internal strife
Knowing her own insignificance, she felt even more ashamed to visit Bo Jun again.
For Bo Jun, staying far away from her was the best course of action. She naturally couldn't bother her anymore, so all she could do was bury her face in her knees and cry useless tears.
Even late at night, only a solitary lamp keeps me company.
Late at night, there was a knock on the door.
Jingwan raised her head, still choking back tears from her earlier outburst.
Qingyu and Moyu had already yawned and gone to sleep. Even when they knocked on the door, they made a loud banging noise. Now, no one knows who the visitor is.
Before she could get out of bed, the door was pushed open.
Lu Chang stood at the door, feeling a pang of heartache.
Jingwan's eyes were red, and her black hair was soaked with tears, sticking messily to both sides of her cheeks. The most noticeable part was her forehead, which had bled from being wiped without her noticing.
Lu Chang closed the door and quietly entered.
He shouldn't have come; he shouldn't have even stepped into this courtyard.
It is against etiquette.
It would tarnish her reputation and make her the target of public condemnation.
When Lu Chang saw Bo Jun surrounded by her relatives, who kept asking her how she was doing, he wondered how that equally unlucky girl was doing now.
Her nominal father was sent to another city a few days ago and hasn't returned for a month. Her nominal mother fueled the fire, putting her in a very difficult position.
Now that we're the target of everyone's criticism, why should anyone care?
Sure enough, she was the only one crying!
Even though she knew that Lu Chang's arrival was somewhat inappropriate, Jingwan didn't say a word.
His hands were beautiful, with well-defined knuckles and long, slender fingers, but they were a little cold. He gently lifted her chin and then released her.
Lu Chang took out the ointment and wiped her forehead with it. He gently made circles on it, glancing down at her after each circle, afraid that she might be uncomfortable.
The tears that had just subsided suddenly flowed again, streaming down her face, and her eyes became even redder.
He had just finished applying the ointment when he felt a tightness in his arms. She threw herself into his embrace and burst into tears.
Lu Chang felt both helpless and amused; the medicine had been applied to his body, but it seemed to have been a waste of time.
He was still holding the ointment in his hand. Seeing her hugging him, he couldn't help but hug her back and gently pat her back, as if soothing a crying baby.
Jingwan cried uncontrollably, wiping her snot and tears all over Lu Chang.
There was a time when I would bury my face in my mother's arms and cry my heart out when I was wronged, without caring about saving face. I just taught her to accept everything about herself.
Lu Chang sighed deeply, sat down next to Jing Wan, and took out a handkerchief to wipe her face clean.
Jingwan adjusted her position, leaning half of her body against his chest, clutching his clothes tightly.
It would be hypocritical to talk about the separation of men and women at this moment. Lu Chang put his arms around her, just like... just like back then.
She led Lu Jiajun over mountains and valleys, and at night, she would hold him like this and sleep in his arms.
“You are new to Pingdu and are at home, so naturally you are unaware of the situation outside. Even today, you have not made a single mistake. According to the laws of the Great Wei, one must not ride in the bustling city; the fault lies with others.”
Lu Chang gently comforted her, thinking that she must be feeling extremely guilty. The scene in the hall during the day would only make her feel that she had made a terrible mistake.
But what did she do wrong? She was walking along the road, not bothering anyone.
Bo Jun is the same.
When his younger sister was attacked, he did not stand idly by but stepped in to save her. He should have been praised by his elders for his sense of responsibility as an elder brother, but instead he was unjustly punished with a beating.
Jingwan shook her head, and after a long while, she said in a muffled voice, "I shouldn't have gone out."
If I hadn't left the mansion, how could I have run into that person?
Lu Chang was still gently patting her back, casually, yet as if he had done it a thousand times.
Jingwan is innocent and naive, but if she wants to stay in the Duke's mansion, she must know some things about human affairs.
He looked down and saw her little eyelashes fluttering. Although she had stopped crying, she seemed a little dazed.
"The man who injured you on horseback today was Yang Nancheng, the famous Left Army Lieutenant of Pingdu. Although he is a eunuch, he holds military power in the Left Shence Army. His father is Eunuch Yang, a favorite of the Emperor, so he has quite a bit of influence."
Jingwan didn't understand anything about the Shence Army, but she knew that the man had the Emperor's background, and her expression became even more tense.
No wonder there was such a big commotion at my house today; they almost offended the Emperor!
Lu Chang sensed her fear and patted her back with slightly more force.
“It’s precisely because he’s such a big shot that he wouldn’t remember someone as insignificant as you. What happened in the market is over and done with. This Lieutenant Zuo is busy with his affairs and doesn’t have time to cause trouble for you and Bo Jun.”
“That man is the type to hold a grudge; if he harbors a grudge, he would kill you on the spot. And today’s troubles at home are all because of your mother.”
Jingwan didn't understand what he meant, so she turned around and lay on his lap, listening to him speak.
Lu Changchao took a blanket from behind him and covered her with it. He then tucked the strands of hair that were sticking to her cheeks behind her delicate ears and asked her, "Do you think Gao Yun is really domineering? Even a legitimate daughter like Shi Jun sometimes gives way to her?"
Jingwan carefully recalled the scene of playing with the two sisters today and found that it was indeed the case.
