latelenovela Chapter 135 Deep Affection
Chapter 135 Deep Affection
Chapter 135: Deep Affection
Outside the gates of the Xu residence in Yanliu Lane, a servant guarding the gate saw the familiar carriage of the Marquis's mansion speeding towards them from afar. His face lit up with joy, and he said to another servant beside him:
"Quickly inform the madam that the Marquis has arrived."
Inside the room, Xu Pingyue, having received the news, put down the account book in her hand and said to the maid, "Bihu, go and fetch the Gu Zhu purple bamboo shoots that Father had someone bring up a few days ago."
Seeing the joy on Xu Pingyue's face, Bihu smiled and replied, "Yes, Madam."
The Xu residence was located in Yanliu Lane, and a little further south was the exceptionally bustling West Market of the capital. This mansion was originally a security escort agency. After Xu Pingyue was brought to the capital by Marquis Anshi, in order to avoid attracting attention, he had the Xu family of Fuzhou buy the mansion, which became the place where Xu Pingyue and Marquis Anshi lived as husband and wife.
Living a quiet life amidst the bustling city truly evokes the feeling of a recluse in plain sight. Each time he comes here, he plays a few games of chess with Xu Pingyue, shares intimate words, and enjoys a pot of Xu's Gu Zhu Zi Sun tea. After a tender moment, all the resentment and bitterness he's accumulated in court vanishes. As long as he's not burdened by official duties, Marquis Anshi would rather spend all his time here than return to his mansion. Sometimes he doesn't go back for days on end, living a carefree and idyllic life, like living in a paradise.
The people in the Xu household knew that Xu Pingyue was favored by Marquis Anshi, and had long since changed their address to "Madam". Marquis Anshi did not object to this and had secretly placed her on the same level as the mistress of the Marquis's mansion.
Logically speaking, the Xu family should have been used to An Shihou's frequent visits to the Xu residence. The reason they were so happy today was that An Shihou had not set foot here for more than half a month, and he had not even appeared before the young master went to the examination hall for the imperial examination. This really made people think a lot.
"Master Hou..."
"Greetings, Your Excellency..."
As Marquis Anshi entered the Xu residence, servants bowed to him along the way. He strode toward Xu Pingyue's room with his hands behind his back. His expression was not exactly gloomy, but it was not pleasant either.
"I've met the Marquis."
Upon entering Xu Pingyue's room, he found a group of people kneeling inside. The woman he always cherished, as usual, lazily rose from the couch, tidying her hair as she gracefully walked towards him.
"You've come." She gave him a slight smile, and with a natural movement, she took off his outer robe, saying softly, "Where have you been all this time? Were you feeling down?"
Her voice was soft and melodious, like a gentle spring breeze, and even after so many years, it still captivated Marquis Anshi. Marquis Anshi's expression softened slightly, and he said, "I just came from the Marquis's residence."
Xu Pingyue smiled and handed An Shihou's overcoat to Bihu. Then she took An Shihou's hand and said, "You've come at the right time. Yesterday, Father asked someone to bring some tea from Fuzhou. It's your favorite Guzhu Zisun tea. The aroma smells even more mellow than before, so the taste must be quite different."
She cleverly avoided asking about the affairs of the Marquis's residence and subtly changed the subject. Marquis Anshi originally intended to question her, but seeing this, he couldn't say anything and could only sit down with her in the chair while she made tea for him.
The tea water scalded the curled tea leaves, releasing a rich and mellow aroma that wafted with the steam, making Xu Pingyue's lowered eyes appear even more delicate and charming. An Shihou stared at her intently, a pang of inexplicable pain shooting through his heart, and he let out a deep sigh.
Xu Pingyue placed the brewed tea beside him, looked up, and frowned at him: "What's wrong? You look tired and exhausted. Are you feeling unwell?"
Before he could answer, she got up, went behind him, and placed her slender fingers on his temples, massaging them gently.
"If you're not feeling well, you shouldn't come. I have people taking care of me here, so what are you worried about?"
Marquis Anshi said in a deep voice, "Last night, Meng Shu gave birth to a son prematurely."
The pressure on her temples paused for a moment, and Xu Pingyue seemed to give instructions to the maids inside the room, who immediately understood and withdrew.
Once only the two of them were left in the room, Xu Pingyue continued massaging as if nothing had happened. An Shihou's fingers curled slightly, as if he were loosely clenching a fist.
"That's wonderful, Xun'er has another younger brother." Xu Pingyue said with a light smile, "Congratulations, Your Excellency."
"Joy?" Marquis Anshi said, "It's not much to be happy about. That child almost lost his life. Although he was successfully saved, who knows if he will grow up to be another Kang'er?"
Xu Pingyue said, "I hope our ancestors will bless him so that he can grow up safely and without incident."
Do you know why Meng Shu went into premature labor?
Xu Pingyue said, "I would like to hear the details."
Marquis Anshi said, "Someone poisoned her with a drug called 'Childlessness' in an attempt to kill the fetus in her womb. And her symptoms of premature birth are almost identical to those of that other woman. I suspect that someone in the Marquis's mansion is secretly manipulating everything to prevent me from having any more children! To ensure that the Marquis's mansion will be without an heir!"
His self-reference changed from "I" to "this Marquis," which means that he was in a very bad mood at the moment, no, extremely bad.
Xu Pingyue keenly sensed this and said softly, "Since someone is causing trouble, we must investigate thoroughly, otherwise our family will never have peace."
"Do you know that Chunxiao is dead?" Marquis Anshi suddenly asked.
Xu Pingyue paused again, a surprised voice coming from behind her: "Chunxiao is dead? Why?"
