Chapter 74: Practicing Archery Every Day Just to Kill Me? ...
Yingyue Pavilion and Yansheng Hall have rarely interacted with each other, but the Lu family sent an invitation.
Lu Tingwan had long since lost interest in Lu Mingqian and would never dream of receiving any kindness from him. For the sake of face, it was already difficult for her to appear respectful and humble.
As she expected, Lu Mingqian did not ask whether she had suffered during the time she disappeared, or whether she had been bullied after being abducted to the mountain. He was just angry that she had made decisions on her own, which not only caused the Lu family to lose trust with the Jiang family and angered the Queen Mother, but also caused Cheng Xianzhi to sideline her from important matters within the six ministries, leaving her with no one to turn to for help.
"Kneel down!" Lu Tingwan arrived at the Lu residence. Before she could even drink a cup of tea, Lu Mingqian punished her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall.
These cold tablets in the ancestral hall seemed to have nothing to do with her.
"I thought you'd become more restrained after my teaching you that day, but you left Beijing in anger, stubbornly insisting on your own way and refusing to change. Do you know how much cold shoulder and manipulation your sister endured in the Jiang family just to ensure the safety of our Lu family?"
Lu Tingwan had long black hair and a thin body. The red marks on her palms were caused by a ruler. The wound had just healed, but Lu Mingqian hit her ruthlessly.
"Father is saying, if I leave, I shouldn't come back." Lu Tingwan tucked her hair behind her ear and said with a wry smile, "That way, when Cheng Xianzhi returns to Kyoto to report on his achievements in suppressing bandits, you can join forces with the Empress Dowager and attack him."
"You, brat!" Lu Mingqian was furious when his thoughts were exposed, and his heavy palm almost touched Lu Tingwan's cheek.
Lu Tingwan didn't dodge, but looked up and questioned, "Father, you still feel you haven't beaten me enough, right? My body and hair are given by my parents. I was born by you. You can beat me however you want, but I won't feel I've done anything wrong."
Lu Mingqian froze in place, seeing unprecedented resistance and indifference in Lu Tingwan's eyes.
As a father, the head of the family, and the face of Zuo Pushe, he was not willing to be suppressed by her aura. Instead, he turned around, picked up the ruler and hit Lu Tingwan on the back.
She felt a piercing pain on her shoulder and back, but she didn't dodge. One foot after another, the sweat on her forehead became thicker. She gritted her teeth, feeling discouraged.
"Father, don't hit me." Lu Tingwu hurried over and held Lu Tingwan, who had nowhere to hide, in his arms. Lu Mingqian's ruler finally fell on Lu Tingwu.
Only when Lu Tingwu cried out in pain did Lu Mingqian stop.
"Ah Wan, father, please don't hit me anymore. I was injured in Tanzhou and I can't stand your beating."
Lu Tingwu's voice lingered in her ears. It was the first time that Lu Tingwan was protected like this, and she was a little frightened.
"Ah, sister?"
"Awan," Lu Tingwu protected her behind him, blocking Lu Mingqian's ruler with his whole body, "Father, Awan finally came back, how could you be so harsh?"
"Talk to her nicely, Ah Wan will listen."
"Will she listen?" Lu Mingqian suppressed his anger. "Do you dare to repeat what you just said in front of your elder sister?"
"Ever since you left Kyoto without saying goodbye, your sister has been sleepless day and night, worried. The Lu family was imprisoned because of you, and now you've returned to help the Cheng family. Have you ever considered our Lu family?"
"After all, father still blames me. I didn't follow your plan every step of the way, so that's my fault. Now that things have come to this, if you feel that I owe the Lu family, then take your daughter's life tonight in this ancestral hall." Lu Tingwan's eyes were red, and he enunciated every word clearly.
Lu Mingqian was also a stubborn person. Faced with her provocation and disrespect, his wrinkled face turned red.
"Do you really think I wouldn't dare?"
"Father, Ah Wan is now someone His Majesty relies on, and he's also been appointed Protector General by the Emperor. Please don't lose your composure because of a momentary anger," Lu Tingwu kept persuading him from both sides. "Ah Wan, just admit your mistake to Father, and this matter will be over. Why make such a fuss?"
"She is the Guardian Marquis. Do you think His Majesty gave her the title? Without the support of the Lu family, who would she be?" Lu Mingqian became more and more ruthless.
The wind blew through the ancestral hall's beams, and the flickering candlelight inside felt like countless stars falling on Lu Tingwan's cheeks. The stars shone brightly, and Lu Tingwan stood up, ignoring Lu Mingqian. Her mournful laughter drifted around the eaves of the ancestral hall, mingling with the nightingales.
"Father doesn't dare? Is he afraid of being blamed by someone? Or is he afraid of feeling guilty towards my dead mother?"
Lu Mingqian's slap finally landed.
There was a clear snapping sound.
"Awan?" Lu Tingwu stepped forward and stroked the red and swollen cheek, wiping it with a handkerchief. Lu Tingwan just smiled faintly.
