Love Lock

Chapter 252 The Abandoned Wife Still Has the Shame to Come Back
The afternoon sun pierced through the thick clouds, making the puddles accumulated from the heavy rain sparkle.

On the drill ground in the eastern suburbs of the capital, an army of 100,000 had been arrayed, their iron armor reflecting a cold light, appearing from afar like a moving metal forest.

Marquis Su Ce of Zhenyuan stood on the command platform, his hand on the sword at his waist, his gaze sweeping over the dense and orderly square formation below.

He had a rugged appearance and a tall, upright figure, but he had become somewhat overweight due to a life of luxury. Although he was just over fifty years old, his brows already showed signs of age.

His black iron armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the tiger tattoo on his chest looked menacing, as if it might pounce and bite at any moment.

Marquis Zhenyuan, Su Ce, was the cousin of Marquis Guanjun and was originally a second-rank military officer in the court.

However, the Su family was the maternal family of the former empress, and the former emperor was suspicious and feared interference from his maternal relatives after his ascension to the throne. Therefore, the Marquis of Champion and the Marquis of Zhenyuan only retained their titles and were advised to retire and live at home, without having to attend court at all.

The Su family, once a noble and powerful clan, lost all real power. With the former Emperor and Empress blown to smithereens, the Su family, having lost the support of the former Empress, plummeted to its lowest point.

But now the opportunity has arrived!
The King of Cangzhou rebelled, and the new Emperor Jing ordered a punitive expedition. Marquis Zhenyuan went to the palace to volunteer for the mission. He hoped to gain merit in the campaign against Cangzhou and return to the court, securing a place for himself and allowing the Su family to rise again.

"My lord, all units have assembled and are awaiting your command." Vice General Lu Heming stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and the armor plates made a crisp rustling sound.

Su Ce nodded slightly, but his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the direction of the imperial city.

There, his family had once enjoyed the highest glory, only to fall into obscurity.

When his cousin, Empress Su, was still alive, the Su family was incredibly prestigious.

Marquis Su Huan, the champion, commands an army of 300,000 on the border, while Su Ce is in charge of the imperial guards in the capital. Half of the military generals in the court are from the Su family.

During festivals, carriages and horses lined the gates of the Su residence, and gifts piled up like mountains.

But now...

"Lord Marquis?" The voice of Lieutenant General Lu Heming brought him back to reality.

"Pass down the order: set off immediately," Su Ce said in a deep voice, his words firm and resolute.

As the bugle sounded, the army slowly crept forward like a giant steel dragon.

The sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, and the clanging of armor mingled together, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Lu Heming rode closer and said, "My lord, there is something I don't understand. Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou, has always been respectful, loyal to the emperor, and patriotic. Why would there suddenly be rumors of a rebellion? Moreover, the court's troop deployment this time is so hasty, and the provisions and supplies are not yet complete..."

"Watch your words!" Su Ce's gaze sharpened, giving him a knowing look. "The imperial decree has been issued; we only need to follow orders. As for anything else..."

He squinted and looked into the distance. "It's not our business."

He's actually hoping the King of Cangzhou will rebel! Whether the court is just making baseless accusations or not, it's a rare opportunity for him.

Lu Heming wisely shut his mouth, but the doubt in his eyes did not disappear.

To take a shortcut, the army had to enter the capital through the east gate, exit through the north gate, and then head straight for Beiguan.

The leaves of the plane trees lining the street trembled in the cold wind, making a rustling sound.

Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps came from afar, like muffled thunder approaching.

A massive army of 100,000 marched through the streets, their armor gleaming like a forest of swords and spears, their armor gleaming coldly in the newly cleared sunlight.

The soldiers had solemn faces and heavy steps, each one causing the ground to tremble slightly.

People on both sides of the street peeked out from their shops and houses, some even climbing onto walls and treetops, just to catch a glimpse of this rare and spectacular scene.

Whispers could be heard from time to time among the crowd:
"Has the enemy invaded again?"

"No! I heard a few days ago that there was a rebellion in Cangzhou. They went to Cangzhou to suppress the rebels..."

"Did the King of Cangzhou really rebel?"

"The King of Cangzhou is a hero who resisted foreign enemies, how could he suddenly rebel?"

"Shh, keep your voice down, or you'll get yourself into trouble..."

Zhao Qiao'er, dressed in coarse cloth, had just pawned a pair of earrings at a pawn shop. She was originally queuing to buy rice at a rice shop on the street corner when she heard these discussions, and the rice bag in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

She looked around, quickly bent down to pick up the rice bag on the ground, lifted her skirt, and ran wildly towards the Prince's Mansion.

She knocked down several pedestrians along the way, drawing curses from them, but she paid no attention to them and just kept running.

Upon entering the Prince's mansion, she immediately turned around and closed the gate.

"boom!"

The gates of the Prince's mansion were slammed shut, causing dust to fall from the doorframe.

Zhao Qiao'er, carrying a bag of rice, walked breathlessly across the front yard. Her foot stepped on a dry branch, and the crisp "crack" sound was particularly jarring in the quiet yard.

