Chapter 52 Hanging on the City Wall She suppressed her smile and pressed on the wound on his left shoulder…
On that day, dark clouds rolled in, and rain fell obliquely.
Lou Yanxu planned to buy some appetizers from Yunxiangzhai and send them to Lu Hengzhi.
The restaurant was bustling with people. A few people would gather around a table, have a few drinks, and chat, which was quite enjoyable.
However, while they were waiting, a woman with no hair ornaments stormed in, hands on her hips, and grabbed the ear of the man in the corner, pulling it until the base of his ear turned red.
"You heartless bastard!" Her face contorted with rage as she tried to pull the young woman nestled in the man's arms out of her. "You promised to love only me when you asked me to marry you, and now you're secretly keeping a mistress!"
Lou Yanxu's attention was drawn to the woman, who seemed too embarrassed to show her face. The man, however, was shameless and showed no remorse whatsoever. He puffed out his chest and shook off the woman's hand, saying, "So what? You've become an old and ugly hag after marriage. If it weren't for me, what man would want you!"
The woman was immediately embarrassed when her husband, whom she had loved for many years, publicly called her an "old hag." She suddenly turned away, wiped her eyes, and when she spoke again, her voice trembled with tears, "Who am I old and ugly for? Isn't it all for this family! Isn't it all for you!"
Thinking about how she had worked diligently for her husband and in-laws all these years, all she got in return was a "yellow-faced woman" from him. The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. In a fit of anger, she threw aside the rules that had bound her for decades and sat down on the ground with a "thud" to throw a tantrum.
"Come and see, everyone! Come and judge this!"
At this moment, people all looked over and whispered among themselves. The man finally felt a little ashamed, so he pulled his wife up and shouted angrily, "What's wrong with you? Have you no shame?!"
"No more!" The woman threw a tantrum, rolling around on the ground and wildly waving her hands, leaving long nail marks on the man's face. She shouted angrily, "No more! If you have no shame, what do I have to do with any shame at all!"
Lou Yanxu frowned and looked again and again, and suddenly realized that the mistress had already run away. Only the man was left to coax his wife home in a sweet voice to save face. He just didn't know if the woman would choose to divorce him.
She wanted to help him, but she had encountered the same thing before and was instead accused of deliberately ruining a family, so she never dared to touch him again. In the end, everyone has their own fate, and one must stand up for oneself to avoid being servile to men; otherwise, no amount of advice from others will be appreciated.
With a long sigh, she turned her gaze back, only to hear a soft, clear female voice beside her, "Madam Lou."
Turning around at the sound, Lou Yanxu saw Lu Siyue approaching gracefully, her pearl pendants swaying with each step. She gave a slight bow, "Madam Liang." After returning to Chang'an, she heard that Lu Siyue had given birth and was recuperating at home. She never expected to meet her today.
"It really is you! It's been quite a while since we last saw each other. I recently gave birth to my child, and you absolutely must come to the baby's 100-day celebration!" Lu Siyue looked a bit plumper, and when she smiled, her eyes were so rounded that only half of them remained. Lou Yanxu smiled along with her and nodded in agreement.
She originally disliked attending these banquets, but Lu Hengzhi had a good relationship with her sister, and they would inevitably have to deal with each other in the future. In addition, Lu Siyue was a nice person, so she did not refuse. However, what Lu Siyue said next made her somewhat suspicious.
The man in front of her stared at the couple's retreating figures, then slapped his thigh with an impatient expression. "Oh dear, there are so many seductive women in this world. I'm truly filled with anxiety. I worry that my husband won't be able to control himself, and I'm also worried that my silly little brother will be seduced, especially by those who don't uphold traditional virtues!"
Logically speaking, Lu Hengzhi should have already obtained his family's consent to marry her, so why did Lu Siyue express her deep concern that her younger brother would be seduced?
There are only two possible reasons: one is that she was unaware of the marriage and was just feeling sentimental; the other is that she disagreed with the marriage but couldn't go against Lu Hengzhi's wishes, so she could only indirectly scold him in front of her.
