Chapter 28 Chapter 28 She is not an orphan who can be bullied by others...
The carriage left the city and headed all the way to the mountains where there were piles of fortifications.
The path is secluded and the forest is lush, springs meander and overflow, large tracts of green leaves sway in the wind, and occasionally there are the crisp calls of deer.
It has the artistic conception of "the deer calls and eats apples in the wild".
Xiaoman kept gazing at the mountain scenery outside. Sometimes he would look up and sigh at how tall the trees were, thinking they must have been there for a hundred or two hundred years. Sometimes he would point to something with surprise and say, "Deer, little deer!"
Chen Ling'an remained silent, closing his eyes to rest.
He didn't respond, but Xiaoman didn't feel bored and hummed a song to herself.
It was an unfinished country tune that Chen Ling'an had heard when he was in Xuanfu.
It was a flat, vast threshing floor, golden wheat neatly spread out on the ground. People sang as they wielded flails, striking the threshing floor one after another, rising and falling, each stroke bringing with it the joy of harvest.
The passionate, straightforward, enthusiastic and vibrant scene made him forget the pain of losing his loved ones for a short while.
Thinking about it now, it seems like a lifetime ago.
Chen Lingan opened his eyes and said, "Stop singing."
Xiaoman smiled and said, "I'm not a very good singer, but Auntie Lin said that although my voice isn't great, it's very emotional and quite pleasant."
Chen Lingan: "She's trying to coax you. It's so unpleasant, almost like the quacking of a duck."
Xiaoman: "You're being sarcastic again. Actually, you like to hear that, right?"
Chen Ling'an closed his eyes and ignored her.
The carriage slowly stopped, and Wu Yong's voice drifted in, "Sir, we've arrived."
Xiaoman stuck her head out curiously, and when she saw the scene clearly, she couldn't help but exclaimed "Oh".
A five-bay building is shaded by countless exotic flowers and plants, with whitewashed walls and terraces. You can feel the elegance and nobility before you even enter the door.
Chen Ling'an jumped off the carriage first, then turned around and helped Xiaoman.
"It must be a restaurant that's incredibly expensive." Xiaoman whispered, "Even if you had money, you wouldn't do it this way. I'm kind of regretting it."
Chen Ling'an suddenly grabbed her hand.
Xiaoman was surprised and subconsciously pulled her hand back.
Chen Lingan grabbed it even harder.
Xiaoman stumbled after him and almost tripped several times.
He walked so fast that it seemed as if he would not have the courage to step into the house again if he stopped.
Someone tried to stop him, but was stopped by Wu Yong.
More people gathered around and asked who they were.
Chen Lingan ignored him and walked in.
Those people tried to use violence, but were knocked down by Wu Yong.
Xiaoman felt something was wrong, but she didn't have time to think about it.
Dong! Chen Lingan kicked open the lattice door.
In the huge hall, there were graceful windows, vases and incense burners, bookshelves filled with volumes like a forest of wolf-hair brushes, and in the middle a large rosewood desk. More than ten figures were sitting in a position of importance, all of them were splendidly decorated and looked majestic.
Xiaoman saw several familiar faces, Liu Jinshu, Liu Fang...
There was also the father whose facial features were distorted with fear.
This is a meeting room, not a restaurant at all!
She was confused and looked at Chen Ling'an in confusion.
But Chen Ling'an only stared at a person in front of him and ignored her questions.
"Sorry, I'm late." He smiled faintly, with the confidence and composure of someone who knew everything.
"Why are you here?" asked the middle-aged man sitting at the top.
The man had a calm expression, and his dark pupils shone with a crystal-clear light, looking very warm and gentle.
However, as soon as he opened his mouth, an invisible pressure came over him.
Chen Ling'an seemed not to notice anything and walked slowly to the man. The boss pulled a chair over and sat down without any hesitation.
"The Jinyiwei monitors all officials, so it's normal for them to appear anywhere. You're asking even though you already know the answer, Second Uncle."
