Chapter 3: Erotic Pictures - Whispering Sweet nothings and displaying a variety of poses.
Sheng Yan had no intention of staying any longer and disappeared without a trace. Lou Yanxu moved to the slightly smaller Bibo Pavilion that very night, but she had a habit of being picky about her bed, and the next day was her homecoming day, so she tossed and turned all night.
Madam Zeng was concerned about saving face. Although she didn't like her daughter-in-law, she still prepared a generous return gift. However, Lou Yan sat in the carriage for half an hour, but Sheng Yan did not appear.
Qingrui, growing impatient, peeked out and asked, "Madam, should I go and ask?"
Lou Yanxu was drowsy, but upon hearing this, she lifted her eyelids and gently rubbed her temples. "Wait another quarter of an hour. If he doesn't come, we'll go back ourselves."
Sheng Yan never truly considered her his wife, so it was to be expected that he would leave her alone to return home.
The banyan tree stands forlornly; a bride returning to her parents' home alone will be the subject of ridicule!
Fortunately, Sheng Yan appeared in less than a quarter of an hour. Without saying a word, he rode alone in a carriage and led the way. Lou Yanxu ignored him and instructed the driver to follow.
The Chenghua Marquis's Mansion was located in Xuanping Ward, east of Zhuquemen Street, while the former residence of the old lady Lou was located in Guiyi Ward, in the southwest corner of Chang'an City. When powerful and noble people arrived here, they attracted the attention of passersby who frequently turned around to look.
Although Madam Lou was of low rank, she was well-mannered and had instructed the preparation of a banquet well in advance. Once everything was in place, she leaned on her cane and led a group of maids and servants to wait at the gate. After half a day without seeing any carriage, the gossipy women began to whisper among themselves about the marriage.
The old lady, who was usually gentle and kind, suddenly turned sullen and started gossiping about her. She immediately ordered her to be dragged away and flogged.
A quarter of an hour later, the servant at the alley entrance announced, "Madam, the carriage from the Marquis of Chenghua's residence has arrived!"
Everyone peered out and saw a carriage parked in front of the gate, with two intricately carved bamboo lanterns hanging in front of the carriage door, swaying from side to side before gradually coming to a stop. The old lady, seeing the two of them riding in separate carriages, held a smile that froze on her lips.
Sheng Yan and Lou Yanxu alighted from the carriage one after the other. The lazy winter sunlight filtered through the sparse leaves, casting dappled shadows that were particularly striking on Lou Yanxu's dark eyes. She greeted her grandmother, Ai Rong, and together with Sheng Yan, they bowed.
"grandmother."
"I have met my grandmother-in-law."
Lou Yan thought that Sheng Yan must have been reprimanded at the Marquis's residence, so he was very polite, but his face showed a gloomy expression.
Although the old lady was displeased, she didn't say anything, but her face still lit up with joy.
Because Lou Yanxu's parents had passed away, the old lady had to host the banquet. Generally, the grandmother would ask a question and Sheng Yan would answer it, without saying much. Afterwards, the grandmother awkwardly shut up, and there was a moment of silence.
As Lou Yanxu had expected, he left ahead of her in less than an hour, citing important business.
While her grandmother was seeing him off, she took Qingrui ahead to the backyard, where she saw vermilion railings and jade steps, and plum blossoms in bloom. This was the main courtyard where her grandmother lived.
This place originally belonged to my grandmother's late husband. It was later reserved for my grandmother as part of her dowry. It was also here that my grandmother returned to her old home after Lou Yan was betrothed back to Chang'an, to see her off on her wedding day.
She lingered in the corridor, and her grandmother followed her in, leading her into the inner room.
The old lady pulled her to sit on the daybed, held her delicate hand, and spoke in a kind and gentle voice.
"The Marquis of Chenghua's family only obtained the title because the late Madam took that arrow for the Empress Dowager. The heir is the Minister of Works, but his political achievements are mediocre. Minister Weng, on the other hand, is the youngest top scholar in our Great Jin Dynasty, and has repeatedly achieved outstanding results. He is bound to have some of the arrogance of a scholar. Although the heir and the Minister's daughter are deeply in love, they have never been recognized. So you don't need to feel guilty. Even without this marriage, the two of them would not have a happy ending. Not to mention that the Marquis's family had ulterior motives and used the marriage to swindle money from the Lou family to cover up the tax hole."
