Chapter 115 Shooting and tying up Lu Tingwan
"Yes, ma'am." Luzhu also looked over. From their perspectives, they seemed to be acting very intimately. Lu Tingwan smiled brightly and said something unknown. Xie Zhao also smiled and stared at her with a look that was not like that of an ordinary person.
"I heard that during the fighting match, the Second Madam also went to watch General Xie's match. She even cheered and waved flags in public, causing a lot of ridicule. She completely ignored the master beside her."
"Everyone in the palace knows that Palace Master Lu and Captain Xie are close. The Empress Dowager previously issued an order forbidding discussion of Palace Master Lu's private affairs. But everyone knows that Palace Master Lu often waits for Captain Xie on patrol along the palace roads. The two have a close relationship, and rumors of them exchanging glances and other similar expressions have circulated."
"I've tried so hard to get what Lu Tingwan has so easily gotten, and yet she doesn't even cherish it." Gongsun Xue clenched her silk handkerchief into a ball and chuckled to herself. "This world of unpleasant things is like a joke, trapping everyone in it and teasing them. You can't get what you want, and what you don't want is what holds you back."
Luzhu couldn't bear to see her feel any more sad, "Madam, it's getting late, let's go back."
Gongsun Xue withdrew her gaze, a calculating look on her face.
As Lu Tingwan noticed, Concubine Rong's health was getting worse and worse after giving birth. The health-preserving medicines and meals sent by the Imperial Food Bureau and the Imperial Hospital were ineffective. Lu Tingwan was ordered to visit her several times. The smell of medicine was strong in the house. She seemed to sense an astonishing conspiracy behind her, but she didn't dare to think about it further.
Cheng Xianzhi had reminded her that even if she knew something, she should not act rashly.
Due to continuous snowfall for several days, the official road in Binzhou collapsed. Cheng Xianzhi brought people from the Ministry of Works to assist the local road manager Shu in solving the problem. He had been away from Kyoto for ten days.
Lu Tingwan returned home after taking a break. Gongsun Xue was getting more and more pregnant. Concubine Rong gave her some new fabrics as a reward. Luzhu invited Lu Tingwan to Yingyue Pavilion. Out of courtesy, she should have gone to greet her.
Gongsun Xue behaved enthusiastically. Lu Tingwan had no hostility towards her, but she didn't have a deep sisterly relationship with her either. She was just uncomfortable with her behavior.
"My sister has been in Jinhua Palace recently. Is she busy with her work?" Red charcoal was burning in the room, and Luzhu looked at the tea.
Lu Tingwan sipped the tea and said, "It's okay. The eldest lady seems to be getting better. She manages the affairs of the mansion in an orderly manner. It's me who can't help much."
"However, Cheng Xianzhi went to Binzhou and it's unknown when he will be back. If you are pregnant, he must be in the mansion, otherwise there will be no one in charge."
Gongsun Xue heard this and realized that her tone was keeping herself out of the matter and she really didn't consider herself a member of the Cheng family.
"My lord has so many things to do these days, and Xue'er feels guilty for not being able to help. However, clearing the snow and repairing the official roads should be done by Road Shu himself. My lord can only supervise the local affairs at most. He should be back soon." Gongsun Xue tried to test her. Lu Tingwan served the empress dowager, so naturally she knew more about the affairs of the court than she, a girl living in a secluded house.
"I haven't heard of that." Lu Tingwan didn't think much about it and just responded lightly.
Gongsun Xue gave Luzhu a look, and Luzhu picked up the teapot and continued to pour tea for her.
However, the tea accidentally soaked her skirt. She first felt a burning sensation, and then heard the sound of Dewdrops falling to her knees.
"Second Madam, yes, I'm sorry, it was my fault for not being careful."
Gongsun Xue rebuked her, "Luzhu, how could you be so impulsive? Go down and receive your punishment."
"Forget it, the dewdrops were unintentional. They just wet our clothes. It's not a big deal." Lu Tingwan came to the rescue.
