CH 117

This was really strange, Lu Shi Qing still had not figured out why the black dog suddenly rushed to the bottom of his bed and refused to leave. After that, Yuan Ci Xian hurriedly got under his bed, and he also hurried back to the outer room, closed the secret passage, put on his clothes and quickly opened the door. He made some excuse to his mother that he hadn’t put on his clothes, so he was late.

After finally fooling his mother, he breathed a sigh of relief, but when he saw a servant leading a famous minister to this side, he suddenly remembered that he had an appointment for a private discussion.

He was a chief minister, had a higher rank than him, but he condescended to come to his house, he had no reason to refuse the visitor. It was too late to ask Yuan Ci Xian to slip out of the window, because the chief minister had arrived.

There was also a study outside the bedroom, which could be used to entertain guests. Of course, he could also ask people to go outside, but he was afraid that if he left, Yuan Ci Xian and her dog would make some noise, and his mother who had not gone far would find out. To be on the safe side, he chose to talk outside.

He wanted to end it quickly, but when it came to serious matters, it couldn’t be solved in a few sentences. The Chief Minister was eager, so he couldn’t be indifferent, and they talked for almost an afternoon. After a while, even a person as calm as him couldn’t help but glanced inside from time to time.

To be able to become a chief minister, one must have discernment. As if he could see through the doorway, he stood up and bid farewell with ambiguous eyes.

It stands to reason that Lu Shi Qing had to personally send him off, but he was really afraid that Yuan Ci Xian would die of suffocation inside, so he asked a servant to do the work for him, and then hurried inside. Listening to the silence under the bed, he hesitated in front of the bed, keeping a safe distance in case the dog suddenly jumped out of it, and then asked tentatively: “County Princess?”

He called a few more times, but didn’t get any response. His heart tightened, could it be he really suffocated Zheng Zhuo’s fiancée to death. He didn’t care about the dog anymore, quickly bent down to take a look.

When he looked inside, he saw a person and a dog curled up under the bed, their chests heaving and falling peacefully. They actually fell asleep together.

If he woke up Yuan Ci Xian, he might wake up the dog. He seemed to encountered the most difficult decision in his life. After a while, he thought of a compromise, went outside and took a long bamboo pole. Avoiding the dog, he poked her arm from a distance.

With this poke, she really woke up and was taken aback. She suddenly jumped up with a scream, hit her head on the bed board, then let out an “ouch” in pain.

He didn’t expect this kind of chain reaction. He was stunned for a moment, but Yuan Ci Xian came back to her senses first, covering her forehead as if she was about to cry: “Assistant Minister Lu, do you want to kill people!”

He also felt a little guilty at this time, he threw away the bamboo pole and asked her if she was okay.

Yuan Ci Xian slowly crawled out holding the dog who had just woken up from a big dream. A round bump impressively swelled up on her forehead, and with a bitter face she told him she was not okay.

She’s really not okay, even disfigured.

He tried his best to ignore the dog at her feet, retreated far away and hesitated, “How about I ask His Highness to come and pick you up?”

She hurriedly waved her hand to signal no, touched her forehead and sighed, “Forget it.”

He choked. Knowing that she must have figured out the whole thing, he then sighed: “How do you know about the secret passage and the code?”

She said confidently, “I decipher it from His Highness’s words.”

At that time he thought, turns out losing one’s head over beauty is really not an empty talk, and said helplessly, “Then why do you suspect me?”

She explained that it wasn’t just about something being off with him, but more importantly, she had mentioned to Zheng Zuo several times about her suspicions regarding his identity, only to be met with strange denials.

Her starting point was good, she was worried that Zheng Zhuo would be deceived by ill-intentioned advisor. But she was also afraid that she made a wrong judgment, wrongly accused innocent people, and sow discord between them, so she wanted to quietly investigate first.

Indeed, it wasn’t easy to reach this point, taking precautions and exploring through the secret passage, even accompanied by a dog for self-defense.

She said bitterly: “I’ve been worrying about the country and the people, but it turns out I’m the one that have been played with.”

At that time, Lu Shi Qing thought that she looked a little sad, and didn’t want to make trouble for Zheng Zhuo, so he quickly explained, saying that this matter had nothing to do with His Highness, he was the one that wanted to hide it.

But Yuan Ci Xian didn’t seem to be happy at all. The bump on her forehead was getting more and more bulging, she pursed her mouth and told him to do as he wished, she wanted to go back first.

Lu Shi Qing thought that it was really not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together. However, he was also concerned that she might worsen her injuries on the way home, and if that happened, Zheng Zuo might kill him. So he asked her to wait and went outside to have someone bring the remaining bag of ice from the storehouse, let her used it as a cold compress on the way.

