Outside the courtyard walls of the Marquis Xuanping Mansion, Lu Ziyuan stood restlessly for a mont, unable to help but turn his head and ask the close confidant behind him, "Do you think... Did I make a mistake?"
He could see how unwilling the young lady was when she agreed. She was wary of his reckless intrusion into her boudoir and had no choice but to agree to wait for his return.
But if he doesn’t go tonight, by daybreak he will leave the Capital, with no set return date.
At least a few months will pass, and now they no longer have a marriage contract, with another man coveting her; how could he dare to gamble?
Mingjian, who had been by his side since childhood, had never seen him in such a state of hesitation and anxiety, felt slightly lancholic and said, "The master has not done wrong, don’t overthink it. Miss Xie’s feelings for you are sincere and heartfelt, how could she really bear to be truly angry with you."
...Sincere and heartfelt.
Lu Ziyuan’s breath slightly paused as he looked up at the myriad stars in the sky, feeling his heart hollow and without confidence.
Does the young lady still truly have sincere and heartfelt feelings for him?
Tonight was supposed to be their wedding night...
After tonight, he could rightfully hold her in his arms, but now, he had ssed everything up.
Lu Ziyuan closed his eyes briefly and said hoarsely, "This ti, you stay in the Capital and keep watch over her for ."
Mingjian was taken aback, "Am I to follow her secretly?"
"No need, just keep an eye on her movents, don’t let her notice."
The guards of the Marquis Xuanping Mansion were also not idle; if soone was secretly following their young lady all the ti, who knows when they might be discovered.
She had clearly rejected his intention to gift soone, and he did not dare to go against her wishes.
Lu Ziyuan said, "I will return at the latest in three months. Within these three months, stay alert and inform imdiately if anything happens."
Saying this, he slowly turned around, lowered his eyes to look at his confidant, and his voice was deep, "That’s your mistress, keep proper watch over her for , and don’t let her make any mistakes in a mont of confusion."
"Yes!" Mingjian kneeled on one knee, solemnly agreeing.
As for what mistake might be made, neither the master nor the servant discussed it.
Lu Ziyuan took one last look at the deep-walled courtyard in the night, then turned and left.
......
At the morning court assembly the next day, there were no less than ten morials impeaching Lu Ziyuan, but upon learning that he was already on his way to Yunzhou, they were sowhat left at a loss.
If you really think about it, he was just stopping his forr fiancée from leaving, trying to salvage the engagent, and got into a fight with two guards from the Duke Pei Mansion, nothing more.
His actions were certainly arrogant, but to say they were heinous cris, not really. Now that he’s off leading troops out of the Capital to quell unrest, who would dare have the Holy Emperor issue another decree to punish him?
To have soone work while beating them simultaneously doesn’t happen.
Nor would the Emperor do such a thing.
In the end, this matter, just as Pei Yuqing anticipated, was taken lightly.
Xie Wanqing received the news from her brother’s mouth, not surprised at all.
She nodded dispiritedly, having no expectation that this little issue would cause Lu Ziyuan any punishnt.
Xie YanYu, seeing his sister in such low spirits, frowned and said, "Fallen ill again?"
"..." Xie Wanqing was silent for a mont, carefully touched her forehead, then breathed a sigh of relief, "I’m not ill, just didn’t sleep well last night."
Thinking she was rely shocked yesterday and thus couldn’t sleep, Xie YanYu said nothing more.
However, Mrs. Zheng, from the side, asked with concern, "Mother sees you haven’t been happy for a day these two months, do you want to go out and unwind?"
Xie Wanqing shook her head repeatedly, "I don’t want to go out to be laughed at."
The incident yesterday was already the talk of the Capital, with all sorts of things being said.
The most widely spread rumors were of the two young masters from the Pei and Lu families fighting over her, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion.
There were also rumors that she insisted on breaking the engagent because she had mutual feelings with the Princely Heir of the Pei Family, thus ruthlessly abandoning her childhood sweetheart fiancé.
Completely forgetting about Lu Ziyuan’s recent scandal with keeping a mistress outside.
The whole city was full of gossip about her; she certainly didn’t want to go out to be gawked at like sothing rare.
"Why bother with rumors, maybe it was troubleso during the forr dynasty, but now we are in the Great Khan Dynasty, society is very open, the Imperial Family’s princesses and commandery princesses keep male favorites, and there’s not less comntary on them."
Mrs. Zheng fondly smoothed her daughter’s hair and said softly, "Even if my daughter doesn’t marry and keeps a few male favorites to live with, what could others say."
Xie Wanqing’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed her mother’s hand, "Mother, do you an it?"
Mrs. Zheng: "..."
She was only soothing her with words.
"Ahem~," coughed Xie YanYu, who hadn’t spoken for a while. His sister looked over, and he said helplessly, "No nonsense."
Xie Wanqing let out an "oh," feeling bored, she rested her chin on her mother’s shoulder, humming.
Mrs. Zheng, not knowing what to do with her, thought for a mont, and then said, "If you’re tired of these rumors in the Capital, why not go stay at the countryside estate for a while, it is right for the hot weather, good to escape the heat."
The Xie family had an estate in the outskirts of the Capital, where each year’s fruits and vegetables, fish, and produce were supplied by this estate.
A few years ago, Xie Wanqing had stayed there for so ti, compared to the bustling Capital, it was indeed a quiet and good place.
Thinking this, she felt a bit wavering, especially since she had been quite frustrated in the Capital.
"Will mother go with ?"
"There are heaps of things at ho, I can’t go," Mrs. Zheng said with a smile, shaking her head, "Why not ask if Rurou would like to accompany you."
Of course, Xie Ruyu was willing, and after hearing her cousin’s invitation, she imdiately went to ask her own mother.
All were young ladies of age, ho life gradually grew less frequent, and Auntie Liu didn’t want to restrict her either, she generously agreed.
As they had decided on a short stay at the estate, they naturally had to prepare properly.
By the ti they actually set off, it was three days later.
Although the estate was in the outskirts, it was still a distance from the Capital; two young ladies leaving the Capital alone made the family uneasy, in the end, Xie YanYu personally escorted them.
The carriage moved at a slow pace, taking a full hour before it finally stopped shakily.
When Xie Wanqing hopped out of the carriage, she noticed her brother’s unusual expression and tilted her head to ask, "What’s the matter with brother?"
"...It suddenly reminded of an old matter," he said, glancing at her aningfully, "Did you decide to stay at the estate because you knew the Duke Pei Mansion’s villa was nearby?"
"!!!" Xie Wanqing’s pupils dilated dramatically, annoyed, "Don’t falsely accuse ; wasn’t it mother who said this place is tranquil, which is why I ca? You weren’t absent at the ti."
While speaking, she glanced around, her gaze sweeping over the nearby villas, finally voicing her uncertainty, "Which villa belongs to the Pei family?"
All the estates and villas in the outskirts are essentially private properties of the major noble families of the Capital, each grand, but without any house plaques or surnas...
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