"It's my fault that the servants in my room haven't been able to take good care of you. It's freezing outside. Sister, please change your wet clothes here first. Dewdrop, why don't you go and get some clothes for the Second Madam to change into?"
Lu Tingwan interrupted, "Don't bother me. It's not far from here to Yansheng Hall. I've been bothering you for a long time, so I should leave now."
"Sister, you insist, and I can't bear it. How about this, let Luzhu take you there?" Gongsun Xue said kindly, "Luzhu, go get a fox fur coat for the Second Madam to keep her warm, so she doesn't catch a cold."
Luzhu received the order and sent Lu Tingwan out. Her wet clothes clung to her skin, and the wind chilled her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably. On the way back, Luzhu apologized several times, but Lu Tingwan didn't take it to heart.
Back at Yansheng Hall, the mansion arranged a hot bath, just the right way to ward off the cold. The mist in the clean room shrouded the eyes, the heat dispelling the chill. Feng Xin was supposed to help Lu Tingwan bathe, but Luzhu asked him to leave midway, saying something important had been left at Yingyue Pavilion and she needed to go retrieve it.
There seemed to be a strange fragrance in the mist. Lu Tingwan soaked in the hot water, feeling stuffy and having difficulty breathing. At first she thought it was just the mist, but the stuffiness in her chest was hard to get rid of. It felt like ants were slowly crawling into her heart and gnawing at it, gently, not too heavily.
Gongsun Xue sat by the window of Yingyue Pavilion, stroking her belly and admiring the scenery. Her pretty face was shrouded in sinister intent. "Father once said that if you want to preserve your own interests, you must kill them all to avoid future troubles."
She hammered the fetus in her womb and said, "Child, your father doesn't recognize you. I will fight for you, okay?"
Outside the Cheng Mansion, Xie Zhao was carrying out his routine work and delivering the imperial guards' official business. Just as he was about to leave the study, the maid from Yingyue Pavilion came to deliver a message.
"Thank you for staying. The Second Madam is returning home today. When she heard that General Xie was coming, she invited you to Yansheng Hall for a chat."
Xie Zhao stared and thought for a moment. Lu Tingwan had never asked anyone else to send a message to him when he was looking for him. He had always met him in the palace in the past.
Seeing that he didn't move, the servant urged him again, "Thank you, General. The Second Madam is waiting for you."
Xie Zhaocai stepped forward and entered Yansheng Hall. The maid took a half step back and did not follow him. "General, please come in."
The courtyard was deserted, and unusually quiet. She gently pushed the door open, and a strange fragrance filled her nose, followed by a wisp of steam. Behind the screen, a shadow shimmered, its arms outstretched as it dressed. A thin veil blew past, sending a cold breeze through the room. Hearing the noise, she assumed it was Feng Xin returning. "Close the door."
Xie Zhao paused slightly and called out warily, "Jiang Yanli?"
The person who was dressing inside suddenly stopped, "Xie Zhao?"
"Wait, wait, don't come in!" Lu Tingwan's voice was not right at this moment.
She keenly sensed a hint of uneasiness, and her chest felt even more stuffy and uncomfortable, and her little face was flushed.
Xie Zhao turned his back instantly, not knowing why, but still asked, "You called me here, is there something wrong?"
Lu Tingwan felt dizzy and began to lose consciousness. He leaned on the table and shook his head hard. He lowered his voice and said with difficulty, "Did I call you?"
Xie Zhao had also noticed something was wrong. Lu Tingwan had wrapped herself in her outer coat, her hair was wet at the temples, and her frail body was sticking out from behind the screen. Her eyes were filled with blurred desire, and her mouth was extremely dry.
"Is there anyone else outside the yard?" Lu Tingwan asked hurriedly, trying to maintain his rationality.
Xie Zhao noticed that she was not in the right state. "There should be no one here."
She had a guess in her mind. Today, Yingyue Pavilion had unusually called her over to chat, one after another. If no one arranged it, Lu Tingwan would find it hard to believe.
