Chapter 57 Joy and Sorrow: He lay dying in the carriage, brushing against her wedding sedan chair...
Lou Yan was meeting Du, the Duchess of England, for the first time. She appeared kind and gentle, not at all like a difficult person, but…
After seeing Wan and Wen off, she respectfully invited Lu Hengzhi and his mother into the mansion and set out the newly picked Bijian Mingyue wine. Madam Du glanced at it, then moved away without a word, took her hand, and looked up with a smile, saying, "I came here this time specifically to apologize to you."
Although she claimed it was an apology, she secretly glanced at the meager gift in the hand of the maid behind Madam Du, suggesting it wasn't taken very seriously.
"I did initially intend to marry into the Ning family, but after Hengzhi refused, I gave up on that idea." Madam Du glanced at the two characters, then looked away and reassured her, "Madam Fan and the Ning family are related by marriage, so it's normal for them to exchange a few words. Lady Lou isn't one to hold grudges, so she probably won't blame you, right?"
These words are interesting. If she were to blame her, she would be seen as petty and calculating. How could she dare! Lou Yanxu sneered inwardly. She knew that this Du Shi had no good intentions. She was probably pressured by Lu Hengzhi and didn't want to break off relations, so she came to her to cause trouble.
Whether Lu Hengzhi understood the implied meaning or not, he didn't react much. He simply stood behind her, seemingly offering support. She showed no anger, but smiled and said, "Yanxu wouldn't dare." She didn't dare to blame him, nor could she accept an apology. Making these high-ranking officials bow down always came at a price.
"What's there to be afraid of..." Madam Du smiled and gently stroked the back of her hand, as if she had truly accepted this daughter-in-law. "You are my Lu family's daughter-in-law, the future Duchess. Don't worry, I will not let her off lightly if she offends you."
"Mother, do you really think so?" Lu Hengzhi keenly caught her meaning, his body straightening up, his eyes seemingly shimmering with starlight.
The mother and son have always had a good relationship, but they've been arguing and fighting lately, and both of them are feeling bad. Today, the mother lowered her head, and things calmed down a bit.
With a dignified and plump face, Madam Du revealed a motherly affection. "Of course, from childhood to adulthood, your mother has always done things for your own good."
After a moment, her kind gaze fell on Lou Yanxu again, still smiling, "Everyone knows that once you marry into the Duke's mansion, no one will dare to look down on you anymore."
Yes, everyone knows that marrying into the Duke of England's mansion is incredibly glamorous, so Madam Du is convinced that this is something she has been scheming for. Lou Yanxu felt uncomfortable, but because of her relationship with Lu Hengzhi, she didn't say much and just obediently agreed.
Lu Hengzhi hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. His heart was already overflowing with joy, and he didn't realize the subtle barb in his words. His eyes sparkled as he smiled, "Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, why don't we set a wedding date?"
"Alright, alright, whatever you want." Madam Du was very enthusiastic, pulling Lu Hengzhi to her side and saying, "I've already had someone calculate it, and the sixteenth of next month would be the most suitable."
Next month will be the winter month, and Lou Yanxu's expression suddenly changed.
The sixteenth day of the eleventh lunar month is the anniversary of Rou's death.
How cruel must she be to get married on this day?
Whether Du Shi did it intentionally or unintentionally, her mind was buzzing and she felt a little breathless. She only heard Lu Hengzhi ask her, "Then let's set it for the sixteenth of next month, how about that?" If it was set for the sixteenth of next month, there would still be more than a month to prepare, which would be just right.
However, that's not appropriate.
She had never mentioned these things to Lu Hengzhi, nor did she know where to begin, so she could only refuse him directly.
"That's not appropriate." Her eyes darted away, and she sighed vaguely, "I'm not available on the sixteenth of next month."
"What's inconvenient about this?" Before Lu Hengzhi could respond, Madam Du hurriedly persuaded, "This auspicious day is hard to find. If we miss it, we'll have to wait until next year. Listen to me, let's make it this way."
