Chapter 49 She coldly watched Lou Yanxu take revenge, causing Xu Congjing to be demoted.
Xu Congjing looked over, and she stared at him coldly, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his burning heart.
Why did she suddenly show kindness? Why did she suddenly become close to me? It turns out it was all premeditated. First, she feigned compliance, and then, when I was completely infatuated, she delivered a heavy blow.
Over the years, he had painstakingly risen to the position of a powerful minister, wielding immense authority, only to be dragged down by the woman he loved most. Xu Congjing felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his left chest, a lump in his throat, and he couldn't speak. He stared blankly at the yellowed golden beams on the palace roof.
She destroys whatever he cares about, just as he did before, and now Lou Yan is retaliating against him in the same way.
"I second that!" A purple-robed official stepped forward, his voice as firm as a mountain, "Since ancient times, those in power have had the responsibility to govern their subjects. Without rules, there can be no order. We must establish regulations to remind future generations."
"Your Majesty, this is an undeserved calamity!" The Crown Prince's faction sternly refused, "Minister Xu is in charge of the overall situation, and it is understandable that he cannot be thorough in everything. Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!"
Whether or not to impose a punishment, both sides held their own opinions, arguing fiercely until they were red in the face.
Lou Yanxu watched coldly, everything was under her control.
Her move was indeed placing her bets on Emperor Xiaokang, but the real force behind it was the officials, each with their own interests. Xu Congjing was the Crown Prince's right-hand man, and the Prince Cheng's faction had long wished for his death. Now that they had the opportunity to bring him down, they naturally wouldn't let it pass. Those shrewd old foxes pretended to side with Xu Congjing, chanting "Your Majesty, think thrice!" Their voices were so loud and overwhelming that Emperor Xiaokang couldn't help but be wary.
Not long ago, the Minister of Rites retired, and Prince Cheng lost an arm, causing a slight imbalance of power between the two. This was probably something Emperor Xiaokang had been worried about for a long time. Now, those who want to demote the Minister of Works are not only Prince Cheng's faction, but also...
On the throne, Emperor Xiaokang, dressed in a gold-embroidered dragon robe, spoke in a deep, shrewd voice, his keen eyes discerning the thoughts of his officials. Only when the noise subsided did he slowly ask, "Crown Prince, what do you say?"
The Crown Prince, with a stern face, glanced behind him, his gaze fixed on Lou Yanxu, before slowly stepping forward.
However, Xu Congjing cast a sharp glance his way, and before the Crown Prince could speak, he solemnly addressed him, "Your Majesty!"
Under the questioning gazes of the officials, he bowed and admitted his guilt, saying, "I was first guilty of neglecting the interpreter in Jiaozhou, and later of failing in my duties. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
His face remained expressionless, yet his heart was breaking. He said he had only himself to blame and was reaping what he sowed. Lou Yanxu wanted him demoted, stripped of power, and to suffer unbearable pain; she didn't need to scheme against him anymore. He would agree to anything.
He deserved it!
Mentioning the transgression of Jiaozhou again would only result in Emperor Xiaokang punishing him more severely, but the latter already had a plan in mind. He lifted his eyelids and asked insincerely, "Minister Pang, which position is still vacant?"
Pang Liu was the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, but his rank was high while his power was low. He was always overshadowed by the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, so he always treated him with cold indifference. Now that he had this good opportunity, he wished he could bury Xu Congjing and Sheng Yan together. However, he dared not cause trouble in front of the Emperor, so he barely managed to reply, "Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites has just requested to retire, so my position is vacant."
Having served as an official for decades, he had long since grasped the emperor's mind. Demoting Xu Congjing to Minister of Rites allowed him to be under the control of the Right Vice Minister of Rites, while also ensuring that Xu's talents were used to serve the country. More importantly, this balanced the power of both sides perfectly.
