Chapter 56: In terms of interests, Xu Congjing seemed to be making his final arrangements. ...
Dust hidden in the broom was flung at Madam Fan's face, covering her makeup with another layer. The fine particles entered her nostrils, choking her and rendering her speechless. Once she recovered, she covered her nose, pointed at Yun Bing, and angrily cursed, "You ill-mannered little brat!"
Yun Bing didn't tolerate her, and swept the object at her feet, ordering her to retreat from the banquet hall. He then ordered the betrothal gifts to be carried out of the mansion, saying, "Take your filthy things and get out!"
Upon hearing the news, Wan Qing'an rushed back, only to run into Madam Fan at the door. She gave her another threatening speech, and the latter walked away cursing.
As soon as she entered, she saw Lou Yanxu walking towards her. Wan Qing'an took two steps to her side, smoothed her eyebrows and eyes, and comforted her, "If you swallow this grievance today, you will have endless anger even after you get married." After saying that, she was still angry and suddenly let go and walked out.
As if sensing her telepathically, Lou Yanxu immediately stopped her hand, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to settle accounts with him!" She was quite sensible; she knew that Lu Hengzhi was the one in charge of this matter. Ultimately, it was his fault for not handling it well, and he broke his promise. How could such a man be entrusted with anything?
But this matter could be big or small. Making a fuss would not benefit either party; it would only make us a laughing stock for outsiders. Lou Yanxu was still rational and shook her head at her, "Don't be impulsive."
"But I can't bear to see you suffer this injustice!" She knew this principle all too well, but the thought of Lou Yanxu being called a vixen by someone coming to her door made her furious. She wished she could tear the Lu family and Lu Hengzhi to pieces to vent her anger.
As if on cue, just as dark clouds obscured the sun, a loud neighing of a sturdy horse pierced the sky. Lu Hengzhi leaped over a stool and landed on the ground, heading straight for the Lou residence, calling out, "Wanwan!"
How dare he come!
Wan Qing'an was furious and couldn't control herself. She strode forward, but it was as if a gust of wind had blown past her; someone was faster than her. In the blink of an eye, Yun Bing's fist had already slammed into her. "You still have the nerve to come here!"
Lu Hengzhi collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Lou Yanxu, her face grim, whispered to Yun Bing that even without any kinship ties, it was not advisable to antagonize the Duke of Ying's mansion at this time.
Lu Hengzhi propped himself up and knelt down to her in three steps, explaining in a trembling voice, "I have never lied to you. Mother had promised so readily, and I only just found out that she went back on her word."
Her expression remained unchanged, seemingly uninterested in his explanation. "Hengzhi, get up first."
After helping the man up, she looked at the fallen leaves piled up at his feet, her eyes filled with desolation, and sighed, "This was just her scheme."
“I am not a merchant’s daughter or a divorced woman today. Your family looks down on me. How can you change that overnight?” After saying this, she closed her eyes and hardened her heart. “It would be better to let it go.”
Like a thunderbolt striking his heart, Lu Hengzhi clutched his chest and shook his head violently, a rare look of sorrow on his face. "This is my fault. Give me another chance, and I will resolve it."
He pleaded humbly, his voice growing softer and softer, "I beg you, don't be disappointed in me."
Lou Yanxu felt a pang of pain in her heart at his posture. She reached out and stroked his furrowed brows. "Hengzhi, why can't you live without me?"
He looked directly into her eyes and said only three words.
You deserve it.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she guiltily looked away. She wasn't good enough to cause him to quarrel with his family, but his sincerity was too much for her to refuse. She remained silent, which was her way of accepting for the time being.
As Lu Hengzhi left, his swaying figure disappearing from sight, Wan Qing'an frowned and reminded him, "This matter may not be so easy to resolve." Since ancient times, marriages disliked by elders have often ended in disharmony and misery, which inevitably caused her great concern.
"I know." Lou Yanxu forced a smile. Last time she encountered Lu Siyue at Yunxiangzhai, and this time Madam Fan came to the door with her sarcastic remarks. Doesn't this show that the Duke of Ying's mansion does not agree to this marriage? But they can't persuade Lu Hengzhi, so they can only let him hit a brick wall.
