Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Show mercy
First meeting? Du Ling paused.
Du Zhiqi, who was standing by, was surprised at first to see that the marquis was so courteous to his niece. Then he was even more astonished to hear him say that they had actually met before.
But Zhenyue Tower... ...could it be the time when she went to see Shao Boju?
Du Zhiqi felt a sharp pain in his head.
Last time, she went to see Shao Boju without saying a word, and then caused a sensation in the city that Shao Boju had killed someone; this time she came to see Lu Hou again. Du Zhiqi didn't know what she was trying to do, and his eyes were fixed on his niece.
Du Lingjing ignored her uncle's warning look and just pondered it secretly in her heart.
It seems that this Lord Lu has never known her.
In this case, the imperial decree of marriage could only have been the intention of the palace.
As for the strange words and actions of this marquis that day in the Zhenyue Tower, could it be that he really recognized the wrong person?
There are rumors in the capital that he is still unmarried at the age of twenty-five because he is waiting for someone. Some say he is waiting for the daughter of the emperor's uncle who has not yet reached the age of marriage, some say it is a beautiful singing girl in a brothel, and some say it is a Tartar princess who is difficult for the court to accept... ...
The person that Zhenyuelou mistook for that day might be the one he was waiting for.
And this person is the marquis lady in his mind.
Du Lingjing could only speculate this way.
Thinking of this, she looked at Lord Lu.
"I wonder if I can have a private chat with you, Lord."
Unexpectedly, before she could finish her words, her uncle Du Zhiqi glared at her. However, he could not lose his temper in front of Lord Lu, so he suppressed his anger in his voice.
"What do you want to do now?"
He became angry, but Du Lingjing ignored him.
Whether she could talk to the marquis alone was not what her uncle wanted.
She looked at the marquis and saw that the man did not look surprised. Instead, he called her uncle.
"This study is a bit stuffy, why don't you go out and stand for a while, Master Du?"
He directly drove Du Zhiqi out.
Du Zhiqi was surprised. This was his study, but Lord Lu drove him away?
"Well... I'm going to get some fresh air first."
Du Zhiqi's head hurt more and more. He couldn't refuse Lord Lu, so he could only look at his niece, and with sharp eyes, he wanted to whisper a warning to her not to mess around again. Before he could finish his words, Lord Lu urged him, "Master Du, go quickly."
No matter how angry Du Zhiqi was, he could not stay any longer and could only leave the study quickly.
As soon as he left, Du Lingjing clearly felt the anger that had been weighing on her face dissipate, and she felt a little relieved.
It was the marquis who spoke for her. She couldn't help but look up and smile at him slightly to show her gratitude.
But the man seemed to be frozen, his eyes gently fixed on her face.
She had a pair of eyes as soft as lotus petals, and when she smiled, ripples appeared in her eyes.
Lu Shenru inexplicably recalled that year when she stood between rows of bookshelves, in a beam of morning light cast from the window, just standing there quietly holding a book, looking in the direction where he was, and smiled with pursed lips.
"Sorry, I mistook you for a bookworm in the building..."
That was the first time she took the initiative to talk to him.
For the first time, she smiled at him.
My heart seemed to be softened by the ripples.
"Don't stand, sit down and talk," he said.
He didn't think anything of it, but Chong'an, who was standing outside, blinked and turned around, "Brother, does the Marquis treat this place as his own home?"
Chongping quickly told him, "Shut up!"
In the study, Du Lingjing nodded, thanked him and sat down.
The fragrance of tea and books are like two ribbons, overlapping and flying in the breeze outside the window.
The atmosphere changed. The man looked at her sitting there quietly, his heart softened, and he asked in a gentle voice.
"What do you want to tell me?"
His eyes fell on her drooping eyelashes.
But the next moment, she raised her eyes and spoke.
“I dare not hide it from you, my Lord. Du Lingjing has someone in her heart, and she cherishes him so much that I am afraid she cannot be your wife.”
As soon as these words came out, not only did the whole room fall silent, but even the brothers Chongping and Chongan outside held their breath. Chongan in particular could not help but look at his master's face in the window in surprise.
The man's eyes were determined.
He looked at her, "Jiang Jieyuan?"
She half lowered her head and nodded gently, "Yes."
When she said "yes", the strands of hair fell down beside her ears. She raised her hands to tuck them behind her ears, and the bamboo leaf tied on her wrist slowly spun.
The man's gaze fixed coolly on the bamboo leaf.
Of course it’s Jiang Zhuxiu.
He has always been in your heart, and you have never seen anyone else.
The man said this silently in his heart, but asked, "But Jiang Jieyuan has passed away, why would the girl prefer to immerse herself in the past?"
The past?
It has only been three years since Saburo passed away.
These words made Du Lingjing feel uncomfortable, and she unconsciously softened her tone.
"Although my husband has passed away, in my heart, the mountains and rivers have meaning, the plants and trees have feelings, and he has never left."
He said this so convincingly that even the birds in the trees outside the window stopped on the branches and dared not fly around.
The man couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth and smile.
House husband.