However, since neither side explicitly stated their intentions, Lou Yanxu wouldn't risk making things difficult by asking for clarification. She simply replied, "I'm sure the young master has his own judgment, so Madam need not worry."
Lu Siyue gave a forced smile, "Yes, and I hope those vixens realize that not just anyone can enter the Lu family."
Lou Yanxu vaguely felt that Lu Siyue was hostile towards her, whether it was because she was dissatisfied with her background or because she was a second wife, she just didn't want her to be a daughter-in-law of the government.
After exchanging a few more words, she made an excuse to leave.
As the rain intensified, Lou Yanxu felt sticky and damp all over. She sat in the carriage and irritably kicked her feet a couple of times to shake off the raindrops from the tips of her shoes.
The carriage was silent. Qingrui stood with her feet together, staring intently for a moment, then suddenly looked up and asked blankly, "Second Mistress, does Madam Liang dislike your marriage?"
Lou Yanxu didn't respond, her mind heavy. She was even more certain that she wasn't just overthinking things; Lu Siyue had indeed come with malice. However, this matter wasn't her responsibility to resolve; Lu Hengzhi should have a plan in mind for what to do.
Half an hour later, the carriage arrived. She stepped inside carrying pastries, and upon seeing her, Lu Hengzhi's expression changed from gloomy to cheerful. He immediately stood up, nearly tearing open his wound.
He has been hiding here for days, so he must be keeping this matter a secret from the Duke's mansion. Usually, only Lou Yanxu comes to visit. So he secretly thought that he should come more often in the future.
Are you feeling better?
Lu Hengzhi's lips curved into a smile, his eyes softening with tenderness. "It was still a little painful, but it stopped hurting as soon as you came."
Lou Yanxu picked up a pastry and handed it to him, tucking the blanket around him. "When did you learn to use sweet talk?" she said, then lowered her head and smiled, her eyes darting around.
He noticed her slight discomfort and teased her as he leaned closer, saying, "After we get married, I'll tell you about it every day, so don't find me annoying." These days, lying in bed with nothing to do, he often imagined his happiness after marriage, and he couldn't stop smiling.
However, thinking about what had just happened, Lou Yanxu felt a shadow fall over her heart. She would absolutely not want to encounter another Jun Gu like Zeng Shi. After some thought, she still asked, "Hengzhi, do your parents and your elder sister really agree to me marrying into the family?"
"Of course, how could they be wrong if they promised it themselves?" Lu Hengzhi was too happy to notice that something was wrong with her. He patted his chest and kept assuring her, "You can rest assured. Once I recover, I will definitely prepare a grand wedding and a sedan chair to marry you."
Since he made such a promise, she didn't want to make trouble. She still needed to accept the advice of Cai Jina Zheng and others. Whether they were human or ghosts, she would find out soon enough.
"Okay." She replied with a smile, wiping the crumbs from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief.
Lu Hengzhi was taken aback, staring intently at her, his eyes revealing a rare aggressiveness, as turbulent as the sea. He touched her jade-like cheek with his left hand, his eyes rippling as if trying to draw her in.
Lou Yanxu understood his meaning and did not refuse. Such compliance made him overjoyed. He leaned forward, but at this moment the door creaked open and the guard mumbled, "My lord, the young prince was accidentally poisoned today. The evidence points directly to Minister Xu. The Empress ordered him to be beheaded, but the Crown Prince pleaded for him, and since the young prince is not seriously injured, he was only hung on the city wall until 9 PM."
He glanced up and saw the two behaving intimately. He turned away instantly, wishing he could slap himself. His stammering voice grew softer and softer, "Lou... Madam." He had no idea that Madam Lou was there; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to mention Xu Situ. Now, he was afraid she would misunderstand that her husband was spying on Xu Situ.
