Chapter 87: Healing the Injury, the Punishment Deserved...
"Xie Zhao and others disobeyed military orders and hijacked the execution ground. Your Majesty will give them a light punishment and a severe warning. This matter is over. They can still serve in the Imperial Guards. You don't need to worry about their safety." Cheng Xianzhi took back the spoon and stirred it back into the medicine bowl. He seemed to know what Lu Tingwan was thinking.
The dazed man's shoulders trembled and he responded.
"The imperial physician said you couldn't speak because you were so traumatized that you couldn't accept reality," Cheng Xianzhi said gently. "Lu Tingwan, I know you're not a fragile person. Even though the Lu family is gone, you still have those brothers who were willing to die for you. I'm sure you wouldn't want the person they risked their lives to save to end up as a floating corpse."
Feng Xin felt so distressed when he heard this that his eyes became wet.
Cheng Xianzhi raised the spoon again and waited for a while before Lu Tingwan was willing to open her mouth. Halfway through the medicine, Luzhu from Yingyue Pavilion came in from outside and bowed respectfully to the person on the edge of the bed.
"Master, the First Madam has returned from Tanzhou. Upon hearing that the Second Madam was frightened, she sent this servant to bring this fine ginseng to the Second Madam to nourish her body."
Feng Xin took the wooden box from Luzhu's hand and said, "Thank you, Madam, for your kindness."
"The Madam has been traveling so hard. Please help her get some rest early." Cheng Xianzhi said with a slightly stiff tone.
Luzhu was in a dilemma. Before Gongsun Xue arrived in Kyoto, rumors about the Lu family had already spread to Binzhou. Therefore, she should have thought that Cheng Xianzhi had left her behind and hurried back to the capital. In addition, she heard that it was Minister Cheng who led the imperial edict to save the remnants of the Lu family during the execution.
She became even more certain in her heart that he had returned to Beijing for Lu Tingwan.
So, upon entering the mansion, he summoned the housekeeper to inquire about his recent situation. He learned that Cheng Xianzhi would visit Yansheng Hall every day after his official duties. Since when did the man who never set foot in Yansheng Hall begin to linger there day after day?
Gongsun Xue felt vaguely uneasy, so she sent Luzhu over under the pretext of delivering ginseng to find out the truth.
Seeing that the dewdrops had not yet retreated, Cheng Xianzhi tilted his head and asked sternly, "What? Is there anything else?"
This voice frightened Luzhu. "Madam, please ask the master to go to Yingyue Pavilion."
Although Cheng Xianzhi was unwilling in his heart, he was not yet to the point of turning against her.
"Tell her I'll be there later."
"Yes." Luzhu finished her job and finally felt relieved.
But she vaguely felt that there was a veil between Cheng Xianzhi and Gongsun Xue that was about to break, waiting for someone to break it first.
After Luzhu left, Cheng Xianzhi fed her the remaining half bowl of medicine before leaving Yansheng Hall. However, he did not go directly to Yingyue Pavilion. Instead, he returned to the study first, handled official business, and did not get up until midnight to go to Yingyue Pavilion.
Cheng Xianzhi's face was cold. When they arrived at Yingyue Pavilion, they exchanged a few pleasantries on the way. Gongsun Xue answered them one by one in detail, fearing that she had revealed something that she had not said in full.
But Cheng Xianzhi didn't care whether she felt good or suffered on the way, and nodded absentmindedly.
Gongsun Xue was silent for a long time, then asked softly, "The Lu family's matter..."
The person with his back to her raised a sneer at the corner of his lips, as if he had been waiting for her to speak. "You want to know why Lu Tingwan was the only one who survived when the entire Lu family was executed?"
The candlelight shone on his broad back, and the gauze curtains swirled around his straight body in the wind, causing his clothes to flutter. Zhuoran, a handsome figure, turned and asked, "Really?"
A hint of a smile appeared on his handsome face, but Gongsun Xue inexplicably felt that the smile was shrouded in ice, and her spine shivered. She took a half step back and said tepidly, "Yes... yes... I want to know why you wanted to keep Lu Tingwan?"
