Chapter 42 He panicked that she wouldn't forgive him.
Xu Congjing had only taken two steps when he turned back, looking embarrassed. Wen Jie asked in confusion, "Why are you back again?"
He remained silent. Wanwan was already resisting him, and if he acted impulsively again and imprisoned her in the house, he feared he would never be able to earn her forgiveness in this lifetime. His breathing was heavy, and his hands clenched into fists, pressing against the table, trembling slightly from the force.
Watching his beloved be intimate with someone else and being helpless was like killing someone's heart. Wen Jie rarely saw him so patient, and was surprised. He sighed inwardly that, apart from Madam Xu, only Lou Yan could keep him in check.
Xu Congjing sat down, leaning on the table. His eyes were vacant for a moment, but then he suddenly covered his left ear and groaned. His forehead twitched and beads of sweat appeared.
He's having another episode; whenever his emotions are running high, his left ear explodes with a ringing sound, and his mind goes completely blank. Wen Jie was about to ask him what was wrong when Yun Lu knocked on the door and entered. "Situ, Young Master Wen, Second Madam Meng sent some osmanthus cakes, saying they're for Madam."
Xu Congjing frowned impatiently, his eyes drooping slightly, and punched Wen Jie's arm. "Go and chase them away."
This Lady Meng comes from a wealthy family and is not someone to be trifled with. Whoever attracts her unwanted attention is responsible for it. Wen Jie picked up the fire tongs, added a piece of auspicious charcoal, and pretended to be dead.
"He's always unreliable when things are tough," Xu Congjing glared at him fiercely. But before he could think of a way to avoid seeing him, Meng Lingshang had already stepped in with light, graceful steps, each step like a lotus blossom, swaying gently in the breeze.
Her eyes sparkled with a gentle warmth, and her dimples appeared and disappeared when she smiled. "Madam Xu loved my osmanthus pastries. I made quite a few today to send over, and since I heard you were here, I thought it would be just as good to send them to you. They'll fill your stomachs too." With that, she familiarly placed the food box on the table and nodded to Wen Jie in greeting.
Meng Lingshang was clearly using her mother's name to get close to him, but since he was a member of the imperial family, she couldn't go too far. Over the years, he had risen through the ranks and held great power, and now the emperor was starting to have some reservations about him. If Meng Lingshang were to complain to the empress, it would just be a good excuse to punish him, and even the crown prince might not be able to protect him.
Xu Congjing's expression was strange. He also said that one shouldn't hit a smiling face, so he didn't let Yun Lu kick him out. He just said with a cold and indifferent look in his eyes, "I don't like sweets. If Mother likes them, you can ask someone to send them to the Xu residence."
However, Meng Lingshang keenly sensed his impatience and immediately asked, "Does Young Master Xu have some prejudice against me? Otherwise, why are you treating me so coldly?"
This woman had eyebrows like crescent moons and eyes like autumn waters; she was so beautiful she evoked pity. Coupled with her superior status, she could easily manipulate anyone she fancied. Yet, she was determined to warm Xu Congjing, this cold and hard stone. He adopted a businesslike demeanor, showing no pity whatsoever, saying, "I've always treated everyone this way, and I've never begged you to please me. If you can't stand it, just leave."
His air of dominance in officialdom made her feel ignored like never before. She lowered her eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and sighed softly, "But you don't treat Lady Lou the same way."
"Why bring her up out of the blue!" How could anyone compare to Wanwan? Xu Congjing's eyebrows furrowed instantly, his face revealing a fierce glint. "If you dare to touch her, I'll make sure you suffer a terrible death."
He didn't know what kind of person Meng Lingshang was, but he knew how many bones Meng Taishi had stepped on to reach his current position. If Lou Yanxu were to be targeted, she would be in grave danger.
His face was so terrifying that Meng Lingshang trembled and burst into tears, her voice trembling with sobs, "I am just a young woman, it is too much of a bullying for you to make such assumptions."
However, this appearance did not sway Xu Congjing in the slightest.
"I advise you to give up those ideas. Your honey traps and self-inflicted suffering will be useless against me." His gaze swept over her indifferently, his eyes as cold and indifferent as ever, no longer caring about her status. He said coldly, "Knowing that I don't like you, you still insist on coming up to me. It's simply shameless and self-degrading!"
Hearing such an angry shout, Meng Lingshang clutched her chest, feeling a surge of grievance, and murmured, "You knew that Lady Lou disliked you, yet you still went to provoke her. Isn't that shameless and self-degrading?"
"You're asking for it!" His eyes darkened with anger. He took a step forward, grabbed her by the neck, and shoved her against the wall. What did it matter if he was shameless and self-deprecating? As long as the other person was Wanwan, that was enough. It was none of anyone else's business.
However, Meng Lingchang showed no fear. Her throat was being squeezed so hard she could hardly breathe, yet each word still escaped her lips, “She will never forgive you, but I truly love you. You are all I see and feel. Could you… could you give me a chance?”
I forgive you.
One sentence lingered in his ears, bringing out and trampling the panic that Xu Congjing had been suppressing in his heart. He felt ashamed and furious.
"Who gave you such ideas?" Recalling everything, he suppressed his anger and released his grip, a cold smile playing on his lips. "If I don't agree, are you going to use Grand Tutor Meng to pressure me? Or the Empress to pressure me?"
“I have never had such a thought.”
He didn't care whether she thought that way or not. If she had any ideas, she could come at him. As long as Lou Yanxu wasn't involved, he wouldn't go to the trouble of making enemies in public.
Finally, he instructed, "Yunlu, see the guests out."
Meng Lingshang did not insist on keeping him, but stopped at the door, raised her neck to express her feelings, "I did not come to your side because my father or aunt instructed me, but because I have loved you for a long time, much longer than you think."
