Chapter 54

Chapter 54

"...The daughter of the Du family has neither father nor brothers, and her betrothed has already passed away. Her marriage is entirely at Your Majesty's discretion."

The Emperor rested his chin on his hand. "Should we consult the young lady herself?"

The man slowly shook his head. "Your Majesty's will is supreme; there is no need to consult her."

Hearing this, the Emperor smiled.

"Since Wei Shi desires her, I shall bestow this marriage upon you. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, she shall be your bride."

"This humble subject thanks Your Majesty."

...

The Pillow Moon Tower buzzed with activity, the impending imperial examinations creating a cacophony that alternately swelled and receded in Du Lingjing's ears, pulling at her senses until her ears ached and her vision blurred. She walked towards the exit, but after only a few steps, her foot slipped, and she nearly fell.

Someone quickly steadied her. She turned to see Liulang.

Jiang Fengchuan held her, helping her regain her balance.

The redness in her eyes was mirrored in his, his voice hoarse as if scraped by gravel, perhaps from drink.

"I suspect Third Brother's death is also connected to him."

His words fell, silencing the entire Pillow Moon Tower. Du Lingjing's eyes widened. "You mean Sanlang?!"

Ruan Gong stepped forward urgently. "Sixth Master, one cannot speak so recklessly without evidence!"

Jiang Fengchuan gave a bitter laugh. "Of course," he said.

The corridor lantern flickered, casting fleeting light and shadow across his face.

"You may not believe me now, but I will find the evidence."

His voice was chillingly low. Ruan Gong, shielding Du Lingjing, led her away, shaking his head.

"Three years, and Sixth Master still hasn't accepted Third Master's death."

Outside the Pillow Moon Tower, there was no moonlight, the sky was overcast, and the wind swept through sleeves and skirts, carrying a damp, biting chill. The lingering spring cold felt as if winter had returned.

Inside the Pillow Moon Tower, the eunuch stirred for a moment, then turned his head and slumped back onto the table, resuming his sleep.

Jiang Fengchuan leaned alone against the railing, watching the rising tide of song and dance in the main hall, and drank another pot of wine.

Why would a man willingly take his own life? Was it merely to avoid burdening the woman he loved?

A singing girl passed by, noticing the handsome young man drinking alone by the railing. He had the air of a scholar, yet carried a carefree, worldly defiance. If he were a mere fop, his every gesture still held a certain poetic grace and refinement.

Seeing his cup and pot empty, she stepped forward to refill his cup, her gaze lingering shyly on his handsome face, her eyelids trembling.

The young man smiled, not to disappoint her kindness, and tilted his head back, drinking it all in one gulp, then showed her the empty cup.

The singing girl grew even shyer, unable to stop looking at his handsome face, but was unfortunately called away loudly and had to leave.

The moment she turned to leave, the man's face instantly darkened.

Would a man truly take his own life willingly?

Or, was he not willing at all, but... forced by someone?

Downstairs, the main hall suddenly erupted with the collective cheers of the spring examination candidates.

Jiang Fengchuan, from upstairs, also raised his cup, but not towards the crowd. He gazed into the unknown distance.

"Brother, the spring examinations are almost here. Liulang will do his utmost to make the golden list. When that happens, will you tell me, why did you..."

His voice grew even hoarser, "Why did you leave like that?!"

He squeezed his burning eyes shut. The noisy clinking of cups and the chaotic sounds of song and dance in the Pillow Moon Tower faded away. All he saw was a low table, someone sitting beside him, guiding his hand, stroke by stroke, as he practiced calligraphy.

He was a discarded child from the countryside, barely able to eat daily, let alone receive an education. Children in the clan school began studying with a tutor at six or seven, but he, at ten, still couldn't even hold a brush.

The first time he picked up a brush, he suddenly asked, "Can this brush be dipped in sauce and eaten?"

At that time, all the servants laughed uproariously, but only Third Brother didn't mock him. He simply held his hand, stroke by stroke, guiding him into the world of learning, pushing him onto the list of successful provincial candidates.

But when he waited for him to come to the capital for the spring examinations as promised, he only heard the news of his death in the cold winter, just three months before the next year's spring examinations...

A hot tear splashed into his wine cup.

Uncle Hui rushed up from downstairs.

Jiang Fengchuan smirked at his flustered appearance. "Why are you so late, Uncle Hui? She's already left."

Uncle Hui gasped. "Sixth Master, you..."

The young man chuckled hoarsely, glancing towards the direction she had just left.

"She's not in a good state of mind, but I must enter the examination hall. Please, Uncle Hui, look after her for me. Whatever happens, I'll deal with it once I'm out of the examination hall."

*

The sky over the capital was a heavy gray, and even the tall street lanterns couldn't dispel the biting chill of the spring night.

Du Lingjing left the Pillow Moon Tower, wandering aimlessly through the streets, sometimes swept forward by the crowd, sometimes halted by carriages, until Ruan Gong suddenly called out to someone by the roadside.

