Chapter 59: Empress Dowager Forces Marriage (2)

Lou Xiyan frowned slightly, not knowing how to answer. Xuan'er would commit suicide; he knew without guessing that it was because of him, but he didn't want Ling'er to misunderstand.

Thinking of everything in the Great Hall that day, the girl's eyes looking at her were so soft that they could drip water, plus his current expression, Zhuo Qing guessed, "Because you are getting married, and the bride is not her?"

Lou Xiyan still didn't answer, just said lightly to Jing Sa, "Prepare the carriage."

"Yes." Jing Sa bowed and pushed out.

Lou Xiyan barely supported his body to stand up, but just such a simple action made him pant. Zhuo Qing brought a clean garment from the side and handed it to him, saying worriedly, "You still want to go like this?" He even had trouble walking; how could he enter the palace like this, or was that princess really that important?!

With Zhuo Qing's help, Lou Xiyan changed into a fresh blue-green Confucian shirt. Seeing her awkwardness, Lou Xiyan stroked her cheek and smiled, "The decree cannot be disobeyed. I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

Forget it, why bother with a little girl who was seeking death! Seeing him panting while putting on clothes, Zhuo Qing said, "How about I accompany you? I'll wait for you in the carriage."

Lou Xiyan shook his head and replied, "You've been tired all day today; rest well at home and wait for me to come back. Okay?" He couldn't be sure what the Empress Dowager wanted to do this time, and he was afraid that bringing her along would put her in danger.

Lou Xiyan's tone was gentle, and his meaning was already very clear, so Zhuo Qing didn't insist anymore: "Alright, take care of yourself."

"Wait for me." A light kiss fell on her brow, and Lou Xiyan flicked her nose. Zhuo Qing was stunned for a while, and when she came back to her senses, Lou Xiyan had already walked out of the inner room slowly.

Zhuo Qing hurriedly followed him out. Lou Xiyan was neatly dressed but pale, unable to hide his exhaustion as he walked out of Lanyue Lou. Lou Muhai looked coldly at Zhuo Qing behind him before asking him, "Where are you going?"

Zhuo Qing was depressed; why glare at her, it wasn't she who let Xiyan go out! Inexplicable!

Lou Xiyan didn't answer Lou Muhai's question immediately but turned to Zhuo Qing beside him and said, "It's very late, you go to sleep first."

Under Lou Muhai's increasingly cold glare, Zhuo Qing nodded at Lou Xiyan calmly. She was least afraid of eye contests!

Walking to Lou Muhai's side, Lou Xiyan replied lightly, "The Empress Dowager's decree, I need to enter the palace."

Xue Xianxin cried out in confusion, "Enter the palace now? It's so late, what happened?" Why enter the palace in the middle of the night? How could this not make people curious?

Lou Xiyan didn't explain, nodded gently to Lou Muhai, and walked out toward the courtyard gate.

Lou Xiyan was gone, and Zhuo Qing also turned to walk toward the Jiuqu Bridge, preparing to return to Zhaixing Pavilion to wait for Lou Xiyan's news. Before her foot had even stepped out, Lou Muhai's thunderous, deep voice sounded behind her: "You, come with me to the study."

Who was he calling?

Zhuo Qing turned back blankly. Lou Muhai had already walked toward the study. Xue Xianxin squinted at her with schadenfreude. Lou Xiwu walked to her side, patted her shoulder gently, full of sympathy, and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid, he just has a loud voice, I've got your back, it's fine!"

Zhuo Qing raised her eyebrows slightly, not showing any fear but rather interest. Alright, Lou Xiyan hadn't returned, so she probably wouldn't be able to sleep, so she might as well go meet him.

Zhuo Qing wandered slowly to the study. Lou Muhai had been waiting for a while, his impatience obvious.

As soon as she stepped into the study, Lou Muhai didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "You know why I called you here, right."

Zhuo Qing shrugged and replied, "I don't know." She wasn't the roundworm in his stomach.

"Since the Emperor bestowed you upon Xiyan, you are already Xiyan's woman. In this family, there will definitely be a place for you. However, for a person, the most important thing is to recognize one's position. Do you understand?"

What a position! Zhuo Qing asked back, "You mean you want me not to stop Lou Xiyan from taking concubines?"

"Xiyan's main wife should be someone who is well-matched in social status, can help him, and is beneficial to his official career."

So it was her own overestimation of her abilities; the man didn't mean whether she allowed taking concubines, but that she didn't even have the qualifications to be the main wife! Zhuo Qing snorted coldly: "So what?"

He had already said it so clearly. Regarding Zhuo Qing's lack of appreciation, Lou Muhai was even more displeased.

He wouldn't say it? Then let her say it. Zhuo Qing crossed her arms and sneered, "So I should persuade Xiyan to marry a woman who is beneficial to his official career to show my generosity and virtue?"

I don't know if it was because he was used to being arrogant or didn't care about what Zhuo Qing thought at all. After hearing her words, Lou Muhai actually said, "It's best if you understand. Xiyan likes you, you know very well; even if he marries a main wife, you don't have to worry about losing favor. For Xiyan and the Lou family, the Prime Minister's Mansion needs a main wife with a prominent status."

She thought this father simply felt she wasn't worthy of his son; it turned out she wasn't worthy of the Lou family. Angry to the point of laughter, Zhuo Qing replied disdainfully, "If a man has to rely on political marriage to achieve his promotion, I wouldn't want such a man even if he were given to me. I don't know what Xiyan is in your heart; perhaps just a chess piece for you to satisfy interests and expand power, but in my heart, he is a person, a man I love."

