Chapter 7 Discerning the Truth

Geng Yun’s intention? Why?

Petrified and confused, A’Shu was suddenly rooted to the spot. After all her efforts to avoid following the same disastrous path of marrying Geng Yun in this life, she only hoped that she and her elder brother and sister-in-law could live in peace. How could she fall short at this time?

She suppressed her panic and quickly reflected.

Previously, because of the rumours about her prophecy of restricting the Emperor star, Geng Yun had already accepted the Empress Dowager’s idea and took the initiative to marry her off to Liu Xun. Moreover, he did not show up at the wedding ceremony yesterday. She and Geng Yun were complete strangers. Today, she was told to stay in Chang’an. This had nothing to do with her. It was only to test Liu Xun’s genuineness.

With this deduction, her heart gradually eased, and her eyes cleared.

Since it was only a test, her fate depended entirely on Liu Xun’s attitude.

She lowered her eyes, and without saying a word, rose up from the daybed. After closing the door, she went by the wall to take a medium-sized lacquered box and put it on the table. She knelt down, opened the box solemnly, and handed it to him. “Please take a look, Your Highness.”

Liu Xun eyed her with raised eyebrows. Then, he looked down.

The lacquered box contained nothing but a neatly folded and washed blue-bordered red robe with cloud patterns.

His eyes flashed and his face suddenly darkened. He clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead jumping, as if he were trying to control the pain and hatred in his heart.

This robe was what his elder brother often wore when he went to the palace for an audience and court meetings. He assumed that it was the robe he wore when he was killed in Weiyang Palace that day.

It took a long time before he could finally speak. “This is my elder’s brother’s stuff. Where did you get it?”

A’Shu bowed her head and said, “Your Highness, please pardon this concubine for acting on her own. A month ago, someone was sent to collect the corpse of Brother-in-law and lay him down in a coffin. It should be on the way to Dongjun by now.”

At this moment, Liu Xun’s gentle mask was peeled off. His eyes narrowed as he threw her a sharp look. Watching her eyes closely, he asked, “Why did you collect the remains of Elder Brother? Did the Empress Dowager asked you to do it?”

On that day, his Elder Brother’s body was hung at the city gate for public view. It was a great shame. But forced by the situation, he could not show any hatred nor could he send people to collect his elder brother’s remains in the wilderness for a proper burial.

He bowed down to his enemies every day, which was a torture. Now, he suddenly learned that his newly-married wife, who just entered his house yesterday, had already sent someone to collect the body of his elder brother and took care of his funeral affairs. He was both surprised and suspicious.

She was the daughter of the Empress Dowager. He didn’t believe that she was well-intentioned.

A’Shu met his sharp cutting gaze. Although she was afraid, she still tried hard to keep her back straight without trembling, and looked directly at him. “On the day I learned that I was going to marry Your Highness, I discussed it with Elder Brother. Elder Brother said that the Grand Excellency was a modern hero who had the upright integrity of his ancestors. It was regrettable that he was killed by evil-doers. Since I would be marrying Your Highness, why not take the Prince’s unfinished business off of his hands? If Your Highness is displeased, just condemn this concubine by all means.”

She namedropped her elder brother but it was actually her and her sister-in-law who took the initiative to bring it up. Her elder brother then ordered the family servants to quietly stay outside the city for more than a month. After Empress Dowager Zhang and Geng Yun left with their party, they quietly moved and sent the body out of the city.

She did not explain the hardships and setbacks involved in the operation, only because at this moment, he had to make a choice.

If he chose to believe her, he would know the difficulty of the affair without being told. Regardless of the old feud, he would remember today’s event with gratitide in the future. If he disbelieved, no matter how she explained, he would only think that she had been instructed by Empress Dowager Zhang and that she had bad intentions.

She was gambling on his understanding, hoping that he would see her sincerity and that the Zhao family was not conspiring with Empress Dowager Zhang and Geng Yun.

Liu Xun’s lips were pursed and did not speak as he carefully ponder.

After a long time, until her back felt chilly, he slowly looked away and took sips of the buttermilk. He said, “Today at the Weiyang Palace, the Grand Marshal asked me why I secretly wore mourning clothes for my elder brother and did not even take it off at the wedding ceremony. Did you complain to the Empress Dowager and His Majesty?”

A’Shu was perplexed for a second but she quickly gathered her senses. She hurriedly and adamantly denied, “Your Highness, this concubine had never done so.”

No wonder he had been so brusque since returning. So he thought she was snitching to Empress Dowager Zhang! This was a great injustice, which was absolutely must not be suffered in vain.

Liu Xun suddenly smiled and softly said, “Lady Zhao, I know it’s not you.” He lifted his eyes and glanced at the closed doors and windows. His voice became softer and softer. “But there are always a few pairs of eyes and ears around that must be cleaned.”

