As the sun set in the west, the yellowish glow bathed him, softening his chiseled face and making him look especially gentle.
A smile played on his lips.
"Song Wanchu, I'm your husband," he said.
His words were carried by a wisp of the summer evening breeze to Song Wanchu's ears.
Song Wanchu tried hard to remain calm, but her heart was no longer tranquil. Ripples spread out in circles on her heart lake.
Such words were not rarely spoken by Liang Yuzhou in the past.
But most of the time, they were out of his possessiveness towards her, or laced with sarcasm, mocking that she was not the main wife and unworthy of calling him "husband."
However, today he said it so seriously and solemnly that Song Wanchu couldn't help but think of the original meaning of the word "husband."
After Liang Yuzhou left, Suyue came in and brought her a bowl of tremella and red - date congee to nourish qi and blood.
Song Wanchu had no appetite. She took a few sips and put it down.
"Miss, I just saw off Auntie. She was worried about you but was afraid of disturbing your rest. Since she's an outsider, it's not appropriate for her to stay long, so she had to go back first," Suyue said. "Auntie also asked me to ask you if you still want to move your dowry?"
Song Wanchu's heart twitched as if stabbed.
She remembered the purposes of her return to the Duke's Mansion today. One was to wish the old lady a happy birthday. The second was to ask the old lady for the release letter for concubines in advance. The third was to move all the things left in the Duke's Mansion.
But with what had happened, all her plans were disrupted.
The most chaotic thing was her heart.
For the time being, she had no reason to leave the Duke's Mansion.
In a state of confusion, Song Wanchu stared blankly at the curtain on the roof.
Liang Yuzhou, will you really have the heart to make Yu Huiyan pay the price?
...
The birthday peaches had cooled down, and the guests had all dispersed.
In the Fuan Hall, the old lady dismissed everyone.
The princess's mood was actually not good, but she still wore a smile on her face and sipped a cup of tea leisurely.
The old lady's joyous seventieth birthday party ended up in a farce of failing to catch an adulterer and putting the daughter - in - law under house arrest. Every time the old lady thought of this annoying birthday banquet in the future, she would feel nauseated.
Thinking like this, the princess glanced at the old lady, gloating.
Closing the tea lid, she put on the airs of a royal relative and asked, "Ji Qingru, you've invited me to stay. Do you want to discuss the marriage between the second young master Liang and Huiyan with me?"
Ji Qingru was the old lady's full name.
In front of others, out of consideration for the old lady's family's prestige and the military power of the Duke's Mansion, the princess had to give the old lady some face and was willing to address her as "old lady."
But the two had been on bad terms for a long time. When there was no one around, the princess was too lazy to pretend to be friendly.
The old lady was of a very high status. It had been a long time since she had heard someone call her by her full name.
She was more magnanimous than the princess and was not angry. She just smiled calmly and said, "With what happened today, does the princess still think Yu Huiyan can enter the gate of my Duke's Mansion?"
The princess curled her lips nonchalantly. "It was Jiahe who caused the trouble. She's stupid and bad. What does it have to do with Huiyan?"
The old lady's weather - beaten eyes were not cloudy but extremely perceptive.
Stared at by these bright and clear eyes, the princess felt that her true thoughts were seen through.
"The princess is a smart person. Do you really think Jiahe is the mastermind behind this?"
The princess's fingers playing with the teacup suddenly tightened.
She put away her nonchalant attitude. Dealing with this shrewd old woman allowed no room for the slightest carelessness.
"Otherwise?" She continued to pretend to be confused.
The old lady saw through but didn't expose. She smiled calmly. "I didn't expose the truth in front of everyone just because I didn't want there to be one more embarrassed person. We both know very well who wanted to harm Wanchu."
The princess gritted her teeth, her eyes cold.
The embarrassed person she referred to was herself.
The princess had been the matchmaker for the marriage between Liang Yuzhou and Yu Huiyan. If Yu Huiyan had been caught on the spot, she would surely become the target of public criticism and be notorious for all time.
Even she, the matchmaker, would lose face.
Seeing the princess's face getting more and more ugly, the old lady's smile became more obvious.
"Although my Duke's Mansion is not of the highest rank, we will not allow a snake - hearted and unscrupulous woman to be the mistress of the house. The princess values her reputation, and my Duke's Mansion values it even more.
Yuzhou is a noble - minded person. He hates such despicable means the most. Do you think Yuzhou can't guess that Yu Huiyan masterminded all this? Although he grew up with Yu Huiyan and has some feelings for her, he can't tolerate any sand in his eyes and will never like such a vicious woman!"
Only then did the princess figure out the old lady's real intention of inviting her to stay.
This old woman! Every word hit right at her heart!
The princess could hardly laugh anymore. There was a hidden edge in her eyes. "What if I say the second young master Liang has to marry her?"
Since the old woman didn't pretend anymore, she might as well show her cards. "Three years ago, in the bloody battle at Pingsha Pass, you should know what your son did. If the emperor finds out, it will be a crime of deceiving the emperor."
