Chapter 52 Chapter 52 "What do you want me to admit?"...
The next day, Xue Yuanyin woke up and felt dizzy and achy all over.
There is a floor heating in the house, so it's not cold, but the windows outside are frosted, so the weather must be getting colder.
Xue Yuanyin sat up with difficulty and called Fuzhu in a hoarse voice. Fuzhu opened the curtain and let in a cold wind. She quickly pulled down the thick curtain, went into the house, got a soft pillow to support Xue Yuanyin's lower back, and helped her sit up slowly.
Seeing that the bruises on her daughter's back hadn't faded, the wound had opened again, and blood was oozing out faintly, Fuzhu's eyes immediately turned red, and she said with heartache:
"Miss, you finally managed to heal your back injury, but yesterday you insisted on going out and climbing some damn mountain. What's so good about that mountain? Miss, you insisted that Master Liu take you there? Now you're in so many injuries, how long will it take to heal? Even if you recover, I'm afraid there will be scars..."
Xue Yuanyin pursed her lips and said nothing, lying on the silk pillow, letting Fuzhu nag and change the medicine.
Yesterday, she followed Liu Minyan out of the house smoothly with a glimmer of hope. Liu Minyan wanted to take her for a walk at the foot of the mountain and then return, but she begged him to take her hiking to see the scenery.
Liu Minyan was indeed a considerate man. He clearly saw through her thoughts, but he did not ask any questions and took good care of her along the way. As expected, her wound opened up and the pain was unbearable, but she climbed up the mountain smoothly and overlooked the eaves and tiles of Zhuyue Palace.
Standing on the hill north of the city and looking at Zhuyue Palace, I felt that it was extremely beautiful. It was located on the north side of the imperial palace wall, but it was not inferior to it at all. It had flying eaves and carved buildings, and it was graceful and exquisite, with a sense of coolness and majesty.
One glance reveals that it is a great place to relax for a little while.
It is also like the moonlight that is out of her reach.
Xue Yuanyin didn't know if she would have another chance to go there, but it was obviously impossible to go today, so she might as well stand on the top of the mountain and take a look.
Xue Chang would agree to Liu Minyan taking her out, but he would never agree to her visiting Zhu Yue Palace. Even today's mountain climbing trip in the north of the city was the result of Liu Minyan turning a blind eye.
She climbed slowly, and going down the mountain was even more difficult. She returned to the mansion at dusk. As expected, when she took off her cloak and skirt, she saw that the wound on her back had cracked again, and blood was seeping onto her snow-white inner garment.
She didn't know whether Zhang Jingxuan was waiting for her in Zhuyue Palace.
She had breached the contract first, and now there were rumors that she was about to get engaged. Zhang Jingxuan was usually rational and calm, as well as extremely perceptive, and he must have guessed the Xue family's choice.
Regardless of whether Zhang Jingxuan likes her or not, even if he has some sympathy for her in his heart, after this breach of contract, he will probably misunderstand that she is unwilling.
They were strangers on different paths, and he was more rational than anyone else. She was the first to fall into it and develop delusions.
None of them contacted each other today. It seemed like a stalemate, or a tacit estrangement.
Xue Yuanyin paused in thought. Fuzhu had already bandaged the wound on her back and was gently massaging the purple whip marks. She couldn't tell where the pain was, her skin or her heart.
The mulberry tree had grown here for a hundred years. Later, when the Xue Mansion was built, the tree was enclosed within the walled courtyard. It grew vigorously, its crown stretched out, and everyone praised its luxuriant growth. However, its roots were always rooted in a corner of the Xue Mansion, unable to break free or escape.
She lay on the silk pillow with her eyes closed, her breathing rising and falling violently, clutching the quilt beneath her tightly, her nails turning white from holding on so tightly.
-
Winter has arrived, and charcoal fires are prepared in every room and courtyard of the Zhang Mansion.
The study in Zhanyun Courtyard had a floor heater, eliminating the need for charcoal fires. In the quiet interior, Zhang Jingxuan sat at his desk, his eyes lowered, his wrist suspended, painting a seemingly unassuming image of a wedding gown.
He had measured his chest last time and marked it down. Now he had all the sizes, but the details of the clothing pattern still needed to be considered.
Although he was an outstanding painter, he had high standards and was not interested in the patterns and shapes of ordinary wedding dresses. He also did not have much knowledge of clothing.