He put down the lacquered cup and slowly rose to his feet. He straightened his clothes and said with a smile, “If you can think of a way, I might as well take you out of Chang’an.”

After such remarks, he left right away.

A’Shu looked at his back until it disappeared from view, and then fell into a contemplation.

If he knew it wasn’t her, why did he want her to do something? Could it be that those people with unclean eyes and ears were by her side?

As soon as this speculation hit her, her eyes involuntarily looked at the several maidservants who came with her as part of her dowry.

Due to the hasty wedding, apart from the two or three girls who came with her from Handan and accompanied her for many years, there were also a few who were brought from the household where they shortly stayed before the wedding. Her elder brother originally intended to send another person from Handan. However, the uncles of the side clan were very solicitous. They selected a few elderly servants who could be sent to her at once.

It was embarassing to deny such great hospitality so she accepted. She didn’t take it to heart at that time, but thinking about it now, it was very inappropriate.

She then took Que-er inside and explained carefully, “Today, let the new servants do more heavy work. The more tired they are, the better. It’s best if they have no time to attend to other things, and complain every minute.”

Que-er was astonished. “A’Shu, why is this?”

“Does Que-er want to go back to Handan?”

When Que-er heard this, her eyes lit up and she nodded. “Of course! The food in Chang’an is really not as good as in Handan!”

A’Shu chuckled. “Then do as I say. Don’t slip a word to others.”

After the two finished talking, she called the others in to continue cleaning up the boxes in the house.

“But how did the Prince’s clothes fall here?”

A piece of white silk was hidden in the quilt that Liu Xun tidied up himself early in the morning. It was the mourning clothes he wore last night!

A’Shu was taken aback. When she regained her senses, anger suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart.

He was aware that someone was snooping around last night, yet, he still took off his wedding suit as soon as he entered the bridal chamber and deliberately showed his mourning clothes. At first, she didn’t think much of it. She only thought that he was intoxicated, and in his befuddled state, he was a little impulsive.

Today, he must have expected that he would be probed and censured by Empress Dowager Zhang and Geng Yun. He had obviously prepared a countermeasure in advance. He took off his mourning clothes beforehand, hid them in the house, and then went to the palace. When he returned home, he pretended to be angry and tricked her into feeling guilty and terrified. Thinking that she was really put in a tight spot, she hurriedly showed her good will. More foolishly, she really believed that he intended to leave her in Chang’an and go to Hebei alone.

Even if Geng Yun seriously mentioned leaving her behind, it was nothing more than a trap. If Liu Xun agreed to leave by himself, then he was revealing his dissatisfaction with this marriage, conveniently falling into Geng Yun’s trap!

It was only because she heard that she had to stay in Chang’an that got her wits scattering, making her an easy prey for his deception.

This man is really hateful!

……
Liu Xun returned home at dusk.

A few feet outside the bedroom, he heard a scolding voice inside. “…Even the herbal bath is too hot. How will His Highness take a bath when he comes back? Of what use are people if they can’t do such trivial task?”

Although the voice was still clear and pleasant but because the words were obnoxious, she sounded unwarrantedly domineering, making people feel disgusted.

Liu Xun could not help but frown. He stepped into the door. He found that A’Shu, who was usually gentle and agreeable, was now arrogantly looking down and loudly berating at a maidservant. She did not have the magnanimity and dignified appearance of a noble woman.

A’Shu caught a glimpse of him entering the house, but she did not restrain herself. Instead, she came forward to meet him and complained, “This concubine thought Your Highness must want to take a bath when he comes back, so these two maidservants were ordered to prepare the herbal bath. But they filled so much hot water. How will Your Highness take a bath now?”

Liu Xun looked at her as if seeing a completely different person from this morning. His eyebrows rose as he followed her to the bathroom. As expected, he saw the steaming heat rising from the tub.

He quickly retracted his hand as soon as it touched the water. He nodded and said, “It’s really too hot. How did this herbal bath become like this?”

The two maids had been bullied by Que-er all day. Because of old age, they were easily exhausted. Unable to bear the severe scolding, they offered an explanation and begged for mercy. “The Princess Consort must not blame these servants wrongly. Only because Her Highness said that Your Highness might not return until some time later, the water must be kept warm. Just in case the water cooled when Your Highness returns, these servants brought two more buckets of hot water. Who knows… Because of all the heavy work earlier, this servant’s arm lose strength for a while, and that’s why.”

If it had been in the past, A’Shu would not have pursued it. Today, however, she refused to let go and said to Liu Xun in a peremptory manner, “Look, Your Highness, these two people not only refuse to admit their mistakes, but also accuse this concubine of being wrong.”

