Chapter 23 How dare she ask, "Who is that man? Have you found out?"
Upon receiving the order, the servant immediately pushed Granny Zhuang over.
Lu Xiuyi quickly caught her, removed the white cloth from her mouth, and untied the ropes binding her hands.
Mother Zhuang, her face filled with remorse, wept uncontrollably: "Yi-ge'er, I'm so sorry, I've dragged you down with me. I'm old and won't live much longer. Yi-ge'er shouldn't have humbled himself before him for my sake..."
"Mom, stop talking," Lu Xiuyi interrupted her gently. "In my heart, you are no different from my own grandmother. These people's lives are not even worth a finger of yours."
As they were talking, Lu Xiuyi's eyes pierced Lu Huaiyuan like knives, "Give me the antidote."
Lu Huaiyuan gestured with his chin toward the butler beside him, who quickly offered his explanation.
Seeing that Madam Zhuang had taken the antidote, Lu Xiuyi was about to help her out when Lu Huaiyuan suddenly said in a deep voice, "Ayi, Ayan is still your brother. Can't you try to get along with him properly? Why do you have to be so ruthless?"
Lu Xiuyi paused, remained silent for a moment, and then sneered: "Why don't you go back and ask your good son if he treats me like a brother?"
After saying that, he helped Mrs. Zhuang up and left without looking back.
Years ago, after a complete falling out with Lu Huaiyuan, Lu Xiuyi moved out of the Jiangyang Marquis's mansion and bought a house in the west of the city. Now he is going to return to the house in the west of the city with Aunt Zhuang.
"I have failed in my duties, and I beg you, sir, to punish me."
After Lu Xiuyi had comforted Madam Zhuang and gently closed her door, he saw Chu Ze kneeling on the ground with his head bowed. "What crime have you committed?"
Chu Ze replied respectfully, "I originally thought that Madam Zhuang's accommodations were perfectly arranged, but who would have thought that the Marquis would take advantage of the loopholes."
“For the past six months, we’ve both been incredibly busy with the official silver case. Needless to say, I hadn’t even considered this possibility,” Lu Xiuyi helped him up. “So what crime have you committed?”
Upon hearing this, Chu Ze felt a slight warmth rise in his heart.
Before moving out of the Marquis of Jiangyang's residence, Madam Zhuang had already been sent to Tongzhou by Lu Xiuyi to live out her days in peace. After this incident, he no longer intended to send Madam Zhuang back to Tongzhou, but only wanted her to enjoy her old age in this house.
Since both he and Chuze were men, and the house was full of servants with no maids, he instructed Chuze: "I am going to the palace to report back. You stay here and set up spies around the house to prevent any idle people from coming to harass us. Also, arrange for someone to buy a few maids to serve Granny Zhuang."
"yes."
After giving his instructions, Lu Xiuyi immediately rode his horse into the palace.
***
Emperor Jinghuai was already waiting in the imperial study. Lu Xiuyi only reported on the traced official silver and the destruction of porcelain, but did not mention the account books at all.
"I have failed to uncover the mastermind behind this, and I am ashamed of Your Majesty's favor. I beg Your Majesty to punish me." Lu Xiuyi knelt down on one knee again.
Emperor Jinghuai looked at him quietly. He had received news of Lu Xiuyi's return to the capital long ago and thought he would immediately go to the palace to report. However, Lu Huaiyuan intercepted him halfway.
After a long pause, he walked down the steps, twirling the prayer beads in his hand. He reached out and helped Lu Xiuyi up, his face calm and composed: "You recovered the official silver, preventing the national treasury from suffering losses. I and Jiang Shamen's soldiers are grateful to you. What crime have you committed?"
Lu Xiuyi was slightly surprised: "Your Majesty..."
Emperor Jinghuai patted his shoulder and walked behind him, saying, "The matter of the official silver is inevitably related to court officials. The situation in the capital is complex and multifaceted; often, a single action can have far-reaching consequences. With this incident, they will certainly be more cautious. This cancer must be eradicated, but I am not in a hurry. You have rendered meritorious service in recovering the official silver. Tell me! What reward do you desire?"
This result came unexpectedly. Lu Xiuyi had prepared himself to be held accountable, but Emperor Jinghuai, who was usually very critical of him, was so lenient today. He was stunned for a moment and said, "Your Majesty has bestowed too much upon me. I have no other requests."
