Chapter 89: Unwilling to be Cheng Xianzhi, let's just settle the matter
After Lu Tingwan received the token, he returned to Yansheng Hall and did not leave for several days.
After that night, Gongsun Xue was always in a state of panic. She tried several times to convince herself that Cheng Xianzhi's feelings for Lu Tingwan were just pity and exploitation, and that there were no other feelings involved. But every night when she woke up in the middle of the night, the look Cheng Xianzhi gave Lu Tingwan lingered in her mind.
Xie Zhao was punished, and half a month later he resumed his position as a member of the Imperial Guard and served in the palace. He had heard about Lu Tingwan's illness, but due to his status, he was unable to visit him at the moment.
Seeing that her aphasia had been cured, but her spirit had not yet recovered, Cheng Xianzhi took the initiative to suggest that she go out for a walk to relax.
Lu Tingwan was not in the mood for that. She held an ancient book in her hand and had no intention of listening to what he said. She just flipped through the book aimlessly and couldn't concentrate.
His absent-minded look made people worried. Cheng Xianzhi was silent for a long time before saying, "If you still want to go out and do business like before, I can ask the Ministry of Revenue to remove the seal on Zhichunli and you can reopen the shop. If you don't have enough money, you can transfer it from my private bank."
Lu Tingwan couldn't understand one thing these days: why Cheng Xianzhi would take the risk to save her.
The Lu family has fallen on hard times and is no longer of any use to the Queen Mother. She is now a hot potato. During her recovery, both he and the people in the mansion have shown their concern for her every day. If it comes to plotting against her, she is no longer of any value, and now they have to reopen Zhichunli for her.
Her gaze remained fixed on the ancient book, but her thin lips, which had regained their color, showed a rare smile: "No need."
At first, she was tempted by Cheng Xianzhi's proposal, but after thinking about it again, she felt relieved.
But now she no longer has the persistence and ambition she had before. Kyoto is not her home. She will eventually fly away from here and go to her own place, rather than being a caged bird under the eaves of this wealthy family.
In this imperial city, surrounded by the vortex of power, it is difficult to remain clean and untainted.
Life and death depended entirely on the thoughts of others. Even if she put in a lot of effort and opened Zhichunli, and let Zhichunli return to its former glory, if she offended the powerful or Cheng Xianzhi again in the future, wouldn't her life be at the mercy of others? Rather than putting her hard work at the center of the storm, she would rather not have had it in the first place.
If she were the same as before, she would definitely not be so hesitant, but after experiencing the facts and seeing through many things, her state of mind has also changed.
"You don't have to do this. I asked you to speak for the Lu family out of desperation. You don't owe me anything." Lu Tingwan slowly closed the ancient book, a trace of determination welling up in his eyes. "The emperor is willing to pardon my sins and let me continue to stay in Kyoto as Lu Tingwan. I should be grateful to you, but now I am of no use to you."
"Cheng Xianzhi, let's divorce as we agreed before."
Let's get a divorce, she said it so calmly, without a trace of nostalgia. Her clear eyes passed through the green vines. There were small fruits just emerging on the vines, which could not be seen unless you looked carefully.
Her gaze shifted from the greenery to Cheng Xianzhi: "Cheng Xianzhi, let's just call it quits."
Divorce!
Clear!
There was a hint of loss in his black eyes. An invisible sword had cut a hole in his heart, but he couldn't see anyone. The flesh and blood inside were mixed with blood. His breathing was stagnant. He raised his chin slightly, and the voice that came out always sounded calm and relaxed.
"Your injury has not healed yet. Let's discuss this matter after you recover." He didn't want to listen to Lu Tingwan's excuses. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his back and left towards the moon-shaped gate of Yansheng Hall.
Lu Tingwan didn't get the answer she wanted, nor was she in a hurry for him to agree immediately. Perhaps after some time, he would realize that it would be better to let her go than to keep her as she was useless.
She had taken Cheng Xianzhi's recent concern for her as purely out of guilt. The thought of this made her laugh, and she couldn't help but sneer, muttering, "What does he have to feel guilty about? He doesn't owe me anything."
If it's not guilt, then what is it, charity?
She couldn't figure it out, and she didn't want to get stuck in a quagmire and guess at unfounded answers.
Since he said that they would talk after he recovered, she would wait patiently. In fact, the wounds on her body had healed long ago, but what could not be healed was never the external injuries, but the quagmire in her heart that she could not cross.
She herself could see it clearly, but she just didn't want to accept it. Now she was hiding in Yansheng Hall, so she didn't have to pay attention to the outside voices. The strange story about the beheading of the Lu family on that day in Kyoto had never stopped being discussed.