The yard was overgrown with weeds, and several once precious peonies had long since withered and died, leaving only withered branches standing there crookedly.

"Mother! Mother!" Zhao Qiao'er's voice was filled with panic as she stumbled and ran to the backyard.

Aunt Qin, also dressed in coarse cloth, was squatting by the well washing clothes. Hearing Zhao Qiao'er's loud shouts, she looked up, her hands still dripping water, her face full of impatience.

"What are you yelling about? Can't you see I'm working?"

"No, this is terrible!" Zhao Qiao'er grabbed Aunt Qin's sleeve, panting, and said, "The rumors outside that the King of Cangzhou is plotting a rebellion are true! I just saw the imperial court... the army sent by the imperial court to suppress the rebellion has already set off."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Qin stumbled, kicking over the wooden basin beside her and splashing dirty water onto her skirt.

Her face had turned deathly pale, and her lips trembled as she said, “This, how could this be… that heartless little bastard, I am his elder no matter what. He went to Cangzhou to become a prince, and he left us with this empty palace. My daughter and I didn’t get any of the prince’s glory, and now we’ve inexplicably become the family of a rebel.”

As she spoke, she slapped her thigh and began to wail, "Oh dear! What am I going to do?"

Aunt Qin seemed to have forgotten that it was she herself who refused to go to Cangzhou with Zhao Zun and the others. She said that Cangzhou was a poor and remote place, and she wanted to stay in the capital with her daughter.

Now that she's gotten herself into trouble, she's trying to wash her hands of it all.

The mother and daughter were talking when a burst of laughter came from afar.

Several maids and servants gathered under the eaves, eating melon seeds and pointing and whispering in this direction.

One of the plump women deliberately raised her voice: "Oh dear! Look at them whispering amongst themselves, they're probably plotting how to skimp on our food again!"

Another thin maid chimed in sarcastically, "That's right! They wouldn't care about the lives of us servants. But I heard rumors outside that treason will result in the execution of nine generations of one's family..."

"You..." Aunt Qin was so angry that she trembled all over. Just as she was about to lash out, Zhao Qiao'er pulled her back.

The mother and daughter exchanged a glance, both seeing deep fear in each other's eyes.

The mother and daughter are living a miserable life. Although they still live in this royal mansion, they have probably sold everything they own, and pawned all their better clothes and jewelry, yet they still can't make ends meet.

The problem is that the more than twenty servants who did not receive their monthly wages and did not receive their indentures continued to stay in the Prince's mansion, eating, drinking, and living there for free.

These servants do no work all day; they just cook for themselves when it's time to eat.

The palace was neglected; no one cleaned it, no one tended to the flowers and plants, and it was filled with garbage and weeds. What was once a magnificent palace had been turned into a dilapidated abandoned temple.

The mother and daughter were furious and often made veiled insults at the servants, intending to force them to leave the manor and reduce the manor's expenses. But the servants were like deaf and mute people. At first, they would talk back to the mother and daughter, making sarcastic remarks and attacks, but now they couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to them. No matter how nasty their insults were, the servants pretended not to hear them.

Since they can't get a contract of indenture anyway, and they'll be captured as runaway slaves if they go out, it's better for them to live comfortably in the Prince's mansion.

Aunt Qin glared at the two servants and said fiercely, "Come on, let's go inside and talk."

Ignoring the unwashed clothes, she grabbed her daughter's arm and hurried towards the side room.

Pushing open the door, a musty smell hit me.

The room was empty; the once exquisite furniture had long been sold off, leaving only a few dilapidated tables and chairs. Traces left from when famous paintings were once hung on the walls remained, like scars.

"Mother, what are we going to do?" Zhao Qiao'er slumped into a chair, her voice trembling with tears. "If the imperial court investigates, we..."

"Keep your voice down!" Aunt Qin snapped, then glanced warily out the window. "Do you want those lowly maids to hear?"

She bit her lip and paced back and forth in the room, the soles of her slippers making an annoying clattering sound as they scraped against the floor.

Suddenly, she stopped, a ruthless glint in her eyes: "Since that little bastard Zhao Zun is so heartless, don't blame us for being ruthless. Tomorrow I will go to the yamen and accuse him of treason, claiming we knew nothing about it, and beg the court for mercy..."

“But Mother,” Zhao Qiao’er said timidly, “we don’t even have the money to bribe the government officials…”

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Aunt Qin's head. She slumped down, looking at her increasingly rough and calloused hands.

These hands, once used only for playing the zither and painting, are now used to wash clothes themselves.

Outside the window, the faint laughter of the servants pierced the hearts of the mother and daughter like a knife.

In the courtyard, a crow landed on a withered tree and let out a piercing cry, as if mocking the mother and daughter's desolation.

Aunt Qin suddenly raised her head and grabbed Zhao Qiao'er's shoulders with her rough hands.

She gazed at her young and somewhat beautiful daughter, her eyes shining with hope.

"Qiao'er!" Her voice trembled, her nails almost digging into her daughter's flesh. "Look at your mother like this. I can't rely on her anymore. Now... I can only rely on you."

