that he placed his children in Suzhou to be raised. Wen Jie's father followed him for several years, but unfortunately, neither of them escaped the clutches of their enemies.
Later, Wen Jie came to Xu Congjing's door, wanting to work together to find the person behind the scenes. However, Wen Jie had been poisoned two years ago and had to leave the capital to recuperate.
"You're really tough!" Xu Congjing patted his back hard. "It's good that you're back."
Wen Jie clutched his chest and hissed, "Be gentle, the old wound hasn't healed and the new one has flared up."
Xu Congjing invited him inside, poured him a cup of hot tea, and asked, "Where are you staying now?"
"The Marquis of Chenghua's Residence".
Xu Congjing's eyes were deep and mysterious; he had almost forgotten that Wen Jie and the Chenghua Marquis's family were related.
Marquis Chenghua is Wen Jie's maternal uncle, but they have never been close. I never expected him to stay here temporarily. "Why did you choose to stay at Marquis Chenghua's residence?"
Wen Jie looked at him meaningfully, "For you."
He lives in the Chenghua Marquis's residence, wouldn't that give Xu Congjing another reason to come and go in the future? For the first time ever, Xu Congjing touched the red tip of his nose and turned his head away.
On the day Lou Yanxu met Wen Jie, Wan Qing'an came to visit and kept urging her to try the new wine from Yunxiangzhai.
As soon as she stepped out of the courtyard gate, Wan Qing'an suddenly stood up with her hands at her sides, ran to the path, and asked with a clear look in her eyes, "Sir, when did you return to the capital?"
Wen Jie's pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, his expression indifferent. "Yesterday."
"You're not leaving this time?"
"It's not decided yet."
Beside her, Qingrui whispered his identity. Lou Yanxu didn't know that Wan Qing'an had once been a disciple of this cousin from the Marquis's mansion. Looking from afar, Wan Qing'an looked up at the man, and the two fell silent for a moment.
She nodded politely in greeting, and Wen Jie returned the greeting. After hearing Wan Qing'an say, "Then I won't bother you any longer, sir."
He took his leave and walked away through the corridor. Lou Yanxu approached gracefully, following Wan Qing'an's infatuated gaze into the distance, and asked, "Aren't you going to drink?"
She scratched her head, looking rather embarrassed, "Of course I'll go."
Lou Yanxu saw through their feelings but did not expose them.
The two rode together in a carriage to Yunxiangzhai.
Yunxiangzhai has stood in Chang'an for over thirty years. While it cannot compare to the upscale luxury of Manlou, it is still very popular among the people of Chang'an.
Around noon, Yunxiangzhai was bustling with activity. The waiters were so busy that they barely had time to breathe, and even the shopkeepers had to come down to serve the dishes.
The two looked around but couldn't find seats. Then they heard Lu Hengzhi's servant step forward and invite them, "Madam Lou, Madam Wan."
Lou Yanxu looked over, and Lu Hengzhi smiled and nodded, "There are many guests right now, and there are no other tables available. Why don't you come together and keep each other company?"
Lou Yanxu had no desire to associate with the heir of the Duke of Yingguo, but Wan Qing'an was naive and thought it was just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks. She readily sat down and said, "That's perfect."
She had no choice but to sit down.
Lu Hengzhi had chosen an excellent spot; the corner was quieter, and he could easily see what was happening in front of the door. A recruitment sign hung at the entrance, and a few young children were playing on the platform, soon getting into a fight and going home to their mothers.
The shopkeeper seemed to be very familiar with Lu Hengzhi, as he served him newly brewed wine and a plate of sesame cakes as a gift.
Wan Qing'an could chat with anyone, and Lou Yanxu occasionally chimed in with a few words. It took almost an hour before she was ready to leave, completely absorbed in the conversation. At this moment, the foreigners at the next table, with their short curly hair and thick lips, suddenly stood up and overturned the table. The aroma of burnt sesame cakes flew towards Lou Yanxu, but Lu Hengzhi blocked them with his sleeve and pulled her into his arms.
The customers panicked and scattered, while the shopkeeper ran out from the kitchen carrying buckets of water. The shop was in chaos, and those who were afraid of trouble had already fled.
The situation inside the store was clearly visible to the two people upstairs.
Wen Jie leaned against the window, turned his head to glance at Xu Congjing, and saw him drinking one cup after another. He teased, "Drowning your sorrows in broad daylight, is it because of that lady?"
Still seething with anger from yesterday, Xu Congjing didn't even glance at her, silently downing another glass.
Wen Jie shook his head helplessly, "It's clearly a disaster relief mission, but it's being made to look like a life-or-death separation."
Xu Congjing continued, "A batch of grain was allocated to Jiangnan a month ago, but the problem has not been resolved yet. We are setting off for disaster relief tomorrow, but I fear the outcome will be more ominous than fortunate."
"This is no problem for you."
Seeing his interest, Wen Jie advised, "Why don't you investigate your sister's matter further? Perhaps there's a misunderstanding..."
The year they first met, Wen Jie saw Xu Congjing in a state of utter despair. His sister and father had passed away one after another, and his mother was seriously ill. In just a few days, he had become as thin as a peeled piece of flesh, and even a single straw could bend his back.
The person he loved most killed his own sister. No one could accept this. He cried alone day and night. Later, he met his sister's runaway maid on the way and she testified that Lady Lou and her brother had conspired to take advantage of his sister. After that, he wiped away his tears and his grief-stricken face was no longer seen. He was only occasionally seen gazing at the moon and talking to himself.
Xu Congjing was a little drunk and his eyes were blurry. He beat his chest and cried out in grief, "If she hadn't written to me back then, Rou'er wouldn't have gone there. Yunli was in love with Rou'er. After drinking, how could he have any sense? There are witnesses and physical evidence. Even if I have doubts, I can't exonerate her."
