Chapter 132: Xiyu
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When Madam Liu entered the room, she took a deep breath and even thought about what she would do if Liu Weizheng dared to criticize her. She wasn’t afraid of making a scene.
The empress’s arrangements were all for the benefit of the Liu family, and it was much better to marry into the Tang family than the Bai Family, who only knew how to wield swords and spears.
Besides, if it weren’t for Zhongming, that wastrel, being infatuated with that little gigolo she wouldn’t have had to put in so much effort.
As she pondered, she felt that she was in the right, so she took a deep breath and walked in slowly, stroking her temples.
Liu Weizheng was indeed waiting for her in the reception hall, burning the moon unicorn incense that she liked in the censer, and there was warm wine and several dishes of snacks on the table, all of which were her favorites.
It made her feel like she was looking for trouble for no reason.
“Xiyu,” Liu Weizheng reached out to support her. “You just got back. Are you tired?”
Madam Liu’s heart warmed. Although they were husband and wife, they rarely spoke to each other, and it had been a long time since she heard him call her “Xiyu”.
“Lord Marquis,” she was still nervous and was helped to sit down at the table. She asked softly, “Why hasn’t Lord Marquis rested yet?”
“Zhongming came over in the afternoon and told me about today’s events.” Liu Weizheng said. “The child doesn’t know any better. I scolded him and sent him back since it was getting late. He’ll apologize to you another day.”
Madam Liu’s eyes turned red. Finally, someone understood her hard work.
“Lord Marquis, I…” she wiped her tears with her handkerchief. “I’m also in the wrong. If Zhongming had listened to me, he wouldn’t have had to go through such a difficult situation. Unfortunately, he didn’t even give the Empress face and left without even saying thank you.”
Liu Weizheng watched her cry quietly and said, “It’s Zhongming’s fault. I will teach him a lesson another day.”
Madam Liu sobbed a few times, then quickly stopped crying and lowered her head, “I was impulsive today. I thought Lord Marquis would blame me.”
“We are husband and wife, one entity. It’s too much to blame or not blame,” Liu Weizheng pushed the flower tea over, “But you should have consulted me earlier. Zhongming’s marriage is not the same as others. It affects the future of our Liu family.”
“Lord Marquis, Ning Wang is the legitimate son. The Empress said that the emperor will eventually decide to establish Ning Wang. If Zhongming marries the Tang family’s girl, you and the Tang’s will become in-laws. The two provinces will merge, and when Ning Wang ascends to the throne…”
Before she could finish the words “ascend the throne,” she saw Liu Weizheng shift his gaze away and quickly stopped talking, turning to say, “The marriage alliance between the Liu and Tang families is naturally good for the future of the Liu family.”
“Although that’s what you say,” Liu Weizheng pondered, “But Ning Wang’s conduct is apparent to all the officials in the court. It’s probably difficult to recommend him.”
Madam Liu hesitated for a moment. She didn’t understand court affairs, but what the Empress said was convincing and she couldn’t help but believe it.
“Lord Marquis, can’t you and Tang’s Shizhong handle it?”
Liu Weizheng glanced at her and smiled slightly, “It’s worth a try, but…”
“But what?”
“But I wasn’t close to Tang’s Shizhong before, and we had some conflicts. Even if Zhongming really agrees to marry the Tang family’s girl, it’s probably difficult to let go of our prejudices for a while. How can we cooperate?”
Madam Liu was overjoyed in her heart, thinking that all her hard work over the years had finally paid off.
“Lord Marquis, there’s no need to worry about that,” Madam Liu couldn’t conceal her joy as all her worries before entering the room had vanished: “I won’t hide it from you, but over these years, I have been working with the Empress…”
Before Madam Liu could finish her sentence, Liu Weizheng gestured to her to stop talking and closed the door softly before speaking in a gentle voice, “We’ve been married for so many years, yet you still call me Lord Marquis. That’s too formal.”
Madam Liu’s eyes grew warm.
The former Lord Marquis was so brilliant and heroic that she had only caught a glimpse of him at a spring banquet and no other man could catch her eye ever since.