Second uncle? Xiaoman's scalp tingled, and a bad premonition grew stronger and stronger.
Chen Shao had his own vanguards charging into battle, and he immediately shouted, "You are clearly a member of the Chen family, yet you are slandering and framing your elders. How shameless and ungrateful!"
Chen Ling'an glanced at the man casually. "Are you the fellow Jinshi who was able to fill the vacancy thanks to my father's recommendation, and who later wrote a manifesto to attack him before my father could even convict him?"
The man's face suddenly turned red.
Chen Ling'an laughed and said, "Second Uncle, if you show any signs of downfall, I'm afraid these people here will rush to impeach you. Be careful."
Chen Shao said, "Everyone here is a friend for life and death. To help is an honor, to leave is a disgrace. Your little tricks will be useless to us."
"I'm just telling the truth. Your hasty denial only makes you seem less confident."
As Chen Ling'an spoke, he seemed to be observing the changes in everyone's expressions casually.
A man with features that somewhat resembled Chen Ling'an suddenly asked, "Who is this little girl?"
Xiaoman instantly became the focus of the crowd.
Observation, curiosity, surprise, suspicion...
All kinds of gazes pierced Xiaoman like needles, and her skin tightened all over her body, and cold sweat began to appear on her forehead.
Chen Ling'an didn't respond. Liu Jinshu wanted to speak, but Liu Fang coughed lightly and his eyes fell lightly on Zhang Wen.
Zhang Wen stared at Xiaoman with resentment and had to stand up to answer: "Young Lord, your humble daughter..."
He didn't know how to explain it at all!
Young Minister? Could he be Minister Chen’s son?
Xiaoman secretly glanced at the man.
You know what, that arrogant demeanor and slightly downturned mouth are exactly the same as Chen Ling'an!
Chen Lingyi suddenly realized, "Oh, it's Chen Ling'an's childhood sweetheart! No wonder they're so close. Hey, didn't you say she was engaged to the Liu family?"
He glanced at Liu Jinshu and said meaningfully, "Is that so? It's no surprise that Chen Ling'an is here..."
Chen Lingan raised his brows.
Liu Jinshu frowned.
Zhang Wen's mind raced, and he jumped up, raised his arm and hit Zhang Xiaoman, "Evil creature!"
He came so suddenly that no one expected him to beat his daughter in public, and no one could stop him in time.
Liu Jinshu jumped up from his chair and walked quickly to Xiaoman's side. "Are you okay?"
Xiaoman covered her face and shook her head.
Chen Ling'an gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, leaned forward, and slowly sat back down.
Liu Jinshu said, "Master Zhang, I invited you to the meeting on a whim, and the Third Miss had no idea. This is clearly Chen Ling'an's plan to sow discord. How could you, such a clever person, not see through it?"
The tone was very unhappy and blaming.
Zhang Wen felt at ease.
Of course he knew that it couldn't be Xiaoman who leaked the secret, but he just wanted to test whether Liu Jinshu disliked his daughter.
Fortunately, Liu Jinshu is protecting his daughter, and he still has hope of becoming Liu Jinshu's old Taishan!
"I really can't see through it," Chen Lingyi said sarcastically. "Even a hero can be tempted by a beautiful woman. Even the most proud gentleman can lose his mind and talk nonsense just to please a beautiful woman."
Liu Jinshu's face darkened, but when he saw his father shaking his head slightly at him, he pretended not to hear.
Chen Shao also glared at his son. Chen Lingyi pursed his lips in dissatisfaction and said nothing.
"This is getting more and more interesting." Chen Ling'an slowly stood up and looked down at Chen Shao. "I want to see how unbreakable your so-called friendship of life and death is."
When he passed by Xiaoman, his steps were a little slow, but he did not stop.
The lattice door creaked softly.
"Get out of here!"
Zhang Wen shouted loudly, waking up Zhang Xiaoman who was standing there in a daze.
She lowered her head and ran out.
