Chapter 69: The First Meeting part 1
The autumn breeze blew gently, sending ginkgo leaves swirling down to pave the water’s surface in a leisurely drift.
The atmosphere in the Marquis of Hejian’s Manor was unprecedentedly relaxed. Begonias bloomed brilliantly before the steps, standing tall and graceful.
A small table was set by the pond, upon which sat a celadon wine cup. The Marquis of Hejian leaned back against a bolster, taking occasional sips of wine, looking thoroughly at ease.
“The matter at Lanruo Temple should be just about settled by now,” he said, casually picking up a piece of osmanthus cake. He tasted it and frowned slightly. “A bit too sweet.”
Lady Cheng replied, “Perhaps the cook wasn’t paying attention and added too much sugar.” She then asked, “My Lord doesn’t have much free time these days; why choose today to act?”
Several gentle gusts of wind brushed past. The Marquis of Hejian suddenly laughed, his already somewhat feminine features taking on a ruthless edge.
Glancing at Lady Cheng, he said indifferently, “Today, the Empress returns to the capital. Delivering this grand gift right at this juncture—I only hope she accepts it with a smile.”
He paused, then added, “Even if Her Highness is unwilling to recognize them, Lady Xu is still her mother in name. For the sake of her reputation, she wouldn’t dare act rashly. If I handle the things the Empress finds inconvenient to do herself, isn’t that the best of both worlds?”
Seeing that he was in a good mood, Lady Cheng probed tentatively, “My Lord, seeing as the matter is nearly concluded, should we release Han’er from the ancestral hall? The hall is cold and damp; staying there too long is bad for her health.”
“Absolutely not.” The Marquis of Hejian’s expression turned cold in an instant, and he refused flatly. “The Empress hasn’t stated her position yet. Releasing her now would mean abandoning all my previous efforts.”
Lady Cheng began, “But…”
Thinking of his daughter, the Marquis of Hejian was already furious. With Lady Cheng’s nagging on top of it, his mood soured, and his face grew even darker. “You have the nerve to bring up Han’er? If she hadn’t offended the Empress, would I have needed to do all this, handing such leverage to Her Highness?”
Although he claimed these actions were to curry favor with the Empress, he had no proof of her favor yet.
If the Empress turned hostile and refused to acknowledge him, he would truly be beyond redemption.
But if he didn’t act, it would be an open declaration of opposition to the Empress.
How could the Empress possibly let him off?
He was riding a tiger and couldn’t get off; he had no choice.
“Keep her locked up for another three or four months. Let her suffer a bit first,” the Marquis of Hejian said, his face suddenly turning cold and his voice dropping. “You manage her properly from now on. Don’t let her cause trouble for me again! I’m cleaning up her mess this once. If there’s a next time, I’ll deal with her myself.”
Intimidated by his gloomy and severe expression, Lady Cheng was too frightened to speak. Only after recovering slightly did she bow her head and reply, “This concubine understands.”
The Marquis of Hejian nodded. “Good. By the way, how is A-Yuan’s injury?”
Lady Cheng glanced at him and was about to speak when the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind.
A trusted aide trotted up to them, reporting with a trembling voice, “My Lord, My Lord! The Marquis of Huai’an tripped over a threshold. It seems he broke a leg. His hair and ears were caught by the fire—half his ear was burnt right off…”
“Bastard!”
The Marquis of Hejian flew into a rage, overturning the table directly.
He stood up, staring at his aide, and asked in a deep voice, “Didn’t I order you to get him out first?”
The aide shivered slightly, whispering, “The men this subordinate arranged had already secretly escorted the Marquis of Huai’an out. But seeing the fire in the rear courtyard was too intense, he tried to turn back to save the Marchioness, and that’s when…”
That was when he tripped on the threshold and got his hair and ears singed by the fire.
The Marquis of Hejian was dizzy with anger, cursing repeatedly, “That fool! How can there be such a fool!”
He shouted several times, then failed to catch his breath and slumped back into his seat.