"Mr. Zhang?"

Only then did Du Lingjing look, seeing that it was indeed Mr. Zhang, an old friend of her father's from the outer city bookstore.

Mr. Zhang had come to the inner city for purchases and was about to leave before the city gates closed when he unexpectedly met Du Lingjing.

However, upon seeing Du Lingjing, his expression became somewhat awkward, as if he had something to say but hesitated.

"Is there anything you cannot tell me directly, sir?" Du Lingjing asked straightforwardly.

Mr. Zhang, the bookseller, sighed softly.

Du Lingjing pressed on, "Is it... that the eight Song dynasty editions I asked you to investigate, which led me to the capital, were all from him?"

"Him," of course, referred to Marquis Lu.

Mr. Zhang had only had a short time to investigate and could not confirm that all eight were from Marquis Lu.

"But from what I've gathered so far, Jing'er, these eight Song books do seem to have some connection to the Marquis of Yongding."

He added, "For definitive information, I'm afraid it will take a few more days of careful inquiry."

Precise information about the Marquis of Yongding's estate was not easily obtained.

But Du Lingjing shook her head. "There's no need to investigate further, sir."

If it were four books, it might still be a coincidence, but with all eight connected to him, she could no longer find any excuse for him.

After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhang, the sky grew even darker, as if a snowstorm were about to descend.

Du Lingjing walked along the road, a chill seeping from her feet to her shoulders.

For an ordinary person, acquiring even one Song edition was extremely difficult, yet he, with a mere gesture, used eight Song editions to lure her from Qingzhou, all the way to the capital.

She walked with her head down on the streets of the capital, where the spring cold permeated everything.

He had long ago used the imperial will to forcefully claim her, only to coincidentally encounter the incident involving Shao Boju and the Fu Party. To coerce the Fu Party, he had discussed with her uncle about marrying her.

Shao Boju married her to conceal his crimes—but why did *he* marry her?

Whatever the reason, whether it was Shao Boju or him, neither had bothered to ask for her consent, nor cared whether she was willing.

Shao Boju used her uncle to coerce her, but Marquis Lu was even more formidable, directly using an imperial decree to finalize the marriage.

So what did she mean to him? A mere pawn in a transaction between men?

She didn't need to know anything—just marry him, fulfill her wifely duties, and bear children.

The lanterns left over from the Lantern Festival dimmed further under the oppressive gray sky.

Du Lingjing walked beneath the dim lights, a silent, bitter smile on her face.

But he was far cleverer than Shao Boju.

He knew that even with an imperial decree, she would be unwilling. Even if she had no choice but to come to the capital and enter his marquisate, it would take who knew how long for her to truly accept him.

So, the moment he discovered that Shao Boju, through Old Madam Wan, had conspired with her uncle to forcibly marry her and intended to request an imperial decree for marriage during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he immediately realized this was the best opportunity to cover his own tracks.

Thus, he scattered eight Song editions, luring her from Qingzhou to the capital region.

Initially, she found it strange and didn't want to enter the capital, but with just a little maneuvering on his part, she was compelled to follow his lead.

Under the roadside lanterns, their young lady kept her head down, chuckling softly to herself.

Ruan Gong, walking closely beside her, couldn't help but recall the events surrounding their arrival in the capital.

At that time, the dowry estate of the second madam was preparing wedding items, and the young lady, feeling something was amiss, sent him to the capital to investigate. He had, with almost no effort, learned from someone about Shao Boju's conspiracy with the second master.

At that time, whether it was him, the young lady, or even Qiulin and the others, they were all focused on Shao Boju's malicious intentions. Who would have thought that every step, every move, had been meticulously planned by the Marquis, guiding them along his path?

Ruan Gong sighed deeply in the darkness.

The young lady had once given her heart entirely to the third master because they had known each other since childhood, grown up together, and shared a bond of pure sincerity and mutual affection.

When the third master passed, half the young lady's soul seemed to depart with him. Were it not for his unfulfilled wish to collect Song editions, he feared the young lady might not have survived that winter.

Year after year, she had lived in quiet despair within the Mian Tower.

Last year, when the young lady was married to the Marquis by imperial decree, Qiulin, seeing her reluctance—her eyes filled with tears even as she boarded the bridal sedan—would worry herself sleepless every night, lamenting, "Why does the young lady's life only get worse..."

Yet who would have thought that the young lady would gradually grow accustomed to the Marquis? And later, it was more than just accustomed—Qiulin had secretly told him a few days ago that the young lady intended to stop taking contraceptive medicine, saying, "The young lady wants to have a child with the Marquis!"

He had been so overjoyed at the time that he had pulled Chang Pu over and given him a beating...

Having served the young lady for so many years, he knew her temperament better than anyone.

The young lady was the least fickle of people; rather, it should be said that her temperament was the slowest, the most resistant to change.

She was like those ancient books in the library, surviving centuries; like a quiet mountain spring flowing gently at the foot of a mountain; like a tree that, once rooted in a piece of land, would not move.

