Shen Zhen stared blankly at the man beside the couch.
The moonlight made her face pale.
After falling into the middle of the family path and being an outsider, Shen Zhen once again experienced the powerlessness and the sense of gap that came from being suppressed by others.
For example, she had met the eldest princess many times as the third lady of the Hou Fu, but it was the first time that she did not dare to look the eldest princess in the eyes.
For another example, she had also met Xu Wei at the hunting banquet and the spring banquet. At that time, Xu Wei was polite and at most just called her three girls...
Lu Yan asked someone to inquire about today's affairs, and roughly guessed why she showed this expression.
The man's fingers randomly circled her hair twice, and said lightly, "What did Xu Wei say to you?"
In the darkness, the little girl knelt down beside the man and nodded, "He wants to take me as a concubine."
Lu Yan's hand that was playing with her hair stagnated, let go, and turned to hug her waist, "What else?"
Shen Zhen explained the story in a low voice, then handed the box to him, murmured: "This... was also seen by the eldest princess."
Lu Yan held the peach-pink apron in his hand, rubbed the lower edge, his eyes darkened.
After a moment of silence, he pulled the little girl to his side and said softly, "Afraid?"
Shen Zhen shook her head and said something Lu Yan never thought she would say.
"Shen Zhen will remember the kindness your lord has treated me in this lifetime, but if the eldest princess doesn't like me, please don't go against the family's intentions for me."
After all, Shen Zhen raised his head and kissed his chin.
When Xu Wei said with the eyes of charity, "I, Xu Wei, took you as a concubine, okay?", Shen Zhen felt a basin of cold water, poured her head down, and woke her up.
This is the case for a family like the Xu family, not to mention the Duke of Zhenguo, wanting to marry him and being able to marry him are two different things after all.
Lu Yan looked down at her, the corner of his mouth was slightly mocking, "Are the three girls so sensible?"
Hearing the unpleasantness in his tone, Shen Zhen clenched his fists subconsciously.
After a while of silence, Lu Yan pinched her chin, her eyes were filled with chills, and Shen Zhen shrank in fright, but couldn't move.
The man's hands were clearly strained.
"What do you mean at home? Speaking of which, my mother has shown me a lot of girls, the Meng family daughter, the Wang family daughter, yes, the Xu family also intends to marry the Duke of Zhenguo, otherwise you can choose one, and I will propose a marriage tomorrow?"
"Or do you think Madam Huguo likes you? It's better to marry Su Heng?" Madam Huguo was Su Heng's mother.
Hearing what he said, the tears in Shen Zhen's eyes suddenly couldn't be held back, and the pea-sized beads fell on the man's hand.
Lu Yan endured the pain in her heart and looked at her, knowing that she had said it before.
It was only at that moment that he suddenly remembered what he looked like before his death in his dream... He remembered that she married someone else.
After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Shen Zhen, you can make trouble with me, but you are not allowed to say anything just now."
"Remember?"
Shen Zhen lowered her eyes and didn't look at him, her long eyelashes were wet, she whimpered lowly, and quickly swallowed it back.
When she cried like this, her heart softened no matter how cold it was.
Lu Yan took a long sigh, and finally reached out and lifted the person to his lap.
Shen Zhen was held in his arms motionless, with her head resting on his shoulder, the man patted her back again and again, "What kind of virtue Xu Wei is, mother knows, don't think too much, eh?"
"Our three girls are so good-natured, who wouldn't like you?"
"Stop crying." He kissed the top of Shen Zhen Zhen's hair, "Go to sleep, I'm here with you."
After Shen Zhen fell asleep, Lu Yan walked out of Shen's house, his face sank immediately, his thin lips pursed slightly, and he instructed Yang Zong a few words.
Pulling down 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 has been an official for several years, and he has already restrained his temper of the year, but restraint is only restraint. How can a person's temperament be so easily changed
The eldest son of the Duke's Mansion has never been a kind person.
Not to mention that every penny must be compared, it is also a matter of vengeance.
When he moved the person he put in his heart, Xu Wei had capsized.
The next night, Young Master Xu was squinting his eyes and walking out of the restaurant to go home, when someone covered his nose and mouth and put him on a carriage.
Arriving near Qujiang, a few reckless men dragged Xu Wei down and threw it to the ground. A few sticks were mercilessly swiped at him, leaving no place for his face, hands, and legs.
Where has the eldest son of the Xu family been beaten like this? He screamed in pain and threatened, "Do you know who I am? Do you know who I am, Aye! Do you know who my aunt is?"
"I, Aye, is Lord Zuo Xiang! My aunt is the empress of the dynasty. Those of you who dare to move Xu's family will die!"
"Did the Marquis of Changping call you here! Say it!"
"Damn, kill me if you want! You can't kill me! No one of you will want to live tomorrow!"
As soon as the voice fell, his abdomen was hit hard again. An hour later, the arrogant arrogance disappeared, and it turned into a low prayer.
"Money... I can give you money... as much as you want."
But no matter how Xu Wei prayed, these strong men seemed to be inaudible, and they didn't stop until the night faded.
When the Xu family saw Xu Wei, Xu Wei really only had half his life left.
Mrs. Xu slapped the case and stood up, "What bastard dared to touch the people of my Xu family! He even blatantly sent them to the door! How crazy!"
Seeing her brother being beaten like this, Xu Qiniang couldn't help exclaiming.
