Chapter 53: Injuring her severely was also part of Cheng Xianzhi's plan
"You're worrying too much, sister. Cheng Xianzhi and I have no feelings for each other. Now that he has been promoted to a high rank, my father's official position has been restricted because of me. He resents me in his heart, and I can only bear it. After the banquet, I will go back with you." Lu Tingwan made up his mind, then forced a smile, took a glass of wine, and walked away.
After the banquet, the Cheng family sent their guests away. Han Zhou was about to leave. Cheng Xianzhi asked, "Have you seen Lu Tingwan?"
Han Zhou folded his hands over his chest, raised his chin slightly, and nodded towards the door of the mansion: "I'm leaving with the eldest lady of the Lu family."
Lu Mingqian looked unhappy at the banquet today, but he could still sit still despite being surrounded by Cheng Xianzhi. Cheng Xianzhi admired him because Lu Tingwan was able to recuperate in Yansheng Hall these days because of the plea in Hanzhang Palace.
"Sir, are you looking for the Second Madam to discuss divorce?" Han Zhou asked suddenly.
Cheng Xianzhi remained silent.
Cang Zhu rushed over, bowed, and said, "My Lord, the Madam has sent a message saying that she will be waiting for you at Yingyue Pavilion tonight. Please be sure to go."
Cheng Xianzhi's eyes darkened as he responded. What was to come had to come. He had no excuse to shirk his promise to her.
After Cang Shu left, Han Zhou teased, "It's just right. I've signed the divorce agreement with the Second Madam, so I can have an explanation when I go find the First Madam."
Cheng Xianzhi was in a bad mood and just glanced at him sideways without paying any attention to him.
Lu Tingwan returned to the Lu Mansion and went straight to the study. Lu Mingqian dismissed everyone outside the study. The room was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.
The already cold winter day is covered with a layer of ice, making people shiver.
Lu Mingqian sat in front of the desk and said in a sharp and ruthless voice, "Kneel down."
Lu Tingwan felt aggrieved and quite reluctant, and Lu Mingqian's patience was exhausted.
"You evil creature, I told you to kneel down." He slammed his palm down on the table, and the papers piled on the table scattered and fluttered on the edge of Lu Tingwan's skirt.
She gritted her teeth and slowly knelt down, her knees hard against the floor, hard and cold. Before sunset, the sun set in the west, and the remaining warmth mixed with the cold wind, making the chill oppressive.
"Lu Tingwan, do you know your crime?" Lu Mingqian questioned the unfilial daughter in front of him, feeling extremely disappointed.
"If my father blames Yanli for not putting the account book in Cheng Xianzhi's study and frames him for the crime, I don't know what crime Yanli has committed."
The teacup fell heavily, splashing hot tea onto the back of her hand, and the broken porcelain scattered all over the floor. Lu Mingqian scolded, "You are so stubborn and stubborn. Is this how your mother taught you all these years?"
Lu Mingqian blamed Jiang, but Lu Tingwan felt unwilling. Her mother had worked hard to raise her from infancy. She never knew who her father was, and only knew that all her warmth and comfort came from her mother.
She raised her head firmly, looking directly at Lu Mingqian. "My mother taught me justice, but never taught me how to frame others."
This one sentence just happened to arouse Lu Mingqian's pent-up anger and frustration over the past few days.
The Queen Mother accused him of not educating his daughter well and scolded him for not being strict enough. If he had married Lu Tingwu, so many problems would not have arisen.
"You're just like your mother," Lu Mingqian stood up and walked over to her, looking down at her. "You think you're noble and kind, but you don't realize that in this officialdom, there's no such thing as clean hands. Do you think Cheng Xianzhi is innocent? If his methods weren't even more ruthless than your father's, how could he have ascended to the position of Minister in just five years?"
Questions flooded her like a tidal wave, "Lu Tingwan, who told you to go to Hanzhang Palace?"
"Yanli wants to go on his own."
"Are you really going to ruin your father's and your sister's future just for a man like him?" Lu Mingqian's face was ferocious, and Lu Tingwan felt extremely unfamiliar.
She suddenly found it ridiculous. "Father! I'm not doing this for any man, or Cheng Xianzhi. Yan Li only wants to seek justice for the farmers. Father, you find Yan Li hateful because I wasn't obedient enough. I disobeyed the Queen Mother's orders and delayed your official career. Otherwise, it would be you who would be hosting the promotion banquet today, not Cheng Xianzhi."
She clearly knew everything, but she insisted on acting stubbornly and stubbornly, which was the most hateful thing for Lu Mingqian.
Snap——
With a clear sound, Lu Tingwan's fair cheek was instantly imprinted with bright red fingerprints, like red plum blossoms covering the white snow in winter.
