Chapter 51 Chapter 51 No Doubt
"Our marriage is indeed the will of the Emperor. I have never asked for it. If you still have doubts and don't want to believe me, you can ask the Emperor and Prince Yan some other day."
These firm words fell into Du Lingjing's ears word for word.
Du Lingjing looked into the man's eyes and did not see any hesitation. Instead, she saw his displeasure increase as he glanced at her.
Du Lingjing could only say, "The Marquis is busy enough, let alone the Emperor."
There was no way she could ask the Emperor about such matters. As for Prince Yan, she didn't even know him, let alone ask him.
Speaking of being busy, Lu Shenru remembered another thing.
He directly asked someone to call the manager of the outer hall over.
It seemed that people had been waiting outside for a long time. At this moment, the chief steward in charge of the outer hall, together with the morning steward, quickly came to the door.
The chief steward had to go out today for some business, so he asked his apprentice, the junior steward, to take over, thinking that nothing could go wrong. Who would have thought that this boy would dare to make the lady wait for the marquis in the hall for three hours.
Even if the lady herself is willing, the Marquis may not be willing!
The chief steward complained bitterly.
When the master and his disciple arrived at the door, they knelt down together and kowtowed continuously. The junior steward trembled incessantly, while the senior steward said bitterly.
"I neglected Madam, which is really my fault! Please punish me severely, Madam!"
The man stood on the stone steps under the corridor, his aura so overwhelming that it was hard to breathe. He just glanced at the two people, and they both knelt down and dared not raise their heads.
The man said solemnly, "Each of you go get thirty lashes. Chongping will send someone to beat you up."
Chongping immediately accepted the order.
Du Lingjing was shocked.
Chongping and others were all guards of the marquis' mansion who came from the military. These two stewards were just ordinary servants. How could they be so frightened that they were beaten with thirty sticks? They would surely be crippled.
She hurried forward.
The steward didn't dare to defend herself, but she couldn't let anyone take the blame for her.
"My Lord, please don't blame me. I told the steward not to report it."
Unexpectedly, after she said this, his voice became even colder and harder.
"Fifty!"
Fifty lashes of the cane. In such a cold day, the person will not survive.
Chongping received the order and raised his hand to call for people to come and drag the master and disciple away.
"My Lord!"
Du Lingjing called him anxiously, but he didn't respond. She walked up to him and pulled his sleeve. He paused, then pulled it away and turned to leave.
How could someone have such a bad temper? He showed no mercy at all, like a rock.
She followed him one step at a time, "Lu Weishi!"
The man who was about to leave finally stopped.
The wind quietly slipped away from the corridor.
She called him by his courtesy name... ...including his surname, which had an indescribable special meaning.
Lu Shenru stood there without moving, the three words she uttered, "Lu Weishi", echoing in his ears, but he resisted the urge to turn around and look at her.
He had reached the corner of the corridor, and the two men had already dragged him to the door. For a moment, only the bells on the eaves swayed gently in the wind, making a crisp sound from time to time.
Du Lingjing didn't know why she suddenly called him by his courtesy name, but he finally stopped.
She followed him and said, "I was wrong in this matter, why do you hit others with a stick?"
She knew what made him angry. "Next time I come to look for you, I'll ask the steward to inform you right away. Just don't beat them up, okay?"
She really understood, Lu Shenru glanced at her, but she didn't completely understand.
"That's not right." He said in a deep voice, looking down into her eyes.
Du Lingjing didn't know how to correct it. Seeing the confusion on her face, the man thought it would be impossible to let her think for herself.
But he didn't tell them what was right, he just glanced at the two masters and apprentices who were dragged out.
"Send it out."
He finally relented, and the two stewards, who had survived the ordeal, kowtowed and thanked him with sweat dripping down their cheeks, and also thanked Du Lingjing. Du Lingjing really couldn't accept it, as they were only punished because of her.
But if she doesn't accept it now, someone might get angry again.
She quickly waved her hand and told them to go quickly.
The two escaped. There was no movement in front of the study room in the outer courtyard for a while.
The study in the outer courtyard is an entire courtyard called Yuanxiu Pavilion. The courtyard is spacious, and it contains his study, as well as his bedroom in the outer courtyard where he would stay when he occasionally came home late, two small reception halls of different sizes, and a place where the marquis's staff would hold meetings on weekdays.
There were guards inside and outside Yuanxiu Pavilion, so ordinary people could not enter. It was also the first time for Du Lingjing to enter there.
He didn't speak at this moment, and Yuanxiu Pavilion seemed to be frozen, with no sound at all.
Chongping came back from outside and reported that it was Wei Jue, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who returned to the capital from Fujian and sent someone to congratulate the Marquis on his wedding.