As expected, Emperor Xiaokang was extremely satisfied. He slapped the armrest of the dragon throne, leaned forward, and asked, "I hereby demote you to Minister of Rites and deduct your salary for one year. Do you accept this?"
Xu Congjing shouted, his face still expressionless, "Thank you for your great grace, Your Majesty!" His solemn voice echoed in the court for a long time.
After the court session, Xu Congjing stayed behind as ordered by the emperor, while Lou Yanxu followed the other officials out. She stopped at the foot of the imperial road, raised her hand to lightly shield her eyes, and sunlight filtered through her fingers, dappling her face with alternating warmth and coolness. She stood there for a moment, then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
Tears welled up in her eyes; the grievances and pain she felt were beyond words, but in the end, she simply said, "I did it."
She was no longer a pushover and made those who hurt her pay the price. Her demotion was just the beginning; those who had suffered under Xu Congjing's oppression would soon unleash their claws. Whether she could handle it remained to be seen.
Wan Qing'an held her arms tightly, and the two looked at each other, bursting into tears of joy.
In the following days, Xu Congjing was not seen again. It was only heard that he had fallen badly on his way back to the mansion that night and was still recuperating at the mansion.
However, Lu Hengzhi, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, suddenly sent a message inviting me to dine together.
Lou Yanxu accepted the invitation and went to the private room. She lifted the curtain and saw the handsome young man rise to greet her. The two sat facing each other and drank wine. She noticed that he didn't seem to care about the unpleasantness of that day, which calmed her down considerably.
However, his tone shifted, his expression darkening with worry, "But every step you take forward will increase the danger."
Because of the impeachment of Xu Congjing, she offended the Crown Prince's faction and was thus drawn into the political struggle. Whether or not to align herself with Prince Cheng was a question she would have to think carefully about.
Lou Yanxu understood this principle, but she was only eager for revenge and had not thought things through. She could only take it one step at a time. "This is the path that every official must take, without exception. I was prepared for it."
Lu Hengzhi nodded, looked at her deeply, reached out to smooth the stray hairs on her forehead, and said tenderly, "But you are human, not a god. You don't have to support yourself in everything. I want to be someone you can rely on when you are tired and weary."
She was startled and tilted her head back.
She had originally intended to make things clear with him that day, but the fact that she hadn't seen him had delayed it until now. After pondering for a moment, she still decided to do it this way.
But as if anticipating what she wanted to say, he spoke first, "I have already told my family the truth these days. If you are willing to marry me, I will prepare generous gifts and a grand wedding procession. After the marriage, you can still be an official, and you will not have to pay your respects to your family morning and evening, nor worry about having children. Everything will be up to you."
Married couples don't have to be confined to the home.
There is no need to regularly pay respects to one another morning and evening.
There is no need to worry excessively about having children.
This is what so many stay-at-home women wish for!
During the time she married into the Chenghua Marquis's household, although she was exempted from the morning and evening greetings due to Zeng's dislike, the talk about having offspring never stopped in her ears, causing her to worry about it every day.
Lou Yanxu never expected Lu Hengzhi to go to such lengths. His three sentences struck Lou Yanxu squarely in the heart. A look of astonishment flashed in her eyes, her eyes widened, and her mind was blank for a moment before she finally managed to utter, "Do you want me to be your wife or your concubine?"
“How could I bear to make you a concubine? Of course, I will marry you as my lawful wife.” He smiled, staring into her eyes, and made a promise. “I know what you desire. I will give you all the freedom and power you want.”
He was right. Because of the sins she had suffered in the past, she craved power to establish herself in the world and the freedom to be unrestrained by others. Now that she had offended the Crown Prince, she was determined to find a powerful patron.