“My Lord!” Lady Cheng was terrified. She hurried over to rub his chest, soothing him. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Just breathe.”
The Marquis of Hejian’s body was stiff. After Lady Cheng fed him two cups of tea and let him rest for a quarter of an hour—just as Lady Cheng was about to call a physician—he finally came around.
His head was buzzing. He stood up and asked, “Apart from that, is he alive?”
The aide replied, “There are no other injuries.”
The Marquis of Hejian took a deep breath and said gravely, “I’ll go to the Empress to plead guilty first.”
As he spoke, he felt stifled and could only curse Zhao Weimin to vent his anger. “He wouldn’t even save his own life! How can there be such a stupid person in this world?”
He was practically mad with rage. Lady Cheng dared not respond, only whispering a few words of comfort. “My Lord, hadn’t you better change your clothes first? Besides, to see Her Highness, you must submit a calling card.”
The Marquis of Hejian glanced at his aide, instructing him to find several famous physicians to take good care of the Marquis of Huai’an, before returning to the main courtyard with Lady Cheng.
However, before he could change, a messenger from the palace arrived.
The messenger was a female official from Jiao Fang Palace. She bowed coldly, then asked, “Marquis of Hejian, when your noble house settled the engagement with the Zhao family, you promised not to reveal the Second Miss’s background to outsiders. Now, not only has your house broken its word, but you also strike back. What is the meaning of this?”
The Marquis of Hejian’s heart tightened. He knew the Empress was ostensibly questioning him about the Second Miss Zhao, but in reality, she was asking about Lanruo Temple.
He bowed slightly and replied, “This matter was truly unexpected. I will certainly bring a bramble switch to ask for punishment from Her Highness another day. I hope Her Highness can forgive me for now.”
The female official twitched the corner of her lips, adjusted the sleeves of her round-collared robe, and said warmly, “Then the Marquis had better be quick. Upon returning to the capital and hearing such bad news, Her Highness was furious. I fear she won’t be patient for many days.”
“This subject will not disappoint Her Highness,” the Marquis of Hejian said, sweating profusely as he bowed with clasped hands again.
After the messenger left, he realized he was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been fished out of the water.
“My Lord?” Lady Cheng looked at him with concern. “What do we do now?”
The Marquis of Hejian replied, “We take it one step at a time. Zhao Weimin, that fool, has truly ruined my plans.”
The little girl heard such a thing for the first time, and since it involved someone close to her, she was so scared she dared not sleep alone.
Zhao Yiyi had her stay in her bedchamber for the time being, setting up a low couch next to hers for Zhao Duanduan. It took a long time to coax her until she was less afraid.
“Elder Sister,” Zhao Duanduan called out timidly, her voice hoarse, lifting her face. “If you hadn’t come back today, I would have wanted to go to Lanruo Temple to play.”
Zhao Yiyi touched her forehead and suddenly laughed lightly. “If you were going today, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Hm?” Zhao Duanduan blinked, looking at her in confusion. “Sister, I’m not a goddess. How could it not happen just because I went?”
She pondered for a long time, then suddenly widened her eyes, tugging at Yiyi’s sleeve. “Sister, do you know what happened?”
Zhao Yiyi said, “I wasn’t sure originally. I sent someone to probe, and then I was sure.”
Explaining a few words to her sister softly, she added, “The rumors in the court are indeed true. His methods are truly ruthless.”
Zhao Duanduan became even more afraid, burrowing into Yiyi’s arms. “Sister, did you send someone to condemn him?”
“Yes,” Zhao Yiyi nodded, smiling at her. “Whether for reputation or authority, some things must be done for appearances.”
Zhao Weimin breaking a leg—to her, it felt quite relieving, though she dared not show it on her face.
📖 Advance Access: Complete Novel
- Option 1: Note your email on PayPal/Ko-fi.
- Option 2: Email proof to beezzzreads@gmail.com.
- Option 3: Comment below.
Recommended Reads
