12dz Chapter 48 Wang Xianrong
Chapter 48 Wang Xianrong
Cheng Yan remained silent for a while.
"The princess has been waiting for the Marquis to return for dinner all day, but he has not returned yet."
Butler Zhou started nagging like an old woman, "You're back so late, the princess is already asleep. If you go over there and disturb her, she might change her mind in a fit of anger."
Cheng Yan: "...It's not that bad."
Now that she's agreed, there's no reason for her to go back on her word.
Butler Zhou added, "How could it not be? This woman's mood is like the rain in June, it can come down at any moment."
What exactly did you take Aunt Wang with you to do? Didn't I send someone to tell you to come back early?
In the evening, Cheng Yan hurriedly returned, but left with Wang Xianrong.
Before Steward Zhou could say anything, he sent someone to look for him when he saw that he hadn't returned for a long time.
I never expected it to be this late.
Cheng Yan did not answer the question, but said, "Since the princess has already rested, please have dinner prepared. I am a little hungry."
Seeing that he wouldn't say anything, Steward Zhou didn't dare to ask any more questions, so he got up and went out to have someone bring the food over.
“I’ll go with you,” Song Nian said, and then followed him out. As soon as they were outside the door, he pulled the man aside.
"Old Zhou, I heard that Miss Hongying returned today?"
"Yes, they came back once and then left again."
"What? They left again?"
Butler Zhou found it strange: "Why are you making such a fuss? She's gone, that's all. It's not like she's never coming back. She's out there on official business, so it's normal for her to leave."
Song Nian was furious when he heard this.
This old man only cares about the Marquis and doesn't care about him at all, does he?
OK OK.
So all those years of friendship have been wasted, haven't they?
Songnian was so angry that he turned and was about to leave.
Butler Zhou reached out and grabbed him: "Hey, where are you going?"
Song Nian said irritably, "I'm going to rest. Now that the Marquis is back, this is your business. I'm tired and going to sleep."
"Wait a minute, where did the Marquis take Consort Wang?"
Seeing his curiosity, and considering that Aunt Wang usually lived in the mansion, it wouldn't hurt to let him know some of the inside story, Song Nian lowered his voice and said:
"He went to see Xie Qu."
"Xie Qu?" Butler Zhou asked in surprise.
Song Nian rubbed his temples and said, "You know that the Marquis and Xie Qu had some past acquaintances. Today, after the army's triumphant return, Xie Qu was escorted to the Ministry of Justice prison, and the Marquis went to see him."
Today, Cheng Yan had a fight with Xie Qu. Later, he learned that the person Xie Qu left the Xie family for and wanted to make a name for himself was actually Wang Xianrong.
It turned out that the two had a secret affair, but the Wang and Xie families were tabooed by the royal family, and even their own children had cut off all contact in public, let alone a marriage alliance. In the end, it had to end in regret.
Xie Qu thought that since he had left the Xie family, he was no longer a member of the Xie family. He believed that if he made a name for himself in the future, the Wang family might marry Wang Xianrong to him, and the marriage could continue.
He never expected that as soon as he left Qindu, Wang Xianrong would give up on him and chase after Cheng Yan. Even after Cheng Yan got married, she was willing to be his concubine.
Songnian recounted the events, concluding, "The Marquis agreed to Xie Qu's request to bring Consort Wang to see him, thus fulfilling his dying wish."
Upon hearing this, Steward Zhou could only sigh: "A once upright gentleman, one wrong step, and he ended up with his head severed from his body. It's a pity."
Song Nian also sighed and said to Steward Zhou, "Alright, stop lamenting. You should keep an eye on Aunt Wang in the mansion to prevent her from causing any trouble. I'm leaving now."
After saying this, Songnian quickly slipped away.
Butler Zhou sighed, shook his head, and quickly ordered someone to set out the meal. He then instructed someone to prepare hot water so that his master could take a bath after eating and feel more comfortable.
After Cheng Yan finished his bath, Steward Zhou asked him if he wanted to go back to Chunxie Courtyard: "Why don't you go back? If the princess is angry, you can coax her."
As Cheng Yan hesitated, a guard came to report that Wang Xianrong had arrived.
Cheng Yan didn't want to see her, but thinking of Xie Qu, he nodded and had someone invite her in.
Wang Xianrong, dressed in a lilac-colored spring gown, entered with the help of her maid. As soon as she entered, she knelt down facing the hall.
Although she was kneeling, her back was straight, and she was neither humble nor arrogant.
"What are you doing?" Cheng Yan frowned, but then he thought of Xie Qu and asked, "Is it for Xie Qu? You should know that Xie Qu has committed a serious crime. Even the Xie family couldn't protect him, so neither can I."
Wang Xianrong said, "My lord, you misunderstand. I came here today not to ask you to protect Xie Qu, but for my own sake."
"yourself?"
"Exactly." Wang Xianrong lowered her eyes and bit her lip. "After today, does Your Excellency intend to give me a letter of release and send me away?"
Cheng Yan remained silent.
He does indeed have this plan.
Wang Xianrong continued, "I have come here today to beg the Marquis not to send me away."
"My relationship with Xie Qu is all in the past. All those things have become the past since he left Qindu. Now, my heart is only with you, my lord, and I only want to stay by your side. Please grant me your request."
Cheng Yan held the teacup, his brows furrowed deeply: "It's no longer appropriate for you to stay in the Cheng family."
He never wanted Wang Xianrong to stay at the Cheng family's house for long, and now that he knows about her connection with Xie Qu, he can't let her stay any longer.
How embarrassing.
"My lord!" Wang Xianrong cried out anxiously, unwilling to accept the situation. "Does it mean that because of Xie Qu, you're abandoning your concubine?"
"I have no other wish now but to remain by your side, my lord. Is it possible that you cannot tolerate me?"
"He didn't leave the Xie family because his concubine forced him, and now he has this fate of his own making. What does it have to do with his concubine?"
"My lord, you cannot send me away just because he once had feelings for me. I am so wronged!"
Cheng Yan glanced at her and saw tears in her eyes, filled with resentment and unwillingness, which immediately annoyed him.
He said, "He was devoted to you, and even on his deathbed, he was thinking of seeing you one last time. Is this how you treated him?"
"Your Excellency is too kind. It's not that whoever treats another with sincerity will receive a response. Xie Qu treats me this way, I treat Your Excellency this way, and Your Excellency treats the Princess this way, isn't that right?"
"Does Your Excellency think that since Your Excellency is devoted to the Princess, but the Princess does not reciprocate your feelings and dislikes you, then the Princess is at fault?"
Cheng Yan's expression changed slightly when he saw that she dared to bring Qin Yizhen into the picture.
The princess was certainly not wrong; it was just that he kept insisting, wanting to keep her by his side for the rest of his life.
In all things considered, he was probably just as selfish as Wang Xianrong in matters of love, and it's not really fair to accuse Wang Xianrong of coldly and heartlessly abandoning Xie Qu.
However, he didn't want to stay in the Cheng family any longer.
"Even if you stay, I will pretend you don't exist. Why bother? Wouldn't it be better to find a good match elsewhere? You are a woman of the Wang family, and there are countless men in the world who would like to marry you."
Wang Xianrong said, "But no matter how many men there are in the world, none of them are like you, Marquis..."