Chapter 93: Reusing Lu Tingwan whom he personally went to pick up
After years of struggling and scheming, she finally reached the top of the honor. She was calmer and more calculating than others. She believed she could guess what Lu Tingwan was thinking.
"Clivia is evergreen, and you are still young, so you should be as green as it is." Queen Mother Jiang picked up the Clivia, the veins of the leaves were clear, and there was a bud in the middle ready to bloom.
When Lu Tingwan looked up, Clivia was close at hand. She raised her hand and slowly took it: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your trust."
After Lu Tingwan stayed, he did the same work as before, but not long after, Palace Master Hong fell ill and was unable to take care of multiple jobs. Lu Tingwan had previously run a shop and was good at accounting. In addition, he had done his job impeccably in Jinhua Palace these days, and even the people in the Shanggong Bureau praised him endlessly.
The accounts of Jinhua Palace naturally fell into her hands, but those close-knit matters that no one else could see were still handled by Palace Master Hong himself, and he did not dare to assign them to her.
During the time when Hong Zhanggong was recuperating, it was natural that Lu Tingwan became the person who served Empress Dowager Jiang closely. Empress Dowager Jiang had suffered from headaches for many years, and Lu Tingwan went to her ten times a night without complaint, and specially learned a technique to relieve headaches from the Imperial Hospital.
When she lived in Jiangling, the aunt next door also had this disease, and later used a folk remedy to alleviate the symptoms. Lu Tingwan wrote a letter back to Jiangling and asked someone to find the prescription. The empress dowager used it for a month and saw significant results.
Queen Mother Jiang admired her very much and rewarded her with a lot of silver, money and jewelry.
At first, there were still rumors in the palace, until later when Lu Tingwan accompanied Queen Mother Jiang to relax in the Imperial Garden, she accidentally heard some obscene words that disturbed her peace.
Most of them were about Lu Tingwan, the daughter of a criminal minister, who somehow managed to get the then-chancellor to intercede for her and pardon her crimes. Not only was she not convicted, she was also allowed to stay in Kyoto as a descendant of the Lu family.
Now he is favored by the Queen Mother and is in charge of important affairs of Jinhua Palace, becoming the second-in-command of Jinhua Palace.
Lu Tingwan assumed nothing was wrong and just listened. But Empress Dowager Jiang was so majestic that she wasn't just speaking up for Lu Tingwan, but also because there was no need to keep those palace servants who couldn't keep their mouths shut. Jinhua Palace had already issued an order prohibiting any discussion of the matter within the palace. These people had defied the law and ultimately met a miserable end.
Queen Mother Jiang ended the lives of these palace maids with just a few words. Lu Tingwan realized belatedly that this was the power of finality. When in the palace, one must be careful and cautious at all times. A slight mistake will lead to eternal damnation.
But even though it was dangerous, she had to stay and find out the truth.
On her days off, Lu Tingwan would rarely return home. Firstly, she had told the Queen Mother that she did not want to face Cheng Xianzhi, and secondly, there was really no reason for her to go back.
During her rest period, she could also borrow more ancient books from the library. After the blueprint of the Sunset Bow was finalized, she immediately looked for Xie Zhao. Xie Zhao would pass by Jinhua Palace during his patrol duty, and she remembered exactly which time of day he would be there.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, she gave the blueprint to Xie Zhao and asked him to go back to help with the consultation. Xie Zhao looked at the finished blueprint and sighed. Lu Tingwan was even more obsessed with the Sunset Bow than he was.
Judging from the structure in the drawings, it all conforms to the logic of the Sunset Bow design, and it is very likely to be forged. However, if you want to find the best bowstring material, you need skilled craftsmen, which is not an easy task.
Lu Tingwan was busy with official business in Jinhua Palace, and also had to communicate with various palaces on behalf of the empress dowager. The power of the harem was in the hands of the empress dowager, and many matters had to be decided by Jinhua Palace. In the past, small matters were decided by Hong Zhang Palace, and the empress dowager was relieved.
After Lu Tingwan took over, she learned some tricks and understood the interests and responsibilities of each palace. She catered to their needs and avoided their attacks. She was well-respected among the palaces. In addition, she was gentle and straightforward. Even with the support of Jinhua Palace, she did not put on airs and instead took good care of the palace staff. Thus, she quietly won over the hearts of the people.
She found her own value here, and this feeling made her feel familiar in a trance, which was the feeling she had when she was managing Zhichunli.
However, she and Xie Zhao were often close, and Xie Zhao's deeds at the execution ground had already spread throughout the palace, and their friendship evolved from close friends to a love affair between a man and a woman.
Such words naturally spread to the previous dynasty, and Cheng Xianzhi was no exception.
Ever since Lu Tingwan entered the palace, he rarely saw her, and she never returned to the Cheng Mansion even on her days off.
Occasionally, Lu Tingwan would serve Queen Mother Jiang in court on behalf of Palace Manager Hong, and through the screen, he could vaguely see her beautiful figure.