When the man heard that it was someone sent by Wei Jue, he asked him to go to the hall at the side to talk.
He turned and was about to enter the small hall.
Du Lingjing didn't know where to go, and thought about going back to the main courtyard first. Just as she was about to walk towards the gate, he turned around and stopped her, stopping her in the distance.
Du Lingjing had some idea of what he meant, so she could only step back and return to her bedroom in Yuanxiu Pavilion.
The small hall where he talked to the person sent by Wei Jue was right next to his bedroom.
As soon as Du Lingjing sat down, she vaguely heard voices coming from next door.
Du Lingjing actually knew Commander Wei.
At that time, she had been in the capital with her father for several years. The late emperor's Empress Xiaorong often invited her to the palace to accompany him, and Wei Jue was a royal relative. She, Princess Nianjia, the daughter of Prince Yu, and Wei Jue had met in the palace several times.
Later, when the emperor ascended to the throne, Wei Jue's father became the emperor's uncle and was granted the title of Earl of Xinyun, and his mother was specially granted the title of Lady Baoguo. Both he and Earl of Xinyun joined the Jinyiwei. After Earl of Xinyun passed away, he inherited the title. Not long after, the emperor promoted him to the position of commander of the Jinyiwei.
Lady Baoguo was from the Lu family of Marquis Yongding. Although she was not the biological aunt of Lu Huairu and Lu Shenru, they were from the same clan, and therefore the two families had close relations. Marquis Lu and Commander Wei were also cousins.
Originally, many people in the capital speculated that this marquis had not married for many years because he was waiting for the little daughter of his uncle, Wei Jue's younger sister, to come of age. But when the imperial edict came down, he married her.
At this time, Commander Wei sent someone to give him a gift. He accepted it and asked about the situation of the Wei family without any hesitation. He also asked about Wei Jue's situation during his nearly one-year mission to Fujian.
These words were heard in his bedroom.
He told her everything on purpose, just like he let her stay in Yuanxiu Pavilion, telling her that she could read everything about him.
Why else did she doubt him?
Du Lingjing sighed inwardly.
According to his unspoken meaning, I first listened to him talking to the people sent by Wei Jue at the window for a while, and then slowly looked around his bedroom in the outer courtyard.
Everything here is his.
He seemed to prefer some tannin-colored wood. The room was dark and solemn, yet neat and simple, yet noble. It was completely different from her own study, her father's and Sanlang's study, especially Sanlang's.
This is the study of a military general and a powerful official. It is Lu Weishi's place. Even every breath of air carries only his scent.
Du Lingjing walked slowly in the middle. Next to him was his desk, on which was a stack of memorials sent from the palace. He always seemed impatient to read them. Next to him was a square jar, which contained some documents that he was reluctant to throw away.
Du Lingjing used the one arm that could still move to tidy up everything for him.
The teacup on his desk was made of extremely thin black jade and was also square in shape. It seemed to have a gurgling mountain spring carved on it.
Du Lingjing was stunned for a moment, then she saw a piece of waste paper on his desk.
There were several official positions listed above, all of which were important positions in the court, but he crossed them all out, leaving only the position of Jiangxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, and he made two dots next to it with ink.
His handwriting is sharp yet steady, like a piece of rock standing proudly on the top of a mountain.
Du Ling watched silently, recalling that he had used the position of Jiangxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner mentioned by Mr. Liao in the afternoon outside Beijing.
It seems that he really did not speak casually, but had thought it over beforehand, and had no intention of forcing the gentleman to change his mind. It can be seen that he really had no right to decide whether to keep or send the ministers who opposed his party.
If he had come here early to oppose the party, how could he let them go so easily with his character?
Du Ling stood quietly in front of his desk and looked at it for a few more seconds, then used a paperweight to weigh down the paper for him, then turned and walked to the side of his bedroom.
Compared to the bed he and she slept on in the main courtyard, there was only a thin layer of bedding here.
Du Lingjing was a little surprised. If he was used to sleeping on such a thin hard bed, why did he usually spread such thick bedding when he slept with her in the main courtyard?
She stood up and looked at him with her head tilted. She vaguely understood that the scent belonging to him was stronger on the bed. Some night scenes came to her mind, and she quickly left his bedside.
She turned slightly and was attracted by what she saw.
There were five swords hanging beside his bed, hung high on a sandalwood sword rack.
She looked at the knives and swords one by one. Each one on the sandalwood rack was heavier and longer than the other.
Each sword is incomplete, which shows that they are not just for display, but have actually been used in battle to kill the enemy. Faintly, the blood and energy of the battlefield can be smelled.
She couldn't help but raise her hand and touch the scabbards. All four of them were extremely heavy, but there was one hanging on the side that seemed to be slightly lighter.