But she had waited so hard for a royal edict, only to be able to call him Ah Zheng on their wedding night without any response. The person in front of her had a cold expression, and she never called those two words again.
Even in bed, the two of them remained silent, as if they were two strangers seeking warmth on a cold night.
Madam Liu tried to call out, “Ah Zheng.”
“Xiyu,” Liu Weizheng responded softly, looking down, and asked, “What about you and the Empress?”
Given the gravity of the situation, Madam Liu hesitated for a moment, but she was defeated by his gentle voice and said, “I’ve been helping the Empress with things over the years.”
“…” Liu Weizheng pondered for a moment and said, “Xiyu, it’s not that I look down on you, but the court is complex, and I’m afraid these women’s relationships in the inner chambers won’t be able to help much.”
“You don’t have to worry,” Madam Liu knew better than anyone that her affairs over the years were no mere trifles in the inner chambers: “Since a long time ago, the Empress has been preparing for this…”
Liu Weizheng listened silently.
It was a long time ago, even when Madam Liu was still in the boudoir.
Madam Liu couldn’t remember everything, and some things were just done on orders without knowing the reason. She only remembered what pleased her, and picked those stories to tell.
Seeing that Liu Weizheng’s expression was gradually easing, and even had a slight smile at the corners of his mouth, Madam Liu unconsciously grabbed the gourd and spilled out everything she knew.
“Tan Hanlin’s second daughter died suddenly, and it’s also related to the empress?” Liu Weizheng suddenly interjected and asked, “Did you handle the matter?”
Madam Liu remembered clearly and quickly replied, “The empress said that if the Tan family were to marry into the Lin family, it would be another tough bone to chew.”
“The empress is considerate,” Liu Weizheng nodded and asked again, “The snacks you brought to Ying Er a few days ago, I heard they were also rewarded by the empress…”
“No, no!” Madam Liu quickly denied, “How could I harm Ying Er? The empress knows everything in her heart.”
“That’s good…” Liu Weizheng smoothed her hair and smiled, “Why panic? How can I not trust you? I just suddenly thought of when Concubine Xian fell ill…”
Madam Liu proudly smiled and said, “Concubine Xian was able to survive. It was because the empress had long-term plans. If Concubine Xian had died, the emperor might have kept Jingchen under the empress’s name, which would have been a future trouble.”
Liu Weizheng lifted the corners of his mouth, looked at the table, and remained silent, making people afraid to say anything more.
Madam Liu realized that something was wrong with the atmosphere, and looked at him carefully, asking softly, “Ah Zheng, what’s wrong?”
“It has been difficult for Xiyu,” Liu Weizheng sighed softly, “Xiyu has such a personality, and yet she was able to keep so many things hidden for so long. You have worked hard.”
Madam Liu’s eyes turned red.
“To be honest with Lord Marquis, I had nowhere to vent my sorrow in my heart, and I was always trembling at first. But what the Empress said was not wrong. As a woman, I can’t help Lord Marquis elsewhere. If I can win the favor of the Empress by doing this and let the Tang and Liu families merge, it would not be in vain for me to spend these years sleepless.”
“Xiyu, you have worked hard. With so many things, the Empress did not let you speak, and you kept the secret well.”
Madam Liu heard his dissatisfaction and quickly explained, “I also mentioned several times that I wanted to be honest with Lord Marquis, but the Empress said that Lord Marquis would know my intentions sooner or later.”
“The Empress did think far-sightedly,” Liu Weizheng finally smiled, “She was afraid that I would regret it, so at the Spring Festival banquet that year, did you secretly meet Pei Xiao?”
Madam Liu was about to answer “yes” out of habit, but suddenly realized what kind of question he had asked, and couldn’t hold the teacup in her hand.
“Lord Marquis…”
“Xiyu, I underestimated you,” Liu Weizheng looked at her defeated face, “You are quite innocent. Wasn’t it all instigated by the Empress? Should I ask one more question, why did the emperor choose you as the Tang family’s young lady for the marriage? “
Madam Liu’s face turned ashen.
Why was it her? It was natural that she went to beg for it, based on her previous merits, and because she promised to listen to the Empress for the sake of Lord Marquis.
