Exclusively for the Marchioness – CH 030

Chapter 30

In the bamboo forest, the young man suddenly stumbled forward.

“Sixth Brother!”

Du Lingjing rushed forward, quickly raising her hand to support him.

He reeked of blood, bloodstains seeping from his bamboo-green robe. The bamboo leaves beneath his feet rustled softly. Du Lingjing’s heart trembled, and she called out to him repeatedly.

He murmured in response, “Sister-in-law…”

But the young man was no longer the boy he once was. He was tall and much taller than her, and Du Lingjing could not support him, staggering back two steps.

In her swaying, he grabbed her shoulder, stopping her stumble.

But just as they regained their footing, someone strode into the forest.

Chong-Ping gestured to the guards beside him to support the person about to collapse, while Du Lingjing was also pulled back a couple of steps from behind.

The wind whistled between the two who had just touched each other.

Du Lingjing was pulled back into his arms, and she could not help but turn her head to look at him. The man’s gaze fell on her shoulder, where someone had just gently touched her, but only for a moment, before he turned back to her and said.

“Do not rush; let Chong-Ping check the situation first.”

As he spoke, Chong-Ping took Jiang Fengchuan’s pulse, then carefully examined his face, asking where he was injured. Sixth Young Master gave a brief reply, and Chong-Ping lightly touched his wound; the blood seeped out even faster.

Du Lingjing gasped, hearing Chong-Ping say, “The injuries are indeed serious, but it seems none of them are vital. However…it seems this wound has been there for two days without any medicine, so it’s constantly being pulled and will not heal.”

Du Lingjing frowned, looking at the heavily injured man, hearing him casually explain, “We were being chased the whole way; how could we have had time?”

Lu Shenru looked at his untreated wound and raised an eyebrow slightly.

The young man’s breathing was low, rapid, and intermittent. Du Lingjing could not help but want to step forward to ask again, but the man behind her said, “Wife, do not touch him. With such external injuries, there might be other internal injuries as well. Have Chong-Ping and his men take him out.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Fengchuan looked up.

The tall, imposing man stood still, letting himself be scrutinized.

A silence fell over the bamboo grove. Du Lingjing, preoccupied with Chong-Ping examining Sixth Young Master’s wounds, paid little attention.

Jiang Fengchuan, supported by someone, slowly lowered his gaze to her, giving her a weak smile. “Sister-in-law, should I address you…Marchioness?”

The wind rustled the bamboo leaves, and Du Lingjing paused, startled.

Lu Shenru also looked down at her, noticing her frown.

“That’s not important. How did you get chased here? Were you with the Shao brothers? Did they try to kill you? What about Brother Hu and Tingjun?”

She bombarded her with questions. Jiang Fengchuan had risked his life to deliver the message; his whereabouts were paramount.

But before she could finish her questioning, Sixth Young Master coughed up blood.

Even Chong-Ping frowned. “We need to treat his injuries first.”

The injuries were indeed serious. Du Lingjing was shocked and did not dare ask any more questions. A guard carried him on his back, and with the slightest tug, the young man’s handsome face contorted in pain.

She softened her voice. “Sixth Brother, let’s not talk about anything else for now. Treat your injuries first.”

At her urging, the young man forced a smile. “Alright.”

His response was surprisingly weak and pitiful, almost obedient. Lu Shenru watched silently, noticing his wife’s gaze fixed on Sixth Young Master Jiang, and slightly pursed his lips.

But the man did not rush to say anything. He simply took off his cloak and wrapped it around her. Seeing her long brows still furrowed, he pulled her closer into his arms. “Now that we’ve reunited with him, everything else is easier to discuss. Do not worry.”

That made sense, Du Lingjing nodded slowly. She stood there, letting the man beside her put his arm around her and holding her hand.

Jiang Fengchuan glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Did their posture suggest they had already become intimate?

The young man remained silent, but the guard carrying him moved swiftly, first taking him to the backyard of the Fire God Temple. Chong-Ping personally applied some simple medicine and then informed the Marquis that the available medicine was limited, and he needed a thorough treatment.

Fortunately, Guilin Tower was not far away, so the man immediately ordered everyone to retreat from the Fire God Temple and head towards Guilin Tower.

Darkness fell, and night enveloped the surroundings.