"Why?" Marquis Anshi sneered. "She poisoned Gongsun Yuan in an attempt to murder her master. On the night of the incident, seeing that her actions had been exposed, she committed suicide by poisoning herself out of fear of punishment! I never knew that a mere maidservant in the Marquis's mansion could hide deadly poison in her teeth. What an extraordinary skill that is!"
Marquis Anshi stood up from his chair, turned around, and stared intently at the expression on Xu Pingyue's face. He said, "Six years ago, when Chunxiao came to Gongsun Yuan's side, Gongsun Yuan was already pregnant. Before Chunxiao died, Meng Shu was also pregnant. Both of them went into premature labor due to accidents before they were due to labor, and the children they gave birth to all had problems. Tell me, why is that?"
"Are you questioning me?" Xu Pingyue's face instantly turned cold. "You think I instructed Chunxiao to poison those two women, trying to kill your child?"
Marquis Anshi pursed his lips and remained silent.
Xu Pingyue chuckled and said, "I have Xun'er and Rou'er, a son and a daughter, why would I need to do these things? What reason would I have to do these things? Ye Xingguan, is this really what you think of me?"
Marquis Anshi's lips moved, he had many things he wanted to say, but in the end he said nothing.
Xu Pingyue's eyes were filled with tears, and she looked utterly disheartened: "Sixteen years. I've spent sixteen years by your side in such an ambiguous way. Have I ever begged you to marry me? Have I ever begged you to settle down in the capital? If it weren't for Xun'er, do you think I would have willingly endured this humiliation? Who cares about your dilapidated marquis's mansion? Who cares about your position as the mistress of the house?"
“Wanfu…” Xu Pingyue’s words really struck a chord with Marquis Anshi. He had been suspicious of her, but now he was filled with guilt. He took two steps forward and wanted to hold her hand.
Xu Pingyue dodged his outstretched hand and said, "I have no desires in this life. I only hope to see Xun'er rise above others and find a good home for Rou'er. That would be enough for me! Since you don't trust me and we have no official status together, let's cut this tangled mess today!"
After she finished speaking, she turned away from An Shihou, but her slightly trembling shoulders betrayed her emotions at that moment.
Marquis Anshi could no longer hold back. He stepped forward, his heart aching, and embraced her trembling body, saying apologetically, "Wanfu, I was wrong. I shouldn't have thought of you like that. It must have been so hard for you all alone out there. I couldn't be with you all the time; it's my fault. It's understandable that you hate me, are angry with me, or resent me. It's what I owe you." He owed her. She could do whatever she wanted, even if…sigh…
A trace of sorrow flashed across An Shihou's eyes.
"Let me go, then leave!" Xu Pingyue cried, struggling slightly. "Let's cut all ties!"
An Shihou forcefully turned her body around, holding her tightly in his arms, their hearts pressed together, so that their hearts beat in unison.
"What nonsense are you talking about? The autumn examinations are over today, and Xun'er will be returning from the examination hall tomorrow. Do you think he will be heartbroken if he doesn't see his mother when he comes back?" Marquis Anshi comforted him. "Xun'er will definitely come out on top in this exam. Our son is so outstanding, how can you bear to leave him?"
"How could I not want to? Let me go, I'll go back to Fuzhou right now!"
"You love me, and I love you; we are as resilient as reeds and as steadfast as rocks. Are you really willing to give up on me?"
Xu Pingyue nestled in his arms, sobbing, but she stopped struggling and her emotions gradually calmed down.
"Tomorrow I'll take you to the examination hall to pick up Xun'er and bring him home, okay?" Marquis Anshi said, gently kissing Xu Pingyue's forehead.
Xu Pingyue paused for a moment, then gave a soft "hmm".
With a broad smile, Marquis Anshi pulled Xu Pingyue back to her chair: "Come on, the tea is getting cold. I want to taste just how fragrant the tea my father-in-law sent really is."
He picked up the teacup, took a sip, widened his eyes dramatically, and nodded, saying, "As expected of tribute tea, it is truly a masterpiece!"
Xu Pingyue chuckled and raised her sleeve to wipe the tea from the corner of his lips, her lowered eyelashes concealing the deep meaning in her eyes: "I knew you liked it."
"By the way, where is Rou'er? Why hasn't she come to pay her respects?" Marquis Anshi suddenly remembered something and turned to ask.
Xu Pingyue said, "She said she had something to do and had been away from the capital for several days."
Marquis Anshi had always known that Ye Yingrou had been associating with a江湖人 (jianghu person) named "Ji Hongbo." In the past, he felt guilty and always doted on Ye Yingrou, not being too strict with her and letting her do whatever she wanted. But ever since Ye Pianran received the emperor's praise at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and after she learned medicine and saved Old Madam Song and Ye Yanqi, and also discovered that someone was trying to prevent him from having any more children, he couldn't help but feel that Ye Yingrou was really too improper.
Marquis Anshi suddenly snorted coldly: "Spending all day mingling with江湖人 (jianghu people) is not the behavior of a proper young lady! If you really want her to marry a good man, you will have to keep a close eye on her after she returns!"
Xu Pingyue didn't know why he suddenly got angry, but she knew that his emotions were still unstable, so she lowered her eyes and replied, "I understand."
Marquis Anshi felt relieved, drank another pot of tea, played a game of chess with Xu Pingyue, and then set off to return to his residence.
Unbeknownst to him, after he left, Xu Pingyue's expression turned extremely grim. She summoned Bihu to her side and said, "Find a way to bring Miss back as soon as possible!"
Bihu: "Yes, Madam."