Duе tо thе inсidеnt оf thе Fourth Prinсе's rеsidеnсe sending incеnsе, Cheng Lu dеcided tо gо tо thе tеmрle with Mаdam Chen for the Bаthing Вuddha Fеstival.
Маdаm Сhen wаs оvеrjоуed, аs this was the first time shе аnd Chеng Lu had gone оut togethеr since thеir mаrriаgе. Shе suggеstеd to Chеng Lu, "Тhe аbbоt оf the Grеat Хiаngguo Tеmрle is а close friеnd of my fathеr's. Whу dоn't we gо there insteаd?"
Сhеng Lu, howеvеr, rерliеd, "Оn that dау, evеryоne will floсk to thе Grеаt Xiаngguо Теmple. Will we bе there to worship оr to watch thе crowds? In mу oрiniоn, it would bе better to go to the Hongluo Temple in the suburbs. I've heard it's the sacred site of Guanyin Bodhisattva and is very efficacious for praying for children."
These words made Madam Chen blush with embarrassment, yet she couldn't hide her delight. She quickly agreed, "Then let's go to Hongluo Temple. I've also heard that the incense there is very popular, though it's a bit far and not very convenient to visit."
Cheng Lu dismissed her concern, saying, "Then we'll stay there for a night. It's rare for us to go out anyway. After we return, I plan to shut myself in and study for the next provincial examination."
This meant that even matters as important as having children would have to be set aside!
Madam Chen grew anxious.
She was already older in age, and although their marital relationship was harmonious, for some reason, conceiving had been difficult. If she still couldn't get pregnant after three years, she would have no choice but to help Cheng Lu take a concubine. What connection would a child born to a concubine have with her Chen family? What would be the point of taking a son-in-law then?
Madam Chen thus paid extra attention to preparing for the trip. Not only did she bring five hundred taels in banknotes, but she also fasted and bathed a few days in advance and copied several volumes of sutras to offer to the bodhisattvas at Hongluo Temple.
Unexpectedly, upon arriving at Hongluo Temple, the guest-monk informed them, "...The female family members of Senior Grand Secretary Yuan, Senior Grand Secretary Cheng, Vice Minister of Transmission He, and Hanlin Academician Wu are all here to offer incense. Several guest courtyards have already been reserved and cleaned by their people."
The implication was that there was no place to accommodate her.
Madam Chen was shocked and turned to glare sharply at their steward.
The steward couldn't hide his surprise either and said, "The guest-monk at the temple said the same thing earlier. I reported it to the young master. The young master said it was fine and that he would handle it."
Just as he spoke, Cheng Lu, who had ridden off on horseback earlier and disappeared, suddenly returned from a side path and asked, "What happened?"
The steward dared not speak.
Cheng Lu understood immediately and smiled, "So it's about this." He asked the guest-monk, "Does your temple have any other guest rooms?"
"There are," the guest-monk hesitated, "but there are no separate courtyards available."
"Then just give us a few side rooms," Cheng Lu said indifferently. "Just make sure to pick clean and quiet ones for us." After speaking, he gave a meaningful glance to the servant beside him, who immediately stepped forward and slipped a pouch to the guest-monk.
The guest-monk accepted it discreetly and found them a set of three south-facing side rooms in the corner of the western wing courtyard, though it was still no match for a separate courtyard. Madam Chen couldn't help but complain, "The young master should have told me earlier. I could have brought my father's name card to ask the temple to reserve a small courtyard for us."Cheng Lu said, "Since you've come to pray for a child, you must be sincere. When I arrived, those families had already reserved courtyards. Not only is there an order to things, but those families are also scholarly households, unlike ordinary commoners who might drink a little wine to soothe their discomfort. If things go poorly and it leads to Father being impeached, wouldn't it have been better not to come at all? Moreover, the womenfolk of those families have also come to Hongluo Temple to pray for children, which shows the temple’s incense is truly efficacious."
Perhaps the more everyone competes for something, the more desirable it seems.
Madam Chen was overjoyed to hear this. "Really? The womenfolk of those families are also here to pray for children?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Cheng Lu replied. "You might even run into them later."
Madam Chen nodded, hesitating. "The Cheng family of the Grand Secretariat—isn’t that your own clan?"
She remembered Cheng Lu had been expelled from the Cheng family.
Cheng Lu looked displeased. "There are things you don’t know. Back then, I was a young prodigy. The Cheng family feared that a branch would overshadow the main line, and they were worried about being criticized in Jinling City for not supporting me. I, in turn, was unhappy about this, which led to the falling out with my clan. But one day, I will return. I can’t avoid them forever."
Having been married for some time, Cheng Lu had always carried himself with pride. Madam Chen, coming from a humble background, assumed the great families of Jiangnan were like the local landlords in her village, guarding their small plots of land for fear of being taken advantage of by relatives and friends. With Chen Li helping Cheng Lu restore his scholarly status and Cheng Lu being her husband, she didn’t dwell on it further. After washing up, changing clothes, purifying her hands, and burning incense, she called for a servant to invite the temple’s reception monk and, accompanied by two personal maids, headed to the hall enshrining Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Cheng Lu smiled and went to the back hill, slipping through a small path to the vicinity of the release pond.
Min Jia was releasing creatures, attended by a group of maids and elderly women.
Nearby guards spotted Cheng Lu and shouted a warning, "Who’s sneaking around there? There are womenfolk here. Please keep your distance!"
Cheng Lu emerged from the woods with a smile.
His tall stature, gentle smile, scholarly attire, and poised demeanor caused the guards to lower their voices. "The womenfolk of Grand Secretariat Yuan and Grand Secretariat Cheng are here to offer incense. Please keep your distance, sir."