Layers of thin gray clouds gathered, the light continued to dim, the leaves remained motionless, and the air was so hot and stuffy that it seemed as if water could be wrung out of it.
Xiaoman walked forward in a daze. She didn't remember the way she came, nor did she know where the road under her feet led to.
Suddenly someone pulled me hard.
Xiaoman was caught off guard and fell face down in the man's arms.
"Watch the road!" Chen Ling'an was a little exasperated. "Are you looking for death?"
Only then did Xiaoman realize that there was a large lake in front of him. The water surface was green and creepy, and he didn't know how deep it was.
One more step and she would fall.
Chen Ling'an pulled her back without a word of comfort or apology.
Just like when he came, Xiaoman stumbled after him.
But walking like this is very tiring, awkward, and easy to fall, she doesn't like it!
Xiaoman shook her hands fiercely.
Chen Ling'an's hands felt empty, and his heart felt inexplicably empty.
"Why, are you disappointed that Liu Jinshu didn't come?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ling'an was stunned.
Xiaoman's mind was in a mess and he hadn't figured out what was going on yet, so he didn't realize the hidden meaning in the words.
His sarcastic tone also made her very annoyed.
"Why are you arguing with him? Whether he comes or not has nothing to do with you and me. Why should I be disappointed?"
"Others?" This slightly respectful address made Chen Ling'an reveal a kind of contempt, sourness and self-deprecating sneer in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
Looks pretty mean.
"How can your fiancé have nothing to do with you?"
"That's not the case at all!"
"No?" Chen Ling'an raised his eyebrows and laughed, "Did you deny it in front of him just now?"
Xiaoman was stunned. "I was so confused at the time that I didn't react... No, why are you the one who keeps questioning me?"
Her face was tense. "I should be the one asking you, what is your purpose in bringing me here?"
After seeing her smiling so many times, Chen Lingan was really not used to this expression.
He was silent for a moment, forcing himself to free himself from his chaotic and complicated emotions. He said bluntly, "As you can see, they're using you to sow discord between them."
"Is this dress your compensation to me?" Xiaoman laughed miserably. "Zhang Junyi stole my marriage, and thought he was even by giving me a piece of jewelry in advance. You used me to set someone up, and you also thought you were even by buying me a dress in advance..."
Chen Ling'an remained silent.
Xiaoman took a deep breath and asked, "Have you ever thought about my situation?"
“I’ve thought about it, but not much.”
"You bastard!"
"I've said it before, I'm not a good person. I will use anyone I can to achieve my goals."
Xiaoman's voice trembled. "When did you start planning this? Since we met again, or since Liu Jinshu took a fancy to me?"
"Does it matter?"
"I know your father died unjustly and you feel bad. If I were you, I would also seek revenge at all costs... I will help you. I am not someone else, I am Xiaoman..."
Xiaoman pursed her lips stubbornly to prevent herself from crying.
Chen Ling'an's voice was cold: "We've only been friends for half a year, and I've even forgotten who you are. You suddenly appeared in the capital and suddenly became the marriage partner of a political enemy. Who wouldn't be suspicious?"
Xiaoman was stunned.
But he still didn't give up, "You were angry just now because I almost fell into the water."
Chen Lingan: "Don't think that just because I'm kind to you, you're special. That makes you look casual."
Bang!
The slap was so powerful that it knocked Chen Ling'an's head sideways.
Xiaoman shook her painful hands and wiped away the tears that were about to fall.
She sneered and said, "You're so careless! Stop being so self-righteous. Who wants you to like them? Who likes you? I was just a little excited to run into someone I know in a strange place. I'm so sorry that you misunderstood me!"
Chen Ling'an said calmly, "I never misunderstood. Only a fool would choose me over Liu Jinshu."
Xiaoman was stunned.
Wu Yong drove the carriage over, put down the footstool, and whispered to them to get in.
Chen Ling'an lifted the car curtain and looked at Xiaoman silently.
She didn't move.