Chong-An hurriedly summoned a physician. Being a man, it was inconvenient for Du Lingjing to stay while his injuries were being treated. Lu Shenru invited her to dinner, but she shook her head, remaining outside Jiang Fengchuan’s courtyard.

Since Third Young Master took him in from the countryside and brought him to their city home years ago, he had never let him suffer such injuries or hardship.

After Sixth Young Master began to grow, he grew taller and taller, becoming increasingly impressive. By fifteen or sixteen, he was already half a head taller than his peers. Sixth Young Master was always delighted, yet worried that he was growing too fast, and often instructed Uncle Hui to help him grow stronger.

Later, he finally grew taller and stronger than Third Young Master, while Third Young Master mostly remained secluded in his study. However, he never envied his younger brother and even hired a military instructor to teach him some martial arts so he could travel more freely.

But now, hearing the suppressed groans coming from the courtyard, and thinking of his many wounds, Du Lingjing clenched her hands tightly.

Seeing that the Marquis was also with her, she could only say, “Marquis, please go and eat. I am not hungry.”

The man lifted his robe and simply sat down in the pavilion outside the courtyard. He said he was not hungry either and beckoned to her.

“Do not stand there in the wind; come and sit for a while.”

He insisted on keeping her company, so Du Lingjing had no choice but to sit down.

Seeing that she was still silently clenching her hands, the man changed the subject, talking about the Hu siblings and the Flicking Faction.

“…It seems Shao Boju is very impatient. We brought the people back from the Fire God Temple, and they probably already know.”

He said, “Once Sixth Young Master Jiang is feeling better, it would be best to get him to reveal the whereabouts of everyone, lest things get complicated.”

Du Lingjing understood this, but she also thought about how he had come to keep her company all day long after court.

He was usually quite busy. Military generals and officials came to his door, various staff members came to deliver messages and convey his wishes, and even guards and stewards working outside awaited his instructions.

Du Lingjing did not know exactly what he was doing and naturally did not want to ask, but she guessed that someone in his high position, especially one who wanted to support his nephew Prince Hui’s ascension to the throne, must have many things to attend to.

Despite being so busy, the fact that he could still find some free time showed that Du Lingjing was not oblivious, nor was she ungrateful.

Just as she was about to thank the Marquis, Chong-An arrived quickly.

“My Lord, Madam, the physician has bandaged up Master Jiang. Master Jiang says he has urgent business and requests your presence.”

Du Lingjing rose upon hearing this and turned to wait for the Marquis. Unexpectedly, Chong-An’s expression turned slightly awkward, and he lowered his voice.

“Sixth Young Master Jiang means he wants to speak with Madam alone for a few minutes.”

After he finished speaking, he glanced at his master’s expression. Du Lingjing was slightly surprised and could not help but turn back to look as well.

The man did not seem surprised at all. He simply responded, and seeing her bewildered expression, he comforted her.

“Go ahead. Call me if you need anything.”

Outside the pavilion, only a few small stars twinkled in the vast night sky, but they were faintly reflected in his dark, night-like eyes.

He seemed completely unconcerned, and she could not help but glance at him again. But with such an important matter at hand, since Sixth Young Master had made this request, he must have his reasons.

She followed Chong-An quickly into the courtyard.

The heavy smell of medicine filled every corner of the room. Du Lingjing entered, and the guards bowed to her and withdrew.

The person on the bed had changed into clean clothes and sat up with support when she entered.

Du Lingjing hurried forward, not sitting at the head of his bed, but pulling an embroidered stool to sit beside it.

“How are you? Is it very painful?” she asked.

He did not answer but looked at her for a long while before softly saying, “Sister-in-law, you’ve married…”

This sentence reminded Du Lingjing of the year he was expelled from the Jiang family to study far away due to rumors of a succession marriage. When he came to Mian Tower in the morning mist and asked her, “Sister-in-law, I will go to the capital to take the imperial examination in place of my third brother and then return. Will you wait for him to pass?”

At that time, she thought she would definitely wait for him to bring good news from the capital, but she never imagined that before the next spring’s imperial examination, she would arrive in the capital before him and marry into the Marquis’s family.

Du Lingjing was speechless; she remained silent for a moment.

“Sixth Brother, let’s get down to business.”

She did not answer. The young man looked at her silently for a few moments. “Alright.”

Jiang Fengchuan had only been in Baoding with the Flicking Faction for a few days when he headed north to the capital to report. While he was not familiar with all the details, he roughly understood what had happened.