Cheng Xianzhi took a step closer and looked down at her. "I don't like people around me being suspicious of me, Xue'er."
Gongsun Xue was surprised and responded, "Hmm?"
"What do you suspect me of?" he asked bluntly, but how could he not know in his heart? He asked this because he wanted Gongsun Xue to admit it in person, to admit her suspicion and her grievance.
Gongsun Xue panicked. She knew Cheng Xianzhi didn't want others to suspect him. "No, it's not suspicion..."
"What is that?" Cheng Xianzhi said coldly, "Will you and I ever be so suspicious of each other again?"
Faced with his questioning, Gongsun Xue did not dare to mention the words that were stuck in her heart.
"No, no, my husband, please listen to Xue'er's explanation," she explained anxiously, stepping forward and clutching her long sleeves. "Xue'er just heard the rumors in Kyoto. You returned to Kyoto earlier, and such a big event happened. The entire Lu family was executed, and we are connected to the Lu family because of Lu Tingwan. Xue'er is afraid that it will affect your husband's career, so she wants to ask for clarification. It's not that I suspect anything..."
She looked so aggrieved and pitiful that if Cheng Xianzhi asked her one more question, the pearls in her eyes would drip down.
"The Lu family case is quite involved," Cheng Xianzhi said, looking troubled. He sighed and walked to the table to sit down. His sleeve slipped silently out of Gongsun Xue's hand. "It's not just me who wants Lu Tingwan to stay. It's the Emperor's idea."
"Your Majesty?" Gongsun Xue was incredulous.
"Yes," Cheng Xianzhi took a sip of the hot tea and spoke slowly, "Lu Tingwan provided me with evidence of Lu Mingqian's guilt before the Lu Mingqian case broke. At the time, I was on a diplomatic mission to Tanzhou due to important matters and ignored the matter. Afterwards, Lu Tingwan and Xie Zhao secretly investigated alone in Kyoto, trying to find a way to mitigate Lu Mingqian's crimes before they were made public. He even went so far as to seek the advice of the Dali Temple. If I had reported the evidence to His Majesty at the time and had the Dali Temple conduct a thorough investigation, eliminating Lu Mingqian and stopping his crimes as soon as possible, then what happened later would not have happened. I simply told the emperor the truth behind this matter. As for pardoning Lu Tingwan, it was the emperor's wish."
What Cheng Xianzhi said was seven parts true and three parts false. Gongsun Xue wanted to ask more questions, but Cheng Xianzhi interrupted her.
"If I concealed Lu Tingwan's revelations and something happened later, then the Lu family of today would be me of tomorrow. That's why I had to rush back from Tanzhou day and night."
When Gongsun Xue heard this, she suddenly realized that she had wronged him. She felt guilty and blamed herself.
"So that's how it is. Xue'er is ignorant..." Gongsun Xue finally understood that Lu Tingwu was the daughter-in-law of the Jiang family. Even Duke Jiang and the Queen Mother could not protect her. Even if Cheng Xianzhi wanted to protect Lu Tingwan, he would not be able to do it unless the emperor asked him to do so.
Thinking of this, those disturbing thoughts disappeared.
"Lu Tingwan was severely injured and suffers from aphasia. Yansheng Hall is short-staffed, so Xue'er will have to take care of him." The chirping of cicadas could be heard from outside. Cheng Xianzhi didn't plan to stay for long. "Xue'er, if you still consider me your husband, don't let this happen again. You're tired today, so rest early. I'll come to see you tomorrow when I have time."
With Cheng Xianzhi's instruction, Gongsun Xue went to Yansheng Hall in person after breakfast the next day. Since Lu Tingwan was pardoned by the emperor, she was no longer a remnant, and the Cheng family should take good care of her. In addition, Cheng Xianzhi said that she suffered from aphasia, and she wanted to confirm it with her own eyes.
Feng Xin came out of the side hall, having just finished boiling the medicine. He was about to bring it to Lu Tingwan when Gongsun Xue, covered in dew, came towards the main house from the other side of the grape arbor. Feng Xin took two quick steps to meet her. When she was close, she bowed to Gongsun Xue and said, "Your servant greets the Madam."