Yunli, Lou Yunli, Xu Congjing murmured to himself, those were once his best brothers.
The four of them grew up together. Yunli had once revealed his feelings for Rou'er, and he was overjoyed. But he never expected that one day Rou'er would go to the brothel alone and encounter Yunli, who was drunk and tried to take liberties with her. Rou'er refused and resolutely went to her death.
Why did Rou'er go there? It was Wanwan who had gone to Yangzhou with her grandmother to visit relatives. She wrote a letter with the words "the sixteenth day of the eleventh month, at the hour of You, at Qilou".
Whenever he recalled the whole story, Xu Congjing was filled with grief.
Wen Jie asked with a stern face, "But is the person you know like that?"
Is Wanwan that kind of person?
Is Yunli that kind of person?
Xu Congjing's heart clenched, and he remained silent.
Just then, he heard the sound of a bowl being smashed downstairs, so he went to the window and looked in the direction of the sound.
“Anh ly cp ví ca ti.”
The foreigner pointed at the shopkeeper and spoke gibberish in his native language, but the shopkeeper was just a local merchant and couldn't understand a word he said.
Fortunately, Lou Yanxu had often accompanied her father on his business trips around the world since she was a child, and knew some of the languages of various countries, so she recognized that he was from Annam.
Xu Congjing rubbed his fingertip against the bottom of the frame, listening to her translation, "He said you stole his purse."
The shopkeeper, who considered himself honest and upright, couldn't tolerate having his signboard ruined without any explanation. He immediately pointed at the Annamese and cursed, "You barbarian! Are you trying to freeload?"
"Don't worry, there might be a misunderstanding."
Lu Hengzhi's words carried weight, and the shopkeeper took a step back. The Annamese muttered something, indicating that only the shopkeeper could approach him after he entered the shop. He hurriedly pushed Lou Yanxu away, wanting to demand justice.
The man was about to make a move, and Xu Congjing leaned forward as if to strike, but then he saw Wan Qing'an step in front of Lou Yanxu to protect her, and he felt relieved.
Lou Yanxu reminded her, "Qing'an, don't act impulsively."
Wan Qing'an nodded, crossed her arms, and said, "If we can't determine who the thief is, we should report it to the authorities."
"A clear conscience fears no accusation," the shopkeeper thought, adding that if things went wrong, he could use the lawsuit to improve his reputation. The shopkeeper agreed, but then saw the Annamese man's eyes dart around before he pushed through the crowd and rushed out of Yunxiangzhai. The shopkeeper chased after him to the door to collect the debt but couldn't find him. He spat, "Bah! You shameless bastard!"
After the little incident, everyone continued eating and drinking as usual. Lu Hengzhi exclaimed with a smile, "Madam Lou actually knows foreign languages! I really admire you!"
Wan Qing'an was very proud, and with her arm around Lou Yanxu's shoulder, she raised her chin and said, "Madam Lou knows so much!"
The two men cast admiring glances at her, which made Lou Yanxu feel rather embarrassed. She smoothed her stray hairs and lowered her eyes, saying, "I only know a little bit, nothing worth mentioning."
Downstairs, everything was in a state of chaos; upstairs, one could see it all. Wen Jie glanced at Xu Congjing, sat back down, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and leisurely teased him, "The Crown Prince's wife is virtuous and talented; I wonder which young master has captured her heart. Some people shouldn't wait until they've completely lost her before they regret it."
Xu Congjing snorted, "You've been thinking about it for years but haven't dared to fight for it. What gives you the right to lecture me?"
Wen Jie was stunned, then realized his fingertips were burning red. "I am her husband."
It is already shameful to have feelings for one's own student, so how could one dare to drag her down with him? If you love her, you should prioritize her well-being.
Xu Congjing scoffed, "How would I know what my wife thinks is good?"
"So what? Life should be lived without constraints."
Too many concerns only hindered his progress. Xu Congjing's eyes sharpened as he looked down at Lou Yanxu, who was standing below, and he curled the corners of his mouth. "What I want is to snatch it, even if it means taking it by force."
Perhaps it was because his gaze was too intense, Lou Yanxu suddenly felt her scalp tingle. She slightly raised her eyes and met his gaze.
After returning home last night, she thought it over carefully and finally understood why he had stormed off. She didn't really blame him; she just thought that the two of them shouldn't have any more contact, so she let him misunderstand.
She withdrew her gaze and got into the carriage with Wan Qing'an.
Back at the mansion, Lou Yanxu rubbed her forehead and lay down on the daybed for a short rest when she suddenly heard Qingrui rush in anxiously, shouting, "Madam, the Old Madam has sent a letter!"
Lou Yanxu sat up to take the letter, and after glancing at it, her face darkened. "It's about Pu Niang. There's a famine in Suzhou, and my uncles broke into our house to steal our grain, causing my grandmother to faint!"
"I have to go back." She got out of bed and immediately went to Rongyi Hall to obtain Zeng's consent.
Madam Zeng did not make things difficult for him, but only asked Sheng Yan to accompany her. Normally, Sheng Yan would like to stay far away from his wife, but today he was surprisingly agreeable.
Lou Yanxu did not understand what he meant, but the situation was urgent and she was afraid that asking too many questions would cause Zeng Shi to reject her, so she agreed.
The next morning, the couple rode in two separate carriages out of the city. On their way home, Lou Yanxu felt a surge of joy and chatted with Qingrui about the latest happenings.
Passing by an inn, they saw two or three carriages with dozens of people, including masters and servants, drinking hot tea inside. Qingrui, with her sharp eyes, exclaimed to Lou Yanxu, "Madam, it's Minister Xu!"
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