If Gongsun Xue had been prepared, Xie Zhao would not have been able to escape. But if he had just sat there and waited for death, he would have fallen into a trap and been slaughtered by her.
"Today, I'm afraid someone wants you and me to bear the charge of having an affair in the harem."
"You have to get out now, quickly!" Lu Tingwan said hoarsely, "No, go through the backyard and climb over the wall!"
Xie Zhao saw that her face was covered with sweat and it was obvious that she was having a hard time enduring it.
Knowing the importance of this woman in the harem, he did not hesitate and left the crossbow in his hand, "Minister Cheng is not in Kyoto, I will protect you!"
Xie Zhao had barely taken half a step onto the stairs when Gongsun Xue arrived with her men, their voices thundering. "We are a noble family in the Cheng Mansion. Your Excellency has been out of town for only two weeks on official business. The Second Madam is truly audacious, even sneaking into our home to have an affair. Where does this put the reputation of the Shangshu Mansion?"
The two heard it clearly. Lu Tingwan took a deep breath, tied the crossbow tightly, picked up the scissors beside her, and cut a cut on her arm. The pain filled her nerves, temporarily dispelling the effect of the drug.
"Xie Zhao came here to pass on a message for Cheng Xianzhi. When the eldest lady saw Xie Zhao here, why did she insist that I had an affair with Xie Zhao without any investigation?" Lu Tingwan's figure appeared, and he tried to restrain his voice while holding onto the door frame.
"What's wrong with the Second Madam?" Gongsun Xue looked at her. The medicine mixed in the tea would not cause aphrodisiac effect. It was only when the bath fragrance mixed in the water entered the body that it could stimulate the aphrodisiac in the body, which had the same effect as the one given to Cheng Xianzhi before.
"It's against etiquette for a man from outside to enter the backyard. Second Madam, with your disheveled appearance, how can others believe you if you say you didn't do that? If this matter gets out, it will be a disgrace to your reputation."
"The Lord has always treated you well, protected you everywhere, and risked his life to save you. How could you have the heart to commit adultery with someone else and tarnish his reputation, Lu Tingwan!" Gongsun Xue spoke fiercely.
Lu Tingwan scoffed, suddenly finding her ridiculous. "So, since he's so good to me, you, Gongsun Xue, hate me? That's why you're doing this today, framing me?"
"Ask Cheng Xianzhi if he would believe it?"
"It doesn't matter how the Second Madam defends herself. The Master will make the decision when he returns. But what we saw today is true. Before the Master left for Binzhou, he told me to take good care of the household. How could I disappoint the Master and let you destroy his reputation? Since I'm in charge of the household, I can manage all the affairs of the mansion. Even if you're the Palace Master Lu, you still have to deal with Second Madam Cheng first."
"Gongsun Xue, stop being so pretentious. What qualifications do you have to talk about integrity with me? We don't have any deep hatred, so why do you have to kill us all and use such a despicable method? If you continue to act recklessly today, regardless of right or wrong, and force me to this point, I, Lu Tingwan, will show no mercy."
Gongsun Xue's expression suddenly changed, and she looked completely crazy. "Someone, tie up Lu Tingwan."
"How dare you?" Xie Zhao stood in front.
"General Xie is an important official in the court. I, Gongsun Xue, a woman in the inner chamber, have no right to torture you. However, if you acted wildly in the mansion and I failed in self-defense, the court would not question my guilt."
"General Xie is the commander personally appointed by His Majesty to lead the expedition to the northwest. If he sacrifices his future for Lu Tingwan, can you tell the difference between the important and the unimportant?"
As Gongsun Xue raised her sleeves, the palace guards picked up sticks and stepped forward. Xie Zhao snorted coldly. He was willing to risk his life to hijack the execution ground to save Lu Tingwan, so he would not be scared by her words.
"The eldest lady made private moves in the mansion. If this gets to the court, I wonder how the Minister of the Central Secretariat will explain it?" Lu Tingwan didn't recognize these palace soldiers. Only Cheng Xianzhi could command the palace soldiers. Cheng Xianzhi would not give her this right. The only people she could command were those from the Gongsun Mansion.