After a while, a servant came in the yard, and Mrs. Xu trembled: "Have you found it out?"
The servant bowed his body and said, "Madam forgive me, but I still don't have any clues. The servant went to ask those who drank with the eldest son yesterday, and they all said that they didn't see anything..."
Mrs. Xu took a deep breath and said, "Doctor Meng, how is Weier's condition? When will you wake up?"
Doctor Meng shook his head, "It's a great luck that he was hit hard on the head, and he lost too much blood, so he can save his life. As for when he will wake up, it's hard to say..."
Xu Siniang said with red eyes: "Auntie, this gangster is so arrogant, there must be a backer behind him. In my opinion, the Xu family alone can't find out, we can't delay, let's report it to the officials!"
Madam Xu nodded.
"Xiao Qi, let's go to the Ministry of Punishment to seek justice for my brother, let's go!"
"Wait!" Mrs. Xu paused and said in a low voice, "Don't go to the Ministry of Punishment. The Ministry of Punishment is all the prince's people. How can they do everything for the Xu family? Go to Jingzhao Mansion! Find Lu Yan."
Xu Siniang and Xu Yiqing nodded yes, then went straight to Guangdefang and got off the carriage.
Lu Yan sat on the top and said nonchalantly, "You two beat drums, what exactly do you mean?"
Xu Yiqing pulled his hair together, before he could cry, and choked up: "My brother was dragged to the vicinity of Qujiang yesterday and was attacked. He hasn't woken up yet. Please Mr. Lu quickly arrest this villain!"
Lu Yan turned the wrench on his hand and whispered, "I also ask Miss Xu to explain the cause and the process in detail."
With tears in her eyes, Xu Yi explained the time when Xu Wei was taken away, his injuries, and how he was found out. He explained from the beginning to the end, and finally said, "The gangster 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 is not a trivial matter. Xu Yiqing thought that Lu Yanan immediately ordered the whole city to hunt down the prisoner, but he actually got up and said to Sun Xu: "I still have important matters in my hands, so leave the case of the Xu family to Master Sun. ."
Hearing this, Xu Siniang said angrily, "My brother was attacked in Chang'an, and his life is at stake right now. Isn't this an important matter?"
Lu Yan smiled coldly, without explaining the reason, and bluntly sarcastic, "Does the Fourth Miss Xu think the Jingzhao Mansion was set up for your Xu family?"
Xu Siniang and Xu Qiniang's faces were all red to the neck.
Sun Xu walked over and said with a smile, "I also ask Miss Xu to repeat what happened yesterday."
In desperation, Xu Yiqing had to patiently repeat what he had just said.
It is true that Sun Xu is the best-tempered person in Jingzhao House, but it is the Xu family who are here today. What the Xu family did to the Sun family, even if it did not spread to Sun Xu, was enough to make Sun Xu hate the Xu family deeply.
Sun Xu was already an old fritter in the yamen. Just asking questions would take an hour to complete. After tossing and turning, it was just a few words, "Where did you get beaten?"
"How could you be beaten?"
"Is there no one else around this eldest son Xu?"
"Where can you drink?"
"How much did you drink?"
"Drinking with whom?"
"Do the two girls have witnesses?"
"How is Young Master Xu's injury right now?"
"… "
The more you ask, the more you ask, but you still can't tell if he is not.
Xu Yiqing sensed something was wrong, and pulled Xu Siniang away.
Xu Siniang said, "Xiao Qi, why did you go so fast, we finally made it clear."
Xu Yiqing said: "Can't my sister see it? That Master Sun didn't plan to help us investigate the case at all! He is the Sun family!"
Xu Siniang suddenly realized, clenched her fists, and said, "I remember that Shaoqing of Dali Temple and your second brother have classmates. Let's go, the punishment department can't go, let's go to Dali Temple again."
However, when they arrived at the Dali Temple, they only saw Zhou Shuan, the head of the Dali Temple.
Zhou Shuan 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 management of our Dali Temple, the two should go to Jingzhao Mansion."
Xu Siniang tightened the handkerchief in her hand and said, "Can we meet Mu Shaoqing?"
Zhou Shuan smiled and said directly, "You two should go back."
To put it bluntly, that is, it doesn't matter.
In the evening, Xu Siniang and Xu Yiqing returned to Xu's house.
Xu Yiqing said aggrieved: "Then Dali Temple and Jingzhao Mansion didn't take our Xu family seriously at all!"
Mrs. Xu frowned and said, "How is this possible? Although our Xu family and the Sun family have had quarrels, we have never had a holiday with Lu Yan and Zhou Shuan! This, how could this be..."
Zuo Xiang raised his hand and raised the cup on the table, his expression was heavy, and he said word by word: "I will enter the palace tomorrow and ask the saint to be the master."
As the saying goes, good things don't go out, and bad things travel thousands of miles. The eldest son of the Xu family was attacked, and he ran into walls in the yamen. Before tomorrow morning, everyone knew that.
The twilight was dark, the breeze was rustling against the willow branches, and large dark clouds rolled over from the end of the sky, bringing a torrential rain.
As soon as Lu Yan returned to the mansion, he was called into the study by the eldest princess.
Lu Yan stood quietly in front of the door with his hands on his back, with a smile on his lips, and said unhurriedly, "What is my mother looking for from me?"
Princess Jing'an gave a cold snort, looked at him and said, "Are you not covering up your work now?"