Three days later, instead of Lu Hengzhi arriving, news came that the General of the Garrison had returned in triumph. Taking this opportunity, the Emperor bestowed an official title upon Wan Qing'an and promoted Lou Yanxu to the position of Registrar of the Court of State Ceremonies for interrogating the Bodhi spy, causing another uproar in the court and among the people.
After the day's business was over, General Yang Wanqing returned to his residence. Lou Yanxu thought it over and over, but still grabbed Wanqing'an and said, "I'll go with you."
"No need, I can handle it."
"I'm worried." She still vividly remembered Wan Qing'an being forcibly taken to a marriage, and she was afraid that she would never be able to find her again in the blink of an eye, so she insisted on going with her.
The carriage wound its way through the bustling streets, and when it arrived at the gate of the General of the Garrison's Mansion, it looked up and saw that the plaque was covered in dust. The two men exchanged a glance and stepped inside together.
Wan Wu sat upright in his armchair, a freshly brewed cup of hot tea on the octagonal table beside him, steam rising from its rim. Seeing Lou Yan and Xu Tong present, his face immediately darkened. "What do you mean by this? Are you bringing outsiders home now?"
Wan Qing'an remained expressionless, glanced at the person beside her, and said, "Yan Xu is not an outsider." In this world, the only person who truly cares about her is Yan Xu.
Lou Yan smiled back, but his stern and imposing face instantly turned like a demon. "She's not an outsider, so am I?"
The father and daughter always argued whenever they met, it was a common occurrence for them. Wan Qing'an rubbed her temples wearily, her voice muffled and impatient, "Father, you came to see me today just to argue with your daughter?"
At this point, Wan Wu was even more furious. "You still know you are the daughter of the General of the Garrison! Living in someone else's house, what kind of behavior is this!" Who knew how many rumors and gossips he had suffered since he came to the capital? His daughter had a home but didn't come back. Where was he supposed to put his face?
At that moment, Wan Qing'an's gaze was fixed on that bruised face. She didn't rush to refute him, but instead asked, "Don't you know why I don't go home?"
She had been away for a long time, and when the father and daughter met, instead of showing concern and greetings, they launched into a barrage of accusations and attacks, only concerned with their own insignificant pride. There is no greater chill in the human heart than this.
Why not go home? Isn't it because he forced her to marry? But Wan Wu still doesn't realize his mistake, and coldly snorts, "You don't want to get married because of that brat surnamed Wen?"
“He’s your husband! If you want to spend your life with your husband, are you going to let your father be drowned in spit?” His eyes were filled with anger. He straightened up, stared at his daughter for a long time, and finally took a half step back. “Break up with him, and I won’t force you to get married.”
Look, even now, he's not thinking about his daughter's happiness, but only about his own reputation. Wan Qing'an sneered. She had previously followed the rules for the sake of the Wan family's reputation, but later she realized that no one in the family cared about her except her brother. Now that her brother was gone, she had even less to worry about. Even if thousands of people pointed fingers and cursed her for seducing her husband, she could bear it.
"Don't even think about it!" she declared with a faint, mocking smile. "You can only break us up if I die."
Is there any daughter in the world who dares to threaten her father? Wan Wu's half-extinguished anger reignited. He slammed his palm on the octagonal table, his muscular physique roaring with a fighting spirit, "I'll see just how tough your bones are!"
Seeing this, Lou Yanxu instinctively stepped in front of Wan Qing'an, but then a fragrance of perfume wafted by, and Aunt Lin suddenly appeared out of nowhere, saying, "We're all family, don't be impulsive!"
"Second Aunt, he is still your father. If he apologizes, this matter will be over..." She tugged at Wanwu, seemingly trying to mediate, but in reality, it only fueled the anger of the father and daughter.
Lou Yanxu's face darkened, and sure enough, Wan Qing'an glared at her. "Shut up! Our father-daughter relationship is none of your business."
