To get his attention, she resorted to more and more tricks.
"When did the young mistress leave?" he asked Granny Wang, who was on night duty.
"The young mistress left last night."
Lu Ziqian nodded, completely unconcerned.
"General, should we send someone to invite the young mistress back?"
The man said confidently, "No need, she'll come back on her own."
She thought life would be better when she went back to her parents' home?
If the Su family really cared about her, her sisters-in-law would have invited her over yesterday.
So, she'll come back on her own in a couple of days; there's no need to ask her.
To avoid spoiling her and causing trouble at home later.
He still preferred her obedient and docile nature.
"Make breakfast, keep it simple."
"yes."
After the court session, the officials, hungry and exhausted, rushed to the Hall of Heroes and Warriors.
Yingwu Hall was where officials in the palace were provided with breakfast. Some officials who lived far away or were too lazy to bring their own food would simply eat a few bites here.
Several officials who were on good terms with Lu Ziqian came over shamelessly when they saw him carrying a food box.
Lu Ziqian had a day off the previous two days, and they hadn't been able to get a free meal for two days, which made them lose their motivation to work.
Good morning, Brother Lu. I heard your wife has been found?
Lu Ziqian nodded and explained casually, "Well, I got lost on the way down the mountain after returning from the Guanyin Temple and was trapped there for two days."
After hearing Lu Ziqian's explanation, everyone wisely kept quiet.
After all, this is someone else's family matter. Whether it's true or false, it has nothing to do with them. They're just here for the spectacle.
There's no need to press for details and embarrass someone.
Just as everyone was tacitly understanding, a discordant voice rang out: "Are you sure you're lost?"
"I heard she eloped with the top scholar?"
The speaker was Wang Heng, the second son of the Marquis of Jing'an. As a fellow young military officer, he was always overshadowed by Lu Ziqian, which made him very unhappy.
This time, they certainly wouldn't miss such an opportunity to kick someone when they're down.
Before Lu Ziqian could speak, Gu Heng, who was eating nearby, spoke up first: "General Wang, be careful what you say!"
"A woman's reputation is of paramount importance. How can you fabricate such lies and ruin her reputation?"
Wang Heng smiled ambiguously, his tone provocative: "Oh, getting impatient?"
"It seems that the rumors circulating in the streets are not entirely false; at least Lord Gu's feelings for Madam Lu are genuine."
"General Lu, Lord Gu is so protective of your wife, you should really thank him."
Lu Ziqian raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Trying to sow discord?"
"Ha, only a muscle-bound, simple-minded idiot like you would believe those rumors."
"Who in the capital doesn't know that my wife is devoted to me, her love stronger than gold!"
"If she loved Lord Gu, she would have married him back then. Why would she have eloped with him after getting married?"
These words caused everyone to fall into deep thought.
Su Yujiao never hid her love for Lu Ziqian, and even pursued him openly, making her a well-known figure in the capital.
It was an open secret that Su Yujiao plotted against Lu Ziqian back then.
As for Gu Heng, he was a retainer of the Su family when he was still a down-on-his-luck scholar, and he and Su Yujiao were childhood sweethearts.
The two grew up together and had a close relationship. If Su Yujiao liked him, she would have married him long ago. After all, being close to someone makes it easier to get what you want!
Therefore, she has no reason to elope with Gu Heng now!
Clearly, rumors and gossip are not to be believed.
However, the guards at the gate spoke with great detail, and it was true that Gu Heng's mother had made a scene at the entrance of the General's Mansion, which is why the rumors continued to spread.
Wang Heng snorted coldly: "Hmph, you think it's fake just because you say so?"
"Do you dare to bring his mother over for a confrontation?"
"His mother told him about eloping..."
Gu Heng suddenly bowed to Lu Ziqian: "This matter is indeed my mother's fault, and I apologize on her behalf."
"Regarding those rumors, I, Gu, should indeed give the General's Mansion an explanation."
"Three days ago, Mrs. Lu went to the Guanyin Temple to offer incense and did not return home until very late."
"At that time, General Lu had just gone to Guanyin Mountain to suppress bandits, and Madam Lu was not at home either."
"Xiao Tao can only come to the manor to ask me for help in finding the person."
“I left in a hurry and didn’t explain to my mother. By the time she chased after us, we had already ridden away. She only saw our backs.”
“My mother mistakenly thought the woman looking for me was Madam Lu, so she went to your mansion and made a scene, trying to use the power of the General’s Mansion to bring me back.”
"I am deeply sorry for the trouble this has caused Mrs. Lu."
"I should have brought my mother to apologize yesterday, but I was reluctant because of Mrs. Lu's reputation, so I delayed until now."
After hearing this, everyone suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."
"Hmph, everyone knows you like Su Yujiao, of course you'll cover for her."
At this moment, Imperial Censor Liu suddenly stepped forward, his face sour: "Wang Heng, you have insulted women's chastity time and time again. Do you think I dare not impeach you?"
"Old Liu, what are you doing everywhere?"
"I cannot let good people be wronged. I must clear Lady Su's name."
"It is true that Madam Su got lost in the mountains and rescued her son who had also gotten lost in the forest."
“Lady Su is the savior of my youngest son. For that reason alone, I cannot sit idly by and let you ruin her reputation here.”
"Hmph, I'll go to the Imperial Study and impeach you right now."
After Liu Yushi finished speaking, he turned and left, and Wang Heng hurriedly chased after him.
That old man has a terrible temper, but he says the ginseng is genuine.
There's no one in the capital who isn't afraid of him; this old man even dares to impeach the Emperor.
He's like a fly; whoever he targets is doomed.
The troublemaker left, and Lu Ziqian and Gu Heng exchanged glances, an undercurrent of tension between the two men.
Lu Ziqian suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Gu Heng, Su Yujiao is not someone you can covet. Stay away from her."
Gu Heng smiled calmly: "Whether I can even dream about it is not up to you."
Lu Ziqian chuckled, his tone dismissive: "You're quite confident in yourself."
"It's a pity that she'd rather fawn over me than be with you. Isn't that infuriating?"
Hearing his contemptuous and mocking tone, Gu Heng's gentle and refined face finally showed anger.
"Lu Ziqian, you don't deserve her."
Whether they are a good match or not is not up to you to decide.
"Lord Gu may not know, but my wife is very clingy and I can't get rid of her no matter what I do. It's quite a headache for me." The man shrugged, feigning helplessness.
Although the crowd could not hear the two men's conversation, they could feel the tense atmosphere.
Fearing they might fight, everyone made up an excuse to pull the two away.
"Brother Lu, what delicious food has your wife cooked today? May I have a bite to eat?"
"The meat sauce buns and eight-treasure porridge last time were quite good."
"The roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) is also very good, it's so fragrant!"
As they were talking, they went to rummage through Lu Ziqian's food box, only to find steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and plain porridge inside, which immediately disappointed them.
"Sister-in-law's cooking today is a bit simple; it seems I won't be able to enjoy it today..."
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