Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Negotiation (including female supporting role, please enter with caution if you mind...
The snow from the previous year had not yet melted, and heavy snow fell in Shangjing all night, leaving the Forbidden City covered in white. The Funing Palace became increasingly quiet, with green smoke curling from the gilded Suanni beast furnace.
"Have you figured it out?"
Hearing the visitor enter the hall, the official sat upright behind his desk, still looking down as he reviewed the memorial. His hands did not stop moving at all, and he did not even lift his eyelids.
Xie Yunzhou stepped forward, bowed, and knelt, whispering, "Yes."
The official paused, then raised his head and looked at him with some surprise.
He originally thought that his son was rebellious by nature and had been spoiled since childhood. This temper needed time to be tamed, but he turned out to be obedient so quickly. Did he figure it out?
There was silence in the hall for a while. The emperor slowly put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand, and lightly touched the Ru porcelain brush handle on the inkstone, making a crisp sound.
He tapped his knuckles on the table. "Which noble lady do you want to choose? Tell me."
Xie Yunzhou straightened his back and answered loudly, "I won't marry."
He almost suspected his age had caused his ears to fail him. Anger instantly flared up within the official. With a loud "bang," he slammed the table with his hand and sneered, "So what did you figure out?!"
Xie Yunzhou knelt upright in the hall. Having just recovered from his injuries, his handsome face remained pale, but his expression was much more relaxed. He smiled, "Father wants me to marry. Ultimately, he wants someone who can convince the court and the people, and who is capable of inheriting the throne. That being the case, this isn't necessarily the only path."
Guan Jia couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, "Hmm?"
"Zhao'er is intelligent, kind, and gifted. His only shortcoming is his youth, but I am willing to serve him. As such, my current status is legitimate enough, and I don't need to be inscribed on the Jade Plate or have my status officially recognized."
Upon hearing this, the official's eyes suddenly darkened. After a long while, he slowly leaned back into the armchair, gently stroking the rosewood armrest with his skinny fingertips in his sleeves, without saying a word for a moment.
The hall was filled with silence, so still that one could hear the distinct ticking of the copper kettle.
After a long moment, he suddenly chuckled, but that smile didn't reach his eyes at all, and there was even a hint of coldness in his eyes. "You are... quite thoughtful."
Xie Yunzhou was not afraid at all. He knelt in the hall with a calm expression.
"Forget it." The official closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He only said in a gentle voice, "First, let's celebrate the Spring Festival. I'll teach you to recognize your ancestors and return to your roots. We can discuss the rest later."
Soon, the news from the palace was quietly sent to the Third Prince's Mansion through the southeast corner of the imperial city.
"The emperor summoned the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Rites the other day, apparently to discuss the February Spring Festival offerings at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The Supervisor of the Imperial Household has also received orders to hasten the making of the prince's formal attire..." The eunuch knelt on the ground, paused for a moment, stole a glance at Li Zhen's face, and continued in a low voice, "I've had someone secretly inquire about it, and the size... is exactly based on the young prince's size."
After sending the eunuch away, Li Zhen slammed the teacup to the ground, sending shards flying everywhere. "No wonder he's so partial to me! It turns out I was right to call him a bastard for the past ten years!"
The staff beside him were anxious, sweat dripping down their cheeks. "Your Highness, do you have any plans? Could it be... could it be that we are just going to watch someone suddenly appear out of nowhere..."
Li Zhen suddenly smiled sinisterly.
"If nothing unexpected happens, the one from the Western Qiang envoys who came to the capital to seek marriage should be the Second Prince, Li Baoji. Speaking of which, he and Xie Yunzhou do have a blood feud over the murder of their brother. Perhaps... they can use these barbarians to get rid of this nuisance for me."
**
As night fell in Shangjing, bright lights lit up the four corners of Panlou, their candlelight flickering in a warm atmosphere. The head of the group sat on an ivory mat in the pavilion, pinching a red ivory board and softly singing, "May you live like the willows in the spring garden, greenest in the spring breeze every year..."
This singer has been very popular in the northern part of the state recently. His eyes are as bright as spring water and his words are soft and graceful. When the song ended, everyone at the banquet cheered.
Lu Chen was leaning against the table, feeling a little impatient for a long time. However, today was the wedding banquet for his uncle Gu Hongjian's promotion. There was no one from Lu Wan's family, and as his elder brother, he couldn't refuse. He could only come here to socialize with them.
Most of the guests at the banquet were from noble families, and they mostly talked about irrelevant gossip, such as who had a new wife or who had bought a precious sword or a fine horse. He listened to them out of boredom, and after three rounds of drinks, he finally withdrew from the banquet under the pretext of wanting to get rid of the drunken smell, and went to the wine room next door to take a rest.
The waiter in the building came over quickly and brought a bowl of osmanthus soup to help with hangovers, and also lit a light, soothing fragrance in the Yunhe incense burner.