“…The Shao brothers are incredibly audacious. They dared to hire people to impersonate imperial officials to take advantage of the local areas. They secretly amassed wealth, cultivated relationships with local gentry, and, to cover their actions, murdered officials. This matter remained unknown until they harmed a former member of the Flicking Faction. The daughter of that official risked her life to report it, thus bringing the matter to Brother Hu’s attention.”

Although Hu Tinglan was on good terms with Shao Boju, how could he possibly cover for him in the face of such a serious crime? Instead, he enlisted the help of the Flicking Faction members scattered throughout the country, carefully investigating based on the information provided by the escapees.

Jiang Fengchuan took a deep breath. “Only now do we realize that the Shao family has impersonated eight officials. Aside from the first two who drowned accidentally, the other five were murdered by them, and three of them were even members of the Flicking Faction.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Du Lingjing felt the color drain from her face.

No wonder the Shao brothers, Boju and Wuxing, had been so ruthless in their search and had gone to such lengths to suppress the matter. Impersonating an official was already a serious crime, let alone murdering them. This matter had dragged the entire Shao family into the mess, and the downfall of the entire clan was not out of the question.

And Shao Boju himself would likely face the death penalty as well.

He had originally planned to marry her through Old Lady Wan, using her to blackmail Hu Tinglan and the rest of the Flicking Faction into a deal, but it failed.

Now, Du Lingjing directly asked Jiang Fengchuan.

“Sixth Brother must know where they are right now. We must send people there as soon as possible to rescue them before the Shao family.”

As she spoke, Jiang Fengchuan countered with a question.

“Whose people are you sending, Sister-in-law?” She clearly lacked the manpower and resources to rescue everyone. Jiang Fengchuan asked, “Marquis Lu’s people?”

Du Lingjing did not deny it, but Jiang Fengchuan’s eyes narrowed.

“On my way here, I saw the Lu family’s men everywhere. He was also by my sister-in-law’s side when we met at the Fire God Temple. So, you trust him completely?”

These words caused Du Lingjing to fall silent for a moment. “Sixth Brother, just say what you are thinking.”

Jiang Fengchuan looked at her. She wore a willow-yellow floral-patterned jacket, her hair adorned with pearls, a far cry from the simple clothes she wore in Mian Tower. Her expression, though still cold, subtly revealed her disapproval.

Jiang Fengchuan cleared his throat, a cough that caused her eyes to soften slightly before he spoke. “It’s not that I do not want to see my sister-in-law remarry, especially not to a powerful minister like the Marquis of Yongding. It’s just that the way this Marquis Lu acts makes us scholars unconvinced.”

If they truly trusted him, Hu Tinglan and the other Flicking officials would probably have already seized upon his feud with the Shao family to seek his help and expose the Shao family’s crimes.

They hesitated to seek his assistance until she married into the family and opened the Guilin Tower to search for people, only then cautiously sending Sixth Young Master.

Du Lingjing’s expression darkened. “What did the Flick Faction say?”

“The Flick Faction means that the current predicament is insurmountable; it all depends on whether you believe in that Marquis Lu.”

Sixth Young Master relayed Master Liao’s exact words to Du Lingjing, but after speaking, he looked at her and spoke again slowly.

“In the sixth year of the Yin You era, the year after the death of the late Crown Prince, court officials repeatedly proposed that the Emperor appoint Prince Yong as the heir apparent. In the fourth month, nearly a hundred officials jointly submitted a memorial requesting the Emperor’s approval. The Emperor did not grant it, but half a month later, the Shaanxi Military Command reported that a Tatar general had been secretly communicating with court officials in the capital, intending to commit treason. Using this as a pretext, the Northern Garrison of the Jinyiwei arrested seven court officials, imprisoning them and subjecting them to severe torture for several days before releasing them. These seven were all the ones who had led the memorial half a month earlier, urging the Emperor to appoint Prince Yong as the heir apparent.”

The Shaanxi Military Command was almost entirely composed of soldiers from the Yongding Army, while the commander of the Jinyiwei was a cousin of Lu Shenru.

