Chapter 97: What do you want from me?
In Yingyue Pavilion, Cheng Xianzhi was about to get up and leave when Luzhu came in from outside.
"Master, the First Madam and the Second Madam are outside seeking to see you."
Gongsun Xue didn't know Lu Tingwan had returned yet. Then she thought, Cheng Xianzhi had also returned early today, so she tentatively asked, "Did the Second Madam and the Master return together?"
"no."
Gongsun Xue lowered her head. Cheng Xianzhi asked calmly, "What's wrong with her?"
"The second lady is here to deliver Luozidai." Luzhu replied hurriedly.
Gongsun Xue looked up, puzzled. "The Luozidai was sent by the Lord. Why did she send it back?"
Cheng Xianzhi also tilted his head, trying to find out the reason.
"Let her in."
"Well..." Luzhu said calmly, "Second Madam heard that the Master and First Madam were having dinner, so she decided not to disturb them. She left Luo Zidai behind and departed."
Cheng Xianzhi felt an inexplicable surge of anger, his expression visibly darkening. He glanced at Gongsun Xue for help from the corner of his eye.
"Perhaps the Second Madam doesn't like the use of snail lacquer for eyebrow drawing. I rarely see her using it. Since she doesn't like it, then let her keep it," Gongsun Xue said. "Jinhua Palace is rich and prosperous, and she's now the head of the palace. She's bound to have seen all sorts of fine goods. A Persian tribute like snail lacquer is certainly not in short supply in Jinhua Palace."
"The Second Madam...she said..."
"What?" Cheng Xianzhi asked.
"The Second Madam said that this Luozidai was a gift from His Majesty and Concubine Rong to the Master and the First Madam. She was not worthy of it, so she sent it back." These were Lu Tingwan's exact words.
The maid who went to deliver Luozidai said that this was the first prize won by Cheng Xianzhi and Gongsun Xue at the garden poetry party last night. If Gongsun Xue gave it as a reward, wouldn't it be like she was getting this precious thing because of the help of them?
She, Lu Tingwan, has never liked to accept things passively. This is not a gift, but alms.
She doesn't need charity.
Although Luo Zidai liked it, if it didn't belong to her, she would never touch it no matter how much she liked it.
"Since she doesn't appreciate Xue'er's kindness, there's no need to send her off." Cheng Xianzhi stood up and said, "I still have official business to attend to. Xue'er, please do as you please."
Lu Tingwan confiscated the Luozidai, and he felt unhappy, as if there was a hard object blocking him and he had no way to vent.
Gongsun Xue ordered her servants to put away the Luozidai.
After returning to the study, Cheng Xianzhi read the official documents for half an incense stick, but he could not concentrate on reading the documents. The nameless fire was disturbing his heart, and the impulse was getting more and more crazy.
He was so crazy that he wanted to find out the reason. He had never let these trivial things affect his mood or emotions before.
In the end, he couldn't bear to read the document any longer and decided to go to Yansheng Hall to get to the bottom of it.
Lu Tingwan, who was out, ran into Cheng Xianzhi who was coming.
She just stepped out of the corner outside the moon-shaped door of Yansheng Hall and put the drawings in her hand into her sleeve.
He was hit hard head-on, and the tall body pressed down, blocking his way, and the tip of his nose turned slightly red from the pain.
Lu Tingwan rubbed the tip of his nose in complaint, "Who is it? In broad daylight, can't someone this grown up see it?"
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Cheng Xianzhi's cold voice came.
Lu Tingwan looked up at him. The sunlight was streaming in from the east. She lowered her gaze slightly and spoke in a less loud voice: "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
Cheng Xianzhi nodded towards the Yansheng Hall wall and asked, "What do you think?"
"Looking for me?" Lu Tingwan raised her eyebrows, which were drawn with black ink. They were bright and lively with a sense of vitality that made people unable to help but stare at them.
"What else?"
Lu Tingwan secretly wondered, wasn't he having dinner in Yingyue Pavilion?
"What can I do for you, Minister Cheng?"
Cheng Xianzhi lowered his gaze and took a few steps closer to her, almost touching her. Lu Tingwan didn't know why and felt uneasy.
She tried to back away, but the wall was pressing against her, leaving her with nowhere to retreat. The cold light before her pressed down, its sharpness terrifying.
"Damn, do, do...what are you doing?" She clenched her fists, thinking that if he dared to do anything wrong, she would definitely punch him.
"Didn't I tell you that I would pick you up during my vacation? Why didn't you wait for me and come back on my own?" Cheng Xianzhi's breath fluttered against her eyelashes.
Lu Tingwan was a little breathless, "Can you move further away before talking?"
"Answer first!" The unquestionable momentum remained the same as before.
"I've been busy with the garden poetry party recently, and a lot of things were on my mind, so I forgot." Lu Tingwan made up an excuse without changing his expression, which was quite reasonable.
