Chapter 86 Heartache Then She Is Still Lu Tingwan
His face was blurred with tears. Compared with the heart-wrenching pain, the dejected look like a deathly gray was more distressing.
She wanted to laugh, but no sound came out. She wanted to cry, but no sound came out either. Tears just flowed uncontrollably. After an unknown amount of time, she stood up, as if no one was around, like a floating corpse, dragging her soulless body towards the execution ground. Thunder roared.
It seemed to cover up the desolation, and also to cover up her own sadness and grief. Every thunder could not awaken the dead soul.
Xie Zhao called out to her from behind, but she ignored him. Another thud of horses' hooves echoed outside the execution ground. The rider, exhausted from days and nights of travel, maintained a radiant, spotless demeanor. As the figure drew closer, Lu Tingwan abandoned her surroundings, aimlessly devoting herself to leaving.
Cheng Xian got off her horse and walked straight towards Lu Tingwan. She was wearing prison clothes, and the loose clothes wrapped around her frail body. Her eyes were blank, and she caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye, but her heart was calm.
Her long hair was blown wildly by the strong wind, but she didn't care. Cheng Xianzhi had never seen Lu Tingwan like this before. He was restrained and forbearing, hiding his pity. He called out in a hoarse voice, "Lu Tingwan?"
He was waiting for a response, but Lu Tingwan didn't react at all. She almost brushed past him, her long hair picked up by the wind, swept past him, and then floated away when it hit his eyelids.
Cheng Xianzhi stood still, watching Lu Tingwan, who was like a walking corpse. The clouds were broken by the heavy rain, and the rain curtain washed the bloody ground unscrupulously, and also washed away the last bit of life in Lu Tingwan, and she fell down.
As he fell to the ground, a sound of "Jiang Yanli" mixed with the sound of thunder.
That was Xie Zhao's voice.
Cheng Xianzhi suddenly stretched out his hand, bent down and fished out the person from the puddle. Rainwater and blood mixed together, staining the prisoner's uniform bright red. The air was filled with blood and moisture, and even the water droplets dripping from the hair were red.
It was no longer possible to tell whether the blood was from Lu Tingwan's body or from the guillotine.
After the roar of this heavy rain, all the prosperity of the Lu family was washed away, leaving nothing behind.
Inside Yansheng Hall, Lu Tingwan woke up at night. The wind and rain continued to pound, and the raindrops from the eaves hit the ground intermittently, the dampness still lingering. The imperial physician took his pulse again and found that after the chaotic battle and the ups and downs, his Qi and blood were weak, and his Yin-fire was stagnant. He wrote a prescription and Feng Xin went to the side hall to boil the medicine.
Cheng Xianzhi waited in the compartment for the imperial physician's reply.
Lu Tingwan was fine. She had some bruises and scrapes on her body, but no serious external injuries. She just had not eaten or drunk anything and had not spoken since she woke up. She looked haggard and her eyes were blurry. No matter who spoke to her, she didn't say a word. But it wasn't that she didn't want to speak, she just felt like there was a foreign object blocking her throat, and she couldn't express the information in her mind.
The imperial physician was also in a difficult situation and shook his head helplessly: "Please forgive me, Your Excellency, Madam, she witnessed the death of her blood relatives and was hit too hard. That's why she is depressed and like a puppet..."
Cheng Xianzhi frowned, raised his hand and asked Cang Shu to pour the imperial physician a cup of tea, then asked in a hoarse voice, "Is there a cure?"
"Heart disease needs to be treated with heart medicine, but the dead cannot be resurrected," the imperial physician sighed heavily. "The medicine I prescribe can only treat external injuries, not the heart. I can only ask Madam to go out and relax more often, so that the pain of losing her bloodline can be channeled through other means to distract her. Or find something to do. Being busy will keep her from thinking too much. With time, Madam's aphasia may recover."
"Aphasia..." Cheng Xianzhi murmured, "Thank you, Imperial Physician."
"Cang Zhu, send the imperial physician back home."
The imperial physician bowed and left Yansheng Hall.
There were only two people left in the bedroom. Although Lu Tingwan could not speak, her hearing was still good, and she heard the conversation between the two just now.
Not long after, a figure came in from outside the partition of the inner room. He first stopped at the partition screen, his eyes fell on the person on the couch. She was leaning against the soft pillow, half sitting on the couch.
Lu Tingwan's eyes never moved until Cheng Xianzhi approached and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I know you can't accept it right now," Cheng Xianzhi held his breath and concentrated for a moment before saying, "I know you feel bad about the entire Lu family being beheaded..."
After he spoke, Lu Tingwan could no longer suppress the bitterness in her heart. Recalling the moment when Lu Tingwu's head was looking at her on the guillotine, she felt heartbroken and helpless.
Tears began to flow from the corners of her eyes, which had already been red and swollen. Cheng Xianzhi couldn't bear it, and her eyes were gradually filled with pity. She endured her tears, and even though she couldn't make a sound, she couldn't hide her sobs.
