Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 89
Shen Zhen stared blankly at the man beside her.
The moonlight made her little face look pale.
After her family fell into poverty and she became a mistress, Shen Zhen once again experienced the powerlessness and sense of loss that came from having her status and position suppressed.
For example, she had met the Grand Princess many times as the third lady of the Marquis’s Mansion, but this was the first time she dared not look directly into the Grand Princess’s eyes.
For example, she had also met Xu Wei at hunting banquets and spring banquets. At that time, Xu Wei was very polite and at most he just called her “Third Miss”…
Lu Yan asked someone about what happened today and roughly guessed why she had that expression.
The man’s fingers casually circled her hair twice and said lightly, “What did Xu Wei say to you?”
In the darkness, the little girl knelt beside him and said, “He wants to take me as his concubine.”
Lu Yan’s hand that was playing with her hair paused, loosened its grip, and hugged her waist instead, “Anything else?”
Shen Zhen whispered what happened, then handed the box to him and stammered, “This… was also seen by the Grand Princess.”
Lu Yan held the peach pink belly band in his hand, rubbed the edge, his eyes dark and unclear.
After a moment’s silence, he pulled the little girl to his side and said softly, “Were you scared?”
Shen Zhen shook her head and said something that Lu Yan had never thought she would say.
“I will remember all the kindness you have shown me, but if the Grand Princess doesn’t like me, please don’t go against the wishes of your family for my sake.”
After saying that, Shen Zhen raised his head and kissed his chin.
When Xu Wei said with a condescending look, “I, Xu Wei, would like to take you as my concubine?”, Shen Zhen felt as if a basin of cold water was poured over her head, waking her up.
Even a family as prominent as the Xu family is like this, let alone the Duke of Zhenguo’s Mansion. Wanting to marry him and being able to marry him are two different things after all.
Lu Yan looked down at her, and the corner of his mouth curved with a hint of mockery, “Why is the Third Miss so sensible?”
Hearing the displeasure in his tone, Shen Zhen subconsciously clenched her fists.
After a moment of silence, Lu Yan pinched her chin and his eyes were filled with coldness. Shen Zhen shrank back in fear.
“What does going against my family mean? Speaking of which, my mother has shown me many girls, including the Meng family girl, the Wang family girl, and yes, the Xu family is also interested in forming a marriage alliance with the Zhenguo Duke Mansion. How about you choose one for me, and I will go and propose marriage tomorrow?”
“Or do you think the wife of the Duke of Protectorate likes you? Would it be better for you to marry Su Heng?” The wife of the Duke of Protectorate is Su Heng’s mother.
Hearing him say this, Shen Zhen couldn’t hold back the tears in her eyes and the bean-sized beads fell onto the man’s hand with a plop.
Lu Yan endured the pain in his heart and looked at her, knowing that he had gone too far.
Just at that moment, he suddenly remembered how he looked before he died in his dream… and remembered that she had married someone else.
After a long while, he whispered, “Shen Zhen, you can make trouble with me however you want, but you are not allowed to say what you just said again.”
“Okay?”
Shen Zhen lowered her eyes and didn’t look at him. Her long eyelashes were wet. She whimpered softly and quickly swallowed it back.
Even the coldest heart would soften after hearing her cry like this.
Lu Yan let out a long sigh, and finally reached out and lifted the person onto his lap.
Shen Zhen was held in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. The man patted her back again and again, “Mother knows what kind of person Xu Wei is. Don’t think too much, okay?”
“Our third Miss Shen has such a good temper, who wouldn’t like you?”
“Don’t cry.” He kissed the top of Shen Zhen’s head, “Go to sleep, I’m here with you.”
After Shen Zhen fell asleep, Lu Yan walked out of the Shen residence and his face immediately darkened, he pursed his thin lips and gave Yang Zong a few instructions.
After lowering the curtain of the carriage, Yang Zong’s eyes widened and he silently lit a candle for the eldest son of the Xu family.
Lu Yan had been an official for several years and had long since restrained his temper, but restraint was just restraint. How could a person’s temper change so easily?
The eldest son of the Duke of Zhenguo’s Mansion has never been a good person.
Not to mention being very petty, he is someone who will avenge any grudge.
Xu Wei was in trouble after touching the person he cared about.
The next evening, Young Master Xu was squinting his eyes and staggering out of the restaurant to go back home when someone covered his mouth and nose and put him into a carriage.
When they arrived near Qujiang, several ruffians pulled Xu Wei down, threw him to the ground, and hit him mercilessly with several sticks, including his face, hands, and legs.
The eldest son of the Xu family had never been beaten so badly before. He howled in pain and threatened, “Do you know who I am? Do you know who my father is? Do you know who my aunt is?”
“My father is the left prime minister! My aunt is the current Empress. You dare to touch anyone from the Xu family? Are you courting death?”
“Did the Marquis of Changping ask you to come? Tell me!”
“Damn it, if you have the guts, just beat me to death! If you can’t kill me, none of you will survive tomorrow!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he was hit hard in the abdomen. An hour later, his arrogant attitude disappeared and turned into a low plea.
“Money… I can give you money… any amount is fine.”
But no matter how Xu Wei begged, these strong men seemed to be deaf to his begging, and they finally stopped when the night faded.
When the Xu family found Xu Wei, Xu Wei was half dead.
Madam Xu slammed the table and stood up, “Who is the bastard who dared to touch anyone from my Xu family? How arrogant!”
Xu Yiqing couldn’t help but exclaim when she saw her brother being beaten like this.
After a while, a servant ran into the yard and Madam Xu asked in a trembling voice, “Have you found out?”
The servant bowed and said, “Madam, please forgive me, but I could not find any clue. I asked the people who drank with the eldest master yesterday, and they all said that they didn’t see anything…”
Madam Xu took a deep breath and said, “Doctor Meng, how is Wei’er doing? When will he wake up?”