As for Lu Tingwan's request, Cheng Xianzhi knew he had no reason to refuse. He had promised her a divorce, but after many twists and turns, he dragged her back into the quagmire and made her bear something she shouldn't have to bear.
He wanted to keep someone, but he had no reason.
He is unwilling to accept this!
A dark blue figure appeared in Cheng Xianzhi's study. Cheng Xianzhi handed over a piece of paper and simply said, "Go ahead and make the arrangements."
Han Zhou glanced at it, put the letter in his arms, bowed and left.
Ten days later, Weiyang Tower was the most famous restaurant on Weiyang Street in Kyoto, and dignitaries often came here.
Cheng Xianzhi took Gongsun Xue to Weiyang Tower to relax, claiming she'd been busy taking care of the household these days. Gongsun Xue initially thought they were alone, but upon arriving at the gate, she noticed more than one carriage. She curiously asked, "Are there any other people traveling with you?"
Before Cheng Xianzhi could speak, the curtain of a carriage behind was lifted, and Lu Tingwan stuck half of her head out. Compared with the last time he saw her, her face was a little more lively. It seemed that her knot in her heart was about to be untied, so she was willing to step out of the mansion today.
Little did she know that Cheng Xianzhi had put so much effort into persuading her to leave. Lu Tingwan then recalled his promise that day: they would discuss divorce after she recovered from her injuries. So, she decided to go through with it. If they divorced, she would have to face the outside world and could no longer stay huddled in the confines of Yansheng Hall.
Lu Tingwan nodded to the two of them without saying anything, and then lowered the curtains again.
Cheng Xianzhi explained, "She should go out for a walk too, so I'll let her go with me."
After saying this, he got on the carriage without caring about Gongsun Xue's reaction. Gongsun Xue got on the same carriage with him and followed closely behind.
There was a constant stream of guests at Weiyang Tower. If one did not arrange the date in advance, one would not be able to reserve a table at Weiyang Tower at all. Cheng Xianzhi was often invited by his colleagues to Weiyang Tower to discuss business and drink, but he never drank a drop of alcohol when discussing business. This was his rule, and others did not dare to break it.
The shopkeeper naturally recognized him at first sight and respectfully led them to a private room on the east side of the third floor.
After the three of them entered, the maid in the building first served tea, wine and snacks. It was not yet time for dinner, which was also Cheng Xianzhi's intention.
He hadn't been sitting there for long. After taking a few sips of tea, he left a message: "I just went upstairs to meet some colleagues. I'll go say hello and be back soon. Please feel free to do whatever you want."
Gongsun Xue was gentle and dignified, and very considerate: "Your Excellency, please go ahead. Xue'er will take good care of the Second Madam."
Lu Tingwan sipped the fruit wine; it was sweet, light and refreshing, and even more refreshing when chilled. Drinking a glass in this hot summer was a real treat, a long-lost, refreshing feeling washed over him, and the knot in his stomach seemed to have suddenly unwound, releasing a sense of relief.
Cheng Xianzhi glanced over there, and seeing that no one was paying any attention to him, he left.
After leaving the private room, Han Zhou had already been waiting for him in the corridor for a long time.
Seeing Cheng Xianzhi come out, he strode forward and reported, "Han Zhou has made all the arrangements as your Excellency ordered."
Cheng Xianzhi nodded slightly, walked into the private room on the other side, sat down at the coffee table as if nothing had happened, and sipped his tea slowly and leisurely.
Gongsun Xue glanced at Lu Tingwan from the corner of her eye. Lu Tingwan's vigilance was no less than before. A faint smile played at the corner of his lips as he said casually, "Originally, I didn't want to come. After all, with the Madam and the Lord traveling together, my presence would seem a bit superfluous."
It could be heard from her words that she was sensible, so Gongsun Xue relaxed her vigilance.
"Second Madam, you're joking." Gongsun Xue's gestures and words revealed the temperament of a noble lady. Lu Tingwan seemed to see a hint of Lu Tingwu in her, and his eyes were instantly covered with a layer of sadness.
"You and I are both the master's people, serving the same husband. I am the principal wife," Gongsun Xue emphasized the word "principal wife," "and you are the concubine, so naturally I must fulfill my duties as the mistress's wife and take good care of the second wife for him."
Lu Tingwan understood the meaning behind his words, and the smile on her lips deepened, though it was tinged with a hint of mockery. "Cheng Xianzhi let me out because he just wanted me to resolve my emotional issues as soon as possible, so as to save Madam Lao from suffering. I understand that."