"Father, are you relieved? Then Yan Li will take her leave." She didn't even look at Lu Mingqian.
"Sister, I'm sorry to have worried you. I'll come visit you another day."
After saying that, she left the Lu Mansion. Lu Tingwu wanted to stay, but Lu Mingqian stopped her.
Lu Tingwan had no intention of staying. He wanted to use her to gain power and status in the Lu family, which meant sacrificing her choices. He ignored her life and death and only cared about his own future. She would not submit to such a plan.
After leaving Lu Mansion, she went to Fenglin Lane. The streets in Fenglin Lane were still bustling at 12 o'clock. Just a little further in, she found Zhichunli. The seal had not been removed yet, and the old plaque was hanging diagonally. There were still some dry branches inside. The maple tree outside the study was growing as well as ever. When autumn comes, the whole Zhichunli will be shrouded in red.
A quarter after midnight, she returned to the Cheng family. Cheng Xianzhi had just returned home from the Six Ministries at this very hour. Just as he took a few steps up the stairs, a gust of wind passed by him.
It was Lu Tingwan. She walked quickly without looking up at the front. She just lowered her head and was thinking about something. She didn't know who was walking in front of her. She didn't care.
Lu Tingwan just walked straight ahead, ignoring the people passing by, and also ignoring Cheng Xianzhi.
Cheng Xianzhi looked up at the slender figure, took bigger steps to catch up, and called softly, "Lu Tingwan?"
Lu Tingwan didn't hear it and turned the corner to go to Yansheng Hall.
Cheng Xianzhi had a hunch that something was wrong. If she had looked at him normally, she wouldn't have turned a blind eye to it.
Lu Tingwan returned to Yansheng Hall without disturbing Feng Xin. He filled a basin with cold water, wiped off the stains on his body, changed into pajamas and went to bed.
Inside the study, someone absentmindedly flipping through official documents called out to Cang Shu outside, "Where has Lu Tingwan been these past few days?"
Cang Shu bowed and replied, "Your Excellency, the Second Madam stays at home except when she goes to the military camp. She rarely stays outside."
Cheng Xianzhi pondered for a moment, and Cang Shu continued, "The Lu family sent an invitation today. I guess the Second Madam must have returned to the Lu Mansion."
Seeing that she was distracted tonight, who knows what Lu Mingqian said to her, something that made her feel embarrassed? Or was it that Queen Mother Jiang was thinking of arranging something for Lu Tingwan?
"knew."
Cang Shu left, and Cheng Xianzhi put down the official documents. He stared into the darkness in the courtyard. The wind whistled past the eaves of Yansheng Hall and lingered in the courtyard...
The next day, everything was peaceful in Yansheng Hall. Lu Tingwan went to the military camp as usual. She would study the arm crossbow when she had nothing to do. The structure inside was so delicate that she tried to disassemble it and reassemble it. She didn't know where she got the perseverance from, but she became interested in these exquisite instruments.
When Cheng Xianzhi was not in the six ministries, he went to the training ground to supervise the army. Occasionally, he would meet Lu Tingwan and see her hanging out with Xie Zhao and others. When a woman first appeared in the army, the soldiers were curious and talked about it. Some people did not know Lu Tingwan's other identity, such as Xie Zhao.
He thought she was just Lu Mingqian's daughter, but it was later pointed out to him by a military lieutenant.
"Xie Zhao, stop calling her Miss Jiang all the time. She's Minister Cheng's second wife."
Xie Zhao figured out some things from the advice. It turned out that Lu Tingwan was able to persuade Cheng Xianzhi in Qingyao Mountain and dared to mediate with him because of this relationship.
When he asked about Lu Tingwan, Lu Tingwan spoke frankly. She had no intention of hiding it, and there was no need to tell him about this relationship. She just let it go. If he knew, then he would know that what happened between them had nothing to do with Cheng Xianzhi, and had nothing to do with whether she was the second wife of the Cheng family.
Since Lu Tingwan said so, Xie Zhao did not shy away from it. If Cheng Xianzhi cared about her, he would not have allowed Lu Tingwan to enter and leave the military camp, nor would he have let her wander around Qingyao Mountain. He would not have been so calm when Bai Tu forced Lu Tingwan to negotiate terms with him.
Xie Zhao came to the conclusion that Cheng Xianzhi and Lu Ting had no romantic feelings for each other in the evening.
Lu Tingwan kept pestering Xie Zhao to explain the mechanism to her. She also re-drew the blueprint of the dismantled crossbow and improved some key techniques. Xie Zhao praised her awareness repeatedly. When it comes to equipment and mechanism, awareness alone is not enough. One must also have talent and perseverance in studying. Someone like Xie Zhao can determine what is wrong with just one mechanism.
Occasionally, Xie Zhao would be busy with training all day, and Lu Tingwan would sit alone in the military camp armory for a whole day just to fiddle with those bows and crossbows.
After it got dark, the soldiers returned to the tent. She then realized that the night was getting thicker and it was time to go back.