Therefore, he went to Zhuyue Palace these days to read the relevant books carefully, and had some general ideas.
Zhang Jingxuan spread out another piece of straw paper, drew a few patterns, and lowered his eyes to think.
There was a knock on the study door. He said "Come in". Huaizhou pushed the door open and said:
"Sir, we have found some clues to the matter you asked us to investigate."
Zhang Jingxuan paused his pen and said, "Speak."
Huaizhou moved sideways to make way for a tall and thin figure to walk in.
The man closed the door, walked to the desk, put down a secret letter, and spoke in a cold voice:
"Everything you asked me to check is listed above."
Zhang Jingxuan put down his pen and picked up the secret letter, which was sealed with wax.
He opened it and read it carefully with his eyes lowered.
The letter was thoroughly investigated, even the other party's place of origin, life, personality, likes and dislikes, friends, and what kind of clothes he usually wore were all clearly investigated.
The man's name was Liu Minyan. He came from a remote area near Luoyang. He was gifted and exceptional, having been recommended by a local scholar to study at the Imperial College. He was a classmate of Chen Suo's. Despite his humble background, he possessed a gentle temperament, neither humble nor overbearing. After graduating from the Imperial College, during the six months he and Xue Yuanyin spent in Quanyang County, Liu Minyan hadn't visited His Royal Highness the Prince of Yu, but he had maintained frequent, clandestine interactions with Xue Chang.
Zhang Jingxuan skipped over the various life stories and looked at the last few paragraphs, his eyes falling on a line of words.
Marquis Qing'an intends to choose a young man from a poor family as a son-in-law for his only daughter. The man he likes the most is Liu Minyan. The two parties have already reached an agreement and are planning to get engaged soon.
He grasped the secret letter imperceptibly, but his face remained calm as he said:
"Is this news true?"
The other party twitched the corner of his lips lightly, not wanting to test him back and forth, and said:
"Young Master Zhang entered the government at a young age, and he's experienced and steady, but the older he gets, the more he talks nonsense."
Zhang Jingxuan also knew that he had asked a useless question.
In order not to alert his grandfather, Old Master Zhang, he did not use the Zhang family's spies. After many twists and turns, he specially asked an old friend to investigate, that is, the son of Duke Xuanping who is now in charge of the capital's troops.
Ning Chu was once his best friend, and grew up with him and Xue Yi. Although Duke Xuanping's family later moved away from the capital and Ning Chu also went to Luoyang, they often exchanged letters over the years and their relationship remained strong.
Since he is in charge, the news must be correct.
Ning Chu's patience was running out, but since he had agreed to this, he didn't care about the other party's reaction. He simply condensed the information he had found and told them:
"To put it simply, Miss Xue is getting engaged and is preparing for the engagement at home. The person you asked me to investigate is her fiancé, the son-in-law of the Xue family."
Zhang Jingxuan said calmly, "Even though we haven't gotten engaged yet, he's already the future son-in-law."
Ning Chu said coldly: "Is there any difference?"
Seeing that he remained silent, Ning Chu, considering their past friendship, simply spoke the whole thing:
"You just don't want to see this scene. Why don't you just go and explain it clearly?"
Zhang Jingxuan remained silent.
In fact, the emperor had been paving the way for the prince a few years ago. Not only did he begin to purge the dissident parties in the court, he also transferred many old ministers who had retired from various places and reappointed them, gradually replacing the cronies and personnel that His Royal Highness Prince Yu had placed in the court.
Most people in the game see a fog, but he has been in the East Palace since he was young, which is the position closest to the emperor. Over the years, he has keenly noticed some clues, so he was lucky enough to guess who the emperor's favorite candidate for the crown prince is.
The Zhang family was not a member of the Eastern Palace's faction, but rather loyal to the Emperor, and had no desire to be involved in factional disputes. It was only with the Emperor's subtle hints and tacit approval that they sided with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
As the eldest grandson of the Zhang family, he was the prince's study companion when he was young, and now he is an aide to the Eastern Palace and the prince's most trusted minister. If he continues to move forward on this path, it should be a smooth road for him, with a rapid rise to the top, just waiting to enter the cabinet. In the future, he will surely be in charge of the government, hold power, and be very popular in the court and the country.