As he spoke, he drank a glass of sake, feeling refreshed and happy.
Gongsun Xue saw that she was indifferent and kept mentioning Cheng Xianzhi's name, which was already a violation of etiquette and hierarchy. Usually, she only dared to address him as "Sir" or "Master", and rarely used the title "husband".
"The Lord is also concerned about you, otherwise he wouldn't have brought you back from the execution ground and kept you in the mansion despite the criticism from Kyoto. You don't need to belittle yourself and underestimate the importance you hold in his heart."
She was testing her, how could Lu Tingwan not hear it? Everyone knew that Gongsun Xue loved Cheng Xianzhi, and Lu Tingwan could see it, and she was deeply in love with her.
"Madam, you don't know that Cheng Xianzhi promised me that he would let me go after he recovered from his injuries. From now on, there will be no insignificant people getting in the way between you and him." Lu Tingyang raised a hint of satisfaction at the corner of his eyes.
The woman in front of him, who was as weak as a willow in the wind, had a hint of joy flashing between her brows. Lu Tingwan withdrew his gaze and stopped talking to her.
The room was silent for a long time. Suddenly, there were several sounds outside the door. It sounded like a woman's voice: "My young lady heard that Madam Cheng was here, so she sent a servant to invite you to taste the new tea from Weiyang Tower. I wonder if Madam Cheng would be so kind as to come."
They left the house today without a maid, so Gongsun Xue asked through the door, "Who is your young lady?"
"Miss Liu, the Minister of Rites." The voice outside the door sounded again.
Gongsun Xue originally thought that Cheng Xianzhi would be away for a while, but if he was harassed by his colleagues, he might not be able to get away for a while. In addition, he was currently in charge of the six ministries. If she could get closer to the families of the six ministries, it might be beneficial to his career.
Thinking of this, she stood up and said to Lu Tingwan, "I'll be back soon."
Lu Tingwan nodded and said nothing else.
They all left!
It was quite peaceful. She saw that half of the fruit wine was gone, which she drank herself. Suddenly, she remembered that she had buried a few jars of homemade wine behind the Yansheng Hall courtyard last year. They should be drinkable now.
I'll have to find a place to dig out the Fengxin someday.
The aroma of wine fills the private room, but drinking alone always feels like something is missing.
In another wing, Han Zhou bowed and said to the tea sipper, "The eldest lady has already left."
The aroma of tea permeated his nostrils, and Cheng Xianzhi said softly, "Well, let's start."
Han Zhou understood.
Lu Tingwan was about to go to the windowsill to get some fresh air when voices gradually came from the cubicle. One of the people seemed to mention the Lu family. The slightly tipsy man was startled and stopped.
"The Lu family's case is finally settled. If I were to say, the Lu family has also offended someone." The person who said this spoke vaguely, as if he was drunk, and his voice was rough. The people next to him tried to persuade him to lower his voice.
But he ignored it and continued to talk to himself: "The Lu family deserves it."
She had heard this many times: "You deserve it." But she still felt a pang in her heart when she heard it again.
The footsteps heading towards the windowsill turned in another direction and stuck to the wooden wall.
The voice from next door came again: "The evidence of the Lu family's crimes is very mysterious."
Lu Tingwan's gaze fixed, his eyes sharp.
I only heard another person ask in surprise: "What kind of mystery?"
"Judging from the evidence, if we investigate further, we will definitely find out a lot of things." This person is the chief clerk of the Dali Temple. All the case files and official documents and judgments have passed through his hands.
"Think about it. This matter involves Prince Ning's treason and Liu Qiyuan's collusion with the enemy five years ago. A case that could be covered up for five years is intricately linked. Lu Mingqian was only in charge of the Ministry of Revenue for a few years, but he was able to cover up everything? He was able to protect Liu Qiyuan's wealth accumulation on the border. We can all figure it out. Doesn't the emperor know?"
"If the person behind them wasn't so powerful that even His Majesty feared him, why would they be convicted immediately after the Lu family was in trouble and the evidence was proven?"
"Think about it, who else in the court has such great ability?"
"Don't say that," the companion quickly covered his mouth, "lest it bring disaster upon you."
The chief clerk seemed drunk and mumbled a few words: "Just think of it as my drunken ramblings, madness..."
After saying this, he laughed uncontrollably, seemingly being really drunk.
In the side room, Lu Tingwan clenched her fists, but after a moment, she loosened them again. The effect of the fruit wine was dissipated by the man's words.
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