The banquet over there was bustling with noise and music. Even though there was a wine shop between them, the sound was still clearly audible, which really annoyed and upset people.
I don’t know what she is doing at this moment.
At this hour, she was probably asleep and would definitely not wait for him to come back.
He hadn't been able to refuse at the banquet, so he drank a few glasses of warm wine. Now, the burning wound in his chest was gradually aching, like needles pricking him, stinging him. Lu Chen tilted his head slightly, his lips curled in a self-deprecating smile, wondering how much of her heart he would soften if he returned.
He couldn't help but think about whether he should endure tonight and not disturb her sleep when he returned, or say a few sweet words to her and ask her to give him medicine and examine him. Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a soft and gentle voice calling from behind.
"Brother Bingyan."
Lu Chen was stunned for a moment, and his eyes immediately turned cold.
Xu Yourong had gone to the training ground to look for him several times before, but he had always had people stop him and send him back. He didn't know how he had found Pan Lou today. Now he was standing not far away, staring at him intently.
"What are you doing here?"
"I've been waiting for a long time, but you've never been in the capital. I don't know where you've gone..." Xu Yourong was originally a little annoyed, but now that she actually saw you, she felt more and more aggrieved. She bit her lip and whispered, "I have no choice... I can only come here to find you. Can you plead with the government on my father's behalf?"
Lu Chen twitched his lips and said, "No."
Since he had promised Jiaojiao that it had nothing to do with others, he naturally did not want to stay any longer when he saw that someone who shouldn't have come to the pavilion, so he stood up and walked out.
Unexpectedly, Xu Yourong blocked his way and looked up at him. "I know you were in charge of the salt transport case. As long as you are willing to plead with the government, they will definitely show mercy! My father is old. If he is really exiled to Lingnan, such a remote and desolate place, I'm afraid... I'm afraid he won't be able to bear it on the journey..."
"You know that Xu Chong caused my father to die in prison and the Lu family to fall into ruin. You came to me to plead for mercy, but you found the wrong person."
Xu Yourong's face turned pale, and he couldn't help but clench his fists secretly, "You clearly didn't treat me like this before. You said the past is no longer important, and you even said you want to marry me, but what does that mean..."
"It's just exploitation." Before she could finish, Lu Chen spoke directly, interrupting her coldly, "I've been exploiting you from the beginning to the end, just to make Xu Chong less wary of me, that's all. The Xu family treated me the same way. You knew exactly what Xu Chong was thinking when he tacitly allowed you to interact with me."
Xu Yourong was stunned.
Lu Chen's patience had long been exhausted. Seeing that she was standing still, he simply walked around her and was about to leave.
However, he didn't expect that it would be fine if he stood still. But when he moved, his vision suddenly went dark and a ball of evil fire suddenly rose in his lower abdomen. The burning feeling instantly rushed to his limbs and bones, stirring in his blood, causing him to stagger.
He only reacted for a moment before a surge of anger suddenly arose in his heart. How could he not understand at this moment that there must be some despicable means in this wine room, either the spices or the bowl of hangover soup.
Xu Yourong bit her lip and reached out to support him, but Lu Chen suddenly took a step away, avoiding her outstretched hands, not even letting her touch the corner of his clothes, and walked straight out of the wine room.
Xu Yourong stood aside and couldn't help but look up at him.
He was not like the decadent sons of the nobles in the capital. Perhaps it was because he had been tempered in the army that he had a unique young man's heroic and upright demeanor, and was very refined. So at the palace banquet that day, she saw him in the crowd at first sight.
But she didn't expect that he could be so cold and indifferent now, so unfamiliar as if she had never really known him.
Seeing that Lu Chen was about to push open the half-open door, there would be no chance if he hesitated any longer.
"Lu Bingyan, stop!"
Xu Yourong's eyes were red, and he choked with sobs and trembling voice said, "If you step out of this door, everyone at the banquet today will know that you failed to force me and ended up killing someone!"
Lu Chen was startled and turned back with a frown. His forehead was soaked with sweat, but his eyes were as cold as a ray of light.
Xu Yourong shuddered at his gaze, but still mustered up the courage to ruffle her hair. With trembling hands, she pressed the pearl hairpin against her neck. The sharp tip of the hairpin instantly pierced her flesh. In the bright, flickering candlelight in the pavilion, a line of blood slowly seeped out of her fair skin. "I, I didn't lie to you..."
After a moment of cold silence, Lu Chen's voice turned completely cold. "Xu Shiliu Niang, considering your innocence in the past, I will only say one last word to you. The Xu Chong case is a foregone conclusion, but you still have your sister to rely on. Don't let your parents' dirty blood tarnish your last bit of dignity."
Xu Yourong bit her lips, tears welled up in her eyes, and her whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
Doesn't she know it's shameful?