When his mother passed away, if it weren't for his uncle, the emperor, protecting him, he would have been kicked out by Lu Huaiyuan long ago. The fact that he can still retain the title of heir of the Marquis of Jiangyang is entirely due to his uncle.
It's not that he particularly cares about this empty title; he even wishes he could sever all ties with Lu Huaiyuan. It's just that this position is what Lu Jiayan has always dreamed of, and he can sit there comfortably and disgust him, so why wouldn't he be happy to take it?
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jinghuai's face lit up with a hint of joy, but he quickly composed himself and turned to look at Lu Xiuyi, saying gently, "Ayi, the worst thing a person can do in this life is to have no desires. Power, wealth, beauty—you can have any of them. Only in this way will you have the motivation to climb the ladder."
As he was speaking, he changed the subject: "Very well, since you have rendered meritorious service this time, I will appoint you as General Huaihua, in charge of the Western Camp, and grant you a new residence, placing you on the same level as Ning Jianxing."
Before he could finish speaking, Lu Xiuyi suddenly raised his head in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock, and stammered, "Your Majesty, I have never led an army or fought a war."
Emperor Jinghuai laughed loudly, then turned back to his high seat: "You are my elder sister's daughter, and I believe you can do it. Moreover, the country is now peaceful and prosperous, and there is no need for you to go to the battlefield immediately. In addition, our dynasty's policy of governing the country for the past hundred years has been to reward those who have made merits and punish those who have made mistakes. Anyone who dares to covet the national treasury will have their entire family executed."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuyi immediately understood that Emperor Jinghuai's move was merely a warning to those with ulterior motives, so he did not refuse and had no choice but to accept the order.
Back at the mansion, Madam Zhuang had already woken up. Upon learning that Lu Xiuyi wanted her to buy maids, she quickly offered a few words of advice.
However, Lu Xiuyi insisted on his own opinion, so Madam Zhuang could only say, "Why bother? We don't know anything about the newly bought maid. We not only have to spend time investigating her, but also time observing her. When I was in Tongzhou, I had two kind maids who were gentle and capable. Why don't you send someone to bring them over, Yi-ge'er? That would save us a lot of trouble."
Having someone familiar with Granny Zhuang to serve them is naturally better than buying new ones. Lu Xiuyi thought about it briefly and agreed. He immediately instructed Chu Ze to send someone to Tongzhou to bring them over.
The imperial edict appointing him arrived at the mansion in the afternoon.
After receiving the imperial decree, Lu Xiuyi freshened up, and then Chu Ze asked, "Does Your Excellency wish to see the young lady?"
Upon hearing this, the man who was tidying his clothes behind the screen recalled Meng Yu's tear-streaked face, and his lust instantly surged through his body like a raging torrent.
Realizing his reaction, Lu Xiuyi cursed under his breath, put on his outer robe, and said with eyes as cold as ice: "No rush. Have someone keep an eye on her, but don't alert her. Report back immediately if anything happens. Her good days are coming to an end. I'll let her enjoy herself for a few more days until I've sorted out the Western Camp."
Chu Ze bowed his head and responded.
***
Meng Yu had been waiting for a suitable opportunity to visit Jiang Xuanli again, but the opportunity came just two days later.
Early that morning, Meng Yu and Aunt Shen went to Zhenhua Zhai to pay their respects. They happened to hear Madam Yuan asking Meng Zhangzhou why Young Master Jiang hadn't come over today.
Meng Zhangzhou replied only: "The teacher is not here today, so I have some free time. He went home to help his mother."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu quickly made an excuse to leave with Aunt Chen. After returning to Qingli and disguising themselves, they sneaked to the back door with Huaiyin, climbed a tree, and jumped out. Their series of movements were as swift and efficient as flowing water.
In fact, she had already honed her wall-climbing skills to perfection back in Xuzhou. Now that she had come to the capital, the walls surrounding the government-built residence were much lower than those in Xuzhou. For Meng Yu and Huai Yin, climbing over the wall was a piece of cake.
Jiang's mother set up a stall on West Street. The two followed the flow of people to West Street and saw Jiang Xuanli sitting upright in front of the stall with a book in his hands. His demeanor was completely different from that of the other vendors.
Meng Yu took a deep breath before stepping out.
Upon seeing someone approaching, Jiang Xuanli hurriedly placed the book on the low stool beside him, laid out the vegetables on the stall in his palm, and awkwardly introduced them to Meng Yu: "I wonder what you would like to buy, young lady? All the vegetables here were picked this morning, especially the loofah and eggplant, they are very fresh."