And nothing more!
Until these words reached Cheng Xianzhi's ears, Cheng Xianzhi sent a letter to Jinhua Palace. That was the first time the two of them met in the true sense after she entered the palace.
On the pavilion of the palace wall, the red tiles blend with the sunlight, the wind blows up the wide sleeves of the court robe, and the young man, who is as elegant as jade and stands tall, looks towards the distance of the palace wall, where there is a street wrapped in greenery.
Lu Tingwan stepped onto the stone stairs, and a scent of woody sandalwood rushed into her nostrils. It was the incense that Cheng Xianzhi often used.
"You called me here, what's the matter?" His footsteps stopped two meters away.
He turned around slowly with a straight figure like a green pine, and his eyes fell on her very naturally. There was an illusion of reunion after a long separation. Lu Tingwan was dressed in palace clothes, and her bun was simply decorated with hairpins and rings. Compared with her original beauty and agility, she looked even more cool and steady.
Queen Mother Jiang rewarded Lu Tingwan with a lot of jewelry. She was still the same as before, spending a lot of time and effort on her makeup and clothing. If there were any hairpins and rings that matched her clothes, she would take them out and wear them.
However, the palace dress she wore today was rather plain and elegant, so she used heavier makeup and kept her headgear simple and elegant so as not to steal the limelight from her makeup and appear cumbersome.
Her complexion was completely different from before she entered the palace, and her temperament had long since returned to normal.
It’s just that Cheng Xianzhi had never seen her before, and when he saw her today, it was like he was reborn.
A faint smile appeared on his deep facial features. "You, Jinhua Palace treats you well."
Lu Tingwan knew that Cheng Xianzhi would not come looking for her for no reason.
"Thanks for your help."
"Don't you even have a title anymore?" Cheng Xianzhi looked at him. "Not to mention the head of Jinhua Palace, even the ladies of the other palaces would address you as 'Your Excellency' when meeting court officials, let alone between you and me."
He was fussing over a title. Lu Tingwan smiled and said, "Master Cheng is right."
He still preferred to hear the pride in her voice when she called Cheng Xian.
"I've heard some rumors in the palace recently." Cheng Xianzhi turned his back again and walked towards the railing.
Lu Tingwan followed and stood in a row, looking into the distance together.
The wind was strong on the palace wall, blowing the hair on her temples into a mess, but she ignored it and asked, "Is it mine and Xie Zhao's?"
She was frank.
"You're living well in the palace, and I'm happy for you," Cheng Xianzhi glanced at her sideways, "but you're still a member of the Cheng family after all. Normally, you follow your own will and I could ignore you, but now that you're in the palace, your words and actions always involve the Cheng family."
"I see. I understand." Lu Tingwan met his gaze. "Master Cheng came here today to ask me to keep my distance from Xie Zhao, so as not to tarnish your reputation. Is that correct?"
"If you are on leave, you should go back and have a look." Cheng Xianzhi was choked back by her before he could finish his words. He didn't mean that.
She was going back. She had originally planned to leave the palace on her next day off and go back to Yansheng Hall to dig out those jars of wine to taste them.
"I understand." Lu Tingwan felt that he didn't seem to have anything else to do, so she turned around and prepared to say goodbye.
"When will you take a day off?" Cheng Xianzhi asked casually.
Lu Tingwan calculated the date and replied calmly, "Three days later."
"I'll pick you up when the time comes." Cheng Xianzhi turned around and walked down the stairs before Lu Tingwan without waiting for a reply.
Lu Tingwan looked at the back and had an indescribable feeling for a moment. Something was wrong with him!
Three days later, on Lu Tingwan's day off, Cheng Xianzhi came out of Hanzhang Palace at around 9:00 PM. Lu Tingwan waited at the palace gate for an incense stick of time. The Cheng family carriage was just outside the palace gate, but she did not get on. She only followed Cheng Xianzhi after he left the palace gate.
The other court officials who followed him out of the palace gate couldn't help gossiping when they saw this rare scene.
"Minister Cheng is always so upright and modest, but I never thought he had such a side to him in private."
"I think Minister Cheng really loves this daughter of the Lu family. Otherwise, why would he risk the wrath of the world to protect her?"
"Your Excellency is absolutely right..."
Gongsun Yin, who was walking behind him, naturally saw it, and also heard the gossip of those court officials clearly.
He should be worried about Gongsun Xue. Although Cheng Xianzhi respected him as a teacher over the past two years, he became more opinionated and decisive in making political decisions. In the past, he would often seek his opinions, but now the master and disciple talked less and less, and seemed to be estranged.
"You, don't you have to go to the Sixth Ministry?" Lu Tingwan stared at him from inside the carriage.
Cheng Xianzhi turned his head to the side, looking out the window, without saying a word.
"I'll send you back first." He said again after a long time.
Lu Tingwan seemed to realize she was wrong. He still had that cold, indifferent demeanor. So she didn't need to start a conversation and fell silent.
