Chapter 41: Reactions  

Zhao Mansion

After Xie Zhan sent the person to Zhao Mansion, he left and declined Zhao Wenkuan’s invitation.

Zhao Yutan went out vertically and came back horizontally, which startled the Zhao Mansion people who were already waiting for good news. Zhao Yutan’s situation was obviously not right. Zhao Wenkuan, Madam Luo, Zhao Bin, and others were waiting for her to wake up in her courtyard, and she did not disappoint. After returning to Zhao Mansion, she woke up shortly afterwards.

Tears filled Zhao Yutan’s eyes as she roughly recounted what happened at Chang Le Palace.

So that’s how it is, the marriage between the Xie and Lu families actually had such hidden secrets.

The Zhao family finally understood why Lu Desheng’s reaction to the change in this marriage was so intense.

Willing to risk it all, daring to challenge the Emperor. Zhao Wenkuan never expected Lu Songli, a little woman, to be so bold. With just one move, she blocked all of their tricks. The Zhao family couldn’t understand why the Xie family didn’t warn them either. Thinking from the Xie family’s perspective, Zhao Wenkuan realized it was best not to mention this matter, as it seemed that even the Xie family did not expect Lu Songli to expose her scars in front of the Empress Dowager.

At first, Madam Luo didn’t believe it, “Tan’er, are you sure you’re not mistaken? We’ve all met Lu Songli, she doesn’t seem that audacious.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yutan’s eyes welled up with tears, “Mother, what I say is absolutely true. She speaks so sharply, I couldn’t bear it, I wished to hang myself on the spot.” Then she recounted the words spoken by Lu Songli.

Upon hearing this, Madam Luo’s face turned extremely ugly, “Why is Lu Songli’s speech so harsh? Her mouth is just like her father’s, venomous!”

Zhao Wenkuan, having been in the officialdom for a long time, thought more deeply. As he listened from beginning to end, he felt that this woman was very cunning.

Was Lu Songli dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager? Definitely. This could be analyzed from her first two sentences. However, after those initial two sentences, can you see any following ones that were directed at the Empress Dowager? She didn’t mention the Empress Dowager at all throughout, but instead relentlessly targeted the girls of the Zhao family, which was a very cunning move.

“If only we had known she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, you shouldn’t have played with her in the first place.”

Zhao’s second daughter-in-law rolled her eyes, “You all fought over someone else’s husband, and you still have the nerve to say she has a sharp tongue?”

Qian, Zhao’s second daughter-in-law, was probably the most opposed to Zhao Yutan changing her fiancé in the Zhao family. She thought the Qin family and Qin Sheng were not bad, of course the Xie family and Xie Zhan were also good, just one literary and one martial, two sons from families that were not much different. What’s the point of changing to someone else?

“Enough, what’s the use of saying all this!” Zhao Wenkuan was very annoyed.

For this marriage, they had planned so much, so meticulously, the Zhao family had invested a lot of effort, front and back. They thought they would get good news tonight, but unexpectedly, there were many unexpected events. Could it be that heaven was not on their side? Zhao Wenkuan felt an indescribable disappointment in his heart. It was just a marriage, why was it so difficult?

“Tomorrow, let someone privately sound out the Empress Dowager’s opinion. This situation of being neither here nor there is too uncomfortable.” Zhao Bin said.

“Hmm.” Zhao Wenkuan was full of frustration. Empress Dowager, what urgent business did you have, to have to leave at that time? Couldn’t you wait until after granting him a marriage for his daughter and Xie Zhan?

“Daughter, don’t cry. Her move of exposing her own weakness seems powerful now, but after this wave dies down, and the engagement with the Xie family is broken off, see who else would be willing to marry her!” Madam Luo never doubted that her daughter could marry Xie Zhan. Her daughter had been blessed by a master, the process might be a little twisty, but the result would definitely be good.

Shortsighted! Zhao Wenkuan and Zhao Bin, father and son, exchanged a glance. If their Zhao family and the Xie family could truly be related by marriage, they should find a husband for Lu Songli who looked good on the surface, but the inner details could be different. Ideally, someone from a distant place, once she was married, the waves she stirred up would naturally fade with time.

Xie Mansion

Zhao Wenkuan guessed right. The Xie family did not expect Lu Songli to be so brave, daring to expose her shortcomings in front of the Empress Dowager.

At this time, Xie Mingtang, after listening to his son’s complete account of what happened at Chang Le Palace, was very surprised, “Lu Songli actually has such courage?”

