Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 79
In the evening, thick clouds and the afterglow of the setting sun intertwined with each other, Chang’an Avenue was bustling with traffic, and the sounds of hawking were endless all around.
Now is the busiest time.
Lu Yan, Sui Yu and Chu Xun met at Yingyue Tower in East Market for a small gathering. The three grown men went into a private room on the second floor together. Since there was no singing girl to accompany them, they could only pour wine for themselves.
After three rounds of drinking, Sui Yu asked with a smile, “When does Ziye(Chu Xu’s childhood nickname) plan to return to Yangzhou?”
“It depends on when Lord Lu allows me to leave.”
Chu Xun took a sip from the cup, opened the window, looked outside and said, “I say, you two, drinking here is really boring. You can’t see the bright moon when you look up, and you can’t see the blue waves when you look down. You can’t even hear a song. When you went to Yangzhou, at least I held a banquet on the painted boat(gaily-painted pleasure-boat).”
Sui Yu shrugged and said, “Don’t look at me. I wasn’t the one who decided on this place.”
Lu Yan’s face darkened. “If you are not satisfied, just change places.”
Although Lord Lu used to have no close confidants or meat lovers around him, he could still enjoy himself and not be like Sui Yu… ” Chu Xun suddenly lowered his voice,”But why are you being controlled by her like this?”
As soon as the words fell, Lu Yan leaned back suddenly, with the corner of his mouth slightly raised, “She controls me?”
Lu Yan ran his thumb over the edge of his cup and said calmly, “Even if someone lends the courage to do so, do you think she dares?”
As they were talking, Sui Yu glanced out the window and saw a carriage slowly stop and a girl got out.
He couldn’t help but be surprised, “Why is third sister here?”
Soon, a commotion was heard in the corridor, and the curtains of several private rooms were lifted.
The sound of light footsteps came into their ears, and the three of them looked in the direction of the sound at the same time. They saw Shen Zhen walking slowly towards them, wearing a cherry pink peony gauze skirt with dark silver patterns, holding a peony gauze diamond fan in her hand.
Her dress was light as the breeze and when she walked it was enough to make her skirt flutter. Although the first beauty in Chang’an in the past has “faded”, her face is still as charming as ever.
When people evaluate beauty, they usually look at three aspects: skin appearance, bone structure and figure.
Young men always like appearance, as if as long as this appearance can arouse their sympathy for beauty, the beauty will become the source of inspiration for them to write poems and compose essays. However, as the men’s arms gradually become wider and they have tasted the seductive and torturous taste of the moonlight, they will come to understand that sometimes a figure of this woman seems to be more charming than the previous two.
Just like seventeen-year-old Shen Zhen.
The tall stature, the slender waist and the exquisite figure that could not be covered by clothes, made people feel hot and guilty at first sight.
There were small noises around: “You heard it, right? Sun Mi was beaten with a stick in Jingzhao Prefecture two days ago because she framed her.”
“This matter spread throughout Chang’an within three hours. Who doesn’t know about it? The Sun family has really lost their face this time.”
“Look at Third Miss Shen’s eyes, they are bright and clear, like a little elk. How could she have such a vicious mind? She has suffered such a great injustice, how about we call her over?”
This is the attitude of the dandy young men in the capital towards the down-and-out noble ladies. As long as they like them, it doesn’t matter whether it’s rude or not.
“Wake up, he is protected by the Marquis of Changping.”
When Sui Yu heard those people’s rude remarks, he stood up and called her with a smile, “Third sister.”
When they saw that it was the Heir Apparent of Xuanping Marquis, the people who had been rude just now immediately fell silent.
Shen Zhen turned around and said softly, “Heir Apparent, Lord Chu.” He greeted both of them, leaving only one person behind.
Lu Yan raised his eyebrows slightly and stared at her straight in the eye, but when their eyes met, Shen Zhen naturally avoided his gaze.
She was afraid that others would notice something.
Sui Yu was a little worried about her, so he asked, “Third sister, you only brought this maid with you when you went out?”
“There are two more people who know kung fu, waiting for me downstairs.” Shen Zhen said.
At this time, Chu Xun asked again: “It’s been hot lately, how is Shen Hong’s illness?”
“He is feeling better now. Thank you Lord Chu for your careful care in Yangzhou.”
Chu Xun nodded, “You’re welcome, Third Miss Shen. I’ll go see him before I return to Yangzhou.”
Lu Yan watched her interacting with these two people and his eyes suddenly filled with dissatisfaction.
“Can’t you see me?” Lu Yan asked coldly.
When she heard his voice, Shen Zhen’s body stiffened and her heart started beating fast. After all, Sui Yu was like a half brother to her.
How dare she talk to him in front of her brother?