It was a sword that glowed with silver light, and it was different from the others, as the pattern on the scabbard made it look lighter.
She looked over and saw Chongping coming in to serve tea. Seeing her standing in front of the silver sword and looking at it, he said something.
"The other four belong to the Marquis, but this sword," he paused, "belongs to the Second Master."
The second master of the Lu family, Lu Hengru.
Second Master Lu Hengru's maternal family was the Yang family of Rongchang Earl's Mansion. Du Lingjing couldn't help but think of the words Yang Jinyu questioned Lu Shenru in the afternoon.
She couldn't help but ask Chongping, "Second Master... died to protect the Marquis from the arrow?"
Chongping put down the tea tray and nodded to her.
That was many years ago.
The Marquis's Mansion suspected that the Tartars had infiltrated the court officials. In the 14th year of Hongqi, Lu led the Yongding Army to fight the Tartars, but the civil officials united to surrender and negotiate peace, which delayed the opportunity to fight and caused the Lu family to suffer a heavy loss. This may have a lot to do with it. The old Marquis ordered the Marquis to investigate.
That year, just when the Marquis had found some clues, an unidentified person suddenly appeared and ran straight towards the Marquis, intending to kill him. The Marquis was caught off guard and was seriously injured. If he had not been so skilled, he would have died halfway... ...
Thinking of this, he glanced at his wife.
It was a secret of the Marquis's Mansion and it was difficult to talk about it in detail. He only said that the Marquis was injured while investigating the news of the Tartars, and the Marquis' grandfather, the old Marquis, was worried about him, so he asked the Second Master to bring people to support him.
"Second Master was very alert and found some clues along the way. But when he and the Marquis went to investigate, they were attacked. At that time, an arrow was coming straight at him and the Marquis was injured and couldn't dodge. It was Second Master who jumped forward and blocked the arrow for his brother."
The old events were still vivid in his mind, and Chongping sighed.
"The Second Master was shot through the throat and died. After his death, the Marquis was unable to speak for seven days and seven nights."
I don’t know if it was because of the injury on his neck, or because of the death of the Second Master, but when he spoke again, his voice had changed and remained as low and hoarse as it is now.
After that, the clues were cut off, and the old marquis was also severely traumatized by the death of the second master, and his condition worsened, but he ordered the marquis not to investigate further.
In a flash, many years have passed.
But beside the Marquis' bed, there was still the silver snow sword that the Second Master usually used.
Chongping briefly talked about the old stories of the brothers Lu Shenru and Lu Hengru.
When Du Lingjing heard him say that he was investigating the Tartars, she couldn't help but ask, "Is it outside the Great Wall? It's so dangerous..."
Not outside the Great Wall, but in Shandong...
Chongping couldn't help but look at his wife quietly again.
That year, the Marquis barely managed to escape, but the group of people behind him kept chasing him. They had no choice but to sneak into Qingzhou and hide in Mian Tower.
This matter could not be concealed from Lord Du, but Lord Du secretly took him in in the mezzanine of Mian Building, where he recuperated under an assumed name.
As for the old events of Mianlou, he saw every detail, including how the Marquis went there, what he experienced, and the circumstances under which he left.
But the Marquis refused to mention it again, so of course he couldn't say more.
Just then, the man walked in from outside.
Upon seeing this, Chongping bowed and retreated.
In his room, she and he were the only ones left.
Du Lingjing couldn't help but look at his neck. There was a deep scar on his neck.
If every scar represents an unforgettable past, then with so many scars all over his body, how much must he have gone through to have the strength of steel he has today?
He seldom mentioned the past, he was always planning for the future, but who can really forget the past?
However, his expression was still not very good this time, but his eyes also swept over the silver sword beside her.
Lu Shenru's eyes were fixed on his second brother's sword.
It is often said that the swords, spears and halberds used by those who lead troops into battle contain the souls of their masters' blood shed in battle.
He placed Hengdi's sword on the bedside, thinking that if there was a spirit in the sword, it might be able to lead Hengru into his dream.
But that boy had never appeared in his dreams.
Not once...
But at this moment, he looked at the silver sword, and then at the injured person standing beside him.
Suddenly I remembered an old story.
It was too hot that summer, and the mezzanine in Mian Building was even more stuffy. His injuries healed slowly. Lord Du had never seen a warrior suffer such injuries, and fearing that something might happen to him, he bought him two boxes of healing powder from somewhere.
This medicine must be stored in a medicine box made of camphor wood, and a small amount must be obtained using special techniques each time it is used to prevent the loss of its medicinal properties.
But Lord Du was stopped by the scholar who came to look for him, so he entrusted the instructions for using the medicine to his daughter and asked her to take it out of the mezzanine.
At that time, she asked him outside the compartment, "Have you ever used this special wound medicine in the camphor wood box?"