"The Cheng family of Xinglin Hutong?" Cheng Lu feigned surprise, looking toward Min Jia surrounded by maids and elderly women, and called out loudly, "Is that the Cheng family’s eldest daughter-in-law? I am Cheng Xiangqing. I’ve sent several visiting cards, but you never responded. I never thought I’d meet you here! What a coincidence! I came to speak with you about Cheng Jiashan. Would you mind asking your maids and elderly women to step aside for a moment? Of course, if you feel there’s nothing about Cheng Jiashan that needs to be hidden, I can speak in front of them."
Min Jia’s face turned pale, and she secretly regretted her decision. Had she known she would encounter this Cheng Xiangqing here, she should have come with Madam Xie and the newlywed young mistress of the Wu family. But the reception monk had said sincerity was paramount, and it was best to release creatures one by one so the Bodhisattva would know whose offering it was... Yet if they had come along, given Cheng Lu’s persistent and relentless nature in seeking her out, who knows what he might have said... Perhaps it was better they hadn’t come.She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "As a woman, even if this concerns my husband, you should go to him or my father-in-law. What use is it coming to me?"
Cheng Lu bowed to Min Jia and said, "If you don't mind, Madam, I will speak plainly."
Min Jia was so angry her fingers trembled, but she managed to conceal any sign of it and smiled, saying, "A guest is a guest. Scholar Cheng, please come to the pavilion for a cup of tea."
The guards and maidservants dispersed, standing far around the Release Pond.
Cheng Lu stood by the Release Pond with a smile and said, "You are too kind, Madam. I only have a few words to say, and then I will leave." Knowing that what happened here would soon reach the ears of the gentlemen accompanying them, he dared not delay and got straight to the point. "Originally, Cheng Xu and I were classmates, but I was framed by the Cheng family and stripped of my scholarly title, while Cheng Xu smoothly passed the imperial examinations and became a jinshi. Cheng Xu not only studies better than I do but also had the fortune of being born into a better family. Since childhood, I have hated him the most..."
His undisguised hatred for Cheng Xu made Min Jia realize that what he would say next would likely be unpleasant, even harmful to her, yet she inexplicably wanted to hear more.
She remained silent.
Cheng Lu smiled faintly.
These noble families cared only for their reputation and face.
As long as he grasped this point, he could usually succeed without fail.
"Madam, you must know Madam Zhou of the Fourth House, right?" His expression darkened, and his voice grew low. "Although I am from a collateral branch of the Cheng family, I was often in and out of the inner residence due to my intelligence from a young age. I grew up with Madam Zhou, who lived with her sister in the Cheng household, and we were childhood sweethearts. We were deeply in love, and my mother also liked Madam Zhou very much. Originally, we planned to propose to the Zhou family after I earned my scholarly title. Who knew that Cheng Xu also took a liking to Madam Zhou... He is the eldest grandson of the main branch, while I am from a poor collateral branch. Madam Zhou was orphaned and helpless, and Madam Yuan doted on him excessively... How could we possibly compete with him?
"Not long after, Madam Yuan sent me away to study at Yuelu Academy in an attempt to separate us."
Min Jia felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
She knew Cheng Xu liked Zhou Shaojin, but she never expected this Cheng Lu also liked Zhou Shaojin...
Min Jia observed Cheng Lu's expression.
Cheng Lu appeared both resentful and helpless.
Then how did Zhou Shaojin end up marrying Cheng Chi?
Recalling his earlier words, Min Jia suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Cheng Lu.
"If that were all, it would be one thing," Cheng Lu said, his eyes reddening with urgency. "I was already inferior to Cheng Xu, and if Madam Zhou could find happiness with him, I would have accepted it. But Madam Yuan looked down on Madam Zhou for being motherless and had no regard for her. She was determined to marry Cheng Xu to a daughter of a prominent family to aid him in his official career. Fearing that Cheng Xu would cause a fuss and delay his examinations, she used Madam Zhou as bait, promising to propose to the Zhou family if Cheng Xu topped the provincial examination. At the same time, she secretly arranged a marriage with the Min family. By the time the Fourth House realized our marriage was impossible and wanted to betroth Madam Zhou to her cousin Cheng Yi, Madam Yuan had already schemed to ruin Madam Zhou's marriage... Although Madam Zhou and I were not destined to be together, I could not stand by and watch the main branch bully her like this!
"In my anger, I went to confront Cheng Xu.
"I thought that once Cheng Xu knew the truth, he would surely let go."“As a result, Cheng Xu not only refused to let go but even attempted to coerce the Zhou family, hoping to force the matter by making it a done deal, pressuring the Zhou family into marrying her and forcing Madam Yuan to agree.
“Madam Yuan is your mother-in-law, and you surely know her temperament well.
“How could she ever compromise?
“At that time, the elders of the family were all absent, and the only one in the main branch who could make decisions was Cheng Chi.
“When Cheng Chi went to handle the matter, he saw the Zhou family’s daughter. Enchanted by her beauty, he disregarded the difference in seniority and ignored the fact that his own nephew favored her, forcibly marrying her as his wife.
“Though the Zhou family’s daughter was a beauty who brought trouble, Cheng Chi and Cheng Xu, this uncle and nephew pair, along with Madam Yuan, the matriarch of the Cheng family, were truly shameless…”
Min Jia could hardly conceal her shock.
“How could this be?” Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead. More than once, she felt a surge of relief, grateful that she had acted prudently and prevented him from shouting it out. If he had blurted such things out in front of the Wu, He, and Yuan families, Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin’s reputations would have been ruined, and the Cheng family’s name would have been tarnished as well.
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Dear readers, here is today’s update.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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