Now, Lou Yanxu was almost certain that Madam Du would choose this day for the wedding. Otherwise, her previous words were barbed, and then she would immediately acknowledge her as her daughter-in-law, which would be too jarring. She was certain that she would be rejected, and thus she could openly postpone the wedding without alienating her son. Even if Lu Hengzhi knew the reason, he would at most say that it was fate.
As expected, the Du family came prepared.
Lou Yanxu understood perfectly well, and felt there was nothing more to explain, so she bluntly retorted, "I will not marry on the sixteenth of next month."
"You child..." With everything under control, Madam Du concealed the smug smile in her eyes and glanced at Lu Hengzhi intentionally or unintentionally. "So you want me to coax you into marrying into our Duke's mansion?"
She wanted her son to know that it was Lou Yanxu who was ungrateful and arrogant, which made her son feel disgusted and caused a rift between them. She was already adept at playing dumb to deceive others.
But she didn't expect that Lu Hengzhi was so deeply in love with this woman she looked down on. Right now, as if he had shielded her from view, his eyes were so tender they could drip water. He held Lou Yanxu's hand and comforted her, "This marriage is between you and me. If you don't want to, then you don't have to marry."
She gritted her teeth, lowered her head slightly, and her eyes were filled with anger. After a long while, she looked up, her face already showing a gentle and noble expression, and feigned regret, "Then we'll just have to wait until next year."
To everyone's surprise, Lu Hengzhi was prepared and turned to say, "Mother, I asked someone to inquire, and the 20th of this month is also an auspicious day for marriage."
It is true that the 20th of October is an auspicious day for marriage, and it is also true that there are no other auspicious days this year. The claim that the 16th of November is an auspicious day for marriage is fabricated. Du said these half-true and half-false things without batting an eye, but her son exposed her true colors with a single sentence.
"How can there be time?" Madam Du's face turned almost red with embarrassment, fearing that the marriage would be settled. But Lu Hengzhi was determined. He flicked his hand and looked straight at her. "There's time. As long as you want to, there's time."
Finally, she turned to Lou Yanxu and asked softly, "What do you think?"
"good."
It's early October now, and the divorce period is only about ten days away. It is indeed a bit rushed, but since Lu Hengzhi is willing to take a step back and the Duke's Mansion will make all the arrangements, she won't say anything more.
But then it rained for days on end, the view was hazy and damp to the bone, the rain stung and clung to you, and everyone hurried by. Lou Yanxu often stood by the window, listless.
The day before the wedding, the weather cleared up, which was considered a good omen.
She tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. She got up at dawn and was changing her clothes when Qingrui lit a lamp. A tall figure was cast on the window paper, which startled the two of them.
The figure moved, followed by a knock on the door; it was Yun Bing.
He didn't know how long he had been guarding from behind the wall; his eyes were red from the wind, and his voice was deep, "Sister, if he treats you badly, just go home."
A gust of wind swept through the beaded curtain, and Lou Yanxu's eyes stung with tears. She lowered her gaze to hide her emotions, stepped forward, and hugged him tightly. "Yunbing, you've grown up."
"From now on, I will stay in Chang'an. Wherever you are, the Lou family will be there." He stroked his long, smooth, black hair, his eyes flashing with determination. He would stand up for his sister and would never allow the Chenghua Marquis's family to repeat its mistakes.
"You can decide for yourself."
She knew what he was thinking, and her fingers clenched so tightly they ached. Overwhelmed with emotion, the siblings pressed their lips together, tears streaming down their faces, as they sincerely expressed their feelings.
"Second Mistress, it's time to get ready." In the blink of an eye, it was broad daylight. Qingrui wiped away her tears and reminded her.
Yun Bing withdrew, and a moment later the matchmaker entered the room to dress the bride in her wedding attire and apply her makeup.
By noon, her makeup was finished, and her radiant wedding dress was spread out on the ground, her head adorned with pearls and jade, and a red dot on her forehead. Wan Qing'an brought over some snacks to fill her stomach, but Lou Yanxu glanced sideways at the translucent rice cakes placed to the side, a chill running down her spine. She lowered her head blankly, her thoughts drifting away.
