Chapter 23 A Divorce is Inevitable: She Wants Zeng to Experience Suffering, and She Wants to Be With the Marquis's Mansion...
Unexpectedly, the man suddenly looked up, and Lou Yanxu's heart pounded wildly. She couldn't say anything, and secretly reached under the pillow to pull out the jade pendant, stuffed it haphazardly into her sleeve, and walked out.
"Where are you going?" Sheng Yan asked abruptly.
"I...I'll go sleep in the side room."
She clutched the jade pendant tightly and flew towards Jiang Meizhao, but he stopped her before she could, saying slowly, "I promised you we would consummate our marriage when we were in Xiangzhou, and that promise still stands."
Lou Yanxu suddenly looked up!
She was so shocked that she couldn't speak, her eyes staring wide-eyed at Sheng Yan.
He only said those words to trick her into drinking that glass of wine, so why bring it up now?
Besides, her gaze subtly shifted downwards; could he... still consummate the marriage now?
Lost in thought, Sheng Yan took her cold hand and gently coaxed her, "From now on, I will treat you well, and we will live a good life together."
Lou Yanxu listened silently to his gentle words, but her heart grew colder and colder.
He had originally intended to ruin her reputation, but she outmaneuvered him, resulting in him unexpectedly becoming childless. The young lady kept her distance, so he had no choice but to swallow his anger and finally remembered his lawfully wedded wife. What did he consider her? Merely a second-best option, someone to bear the suffering his beloved couldn't.
However, that doesn't make sense.
She was not a beast to be slaughtered, nor a dish to be served with leftovers. The Marquis's family had initially sought her hand in marriage to pay their taxes, yet they looked down on her as a merchant. Every time she tried to consummate the marriage, she was subjected to humiliation. Now they had gone back on their word and were forcing her to take on this mess—this was utterly unreasonable.
She regained her composure slightly and tried to soften her tone, "Your injuries haven't fully healed yet, so I'll stay here..."
"Are you looking down on me?" Sheng Yan suddenly asked in a deep voice, looking at her with a sinister gaze. "You think I'm not good enough?"
His gaze was like a black panther staring at its prey in the dark. Lou Yanxu got goosebumps and unconsciously shrank her neck. Her eyes inadvertently swept over his lower body. "I... I didn't mean that."
Whether he was capable or not, she no longer cared to know.
But he felt deeply humiliated by that look, and a surge of anger welled up within him. "Whether I can do it or not, we'll find out soon enough." He grabbed her by the back of her collar and dragged her back to the canopy bed, straddling her legs on either side of him, and began to tear at her outer garments.
"What are you doing?" Lou Yanxu screamed, "You can't force me!"
She struggled with her hands and feet, but he was so strong that her shoulders ached as if they were being torn apart. Sheng Yan tore off her half-sleeved shirt, leaving her in only a thin, wide-sleeved garment. "Didn't you scheme so much to consummate our marriage? As you wish."
His lips moved toward her fragrant neck, but she blocked them with her palm. A wave of nausea surged through her stomach, and in the struggle, the jade pendant in her sleeve flew out and clattered onto her dressing case.
Sheng Yan turned around, but before he could see what it was, he was knocked unconscious with a thud.
Lou Yanxu was still shaken. She hugged her knees and huddled in a corner, tears streaming down her face, each drop distinct. Her palms rubbed against her dress, leaving red marks. Qingrui dropped the pestle and held her tightly in her arms, tears streaming down her face with tenderness.
Lou Yanxu realized that Sheng Yan had initially refused to divorce her, but now that this had happened, he probably wouldn't even agree to divorce her.
It was so cold, icy cold from head to toe. She desperately wiped away the tears that kept flowing, staring blankly at the jade pendant on her dressing case. When her tears dried up, she fell asleep.
When I woke up it was already morning, my eyes were so swollen I could barely open them. Sheng Yan was nowhere to be found. Zeng sent someone to urge me to attend the polo match hosted by the Empress Dowager.
She quickly tidied herself up and rushed over, just as Zeng was leaving. The latter gave her a cold look, but perhaps out of consideration for Sheng Yan's difficulty in remarrying, she didn't say anything.
The carriage moved steadily towards the lush green plains, where the clear, resounding clatter of hooves could be heard from afar. A long, drawn-out cry of "Another victory!" drew the attention of the young men and women.
When the Empress Dowager arrived, everyone rushed to pay their respects. Madam Zeng led Sheng Jin and Sheng Ling ahead, leaving Lou Yanxu behind. She lowered her head and smiled bitterly, waiting in place.