Du Lingjing said, “The Lu and Shao families fighting over Prince Hui and Prince Yong is nothing new.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Fengchuan said, “Sister-in-law, do you know that this matter did not end with the release of those seven people? Instead, it escalated completely. The Jinyiwei used the pretext of searching for traitors to arrest people everywhere. Unfortunately, this implicated Master Liao, who had just returned to the capital from a remote southern region after his term ended.”

Master Liao from Baoding Academy was the one who remembered Du Lingjing’s fondness for Liaohua candy.

Du Lingjing could not help but raise her eyes, hearing Sixth Young Master speak.

“Master Liao had met Prince Yong a few times and believed him to be the only suitable heir apparent. He merely spoke a few words to some former members of the Flicking Faction, but before they could even submit their memorials, they were arrested and imprisoned. The Lu family pressured the court officials who pleaded for Prince Yong’s ascension, and the officials were severely punished. Master Liao had just returned to the capital from out of town and had not recovered yet; this beating nearly killed him, and it took him half a year to recover.”

“Master Liao served as an official for many years, and everyone remembered his kindness, but this incident almost cost him his life. He was disheartened and simply resigned to teach in Baoding.” He finished speaking slowly, then looked at Du Lingjing. “Sister-in-law, do you really think that Marquis Lu is trustworthy?”

Du Lingjing remained silent for a moment after hearing this.

Upstairs at Guilin Tower.

The man slowly ascended to the rooftop. He stood with his hands behind his back before the railing, while the moon was shrouded in a dark red halo beyond the clouds. His gaze lingered on the moon’s halo for a moment before finally settling on the eaves of the closed room below, where they were speaking alone.

Nearly half an hour had passed, and the two were still talking. It was clear that Sixth Young Master Jiang had quite a bit to say to her; it was unclear what she thought.

In the closed room beneath the moonlight cast by Guilin Tower.

Jiang Fengchuan finished speaking and then asked her a question.

Du Lingjing truly had not expected that Master Liao’s resignation from his official post in Guangdong and Guangxi to teach at the Baoding Academy had such a reason.

When he followed his father, he served diligently under his father’s new policies. His father had even said that Master Liao might also possess the talent for high office and could one day enter the cabinet. Unexpectedly…

But Du Lingjing’s expression turned serious.

“Trust those you employ, and do not employ those you do not trust. The matter of Master Liao, and even the grudges between the other members of the Flicking Faction and the Marquis, have been going on for many years. If we trace everything back to its source, how can we possibly save him?”

She disagreed.

A gust of wind rattled the windowpane.

Jiang Fengchuan nodded. “It seems that my sister-in-law has only been married to him for a little over a month, yet she already trusts him completely.”

Even Du Lingjing noticed the hint of bitterness in his words. Her long eyebrows furrowed.

“It has nothing to do with that,” she could not help but explain.

“What crucial benefit do we possess that we can exchange with the Marquis? Nothing more than evidence of Shao’s crimes. To break this deadlock, we can only rely on his power. In this situation, are we really going to be wary of not telling the truth, using him to seek something else?”

“We can refrain from seeking anything, but are you sure this Marquis Lu will not seek anything else? Could he secretly trade the people and the evidence with Prince Yong’s faction?”

These words startled Du Lingjing.

The Marquis of Yongding’s mansion and Grand Secretary Dou’s faction were deeply intertwined with the Shao family. It was possible they might not bring the matter to the forefront, but instead engage in clandestine exchanges of benefits.

“But exposing the Shao family this time aligns our interests with his.”

What kind of benefit could make him betray the loyal ministers and exchange interests with Shao Zun and Grand Secretary Dou?

Du Lingjing inexplicably thought of how he always seemed to care; was she still doubting him…?

Her thoughts settled, and she looked at Jiang Fengchuan.

“Since the Flicking Faction has entrusted this to me, then I will decide. We cannot delay any longer.”

With that said, the young man pursed his lips and told her the location where everyone was hiding.

She stood up after listening.

Jiang Fengchuan looked over and saw that she had told him not to overthink it. “You should focus on recovering.”

She turned and left after speaking. The young man sat quietly by the bed, his gaze fixed on her skirt, following her to the door and then disappearing behind it.

He looked in the direction she had gone for a long time.

*

Inside Guilin Tower.

A night breeze blew. Lu Shenru stood on the rooftop for a while, just about to turn around and go downstairs, when he saw the door open, and she walked out.

