Chapter 149: A Move with No Regrets
Chapter 149: Chapter 149: A Move with No Regrets
Before Liang Wan could even rise, Cao Luyun had already stormed out the door, presumably to find Lu Xiu.
Her maid scurried after her.
Liang Wan simply turned to Shuangjiang and said, "Go find out who’s been gossiping again."
Shuangjiang bowed her head. "Yes."
Only after giving the order did she leave with Bai Lu.
By the time Liang Wan caught up, she saw Cao Luyun blocking Lu Xiu at the entrance to Beixuan, speaking through sobs.
It looked as if she was begging Lu Xiu, pleading for the Lu Family to intervene.
As Liang Wan drew closer, she could only hear Lu Xiu agreeing to let her enter the palace in a few days to visit the Empress.
Beyond that, nothing more.
Having failed to get the answer she wanted, Cao Luyun covered her face and wept, her eyes red.
Shuangjiang supported Cao Luyun as she walked over. It was clear she was very anxious and helpless.
In the South Garden, the attendants were dismissed from the room, leaving only the two of them.
"Cao Jun is dead."
Lu Xiu was perfectly calm.
Liang Wan was taken aback. "Was he really killed by the rebel army?"
Lu Xiu’s gaze turned as cold as frost. "Perhaps."
’Cao Jun is dead, but his death is being kept secret. Lu Xiu knows the truth, though. It seems this mutiny wasn’t just a simple internal conflict. The north must have had a hand in it.’
’To think that even after surviving that ordeal with Wang Su, Cao Jun still couldn’t escape death.’
Liang Wan sighed silently. ’Such a loyal and brave man, ultimately becoming a sacrifice in this struggle.’
She truly admired and respected Cao Jun.
’Besides, without his help, the matter of Wang Su’s illegal minting wouldn’t have been resolved so smoothly.’
A sudden warmth enveloped her hand, pulling her wandering thoughts back to reality.
Lu Xiu stared at her hand, his long lashes lowered. His tone was cool. "Your expression is one of deep regret."
Liang Wan arched a brow. "Don’t you admire him as well?"
’After being by his side for so long, she had come to understand him a little.’
’But the north didn’t inform Lu Xiu about this move. Does that mean they don’t completely trust him?’
’Who is the other spy? And do they know Lu Xiu’s identity?’
Liang Wan looked into his eyes. "Did they ask you to do anything?"
The corners of Lu Xiu’s lips curved slightly, his eyes glinting with an unreadable light.
The moment the words left her mouth, Liang Wan regretted them. ’I’m clearly overstepping my bounds.’
She pulled her hand back and, gathering her skirts, rose to her feet. "I’ll go have them prepare lunch."
Seeing her flee, Lu Xiu’s smooth brow furrowed slightly.
「Three days later」
News of Cao Jun’s death spread. Rumor had it that he was assassinated and that a list of names of those who had embezzled military funds had been stolen before his death. The Emperor was enraged and dispatched investigators, casting a pall of fear over all of Jinye City.
Unexpectedly, two days later, an informant claimed to have seen what looked like the list in the Prince Guangping Mansion. Upon investigation, it was confirmed to be the missing document.
The Emperor ordered an arrest, but before his men even reached the gates of the Prince Guangping Mansion, the situation took another turn.
Cui Hao went to the palace to plead his case before the Emperor. He claimed the list had been planted in the Prince Guangping Mansion by Princess Lanling, who used a social visit as a cover for her agents to hide it there. Her intention was to frame the prince, hoping to incite the Emperor to kill his own kin and thus destabilize the throne.
The Emperor commended Cui Hao for his righteous act of turning against his own family and immediately had Princess Lanling arrested. Unable to withstand the harsh torture in prison, the Princess confessed that the true mastermind was none other than the King of Changshan.
King Changshan was the one who had sent assassins to kill Cao Jun. The list that had been "recovered" was also a forgery; the real one had been hidden in the King of Changshan’s secret chamber all along.
Many throughout Jinye City were implicated. A month-long purge of arrests and interrogations followed, with some executed and others demoted.
As it turned out, the Cao Family had been framed. Chancellor Cao was reinstated to his former position, and the late General of Cavalry, Cao Jun, was posthumously ennobled as Marquis Zhongwu.