Cheng Xianzhi, on the other hand, saw that her bag was bulging with things. He thought that it was not necessary for her to carry so many things on a day off. There was everything in the house. It seemed like he was mistreating her.
"Why do you have to bring so many things with you on your day off?"
Lu Tingwan was slightly startled, "I'll take a two-day break."
The package contained the blueprints, which were sealed in a small wooden box. She wanted to take advantage of her day off to go to Kyoto City to find some craftsmen to forge the Sunset Bow as soon as possible.
Cheng Xianzhi nodded vaguely.
The carriage stopped outside the Cheng Mansion. Lu Tingwan and Cheng Xianzhi went in one after another. Cheng Xianzhi wanted to go back to the study, so the two of them went together.
When he was almost there, he called out to the person in front of him, "Lu Tingwan, is it time for breakfast?"
Lu Tingwan suddenly felt hungry. She quickly ate a snack in the palace. She didn't eat much because she was afraid of delaying him and making him wait for a long time.
She meant to say she wasn't hungry, but she made two noises as her stomach rumbled.
It's a bit embarrassing.
Cheng Xianzhi understood: "Come in and use it together."
Lu Tingwan had no reason to refuse, so she had to follow him to the study.
Cang Zhu asked the servants to serve the meal. Cheng Xianzhi had a light taste and was not the kind of person who was extravagant. The chef in the mansion knew his preferences well, so the breakfast he prepared was rich but not extravagant.
When Lu Tingwan was in the palace, she often dealt with the Shanggong Bureau. The Shangshi Bureau had a wide variety of dishes and snacks, and she had seen a lot of them. Faced with these exquisite breakfasts and porridges, her appetite was greatly whetted. However, because of the people in front of her, she had to be restrained when eating.
Although these habits were formed in Jinhua Palace, as soon as I returned to Cheng Mansion, the tense state relaxed invisibly, and I felt uncomfortable if I continued to be restrained.
"There aren't as many varieties as in the palace. I hope Manager Lu doesn't mind." Cheng Xianzhi saw her tasting it carefully and thought it was not to her liking.
The gorgon fruit and beef porridge was already hot, so she drank it slowly. Lu Tingwan almost spit out what Cheng Xianzhi said, but after suppressing herself, she said quietly, "It's already, it's very rich."
"Not to your liking?" Cheng Xianzhi stared at him for a long time, and Lu Tingwan really couldn't eat anymore.
"It's to my taste." The gaze made her uncomfortable.
"If it doesn't suit your taste, I'll have someone make some more of your favorite food." Cheng Xianzhi didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
She put down the spoon, sighed, and said with a hint of resentment: "How can I eat with you staring at me like this?"
Cheng Xianzhi reluctantly looked away, stirred his own bowl of untouched porridge a few times, picked out some meat and put it in her bowl.
"Most of the errands at Jinhua Palace fall into your hands, which means half of the harem's trivial matters will pass through your hands. Even if you are new to the internal affairs, you are still overwhelmed. When you finally have some free time, you go to the Forbidden Army camp. You must be exhausted. Eat more and lose weight."
Lu Tingwan's movements suddenly became awkward. He seemed to be listening fine at first, but later on he felt that he was hinting at something, and sure enough, it was true.
"Actually, it's not that bad. The other palaces don't dare to make things difficult for me for the sake of Jinhua Palace. It's not as complicated as you say." Lu Tingwan said, looking down at the meat in the bowl.
Cheng Xianzhi was not a talkative person. "That's good."
More than half an hour later, Lu Tingwan came out of the study with a very full stomach. Cheng Xianzhi piled the food high in her bowl.
It was difficult for her to refuse, so she ate quite a bit, but the man didn't seem to move his chopsticks.
The news that Lu Tingwan and Cheng Xianzhi returned home together and then had dinner together in the study reached Yingyue Pavilion.
The flower pot in Gongsun Xue's hand fell off, and the water splashed out and wet the hem of her skirt.
Luzhu said worriedly, "Madam..."
"He went to pick up Lu Tingwan in person?"
"That's what the groom said."
Gongsun Xue smiled bitterly. He didn't often accompany her for breakfast. In the past, after court was dismissed, he would usually stay in the six ministries for half a day, or even return home the whole day.
She had been promised to stay in Yingyue Pavilion on the 15th of every month, but she couldn't remember the last time. Ever since he took office as the Minister of the Court, Cheng Xianzhi had become increasingly busy. However, no matter how busy he was, he always had some free time when it came to Lu Tingwan's affairs!
Gongsun Xue's beautiful eyes were filled with scarlet blood like a bloodthirsty ghost, jealousy was surging in her chest, her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably, and the peony buds that had opened were broken and trampled in an instant.
It seemed as if she wanted to trample under her feet and spit on the hateful person who was competing with her for her love.
"Dewdrop," Gongsun Xue suppressed her emotions, her voice trembling, "I need a medicine."
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