Chapter 63 He believed her: "Did Lady Lou intentionally plot to harm Madam Xu?"...
Judging from Zhang's appearance, it was clear that something was on her mind and she was having trouble speaking. Lou Yanxu tilted her head, her eyes filled with doubt and inquiry. After observing her expression closely, she asked, "Auntie, what's wrong?"
“Wanwan…” Madam Zhang’s eyes darted around, sometimes looking into the distance, sometimes sweeping across the room, hesitating, conflicted, unable to make a decision.
Lou Yanxu exchanged a glance with Wan Qing'an, who was waiting in the distance, then pulled Zhang Shi to a corner, rubbed the calluses on her palm, and said softly, "Please just say what you need to say."
Zhang hesitated for a moment, fidgeting with her sash in a flustered manner. Then, as if making up her mind, she finally spoke, “My health is poor, and I am kept alive only by taking medicine every day. Zizheng’s father has offended someone in the officialdom, so he had no choice but to send him and his sister to live with their maternal grandparents. When Zizheng mentioned Suzhou to me, he spoke with great joy, which shows that he is doing very well.”
Lou Yanxu was completely confused, unable to understand why Madam Zhang would suddenly reveal the Xu family's past, until she spoke again...
"Later I learned that he was in love with a young woman, thought of her when he fell asleep, and missed her when he was drunk. The only regret was that the young woman got married."
"Later, you two became bitter enemies and then unexpectedly disappeared. I watched helplessly as he was drunk day and night, weeping and calling your name in a daze..."
Before she could finish speaking, Madam Zhang raised her hand to wipe her eyes, leaving faint water stains on her sleeve, and a soft sob escaped her throat. Lou Yanxu could roughly guess what she meant; she was simply saying that Xu Congjing's love was genuine and advising her to reconsider.
Just now, Lu Hengzhi said that she loved Xu Congjing the most, and now Madam Zhang is saying that Xu Congjing loves her deeply. But must love mean being bound together? If there is a rift between them, they cannot be happy. She was lost in thought.
“Wanwan! I shouldn’t have said this, but I am his mother, and seeing this is heartbreaking…” Madam Zhang lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes, her voice hoarse, “After Rou’er died, his father was also killed. Under the double blow, he panicked and did nothing, causing you such harm. I will atone for all his sins.”
She had already thought it through and didn't want to force the two of them to be together, but when she thought of her son's nightly delirium and unconcealed pain, she decided, after much deliberation, to swallow her pride and try to persuade him. Her body trembled slightly, her thoughts boiling over to the point of overflowing, and she bent her knees and knelt down on the bluestone road with a thud, thus making her stance clear.
Lou Yanxu was startled, her gaze momentarily paused, and she quickly stepped forward to help her up.
She steadied herself, her words tinged with bitterness, truly swallowing her pride, "Auntie has no intention of forcing you, but simply wants to ask you, now that your marriage to the Duke of Yingguo's heir has not been arranged, is there still a possibility between you and Zizheng..."
Lou Yanxu understood Zhang's meaning very well. This move was indeed a little difficult for her, but fortunately, she always had her own ideas, and this situation did not make her back down even a step.
“Aunt, I’ve long since severed all ties with him. Now I only see him as an older brother, and nothing else…”
"I can't get over that hurdle now."
"Wanwan..." Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang took a deep breath and sighed with worry, but was interrupted, "Aunt, I have a knot in my heart that is hard to untie, I hope you will not force me."
She never mentioned this knot in her heart to anyone else. She had already let go of the things Xu Congjing had done to her when she had deliberately deceived and schemed to cause him to be demoted and disappointed. The thorn that was stuck deep in her heart was when he believed she would murder Sister Rou based on just a letter and so-called witnesses when he was in a dilemma.
His disbelief in her was the final straw that broke her back.
If only he had had the courage to ask her directly back then, things wouldn't have come to this. This matter has become an insurmountable chasm between them.
Having said all that, it was clear her mind was made up. What could Madam Zhang say? She opened her mouth, then turned her head away. "Fine, now that I've asked, I won't bring it up again. I just hope you won't become distant because of this, and that you'll visit the Xu residence often." She truly loved this child and had long wanted to welcome her in a grand procession, but her son had committed an unforgivable mistake. For Wanwan to still be close to her without holding a grudge was truly remarkable; she was incredibly forgiving. Now, she also had another caring "daughter"—good, good indeed.
Lou Yanxu agreed, "Yes, you are Rou-jie's mother, so naturally I also regard you as my mother."
The two exchanged a few more words until the sun dipped below the western mountains. In the fading light of dusk, the palaces stood desolate, a chill seeped into their bodies, and a lone bird flew about, as if summoning them back.