Ever since she could remember, she had been the proud daughter of a prominent family, a precious jewel raised in the palm of her parents' hands. She felt so sad and ashamed that she almost died after behaving like this today.
But she really had no other choice. Her father was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, and even her brother-in-law could not protect himself. She could only abandon all her dignity and decency and make this last attempt.
She tried her best to suppress the shame and pain in her heart, her voice trembling uncontrollably as she choked out sobs, "This fragrance, this fragrance is extremely strong, there is no antidote..."
"If Brother Bingyan is willing to help, Rong Niang will be grateful and have no way to repay him. I am willing to help Brother Bingyan relieve his sorrow... But if you are determined not to agree, I have no choice but to resort to this last resort... There are too many people at this banquet to see clearly. If you describe yourself like this, it will spread throughout the capital by tonight. It means that the general has been drunk and has committed immoral acts, intending to use my father's safety to force and bully others. Rong Niang cannot bear to be insulted, so she can only commit suicide to maintain her innocence..."
Lu Chen glanced at her coldly and walked away.
Xu Yourong had thought he had a good chance of winning, but he remained unmoved. After a moment of shock, she hurriedly caught up with him. "If you leave, I'll kill you immediately. My maid is waiting outside. She'll call someone over, and before you even leave this Pan Building, you'll be left speechless..."
The impeachment by the censors was nothing to him, but he absolutely could not allow Ai Ai to have any misunderstanding again.
His knuckles clenched the door frame so tightly that they turned blue and white. Lu Chen suppressed the intense heat in his blood that was about to burst out, and stood still and looked back.
Xu Yourong saw him stop, and her eyelashes trembled slightly. She called out softly and gently, sobbing weakly: "Brother Bingyan..."
Lu Chen's eyes instantly turned cold, and he gritted his teeth, pulling the corners of his lips together with a cold and sarcastic smile. "Shiliu Niang may be filial and eager to save your father, but if your mother were still alive, she would die with regret after seeing what you are planning today."
When Xu Yourong heard this, his whole body trembled suddenly, and suddenly, an extremely terrible thought came to his mind uncontrollably.
She subconsciously raised her eyes to look at him, almost unable to believe it, her voice trembling and almost out of tune, "My mother...she, she..."
Lu Chen saw her doubt and moved his thin lips slightly, "Not bad."
As if that wasn't enough, he continued, his tone so indifferent it was shocking: "I did it myself."
Xu Yourong opened her eyes wide in panic, her lips opening and closing, opening and closing again, not knowing whether she was asking him or herself, she murmured, "Why?"
The next moment, she came to her senses, her eyes red as she stood up abruptly and demanded, "Why? Why did you kill my mother?"
"She's sinister and plotted against my wife, so I won't tolerate her." Lu Chen sneered, staring at her for a moment, his eyes cold and cruel. "The blood feud between you and me is as deep as it can get. You could choose to die this way, or even falsely accuse me of losing your virginity. I just don't know if you'll have the dignity to face your mother in your afterlife."
Xu Yourong's face turned pale in an instant, all the blood was drained away, and he collapsed to the ground, his whole body cold as ice, his lungs cramping, and he leaned over and retched.
Lu Chen didn't even look at her, he just left her aside, walked out of the wine room with a cold face, and walked downstairs in a hurry without stopping.
No one knew what kind of vile stuff was added to the incense burner. The drug was very strong and quick in effect. In just a moment, he was about to walk out of Pan Tower and could no longer hold on. His whole body was burning hot, his vision was gradually blurring, and his feet were almost constantly moving. It took a lot of strength to take every step.
Fortunately, Pan's building was not far from the villa, and he soon returned to the mansion. The guards half supported and half carried him to the bathroom in the front yard, and hurriedly called for two large buckets of crushed ice and several basins of cold snow.
Lu Chen stepped directly into the bathtub filled with floating ice before removing all his clothes. However, he did not expect that the medicine was too strong. He soaked in the cold water for a long time but could not get rid of it at all. He could hardly suppress the fire running in his blood.
not enough.
It's not enough at all.
He simply held his breath and immersed himself in the water. He didn't know how long he had been there. In a trance, he felt a pair of soft hands touching his forehead. The fingertips were slightly cool and soft, with a faint scent of apricot blossoms.
"妱妱..."
Lu Chen suddenly opened his eyes and reached out his hand but only grabbed a handful of floating ice.
The guards stood by, and when they saw that it was not going to work, they turned and ran to the main house, "I will go and ask the lady to come over!"
"stop!"
There was a sudden loud shout from behind.
The personal guard was startled and froze in place.
Lu Chen was on the verge of collapse from the suffering. His entire body felt like it was on fire, his skin aching with pain. Beads of sweat streamed down his temples. He barely managed to maintain a trace of consciousness and said in a hoarse voice, "If you go get ice again... don't let her know..."
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