Chapter 12 He acted out of character and took her hand first…
Last night she clearly decided that she no longer liked him.
But his words, "I think about it day and night, I am filled with anxiety and fear of loss," seemed to rekindle a spark in his lifeless heart.
That light that has shone in my heart for so many years cannot be extinguished overnight.
She didn't want to be so pathetic.
She bit her lip, almost drawing blood.
Wei Xuan noticed her predicament.
In any case, it shouldn't be her decision whether or not the concubine-taking ceremony should take place.
If she signs the document, it would be like unknowingly putting herself in shackles.
However, if she didn't sign the document, she would be embarrassing Wei Zhang in public, and Wei Zhang might take his anger out on her.
This is not something she should have to endure.
Wei Xuan suddenly snatched the concubine's letter and threw it into the incense burner.
The concubine's book suddenly burst into flames three inches high, and in an instant, half of it was burned away.
"Ah!" The women in the hall screamed.
A rustling sound of discussion then arose.
What Wei Xuan burned were documents bearing the official seal, representing the majesty of the imperial court.
To burn it so easily is tantamount to ignoring the laws of Dayong; this matter can be serious or minor.
The festive atmosphere suddenly turned solemn, and the crackling sound of burning was subtle yet clear.
Wei Zhang's eyes were also ignited by the flames; his unfathomable pupils were hell, a precipice.
"Take up pen and ink, and rewrite my letter." Wei Zhang said firmly.
The clan elder behind him, sensing Wei Zhang's determination, stepped forward, shrugging his neck, and said, "Young Master, even if the concubine's petition can be rewritten, the procedures can't be completed in a short time. Perhaps..."
Wei Zhang's cold gaze swept over.
A cold glint of light swept over Vice Minister Lu, who shuddered and quickly bowed before retreating to prepare for the stamping of official documents.
It was already noon, and no one in the hall dared to move without permission; they had to stay and observe the ceremony.
What Wei Zhang wanted to do could not be hindered by burning a mere concubine's letter.
Everything he wants has to be his!
Silence fell over the surroundings as a ray of sunlight shone in, dividing the hall into two worlds of light and shadow.
The plaque above his head, inscribed with "Pillar of the Nation and Supporter of Heaven," shone brightly, its golden light illuminating only Wei Zhang.
He stood tall and imposing, the undisputed master of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Wei Xuan was plunged into darkness, seemingly unable to reverse the situation.
But he no longer showed the humility and deference he used to.
He stood opposite him.
With almost the same height, the moment their eyes met, a palpable tension filled the air.
No matter what means he uses today, even if it goes against the will of the world, he cannot allow Wei Zhang to marry Zhao Yang.
His fingers curled slightly as he rubbed the Bodhi seed on his wrist, as if weighing something.
Wei Zhang's gaze also fell leisurely on his hand, as if waiting for something.
On the desk, two wisps of smoke from the Boshan incense burner intertwined and rose, one seemingly destined to consume the other.
The fight was in full swing.
Suddenly, a hand pushed Wei Zhang away.
Wei Zhang was caught off guard and was pushed into the darkness.
The old matriarch stood in front of her eldest son, pointing her finger at Wei Zhang's nose, "What are you up to, trying to force your brother to his death? What did he ever do to wrong you?"
As soon as the old lady stepped into the door, she saw Wei Zhang pressuring his eldest son.
Because of Wei Zhang's taking a concubine, the eldest son had already missed the opportunity to treat his eyes.
Wei Zhang continued to press him, urging him to burn the concubine's book, thus violating the law.
He wouldn't stop until he pushed his eldest son to the deepest level of hell!
The more the old lady thought about it, the angrier she became. She grabbed Wei Zhang by the collar and said, "How could the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion produce such an ingrate? Back then, you betrayed your friends for personal gain, caused your father's death, and now you've taken away your brother's position and driven your own mother out of the mansion. How far will you destroy the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion before you stop?"
Hysterical questions echoed in the lobby.
The faces of everyone present were filled with shock.
If Wei Zhang were to hear such a blatant accusation from his own mother, and if someone were to embellish it and spread the word, he would not escape unscathed.