After nearly two months of turmoil, the curtain finally fell on the whole affair.
「Beixuan」
After lunch, Lu Xiu was playing Go with the Grandmaster. Cao Luyun watched the game while Liang Wan prepared tea to the side.
She brewed a cup and served it to the Grandmaster.
The Grandmaster placed a stone on the board and accepted the tea. He glanced first at Liang Wan, then at Lu Xiu. "This new year feels so desolate."
At the word "desolate," Cao Luyun’s expression grew melancholic, and she sat lost in her own thoughts.
Lu Xiu, seemingly deaf to the comment, kept his eyes on the Go board.
Liang Wan nodded. "In a few days, once his brothers have finished their business, they should return for a short visit. It will be much livelier then."
’At a time like this, the Lu Family was probably the only one in all of Jinye City in the mood to celebrate the new year.’
Liang Wan never asked Lu Xiu what role he had played in the affair of the military funds.
’But for several days in a row back then, she had always fallen asleep before he came to bed.’
With her gaze lowered, Liang Wan brewed another cup of tea and offered it to Lu Xiu.
The Grandmaster’s tone was dismissive. "Even if they come, how many days can they stay? Those boys, Lu Xu and his cohort, are all about Lu Xiu’s age. And Lu Huai’s two have already been at their studies for a few years. Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since this family welcomed a new child."
With that, he took a sip of tea, wetting his throat as he fixed his gaze on the man across the board.
But Lu Xiu remained perfectly still, merely pinching a Go stone in thought.
Liang Wan placed the teacup by his hand and glanced up at the board. ’I don’t understand. I can see the solution, so why is he taking so long to think about it?’
The Grandmaster turned to Liang Wan. "He seems to be hesitating. Why don’t you help him?"
Liang Wan replied, surprised, "A true gentleman says nothing while watching a game."
The Grandmaster shook his head, laughing. "It’s fine, it’s fine."
Lu Xiu also turned his head to look at her.
An inscrutable emotion floated in the depths of his eyes, which were as dark as an old well.
"Right here," Liang Wan said with a smile, taking Lu Xiu’s hand and guiding it to place a stone. "Now let’s see, how many stones can I capture?"
Perhaps from her recent work with incense, a faint, alluring fragrance wafted from her as she leaned close, soft and warm.
Lu Xiu let out a low chuckle. "As many as you wish."
Liang Wan gasped, knitting her brows as she looked at him. ’What nonsense is he spouting?’
The Grandmaster smiled at her. "It is however many it should be."
Only then did Liang Wan look back at the board. ’Right, of course. It is however many it should be.’
Cao Luyun looked up at the laughing group, pursed her lips, and said quietly, "Grandmaster, Grand Commandant, I will take my leave."
The Grandmaster nodded his assent.
As soon as Cao Luyun was gone, Lu Xiu had Liang Wan sit beside him to watch the game.
The Grandmaster glanced at the empty doorway, his smile vanishing as his expression turned serious.
Lu Xiu lowered his gaze. "It is, after all, inconvenient for her to be staying here."
The Cao Family’s matter was resolved, but in a few days, it would be time for Zhou Yun and Cao Danqing’s wedding.
At such a juncture, how could they announce that the Grand Commandant and Third Lady Cao had already separated?
Taking various factors into account, Cao Luyun would have to stay for a few more days.
Without looking up, Lu Xiu said, "Tomorrow, send her back to the Prime Minister’s Mansion for a while under the pretext of a family visit. If she wishes, she can stay there until after Zhou Yun’s wedding."
The weather was lovely today. Sunlight filtered through the beaded window, casting dappled patterns of light that made one feel warm and drowsy, completely insulated from the icy chill outside.
The Grandmaster shot him a look and huffed. "With that temperament of yours, you’re bound to suffer for it sooner or later."
Liang Wan stole a surprised glance at the Grandmaster. At the same time, she felt the man beside her stiffen for an instant.
His eyelashes trembled slightly.
’The moment passed so quickly that if she didn’t share a bed with him every night, Liang Wan would have missed it entirely.’
Lu Xiu was silent for a moment before he spoke, his deep voice laced with a hint of both gentleness and amusement.
"It doesn’t matter."
’The worst that could happen is that I follow in his footsteps.’