The midday sun shone warmly on the desk, then shone on my ear, making my earlobe feel hot and burning. When I came to my senses, I heard Wan Qing'an say calmly, "Why don't we call off this marriage?"
Lou Yan and Xu Qiang smiled and said, "How can you make such a joke on our wedding day?"
"You know it's your wedding day today, but look at you, there's not a trace of joy on your face. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were about to be tied to the bridal sedan chair!" Wan Qing'an pushed her to the dressing table, and sure enough, even the heavy makeup couldn't hide her fatigue.
"Really?" She didn't admit it yet, turning to ask Qingrui. After receiving confirmation, she looked slightly embarrassed. "Perhaps my mindset is different after my second marriage."
"What's the difference? We were both forced into it." Qingrui murmured softly. When she was forced to marry into the Chenghua Marquis's mansion, she was indifferent and often lost in thought. She was the same now. What's the difference?
"What did you say?" Lou Yanxu didn't hear clearly, otherwise she would have scolded her for talking nonsense.
At the beginning of this year, Lou Yanxu walked with Qingrui by the wrist to the hanging flower gate. Her grandmother hugged her from behind and wouldn't let her turn around. But now, when she arrived at the hanging flower gate again, she couldn't help but turn around. In a daze, she saw her grandmother's kind face, smiling and telling her to take good care of herself.
Her eyes reddened, and when she came to her senses, she realized that her grandmother was nowhere to be seen; it was just Qing'an who had come to see her off at her wedding.
Qing'an held her hand tightly, asking for a promise, "Yanxu, when I get married, you will come to see me off at my wedding."
“But I’m a second-time bride, which is unlucky.”
"You never looked down on your grandmother, so why are you so averse to it now?" Wan Qing'an laughed at her.
Yes, she didn't care about these things when she got married, but now she's getting more and more like a senile. After thinking for a moment, she promised, "I consider you my dearest relative, and I will definitely give you a grand wedding!"
The rosy clouds shone brightly, and the long street was crowded with people who greeted and sent blessings, creating a lively scene! As the wedding procession passed by, the sounds of gongs and drums and suonas filled the air. The gilded and painted sedan chair moved steadily, and the tassels on the top of the chair swayed lightly, dazzling everyone's eyes.
As they reached the street corner, a carriage approached. The guard in front of the carriage frowned, spurred his horse, and shouted into the carriage, "Young master, hold on! We've entered Chang'an now. You'll be saved once we reach Master Rong's residence!"
Xu Congjing lay on the verge of death in the car, sticky beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and onto his chest, mingling with the dark, poisonous blood, as another wave of intense pain washed over him.
Upon hearing the festive drums, he felt a sudden pang of anxiety and sat up. The doctor beside him quickly stopped him, saying, "The arrow is poisoned. Be careful of your wound."
His hands were no longer strong enough to support the enormous body, so he had to give up and asked, "Which family is getting married today?"
The carriage passed by the bridal sedan chair. The guard glanced at it and saw a sign that read "British Duke's Mansion" on the front of the sedan chair. He then replied briefly, "It is the British Duke's Mansion."
“The Duke of England’s mansion…” Xu Congjing murmured with his head down, then suddenly his eyes widened, his breathing became rapid, and he called out weakly, “Wanwan, Wanwan.”
This was all arranged before he went to Lingzhou, but he never expected the wedding date to be so close. Now his beloved has married someone else. He regrets it. He wants to take his Wanwan back, but he can't move his whole body. He feels dizzy and his chest churns. Suddenly, he spits out a mouthful of black blood!
As the sound of gongs and drums faded into the distance, he remained lucid but weak, his eyes vacant. He felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out. Ignoring the people around him, his hands began to tremble, and large tears rolled down his face, soaking his clothes.
The doctor cried out urgently, "My lord, my lord!"
He fainted and could no longer hear anything.
The suona horns blared as the wedding procession circled the riverbank. The river was bathed in the glow of the setting sun, and a large trunk could be vaguely seen floating on its surface. Inside the trunk, the person's hands and feet were bound, and their mouth was gagged with a piece of silk.
This person was none other than Lou Yanxu, who should have been in the bridal sedan chair!
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