It turned out that saying love didn't seem very difficult. Zhuo Qing didn't expect that she would blurt it out. She was in a good mood, automatically ignoring Lou Muhai's thunderous face, and laughed loudly, "I think you probably misunderstood; virtue and kindness are exactly the qualities I lack the most. My man can only have one wife; let alone taking concubines, he can't even occasionally cheat!"

"Presumptuous! A jealous woman is not worthy of being a wife. If you remain obsessed, you will only be driven out of the Prime Minister's Mansion in the end." This woman was indeed spoiled by Xiyan to the point of lawlessness!

"You don't need to worry about that for me. If Lou Xiyan has a second woman, you don't need to drive me away; I will leave myself." If he continued to talk, he would probably have a cerebral hemorrhage! Shrugging, Zhuo Qing smiled, "I think there is no need for us to continue talking. It's getting late, you should rest early!" She still had the upbringing and politeness she should have.

After speaking, Zhuo Qing turned and walked out of the kitchen on her own.

"You will harm him."

The deep sigh, sounding like a warning, made Zhuo Qing's back stiffen, but it was only for a very short moment. Without looking back, Zhuo Qing still stepped away firmly.

It was already the Zi hour, and the inside and outside of the Xixia Palace were still brightly lit. Eunuchs and palace maids knelt all over the floor, but it was quiet enough to be suffocating. The heavy atmosphere could be felt deeply without even entering.

As soon as Lou Xiyan stepped into the hall, he saw the Western Empress Dowager Yang Zhilan and the Emperor sitting in front of the hall. Yan Hongtian's face was gloomy, hard to distinguish joy from anger, while the Empress Dowager was full of anxiety, constantly looking outside the hall. Seeing Lou Xiyan walk in, Yang Zhilan breathed a sigh of relief secretly.

Walking to the center of the hall, Lou Xiyan knelt on one knee and greeted, "Minister Lou Xiyan pays respects to the Emperor, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years. Empress Dowager, ten thousand blessings and peace."

"Rise." Seeing Lou Xiyan's pale face without any color, Yan Hongtian frowned: "Grant a seat. Why is your face so bad?"

Secretly adjusting his breath, Lou Xiyan replied lightly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern, I am fine. Why summon me to the palace late at night?"

Yan Hongtian didn't speak, and the Western Empress Dowager sighed lightly and said, "Xiyan, calling you here so late, I am also forced by helplessness."

"Empress Dowager, you are too serious." She had even invited the Emperor; I'm afraid she wouldn't give up tonight until she achieved her goal.

"Xuan'er is a stubborn child! She has liked you since she was a child, as you know. Now that you are getting married, how can she bear it!"

Lou Xiyan asked, "Is the princess alright?" He could be said to have watched Yan Ruxuan grow up. If anything happened to her, he would also be unbearable.

That he would ask this meant he already knew about Xuan'er's suicide. The Western Empress Dowager had a worried face, and her face, which was usually well-maintained, was full of fatigue at this time. No longer avoiding it, Yang Zhilan said, "She finally woke up, but I'm worried that the child will still think of doing something stupid. Inviting you here today is to discuss with you; Xuan'er has deep feelings for you, what do you think?"

Xuan'er was her only daughter; as long as it was something she wanted, she would definitely help her get it!

Lou Xiyan remained silent, and Yan Hongtian also kept a cold face without speaking. The hall was silent for a long time, and the Western Empress Dowager finally said the purpose of tonight: "I will betroth her to you today, how about it?"

Although it was a question, unfortunately, the Western Empress Dowager didn't seem to be asking for his opinion. Bestowing marriage—this was the main purpose of summoning him to the palace tonight, right?

Having expected it in his heart, Lou Xiyan was not surprised, but just stood up from the seat, walked to the center of the hall, cupped his fists and bowed slightly, and replied lightly, "Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your kindness, but I already have a wife and dare not wrong the princess."

The Empress Dowager had expected him to say this, raised a loving smile, and persuaded, "Don't worry, I am not an unreasonable person. I also like that child Qing Ling very much. The prayer ceremony is coming soon. After the ceremony, hold your wedding with Xuan'er first, and after you are married, take Ling'er into the mansion. Although it wrongs her a bit, you know Xuan'er's character; she will definitely not make things difficult for her." According to Lou Xiyan's character, he shouldn't take concubines again. One wife and one concubine, Xuan'er wouldn't be too wronged.

"Returning to the Empress Dowager, my marriage with Qing Ling has already been reported to the elders in the family, and at the palace banquet, I also informed the officials that she is already my wife. How can I marry another?" On this matter, he would definitely insist to the end.

The Western Empress Dowager was stunned and replied amusingly, "You haven't officially married, so naturally you can't be considered husband and wife, so how can there be marrying another? As the Prime Minister of a country, how can you decide such a thing as marrying a wife so hastily?! Qing Ling is not bad, but she is a foreign woman, how can she be worthy of being your main wife?!"

Standing for too long, Lou Xiyan's breathing was already unstable. After calming down for a long time, Lou Xiyan said loudly again, "Empress Dowager, your words are wrong. The Emperor bestowed her upon me, so she is no longer a Haoyue woman, but my woman. I have already had the reality of husband and wife with her, and I have sworn to marry her as my main wife. Breaking the marriage at this time is truly contrary to the righteousness of my conduct. If I were really such a fickle and inconsistent person, the Empress Dowager wouldn't be at ease handing the princess over to me, right?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 60 =====