At present, there is a struggle for the position of chief minister, and the old lady's words have effectively dragged Wei Zhang down from his high position.
Xue Lanyi stood behind Wei Zhang, feeling the old lady's disgust, anger, and alienation, but she saw not a trace of maternal affection.
Weren't Wei Zhang and his brother born of the same mother?
Xue Lanyi was puzzled, but she was genuinely worried about the atmosphere that was about to ignite.
Wei Zhang remained calm as usual, his gaze slowly falling on the disheveled clothes. "Mother's madness has relapsed. Take her down to see a doctor."
"I'm not sick, you want to poison me, don't you? You want to shut your mother up, don't you..."
"mother!"
Wei Xuan interrupted the old lady.
Today's matter concerns him and Wei Zhang.
Now that Wei Zhang holds great power, it wouldn't be difficult for him to quietly deal with the Dowager Empress.
Wei Xuan didn't want his mother to be dragged into this for no reason.
But the old lady was also angry because Wei Xuan had given up the opportunity to treat his eye disease for no reason. She turned around and scolded him: "You are the same! You have already cleaned up the mess for one woman for three years, and now you want to compete for another woman?"
"Come with me!" The old lady took Wei Xuan's hand.
Overcome with excitement, the red string on Wei Xuan's wrist snapped.
Bodhi beads rolled all over the ground.
A small white jade bodhi seed rolled to Wei Zhang's toes.
It spins around, and the engravings on it are very eye-catching.
Wei Zhang narrowed his eyes, observing thoughtfully.
Wei Xuan squatted down to pick up the scattered beads. His eyesight was poor and he couldn't feel them accurately, so the maids and servants quickly came forward to help.
The old lady suddenly clutched her forehead and staggered half a step.
"The old lady has fainted!" the old woman exclaimed, and everyone rushed over. "Call the royal physician! Quickly, call the royal physician!"
The servants outside remained unmoved.
The old lady collapsed right before everyone's eyes.
The clan elder, unable to bear it any longer, walked to Wei Zhang's side and said, "Young Master, if something were to happen to the Old Madam here and now, it would be a loss of face for you. Perhaps..."
The clan elder carefully observed Wei Zhang's expression. "Perhaps we should postpone the matter of taking a concubine and ask the old lady to go and rest first."
"OK."
"..."
The clan elders were surprised that the young master was so easy to get along with today. They had other words of advice left unsaid. After a moment of hesitation, they quickly ordered their servants to find the family physician and asked the guests to leave.
Only members of the clan remained in the main hall.
Wei Xuan supported the unconscious old lady, but his eyes never left Xue Lanyi.
Xue Lanyi was genuinely frightened by the unusual behavior of the eldest son, and silently took a step behind Wei Zhang to block his view.
Wei Xuan never imagined that one day the girl he loved would avoid him like the plague.
His eyes were bloodshot, a thousand thoughts swirling within him, but he knew that ceasing his pursuit was the best way to protect her.
Fortunately, the practice of taking concubines has been discontinued, and other matters should be discussed after the outsiders have left.
His gaze slowly left Xue Lanyi, and he first escorted the old lady back to her room.
Xue Lanyi was also unsettled. She curtsied and said, "Your Highness, I will take my leave now."
"etc."
Wei Zhang bent down to pick up the Bodhi beads that had been left behind, stroked them for a while with a cryptic expression, and then rolled them into his palm: "Together."
Xue Lanyi was slightly taken aback, and mumbled an "Oh".
The two went to Chong'an Hall together.
Wei Zhang usually walked with great speed and agility, and Xue Lanyi always followed him, taking three steps at a time.
This time, he seemed to have deliberately slowed down to match Xue Lanyi's pace.
He had never been so accommodating to her before.
Not to mention making concessions, he never even offered to do anything with her, not even a simple walk together to clear his head.
Xue Lanyi was filled with doubts, but the sweet fragrance of lilies filled her nostrils.
She came to her senses, and the two of them had unknowingly walked quite a distance along the lake, far away from the hustle and bustle.