The pain stimulated her nerves and soul. She didn't know where it hurt, and tears couldn't help but flow. She was filled with grievance and confusion, but she pursed her lips and said nothing.
"Seeking justice for the farmers," Lu Mingqian laughed, his smile tinged with sarcasm. "Do you think Cheng Xianzhi took the opportunity to revise the law just to benefit the people?"
"It's ridiculous, really ridiculous."
"What does father mean?"
"Cheng Xianzhi has been adjudicating cases in the Ministry of Justice for many years. Doesn't he know more about the loopholes in the law than anyone else? The reason why there are loopholes is that one can better understand the severity of the verdict by attending the trial in court. So he could have clearly redressed the injustice for the farmer in court and sentenced Gao Heng to a heavier sentence, but he didn't." Lu Mingqian pinched his palm. He had hit it too hard just now and it still hurt a little, not to mention Lu Tingwan.
"Writing petitions for farmers and breaking into the Ministry of Justice, you think you're a man of integrity, punishing the strong and supporting the weak, but you're actually being used without even realizing it, and you're even proud of it." Lu Mingqian gritted his teeth, looking disappointed. "You've become a pawn in Cheng Xianzhi's scheme, and you don't even realize it?"
Lu Tingwan's mind and heart were in a mess at this time. He opened his eyes wide and thought about the cause and effect. A flash of hostility appeared in Lu Mingqian's eyes.
"In the first ruling by the Ministry of Justice, Cheng Xianzhi deliberately didn't sentence Gao Heng severely, intending to use this situation to inflame public opinion. Only when this matter becomes a big deal and public outrage reaches its peak will the court be forced to intervene."
"But why would he let himself be imprisoned?" The moment Lu Tingwan asked this question, he suddenly realized.
Lu Mingqian stared at her, his deep gaze falling on her.
Her face was ashen, like a piece of driftwood drifting aimlessly in an abyss with no exit, unable to find a place to return to.
Therefore, she was also part of Cheng Xianzhi's plan.
That night he told her in the study that no one could be trusted. Lu Tingwan asked him about it, but he didn't answer.
Yes, they had only done a few transactions, which could not be considered a friendship. Even if she would not misjudge people, what was the difference between Cheng Xianzhi and Queen Mother Jiang? They were just stepping on human blood to achieve their goals.
"So, so..." She murmured silently after figuring everything out.
Lu Mingqian said coldly, "Rumors were spreading all over Kyoto in just one day, and Cheng Xianzhi himself wasn't fueling the flames? He wanted to put him in a desperate situation, so the court could intervene and imprison him. It seemed like they were giving in, but in reality, they were retreating to advance, taking advantage of the situation to propose amending the law. He's been calculating all along, putting himself in a desperate situation and then escaping. That's his goal."
"Revising the law is so crucial. He wanted to cast his net right in the thick of the storm, and use the Dali Temple to disprove his charges, ultimately reaping both fame and fortune. You single-mindedly went to the palace to beg His Majesty to revise the law, reexamine the case, and sentence Gao Heng harshly. Cheng Xianzhi had planned every detail beforehand, with only one step remaining: to legitimately overturn his charges of favoritism and abuse of power. You also painstakingly sent witnesses and evidence to the Dali Temple. It's you who completed the final chapter for him."
He took this opportunity to get rid of the restrictions of the Queen Mother in placing people in the six ministries. He made a desperate move, set up a plan with himself, and secretly took the position of Shangshu and dominated the six ministries, catching the Queen Mother off guard.
But why did he think that she would not follow the Queen Mother's instructions and put the account book into the study, and then appear in court to testify against him?
Lu Tingwan didn't understand.
"Besides allowing Cheng Xianzhi to take the position of Shangshu and foiling the plans of father and the Queen Mother, as father said, Cheng Xianzhi has been cautious at every step. Even without me, he can escape unscathed. Wouldn't that also make it impossible for father and the Queen Mother to do anything?" Lu Tingwan said, "Gao Heng was sentenced to death, and Zhou Hua was rescued from Chunfeng Tower and allowed to return home. At least I achieved what I wanted. As for father's official position, if he is dedicated to assisting the monarch, there is no need to worry about not being promoted in the future."
"Really? Do you think this is the best outcome?" There was a cold look in Lu Mingqian's eyes.
"Father wants to punish me?"
Lu Mingqian's eyes were sharp. "The Queen Mother has ordered that if you want to ensure my career success, your sister's marriage, and the Lu family's long-term security, you must sacrifice your life for your father."