"Oh?" Cheng Xianzhi took a step back. "Didn't you say that Luozidai is the best for drawing eyebrows? Why did you send it back?"
It was really because of this matter. Lu Tingwan straightened her back and looked him in the eye. "Luozidai was a reward from Concubine Rong. It was given to the winner of last night's garden poetry party. How could I possibly take advantage of this? Actually, you don't have to drag me into this just because of some vague etiquette. I do like Luozidai, but I like Luozidai that I earned through my own ability, not someone else's charity."
"You think this is charity?" Cheng Xianzhi frowned.
"Isn't it true," Lu Tingwan said, "that Concubine Rong asked His Majesty for six boxes of Luozidai as a first prize to be given to Minister Cheng and the First Madam. If I weren't the Second Madam of the Cheng family, why would I send this Luozidai over in the name of the Madam?"
"Cheng Xianzhi, what I want is not Luozidai." Lu Tingwan walked around him and said sternly behind him.
He didn't think too much about it, he just remembered that Lu Tingwan said this, and he took note of it.
But he didn't know that before the garden poetry party, Lu Tingwan had already been rewarded with a box of Luozidai by Concubine Rong by virtue of her hard work and outstanding contributions in assisting the six palaces and handling all matters of the garden party without any mistakes. The Empress Dowager Jiang also gave her the same reward.
"What is that?" Cheng Xianzhi was puzzled.
Lu Tingwan didn't want to pay any more attention to it and didn't stop.
"Lu Tingwan, what do you want?"
"Want to go out!" She continued walking.
"Where are you going?"
"What's it to you?"
The wind blew across his cheeks, and his hair blocked his vision. For the first time, he realized that he could not see himself clearly, nor could he see what she wanted.
But he could never give her what she wanted from the beginning to the end. Maybe it wasn't that he couldn't give it, but that he didn't want to give it!
In the Yingyue Pavilion, Gongsun Xue picked up a tube of black ink and lightly drew in front of the bronze mirror.
"The master is in the study?" When I asked this question, it seemed as if I had the answer.
"My Lord, I went to Yansheng Hall," Luzhu said, "and spoke a few words to the Second Madam, and then she left."
"Hmph." Gongsun Xue chuckled lightly, a hint of bitterness in her smile. "He cares about her, otherwise he wouldn't be so emotionally affected by her."
She was familiar with this feeling better than anyone else.
"Luzhu, have you got the medicine I want?" Gongsun Xue made up her mind.
Luzhu didn't want to look for the drug that could make people lose their minds and stimulate sexual desire. With her status, why should she go to this point? Gongsun Xue didn't want to either, but she could no longer bear the pain brought by the constant anxiety and fear of gain and loss.
She didn't even have the courage to lay everything out in front of Cheng Xianzhi and question him.
"I got it, I got it," Luzhu was very scared. "Madam, if the master knew about this filthy thing, I'm afraid it would hurt the relationship between husband and wife."
"Is there any love between us as husband and wife?" The unspeakable bitterness hit Gongsun Xue even more.
Dew knew how much pain she endured every night when she was alone in her empty room.
Lu Tingwan went out for a day and ran all over the north of the city, but still couldn't find a craftsman willing to take on the forging of the Sunset Bow. He returned to Cheng Mansion late at night.
After leaving Yansheng Hall during the day, Cheng Xianzhi went to the Ministry of Revenue. He learned that Lu Tingwan had left the palace early and returned late several times, so he asked Han Zhou to keep an eye on her.
"She's looking for craftsmen in the city?" Cheng Xianzhi was faced with a mountain of official documents.
"Yes, but I don't know what kind of craftsman the Second Madam is looking for. I've searched all over the city, and even went to the black market for this purpose."
"Black market? Craftsmen?" Cheng Xianzhi thought of her previous obsession with instruments. Could it be for this?
But she wanted to find a craftsman, and there were many skilled craftsmen in the Ministry of Works, but she would rather go far away than near. Did she not want him to know?
"There are quite a few retired craftsmen in the Ministry of Works. Han Zhou, go find a few who are good at forging bows and arrows." Cheng Xianzhi knew that she liked to study bows and crossbows, and she was probably looking for craftsmen to forge instruments like bows and arrows.
"Yes, sir."
On a midsummer night, heavy clouds concealed the heat, and a cool breeze blew freely in the darkness. The green plants in the Cheng Mansion stirred up their branches and leaves, and when the wind died down, they fluttered down again.
Lu Tingwan had been running outside all day and was covered in sweat. Feng Xin poured water droplets onto her fair skin, which flowed along her shoulder armor into the bathtub, creating ripples.
Cicadas chirped outside the window, hot water washed away fatigue, and the numbness in my ankles was also relieved at this moment.
"Feng Xin, please put those materials on the table away for me. I will need them next time I leave the palace." Lu Tingwan dozed off with her back against the bathtub, mist rising up along her slender neck.