Yuan Ci Xian took it, but before leaving, even though she didn’t show any facial expressions before, she suddenly showed a flattering smile, and said to him: “Otherwise, don’t tell His Highness that I’m here today, then I will forgive you?”

He asked why. He felt that it doesn’t matter, her initial intention was good, Zheng Zhuo wouldn’t misunderstand anything.

But she said that she deciphered the secret passage and the code through her own cleverness. If she discovered anything then it was fine, but it turned out to be a waste effort. Once Zheng Zuo found out about it, it would become difficult to use such tactics again in the future.

Lu Shi Qing felt that she was quite scheming, and he was a little unwilling to agree, after all, he was closer to Zheng Yao.

But she quickly welled up with tears and pitifully said, “That’s fine. If you don’t want to, then forget it. I hope nothing went wrong with my forehead, so that I can enjoy a few more years of happiness.”

Her forehead was still swollen, and the sound of “bang” was still in his ears, it was indeed his fault. Knowing that it was her trick, he had no choice but to fell in, and said fine, just pretend nothing happened today.

Then he saw her stretch out her hand excitedly and said, “Pinky swear!”

He was stunned.

After Yuan Ci Xian finished speaking, she probably sensed that it was not right, laughed embarrassedly, hooked her own left and right pinkies. Then as if afraid that he would renege his promise, ran away through the secret passage with the dog.

When he came back to his senses, he realized that he had stood staring blankly at the end of the secret passage for a long time.

After this incident, Lu Shi Qing felt strange when meeting Yuan Ci Xian again.

That day, it was Zheng Zhuo who came to Xu Mansion to discuss something and brought Yuan Ci Xian with him. Because he promised her to pretend nothing happened, he still acting as his teacher, pretending that she didn’t know his identity.

He saw that she seemed a little apprehensive when entering the door, as if afraid that he would renege his promise, and was relieved when seeing that he was honestly wearing a mask. She smiled at him quietly to show her gratitude.

Zheng Zhuo didn’t pay attention to her. But he felt that the smile was too dazzling, so he quickly turned his head and stopped looking at her.

Obviously Yuan Ci Xian still didn’t talk much to him, and still kept her fiancée’s role. But he had a common secret with her, which made him very guilty towards Zheng Zhuo.

It was as if, as if he had crossed some line.

Especially later, when the talk was over and they drank tea together, he silently read the chess records, while Yuan Ci Xian played Wumu with Zheng Zhuo.

He heard Zheng Zhuo ask Yuan Ci Xian: “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

He subconsciously glanced over to see that there was indeed a small redness on her lower eyelid, and then heard her say: “It’s okay, just a needle eye, it’s not serious. The doctor said to just apply a hot towel a few times.”

Zheng Zhuo told her not to rub it with her hands, and let someone look at it later.

Afterwards, Lu Shi Qing didn’t hear what was said over there. He was full of thoughts, needle eye, she must have seen something she shouldn’t have, and then he looked down at his own chest.

As a result, when he raised his head, he found Yuan Ci Xian looking at him, and her eyes also fell on his chest.

Great, we both have the same thought.

He coughed awkwardly, then turned sideways, leaving his back to her and Zheng Zhuo. But he couldn’t read the book in his hand.

After a few more meetings, Yuan Ci Xian, this kind of cheerful person, seemed to become quite embarrassed and deliberately avoiding him. Originally, she rarely talked to him, now even more so.

Until one day Zheng Zhuo realized something was wrong and asked them: “Do you two have any feud?”

The two said “How could that be?” in unison, even the tone of voice was exactly the same. As if shocked by this inexplicable tacit understanding, they looked at each other for a while.

Yuan Ci Xian suddenly said that she was a little tired and wanted to go home.

Zheng Zhuo wanted to see her off, but she said no and left alone.

Lu Shi Qing felt inexplicably irritable, and soon after she left, he found an excuse to do some work, but in fact, he returned home and fell into bed, tossing and turning, speculating on her strange attitude, and speculating on his own strange mentality.

Then, he didn’t meet Yuan Ci Xian again for a long time. When Zheng Zhuo came to Xu Mansion, he was alone. He tried to probe one time, saying why he didn’t take her with him. Zheng Zhuo said that she was busy with family affairs and her sister-in-law was not in good health. He then asked if there was some trouble between the two of them.

Zheng Zhuo said no, it was just like before.

He could hear from his tone that the two didn’t seem to have further development, and they had always been friends who could talk to each other, but it seemed that they were just friends who could talk to each other.

After several months, until the next summer, Lu Shi Qing didn’t see Yuan Ci Xian again. When they saw each other again, something happened to Zheng Zhuo.