The wind blew, and the corners of the robe flew up, fell down, flew up again, and fell down again...
The curtain fell and the car drove away.
The clouds densely covered the entire sky, like an endless curtain, blocking out the sunlight.
Dragonflies were flying low in swarms, and the hot breeze made the woods rustle.
Wu Yong drove the carriage very slowly, "It's going to rain."
There was no sound in the car. Wu Yong said again, "I can smell the smell of rain. The sky in the west is half dark. It must be a heavy rain."
It was still quiet behind me.
Wu Yong scratched his chin and continued to mutter, "Out in the wilderness, deep in the mountains and old forests, few people go there, bandits are rampant, poor 28-year-old girl..."
Chen Lingan couldn't stand it any longer, "Shut up!"
Wu Yong said cautiously with a forced smile, "Those wolves in that room definitely hold a grudge against the Third Miss, especially Zhang Wen. He was so ruthless. There's a 99% chance they won't take her back."
"Twenty miles of mountain road, and it's raining heavily. What can a delicate and weak little woman do?"
After saying this, he sighed heavily as if he was compassionate to the world.
Chen Lingan snorted, "I didn't realize you were so kind to women."
Wu Yong hurriedly defended himself, "I am thinking about you, my Lord. Now is not the time to be angry. If something happens to her, you will regret it for the rest of your life."
Chen Lingan kicked him out of the car and said, "Get out!"
The carriage was moving slower than an old ox, so Wu Yong rolled on the ground and was unharmed.
By the time he got up, the carriage had already gone far away.
Towards the guild hall.
A little distance away from the guild hall gate, Chen Ling'an pulled the reins, jumped directly from the carriage, and walked quickly inside.
A gust of wind blew past, and raindrops as big as beans instantly hit the roofs and trees, making crackling sounds.
Chen Ling'an hurried back to get an umbrella.
She was not familiar with the road and was sad, so she probably wouldn't go far.
A dress floated out from behind the corner of the opposite corridor. It was the one I bought for her today.
Not stupid, he knew to find a place to shelter from the rain.
Chen Ling'an breathed a sigh of relief.
Too lazy to take a detour, he climbed over the railing and planned to go through the atrium.
His footsteps suddenly stopped.
Liu Jinshu stood beside her!
Her brows were soft, she bent down slightly and whispered something.
She took the handkerchief from him while crying.
Chen Ling'an slowly closed his eyes.
Xiaoman's heart skipped a beat for unknown reason, and she subconsciously looked back.
The rain was pouring down and the courtyard was empty.
Snap, snap...
There was only an oil-paper umbrella, which was washed and pushed by the wind and rain, and hit the rockery again and again.
The rain in midsummer comes quickly and goes away quickly.
Chen Lingyi opened the window, looked at the clear blue sky, and stretched lazily.
"You shouldn't provoke Liu Jinshu." Chen Shao's voice was full of disapproval.
Now that there were no outsiders around, Chen Lingyi spoke even more bluntly. "He looks down on me, so why should I indulge him? The Liu family has done just as much dirty work as I have! We're all just ink in the same inkstone. He's a gentleman, and I'm a despicable villain."
Chen Shao disagreed, "You fell out over this? You've been reckless today."
Chen Lingyi's eyes flickered a few times. "Father, I don't believe you didn't see that Liu Fang wanted the position of Prime Minister."
Chen Shao: "Who among the officials doesn't want to be the Prime Minister? Well, tell me and put your mind at ease - the Emperor has approved my appointment and will issue it by decree next morning."
Chen Lingyi clapped his hands in joy, "My son, congratulates the Prime Minister first!"
But he also said, "That old white-faced guy Zhang tried every way to get help from me, and I gave him face, but he stood me up. If father supports him, he will not recognize me as his son."
Chen Shao knew that he held a grudge against Liu Jinshu, and that the only thing he hated was the rest of the officials.
However, my son has just taken office and it is time to establish his authority. He will not tolerate a fence-sitter who plays both sides.