"Take good care of your injuries these days. If you need anything, I'll ask Butler Zhu to bring it to you." Cheng Xianzhi's sharp and deep eyes were rarely covered with a layer of tenderness.
Large drops of water fell like agate pearls from a broken string, dripping onto the thin quilt. He finally couldn't bear to raise his arm, and just as his fingertips were about to touch her cheek, Lu Tingwan instinctively shrank back, her pupils filled with panic, and her misty eyes stared at the arm that was coming towards her.
Just as he touched her, she dodged and buried her head to one side. In this position, Cheng Xianzhi could only see half of her face.
Lu Tingwan didn't let him touch her. He couldn't see any extraneous thoughts in those clear eyes, but he could sense that they were a look of avoidance, distrust, and vigilance...
Then she is still Lu Tingwan.
Cheng Xianzhi stayed in the inner room for a while, then stood up and left, saying softly, "You better rest well."
After waiting for a while when Lu Tingwan didn't respond, he stepped out of the room. Sobbing sounds came from the inner room. The people on the steps under the eaves retracted their steps and just stood there, listening to the crying.
Lu Tingwan was speechless, but her sobs finally broke out after Cheng Xianzhi left. She could no longer restrain herself or endure it. Each shrill cry told of her pain.
She just felt pain, so much pain, but she couldn't tell where it hurt. Her heart was devastated. Her slender fingers were embedded in the soft pillow, and her fingertips turned red due to the force. Her hands, which were supporting the pillow, couldn't stop trembling, and her thin shoulders twitched in waves. The sound of rain outside the house stopped, and occasionally a few gusts of wind hit the window frame, and each sound was like a thorn rolling in her heart blood.
After an unknown amount of time, the sobs gradually subsided, becoming silent whimpers. The figure under the eaves was hidden in the night, the brocade clothes on his shoulders were damp, and his long legs stepped out of Yansheng Hall. His tall back revealed a sense of fatigue from running around for a long time.
His heart also floated above the eaves of Yansheng Hall along with the people inside.
The next morning, the court meeting in Hanzhang Hall was halfway through. Cheng Xianzhi had already submitted his report on the progress of flood control and water conservancy construction in Tanzhou. The Ministry of Works team would arrive in Kyoto in seven days at the earliest. The Ministry of Works would commend him for his excellent supervision of the work. Cheng Xianzhi's achievements since becoming the Minister of the Six Ministries were remarkable, and all the officials in the court had witnessed them.
As for the chaotic scene at the execution ground in the north of the city yesterday, all the officials expressed their opinions. In the end, the Lu family was executed according to the law, but the only surviving death row prisoner attracted a lot of criticism.
"Your Majesty, the Lu family's crime has long been determined. Yesterday, Minister Cheng led Deputy Commander Han to the execution ground to take away Lu Tingwan, which was a contempt for the imperial power. Can you give us a reasonable explanation for this matter?" The censor was the first to speak.
Yesterday, Cheng Xianzhi asked Li Tingfeng for an imperial edict of pardon in Guangling Palace. It would take time to draft the edict, and he did not dare to delay, so he sent Han Jinzhang first with the oral order. If it were not for the hijacking caused by Xie Zhao and others, all the members of the Lu family would have been beheaded, and Lu Tingwan would definitely not have been able to wait for the imperial edict of pardon.
After Li Tingfeng drafted the imperial edict, Cheng Xianzhi rode his horse non-stop to the execution ground. From the palace gate to the execution ground in the north of the city, his horse's hooves overturned countless street stalls. Cheng Xianzhi galloped through the crowd. The strong wind before the rainstorm blew his sleeves and the sharp wind blew across his cheeks. All he thought about was whether Han Jinzhang could stop the punishment before it was carried out.
Empress Dowager Jiang, who was behind the curtain, did not move an inch. Everyone knew about this matter yesterday after Cheng Xianzhi went to the execution ground from Guangling Palace. As for how Cheng Xianzhi persuaded the emperor to pardon Lu Tingwan, no one else knew except the two of them.
"Lu Mingqian deserves his punishment," Li Tingfeng said, straightening himself up and coughing a few times. "Lu Tingwan had already presented evidence to expose his father's crimes. Only Minister Cheng can testify to this."
"Lu Tingwan is the concubine of Minister Cheng. How do we know that Minister Cheng is not speaking one-sidedly to protect Lu?" The Imperial Counselor has the right to make suggestions and criticize the people around him in order to help the emperor. No matter the rank of the official, if his behavior or speech is inappropriate, he can make suggestions and participate in the discussion in Hanzhang Palace.
Even an emperor would still feel resistance when faced with his ministers' questioning, but he suppressed these emotions behind his sickly face, still acting like a benevolent monarch: "It's not a one-sided statement. The relevant evidence reported has been provided to the Dali Temple for verification, and Lu Tingwan did have the merit of exposing it, but..."
