sjar Chapter 156 Unauthorized Trespassing
Chapter 156 Unauthorized Trespassing
"Fourth Miss, you are a young lady, barging into a man's bedroom so early in the morning. Is this the proper etiquette and rules of the Wang family?"
Lu Zhiheng wore a pine-green outer garment, his smooth black hair cascading down. Underneath, he wore a snow-white inner garment, yet even so, it couldn't conceal his handsome appearance.
"Lu Zhiheng! Why have you repeatedly refused His Majesty's bestowed marriage?"
Wang Jingyi ignored his words, barely managing to stand, her eyes red as if she had just been crying, and immediately questioned, "Do you hate me that much!"
It was only early morning, so she must have been furious at home after learning that Lu Zhiheng had refused the arranged marriage. She hadn't slept all night and rushed over early to confront him.
Lu Zhiheng frowned slightly, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes, and said coldly, "Marriage is a serious matter, not a child's play. My mind is made up. I hope Fourth Miss will respect herself and not cause any more trouble here."
Wang Jingyi seemed not to hear her, and stepped forward, her voice trembling with tears, saying, "I am a daughter of the prestigious Wang family, my aunt is the Empress Dowager, and my sister is the Empress! In what way am I unworthy of you? Why are you so heartless?"
She disregarded her reputation for Lu Zhiheng, so how could he be so unmoved? He wouldn't even give her the slightest bit of kindness.
Lu Zhiheng stepped aside to avoid her, his expression growing even colder: "Miss Wang, please don't be unreasonable. Marriage between a man and a woman requires mutual affection, not coercion. I hope Miss Wang will learn some manners and decency, and not barge into the residence of another man so casually next time!"
Wang Jingyi bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, but her gaze revealed a hint of stubbornness: "I don't care, I've made up my mind about you, and you have to give me an explanation today!"
At this moment, Ling Xiao rushed over and, seeing the scene inside, hurriedly said, "Fourth Miss, this is the residence of the Grand Secretary. It is really inappropriate for you to be here. Please go to the study and wait. We can talk about it later."
Wang Jingyi glared fiercely at Ling Xiao: "You dog servant, shut your mouth! My affairs are none of your business!"
Ling Xiao's expression darkened, but he said nothing more, only looking at Lu Zhiheng and waiting for his instructions.
Lu Zhiheng waved his hand: "You may leave now."
After Ling Xiao left, he took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger, and said as calmly as possible, "Fourth Miss, our statuses are different, and I am currently focused on politics and have no intention of starting a family."
"Regarding His Majesty's bestowal of marriage, I have repeatedly expressed my feelings to His Majesty and have no intention of repenting. I also hope that Fourth Miss can find another good man and not let the Wang family be disgraced because of you."
Upon hearing the word "shame," Wang Jingyi's body trembled slightly, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face: "I have treated you with deep affection, but in your eyes, it is shame?"
"Lu Zhiheng, Lu Zhiheng! How dare you humiliate me like this! I'll go back and tell my father, and he'll impeach you in court!"
The Wang family's position in Daqing is deeply rooted. Several empresses have come from the family, and it can be said that the Wang family has a presence in half of Daqing.
The current Empress Dowager intended to rule from behind the curtain, but unfortunately Pei Yuanling grew up too quickly, and with the help of a capable minister like Lu Zhiheng, she was able to return the power of the court and retire to the background.
Seeing Wang Jingyi's threatening words, Lu Zhiheng's face remained unmoved, and his tone remained as cold and indifferent as ever: "Fourth Miss, please do as you please. I, Lu, await your impeachment!"
Seeing that threats were useless, Wang Jingyi stomped her foot and ran out crying.
Ling Xiao watched her departing figure and said worriedly, "Master, I'm afraid Miss Wang will cause a huge uproar when she gets back. What about the Wang family..."
Lu Zhiheng waved his hand, interrupting him: "When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it."