It turned out that in her heart, even if they didn't get married, Jiang Zhuxiu was still her husband.
Only Jiang Zhuxiu is her husband.
My heart felt as if it was being scratched by the dense and fine thorns of the great thistle. Although I couldn't bleed, the stinging sensation was hard to ignore.
But he didn't want to talk to her about irrelevant dead people anymore.
"But the emperor has granted me the marriage license. What do you think?"
He only talked about the imperial edict, and Du Lingjing didn't want to discuss other things with him, so she glanced at him.
"Although I used to live in Qingzhou, I also know that the Marquis is in a high position and has great power. Now I see that he is even more heroic and extraordinary, like a god. It's a pity that my current situation is so lowly that it would be a disgrace to the Marquis to be his wife."
He is extraordinary and heroic, like a god.
But humiliation... …she used a nice word again.
The man pursed his lips, but she didn't stop.
"Your Majesty has also seen the situation of the Du family. My uncle is not up to the task, and my father has passed away for many years. I am afraid he will not be able to help you. On the contrary, my father has made many enemies in the court. As my father's only daughter, if I marry you, I am afraid that I will bring trouble to you."
Lu Shenru did not express his opinion.
What she said makes sense. If it were someone else, they would probably have to think carefully about it.
But he said nothing.
However, Du Lingjing could see that he seemed to be indifferent.
If he doesn't care about this... Du Lingjing thought about it.
"I heard that the Marquis has been waiting for someone. I guess the time is not right, so he has not married the real Marquis' wife."
When she said this, she saw the man looking at her intently.
Du Lingjing asked directly, "My Lord, you don't want to get married, right?"
This marriage does not bring him much benefit. For a powerful official like him, it would be a big disadvantage to enter into a marriage that does not bring him much benefit.
If he could agree, she could use her serious illness as an excuse and have the marquis and her uncle simultaneously report her serious illness and ask the emperor to arrange another marriage for the marquis.
Arranging another marriage does not count as revoking the decision, it just means changing the person.
As for who replaces him, it has nothing to do with her.
But it all depends on whether the marquis is willing.
"Lu really does not want an arranged marriage. I have not been married for many years because I do not want to be involved in an arranged marriage for no reason. If I marry someone who is not suitable, I will be wasting the girl from another family."
As soon as these words came out, Du Lingjing couldn't help but feel happy.
She watched him more and more.
Lu Shenru also noticed her gaze and looked back gently, but he suddenly shook his head and smiled.
"But this time the imperial decree pointed out the marriage without any warning."
He sighed softly, "I know that you have a deep bond with your predecessor and are unwilling to forget it, but the imperial decree has granted the marriage. Although I hold the power in the eyes of the world, I can do nothing about it."
He lowered his voice by three degrees, "The higher the position I reach, the less I can control things."
Du Lingjing saw him smile bitterly, and her handsome eyes seemed full of helplessness.
He looked at her and asked, "Madam, can you understand me?"
He declined, then suddenly changed his mind.
Du Lingjing was startled, and her heart suddenly sank.
She shouldn't be his wife.
"I really don't deserve it. My Lord, please be careful with your words."
She didn't even allow him to call her "wife", but called Jiang Zhuxiu "husband".
Lu Shenru was silent, and his softened heart hardened.
"The Du family has passed down poetry and literature, and their family is noble and elegant. In the past, there was Mr. Du who devoted his life to learning and had many students. In the future, there was Mr. Du who criticized current social problems and dared to be the first to do so. In the end, there was Miss Du who collected and published books and circulated them around the world. If you want to marry someone above your station, it is Lu who is marrying above his station."
Du Ling remained silent, but he was looking at her.
The man's heroic eyes, like gold tempered by flames of war, were now like the moon reflected in a calm lake, with the water rippling gently.
He said, "We passed each other at Zhenyue Tower that day. Although it was our first meeting, I... had already developed feelings for you at that time."
Du Lingjing was stunned, but saw him suddenly stand up.
The man's tall figure stood in the study, making the whole study seem cramped.
"As for our marriage, as long as I, Lu Shenru, have someone that the young lady likes, I am willing to present him to her with both hands."
His eyes trembled slightly, "Please accept it, young lady."
Du Lingjing felt a chill between her fingers, which was something she had never expected.
Although she wanted to try to persuade the marquis to work with her on a plan, in fact, her subsequent aggressive words were also intended to make him get tired of her and do what she wanted.
But he...
Du Lingjing was secretly panicked.
Lu Shenru took a step closer to her.
The man held her eyes in his gaze and she looked away.
The loose clothes hung on her shoulders, and her fair neck was exposed to the cool autumn breeze. She turned sideways to avoid his gaze, and her neck was faintly blue when she turned her head.
The man sighed inwardly, and was reluctant to move any closer.
Du Lingjing felt a little relieved, but she heard him sigh softly to her, and his sigh was full of helplessness. He spoke in a low voice.
"I just got married at the age of twenty-five. Madam, please... ...have mercy on me."
Du Lingjing stood there in a daze.
He said that as if he really needed her mercy!
The man's breath slowly approached her feet and enveloped her whole body.
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