If you let it go easily, you may be looked down upon in the future and fail to win the support of others.
Zhang Wen is a pretentious hypocrite who can only write flowery parallel prose that praises others' achievements. He is really annoying.
He agreed and said, "Let him go to Longjiang Post Station and be a postmaster to temper his temper."
Chen Lingyi was delighted. "Now that there's a lowly official acting as Mount Tai, Liu Jin's calligraphy can be considered a sight to behold in Jinling!"
Chen Shao smiled and said, "I can't do it."
Maybe there was still hope before, but after what happened today, even if Liu Fang dotes on his son, he has to think twice.
-
When Zhang Wen came back, he thought he would see Zhang Xiaoman crying and kneeling down to admit his mistake and beg for forgiveness, but he found out that he was sleeping with the door closed and ignored anyone who called him.
He was so angry that he wanted to punish her, but Aunt Sun tried to persuade him:
"Young Master Liu personally escorted the Third Miss back and specifically instructed me to take good care of her. He left right before you punished her. If anyone didn't know, they'd think you were deliberately contradicting Young Master Liu."
Zhang Wen panted heavily, leaning back on the armchair. "It's no use just him being willing. In the end, his father has to give his approval. I went to Liu Fang several times at the guild hall to explain, but he ignored me."
"He clearly spoke well of me in front of Elder Chen before, but now that evil creature has ruined everything!"
At this moment, Zhang Wen really wanted to kill Zhang Xiaoman.
Aunt Sun covered her heart with her hands, her face looked very ugly, as if she was extremely heartbroken.
She said, "Chen Ling'an's interference isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least, the third lady has given up on him."
"The night is long and dreams are many. While Young Master Liu is still warm, we should take the initiative to go to his house and quickly finalize the marriage, even if it means giving more dowry. The Liu family is a man of their word, and once they agree, they will not break the contract."
Zhang Wen sighed, "That's true, but Liu Fang won't see me."
"Master is really smart all his life, but he is foolish for a moment. There is no need for you to come forward. It is natural for the wife to go."
"She? She doesn't care about my life or death. Does she want me to beg her?"
Aunt Sun couldn't tell Madam Jiang that Xiao Man was more important to her, so she said she would go and invite Madam Jiang. "Even if I have to kowtow all the way there, I will do it to get Madam Jiang back."
Of course she wouldn't knock all the way through.
A little later, she sent someone to Tangshan to deliver the letter.
"When you see the madam, just tell her that Chen Ling'an tricked the third girl into being a scapegoat and that she's afraid her life is in danger. If she asks anything else, you won't be able to explain it clearly."
Zhang Anyi asked her privately, "Should I go see my third sister?"
Aunt Sun was very pleased. "Yes, I asked the kitchen to make some light and refreshing dishes. You can send them to her."
"If she doesn't open the door, you'll just have to wait outside. If she's sulking, just accept it. Don't argue with her—even if she's blaming me. Besides you, no one else in the Zhang family can talk to her. Sisters should always support each other."
She kept instructing her daughter, almost nagging her.
Zhang Anyi nodded, "I know, Third Sister is a bit sharp-tongued, but she's actually very nice to me."
Aunt Sun seemed to want to say something but stopped herself. In the end, she smiled and said nothing.
When the sky brightened, Mrs. Jiang hurried into the Zhang family's house, stepping on the morning dew.
He actually rushed back overnight!
Aunt Sun was secretly delighted.
But Mrs. Jiang was so preoccupied with Xiaoman that she didn't even notice Aunt Sun and her daughter waiting at the door.
She knocked on the door directly: "It's my mother who's here, and you won't open the door?"
The room was still as quiet as ever.
Aunt Sun pushed her daughter.
Zhang Anyi, who hadn't slept all night, raised his head groggily, looked around blankly, and moved forward with his stiff and numb legs, saying, "Madam, I've been standing there all night but Third Sister hasn't opened the door. Maybe something has happened to her because she's been so depressed."