After all, this wasn't the first time he had publicly humiliated the Wang family. Moreover, the fact that Miss Wang had barged in today was their fault, and he had already made it clear that he had no interest in the Wang family's daughter.
If the Wang family members are still so ungrateful and insist on reporting him, then who knows who will be the one to suffer the consequences.
After all, the Wang family is already the most powerful family and a major threat in the eyes of the emperor. Now they want to use marriage ties to win over the court officials. What are they trying to do?
Are they planning a rebellion?
Furthermore, they haven't finished cleaning up the mess from sending out assassins, so they probably don't have time to bother me.
***
The Wang clan had a special villa within the imperial palace, which was a special gift from the late emperor, considering that they were the maternal family of the empress.
Upon learning that his youngest daughter had so recklessly run to Lu Zhiheng's residence, Wang Chengxun, the current head of the Wang family, flew into a rage.
"That wretched girl! How could she be so impulsive! Does she have no regard for her family's reputation at all?"
Wang Chengxun was furious. He slammed his hand on the table, splashing tea in his cup. "Does she even respect me as her father? Does she even respect the rules of the Wang family?!"
"Father, this matter is not entirely the fault of Fourth Sister. It's that Lu Zhiheng! He has rejected Fourth Sister time and time again, and this time he even directly refused His Majesty's bestowal of marriage. It's clear that he doesn't take our Wang family seriously!"
Seeing her father so angry, Wang Jinglin felt resentful but still spoke up for her younger sister.
It was originally because her father allowed her fourth sister to associate with Lu Zhiheng, but unexpectedly, Lu Zhiheng turned out to be completely unyielding, which led to the current situation.
The father sighed, blaming it on him for being too eager for quick success.
However, Lu Zhiheng has the support of His Majesty and is deeply supported by some ministers in the court, so they cannot act rashly.
After a moment's thought, Wang Jinglin said, "Father, why don't we have our fourth sister announce that Lu Zhiheng invited her there, and that he deliberately humiliated her and ruined her reputation? In this way, public opinion will be unfavorable to Lu Zhiheng, and His Majesty will also be dissatisfied with him."
Wang Chengxun pondered for a moment, then stroked his beard and said, "This plan is feasible, but I'm afraid that Lu Zhiheng might be prepared in advance and turn around and bite us."
Wang Jinglin sneered, "If he dares, our Wang family is not to be trifled with. We will definitely let him know how powerful the Wang family is."
After another long silence, Wang Chengxun finally compromised, "Then let's do it this way."
He paused for a moment, then remembered something and looked intently at his eldest son, "But before that, you have to keep an eye on your fourth sister and make sure she doesn't go out and cause any more trouble!"
“My son knows.”
Wang Jinglin quickly summoned his servants and ordered, "Go and lock the Fourth Miss in her room. Without my permission, she is not allowed to step out of the room."
This matter was not difficult for Wang Jinglin. All he had to do was say that Lu Zhiheng was keeping their Wang family's daughter hanging, but in the end, he was unwilling to give her a proper status. He could then find a few people to go back to the capital and spread the story.
As for how much others believed, that was none of his concern.
They will not allow Lu Zhiheng to suffer any further damage to his reputation!
Once the decision was made, the father and son stopped mentioning it, since the most important thing at the moment was the assassination attempt at the Xishan hunting grounds.
It's one thing to fail, but at least Consort Qiao returned unharmed, thanks in no small part to Lu Zhiheng's escort.
Both of them are like flies, annoying creatures that buzz around everywhere.
"Is there any movement on His Majesty's side?" Wang Chengxun asked, referring to the fate of the assassins at the Xishan Palace.
There had never been a precedent of a suicide squad member being captured alive, so he couldn't afford to be careless about this matter.
After all, he had personally witnessed the interrogation methods used in the imperial prison, and few people in the world could endure them.
Those few assassins will remain a threat as long as they live. If it is discovered that the Wang family was behind this, His Majesty will likely not forgive them easily.