Meng Yu didn't speak, and judging from his gaze, he didn't seem to recognize her.
Indeed, there were too many eye-catching people at the lotus banquet that day, so it was understandable that he didn't recognize her.
Meng Yu gently nudged Huai Yin with her foot.
Huaiyin immediately understood and teased with a smile, "If that's what you say, then it means you picked these yourself! Otherwise, how would you know that you picked them this morning?"
Huaiyin's voice was clear and melodious as she giggled, making Jiang Xuanli blush. He lowered his head and explained somewhat embarrassedly, "I didn't pick these myself, but my mother picked them all out, and they are all of the highest quality. If you don't believe me, you can take a look."
"If we buy it and it doesn't taste good, will we get a refund?" Meng Yu took out her notebook and quickly wrote down a sentence.
The handwriting on the paper was neat and strong. Jiang Xuanli looked up slightly at the paper, exchanged only one glance with Meng Yu, and then quickly withdrew his surprised gaze, saying gently, "Of course, it is possible."
He really is a fool.
If everyone did business like him, they would probably lose all their capital in just a few days. If it were the goods he used, one could say he was "losing money," but these are fresh vegetables. If someone buys them, eats them, and then complains they don't taste good, does that mean he loses money or not?
Meng Yu was amused by him, so she picked out four or five loofahs and three or four eggplants, since she wanted to eat braised eggplant today.
Huaiyin deliberately overpaid.
The two had only taken a few steps when Jiang Xuanli hurriedly caught up with them: "Ladies, these loofahs and eggplants should only cost twenty coins. You've given too much. I was going to give you ten coins back, but my mother forgot to leave me a purse. I only have eight coins here. Please give them to me first, and you can come back tomorrow to collect the remaining two coins."
Eight copper coins were laid out in his rough palm. Meng Yu hesitated for a moment, then did not take them.
Seeing that she didn't seem to want it, Jiang Xuanli became anxious. Disregarding etiquette, he grabbed her hand and placed the copper coin in her palm. He then quickly stepped back two steps, bowed to her, and said, "I had no choice. I was rude. Please forgive me, young lady."
After saying that, he hurriedly turned and left, as if he was terrified that she would chase after him and try to give him money.
Meng Yu watched his departing figure and chuckled again.
He's such a bookworm.
However, judging from this, Jiang Xuanli is indeed a kind person who is not greedy for small gains, behaves with propriety, and speaks with courtesy, making him a worthy person to entrust one's life to.
***
Meng Yu took the loofah and eggplant back, only telling Zhi Mian that she had dug them up in a corner of the backyard, and asked her to make braised eggplant. Coincidentally, yesterday Butler Lin bought several baskets of clams and had another pound delivered. Loofah and clam soup is sweet and refreshing, perfect for summer.
Huaiyin repeated Jiang Xuanli's words to Aunt Shen. Her serious and affected manner made Aunt Shen laugh heartily.
Meng Yu thoroughly enjoyed her lunch. The braised eggplant was tender and flavorful, with a rich sauce; the loofah and clam soup was sweet and refreshing, even better than the pork.
When Lu Xiuyi heard about this, he was having lunch at the West Camp. The food was originally very much to his liking, but when he suddenly heard that Meng Yu had gone so far as to climb over the wall to meet a strange man, the meat that was about to be eaten suddenly became tasteless.
OK!
When she was with him, she was delicate and fragile, needing him to bring down anything slightly high for her, and carrying her across any slightly uneven terrain. Now, she's different; she can climb over a wall that's that high without any problem.
How could he not have known she had this unknown side? He had truly underestimated this woman who was full of lies.
Lu Xiuyi grew angrier the more he thought about it, his anger surging uncontrollably. He suddenly kicked over the footstool next to him: "Who is that man? Have you found out?"
Chu Ze replied respectfully, "I have found out. He is Jiang Xuanli, a new student of Mr. Lu of Luhang Academy. He comes from a poor family and came to the capital in early spring to prepare for this year's imperial examination. He also accompanied Young Master Qin when the young lady went to the lotus banquet at the Marquis of Chengyi's residence that day."
Lu Xiuyi sneered: "I was wondering why she would go to such lengths to meet a man she'd never even seen before. It turns out she fell for him at first sight at the Lotus Banquet."
His statement is somewhat prejudiced.