She cherished old possessions, she remembered old friends. Even her servants had been with her for over a decade. She never harshly reprimanded that mischievous boy Chang Pu, and even when separating from the second master's household, she remembered to bring back old retainers like Uncle Wen, taking them back to Qingzhou to live out their old age.

The young lady was like pure water; if she held someone in her heart, she would give them all her true affection.

How could the Marquis have schemed against her, and then deceived her again and again?

Ruan Gong's heart ached with bitterness. If Qiulin were here, she would surely be crying with anger.

But the young lady just walked silently, head bowed, by the roadside.

Du Lingjing had finally pieced together the events surrounding the imperial marriage decree.

He had used the Shao Boju incident to draw her into his scheme, then suddenly the imperial decree for marriage came down. Although the entire capital was surprised, everyone, including her, believed it was simply the Emperor's will.

Not to mention, even he himself had claimed as much.

He lied to her, saying the Emperor's will was unchangeable.

Du Lingjing tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The wind carried a faint hint of ice and snow.

However, there was still one matter she couldn't quite grasp.

That day at the Pillow Moon Tower was, in her memory, truly the first time she had ever seen him.

And his voice was also unfamiliar.

He had meticulously planned to marry her, yet she didn't even know him...

The cold seeped up from the ground, and the biting wind crept into her collar and sleeves.

She felt increasingly cold.

The streetlights grew dim, leaving only the inner palace and the outer city walls, like two colossal beasts, silent and stern in the darkness, watching over this place for who knew how long.

But suddenly, the thud of hooves echoed before her.

Du Lingjing looked up and immediately saw the man riding towards her.

He spotted her in the crowd, dismounted swiftly, his robes billowing as he strode quickly towards her.

But in that instant, Du Lingjing's subconscious reaction was to take two steps back, recoiling.

"Quanquan..."

Du Lingjing froze.

She had only left the Pillow Moon Tower about half an hour ago.

She watched as his steps quickened until he stood directly before her. He didn't speak immediately, but instead lowered his gaze, carefully scrutinizing her expression.

Clearly, he already knew the news.

And Du Lingjing spoke.

"Why?"

Her long eyebrows furrowed as she gazed at him quietly, the dim lights behind her casting a faint glow on his face.

The man answered her.

"I had seen you before, truly not at the Pillow Moon Tower. But it was love at first sight, and I was utterly captivated—that is the truth."

That year, he was severely injured and hidden in a secret chamber of the Mian Tower by Grand Secretary Du, who told him that his daughter often visited the tower. Unaware of the hidden space, she loved the books there and might come at any time, but he should pay her no heed.

At that time, his wounds were barely manageable, and he thought, how could he possibly spare attention for a young lady?

But on the very first night he stayed there, the pain kept him awake until midnight, and he leaned against the wall, trying to rest.

Then she suddenly appeared, lantern in hand, stepping through the moonlight, her eyes and brows, as clear as water, instantly illuminated his vision...

He said it was love at first sight, and it was true.

Amidst the capital's dwindling lanterns, she asked,

"When?"

She abruptly posed this question, and Lu Shenru paused for a moment.

"Three years ago."

Three years ago? After Third Young Master passed away?

Du Lingjing looked into his eyes and gave a hollow laugh.

He was lying to her again...

So Marquis Lu Shenru truly could never be open and honest with her, without concealment or suspicion.

She had expected too much.

She lowered her head, sidestepped him, and continued walking forward.

Something glistening shimmered faintly in the air, fluttering down.

She didn't believe him. The man frowned deeply, closing his eyes briefly.

But he said nothing more, only followed behind her at a distance. The sound of the city gates closing echoed from afar, locking the entire capital away in the embrace of night.

The lights grew dimmer, and wet snowflakes drifted down from the inky night sky, settling on people’s shoulders.

The man removed his cloak and wrapped it around Du Lingjing’s shoulders.

She hesitated momentarily and said,

"I want to return to Qingzhou."

Before she finished speaking, he immediately replied,

"No."

Du Lingjing fell silent. Pale petals gathered on her robes, layer upon layer, pressing down on her.

Yet the man barred her way, preventing her from moving forward.

Lu Shenru looked at his wife and said quietly,

"The snow is falling heavily. Let’s go home."

...

Outside the main courtyard's window, the plantain tree, caught in this snow, froze to death before spring arrived, its withered leaves covered by thick white snow, pressing its broad leaves to the ground.

Inside the room, the charcoal brazier had been removed, and the sounds of candlelight and charcoal fire faded, leaving only the distinct patter of falling snow outside.

Someone beneath the embroidered covers silently closed over her hand.

Du Lingjing turned away.

But the next moment, he suddenly pulled her back, his broad palm gripping her waist, his strong arms drawing her into his rock-solid embrace.

"Quanquan..."

Yet Du Lingjing raised a hand, pushing against his chest in resistance.