Zhao Qiao'er was pinched painfully, but dared not break free. Her pale face was reflected in the bronze mirror, forming a strange contrast with her mother's almost frantic expression.

"Mother, please let go..." she said unhappily, her coarse cloth sleeves already deeply wrinkled from being gripped.

"Qiao'er, they say even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness, so why don't you..." Aunt Qin leaned closer, her tone pleading, "go to the Lin family? Ask Lin Yuanshan to help us out out of our past relationship..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Qiao'er recoiled as if burned, knocking over the rouge box on the dressing table and scattering the crimson powder all over the floor.

"Mother, you're confused!" Zhao Qiao'er's voice suddenly rose, then she immediately bit her lip.

The sound of a maid's footsteps came from outside the window. She lowered her voice and said, "The letter of divorce is still in my dowry. Wouldn't it be humiliating to go there now?"

She touched the wooden hairpin in her hair—it was the only piece of jewelry she had left; even the gilded hairpin had been taken back by the Lin family.

To put it nicely, she was sent home after being laid off; to put it bluntly, she was kicked out of the house.

The Lin family would probably avoid her altogether, let alone help her.

Aunt Qin panicked and suddenly knelt down with a "plop," looking up at Zhao Qiao'er with a pleading expression.

"Qiao'er! Treason is a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of one's family!" She wailed, clutching her daughter's skirt. "Lin Yuanshan has ultimately been kind to you. Last year when you caught a cold, didn't he personally..."

"mother!"

Zhao Qiao'er interrupted her, the image of Lin Yuanshan's last look at her on the day she was divorced flashing before her eyes.

That day in the study, Lin Yuanshan's hand, which was holding a sachet, bulged with veins, but in the end, he turned his back to her and simply said, "You can leave now!"

Thinking of this, Zhao Qiao'er suddenly shivered, and the cold wind made the paper window rattle.

Aunt Qin's voice lowered, filled with despair.

"Qiao'er, whatever you did in the past is in the past. Now, only the Lin family can help us. Why don't you go and make a trip there? A glimmer of hope is better than waiting to die here!"

Zhao Qiao'er suddenly clenched her sleeves.

Her mother was merely a concubine, of low status, with no powerful backers or connections in the capital. The only person they knew who might be able to help them was indeed Lin Yuanshan.

"Then...then I'll give it a try." After weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Qiao'er finally nodded, her voice as soft as a falling leaf.

Aunt Qin was overjoyed and wept, and hurriedly pressed her in front of the bronze mirror to do her hair and makeup.

Aunt Qin took out her treasured rose hair oil. As she combed through Zhao Qiao'er's tangled hair, Zhao Qiao'er winced and squinted in pain.

The youthful face reflected in the bronze mirror gradually regained its radiance, but the faded clothes could not conceal it.

In the end, she could only make do by pursing her chapped lips and applying some rouge to her face. That box of rouge was brought back from Jizhou by Lin Yuanshan last year.

After tidying herself up, Zhao Qiao'er took a deep breath and walked out the door under Aunt Qin's eager gaze.

In front of the Lin family's vermilion gate, the old gatekeeper was dozing off. Hearing footsteps approaching, he looked up and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Young...Young Madam?" Realizing he had called her by the wrong name, he hurriedly corrected himself, "Miss Zhao, what is this...?"

“Uncle Zhang,” Zhao Qiao’er forced a smile, her hand clenching tightly in her sleeve, “please inform him that I need to speak with Yuanshan.”

"The young master left early this morning."

Zhao Qiao'er twisted her handkerchief, "Then...do you know where he went?"

The old gatekeeper shook his head: "How would I know about the masters' affairs?"

After saying that, the old gatekeeper turned around and went inside, then closed the door.

Zhao Qiao'er heard a maid's sneer coming from inside: "Tch! A divorced woman still has the nerve to show her face!"

Zhao Qiao'er stood at the entrance of the Zhao family home, looking at the tightly closed gate. She pursed her lips, tears welling up in her eyes.

After being turned away, the proud and arrogant Zhao Qiao'er wanted to turn around and leave, but when she thought about how she and her mother were on the verge of life and death, she had to hold back her tears and cheer herself up again.

I don't know where Lin Yuanshan went. I remember when I was dismissed, Lin Yuanshan mentioned that he wanted to cooperate with Jinxiufang.

So she turned and walked towards Jinxiufang, intending to try her luck there.

Upon arriving at Jinxiufang, Zhao Qiao'er stood outside the vermilion gate, twisting the hem of her coarse cloth dress in her hands, and peering inside on tiptoe.

The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments could be faintly heard inside the brocade workshop, and embroiderers and customers moved among them, but Lin Yuanshan was nowhere to be found.

Just as she was in a panic, a group of maids and servants escorted a woman in fine clothes out of the room.

The woman had exquisite makeup, wore a moon-white satin cheongsam with a gilded corsage pinned to the front, and carried a delicate little handbag.

She was expressionless, and as she walked, a pair of pearl earrings swayed gently at her temples. She was none other than the renowned Princess Chang Le, a noble lady of the capital.

Thank you so much for the generous red envelope! My love for you is bigger than my face!