"Gongsun Xue, does the Minister of the Central Secretariat know that you mobilized these people? Going to all this trouble just to accuse me of having an affair with a man outside my family, isn't that a bit too much?"
"What virtue and ability do I, Lu Tingwan, have?"
"Do you dare to say that you have no affair with Xie Zhao?" Gongsun Xue stared at her, the medicine in her body seeping into her meridians bit by bit. "How long can Cheng Xianzhi tolerate you? He has the ability to tolerate others, but as the mistress of the family, I cannot turn a blind eye."
Lu Tingwan scoffed, "Gongsun Xue, don't you think it's ridiculous when you say that? How did you get the baby in your belly..."
Suddenly, a cold wind blew violently. Gongsun Xue's mouth twitched. She had really heard it that day. Hatred filled her eyes. "What are you still standing there for? Capture him."
Xie Zhao took the stick that was offered to him. Gongsun Xue was like a mad beast that was out of control.
The palace soldiers wanted to capture Lu Tingwan, but they couldn't get past Xie Zhao. Lu Tingwan didn't understand why Gongsun Xue suddenly had such an idea and wanted to kill him all, and it was such a stupid method.
"I have no grudge against you, why do you want to kill me?" Lu Tingwan asked, his eyes piercing through the melee.
Gongsun Xue said cruelly, "Kill, kill her!"
The secret medicine in her body penetrated into her heart and gradually devoured her sanity. The pain in her arm was unbearable. She supported herself on the beam and paid attention to the battle situation.
Seeing the palace guards falling to the ground one after another, Xie Zhao dropped the long stick in his hand and said, "Gongsun Xue, if this continues, there will be no way to end it. There is still a way to turn things around now."
He helped Lu Tingwan over. At this moment, they had no choice but to leave Cheng Mansion first and then make plans. "Make way!"
"I never planned to let you go out today." Gongsun Xue raised her sleeves again, and dozens of people rushed into Yansheng Hall, holding swords and guns.
Lu Tingwan was held in his arms, her vision unclear. "If it were for the baby in your belly, there would be no need to go to this extent, Gongsun Xue."
"Shut up, what do you know? Lu Tingwan defiled the harem, and I, the lady, fulfilled my duty as mistress and arrested and interrogated him. However, he refused to repent and colluded with a man outside to murder me."
"Kill him!"
The palace soldiers continued to attack, and Lu Tingwan retreated behind him. Xie Zhao's two fists were no match for four hands, and the long spear cut his arms and waist. Taking advantage of his injury and slowed defense, he attacked again and held up his limbs, making Xie Zhao unable to move.
"Lu Tingwan is there, kill her!"
Several people raised their swords towards where Lu Tingwan was. Lu Tingwan raised his crossbow and accurately shot at the palace guards who trapped Xie Zhao. The spear array dispersed, and Xie Zhao took advantage of the opportunity. He pressed down with his long legs, breaking the spear shaft. His right knee was fixed on the broken spear head, hitting the palace soldier's leg.
"Who dares to touch her!" Xie Zhao grabbed a spear and swept it across, scaring everyone back a few steps. Lu Tingwan held a crossbow in his arm, and the wounds from the scissors soaked his clothes, and blood splattered on the stairs.
Seeing that killing Lu Tingwan was fruitless, Gongsun Xue's eyes flushed and she recklessly ordered, "Shoot him!"
She came prepared.
The archer drew his bow and gathered strength. Xie Zhao urgently shouted, "Go in!"
Lu Tingwan frowned and turned sideways to hide in the inner room. An arrow landed right in front of her, grazed her temples, broke off her hair, and got stuck in the door frame, blocking her path. Xie Zhao immediately blocked the incoming arrow, but was struck in the arm and stabbed in the chest.
Seeing that the crossbow was at the end of its strength, Gongsun Xue teased and an arrow pierced through Lu Tingwan's shoulder armor.
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