He had previously disdained Lu Songli. Firstly, the Lu family’s influence was small, secondly, she was infertile, and thirdly, her timid and cowardly nature made her unfit to be the mistress of the Xie family. Unfortunately, the Empress Dowager left in the end, otherwise, he really wanted to see what kind of performance Lu Songli would have next.

Suddenly, Xie Mingtang felt a faint regret in his heart. His previous decision was too hasty, he should have observed a little longer.

He then comforted himself, there shouldn’t be any outstanding performances. In fact, Zhao Yutan was not bad, she had a good grasp of timing, was willing to pay, willing to strive…

Lu Songli’s performance, while eye-catching, was actually self-inflicted. It could only be described as reckless courage.

Xie Zhan wasn’t surprised that the Lu family would reveal this secret. However, in his estimation, this matter would happen after the Empress Dowager granted him and Zhao Yutan their marriage, when Lu Desheng and his wife, in their extreme anger, would come to the Xie family to argue, and only then, under the premise of being dissatisfied with the Xie family’s compensation, would it be exposed.

Lu Songli’s act of saving him years ago, which led to his inability to have children due to coldness in his body, was a secret that both the Lu family and the Xie family wanted to keep.

Previously, the Lu family was bound by him. Now, after breaking free from the shackles, it was the others who should be worried. Look, now the Xie family is in a very passive position, isn’t it?

“Lu Songli’s move is a masterstroke. If the marriage between our Xie and Lu families doesn’t work out, our Xie family must be prepared to bleed heavily.” Xie Mingtang sighed softly. The matter has gone from behind the scenes to the open. After tonight, who knows how many eyes are watching the Xie family, waiting to see how they handle this matter.

Xie Mingtang suddenly felt that if the marriage between the Xie and Lu families didn’t change, it wouldn’t be so unacceptable.

Xie Zhan didn’t pay attention to his father’s regret. His mind was still lingering on the scene of the Empress Dowager rushing to the Imperial Palace. Without thinking, something extremely important to the Empress Dowager must have happened at that time. And tonight, the person accompanying the Emperor in the Imperial Palace was none other than Lu Desheng. Was there any connection between the two?

If Lu Songli were here, she would have to admire Xie Zhan’s keenness.

Pingxi Marquis Mansion

Old Madam Qin, who was in poor health, held on and didn’t rest, waiting for her youngest son to return from the palace. Qin Heng and Qin Sanlang were with her.

As soon as Qin Sheng returned home, his mother, elder brother, and third brother all had their eyes on him, “How was it?”

Despite not saying it explicitly, they all had an idea about the Empress Dowager’s summons.

A servant poured him a bowl of lukewarm water, which Qin Sheng took and drank it in a few gulps. His thirst was quenched, but this lukewarm water was not as good as cold water. Cold water, cool and refreshing, was more comfortable to drink.

Old Madam Qin wouldn’t let him drink cold water. She knew he was young and full of fire, and liked to drink cold things, but it was ultimately bad for his health. Old Madam Qin had been sick for a long time and had learned a little about health preservation. She couldn’t control him when he wasn’t in front of her, but when he was in front of her, he had to drink lukewarm water.

“Nothing happened.”

“How could that be? Tell us in detail what happened at Chang Le Palace.” The result was too unexpected. The Empress Dowager summoned them, clearly because of the marriage between the Lu and Xie families.

Qin Sheng briefly recounted the events, taking less than three minutes: The Empress Dowager wanted to grant a marriage between Xie Zhan and Zhao Yutan, Lu Songli noticed and exposed that she had injured her body while saving Xie Zhan, resulting in infertility, the Empress Dowager didn’t have time to force a decision, she was distracted by something that happened in the Imperial Palace and forgot about her original plan.

Qin Sanlang rolled his eyes at his sixth brother. He could tell the whole scene was quite exciting, but his brother only used a few sentences to summarize it, dryly. He had waited half a night for this!

Qin Sheng thought his account was fine, he had said everything he needed to say.

“I didn’t expect there to be such a hidden secret in the marriage between the Xie and Lu families.” Old Madam Qin sighed.

Qin Sheng didn’t say anything. For a while, Old Madam Qin, Qin Heng and Qin Sanlang didn’t know what to say either. Old Madam Qin couldn’t bring her son and the second daughter of the Lu family together anymore. It wasn’t that she minded the infertility, but the matter of offspring was related to future generations, and it should be up to Qin Sheng to decide, they couldn’t overstep their boundaries.

At this moment, they couldn’t tell what he was thinking either.

It was late at night, so after sitting for a short while, everyone dispersed.

What exactly happened at the  Palace? On the way back, Qin Sanlang wondered with interest.