The old lady was not panicked by her blatant threat.
Her smile remained calm and gentle.
The air was filled with a silent confrontation.
"I understand the princess's concerns. You're just worried that after the crown prince ascends the throne, you won't be able to enjoy your current status and privileges anymore. So you're eager to win over the Duke's Mansion with military power as your backer."
A vein on the princess's forehead twitched slightly.
She never expected the old lady to be so straightforward.
It made her feel ashamed and panicked, as if she had been stripped naked in public.
But she firmly held the handle on Liang Xuguang.
"Since we've made everything clear, how about we each take a step back?"
After patiently saying so much, the old lady finally threw out what was on her mind. "The princess continues to keep the secret for my Duke's Mansion, and my Duke's Mansion will reluctantly accept Yu Huiyan. But she won't be married in through the main gate in a sedan carried by eight bearers. Instead, she'll be carried in through the side gate in a small sedan."
A flash of anger crossed the princess's face. She pursed her lips and said nothing.
She was the elder sister of the current emperor, the most noble woman in the world. The match she made with her golden words, but in the end, Yu Huiyan would end up as a concubine?
At least Song Wanchu was a noble concubine!
The person she chose couldn't have a lower status than Song Wanchu!
A noble concubine still had the possibility of being promoted to the main wife, but an ordinary concubine would be a servant standing and waiting on the mistress for a lifetime!
"Ji Qingru, are you trying to humiliate me?"
"Princess, accepting Yu Huiyan is already the last concession of my Duke's Mansion.
The men of my Liang family have backbone. Liang Xuguang is not afraid to take responsibility. If necessary, he can go to the emperor to plead guilty, hand over his military power, and have his title stripped. From then on, the Duke's Mansion will no longer exist. We of the Liang family can just live as an ordinary family. What's the big deal?"
The old lady's expression became serious. She exuded an air of authority even without getting angry, and the princess was a bit in awe of her.
What she valued was that the Duke's Mansion controlled a quarter of the country's military power, which had an absolute deterrent to the crown prince.
Liang Xuguang was brave and good at fighting on the battlefield, but he was most afraid of his mother.
If he really listened to the old lady and pleaded guilty to the emperor, without the military power, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?
What was the meaning of whether Yu Huiyan married Liang Yuzhou or not?
She could have let Yu Huiyan marry into the Duke's Mansion in style, but this stupid woman had been self - righteous and tried to frame Song Wanchu. She had stolen chickens but lost the rice and also made the princess lose all her face!
The princess was well aware of her situation. She had lost the initiative.
She had to make a concession.
The look of reluctant compromise in her eyes was caught by the old lady.
"It's getting late. I won't keep the princess for tea anymore. Please leave."
The princess left the Duke's Mansion in a fit of anger.
The smile on the old lady's face disappeared completely, and her eyes were cold and terrifying.
Once Yu Huiyan became a concubine in the Duke's Mansion, she would lose her freedom and be trapped in this deep mansion forever.
The old lady would never allow this woman to receive the slightest bit of favor from Liang Yuzhou.
Even how many years this woman could live was up to her.
This was the price for hurting Wanchu!
...
After Liang Yuzhou walked out of the main gate of the Duke's Mansion, the bearded Zhou Ding had been waiting for a long time.
He was the uncle of Zhou Sheng and Zhou Yan and had been working for Liang Yuzhou outside.
"Second young master, Jiang Xiumin has been brought back to the capital and temporarily placed in the mansion in the eastern suburbs," Zhou Ding reported. "But he seems very afraid of setting foot on the land of the capital, and his emotions are very unstable."
"Let's go and see him."
The mansion in the eastern suburbs was secretly bought by Liang Yuzhou.
Even Liang Yuzhou, who had seen the cruelty of the battlefield, was deeply shocked by Jiang Xiumin's miserable state at first sight.
He was only in his early fifties, but his hair was already completely white. He was extremely thin, his eyes were dull, and his open mouth kept drooling. His mouth was empty, and his tongue was gone.
His hands and feet were limp, as if the bones had been taken out. He could only lie on the couch, nervously rolling his eyes.
"Doctor Jiang, do you still remember me?"
Jiang Xiumin's mind was still relatively clear. He nodded.
"Three years ago, I was poisoned at the palace banquet, and it was you who saved me," Liang Yuzhou asked. "I only have one question for Doctor Jiang. I hope you can tell me the truth."
Jiang Xiumin's eyes stopped moving. He stared fixedly at Liang Yuzhou, still looking panicked.
"Whose heart blood did I actually use?"
Jiang Xiumin's eyes suddenly widened, as if he had recalled something extremely painful. He shook his head frantically and let out loud, inarticulate cries.
"Was it Song Wanchu?"
Liang Yuzhou had to raise his voice.
Jiang Xiumin kept shaking his head, as if he had gone crazy.
"Or Yu Huiyan?"
The shaking of his head suddenly stopped.
Liang Yuzhou held his breath. "Was it Yu Huiyan?"
Jiang Xiumin nodded firmly.