But what was she sacrificing for? Wasn’t it for the Liu family?
“Lord Marquis… are you blaming me?”
“After many years of marriage, blaming is useless,” Liu Weizheng waved his hand, not wanting to bring it up again, but asked again, “At the spring banquet that year, when Pei Xiao lost to Liao Guangming and left with the resignation edict, was it because of you?”
Madam Liu did not not want to answer, but dared not answer.
For so many years, she had seen Lord Marquis’s silence, but had never seen such a murderous look. It suddenly dawned on her that tonight was a trap of gentleness and patience, waiting for the secret she was most afraid to speak out.
Before begging the empress to grant her wish, she had already learned about the affair between Lord Marquis and General Pei from the empress.
But she didn’t care. Since Lord Marquis could marry other women, why couldn’t this person be her?
She had overestimated her own patience.
Even though she didn’t have the title of Madam Liu yet, she couldn’t bear to see Pei Xiao anymore. It was not only she who couldn’t bear to see Pei Xiao, but the emperor also couldn’t.
This was her biggest confidence.
That was her most terrifying time.
Under the name of Lord Marquis, she watched Pei Xiao drink the wine she toasted him with. Even now, she still remembered Pei Xiao’s smiling expression, not knowing if he was mocking something.
Her silence was a silent confession.
Liu Weizheng nodded knowingly. “Pei Xiao is bold and meticulous. It’s not something you can hide alone.”
“Who else was involved in this matter? The emperor? The empress? And… Liao Guangming perhaps?”
“After Pei Xiao left the capital, did Liao Guangming ever ambush him with his men?”
“There’s something you may not know. After that, I saw Pei Xiao once more.”
“No wonder when he entered the palace, his martial arts were compromised, and his poison had not yet dissipated. Was it because of old injuries that hadn’t healed?”
“I didn’t know anything…I thought he was avoiding me…”
Madam Liu stood before him, but watched him talk to himself in the void. She couldn’t help but shudder and raised her voice: “Lord Marquis! It’s not me who can’t tolerate Pei Xiao! I have no choice!”
“No choice…” Liu Weizheng repeated in a mutter, sneering: “He’s overbearing, indeed. He’s in the way of all of you, forcing you all to have no choice.”
Madam Liu couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted with a hint of crying in her voice: “He controls the Northern and Southern Bureau and the Jinxiu Ying. The Emperor will never tolerate you being together! The mercy he showed him years ago was already a great imperial favor!”
“He approached you with ulterior motives, and it was all for the sake of the Liu family’s interests! The Emperor will never allow you to be together!”
“My Tang family has a prestigious background, how could he, a mere martial artist, compare to me!”
“I’ve worked hard for the Liu family for decades. What does he have that I don’t have!”
Liu Weizheng moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something to defend himself, but then sighed and relaxed his shoulders.
“Tang Xiyu.”
This title pushed Madam Liu’s anger and fear to the highest level.
She realized the crisis and stood up abruptly, “Liu Weizheng! What do you want to do! Do you dare to disobey even the Empress’s command!”
Liu Weizheng sneered, “The Empress’s command?”
Somehow, although it was inappropriate, this expression reminded Madam Liu of the former Liu Shizi, who was riding on a white horse with a silver spear, shouting at the crowd with a look of arrogance.
“Pei Xiao! Come and fight!”
She sank into that pride in an instant. After watching Lord Marquis’s wooden silence for so many years, only in this smile before her eyes did she suddenly realize how the once vigorous Liu Weizheng was gradually reduced to his current state step by step.
She loved this Lord Marquis and was afraid of this person too.
Almost at the same time as she turned and ran towards the door, the still moist cup cover shot from behind her towards the door latch, hitting it with a clanging sound, followed by another flying dart that nailed the latch to the door.
Liu Weizheng sighed lightly behind her, “For the sake of the Liu family, I married you under orders, and I have accepted my fate for this lifetime.”
“Only once, I betrayed you and went to see Pei Xiao. For this one time, I spare your life.”
“Tang Xiyu…”
Madam Liu turned around in horror and saw the shadow cast by the candlelight gradually enveloping her whole body.