They agreed to meet again in a few days, and then parted ways. Lou Yanxu walked towards Wan Qing'an, and saw her frowning as she watched Zhang Shi's retreating figure, muttering to herself, "Why have the guards around Madam Xu been withdrawn?"
Xu Congjing, being in officialdom, inevitably made enemies, and would certainly mobilize guards to protect Zhang Shi. Lou Yanxu looked into the distance, counted those people, and said with doubt, "No different from before."
“She used to have many guards around her, but now they have all disappeared.” Wan Qing’an came from a military family and had also trained hard in martial arts, so her perception was naturally better than that of ordinary people. She had already secretly noticed the guards around Madam Zhang, and now that she noticed something was wrong, she was slightly puzzled.
Lou Yanxu lowered her eyes upon hearing this, exchanged a glance with Yun Bing who was approaching, and asked after a moment, "What about me? Do I have any guards protecting me now?"
Wan Qing'an replied, "Yes."
Having received the answer, Lou Yanxu seemed thoughtful. The guards around her must have been arranged by Xu Congjing, but now that they were staying by her side and had left Madam Xu's side, it was clearly not on Xu Congjing's orders. There were only two possibilities: either Madam Xu had given the order, or they had been assassinated. If it was the latter, Madam Xu's life was in danger.
She didn't dare gamble, and made a quick decision: "Just in case, let's chase after them and see."
Zhang disappeared in an instant, and the three of them, along with Qingrui, quickly got into the carriage to give chase.
The evening breeze blew through the bamboo forest, swirling dry bamboo leaves in the air. Occasionally, a few birds chirped in the woods, but there was no sound of horses' hooves or wheels. Lou Yanxu called for a halt, lifted the curtain to check, and found no cart tracks. Listening closely, she finally faintly heard the sounds of fighting. She quickly ordered the driver to rush into the dense forest.
At the fork in the road, seeing the Xu family's carriage swaying and heading towards the edge of the cliff, he looked at Yun Bing, who was riding ahead, and said, "Yun Bing, take the shortcut."
"Okay." Yun Bing's lips twitched and his brows furrowed. He agreed without hesitation, but just as he turned halfway around, he was stopped again. Lou Yanxu's eyelashes trembled, her face was solemn, and she instructed, "Take good care of yourself."
Everything was understood without words. He remained silent, nodded emphatically, and rode away.
The remaining group continued to move forward at high speed. When they reached the edge of the cliff, they were confronted by more than a dozen assassins. Zhang had been stabbed in the abdomen, and three of the eight guards beside her had died. The remaining five were all slightly injured and stood in a row blocking Zhang's way.
Wan Qing'an drew his sword, leaped into the air, and with a swift stroke, a man's head fell to the ground. The guards who had been protecting Lou Yanxu all appeared and engaged in combat. The two sides exchanged blows, their swords flashing like cold moonlight and frost, their blades trembling as blood splattered on the spot.
The opponents were no pushovers, and knowing they had their own missions to fulfill, they didn't want to get entangled. They all raised their swords and slashed at Zhang Shi. Fortunately, Wan Qing'an lightly touched the ground with her toes and swept her leg with a powerful kick, striking only the neck of her opponent. She also swung her sword, its sharp edge forcing her opponent to withdraw and defend.
The guards swarmed forward. Taking advantage of the moment, Lou Yanxu rushed to Zhang Shi, clutching her bleeding wound and trying to help her up. But in a flash, she saw Zhang Shi's eyes widen, and with a forceful push, Lou Yanxu staggered to the side. A flash of sword light, and the sharp blade struck down like lightning, slicing a long gash across Zhang Shi's shoulder.
Behind them lay a bottomless abyss. Lou Yanxu saw Madam Zhang losing consciousness and falling backward. She immediately rushed forward and shouted, "Auntie!"
Unfortunately, she only managed to grasp two of Zhang's fingers before letting go in an instant, and could only watch helplessly as Zhang fell off the cliff.
Fortunately, Wan Qing'an had been keeping a close eye on the situation. She delivered a flying kick that left the man clutching his stomach, unable to get up, and took the opportunity to pull Lou Yanxu back. Seeing that their mission was accomplished, the assassins no longer lingered, retreating as they went, gradually disappearing into the depths of the bamboo forest.
Lou Yanxu's face was pale, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She climbed shakily to the edge of the cliff, peered down, and saw nothing but a white mist obscuring her view.
If it weren't for taking that knife for her...
How could Madam Xu have fallen off the cliff due to exhaustion? She was tormented by deep self-blame. With her aunt dead, what should Xu Congjing do? How could she explain this to him?