The cold wind was blowing hard against the eaves, blowing the window open and then closing it again with the wind. Lu Tingwan's shoulders drooped. She thought that the Queen Mother would scold her, and also thought of the worst case scenario. At most, she would be whipped a few more times. She had made a big fuss about what happened in Hanzhang Palace, and the Queen Mother should not take action at this critical juncture, so as not to give people a chance to talk and give Cheng Xianzhi a handle.
By then, she will be at the end of the world, hiding her identity and leaving Kyoto anyway, and no one will be able to find her.
"If the Queen Mother wanted to kill me, she wouldn't have asked my father to come back and scold me today," Lu Tingwan pondered. "Cheng Xianzhi had just been promoted to Shangshu, and it was a time when he needed more people. He certainly wouldn't have any grudges against the Lu family. But the Queen Mother is not willing to be toyed with by someone as insignificant as me."
"How does she want my father to punish me?" Lu Tingwan asked with a stern look.
Lu Mingqian glared at her. His daughter was thoughtful, courageous and resolute, but unfortunately she was not of the same mind as him. Like her mother, she had a strong character and could not bear to be inferior to others, but she was also unwilling to sink into the quagmire.
"You've been running a business without telling anyone. I presume you got Cheng Xianzhi's permission from the start. As for what you offered him in exchange for this, I don't want to delve into it any further."
"But the Queen Mother's anger cannot be appeased. Only by exchanging your joy for your fault can she calm down her anger." Lu Mingqian turned around and sat back at the desk. "Zhichunli will be closed to visitors from now on. When you can gain the Queen Mother's trust again, Zhichunli will reopen to welcome guests."
The half window was opened by the cold wind again, and the wide-open window faced the strong wind, which hit Lu Tingwan's cheek and blew wildly.
As Lu Mingqian finished speaking, Lu Tingwan was struck by lightning. She crawled over on her knees and stroked Lu Mingqian's knees. No matter how resolute she was, she lost her composure once she set foot in Zhichunli. Her voice trembled hoarsely, "Father, you want me to close Zhichunli? That's your daughter's hard work."
"It's not as simple as asking you to close Zhichunli now. It's the Queen Mother who wants to seal off Zhichunli. As long as the Queen Mother doesn't revoke the order, Zhichunli will never be able to open its doors to welcome guests again."
Tears as big as beans rolled down her jade face, meeting the cold wind, like a sharp blade cutting through her. "Father, Yanli can be punished. I can endure the Queen Mother's beatings and scoldings, but I cannot be locked up in Zhichunli. I cannot be locked up..."
"When you took this step, did you foresee this outcome?" Lu Mingqian asked, "Don't you like to act recklessly? You can't bear this kind of result?"
"The Jiang family holds the power of life and death in the whole world. It would be easy for them to close down your shop. Why on earth are you so desperate to go against the Jiang family?" The more Lu Mingqian thought about it, the more he felt disappointed.
"Even if, even if it's the Queen Mother..." Lu Tingwan sobbed. In this capital, only Zhichunli belonged to her. Her father had never been kind to her. Although her elder sister had some true feelings for her, she also dragged her into the abyss for the sake of profit. Her husband was not the person she loved.
"Even the Queen Mother cannot oppress the common people at will. Zhichunli has business dealings with the Chamber of Commerce, and it also involves the business of major shops in Kyoto. How can the Queen Mother order it to be closed down for personal reasons?"
"Don't you understand?" Lu Mingqian pushed Lu Tingwan away, slammed his hand on the table, and said sternly, "That's Queen Mother Jiang, who can cover the capital with her bare hands. She can command all levels of government, even the noble families, at will with a blink of an eye. Duke Jiang will return to the capital before the end of the year. The Jiang family is at its peak of power. Not to mention that Cheng Xianzhi can't protect you, even the emperor wouldn't confront the Jiang family over a person as insignificant as you."
"Father……"
"You still remember to call me father? When you burned the account books, did you ever think that I was your father?" Lu Mingqian stood up and walked out the door with a sad and contemptuous look on his face.
The wooden door opened, and a cold wind completely flooded the gloomy study. Lu Tingwan knelt, unable to rise, and sat limply on the ground, her palms pressed against the broken lamp, a layer of blood coating her. She could no longer feel the pain. Her eyes misted with water, and she gradually lost sight of the figure outside the door. Shortly after Lu Mingqian left the courtyard, several servants came in to fetch someone.
"Second Miss, the master has ordered you to leave the house as soon as possible."
The cold wind outside the yard was mixed with jade chips, which fell into the air with the wind. The white pieces melted as soon as they touched the wooden boards.
She supported herself on the ground with her hands and staggered to her feet. Her knees felt numb and she almost fell down. Her body bumped into the screen and the servant didn't dare to step forward to help her.
A self-deprecating smile appeared on Lu Tingwan's lips.
What did she do wrong?
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