“She is your mother…” The father and daughter were cut from the same cloth. Wan Wu warned with wide, piercing eyes, but Wan Qing’an was not afraid at all. She just roared, “My mother died long ago!”
Mentioning her birth mother must have touched a nerve, for Wan Wu said nothing, his nostrils flared as he gasped for breath, his hand uncontrollably rising high and swinging down toward Wan Qing'an's face.
But someone pulled Qing'an behind her, and Lou Yanxu's heart finally settled down. She saw Wen Jie looking spirited and bowing solemnly to Wan Wu, "General of the Garrison!"
Wan Wu disliked him intensely, his eyes like two sharp knives, wishing he could slit his throat. He immediately roared outside, "Who let him in?"
The servant lowered his head, not daring to speak. He wanted to stop him, but he couldn't!
Wen Jie glanced at Lou Yanxu, then fixed his gaze on Wan Qing'an, offering a reassuring smile before speaking seriously, "All the mistakes are my fault, please don't blame Second Sister, General."
Wan Wu had already gone to great lengths to refrain from making a move, and now he had no intention of listening to a single word of nonsense from him. He immediately ordered the man to be driven out of the mansion. But Wen Jie calmly dodged the outstretched hands and said slowly, "General, please don't be impatient. I came here today to express my stance and to show my sincerity."
“Qing’an and I are deeply in love, but we have missed each other for many years due to our adherence to the rules. Now that we have finally revealed our feelings, we will not back down even a step. Qing’an has been appointed to an official position and has a bright future ahead of her. Rather than marrying off the entire Wan family, it would be better to find a son-in-law who can help her career.” His eyes flashed with a sharp light. “Find a son-in-law who can help her career.”
The purpose of forcing Qing'an to marry was nothing more than self-interest. The Wan family was stationed on the frontier as military officers, and their connections within the court and among the common people were still superficial. Although Xu Congjing had been demoted, the Crown Prince firmly believed that his foundation was not yet broken. Wen Jie had followed him for many years, and his position was obvious. With the Xu family's support in the future, their prospects were limitless. This statement allowed the Wan family to both preserve their wealth and gain benefits, which could be described as full of sincerity.
Wan Wu was a smart man, and he understood after a little thought. But he still had doubts. Wen Jie's attitude was one thing, and Xu Congjing's attitude was another. If the two were on the same page, it wouldn't hurt to consider it.
As the saying goes, it's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. Just as he was pondering this, a servant hurriedly came to report, "General, Guard Yun from Minister Xu's side has arrived."
"Let him in."
Lou Yanxu looked over and saw Yun Lu taking three steps at a time, clearly keeping Wan Wu in suspense.
"Greetings, General Zhenjun. I have been sent by the Minister of Works to deliver a message..." Yun Lu paused for a moment, deliberately concealing his childish voice, and then raised his voice in the manner of Xu Congjing, "Wen Jie is my sworn brother. I have already recommended him to the Crown Prince. Whether to refuse or keep him, I hope the General will think carefully."
Wen Jie was also somewhat bewildered. Xu Congjing had never told him about this, and a strange emotion welled up in his heart. This time, Xu Congjing secretly went to Lingzhou, first forcing the Duke of Ying's family to propose marriage with a letter, and then recommending Wan Wu to the Crown Prince to agree to the marriage. It all seemed like a deathbed arrangement.
His mind was heavy with thoughts, while Wan Wu had already figured things out. He turned around and sighed, "Let's all go."
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Wan Qing'an understood that her father had agreed. She realized that what he cared about wasn't her pride, but the benefits involved. Without further thought, she left without hesitation, only saying, "I hope Father is well."
Lou Yanxu lowered her head in thought, not expecting things to go so smoothly, yet something felt off. As she pondered this, she returned to her residence and happened to run into Lu Hengzhi and the Duchess of Yingguo.
She didn't know what method Lu Hengzhi had used to persuade her mother to apologize to her, but she always felt that there was something strange about it.
Whether the British Duchess has other intentions remains to be seen.
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