Chapter 37: You've Been Schemed Against!

By all rights, Xu He should have reported to the yamen early each morning, but last night, Du Yu had personally visited him to inquire about the progress of the marriage to the Duan family.

Furthermore, Du Yu mentioned that the Old Madam's birthday banquet was approaching, and the Marchioness of Guangling hoped Xu He could appear in the capacity of a prospective nephew-in-law of the household, so that he could be arranged to meet with the fathers and brothers of the Duan family to socialize.

Thus, Xu He had no choice but to request leave from the yamen, intending to invite the matchmaker today to accompany Du Yu on a visit to the Duan residence.

The Du family acted as the intermediary matchmaker, though both the bride and groom's sides had their own respective matchmakers as well.

Before the wedding, all matters were handled through these three parties.

Though he had previously been buried in his studies and was unversed in the ways of the world, Xu He had learned rapidly during his half-year in officialdom.

He could see that while Du Yu used the word "inquire" in speech, it was, in reality, a nudge to hurry things along.

This marriage, personally brokered by the Marchioness and Marquess of Guangling, was actually progressing steadily. From the initial invitation of the matchmaker until now, only four months had passed, and they had already reached the stage of formal betrothal gifts. The next steps were to select an auspicious wedding date and then wait for the ceremony.

Yet, the Du family still found it too slow, which Xu He found quite incomprehensible.

Xu He also admitted that he had indeed not been paying much attention to this matter lately; or rather, from the very beginning, he had not been that expectant of this marriage.

Though several generations of the Xu family had been scholars, their family background was mediocre. For Xu He to achieve such distinction from such a family—even going so far as to place first in the imperial examinations—was enough to bring glory to his clan for three generations.

Even looking across the realm, in the hundred-plus years since the founding of this dynasty, not many had achieved the rank of *Zhuangyuan* at such a young age.

A talent like this could marry the daughter of a Prime Minister; why should he settle for being a mere relative by marriage to a Marquis's daughter?

Miss Duan's father was merely a fifth-rank official. Xu He had already felt a sense of dissatisfaction, and with the Du family's urging, he felt even more reluctant.

However, he was forced by circumstance; out of respect for the Marquess of Guangling's power, he had no choice but to comply.

While waiting for the matchmaker to arrive, he sat by the window studying several recently acquired essays.

The essays were written by Prince Jingyang; he had happened upon them in the Secretariat and transcribed them.

To him, the Prince Jingyang Mansion was as lofty and unreachable as a palace in the highest heavens; he saw the Emperor more often than he saw Prince Jingyang. Yet, the Prince's current power in the imperial court carried the weight of a final verdict.

Regarding the upcoming Du family banquet, Xu He had inquired tactfully several times but had not received a definitive answer as to whether Prince Jingyang would attend.

But Xu He intended to prepare early, memorizing these essays and grasping their essence, so that if he were fortunate enough to meet him, he could display his brilliance.

If he could win the favor of Prince Jingyang, would that not be far more useful than relying on the Du family?

As he was busy, a servant arrived: "Master, a woman surnamed He is outside the gates requesting an audience."

The master of the *Zhuangyuan* residence was naturally the *Zhuangyuan*, and the servant had been hired only after the Xu family moved to the capital.

The moment the word "He" was uttered, Xu He, who had been leaning over his paperweight, paused before turning around. "Where is she from?"

"She says she is from Luoyang."

Xu He's expression changed instantly, and the paperweight in his hand nearly slipped to the floor.

A lady surnamed He from his hometown, Luoyang—was that not his first wife?

He stood in a daze for a moment, then gritted his teeth, set down the paperweight, and walked out.

A carriage was parked outside the manor gates.

Xu He peered through the crack in the door, wondering suspiciously how his penniless ex-wife could afford such a magnificent and sturdy carriage.

At that moment, the curtain was lifted, and a woman dressed in plain, elegant attire stepped gracefully onto the ground. Her face was directed toward the main gate; she was a complete stranger, yet she possessed breathtaking beauty and an extremely noble temperament!