"It's also my fault for not taking it to heart before. I thought you were always insightful and wouldn't be bothered by it, so I didn't tell you about it. There are many people in Chang'an who talk a lot, and some things are bound to be unpleasant to hear, but you can't stop others from talking. Being honest and upright is enough."
My grandmother was originally the illegitimate daughter of a fifth-rank official. At that time, female officials were being piloted, and after she married, she was able to serve in the government alongside her husband, where she had unique insights. However, her husband passed away, and the system of female officials was never implemented, leading to her being ostracized and disliked by all sides. She knew that only when women were in power could they secure their lives, and she had spent her whole life hoping for this, and now her hopes had been fulfilled by her granddaughter.
Lou Yanxu said gently, "Granddaughter has learned a lot."
"I know you always report good news and never bad news, so I ordered Pu Niang to carefully question your maids. If it turns out that the Marquis's mansion has indeed treated you poorly, what do you think about this?"
Pu Niang was her grandmother's maidservant, and had served her for over fifty years.
"The Marquis's family treated me poorly because they shot themselves in the foot. They were angry and took it out on me. But my entry into the Marquis's family was a done deal. All they wanted was the child, so they didn't care about other tricks," Lou Yanxu said.
"You may say you understand, but you may not truly feel it," her grandmother scolded softly, then spoke again gently, "Tell your grandmother honestly, have you been harboring any ulterior motives for not consummating your marriage with the young master for two nights?"
Lou Yan and Xu Du swallowed their words, and the room fell silent, with sparks crackling in the fireplace.
The old lady had anticipated the whole story, but she didn't make a scene. Looking at her granddaughter's gentle face, she couldn't bear to scold her. "For more than three years, you have never given up looking for that young man from the Xu family. Seeing your persistence, I also sent people everywhere to inquire, and just yesterday, news came."
Lou Yanxu was surprised, never knowing that her grandmother had done so much for her in secret. Upon hearing the news, her heart leaped with excitement, "There's news about him?"
"He is in Chang'an now." Glancing at her granddaughter's expectant expression, the old lady and Pu Niang looked at each other, and finally hardened their hearts, "He has his own son now, and they are living happily ever after."
Lou Yanxu was stunned. Sparks from the incense burner exploded, and a cold wind swept through the window, just as she had sensed.
“He got married,” she murmured.
The old lady knew she was burning with anxiety, but she still had to give her a gentle reminder: "He has a wife and you have a husband. Even if you meet again in the future, the past cannot be changed. You two are destined to be together but not to stay together. Do you understand Grandmother's good intentions, Second Sister?"
“Granddaughter understands.” She choked back her tears and promised, “I will forget him.”
"Even if the Chenghua Marquis's family is not doing well, they still have a title to rely on. Your father-in-law has been a minister for a long time, so there's no guarantee that he won't agree to let his daughter into the Marquis's family in the future. While the young master is still staying in your courtyard on the occasion of the wedding, take advantage of this opportunity to add to the joy."
Lou Yan nodded.
The old lady was still worried, so she ordered Pu Niang to hand her the "Secret Erotic Pictures" that she kept at the bottom of her trunk, and whispered in her ear, "You are now a married woman, there is no need to be shy."
Lou Yanxu flipped through the book briefly; it contained stories of lovers' intimate moments, with all sorts of strange and unusual positions. Her ears turned red, and she hurriedly stuffed the book into her sleeve.
"My granddaughter will read it," she replied.
The two chatted for a while longer, then a servant announced that it was time to serve the banquet. The old lady wanted to change into something more comfortable and asked Lou Yanxu to go ahead first.
"Grandmother." Lou Yanxu stepped out the door, her face as white as jade, and looked back with a gentle smile, "Is he doing well?"
Perhaps having anticipated this question, the old lady replied without changing her expression, "Alright."
That's enough.
Lou Yanxu smiled bitterly, turned around and left.
The old lady gazed at the frail figure from afar and wiped away a tear.
Pu Niang wiped away her tears, and couldn't help but choke back sobs, "Will Second Sister believe it?"
"That's half true and half false. She's no longer an innocent young girl. Now that I've opened the door, she'll convince herself."