"Madam Lou." Lu Hengzhi smiled as he approached her, who was alone. He was wearing a round-necked, narrow-sleeved robe, and beads of sweat were still on his forehead. Back in Xiangzhou, he was the one who told Lou Yan about Sheng Yan's shameful thoughts. Now that Sheng Yan had been punished, he felt even more sorry for this woman who had endured so much hardship.
Lou Yanxu couldn't fathom his true feelings. Watching the sweat trickle down her temples, she smiled distantly and said, "Your Highness, I wish you a great victory."
He laughed heartily and was about to speak again when someone on the sidelines waved and called to him, so he had to quickly take his leave.
On the other side, Xu Congjing glanced at the two from afar, then with a wave of his hand, spilled tea all over the table.
Half an hour later, the Empress Dowager was seated, and the competition was about to begin.
Sheng Ling, dressed in a black short blouse with cloud patterns and leaning on a golf club, ran towards Lou Yanxu, saying, "Thank you, sister-in-law, for arranging this outfit for Third Sister."
"I've heard that my late wife was a master polo player, one of the best in Chang'an to this day. I imagine you're no less skilled, so you should be dressed in fine attire to match her."
Lou Yanxu saw that the outfit fit perfectly and immediately smiled. She had bought it on a whim and never had a chance to wear it. Thinking that Sheng Ling was in financial straits, she sent it over. If she could win the Empress Dowager's favor, her life would be easier in the future.
Before they could exchange more words, the eunuch announced the start of the competition, and Sheng Ling rushed off in a great hurry.
The sun shines brightly, the east wind blows gently, everyone takes their seats, and the show begins.
Lu Hengzhi and Sheng Ling were both from the left wing. A hollowed-out wooden ball painted with gold and vermilion was thrown out. Lu Hengzhi swung his staff first, and the two rode their horses at full speed, exchanging blows with varying degrees of skill.
As Sheng Ling approached the goal, she swung her club to hit the ball. The crowd on the sidelines straightened up, eager to cheer her on. However, the opposing team contested the shot, and the ball was passed back, causing a missed opportunity. Everyone sighed and slapped their thighs in disappointment. Fortunately, Lu Hengzhi caught up, raised his club, and sent the ball flying high over Sheng Ling's head. She leaped into the air, her skirt twirling, and the ball landed steadily in the goal.
"The left side wins!"
During the initial fundraising, regardless of which side was on the winning side, cheers and shouts surged like a tidal wave, drowning out the clatter of horses' hooves. The older noble ladies chatted and laughed, praising Sheng Ling for having the same grace and charm as her mother.
Both sides scored goals, remaining evenly matched. In the decisive goal, the opposing team won, several players scrambled for the ball, which fell into Lu Hengzhi's hands. Lu Hengzhi struck the ball high and fast, securing another victory for Zuo Peng!
Everyone present looked at each other, and seeing the Empress Dowager beaming with joy, they all clapped. Lou Yanxu laughed along with the crowd, her eyes fixed on Lu Hengzhi and Sheng Ling waving and shouting, so she didn't see Xu Congjing giving her a resentful glare before getting up and leaving.
After the battle, they rested briefly. Lou Yanxu was sitting quietly listening to the ladies' chatter when she suddenly heard a commotion in the crowd. She glanced around and was slightly startled.
Xu Congjing changed into a crimson narrow-sleeved robe and wore a crescent-shaped golf club, looking dashing and spirited.
He actually wanted to go on stage.
Lou Yanxu recalled his words from yesterday. With his current status, he naturally didn't need to curry favor with anyone anymore. So, which young lady was he trying to win over now? After thinking it over, she picked up her teacup, her knuckles trembling slightly.
Everyone in the capital knew that Minister Xu was skilled at polo, but few had actually witnessed his prowess. Therefore, everyone was overjoyed and eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Because of his appearance, Prince Cheng, Li Yinxian, was also eager to try, and he was assigned to the right wing with him.
At the start of the match, Xu Congjing launched a swift attack, striking the ball diagonally with a flick of his wrist. Before his opponent could turn his horse around, he spurred his horse forward and fired a diagonal shot into the goal!
"The right wing has the first advantage!"
Before they even drank any tea, they had already won the round. Not only Lou Yanxu, but all the other Xus were dumbfounded. When they came to their senses, they wished they could clap their hands to pieces.
Madam Zeng chatted animatedly with the lady beside her, her words filled with praise for the Marquis's family's acquisition of a fine son-in-law. Lou Yanxu's heart sank, but upon hearing this, she was suddenly filled with joy. She looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xu Congjing had scored another point. He glanced at her, raised his polo mallet high in celebration, and gave her three thumbs-up with his left hand. He was trying to please her, yet he was apologizing to her. Why was he doing this? She couldn't understand.