Xu He felt a surge of confusion, but simultaneously, a great weight lifted from his heart.

After composing his thoughts, he opened the door.

"May I ask who you are?"

A shadow flickered within the doorway. Yue Tang had known he was peeking all along, and she smiled: "It is I who seeks an audience with the official. Since Lord Xu is busy, I shall not beat around the bush. May I ask if you are currently awaiting the arrival of the Heir of the Marquess of Guangling?"

Xu He's expression froze. Before he could decide how to respond, the woman had already presented a legal petition bearing the official seal of the Court of Judicial Review. "I have an urgent matter regarding your Lordship to disclose. May I trouble you for a moment inside?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she withdrew the petition.

Xu He was a preeminent scholar; with just a glance, he had already caught the gist of it.

—It was actually a petition against his maternal grandfather and uncle!

How could he dare to delay? He immediately stepped aside: "Please, come in!"

They entered and sat down, host and guest.

Xu He observed Yue Tang; seeing that her movements were poised and her demeanor dignified, he had tea served. After a brief moment of thought, he asked, "Is your surname He? And you come from Luoyang?"

Yue Tang smiled without answering, instead placing the previous petition beneath her hand. "Shouldn't your Lordship be more concerned with this object first?"

Xu He considered himself a man of exceptional talent and did not wish to be led by every step by this woman, yet he was indeed concerned about the petition. He cupped his hands in greeting.

Yue Tang handed it over.

Xu He scanned it carefully, his brow furrowing deeply after the first reading. Upon the second reading, his eyes fixed on the signature, a sharp, irrepressible light flashing in his gaze: "Where did this come from?!"

"Judging by the seal above, your Lordship knows its origin well. This is a handwritten petition by Xu Yi—the superior of your maternal grandfather, Lord Fu, and the brother-in-law of the Marquess of Guangling—accusing the Fu family. I suspected your Lordship might find it useful, so I brought it to your door personally."

Xu He could no longer process what Yue Tang was saying. He gripped the petition, his spine turning rigid.

Having dealt with the Du family for so many days, how could Xu He not recognize their close relatives?

This Xu Yi was indeed his maternal grandfather's superior. Just a few days ago, while visiting the Du family, he had even been clapping and lamenting how much he had done to mediate for the Fu family, claiming he was still looking for ways to help them. So, it was all an act?

And like the Duan family, the Xu family relied on the great tree of the Marquis's manor, acting under the orders of the Marquess of Guangling.

If the Xu family was secretly suing his grandfather and uncle, how could the Du family not know?

This was fundamentally the idea of the Marquis's manor!

He snapped the petition shut, his jaw aching from clenching his teeth.

Then, he looked at Yue Tang with suspicion and alarm.

The Xu family's background was indeed not prominent, and certainly far inferior to the power of the Marquess of Guangling, but he was a student of the Son of Heaven, an official of the Secretariat, and an attendant to the Emperor. For the Du family to flagrantly frame the Fu family and plot against him was naturally loathsome and infuriating!

But how did this petition end up in this woman's hands?

And how did she know of the lady He?

"Who exactly are you?"

"I am merely someone who cannot stand the Du family's lawlessness. I came to your door only because I unexpectedly obtained this petition recently. I truly could not bear to see a pillar of the state like the *Zhuangyuan* being toyed with in the palm of a Du family.

"In order to plot against you, the *Zhuangyuan*, the Du family not only forced the Fu family to suffer this undeserved calamity but also held themselves high, posing as your benefactors. Such humiliation is unbearable to even contemplate."

At this point, Yue Tang glanced at him and smiled again. "However, those are merely my personal thoughts. Perhaps the *Zhuangyuan* already knew of this, or perhaps you simply do not care whether the Du family plots against you. Seeing how guarded you are with me, it seems I have meddled where I shouldn't have."

As she spoke, she stood up, making a motion to take the petition back from his hands.