Gongsun Xue waved her hand and walked inside, saying, "No need to be so polite. I heard that the Second Madam was ill, so I came to see her."
Feng Xin followed from behind. Apart from the imperial physician, the only people Lu Tingwan had seen after being injured were Cheng Xianzhi and Feng Xin. She was afraid that Lu Tingwan was unable to meet strangers now, and she tried to stop her several times, but Gongsun Xue had no intention of stopping.
When he walked into the inner room, the house was filled with the smell of medicine. The sandalwood couch was covered with gauze curtains. At this time, the curtains should have been drawn, but Lu Tingwan hid in the quilt and in the corners all day long, unwilling to see the light. Even in the hot summer, he didn't want Feng Xin to open the window.
Whenever she saw the blazing sunlight filtering through, she couldn't help but recall the radiant light before the execution that day. All her blood relatives had perished that day, right before her eyes. Only she, only she, survived in this damp, dark, and secluded place, barely surviving, eking out a miserable existence.
Although she couldn't speak, her hearing was very good. She could tell that the footsteps were not from someone she knew. She retracted her legs, retreated to the corner of the bed, grabbed the curtain and hid inside.
Feng Xin rushed over to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, Madam. This is the eldest lady from the mansion, here to see you."
Lu Tingwan turned her head in a daze and looked at the person warily. She knew this person.
Gongsun Xue felt indescribable. She used to be as swift as a rabbit, free and bright, but now she looked so miserable.
Gongsun Xue reached behind her and said, "Give me the medicine. I'll do it."
"This," Feng Xin was flattered, "How dare I burden the Madam with this? Let me do it."
She was also afraid that Lu Tingwan would be unwilling to drink if someone else fed her the medicine. So, as long as it was Feng Xin, she would drink the medicine quickly whenever it was handed to her. Even if it was bitter, she seemed unable to taste the bitterness. Compared to the bitterness in her heart, how much more bitter was this medicine?
Gongsun Xue turned around and glanced at Feng Xin, smiling warmly, "No problem."
Just as Feng Xin expected, Lu Tingwan didn't even glance at the medicine Gongsun Xue handed over.
Gongsun Xue took back the spoon and thought of what Luzhu had said last night. Cheng Xianzhi had been feeding Lu Tingwan medicine in Yansheng Hall very carefully, his movements gentle and full of patience.
Gongsun Xue thought that Lu Tingwan was pretending to be pitiful, pretending to be like this to gain Cheng Xianzhi's concern, and to deceive his sympathy by using the death of her closest blood relative?
"The imperial physician said, when will the second lady's symptoms improve?" This question was asked to Feng Xin.
Feng Xin replied, "Alas, the imperial physician only said that heart disease can only be cured with heart medicine. It's up to the Second Madam to see through it herself..."
"The Lu family deserves the punishment they received after what happened. Second Madam is the only remaining member of the Lu family. She deserves to live happily. You should know that the Lu family has not been wronged. Why should Second Madam bear such a grudge?"
He deserves it...
He deserves it...
Lu Tingwan listened to these words. Yes, the Lu family deserved it, but her elder sister was so innocent, and the fetus in her belly was so innocent!
My sister must live a good life before she dies.
"Awan, live well..." During those days when her tears had run out, every night thereafter, she would think of Lu Tingwu's last words, and no matter how sad she was in her heart, she would be unable to cry.
Gongsun Xue placed the medicine that Lu Tingwan didn't drink back on the tray, picked up a wet towel and wiped her hands. Then she said, "The medicine in Yansheng Hall is very strong. If you're constantly being fed with it, you'll become numb. Tell the housekeeper to have the windows opened so the Second Madam can get some fresh air."
Feng Xin hurriedly said: "Second Madam can't stand this light, or..."
Gongsun Xue's voice was soft but contained an irrefutable dignity: "There are no dead people in the Cheng Mansion. If they are alive, they must see the light of day."
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