Wen Jie was slightly surprised. This young lady looked delicate and charming, but she had a stubborn streak and charged ahead headlong into things. Xu Congjing frowned slightly, suddenly feeling that he had seen her somewhere before.
Where... have I seen you before?
Memories of the past swept through his mind, suddenly lingering for a moment, his pupils becoming pure black, tinged with a hint of ferocity.
Yes, it's in Suzhou.
Several years ago in Suzhou, Meng Lingshang was abandoned in the wilderness with injuries all over her body. He kindly rescued her, but little did he know that she had already fallen in love with him and had been pursuing him ever since.
If that's the case, she must have recognized him. Knowing his former identity, this person cannot be allowed to live.
Carried by these thoughts, I returned to my residence, only snapping out of my daze when I saw the plaque bearing the words "Xu Residence".
Upon entering the inner courtyard, his subordinates found a man bound and brought back. The man was disheveled, his robe stained with blood, and he looked extremely wretched. He was none other than Cao Yiyuan, the Privy Councilor of the current dynasty.
Cao Yiyuan spat at Xu Congjing, "You, Xu Congjing, how dare you kidnap an official of the court in the street! What is your punishment!"
Xu Congjing sneered, not taking his words to heart at all. In the cutthroat world of officialdom, who was truly clean? His hands were stained with the blood of countless so-called high-ranking officials. If he were terrified of everything, how could he have climbed to his current position? However, he didn't want to argue with him today and went straight to the point: "Who was the mastermind behind the corruption case you and Xu Jingzhi investigated back then?"
Back then, Cao Yiyuan was deprived of his male offspring, and only by implicating Xu Jingzhi was he able to survive for so many years. Now that we have figured out his weakness, how can we allow him to continue to live a carefree life?
Cao Yiyuan had kept this matter buried in his heart for years, but now that it was brought up again, he narrowed his eyes and stared at Xu Congjing. He had worked with Xu Congjing for many years and knew him very well. Although the person in front of him looked different, his core features were about 80% similar. He suddenly realized this and advised, "I advise you not to get involved in this matter."
Although Xu Congjing had already achieved some success, that person had deep and complex roots in the court and was not someone who could be easily moved.
But Xu Congjing didn't appreciate his kindness. His eyes turned cold and murderous. "You won't talk? Then you can talk to Sheng San Niangzi's corpse."
Cao Yiyuan snorted coldly, "She's not my daughter at all." So don't even think about threatening him.
"But she is the daughter of your beloved. Otherwise, you wouldn't have petitioned to have Sheng Yan oversee the construction of the imperial mausoleum, and you would have been plotting to kill him." Sheng Jin is missing. As long as Sheng Yan is eliminated, the Chenghua Marquis's mansion will eventually fall into Sheng Ling's hands. What else could he be helping to do these things for?
Seeing that he remained unmoved, Xu Congjing lost his patience and cried out, "Yun Lu!"
This shout really brought out his weakness.
This was the closest Xu Congjing had come to the truth in three years. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.
Mastermind!
He needs to find out who's behind this!
Unfortunately, misfortune struck suddenly. As Cao Yiyuan parted his dry lips, a sharp pain shot through him. He clutched his chest and rolled around, vomiting a pool of black blood. He lay motionless on the ground.
He's been poisoned!
Yunlu rushed forward to check his breathing, then turned and sighed, "My lord, he's not breathing."
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Xu Congjing's eyes were cold and menacing, brewing a storm. In a fit of rage, he kicked the corpse several feet away.
He ordered, "Throw him in front of the Dali Temple, and someone will thoroughly investigate this matter." Yue Zong will definitely investigate to the end.
...
On that day, Lou Yanxu, dressed in a light green official robe and carrying a silver bag, went to the Court of State Ceremonial to take up her post.
Liang Jin, the registrar of the Court of State Ceremonial, glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, snorted, and reluctantly led her to the Office of Guests. Lou Yan had expected this attitude and did not say anything.
Without much introduction, he simply set up a dusty desk in the corner, slammed a stack of documents down on it, and said, "Finish all of this today!"
Lou Yanxu responded in silence and assigned the task to the three assistant directors of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, but they were met with a lot of excuses. "Director Lou, it's not that we are unwilling to help you, it's just that the assistant directors have given us a lot of things to do and we are already too busy."
She sneered inwardly. Subordinates who disobeyed orders used her, their superior, to intimidate them. That was all they could do.
Having decided to ignore it for the time being, she tidied up and began working alone, only to overhear the three clerks whispering among themselves.
"A woman getting involved in officialdom, that's truly something I've never seen before!"
"Keep your voice down, that was personally appointed by the sage."
"Hmph, she's just someone who knows how to use seductive tricks!"
She had heard similar words on the way, and suddenly felt exhausted. She stared blankly at the high stack of documents for a moment, secretly making plans in her mind.
Just then, a commotion arose outside the temple. The gossips had already run around spreading the news twice, and Lou Yanxu learned that Liang Jin had been taken away by the Dali Temple because of the death of the Privy Councilor.
The officialdom is treacherous and unpredictable; it's not uncommon for two or three people to die occasionally. Nevertheless, she still overheard a few words.
"Registrar Liang is nothing but a scapegoat!"
"What makes you say that?"
The clerk lowered his voice, and she leaned closer to hear the gist of it, "Last night I saw the Privy Councilor being taken to Minister Xu's residence by force, and he died this morning. What do you think this is all about?"
Is this matter actually related to Xu Congjing? If this assistant clerk were to go out and spread the word, who knows if it would affect his official career?
After much deliberation, she stood up, took out a stack of materials she had prepared beforehand, and threw them in front of the three officials of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs.
The three of them looked at it and their expressions changed drastically.
Controlling them is a piece of cake.
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