Chapter 15:
Who would go to such great lengths to spread the news that he had settled a woman in his courtyard?
It was merely a romantic affair, not enough to serve as grounds for attacking him. Even if his political enemies investigated, there would be no need for them to publicize it vigorously.
Counting around carefully, the only one who truly benefited was Liu Manrou.
Lu Ziyan looked up at the plaque of the Xuanping Marquis’s Estate, his handsome face faintly revealing some irritation.
She was usually quite sensible and well-behaved, so why was her temper so big this time?
The unpleasant parting a few days ago had not really bothered Lu Ziyan.
On the contrary, these past few days, he had been waiting for that young lady to reflect on her mistake and come to him to apologize.
After all, it had always been like this over the years. Whenever the two of them quarreled, she would come to sincerely admit her fault within a few days.
And he had never made things too difficult for her, always forgiving her gently.
He was too busy—busy establishing himself in the imperial court, busy building military merit, busy fighting for power and profit. Where did he have the leisure to attend to her little girlish thoughts?
Many times, when the two quarreled, it was only when Xie Wanning came to admit her fault that Lu Ziyan suddenly realized she had been angry with him during the days she disappeared.
This time, he had thought it would be the same, but what he waited for was Xie Shu coming to demand the marriage certificate.
……Breaking off the engagement?
Lu Ziyan gave a cold laugh, looked once more at the tightly shut gate before him, and turned to leave.
Besides her, he had never intended to marry anyone else.
…………
The next day, the Lu Family sent a post addressed to Xie Wanning.
It was personally written by Lu Ziyan’s younger sister, Lu Xiyao. The invitation made no mention at all of the Xie Family’s proposal to break off the engagement yesterday, only writing that the pink roses in her courtyard were blooming exceptionally well this year, and inviting her to attend a flower appreciation banquet.
Xie Wanning’s gaze fell on a few delicate small characters on the gold-embossed invitation, but she did not reach out to take it, asking softly: “Who sent it? Is the person still here?”
The maidservant holding the invitation said: “It was a steward from the Lu Family. The doorkeeper was afraid you might have instructions and dared not let him leave. He is still waiting at the door for a reply.”
“Just right, have him take the thing back,” Xie Wanning’s tone was flat, revealing no emotion: “Please tell Younger Sister Xiyao that my fate with the Lu Family is already severed. From now on, no matter what banquets the Lu Family holds, there is no need to invite me; I will not go.”
“Yes.” The maidservant curtsied and withdrew.
Sitting nearby, Xie Ruyu watched the maidservant’s retreating figure, her eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly, and said sourly: “Sister Wanwan is just cutting ties with the Lu Family’s young lady like this? It’s truly regrettable.”
Close female friends who grew up together—not blood sisters, but closer than blood sisters, with deep friendship and nothing left unsaid—yet because the marriage alliance between the two families failed, they severed contact. Anyone would find it a pity.
Xie Wanning did not notice the odd tone in her words, merely smiling faintly: “It was never true heart to begin with, so where is there any regret to speak of?”
Thinking of that young lady who called her “Sister Wanwan” so affectionately, Xie Wanning still felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
Lu Xiyao was the same age as her, their birthdays less than half a year apart. She had a sweet mouth and loved to stick to her. Compared to Xie Ruyu, in the previous Xie Wanning’s heart, Lu Xiyao had been more like her own younger sister.
But it was this younger sister who, after she married into the Lu Family, suddenly became distant toward her for some unknown reason.
Even after Er Xia was taken as a concubine by Lu Ziyan, whenever the three of them met, her attitude toward Er Xia was warmer than toward her proper sister-in-law.
Xie Wanning knew that Lu Xiyao probably did not think much of Er Xia’s behavior and was not truly trying to befriend Er Xia.
It was merely because she understood her, knowing that Er Xia’s betrayal would surely strike her deeply.
To make her unhappy, she deliberately befriended Er Xia.
Lu Xiyao had succeeded; she was indeed unhappy, with stagnation of the heart, injuring her very innards.
One was a handkerchief friend she truly treated as a younger sister, the other was a maidservant who had served her since childhood. Both abandoning her at the same time—Xie Wanning was but flesh and blood, and could not remain unaffected.
Even now, Xie Wanning did not know why the Lu Xiyao in the dream had suddenly taken a mysterious dislike to her.
To the point of loathing her intensely, wishing she would die.
Now with the dream as a reminder, she would not repeat the same mistakes, nor could she go to her to seek an explanation.
Unless she could continue entering dreams, otherwise, Lu Xiyao’s change in attitude was perhaps destined to remain an unsolved mystery.
She sank into her own thoughts, but Xie Ruyu, hearing this, frowned slightly. Thinking it was because of Lu Ziyan that Lu Xiyao was siding with her own elder brother and had said something to her cousin, she immediately suppressed her sour feelings, pouting as she said: “The Lu Family truly has not a single good person.”
Even the Lu Xiyao she had envied the most turned out to be a hypocrite.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Xie Wanning disapproved completely, saying seriously: “Old Marquis Lu guarded the Northern Frontier his entire life, establishing countless military merits. Countless Lu Family men died on the battlefield. Such a loyal and valiant family cannot be lightly insulted.”
Even Lu Ziyan, though he had not yet been to a true battlefield, had led troops these past two years to suppress bandits and quell chaos everywhere, his spear having drunk the blood of countless rebels and traitors.
In matters of romance, he might not have done well, but in family and country, he absolutely deserved the title of youthful hero.
Xie Ruyu also knew her words had gone too far, and said sheepishly upon hearing this: “I just don’t like Lu Xiyao. You treated her so well, yet she…”
“I know you’re upset on my behalf, but she has not actually offended me,” Xie Wanning lifted her hand to pour a cup of tea for her cousin, saying: “Just ignore her from now on. After all, with the two families having broken off the engagement, they should have no further dealings anyway. This is just fine.”
Xie Ruyu immediately beamed with joy: “That couldn’t be better.”
The biggest reason she disliked Lu Xiyao was that the other girl was always sticking to her cousin.
She had only this one elder sister. Even if they had quarreled and fussed since childhood, it was their family matter. Without Lu Xiyao, Xie Ruyu firmly believed their sisterly bond would not have taken until now to ease.
…………
The Lu Family sent posts for three consecutive days, starting with the younger generation’s Lu Xiyao, then the Lu Family’s Second Madam, and finally Lu Ziyan’s birth mother, First Madam Lu, each inviting Xie Wanning to visit the estate in their own name.
And Madam Zheng, from initial detached observation to now utter annoyance and fury, was truly enraged to the extreme.
Which family seeking reconciliation, truly wanting to salvage a marriage, would adopt such a superior attitude?
Their Xie Family had personally come to propose breaking off the engagement, and aside from Lu Ziyan’s visit that very day, the Lu Family acted as if they had forgotten all about it, yet still thought to send a post to make their family’s young lady take the initiative to go over again.
Did they think their family was joking about breaking off the engagement?
Xie Wanning gently patted and stroked her mother’s back to soothe her, her tone calm and unruffled: “In the past, Daughter treated Lu Ziyan so well that the several Madams of the Lu Family are certain I cannot let him go. Right now, they probably still think I already regret it, but since the words to break off the engagement have been spoken, it’s awkward to back down. Sending the post is just to give me a way to save face.”