The Duke of Ying's mansion has deep roots and intricate connections within the court; even Emperor Xiaokang wouldn't dare to act rashly against it. It's indeed a good choice. Moreover, through the Duke of Ying's mansion, one can come into contact with many noble ladies of Chang'an, perhaps uncovering the true culprit more quickly. However…
Lu Hengzhi was a good person. After all, she had no romantic feelings for him and did not want to use him. So, after thinking it over, she decided to be frank and say, "Do you know that I have no feelings for you?"
“I don’t care,” he replied hastily, holding her hand tightly and pleading humbly, “You can use me as long as you marry me.”
He was so honest, so kind, and had even saved her life. Lou Yanxu didn't know what she had done to deserve such treatment from him. Ripples of emotion stirred in her heart. She gritted her teeth to suppress the surging emotions and struggled for a long time.
"If the Duke and his wife have no objections, I will wait for you to come and marry me." She finally agreed.
Having gone through so much, love is no longer that important to her.
Qing'an once mentioned that the Duchess looked down on her background. If Lu Hengzhi could persuade her mother, she would treat Lu Hengzhi as family and would be willing to treat him with respect and harmony.
"Really?" Lu Hengzhi was overjoyed and stood up abruptly. Noticing the stares around him, he sat down awkwardly and whispered, "Really!"
Lou Yanxu smiled and nodded. Now that she had severed ties with Xu Congjing, she had a long road ahead of her and should start making plans for the future.
Lost in thought, she looked up through the window and her eyes met those of a young man in the upper-class room across the way, completely unexpectedly. That man was Meng Lingwei, the son of Grand Tutor Meng. He was a womanizer and gambler, and was used to risking his life in brothels and casinos. Given his power and influence, she had no choice but to quickly turn away, not daring to offend him.
But Meng Lingwei was mesmerized. He held the golden goblet and drank it all in one gulp. His eyes, like those of a hungry wolf, scanned him up and down, flashing with lustful light.
Across from him, Meng Lingshang poured him a full glass of fine wine, offering it with both hands with humble eyes, "Brother, have you taken a fancy to that young lady?"
He rested his elbows on the table, looking at the person opposite him with interest. "Who is that? I don't think I've ever seen him before."
Meng Lingshang only revealed half of her eye, which shone with an eerie light. Her usual gentle demeanor was gone, and her delicate face suddenly turned mean.
"It's normal that my brother has never seen her before. She's just a lowly merchant's daughter, the abandoned wife of the Marquis of Chenghua, a nobody!" As she spoke, she embellished the story of Lou Yanxu asking for a divorce at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, her disgust evident on her face.
“It’s her…” Meng Lingwei rubbed his cheeks, already picturing her fair skin and exquisite figure, and chuckled twice, “The number one female official in the court, quite interesting.”
After a moment, he looked at Meng Lingshang. The two siblings' eyes met, and no further words were needed.
Meng Lingshang smiled faintly, lowering her head to hide her excitement. "A woman that my brother has taken a liking to, I will naturally offer her up with both hands, just like before." She had done it so many times that she was already very skilled and never made a mistake.
Meng Lingwei was satisfied, but only for a moment before his face darkened. "Tie her up properly this time, lest she get killed like last time."
That time...
Meng Lingshang was slightly lost in thought, recalling the woman with the mole of longing at the corner of her eye, the pool of blood beside the pillar still vivid in her mind. Those who dared to disobey her were all sent to the King of Hell.
If anyone's to blame... it's just that this young lady is unlucky and has a short life.
Meng Lingwei never took others seriously, but he couldn't remember who it was. He only thought that causing a death would require a lot of effort to clean up the mess. "I don't want to cause another death. It's really bad luck!"
"Yes, sister will remember."
Meng Lingchang obeyed without question. Turning around, it was as if a human skin mask had been removed, and a ruthless smile spread out, like the red spider lily.
Glamorous and dangerous.
That night, the carriage sped through the streets and alleys. Lou Yanxu lifted the curtain and was lost in thought as she enjoyed the night breeze. Suddenly, a scream broke the silence. Before she could react, she was drugged and abducted.
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