Mrs. Jiang, who was already extremely anxious, turned the fire in her heart into anger when she heard this, and it hit her head.
"You're talking nonsense! What good will it do you if she dies?"
When he saw Aunt Sun again, all his new and old hatreds burst out and he spat at her.
"I've only been gone a few days, and you've already run the household like this. You're only concerned with grabbing money, mistreating people to death, and the whole family is looking down on you. If anything happens to her, I'll just ask you to release her!"
Aunt Sun's face turned pale, "Unfair..."
The door creaked open from the inside, interrupting her defense.
As the door opened, a surge of hot air hit Mrs. Jiang, making her breath catch.
"My son!" Mrs. Jiang hugged Xiaoman in her arms, "Silly child, the doors and windows are closed in the dog days of summer, are you trying to kill yourself with the heat?"
He glared at Aunt Sun again, "You can't even use ice, yet you're still trying to take credit for it. I'll settle your accounts with you when I have time!"
Bang, the door closed.
Aunt Sun was staggering, and Zhang Anyi held her up, his face full of worry.
"It's okay." She touched her daughter's head. "The madam was just angry and said something without thinking. She didn't mean to embarrass Auntie."
She asked her daughter to go back and rest, and she continued to wait outside the door.
The sound of a girl crying came from the house. It was not a suppressed sob, but a bold, straightforward, unrestrained and heartfelt cry.
Aunt Sun was startled, and her eyes gradually became dazed.
It has been many years since I heard such crying.
She seemed to understand why the mistress favored the third girl so much.
The crying gradually became quieter. Aunt Sun sighed softly, adjusted her temples, lowered her neck slightly, and prepared to answer Mrs. Jiang's questions.
The door opened, and Mrs. Jiang left in the same hurry as when she came.
No one gave Aunt Sun a chance to speak.
He didn't even get in the carriage, but jumped on the horse and disappeared into the streets like the wind.
Aunt Sun stared in amazement.
That's not right. The wife should be worrying about what to do next and how to save the situation.
Then she told the story of Mr. Liu's behavior yesterday and offered a plan, which forced the Liu family to get engaged to the Zhang family. This not only solved the third lady's dilemma, but also saved the Zhang family's reputation.
But where is the madam going in such a hurry?
Northern Pacification Office.
Chen Ling'an leaned back in his chair, his legs resting on the table, staring idly at the beams.
After leaving the guild hall, he went to the palace to apologize. As expected, he was scolded by the emperor and his salary was deducted.
The emperor told him to go back to the government office and work, "so he won't run around everywhere and cause trouble for me!"
But no matter what he did, he always felt unmotivated.
"Sir, something bad has happened!" Wu Yong rushed in, "Kill... kill them!"
Chen Lingan thought it was the censor causing trouble and said lazily, "What's the big deal? It's not worth your yelling. Just fight it out."
Wu Yong shook his big head like a rattle, "Don't hit me, sir, you'd better hide quickly."
"Let me see who has the guts to break into my Northern Pacification Office."
Chen Ling'an sneered and was about to get up when he heard a loud shout outside the house.
"Chen Ling'an, you little bastard, get out here!"
Madame Jiang?!
Chen Ling'an was stunned and subconsciously retracted his raised legs.
At this moment, Wu Yong happened to peek through the window and was caught by Mrs. Jiang.
She brought with her a violent gust of wind and rumbling thunder, and whipped the culprit who was sitting in the chair.
Chen Lingan dodged instinctively.
The whip hit the back of the chair, and the flying wood chips scratched his face, leaving shallow blood marks.
Then a box came crashing down, the lid burst open, and banknotes flew out.
"Xiao Man is not an orphan without a father or mother who can be bullied by others. She is my daughter!"
Mrs. Jiang's face seemed to be covered with a thick layer of frost, and her eyes were frighteningly cold.
"You're done with her, Chen Ling'an. You're not allowed to approach my daughter again!"
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