A future full of flowers and splendor is nothing more than this.
Zhang Jingxuan knew that he should move forward along this path. He had never made a mistake and had never thought about making a mistake.
He shoulders the responsibility of the entire Zhang family, and is the one everyone expects of him. He carries the weight of public expectations and has no choice but to shoulder them. If he makes a mistake, the entire Zhang family will be engulfed in factional strife, with no hope of recovery.
So...he can't afford to make any mistakes.
He was silent for a moment, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions in his heart. His face was expressionless, and he said in a cold voice:
"You are just speculating. What does it have to do with me if the daughter of Prince Yu's party wants to get engaged?"
Ning Chu's temperament had always been at odds with his. Upon hearing this, he pulled up the painting on the desk. Under Zhang Jingxuan's sudden and cold gaze, he exposed the carefully painted wedding dress and said sarcastically:
"I'm not being nice, I'm just curious. Zhang Qu, who are you trying to fool? Can you even fool yourself? So many people have seen the clues, and you've always been perceptive. Could it be that you're blind this time and can't see it?"
Ning Chu was born with a sharp tongue, and now he was even more impatient. He stood with his back straight in front of the elegant antique display case, his cold and sharp eyebrows showing a hint of scorn. He put down the wedding dress painting, crossed his arms and said:
"Will being tough get you the hottest meal in the kitchen? Or will it get you the best toilet seat? Even now, you still don't want to admit it to me?"
“That’s enough!”
Zhang Jingxuan suddenly stood up, pressing his palms hard against the desk. Veins on his arms were faintly bulging, and his gentle eyes were filled with indifference and sharpness:
"Who do you want me to admit it to? How come I don't know what I need to admit?!"
The air suddenly became quiet. After a moment, he forced himself to calm down. His voice was cold and indifferent after trying his best to restrain himself:
"If she marries me, this is the wedding dress. If she marries someone else..."
His Adam's apple rolled in his neck, and he said slowly:
"This is the wedding gift."
Ning Chu sneered after hearing this: "I really don't know whether to say you are calm and perseverant, or to say you are a coward."
Zhang Jingxuan had a bad look on his face and remained silent.
Ning Chu said: "Maybe I really saw it wrong."
He raised his cold, beautiful dark eyes and whispered, "You don't cherish or love anyone in your heart, so you don't understand what it feels like to be afraid of losing someone."
Seeing that he still didn't respond, Ning Chu suddenly felt that it was meaningless and gave up persuading him. After all, his mission was completed both publicly and privately. He said lightly:
"It seems you are indeed caught in a whirlpool, with no control over your fate. If that's the case, then let it be. You watch her get married and become your enemy. Don't look back. Don't come looking for me again about this matter in the future."
Ning Chu raised his hand slightly to say goodbye, turned around and left, his back disappearing at the gate of Zhanyun Courtyard.
In the quiet study, the calmness on Zhang Jingxuan's face slowly disappeared, and his expression became gloomy.
Did he ever want to see Xue Yuanyin become his opponent?
But since the day she broke her promise, she had never thought of giving him an explanation, not even a hint.
Zhang Jingxuan didn't want to say how long he had been waiting for her to deliver the letter. It would make him look ridiculous.
He is the heir to the head of a noble family in the capital, the most valued minister of the future crown prince. Born into nobility and living a life of luxury, he cannot abandon his status, face and pride and take the initiative to go to the Xue Mansion to ask for a status from her, and throw himself at her like an unprincipled servant.
Do we have to be like a pug, coming when we need you and leaving when we don't?
Zhang Jingxuan slowly clenched his fists and closed his eyes in restraint.
The sound of his grandfather's slapping on his side was still fresh in his mind, and the Crown Prince's earnest expectations and subtle suggestions kept surfacing in his mind. Zhang Jingxuan suddenly felt a sharp, intense pain in his heart, for no apparent reason. He couldn't figure it out, or perhaps he didn't want to think about it too deeply.
His arms were shaking, veins popped on his forehead, and his chest was heaving. He clutched the secret letter in his palm, trying to calm himself down as quickly as possible. He tensed for a few seconds and slowly exerted force, but suddenly he heard a soft sound in the air -
The secret letter was crushed into pieces by someone's grip.
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The author has something to say: I didn’t expect that the wedding dress is a knife! OvO
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