Chu Ze paused, then stammered, "Tell me, maybe the young lady just stayed in the manor for too long and didn't dare to tell the mistress, so she... so she sneaked out to clear her head."
Lu Xiuyi's face darkened, and he instantly raised his voice: "She goes straight to Jiang Xuanli's stall just to clear her head? When she's with me, I've never seen her eat so happily. Do you think I'm stupid?"
Chu Ze was startled by the shout and immediately lowered his head and knelt on one knee: "This subordinate dares not."
Lu Xiuyi's eyes widened in fury: "You wouldn't dare, it's Meng Yu who would dare to do that."
The only person who would dare to treat Lu Xiuyi like a fool is Meng Yu.
"So, what does the young master intend to do?"
"Keep an eye on her. I'd like to see what other tricks she has up her sleeve."
Chu Ze was slightly surprised. Given his young master's temperament, a woman of Meng Yu's humble background should have sought revenge on the spot. Yet, he had been able to endure it for so long, which was quite rare.
***
The next day.
Lu Xiuyi changed into his purple court robes and entered the palace to report on the reorganization of the Western Camp. Emperor Jinghuai trusted him and did not ask any further questions, so he took his leave after sitting for a short while.
Just as they stepped out of the palace gate, they happened to run into Meng Yanqing, who was returning home from his shift at the Secretariat.
From afar, Meng Yanqing saw the silver-topped, black-canopied, two-horse carriage with glass lanterns hanging at each of its four corners. He quickly stepped aside, lowered his eyes, and stood respectfully to the side.
The carriage rumbled along the wide palace road. Meng Yanqing held her breath, secretly hoping the carriage would pass quickly, when it suddenly stopped in front of her.
A corner of the curtain was lifted, and before Meng Yanqing could react, he heard a deep voice from above: "This is the newly appointed Secretary-General Meng."
Upon hearing the sound, Meng Yanqing slightly raised his eyes and saw the curtain being lifted high, revealing half of a face inside. He immediately recognized the person as the newly appointed General of Huaihua, also known as the famous Young Marquis Lu Xiuyi.
When Lu Xiuyi actually took the initiative to talk to him, Meng Yanqing was both surprised and delighted, as well as fearful and terrified. His knees suddenly went weak, and he knelt down with a "thump," trembling as he said, "Reporting to the General, yes, yes."
Seeing his fear, Lu Xiuyi chuckled and said, "Lord Meng, please rise. I was just passing by and was merely saying hello."
As he was speaking, he glanced at Chu Ze standing by the carriage, and Chu Ze immediately went over to help Meng Yanqing up.
Meng Yanqing didn't know what he wanted to do, but his words didn't hold up to scrutiny. He wasn't the only official on duty walking on the palace road; there were officials of lower rank and officials of higher rank. Why did Lu Xiuyi stop right next to him?
Seeing that Chu Ze personally helped him up, Meng Yanqing was flattered and hurriedly asked, "What are your orders, General?"
After a moment of silence, and with no response from above, Meng Yanqing was about to look up to see what was going on when Lu Xiuyi smiled faintly and said, "This general merely wishes to commend Lord Meng. Lord Meng has done an excellent job in raising his children, and each of them is exceptionally capable. This general admires him."
Meng Yanqing was startled. Before he could recover his senses, he looked up and saw that the carriage had already sped away, leaving him standing there completely bewildered.
After pondering for a long time, Meng Yanqing naturally assumed that it was because Meng Zhangzhou and Meng Shuang's reputations had spread far and wide, and even the young Marquis Lu, who had not been to the capital for the past six months, knew about them.
Thinking of this, he was both shocked and frightened.
Meng Zhangzhou and Meng Shuang were his two most proud children. He hoped that one of them would pass the imperial examination and bring honor to the family, and that the other would marry into a prominent family and bring glory to the clan.
Needless to say, Meng Zhangzhou was destined to succeed in the imperial examinations since he had caught Mr. Lu's eye. As for Meng Shuang, she was beautiful, gentle, and dignified, skilled in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He hoped she would marry into a prestigious family, but the man had to be a gentleman like Qin Musui, not a frivolous and dissolute man like Lu Xiuyi.
In June, the heat was unbearable, but the wind blowing in our faces seemed to have traveled thousands of miles from the snow-capped mountains of winter, making those under the sycamore trees break out in a cold sweat.