Shen Zhen looked at Lu Yan with resentment and whispered, “NIce to meet you, Lord Lu.”
Lu Yan snorted, “Tell me, who are you here to see?”
Hearing his tone, even a fool would have understood that both Sui Yu and Chu Xun should be “insiders”.
Thinking of this, the little girl knew that it was useless to pretend to be strangers, so she honestly replied: “I am going to look for my elder sister.”
Lu Yan’s eyes relaxed slightly and when he glanced down he saw a red patch on her hand. He took her finger, lifted it up and asked, “How did this happen?”
“I accidentally burned myself.” Shen Zhen’s scalp went numb by his actions. She immediately shook off his hand and just wanted to leave quickly.
“Have you applied medicine?”
“My Lord, I’ll leave first. My elder sister is still waiting for me.” After saying that, she turned around and left without waiting for Lu Yan’s reply.
Before Lu Yan could relax his frown, he heard Chu Xun say, “I indeed have fallen for a hard nut.”
Sui Yu continued, “Does she usually call you My Lord? Isn’t that weird?”
Lu Yan was made speechless and couldn’t speak for a long time…
——
The Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion.
On June 11, the heat gradually intensified.
The sun rose slowly, the breeze blew away the hazy mist, and the yard was filled with the refreshing jasmine scent.
Lu Yan greeted the old lady and was about to return to Suning Hall when he was stopped by the housekeeper, “My Lord, the Grand Princess wants you to come over.”
Lu Yan nodded, then changed direction and walked into the Grand princess’ study.
Seeing him coming, the Grand Princess hesitated for a long time and asked, “You’re here?”
“What’s the matter, mother?”
“As a mother, I shouldn’t interfere in the internal affairs of Jingzhao Prefecture. But two days ago, I went to the Duke of Yingguo’s mansion for tea and the eldest lady of the Wang family and the eldest lady of the Sun family apologized to me repeatedly. I asked and found out that the legitimate daughters of their two families were beaten by you.” The Grand Princess frowned.
Her son’s style of doing things, although not smooth, has always been to do less rather than more.
Although the Sun family deserved punishment for what they did, considering their status, it was a bit too much to have their own daughter punished in court.
“Mother, do you think my punishment was too severe?”
Princess Jing’an took a sip of water and nodded, “I just think this is not something you would do.”
Lu Yan sat down, picked up the almonds on the table, peeled a few, and handed them to Princess Jing’an. “I just think that the Sun family girl is too arrogant. She even used the status of Minister Sun to threaten the officers in court. If I hadn’t punished her, I’m afraid it would affect the public opinion.”
The Grand Princess nodded, and after a while, she said nonchalantly, “But I also heard that Third Miss Shen’s lawyer is Chu Xun from the Chu family. Were you the person who invited him?”
Lu Yan murmured “hmm” in a low voice.
Princess Jing’an’s eyes suddenly changed. Just as she was about to speak, Lu Yan asked again, “What did mother just say?”
“I was asking you, did you invite Chu Xun for the third young lady of the Shen family?”
Lu Yan leaned back lazily and said with a smile, “It’s Sui Yu.”
“Shen Zhen is like a younger sister to Sui Yu. It’s not my turn to handle this matter. Mother is worrying too much.”
“It’s really not you?”
Lu Yan nodded.
After Lu Yan left, the Grand Princess leaned on the couch and took a nap. Qiu Ju was fanning her slowly beside her. Suddenly, she sat up and said “Something is wrong.”
What he said was wrong, his tone was wrong, his expression was wrong, and his address was wrong.
Qiu Ju asked, “What’s wrong?”
The Grand Princess said seriously, “Just now I asked him whether he invited a lawyer for Third Miss Shen. What did he say?”
Qiu Ju hesitated for a moment and said, “The Heir Apparent said that Lord Chu was invited here by the Heir Apparent of Xuanping Marquis.”
“What about the previous sentence?”
“The previous sentence?” Qiu Ju said, “For the previous sentence Heir Apparent said”hmm “.”
The princess snatched the fan and fanned herself fiercely against her chest, muttering, “But I’ve never heard him having any relationship with the daughter of the Shen family…”
The Grand Princess became more and more frightened the more she thought about it.
“Why does he call girls from other families, Sun family daughter or the Meng family daughter but when it comes to the girl from the Shen family, it becomes Shen Zhen?
“Could it be that the Heir Apparent said this unintentionally?”
“Unintentional?” The Grand Princess stood up and stared at the almonds he had peeled on the table. After a long while, she said, “I’m afraid he did it on purpose.”
The author has something to say:
Lu Yan: I say one thing, and my wife dare not say another.
Shen Zhen: Three, four, five, six, seven
Lu Yan...