Just as she was overwhelmed with grief, Yun Bing's voice, filled with gritted teeth, came from below the cliff: "Sister, we're here! There's a thick rope in the carriage, quickly pull us up!" He had just climbed along the thick support along the edge of the cliff and moved all the way to the edge, just in time to see Zhang fall. Under the white mist, he held Zhang's body with one arm and clung to the thick support along the cliff edge with the other, struggling to keep up.
Yun Bing! It's Yun Bing!
Seeing that there was still room for maneuver, Qingrui was the first to react. She quickly returned to the carriage, retrieved the thick rope, and brought it over. However, the fog made it impossible to see and pinpoint Yunbing's location, so this method was not feasible.
Fortunately, judging from the sound, they estimated that he wasn't too far away. Then, one of the guards volunteered to lower himself down with a rope and bring the lady up first. Luckily, it went smoothly, and the two of them were both out of danger. Lou Yanxu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, now that Xu Congjing has escorted Master Rong out of the city, and these people are acting so blatantly, the safety of the Xu family is still unknown. Where to send Zhang Shi for treatment has become a major problem. Wan Qing'an thought for a moment and said, "We can't send her to a clinic. There are too many people there, and she might be targeted again."
"Secretly send her back to the Lou residence." Lou Yanxu acted decisively. Those people didn't know that Madam Zhang was still alive, so letting them think that she was dead was the safest option.
As dusk fell, only a few pedestrians remained on the street at dinnertime. The carriage sped through the alley and stopped at the back gate of the mansion.
Yun Bing jumped off his horse, rubbed his sore and weak arms, and hurriedly said, "I'll go and fetch a doctor."
Before the group could react, he had vanished, so they had no choice but to carry Madam Zhang into the mansion to settle her in.
The white cloth used to stop the bleeding turned red again and again, and basin after basin of blood was poured out. Zhang had completely fainted and lost consciousness. Her face was completely bloodless, and only her faintly trembling chest proved that she was still alive.
Lou Yanxu paced anxiously, hoping to catch a glimpse of Yun Bing every now and then. Finally, after about an incense stick's time, she saw him return, drunk, with a beautifully dressed young woman wearing a veil. She was stunned for a moment, and only when she caught a glimpse of the man's face under the "woman's" clothing did she understand.
Hey, this kid's clever; he even knows how to cover his tracks like that.
She secretly praised him, but saving his life was the priority right now, so she didn't dare to delay and quickly got the doctor to treat him.
The doctor was so busy that sweat beaded on his forehead, and several people attended to him, not daring to slack off in the slightest. As night deepened, the stench of blood lingered in the room for a long time, and the treatment finally ended after more than an hour.
While Qing'an and Qingrui were looking after the others, Lou Yanxu took a break to go to the Xu residence to inform Xu Congjing about this matter.
Just then, Xu Congjing arrived at the gate of the Xu residence, rubbing his temples and looking exhausted. Before he could rest for even a moment, he learned of this terrible news.
"My lord!"
"Something has happened to the lady!"
The messenger guard explained the whole story clearly. Xu Congjing listened with a grim face, his complexion turning ashen, and his voice suddenly turned icy cold, "Didn't we arrange for people to protect him secretly?"
"The lady discovered it and we had to leave."
Upon hearing this, he kicked the threshold hard, yelling, "What are those guys good for?!" The secret guards are all about secrecy, yet they still managed to be discovered. It's a waste of money to keep them around!
His father was fatally wounded when a traitor emerged from among his bodyguards, which is why his mother resisted this. However, he was too busy to attend to her, and he was even more worried about leaving her unattended. Sure enough, she had taken advantage of the situation. He sighed, his head throbbing with pain.
Lost in thought, he caught a glimpse of the person beside him who seemed hesitant to speak. Annoyed, he said, "Just say what you have to say!"
The guard hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "Before the incident, the lady met with Lady Lou and even... she knelt down. Later, Lady Lou was also found at the scene of the incident. I'm afraid this matter is related to her."
Xu Congjing understood the implication of these words very well. He was extremely vigilant, and upon hearing this, his eyes narrowed, revealing a dangerous glint. "You mean that this whole thing was orchestrated by Madam Lou, and that Madam Lou deliberately tried to harm you, Madam?"
Upon hearing this, Lou Yanxu, who was rushing towards him from behind, suddenly stopped.
Is he going to doubt her again?
He had suspected her of murdering Rou-jie before, and now he suspects her of murdering his mother?
She dared not think any further; her heart trembled as if she were about to fall off a high cliff.
But a moment later, he held his sword to the guard's neck and said in a deep voice, "She would not harm the madam. If she utters any such words again, I will cut off your head!"
This time, he believed her.
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