It was true that she lived in Chang'an, but her marriage and children were a lie. However, it was not right for Lou Yan to have feelings for someone else, and it might cause trouble. So the old lady had no choice but to lie.
Pu Niang continued, "You said that the young master of the Xu family is an official in the capital, but I have asked around and there is no official named 'Xu Zizheng'. Could it be that the information is wrong?"
“There has never been a mistake over the years.” The old lady murmured to herself, pondering for a long time. Finally, her eyes narrowed and a sharp look appeared. “Or perhaps his name is fake... Perhaps it is possible that Second Sister can escape this calamity by being out of luck with such a person of unknown origin.”
After the banquet, they prepared to return to the Marquis's residence. The grandmother and granddaughter chatted for a few more minutes, and when they reached the hanging flower gate, Lou Yan politely declined her grandmother's offer to see her off.
The old lady gave a signal, and Pu Niang presented an exquisite black walnut box. Lou Yanxu opened it in front of her and saw that it contained a lot of gold jewelry.
"If you are short of money at the Marquis's residence, send a letter to Suzhou. Although our family is not as prosperous as before, we must not cause you any distress."
Lou Yanxu pushed it back, "Grandmother, please don't worry, I'm fine."
The old lady glared at her, but the girl was determined to do as she pleased and refused to give in, so the old lady had no choice but to give in.
Before leaving, she hugged her grandmother tightly, her voice slightly choked with emotion, "Grandmother, have a safe journey to Suzhou."
Lou Yanxu turned away, afraid that seeing her grandmother's red eyes would add to her sorrow.
Despite her weak voice, the old lady still tried her best to shout, "Second Aunt, be alright, be alright."
Grandmother had to return to Suzhou to protect the Lou family's legacy. With her departure, Lou Yanxu would have no one left to rely on.
As soon as she stepped outside, a light drizzle began, and snowflakes danced in the air. Qingrui informed Madam Zeng that she was being urged to return to the manor. When asked what it was about, she only learned that it concerned the young master.
Lou Yanxu became suspicious and dared not delay, so she ordered the coachman to take a shortcut back to the mansion.
Unfortunately, the road was in disrepair, and the torrential rain that lasted until dawn caused the carriage to lurch and plunge into a puddle when it reached the alley entrance. She was caught off guard and slid to the side, hitting her arm and causing it to ache.
"My lady, the carriage is stuck."
Lou Yanxu had no choice but to get off and wait for the driver to start the carriage. The rain was getting heavier, and Qingrui held her oil-paper umbrella tightly to protect herself, but she couldn't stop the rain and sleet from getting wet.
Anxious, she peeked out and saw several mischievous children playing in the rain. Before long, a luxurious carriage stopped in front of her. The curtain was half lifted, revealing peach blossom eyes that seemed to be drunk. "Is there any inconvenience for you, Madam Lou? I can give you a ride."
It was Xu Congjing.
She frowned, considering their status, and realized that such an action might be against etiquette, so she politely declined, saying, "Thank you, Minister Xu, but there's no need to trouble yourself."
He remained unmoved, his voice calm, “I have been summoned to the palace, and I will be passing by the Marquis’s residence anyway. Giving you a ride is no trouble at all. If you refuse again, the Emperor may reprimand me.”
Lou Yanxu smiled gently. Since the matter had been brought up, how could she refuse? "Thank you for your trouble, Situ."
She left Qingrui to handle the matter, stepped onto a stool and entered the carriage, sitting down to his right with her eyes lowered. The charcoal stove inside the carriage was burning brightly, with a teapot on top, the aroma of tea wafting through the air, and the warmth spreading, making her feel hazy and dreamlike.
Xu Congjing sat in the main seat, dressed in a purple official robe and wearing a gold fish-shaped pouch. He rolled up his wide sleeves, picked up the teapot, and poured her a cup of hot tea. She thanked him and was about to pick up the teacup when the carriage suddenly jolted violently. She fell to the side, and Xu Congjing stretched out his long arm, pressing the back of his hand against the vertical edge, his broad palm enveloping the round back of her head.
While still feeling lingering fear, the "Secret Erotic Picture" hidden in his sleeve slipped out, revealing images of intimate moments and passionate lovemaking to Xu Congjing.
Lou Yanxu's forehead throbbed as she slowly met his dark eyes.
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