Liu Xun was suddenly enlightened. He immediately went along with her and pretended to be helpless. “The Princess Consort is angered like this. How do you want to deal with these two people?”

A’Shu glanced coldly at the two worried maids, then brushed her sleeves and answered, “I think it’s useless to keep them. Punish them with twenty sticks each, then send them back to my uncle’s house.”

The two women looked at each other and cried for mercy.

Liu Xun ordered, “Do as Her Highness wish. Take them down.”

A stout woman entered and hurriedly drag the two maids away.

When there were only the two of them left in the room, A’Shu’s insolent and arrogant attitude evaporated at once but her jade face still looked somehat frosty.

“So, is Your Highness satisfied?”

She made use of Empress Dowager Zhang’s false impression of her to deliberately censure these two spies, and took the opportunity to drive them out of the Grand Excellency’s mansion. This was his condition this morning.

Liu Xun noticed the change in her mood almost instantly. He smiled and nodded. “My lady is clever. This method is wonderful.”

A’Shu glanced at him and said coldly, “Will Your Highness take me to Hebei now?”

Hearing the growing indifference in her tone, Liu Xun was convinced that she was indeed angry.

“Naturally.”

After listening to his calm answer, A’Shu couldn’t help but ask indignantly, “This concubine just want to ask Your Highness, did the Grand Marshal really mention that he wanted me to stay in Chang’an?”

Liu Xun looked at the undisguised doubt and indignation in her bright pitch-black watery eyes, and was slightly stunned.

Surprisingly, she had clearly guessed that what he said in the morning was partly false.

When he first saw her yesterday, he thought that except for her outstanding looks, she was a just a very ordinary daughter of a powerful family. Until today, he only thought that she was gentle and cautious, but it turned out that she was a little smarter than ordinary women. However, it seemed that she also had an edge to her. In addition, she was arrogant and domineering. It was hard to figure out what kind of woman she was.

Many thoughts flashed through his head, but he didn’t reveal anything on his face. He just nodded and said, “Of course it is true.”

Geng Yun did ask him if he was willing to leave Lady Zhao so that she and the Empress Dowager could get to know each other.

However, before he could give an answer, Empress Dowager Zhang already declined. He conveniently went along with her. While expressing his gratitude, he pretended to be shy and happy.

A’Shu obstinately stared at his expression, as if trying to distinguish the truth from his words.

But his expression was completely closed, and she failed to find any clues for a long time. A thin film of mist covered her bright eyes.

“This concubine has been thinking about going home for a long time. If Your Highness has any instructions, this concubine will comply. But regarding this matter, empty talks are intolerable.” The tears in her eyes were about to fall. It looked as though she was trying hard to hold it back. Her voice turned gentler. “This concubine is slow. Today, the purpose of Your Highness is evident. But if this concubine misunderstands in the future, won’t it only vex Your Highness?”

Liu Xun frowned. This woman was very adept at using hard and soft tactics.

One moment, she looked very indignant as she hotly questioned him, but in the next moment, she had put on an aggrieved look before he could even express dismay. With this contrast, it appeared that she was a noble person while he was a miserable villain.

Thinking of this, his eyes darkened. What a very uncanny woman.

He recalled that she seemed to be afraid of him for no reason, but when she confronted him angrily, she was fearless.

In the end, she was after all a babe in the woods and still had a childlike disposition. It may be assumed that in her family, she must have been the pearl in the palm of her father and elder brother, and she was extremely spoiled.

Indeed, with such a skin as white as snow and a complexion as beautiful as flowers, who wouldn’t love and pity her?

What a shame that she married him.

Liu Xun took a slight pity on her. Finally, he reached out and rubbed her dark soft hair. He said with a sigh, “You weren’t deceived. The Grand Marshal did mention to let you stay in Chang’an, but the Empress Dowager refused. Naturally, I won’t keep you here. Tomorrow, you’d better pack. In three days, we’ll leave for the East.”

On that day, he promptly swore his allegiance, throwing Empress Dowager Zhang and Geng Yun off guard. However, the pair knew that his mind was too shrewd and hard to read. To allay their suspicions, he arranged the mourning clothes, showing them that he was just an ordinary man made of flesh and blood 一 cowardly and fearful, heart-broken and suffering.

As for the eyes and ears arranged by the Empress Dowager, it was not convenient for him to remove them by himself, so he borrowed Lady Zhao’s hand to clean them up.

It was indeed true that he did this deliberately to make Empress Dowager Zhang and Geng Yun unsure of their next move. Now that the goal has been achieved, there was no need to annoy this woman again.

A’Shu’s restless heart finally steadied.

As long as she could stay far away from Chang’an, she could feel at ease, not worrying about Empress Dowager Zhang and Geng Yun.