In the clothing store, it was clearly Shi Jun who first took a look at the pink butterfly gauze dress, but Gao Yun fell in love with it at first sight and snatched the dress to try it on without asking any questions.
When buying jewelry, the two sisters both liked a pearl necklace. Shijun gave in by saying that she had too many pearl jewelry pieces, and let Gaoyun buy it for her.
She was indeed very arrogant, except for Bo Jun who would say a few words to her.
“Gao Yun’s mother, Wang, came from a merchant family. According to the law, merchants were considered lowly. She was originally a concubine, but in the end, she was promoted to the principal wife because she recognized a good adoptive father. That adoptive father is now Eunuch Yang Fujin.”
Lu Changben always felt that a real man shouldn't gossip behind people's backs, as it might diminish his masculinity if it got out.
How can a man act like a woman and gossip about others?
Originally, he only wanted to coax the young girl to let go of her worries, so he shamelessly talked more. But as he talked, he gradually realized that the Gao family's affairs could no longer be regarded as matters of the inner quarters.
They had long been dragged into this stinking ditch.
Unbeknownst to them, the Gao family members had all chosen which side to stand on.
Lu Chang's mood inevitably dipped a bit.
"The emperor was raised by this eunuch when he was young, and they had a deep bond. After he ascended the throne, he called him 'Father,' which meant that he regarded him as his own father."
The emperor is only sixteen now, still very young, and the affairs of the court largely depend on this 'father.' His power is beyond your comprehension."
He paused, then said, "Once Wang has recognized this godfather, she has gained immense support. Everyone in this household fears her, yet everyone relies on her."
Jingwan thought for a moment and said, "Is it because Bojun is too young and not yet capable of shouldering the heavy responsibilities of the household?"
Lu Chang was somewhat surprised that she had thought of this point. He gently pinched her ear and nodded in agreement: "Although the Duke's Mansion has a title, no one in it has real power. Compared to other wealthy families in Pingdu, it is really not enough to maintain appearances. But because of the Wang family, no one dares to look down on the Gao family."
Jingwan stared at Lu Chang with wide eyes and slowly said, "I heard Gao Yun say today that the Gao family is now living entirely on her mother's money. Is that true?"
Lu Chang nodded.
The Gao family was not good at managing their land. Although they owned a hundred acres of land, the land they were allocated was so barren that it was difficult to harvest anything, so naturally they didn't earn much money.
The Gao family's advocacy of frugality over the past two years is partly due to the decreasing income of the household.
However, the Gao family was a prominent and wealthy family, and they couldn't always keep their doors closed to guests. The Duchess of the State still had to socialize and make friends outside to maintain the family's aristocratic relationships for her children.
All of these require money.
This is the ability of Wang, who came from a merchant family, to be so flamboyant in the household.
"So you understand the purpose of Bo Jun being beaten today. Your aunt wanted to set an example for Wang Shi, to make Wang Shi understand that they would never dare to show the slightest disrespect to the Yang family, so that Wang Shi would not complain to her godfather and ruin Bo Jun's future."
“Mother is too domineering. After all, we are family. How can we get along if things get so tense?” Jingwan knew that Wang was arrogant, but when she thought that what happened today was all done to show her, she felt that she was really ruthless.
Back then in the hall, she was still able to eat pastries bite by bite while watching Bo Jun get beaten.
If her cousin hadn't returned, she probably wouldn't have so easily told the servants to stop.
Lu Chang unconsciously twirled his fingers around a strand of hair, and sneered, "You can't blame her entirely. Before she recognized her adoptive father, her life in the Duke's mansion wasn't easy either."
Lu Chang didn't elaborate on this past event. Although she spoke of it vaguely, Jing Wan could guess that she must have suffered at the hands of this sister-in-law and now harbored some thoughts of revenge.
Jingwan stopped talking, then turned over and lay comfortably on Lu Chang's lap.
Seeing that she finally seemed a little more relaxed, Lu Chang unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
"Don't overthink it. Your situation is really insignificant. It's just that Bo Jun is a bit unlucky. From now on, you just need to be careful with your words and actions and stay away from that Wang woman and her two children."
Jingwan nodded: "I'll listen to my cousin."
She looked at Lu Chang, whose jawline was still beautiful. He had gradually shed his youthful naiveté and gained more of a man's composure and fortitude.
It looks somewhat familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before.
Seeing her staring at him, Lu Chang laughed and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
Jingwan answered him honestly: "I used to be very afraid of my cousin and didn't dare to talk to him. Later I realized that my cousin is the best person in the world. I should have known him a long time ago."
She has never been good at getting close to people, but she felt an affinity for her cousin. After the initial awkwardness faded, she felt that she and her cousin must have known each other as siblings in a past life.
Lu Chang was taken aback and remained silent.
Jingwan yawned, her heart finally at ease. After all the commotion during the day, she was inevitably drowsy. As sleepiness crept in, she heard a voice ask her, "Do you remember when you were in the Northwest, you guided a lost army?"
Lu Chang watched her fall asleep, initially thinking he wouldn't get an answer. He was settling her into bed and about to leave when he heard her mumble, "I can't remember..."
He rubbed his forehead and smiled wryly. Her sleeping face was so beautiful that he couldn't bear to wake her up and make her think about it some more.
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