It happened that Cheng Xianzhi was on his way back, and she didn't mind walking with him. Anyway, the forest path back to the city was deep and secluded, and crows would always cry in the quiet night, like the miserable cries of ghosts, which was quite scary if you heard it too much.
With him by my side, I feel more at ease.
However, if she encountered the same robbers as before, she would not be afraid. She had a crossbow and could shoot several arrows in an instant. Her archery skills had also improved in the military camp with Xie Zhao's advice.
She took the re-mounted crossbow to test it. There was no target in Yansheng Hall, so she had to go to the training ground outside the city, but it was almost dark.
Then, she remembered that there was a target in the courtyard of Cheng Xianzhi's study. She had never seen him use it, but Han Zhou used it more often.
Thinking of this, she went to the study. There was no one in the study, so she didn't turn on the lights.
It was a full-moon night, and the moonlight illuminated the entire courtyard. It didn't seem to matter if she didn't light a lamp. Without light, she could see the target and try.
Before Cheng Xianzhi entered the courtyard, the movement inside attracted the attention of the two. Lu Tingwan was immersed in testing his arrows and had forgotten the time.
When I stepped onto the courtyard, I stepped in and saw an arrow flying towards me.
"My Lord, be careful."
Han Zhou was quick-eyed and quick-handed. He raised his sword to deflect the arrow that was close to him, and then threw a dart neatly, which hit the center of the bull's eye.
"Who? Get out here!" Han Zhou shouted coldly at the person behind the target.
Lu Tingwan raised his crossbow, revealing half of his face from behind the target.
Guilty heart said: "Yes, it's me..."
"Second Madam?" Han Zhou was incredulous and glanced at Cheng Xianzhi again.
Cheng Xianzhi's eyes darkened, and he walked forward, looking at her with an unhappy expression.
"Assassination? You go to the army every day just to be able to shoot me in the back one day, right?"
Lu Tingwan knew that she was in the wrong. If Han Zhou hadn't shot that arrow just now, Cheng Xianzhi would probably have been killed.
"No, I just wanted to find a target to try out this new crossbow, but the only one in the mansion is in the study, so I came here to practice."
"Who let you in?" Cheng Xianzhi quietly took the armband from her hand.
Lu Tingwan wanted to resist, but with just one glance, she became obedient.
"No, no one."
"You came in by yourself?" The crossbow spun in his palm, and Lu Tingwan's shadow was visible in his peripheral vision. "I have reason to suspect that you have ill intentions towards me and intend to assassinate me."
Even bluffing has to have a limit. Lu Tingwan didn't fall for it anymore and snatched the crossbow away. "I told you to come here and try out the new crossbow. If you don't want to believe me, I won't come."
The cold wind blew the hem of her clothes, and Lu Tingwan took a step to leave, and Cheng Xianzhi followed with words.
"Aren't there enough targets in the barracks for you to practice on?"
He raised his hand and Han Zhou handed over the arrow in his hand.
"You were always pestering Xie Zhao in the barracks. Didn't he teach you how to aim at the bull's eye?"
"You can miss the target even at such a close distance?"
Facing Cheng Xianzhi's ridicule, Lu Tingwan's competitive spirit was aroused, and he said stubbornly, "That's right, that's because the light is too dim, and the crossbow still needs improvement. It's not that I can't shoot accurately."
"Hmph," Cheng Xianzhi scoffed and said to Han Zhou outside, "It seems Xie Zhao's archery skills aren't that great either. Send an order for more archery training at the training ground tomorrow."
Lu Tingwan had seen Xie Zhao draw the bow. When the string was fully drawn, his entire arm was stretched out with a wild and arrogant look. His archery skills were also impeccable. She was not very happy about what Cheng Xianzhi said.
She could only mutter a few words through her pout.
"I don't know whose skills are not good enough."
"What?" Cheng Xianzhi looked at her coldly, his voice distant.
"What Minister Cheng said is right. I will not be a nuisance here anymore. I will withdraw." Lu Tingwan snatched the arrow from his hand and left the academy.
Several arrows hit the target and all hit the bull's eye. He looked at the arrows on the target, thinking about something.
He turned to Xiang Hanzhou and asked, "Is my archery bad?"
"Very good." Han Zhou answered casually.
"Send this target to Yansheng Hall tomorrow."
When Cheng Xianzhi looked at the target, he knew that Xie Zhao had taught her archery. Otherwise, with Lu Tingwan's skills, she probably wouldn't be able to be so accurate.
He thought to himself that the target had been sent to Yansheng Hall, so she could practice archery there without having to go to the training ground.
Somehow, hearing her muttering "Xie Zhao, Xie Zhao" in my ear every day, I couldn't help but feel unhappy.
And when she defended Xie Zhao and praised him, he, who had always been proud, would secretly question himself. From then on, Han Zhou often saw Cheng Xianzhi drawing the bow and shooting arrows in the military training ground, as if they were secretly competing with each other.
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