As the game drew to a close, the ball was in Sheng Ling's hands. Cheng Wang caught up, and the two clubs struck each other. But in the struggle, Sheng Ling suddenly fell off her horse! Everyone in the audience was shocked and saw Cheng Wang's horse startled. Its front hooves leaped up and then landed, stepping right on Sheng Ling's fingers.
Everyone gasped in shock as they saw King Cheng being flung away, his startled horse galloping towards the banquet hall.
At that moment, Lou Yanxu was absentmindedly wiping the tea stains off her dress. In the midst of the crisis, everyone fled in panic, and no one warned her.
The horse charged straight at her, and she panicked and ran away, but the horse wouldn't let her go, turning a corner and chasing after her relentlessly. In the nick of time, Xu Congjing jumped off his horse and plunged his knife into its body, splattering blood all over his face. Lou Yanxu froze on the ground, drenched in cold sweat.
The Empress Dowager immediately ordered the imperial physician to examine Sheng Ling, with officials and their families waiting nearby. After a moment, the Empress Dowager asked, "How is he?"
The imperial physician wiped his sweat, his face contorted with distress. "Forgive my incompetence, Madam Sheng's little finger is broken. I'm afraid it will never fully recover."
Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions.
Lou Yanxu's head was buzzing, and she couldn't hear the rest. It was roughly about Prince Cheng admitting his mistake and promising to treat Sheng Ling well in the future. Some people were envious, some sighed, and there were all sorts of opinions.
However, after this incident, Lou Yanxu not only did not receive any comfort, but because Xu Congjing saved her, Zeng Shi punished her by making her kneel at Huiju Temple every five days for five hours on the grounds that she was praying for the Marquis's mansion.
That day, several old women accompanied her, with Granny Hua keeping a close watch inside, not allowing her to rest for even a moment. Two hours later, there was a commotion outside the door. Granny Hua ordered her to be dragged away, and the shouting faded into the distance. Lou Yanxu listened intently, but could not hear anything clearly.
Having barely endured five hours, she was starving and half-asleep in the carriage. Suddenly, a loud rumble of rain startled her awake. A sudden, inexplicable panic gripped her, and she lifted the curtain to find a torrential downpour had begun.
"Second Mistress!"
The shouts echoed from afar behind the carriage. Lou Yanxu vaguely heard them and ordered the carriage to stop. However, Granny Hua was already unwilling to accompany her back to the mansion, and now she dared to defy her orders by relying on Madam Zeng. In the end, she was forced to stop only when a beggar rushed out of an alley.
The man finally caught up, and before he could catch his breath, he hurriedly said, "Second Madam, the Old Madam is seriously ill and is waiting to see you one last time!"
Lou Yanxu's mind went blank, unable to believe it was real. A moment later, she was about to turn around and head to Suzhou. Granny Hua tried to stop her, but she kicked her away. She then frantically chased away the coachman from the Marquis's mansion and rode with the young man to Suzhou. When they reached the city gate, they ran into Xu Congjing. No matter how much he chased after them, she didn't come to her senses.
Her feet were rooted to the spot, and a chill instantly seeped into her limbs. She clutched her neck, gasping for breath, and walked in stiffly like a corpse.
"Second Mistress, you're back..."
Pu Niang's voice trembled with sobs, and Lou Yanxu walked on listlessly until she stopped when her grandmother's pale face came into view. Her grandmother's eyes were closed, and her brows were furrowed, showing that she was not walking with peace of mind.
Tears welled up in Lou Yanxu's eyes. She trembled and rushed towards her grandmother. Gradually, tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Finally, she cried out "Grandmother, Grandmother" until she was about to faint.
Grandmother, I am your second mother.
Grandmother, I'm back.
But I couldn't see you one last time.
She cried until her eyes were swollen and she had no strength left, but Pu Niang still held a bowl of porridge and helped her up.
"Since you left, the old lady's spirits had been quite good, but one day she suddenly vomited blood and fell into a deep sleep. She sought out doctors everywhere but could not recover. I had no choice but to ask a tutor to write to you, but after waiting and waiting, I did not receive your reply. So I had to write to my nephew to look for you."
Pu Niang muttered softly, while Lou Yanxu stared blankly at her bowl of porridge. All letters were distributed to each courtyard by the gatekeeper; without Zeng Shi's authorization, who would dare to intercept her mail?
She looked up at her lifeless grandmother on the bed, her heart turned to ice, and her hand trembled as she smashed the bowl.
She wants a divorce.
She wanted Zeng to experience all kinds of suffering.
She wanted to sever all ties with the Marquis's mansion.
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