Chapter 058
Chapter 58: Another Motive
At a breakfast stall, the townsfolk whispered as they ate: “Isn’t the Lu family Consort Ping’s natal clan? How can they be short of silver?”
Another person huffed: “They waste money. I heard the Lu family’s masters keep several concubines each. With that many mouths, even a mountain of gold would be drained.”
A woman lowered her voice: “They still shouldn’t target Eldest Miss Xia. She’s already pitiful after the divorce, yet the Lu family keeps eyeing her.”
Someone added: “The most miserable one isn’t Eldest Miss, it’s Second Miss. I heard the Lu family wants ten shops as her dowry. If not, they’ll swap brides.”
A man spat: “Shameful. A concubine-born grandson of the Lu family picking between two legitimate daughters, back and forth.”
Another sighed: “What can you do when the Lu family has Consort Ping favored in the palace? Even Lord Xia has to bow.”
A man at the next stall heard them, slammed down his chopsticks, and hurried off in anger.
Lin Ye Lan, who also heard, looked grim. He pushed off the table and left, limping.
His attendant reached out, then pulled back after seeing his lord’s leg, and asked in a low voice: “My lord, where are you going?”
Lin Ye Lan had never imagined he would end up lame. The physician had said that during recovery he used too much numbing powder, and with the knee injury, the thigh muscles had stiffened beyond repair. Now he could not run or jump, and he could not even walk fast without a sharp, drilling pain in his thigh.
He said coldly: “To the Xia family.”
Ever since Xia Meng Yan left the Ping’an Marquis Manor, everything had slipped out of his control. The emperor was angry at him over the 200,000 taels. He had humbled himself and begged everywhere to get the bandit-suppression assignment. He had just returned, only to hear that the Lu family wanted to marry Xia Meng Yan.
Nanny Song hurried in to report to Xia Meng Yan: “Eldest Miss, the Ping’an Marquis is making a scene at the gate, shouting to see you. The steward says Lord Xia is still at court and told me to ask if we should let the marquis in.”
These last two days, Xia Meng Yan had rested well for the pregnancy. With Divine Physician Luo’s medicine, her spirits were much improved. Hearing Nanny Song’s report, she remembered Lin Ye Lan and said calmly: “Let him wait in the front hall.”
A marquis standing at the Xia family gate for long would draw talk. Nanny Song sent someone to invite him in, then helped her mistress change.
Lin Ye Lan had thought he would be refused, but the Xia family did not make things hard. His attendant, testing the waters, whispered: “My lord, you just came back from suppressing bandits. Coming to the Xia manor so early, are you here to see the child?”
They were already divorced. Aside from the child, the attendant could not think of any other reason for an early visit.
Lin Ye Lan’s eyes turned as cold as a ghost’s in the night as he said: “My child is about to be taken away by someone else. Of course I’m here to ask her.”
Xia Meng Yan, walking to the door, heard him and said with a chill in her voice: “Marquis, choose your words carefully.”
He turned toward the sound, and his gaze dropped to her belly. By his count, the child was almost five months along. If the Lu family had their way, then when the child was just born, Xia Meng Yan would have to marry into the Lu family.
Thinking that his son would have to call Lu Rong Fang, that concubine-born grandson of the Lu family, “father,” made the veins stand out on his forehead.
He glared and said: “Xia Meng Yan, aren’t you so capable? You wrecked the Ping’an Marquis Manor so badly, yet why are you going soft on the Lu family? I’m telling you, if you think my son will call Lu Rong Fang ‘father,’ don’t even dream it.”
Xia Meng Yan saw him step closer and moved away on instinct. In Lin Ye Lan’s eyes, that movement was rejection. [Does she despise me because I limp?] He, the court’s new favorite and the once-dashing General Lin, was being shunned by his ex-wife. His pride snapped.
He strode up and grabbed her, resentment spilling from his eyes as he said: “I am mad. If not for you, I’d still be a promising talent at court. I wouldn’t have been injured suppressing bandits or become a joke to others. In the end, it’s all your fault.”
She tried to shake him off, but his grip was like iron. Afraid to jolt the child, she kept her movements small and said evenly: “If you want to blame someone, think who sowed discord and had soldiers pretend to be bandits, and who let her people run wild. It was Huo Ying Zi. If you must resent someone, resent her. Without her, we would not have divorced, and you wouldn’t be like this now.” [Lin Ye Lan is a coward.]
Even now he did not dare touch the Lu family. Disgusting.
Feeling his hold loosen, Xia Meng Yan wrenched free. Nanny Song rushed to support her, pulling them a few steps apart as she said coldly: “Marquis, if you don’t like someone, go to their door and challenge them. Don’t come to the Xia family to make a scene every time. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered.”
Hearing the accusation that he bullied the weak and feared the strong, Lin Ye Lan flushed a mottled green and red. He truly did not dare make trouble for the Lu family. Consort Ping had no princes under her knee, yet Emperor Xuan Ming favored her. The Ping’an Marquis Manor had just offended the emperor. If Consort Ping dropped one bad word about him, his newly earned credit would be ruined.
He forced down his frustration. In his mind, only remarriage could fix the mess in front of him.
He softened his tone and said: “Meng Yan, I got too worked up. It wasn’t against you. It’s my failure that I didn’t protect you and the child. When I heard you might marry, I felt terrible.”
She gave a thin smile and said: “If you want a child, go to Huo Ying Zi. If you feel terrible, find another woman to comfort you. I’m not a trash station that takes every dirty and stinky thing.” Looking at his fake remorse, she hated her past self all over again. [How blind was I in my past life.] His acting was this poor, and she hadn’t seen through it back then. Since their divorce, they ran into each other more than when they were married. [He just cannot stop pestering me.]
Lin Ye Lan’s fists clenched. With hurt on his flushed face, he said: “Meng Yan, it’s one thing for outsiders to insult me, but do you have to step on me too?”
She frowned and said: “If you have business, speak. If not, I’m having you shown out.”
He blurted: “I only want to see if we can remarry. My bloodline can’t acknowledge another man as father…”
She raised a finger and said: “One.”
He hurried on: “Don’t be so selfish. After the child is born, how will the capital talk about him…”
She raised a second finger and said: “Two.”
Seeing his ploy fail, he grew anxious. Nanny Song warned: “Marquis, if you don’t state your business, I’ll call the steward.”
He cut in: “Have Divine Physician Luo treat my leg.”
He had come to try his luck at reconciliation, but the steward had let slip that Divine Physician Luo was in the residence. The imperial physicians had no way to heal him, but Divine Physician Luo was different. He could do it.
Xia Meng Yan dropped her hand and let out a dry laugh as she said: “You should have said so earlier instead of rambling.”
On the way over, Lin Ye Lan had weighed two roads: either Xia Meng Yan would marry him again with a rich dowry and pave his way, or Divine Physician Luo would cure his leg so he could go to the Northern Fortress Pass, earn military merit, and win back imperial favor. Without one of these, the Ping’an Marquis Manor had no way to rise again.
He tried to sound sincere as he said: “Meng Yan, you don’t want the child mocked for having a lame father when he’s born. You and I fighting only hurts the child. We were husband and wife once. Why keep this up?”
She answered coolly: “Fine. I can ask Divine Physician Luo to treat you. But I have one condition.”