Li Tingfeng shifted his gaze to Cheng Xianzhi. The tall and graceful figure had a cold expression on his face. He looked at the emperor and nodded.
"Minister Cheng was on a mission to Tanzhou to oversee construction work, driven by imperial orders and pressed for duty. Therefore, he did not immediately submit his confession. However, I, mindful of Minister Cheng's contributions to water conservancy projects, which benefited the people of Tanzhou, have offset their merits and faults. As for Lu Tingwan, he demonstrated his deep understanding of justice by providing evidence, and therefore I pardon his crime. There is no need to discuss this matter further."
Li Tingfeng's eyes were determined and he would not tolerate any rebuttal from others. Queen Mother Jiang said nothing. Cheng Xianzhi took great pains to rush back from Tanzhou day and night just to protect Lu Tingwan. She was curious about what use Lu Tingwan was to him.
A light cough sounded from behind the beaded curtain, and Li Tingfeng tilted his head slightly: "Does the Queen Mother have any objection to this minister's intention?"
Queen Mother Jiang extended her jade arm. Palace Master Hong leaned forward and respectfully placed her hands before her. Queen Mother Jiang took her hand and stood up. Her voice was lazy but still dignified: "Our court has always been clear about rewards and punishments. Since it has been verified that Lu has made meritorious reports and exposed the crime, Your Majesty should pardon his crime. As for those imperial guards who disobeyed orders and hijacked the execution ground, how will Your Majesty deal with them?"
Li Tingfeng had anticipated this. Xie Zhao and the others disrupted the order of the punishment ground, interfered with the execution, and injured many guards and soldiers from Jingzhao Prefecture. If Lu Tingwan was guilty, then these people would be disobeying the emperor's order.
This crime can be serious or minor, depending on how Li Tingfeng wants to deal with it.
"The Imperial Guard Xie Zhao who kidnapped the prisoners privately should be severely punished, but if Xie Zhao had not kidnapped the prisoner, Lu Tingwan would have been killed on the spot. Han Zhang ordered a false case back then, and I don't want Lu's case to be brought up again a few years later and still be a false case. Acting privately and therefore violating military orders is not the only fault. The three battalions of the Imperial Guard will be beaten with 30 military sticks and fined for half a year's salary." Li Tingfeng gave a small punishment but a big warning, which was also considered an explanation.
Xie Zhao privately mobilized troops and should have been dismissed and imprisoned. If the case is investigated further, he will be sentenced to death.
Queen Mother Jiang raised the corners of her lips, and said faintly, "Since that's the case, do you have any objections, my dear ministers? Dalan has weathered a century of storms, and its stability remains uncertain. Furthermore, it has been plagued by natural and man-made disasters. Your monarch's kindness is a blessing for Dalan."
Since even the Empress Dowager stopped talking, His Highness Hanzhang and other court officials had no choice but to accept it.
In Yansheng Hall, Feng Xin took care of Lu Tingwan ten times a night. It was the first time she saw Lu Tingwan like this. She was even more distraught than when Huaer fell to her death. She couldn't even speak.
She locked herself in the room all day long. When no one was around, she would lean against the corner of the bed in a daze. She didn't respond when Feng Xin spoke, as if she couldn't hear him.
The imperial physician clearly said it was aphasia, but Feng Xin looked like she had dementia. She was panicking, knowing that Lu Tingwan and Cheng Xianzhi had not gotten along before, but it was he who brought her back from the execution ground and arranged for the imperial physician to treat her injuries and prescribe medicine.
Over the past few days, every night after he finished his official duties outside, he would go to Yansheng Hall to see Lu Tingwan, but Lu Tingwan seemed not to recognize him, or was trying to avoid him.
Cheng Xianzhi didn't say much, but he knew that even though she was distracted and exhausted, she would definitely care about the brothers from the three battalions who had risked their lives for her.
He took the medicine bowl from Feng Xin's hand, scooped up the medicine with a jade spoon, put his thin lips on the edge of the spoon, blew gently, and handed it over when he was sure it was not hot. Feng Xin had never seen him serve anyone so gently. She had always avoided this head of the family.
The medicine passed to him fell on Lu Tingwan's lips, and Cheng Xianzhi waited patiently for her to open her mouth.
But Lu Tingwan didn't move. The oil lamplight was mottled, and her face was still as pale as frost. Her whole body exuded a sense of coldness and loneliness. Her eyes were empty and lifeless, and she didn't know where she was looking. When she curled up in the corner of the bed, she was like a broken piece of jade. He wanted to hold the broken jade close to his arms and pass on the warmth of his body to her.
But when he reached out to touch it, the person moved away.
Therefore, he kept a tight rein and never crossed the line. Beneath this aloof and cold demeanor, this gentleman must have endured countless crazy thoughts.
After a long time, the medicine became cold, and she did not touch the spoon held by Cheng Xianzhi.
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