There was no one around, only the two of them walking side by side.
To their right were fields of lilies in full bloom, and to their left was a clear lake.
The rainy season is over, and the sky is exceptionally clear.
The shimmering lake reflected their shadows, his tall figure overlapping hers.
The breeze blowing from the lake lifted Wei Zhang's cloak and gently patted Xue Lanyi's back.
Looking at the reflection in the lake, it resembles a man with his arm around a woman's shoulder, enjoying a spring outing and admiring the flowers.
It's a beautiful scene that only exists in dreams.
Xue Lanyi's heart stirred slightly, and she looked away.
Wei Zhang was looking at her.
In his memory, she was extremely talkative and rarely seemed to be silent.
"Didn't we say we made longevity peaches today?"
"It's gone."
The red beans intended for making longevity peaches have already been sent by Xue Lanyi to the kitchen to feed the piglets.
Xue Lanyi uttered a muffled sound and said nothing more.
Wei Zhang was speechless.
They didn't say anything, but somehow they got closer and closer, their shoulders brushing against each other from time to time.
As they approached the kitchen, they suddenly heard the old woman standing at the door, hands on her hips, scolding the young maids, "This shad was brought back from the south overnight by the Old Madam with great effort, using an ice chest, to help the young master improve his eyesight. I asked you to make a soup, and you slack off and doze off. Watch out, you'll be naughty!"
"Quickly ladle out the soup, simmer the noodles and send them to the eldest young master. If you need any more dumplings, you don't need to go back to the kitchen, just go directly to the butler and wait for them to be sold!"
...
Xue Lanyi was surprised.
Needless to say, shad is very valuable. Ever since the eldest son returned, the old lady has wanted to stuff the Duke's mansion with all the delicacies in the world.
This kind of thing is nothing new to everyone.
But wasn't the old lady just sick? How come she has the energy to order soup to be made so soon?
Or perhaps the old lady wasn't actually ill or consumed by rage, and that her reckless accusations against Wei Zhang were actually an attempt to protect the eldest son.
After all, the eldest son had just burned the imperial documents. If the crisis is not shifted, the eldest son may not be in a good position.
But by doing this, the old matriarch is clearly putting Wei Zhang in a dangerous situation...
Xue Lanyi glanced at Wei Zhang out of the corner of her eye.
Wei Zhang's mind was elsewhere; he was preoccupied with something else entirely.
Noticing Xue Lanyi's gaze, he turned his head.
Their eyes met.
Xue Lanyi glanced away and avoided the question.
She saw no emotion in Wei Zhang's eyes.
Perhaps the old lady's way of dealing with people was just like everyday life to him, too ordinary, so even if he guessed the old lady's true intentions, he couldn't feel any emotion.
Xue Lanyi didn't want to make a fool of herself by comforting him.
The two continued walking silently away from the kitchen.
Behind them, the old woman's instructions could be faintly heard: "Take the leftover noodles in the pot to the young master, so that he won't worry and cause trouble for the eldest son."
"Yes!" the maids replied timidly and softly.
Xue Lanyi paused slightly, falling half a step behind Wei Zhang.
She gazed at Wei Zhang's lonely figure with a complex expression.
Has the old lady forgotten that today is Wei Zhang's birthday?
On one's birthday, longevity noodles are eaten, and the longer the noodles, the more auspicious it is. Noodles that are broken into small pieces are considered very unlucky.
"Longevity noodles...do you want some?" Xue Lanyi blurted out.
She regretted it as soon as she said it.
With so many guests in the front yard celebrating Wei Zhang's birthday, how could a banquet be complete without a bowl of longevity noodles?
She knew she was making a fool of herself by asking, and she knew he probably didn't have the time, didn't need the information, or had no appetite.
"Never mind, the small kitchen is out of flour..."
"Send someone to fetch it," Wei Zhang suddenly said.
Xue Lanyi was surprised that he agreed and was at a loss for words, standing there stunned.
Wei Zhang stopped and waited for her.
Seeing that she didn't move, he stepped back and, contrary to his usual behavior, grabbed her wrist through her sleeve.
A note from the author:
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