“My Liu family is not a group of people who can be bullied at will.”
The author has something to say: Today’s chapter is a bit long-winded. I’m afraid of disturbing the mood of reading, so I’ll try not to leave too many words. If you don’t like it, you can block me. First of all, to avoid disputes, I want to explain that before Tang Xiyu married Lord Marquis, she already knew about Lord Marquis and Pei Xiao. However, she pushed Pei Xiao away, so Lord Marquis did not marry her under false pretenses and Liu Madam was not an innocent wife.
Also, because of this reason, when Madam Liu found out that there was a Chenzhou in her son’s courtyard, she reacted so strongly. Refer to chapters 27-28. Recently, I have seen several comments saying that the story is good but there are few bookmarks/comments, and I can’t help but cry. As a ground chicken from the Arctic, a street urchin for thousands of years, and a difficulty to get verified user, I feel so happy to have so many little angels for the first time. I know this might sound self-promoting, but I think I have such comments under every chapter. But in the past, my writing was inevitably immature, and although it’s not much better now, if you don’t want to read it, it’s okay. For those who have read it, please don’t be disappointed.
Let me tell you a story I heard when I was young. It’s called “A Letter to □□”. “□□ sat at the door looking unhappy. Frog asked, “What’s wrong?”
□□ said, “I wait for my friend’s letter every day, but I’ve never received one. My mailbox is always empty.”
Frog went home right away and wrote a letter. He met a snail on the way and asked the snail to deliver the letter to □□’s mailbox. Then he went back to find □□ and said, “Get up quickly. You’ll have a letter soon.”
□□ said, “No, I won’t.”
Frog said, “You will. I wrote it and it says I’m so happy to have you as my best friend.”
□□ said, “Wow, this letter is great.”
They went outside together and waited for a long time. They finally saw the snail and □□ read the letter over and over again, unable to stop smiling.” I don’t know why, but this story left a deep impression on me. At that time, I wondered, why was □□ so happy even though she already knew who wrote the letter and what was written in it?
Last year I wrote a book called “Yanshi”, but the subject matter was too niche, and the title and synopsis were both terrible. Even though I updated it daily, the number of views per chapter never exceeded ten, and there were no comments at all. I even thought about giving up on it. (Actually, before this book, the most views I ever got for a final chapter was only thirty.)
Then, one day, I received a comment from a friend. Thank you so much, Little Goose. I was holding my phone and reading that comment over and over again, and then I started crying. I realized that as long as there are readers who believe in me, I can keep on writing.
I’m really satisfied and grateful now, even though I might not be as good as other writers. I’ve improved a lot compared to my previous works. I think if I continue to persevere, things will get better. Whether you like one author or another, just leaving a few words of feedback can make a big difference in someone’s decision. It’s hard to reply to every comment, sorry about that. I’m really busy with work, writing, and drawing, and I don’t want to leave anyone behind. Plus, I’m not good at small talk.
As for when the book will be completed, I want to know too. Some people have asked about why the protagonist is weak, but it’s not because Zhongming is weak. Rather, Chenzhou is not an ordinary person, and he has already lived one life before this one. Zhongming is only seventeen or eighteen years old, and he wasn’t raised as a Shizi until he was thirteen years old. He has to manage his business, practice martial arts, study, investigate his brother’s death, and fulfill his duties as a Shizi. To be honest, if he could do everything perfectly, I wouldn’t even know what to write anymore.
I even considered making him older at one point, but then I realized that if Zhongming were stronger than Chenzhou now, he would be a god. By the way, recently some comments have disappeared, but I didn’t delete them. In the background, it says that two comments were deleted, but I don’t have the authority to restore them. It’s weird.
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Go to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more unedited chapters right away or access to all BL early chapters available!! Or go show your appreciation by donating at Paypal!!! <3 :)
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What a sad story…
Thank You for the new chapter -ω(´•ω•｀)♡
Thank you for your hard work for all these works. And i really like this story and can’t wait for it to finish and all your stories do have a life and I have cried so many times with chenzhou because he’s is so pitiful and lovely. I can’t wait for him to find his happiness.