Feng Xin replied softly, "Okay, Second Madam, this is the bath fragrance Feng Xin developed himself. It can clear your mind and help you sleep."
Lu Tingwan opened her eyes and raised her hand to take the bath incense. It was a bead made of condensed powder, which melted as soon as it touched water. The first note was the fragrance of magnolia, followed by a refreshing scent.
The bath fragrance bubbled into the wooden barrel, and the clear water instantly turned into a powdery mist. Lu Tingwan looked at the girl and asked, "Did you make it yourself? How did you make it?"
Feng Xin scratched his head. "I made it by trying step by step, just like the Second Madam made the Jade Dew Cream. If you like it, Madam, I'll make more dew drops and you can bring them to the palace to use."
Lu Tingwan's mind was covered with a thin layer of mist, and a vague idea told her that she was not the only one who wanted to break through this wealthy eaves.
"Feng Xin, do you want to do business?"
Feng Xin was stunned for a moment, "Feng Xin only wishes to serve the Second Madam."
"But now that I'm in the palace, I rarely come back home. You can find other things to do most of the time. You know how to manage accounts and purchase things. If you're willing..."
"Second Madam, the water is cold. Feng Xin, please add some hot water for you." Feng Xin changed the subject. She missed her past self in Zhichun, but she was also unwilling to abandon Lu Tingwan.
Lu Tingwan sighed.
Luzhu was paying attention to the movements in the mansion. As soon as Cheng Xianzhi entered the mansion, he was stopped by Luzhu. Gongsun Xue prepared a meal and there was a pot of mulberry wine on the table.
Cheng Xianzhi glanced around and saw an unfamiliar fragrance spreading in the room. The smell was not strong, but he had rarely smelled spices with this scent.
After Gongsun Xue bowed, Cheng Xianzhi sat down at the main seat and looked at the delicacies on the table.
He slowly said, "Xue'er, how come you have so much free time today?"
"My lord has been busy with official duties these days, and even his breakfast is just a hasty one. Xue'er wants to be willful for once today. I want my lord to accompany her to have a good meal, ignoring official duties and other people, okay?" Gongsun Xue's expression was full of sincerity.
Cheng Xianzhi's mind was resonating with Gongsun Yin's suggestions. If he continued to ignore Gongsun Xue, the relationship between the two families would probably become stalemate. He seemed to have a feeling that Gongsun Xue was not as easy to please as before.
"Okay." Cheng Xianzhi responded.
The room was filled with the aroma of incense and wine. Gongsun Xue poured him a full cup of mulberry wine. Cheng Xianzhi, always cautious, stared into Gongsun Xue's eyes, hiding a scrutiny that others could not detect.
"Xue'er has treasured this wine for a long time and has never been willing to drink it. A few days ago, Yansheng Hall sent a jar of red wine to Yingyue Pavilion, saying it was for the master and Xue'er. I see that the master likes it very much. Although this wine is different from Lausanne wine, the fragrance of both wines will linger after it is drunk. No wonder people love to drink. Sometimes we drink not for the taste, but for the emotion. Do you think Xue'er is right, my lord?"
"Xue'er is smart, thoughtful, and sees things clearly." Cheng Xianzhi turned the wine glass. It was ordinary mulberry wine, and there was no unusual smell.
"Xue'er is stupid." Gongsun Xue raised her wine glass, and Cheng Xianzhi smiled faintly.
He drank the wine in the cup under Gongsun Xue's gaze.
"How does it compare to wine?" Gongsun Xue asked urgently, hinting at something.
"Xue'er's wine is of course better than Yanshengtang's." Cheng Xianzhi remained calm.
"Then, my lord, please come often, okay?" Gongsun Xue had unknowingly reached his side. Cheng Xianzhi sniffed the fragrance, and a wave of drowsiness slowly crept over him, threatening to rob him of his clarity and rationality.
When Cheng Xianzhi broke in and saw the prepared meal and the incense in the room, he became alert. It was not until he drank the sake that he realized he was right. Gongsun Xue had indeed taken action.
Cheng Xianzhi followed her lead, enduring the effects of the drug, but his breathing became heavy and difficult to control. "Okay, I'll listen to Xue'er."
The beautiful face in front of him gradually became blurred. The moment the long arm wrapped around her waist, reason drove him, "Xue'er, what is this dress?"
Gongsun Xue carefully cupped his outline with her fingertips, "Xue'er, are you going to change?"
Cheng Xianzhi's eyes lost their luster, and he nodded hazily, "I'll wait for you."
Gongsun Xue was determined to get it. She had been waiting for a whole year, so why should she care about this moment?
After entering the inner room, Gongsun Xue listened to the noise outside. Cheng Xianzhi's figure was trapped outside the screen. She looked at the dark color, as if waiting for the best moment of her life to come. Therefore, she wanted to put on the pajamas prepared for the wedding night and enjoy a happy time with him.
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