My second brother was there at the time, and he immediately understood what this medicine was. They were in the military, and they had seen all kinds of medicine for injuries.
But the second brother was very naughty, and he imitated his voice and suddenly said for him, "I haven't seen it."
He glanced over and heard her say, "Then... ...is it inconvenient for us to come in and demonstrate it to you, young master?"
She wanted to come in, why did he refuse?
He uttered a soft "hmm".
As soon as he answered, his second brother looked at him and started to laugh. His face was a little hot, but he sat still.
She quickly entered the compartment.
His identity is secret and no one knows it except Lord Du.
She didn't dare look at him, and his figure was hidden in the shadows, so she couldn't see him.
She just lowered her head and told him in detail how to use the medicine in the camphor wood box.
He would use it, his eyes only on her face.
The only ray of sunlight in the cubicle shone on her hands and on her long, curled eyelashes.
She had only been to his compartment twice. The first time was when she was catching mice and accidentally broke in. She found someone inside and ran out in horror to find her father.
The second time was this time.
He didn't hear clearly when she finished demonstrating how to use the medicine. Seeing that he didn't respond, he didn't dare to ask more questions and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, she was suddenly tripped by something and fell to the side.
He was startled and put his hand on her waist.
In a panic, she pressed her hand on the wound on his arm.
He took a deep breath, she didn't hear it, but her second brother noticed it.
"There's a wound there!"
When her second brother opened his mouth, she was even more frightened and didn't know where to put her hands in panic.
"Sir, are you okay?"
"It's okay," he saw that she was unsteady on her feet and couldn't help asking, "Did you sprain your ankle?"
She shook her head quickly.
The mezzanine was too dark, and he couldn't see her expression clearly. He could only say to her softly, "Then stand slowly and steadily. There's no rush."
But she quickly regained her balance and did not linger for long.
"Sorry." She said, put down the medicine and left in a hurry.
She seemed quite embarrassed and did not come to Mianlou for six days.
But at that time, he only looked at her yellow skirt as she left, in the only ray of sunlight, like a yellow butterfly in summer, gently falling among the flowers, and he was slightly startled, then flapped his wings and flew away.
He kept looking at where she left. The second brother said, "Brother, your wound is bleeding. Don't you feel pain?"
He said it was okay, but when he looked at the thing on the ground that tripped her, it was his second brother's Silver Snow Sword.
He snorted, "Next time you leave it there, I'll throw it in the furnace and melt it."
"No way!" The second brother turned around and asked Chongping anxiously, "Could the Du family father and daughter have given my eldest brother a drug that could be aphrodisiac?"
Chongping couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.
He laughed and scolded him, "Are you talking nonsense again?"
But the second brother said, "Look at you, big brother. She made your arm bleed, but you don't feel any pain. If you marry her back to the Marquis' Mansion, won't you be bullied by her every day? And what about the husband's responsibility?"
At that time, he just kicked his second brother out of Mianlou.
But eight years have passed, and what my second brother said at that time actually came true.
He looked at the man beside the sword rack—
Doesn't he have to endure her anger every day?
If he had known that marrying her would make him suffer every day, he would have...
Lu Shenru said nothing.
They have been married for several months, but she still doubts him.
The man's eyes darkened as he looked at the Silver Snow Sword on the sword rack, then at the person next to the sword.
The room was quiet and no sound could be heard, but someone walked towards him from the sword rack, looking at him.
She spoke in a low voice, calling him by his courtesy name again.
"Weishi," she said softly, "I'm sorry."
She seemed to be in a low mood, her eyes trembling as she looked at him.
She raised her hand, and he thought she was going to pull his sleeve, but she suddenly held his hand.
The man was startled when he heard her say.
"I don't doubt you anymore."
... ...
Hongluo Temple in the outer city.
There were some noisy noises in the temple today. Jiang Fengchuan had just finished an article. He bent down to blew away the ink. When the ink dried and he rolled up the article and put it away, Nanny Park quickly came to his door.
Nanny Park smiled when she saw him.
"Sixth Master, are you free? His Royal Highness Prince Yan is staying at Hongluo Temple today. I want to ask if you are free. If you are, please come over and have a chat."
Jiang Fengchuan also laughed.
"Since His Highness has invited me, Liu Lang will always be able to make time no matter how busy I am."
After he finished speaking, he stood up and changed his clothes. Then he remembered something and asked Uncle Hui to fetch the article he had just written. "I hope Your Highness will not give up and is willing to give me some pointers."
His Royal Highness Prince Yan is ill and cannot lift a pen, but he loves the articles of literati the most.
Nanny Park said, "Sixth Master, please go quickly. His Highness will surely be very pleased with your article when he sees it."
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