Lou Yanxu jumped half a mile away, her face flushed. Lu Hengzhi's hand was empty. He waved his hand in disappointment and said in a deep voice, "You can go down now."
The guard dared not delay for even a moment and fled as if his life depended on it.
Speaking of Xu Congjing, Lou Yanxu suddenly thought of Meng Lingwei's matter and was conflicted about whether to ask him about it. However, in Lu Hengzhi's eyes, it appeared that she was worried about Xu Congjing and had a furrowed brow.
Is it really that hard for you to let him go? Are you truly deeply in love with him?
A bitter feeling welled up in Lu Hengzhi's heart. He clenched his hands tightly at his sides and finally gave a bitter laugh. He heard her speak, "Hengzhi, I have something I want to ask you."
"What is it?" He tried to appear calm, but a wave of panic washed over him, fearing that Lou Yanxu was about to abandon him.
She didn't say that, but instead asked about something else, "Was it you who did the Meng Lingwei incident?"
He knew very well who was behind this, but he regretted that Xu Congjing had struck first when he was injured and bedridden. Now, Lou Yanxu had finally agreed to marry him, and he was filled with anxiety and fear that made it hard for him to breathe. Afraid of losing what he had gained, he answered, almost unconsciously, "Yes."
In fact, Lou Yanxu didn't want to have anything to do with Xu Congjing anymore, so she secretly hoped that Lu Hengzhi was behind it. Therefore, she didn't suspect anything when she received this response, and even secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but was full of worry. "But if you do this, I'm afraid it will involve the Lu family. I'm worried..."
"Don't worry, I've got everything covered." Lu Hengzhi felt slightly guilty and didn't dare to look her in the eye. He stepped forward and embraced her, concealing the thoughts in his eyes. This act was utterly despicable, yet wasn't he also humbly begging for her love?
From the first time he saw her standing up to protect him, to feeling sorry for her being schemed against by her husband's family in Xiangzhou, now that he has met a resilient, brave, and talented woman, he can no longer let her go.
As dusk fell, the rain pattered against the windowpane, disturbing the peace of mind.
After bidding farewell to Lu Hengzhi, Lou Yanxu did not return directly to her residence, but instead took a detour to the outskirts of the imperial city.
At this moment, a strong wind was blowing, and Xu Congjing was still hanging high by the city wall. Raindrops shot at his wounded body like arrows, and blood dripped down, flowing into the puddles and into the distance.
With an oil-paper umbrella held overhead, Lou Yanxu looked over and saw the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel leisurely drinking tea and overseeing the situation in the newly erected, cramped shed.
She knew perfectly well that Xu Congjing wouldn't be foolish enough to use such a clumsy method to assassinate a prince; it was simply because he had been demoted, and those who had once been under his control were now attacking him. If one could say that her scheme to make things difficult for Xu Congjing had succeeded, then she could say she had.
They stood there for half an hour before the Crown Prince sent someone to urge them on. Only then did they finally make a move. The ropes were halfway loosened when they suddenly let go, sending the men crashing to the ground, eliciting a burst of laughter. As long as they didn't die, they were used to acting recklessly.
Gradually, the laughter was drowned out by the sound of rain, and those people slowly walked away.
She stopped Qingrui and went forward alone in the rain.
He lay on the ground with his eyes half-closed, letting the rain wash over him, his once refined and handsome face now looking utterly disheveled. He laughed silently, a fierce glint in his eyes, likely already plotting to send those who had wronged him to hell.
Lou Yanxu didn't dare say whether she was included, but she still walked over step by step, stood in front of him, and squatted down.
His face was scarred, and his smile was somewhat eerie. "You've come."
"Yes, I'm here."
Lou Yanxu smiled and lovingly stroked his face, tracing the outline of his brow bone with her index finger. Her mind flashed back to the hopelessness of being imprisoned by him in the past, the panic of having her clothes loosened, and the fear of jumping out of the window. All of these things tightly enveloped her and turned into tears that flowed down her cheeks.
Until he cried out in pain.
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