She seemed to give a few instructions in the courtyard before leaving. The needlework in the Marquis’s Mansion was quite skillful. Her willow-yellow dress made her appear like a willow leaf fluttering in the night breeze, light and delicate.

The man’s eyes softened, but she seemed unaware of his gaze as she looked up at him.

She spoke, “My Lord.”

They were too far apart, and she could not call out loud; her voice would not carry. But he could see the two words uttered by her soft lips.

The moonlight, like water, gently bathed her skirt. He spoke as well.

“Come up.”

He, like her, did not speak aloud, but her bright eyes instantly understood his meaning. She lifted her skirt and quickly ascended the stairs.

The man’s gaze softened further. By the time she had reached the second level, he had already descended four, stopping her in the stairwell.

She was panting, her chest rising and falling slightly.

The man’s breathing remained unchanged. Seeing his wife’s reaction, he thought to himself that he should have told her to wait for him. His gaze lingered briefly on her fluctuating breathing before returning to his senses.

“Are you hungry? I will have someone get you something to eat. You’ve had a long day.”

He anticipated that Sixth Young Master Jiang would not bring any pleasantries. If she did not want to share this matter, he had other methods for dealing with the Shao family; this was not necessary.

But to his surprise, she simply shook her head, saying she was not tired and did not need anything. Then, she directly told him their location.

She actually believed him completely…

But the next moment, she suddenly bowed deeply to him. “This matter is difficult; I beg Your Lordship’s assistance.”

The man paused, his handsome brows furrowing. “Why are you bowing to me?”

His voice deepened slightly, and Du Lingjing was taken aback. Why was he angry? She was at a loss.

His brows furrowed even more. “For something like this, do I need you to formally request my assistance before I will lend a hand? Who do you take me for?”

This question left Du Lingjing speechless. What did she take him for? She truly only considered him a benefactor who could lend her a hand at this crucial moment…

Seeing his wife’s hesitant expression, the man’s heart sank, and he remained silent for a moment.

The moonlight was briefly obscured by a thin cloud, dimming the towering building.

She did not know what to say, and finally, the man sighed softly.

“I will have Chong-Ping gather men and go personally to rescue them. You just wait at home.”

He spoke casually, but his influence far surpassed Du Lingjing’s. Her heart tightened, and she instinctively wanted to thank him. But his gaze had already turned towards her. His dark eyes were like unfathomable depths, and when he looked at her, he always seemed to want to draw her completely into them.

She could not help but look away slightly, but her words of thanks were delayed and forgotten.

The man’s gaze softened again as he thought about how she had told him almost without hesitation.

“Come back to the capital with me tomorrow. Your husband cannot always skip court, can he? Those old fogies will start talking badly about me.”

The light clouds dispersed, and the moonlight rippled like gentle waves in the breeze.

Husband—he used that unfamiliar word again.

But Du Lingjing, listening to the second half of his sentence, could not help but smile.

“Alright.”

Her gentle smile, like a feather brushing against his heart, made the man’s grip on her hand tighten, completely enveloping her in his palm.

Unfortunately, this was Guilin Tower, not the main house of the Marquis’s Mansion…

*

In the room filled with the smell of medicine, the injured man, enduring the pain, got out of bed and walked to his bundle.

With the slightest movement, blood seeped through his white undergarment again.

But he seemed oblivious, simply standing by the window, taking a bamboo puppet from his bundle.

When he was first brought back from the countryside, he was covered in injuries. He had fallen while climbing trees to pick fruit to fill his stomach, been beaten for stealing pancakes from a street vendor, and had been pelted with stones by the village children.

When Uncle Hui treated his injuries, he gasped repeatedly, but the wounds were treatable, and the pain brought tears to his eyes.

Third Brother pulled a bamboo puppet from beside his bed and placed it in his hand.

“Little Sixth Brother, do not be afraid of the pain; your brother’s bamboo puppet will keep you company.”

He was only eight years old then, and Third Brother was ten.

It was a puppet that Third Brother had always carried with him since childhood, which he had given to him. Many years had passed, and the bamboo puppet remained in his hands, but he had carried it for far too long, finally reaching the capital. He had carried it to the capital to take the imperial examination, as promised.

But in the capital…

He reached out, completely ignoring his injuries, his handsome eyes lowered, gently wiping the puppet’s face with his fingertips.

“Brother, look, as soon as you left, she married someone else. She only has eyes for the new man, almost forgetting the old one…”