***
Today, Madam Meng was feeling a bit better and unusually asked everyone to stay for breakfast. When Meng Yanqing returned from his shift, everyone was already sitting at the table waiting for him.
Madam Meng instructed someone to bring a set of bowls and chopsticks to the secondary seat. Meng Yu and the others hurriedly stood up to pay their respects, but Meng Yanqing waved his hand absentmindedly before everyone sat down.
The food exuded a lingering fragrance, and the nanmu wood table was full of people. Although there were many maids serving, not a single cough could be heard during the meal.
After finishing the meal in silence, Meng Yanqing was about to get up and take his leave when Old Madam Meng suddenly spoke up: "I noticed you barely ate anything today, has something happened?"
Meng Yanqing sat back down and looked around. Madam Yuan immediately understood and wanted to take Meng Yu and his siblings away, but Old Madam Meng raised her hand and gestured for them to sit down: "These are all family members. The siblings are all grown up. There's nothing they can't hear."
Meng Yanqing didn't speak, and Meng Yu just stood there with her head down.
Meng Yan said calmly, "Actually, it's nothing serious. I just ran into the newly appointed General Huaihua today when I was off duty."
"When did the imperial court acquire a General of Huaihua? I've never heard of him before," Old Madam Meng frowned.
Although she lived in the back courtyard, since moving to the capital, she had been able to keep a close watch on everything. Now that her son had been promoted, it was good news, but since ancient times, fortune and misfortune have been intertwined. Living under the emperor's nose, a single misstep could send the entire clan to their doom.
Meng Yanqing replied respectfully, "He only took office these past two days. Speaking of which, his mother probably knows him. He is the heir of the Marquis of Jiangyang's mansion, the young Marquis Lu Xiuyi. The other day, he solved the case of the official silver, and the Emperor was overjoyed. He was immediately appointed as the General of Huaihua, given a new residence, and put in charge of the Western Camp. Recently, he has been proposing new policies and eliminating old clans in the court. He can be said to be riding high. Even the Marquis of Jiangyang dares not say a word."
Meng Yanqing's words struck Meng Yu's heart like a thunderclap, making her so frightened that she almost lost her balance. Fortunately, Huaiyin was behind her and secretly reached out to support her waist, which helped her regain her footing.
Lu Xiuyi...
They found them?
Upon hearing this, Madam Meng frowned and pondered for a moment before asking in confusion, "Our family only recently moved to the capital. Apart from the Marquis of Chengyi's residence and the Song family, we don't have much interaction with the Marquis of Jiangyang's residence. Could it be that he saw you were unfamiliar and came to say hello?"
Old Madam Meng, having spent most of her life in the inner quarters, was somewhat short-sighted. Meng Yanqing raised his voice slightly and said bluntly, "Court officials usually associate with each other based on mutual benefit. How much help could a mere minor official like my son possibly provide? Besides, there were many officials on duty on the palace road at that time who were of higher rank than my son. That young Marquis Lu is arrogant and haughty; why would he stop his carriage for a minor official like my son?"
After pondering for a long time, Madam Meng still couldn't figure it out. She could only tell him, "No matter what his purpose is, as long as you do your job well and don't make any mistakes, even if he has ulterior motives, he probably won't be able to find fault with you."
Meng Yanqing ultimately didn't dare to say what Lu Xiuyi had said in front of everyone. Hearing Old Madam Meng's instructions, he immediately took the opportunity to back down.
On the way back to Qingli Courtyard, Meng Yu was in a daze.
In order to avoid arousing suspicion from Madam Yuan, Meng Shuang, and Meng Yin, she suppressed her anger and forced herself to return to Qingli Courtyard.
As soon as she entered the room, her legs went weak. Aunt Shen and Huaiyin quickly helped her sit down and comforted her, "Yu'er, don't worry. He may not know our identities. Just as the old lady said, he may have just greeted you because he didn't recognize your father. Don't be so paranoid."
Meng Yu shook his head with a wry smile.
As Meng Yanqing said, it is human nature to be driven by profit. Moreover, Lu Xiuyi had just returned to the capital. It was normal for him not to know Meng Yanqing's name, a minor official. How could he possibly stop to greet him?
Meng Yu grew increasingly fearful as she thought about it, feeling a chill creep from her feet throughout her body. She pulled her wandering thoughts back, frowned, and hurriedly gestured to Aunt Chen: "Aunt, my affair with Jiang Xuanli can't be delayed any longer."
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