On the emperor’s birthday, there was a banquet held in the palace at night, with silk and bamboo orchestras, gongs and drums blaring. But the next morning, Zheng Zhuo woke up in the side hall, and beside him lay the naked di daughter of the second house of Jiang family, Jiang Bi Can.

The news was spread deliberately, and it became a big scandal in the city in just one morning. The emperor was furious, and ordered Zheng Zhuo to give an explanation to the Jiang family, and of course, to the Yuan family as well.

Immediately afterwards, one after another, the emperor decided to cancel the marriage contract between Zheng Zhuo and Yuan Ci Xian, saying that he could not wrong the Yuan family. Then he granted his marriage with the Jiang family, saying that he must take responsibility for Young Lady Jiang.

In less than a day, the imperial family put an end to this scandal. Even a fool could also see that there was something fishy about it.

Lu Shi Qing made some emergency arrangements with the courtiers. When he finally had the chance to go to the Prince Mansion at night to find Zheng Zhuo, he saw him lying in the room like a dead person, with the strong smell of alcohol filling the entire house.

He didn’t know how to describe his mood at that moment. The Jiang family and the emperor plotted against Zheng Zhuo and Yuan’s family together, but he as the advisor failed to stop them. Saying it guilt was not enough.

He dragged Zheng Zhuo up, and he vomited without saying a word.

When Zheng Zhuo came to his senses, the first thing he said was: “She said she believed in me.”

Lu Shi Qing didn’t realize who this “she” at first, but after thinking about it he finally understood, and asked, “County Princess was here before?”

Zheng Zhuo said yes, she came as soon as she heard the news, and told him that she believed that he did not do that kind of thing. She knew that this was because the change in the court, and the emperor was afraid of him. He didn’t want the Yuan family to help him, so this conspiracy was devised.

She told him not to have a fall out with the emperor in a hurry, and not to break up with the second house of Jiang family right away. Now that the situation was serious, he had to endure it, he must endure it. She said she was fine, she didn’t care about the gossip, so don’t worry.

Zheng Zhuo smiled wryly at this point: “She believes me, I should be happy. But I can’t be happy. She is so calm, so calm that she can analyze everything thoroughly, calmer than me… At this time, I should comfort her, why did she comfort me instead?”

Lu Shi Qing understood.

She didn’t make a scene, she didn’t cry, it’s because she didn’t love. Zheng Zhuo was not sad because he was calculated by others, but sad that she didn’t love him.

Zheng Zhuo said, in fact, he had always known that she treated him sincerely, but treated him like a friend. He originally thought that after getting married, this situation would gradually change. But now there was no chance.

After he finished speaking, he wanted to drink again.

Lu Shi Qing snatched Zheng Zhuo’s wine. He really didn’t know how he got through that night.

The next day, he went to Yuan Ci Xian, said that he had arranged a safe way, and asked her to go see Zheng Zhuo.

Yuan Ci Xian agreed.

He could tell that she was worried about Zheng Zhuo, or maybe she was also worried about Yuan’s family, and she didn’t even wear a hairpin on her head when she went out.

He managed to avoid the spies and took her to the Prince Mansion, but Zheng Zhuo refused to see her.

She was shut down outside Zheng Zhuo’s room for a long time. Lu Shi Qing stood behind her, unable to do anything.

In the end, she could only say what she wanted to say through the door: “Drinking will only hurt your health. Stop drinking and pull yourself together. Heaven never bars one’s way. I’ll wait for you to marry me after we solve the second house of Jiang family’s matter.”

Lu Shi Qing clearly heard a “bang” from inside, it sounded like a wine jar breaking apart.

He knew that Zheng Zhuo came back to life because of the phrase “I’ll wait for you to marry me”.

Looking at Yuan Ci Xian again, her eyes were calm, and after finished speaking, she turned around and left.

Lu Shi Qing glanced at Zheng Zhuo’s closed door, followed her steps, frowning all the way.

He knew why Yuan Ci Xian said that. As a friend, she couldn’t ignore Zheng Zhuo’s conditions. Since she had a way to cheer him up, why not do it? When they arrived at the long corridor of the Prince Mansion, he suddenly stopped and said, “Thank you.”

Yuan Ci Xian was also stop, looked back at him, and probably understood that he was thanking her for Zheng Zhuo, shook her head and said, “Just a small effort. I truly admire His Highness, and the Yuan family will continue to support him.”

Lu Shi Qing nodded, originally planning to leave it at that, but at the last moment, a sentence slipped to his lips and he couldn’t hold it back: “Just admiring?”

Yuan Ci Xian raised her head, stared at him silently for a long time, then looked into his eyes and nodded, borrowing a sentence he once said when they were standing here talking about Shaohe: “Assistant Minister Lu, everyone has their own aspirations.”

After she finished speaking, she gave a wry smile, then turned around to leave.