Doctor Meng shook his head. “He suffered a severe blow to the head and lost too much blood. He is lucky to be alive. As for when he will wake up, it is hard to say…”
Xu Lianyi said with red eyes: “Mother, this criminal is so arrogant, he must have a backer behind him. In my opinion, the Xu family alone cannot investigate this matter. We can’t delay it anymore, let’s report it to the authorities!”
Madam Xu nodded in agreement.
“Xu Yiqing, let’s go to the Ministry of Justice to seek justice for my brother.”
“Wait!” Madam Xu paused and whispered, “Don’t go to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice is now full of the Crown Prince’s people. How can they work wholeheartedly for the Xu family? Go to Jingzhao Prefecture! Find Lu Yan.”
Xu Lianyi and Xu Yiqing nodded in agreement, then headed straight for Jingzhao Prefecture. After getting off the carriage, the two girls lifted their skirts, ran a few steps, picked up the gavel and struck the drum to protest their grievances.
Lu Yan sat on top and asked calmly, “What on earth are you two doing beating the drums for?”
Xu Yiqing gathered her hair, tears welling up before she spoke, choking as she said, “My brother was dragged to the vicinity of Qujiang yesterday and was attacked. He hasn’t woken up yet. Lord Lu, please catch this villain as soon as possible!”
Lu Yan turned the ring on his hand and whispered, “Miss Xu, please tell us the cause and process in detail.”
Xu Yiqing burst into tears and explained the time when Xu Wei was taken away, his injuries, and how he was found. She finally said: “The criminal was so arrogant that he threw my brother at the gate of Xu Mansion!”
Lu Yan raised his eyebrows.
The attack on the eldest son of the Xu family was no small matter. Xu Yiqing thought that Lu Yan would immediately order the whole city to hunt down the criminal, but he stood up and said to Sun Xu: “I have something important to do, so I’ll leave the Xu family’s case to Lord Sun.”
Hearing this, Xu Lianyi said angrily: “My brother was attacked in Chang’an and his life is in danger. Isn’t this a big deal?”
Lu Yan smiled coldly, without explaining the reason, he said sarcastically, “Does Fourth Miss Xu think that Jingzhao Prefecture was set up for your Xu family?”
Xu Lianyi and Xu Yiqing’s faces tuned red all the way to their necks.
Sun Xu came over and said with a smile: “Miss Xu, please tell me again what happened yesterday.”
With no other options left, Xu Yiqing had to patiently repeat what she had just said.
It is true that Sun Xu is the one with the best temper in Jingzhao Prefecture, but it happened that the people who came today were from the Xu family. Even if Sun Xu was not affected by what the Xu family did to the Sun family, it was enough to make Sun Xu hate the Xu family.
Sun Xu was already a veteran in the government office. But this time he kept asking questions for an hour. He kept repeating the same few questions over and over again, “Where was he beaten?”
“Why would he be beaten?”
“Was there no one else around Young Master Xu?”
“Where did he drink alcohol from?”
“How much did he drink?”
“Who did he drink with?”
“Do you two girls have any witnesses?”
“How is Young Master Xu’s injury now?”
“…”
The more he asked, the more detailed his questions become, and yet they still can’t find any fault with him.
Xu Yiqing realized something was wrong and pulled Xu Lianyi away.
Xu Lianyi said, “Xu Yiqing, why are we leaving so quickly? We have to make things clear.”
Xu Yiqing said: “Sister, can’t you see that? That Lord Sun has no intention of helping us investigate the case! He is a member of the Sun family!”
Xu Lianyi understood immediately, clenched her fist, and said, “I remember that the Minister of the Dali Temple was a classmate of your second brother. Let’s go. Since we can’t go to the Ministry of Justice, let’s go to the Dali Temple.”
However, when they arrived at the Dali Temple, they only saw Zhou Shu’an, the Minister of the Dali Temple.
Zhou Shu’an looked at the two noble ladies of the Xu family, tapped the table with his index finger, and said slowly: “This matter is not under the jurisdiction of our Dali Temple. You two should go to Jingzhao Prefecture.”
Xu Lianyi clenched the handkerchief in her hand and asked, “Can we meet Deputy Chief Mu?”
Zhou Shu’an smiled and said directly: “You two should go back.”
To put it bluntly, I don’t care.
In the evening, Xu Lianyi and Xu Yiqing returned to the Xu family.
Xu Yiqing said aggrievedly: “The Dali Temple and Jingzhao Prefecture don’t take our Xu family seriously at all!”
Madam Xu frowned and said, “How is this possible? Although our Xu family has had a rift with the Sun family, we have never had any grudges with Lu Yan and Zhou Shu’an! How, how could this be…”
The left prime minister raised his hand to lift the cup on the table, his expression solemn, and said word by word: “I will go to the palace tomorrow to ask the Emperor to make a decision.”
As the saying goes, good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. The news that the eldest son of the Xu family was attacked and had run into a wall with the authorities had already spread to everyone before the next morning.
The dusk was falling, the willow branches were rustling in the breeze, and large dark clouds passed from the end of the sky, bringing a rainstorm.
As soon as Lu Yan returned home, he was called into the study by the Grand Princess.
Lu Yan stood quietly in front of the door with his hands behind his back, smiling, and asked, “What does mother want to see me for?”
Princess Jing’an sneered and looked at him and said, “Are you not going to keep covering your tracks anymore?”
T/N –
In ancient China, a “belly band” or “dudou” (肚兜) was a traditional garment, resembling a small apron, worn as an undershirt, particularly by women, to cover the bust and belly, often with medicinal herbs or other items to keep the belly warm.
