On the day Zhang Lingyue met Scholar Luo, Qinghe enjoyed a rare spell of good weather. There was no snow, the sun came out, and even the wind felt warm on the body.
Tomorrow, Mrs. Zhang would exchange tokens with Scholar Luo's mother to secretly finalize the marriage. Then, as soon as the mourning period ended, the Zhang family could marry off their daughter.
The matter was urgent, so Zhang Lingyue had to slip out today.
She knew she couldn't defy her mother's will. Her mother was determined to marry her off. Even so, she still wanted to make some efforts within her power.
The place where they met was a private room in a teahouse. The half - open door design was both proper and suitable for a conversation.
Skipping the polite greetings, Zhang Lingyue got straight to the point.
"Scholar Luo should know that after tomorrow, the relationship between you and me will change dramatically. I've taken the liberty to invite you here today because I think there are some things you should know before our relationship changes."
"If Miss Zhang is referring to your father's matter, I think I already know quite well," Scholar Luo said politely as he poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of her. "I don't mind that Prime Minister Zhang is your father. Besides, whether I can enter the officialdom in the future is still uncertain."
The emperor had already announced Prime Minister Zhang's case to the whole country. Moreover, the Zhang family was a well - known clan in Qinghe, and every move of theirs was watched. So, the matter of Zhang Lingyue's father was no longer a secret.
Generally speaking, few scholars would be willing to have a father - in - law with a bad reputation, as they all aspired to enter the officialdom. Such a father - in - law would undoubtedly pose obstacles to their future careers.
But Scholar Luo said he didn't mind, which had to be said to have touched Zhang Lingyue a bit, but only a bit.
"Actually, it's not just about my father. There are also some things about myself that you may not know yet."
"I'm all ears," Scholar Luo replied.
Zhang Lingyue didn't rush to speak. She took a deep breath first and then slowly said, "Scholar Luo, do you know that I was once engaged to someone when I was in the capital?"
"And you may have heard of the person I was engaged to. It's the newly - appointed prefect, Lin Zihan."
"He used to be my father's student. My father had taught him since he was a child and regarded him as his own son. Lin Zihan and I grew up together as childhood sweethearts. Then, when we reached the right age, we got engaged naturally..."
"But isn't Prefect Lin..."
If Prime Minister Zhang was notorious in the Great Qi, Lin Zihan was well - known for his "good" deeds. Almost everyone in the entire dynasty knew that it was he who presented the evidence of his teacher's crimes to the emperor himself.
That's why Scholar Luo asked this question.
"Yes!"
Taking a breath, Zhang Lingyue's expression visibly turned desolate. "It was precisely because of this incident that the engagement between him and me was annulled. But now, he's come to Qinghe again..."
"Is that so?"
The surprise on Scholar Luo's face didn't seem to be fake. If Zhang Lingyue hadn't told him, he really wouldn't have known about this.
After all, the capital and Qinghe were far apart. There were special messengers for delivering court affairs, but gossips like this could only be spread by word - of - mouth. So, it was reasonable for him not to know.
Digesting the new information, Scholar Luo gradually showed a gentle smile. "I didn't expect Miss Zhang to be such an honest person. In my opinion, honesty is the most indispensable thing between husband and wife."
"Scholar Luo is jumping the gun. After you hear me out, you may not think so anymore," Zhang Lingyue said with a bitter smile. After taking a moment to gather her courage, she finally spoke again.
"Scholar Luo thought I was honest just now because I don't have feelings for you in my heart. To be honest, even though I know there's no possibility between Brother Zihan and me in this lifetime, I still can't let him go."
"Scholar Luo, do you really want to marry a Miss Zhang like this?"
Scholar Luo was a bit stunned for a moment, then smiled again. "I understand now. Miss Zhang invited me here today to reject the marriage."
Caught out, Zhang Lingyue blushed for a moment but still held her ground. "Since you've seen through my intention, I won't hide it anymore. You're right. I invited you here today to persuade you to reject this marriage tomorrow."
"Miss Zhang is not only an honest person but also a loyal one," Scholar Luo sincerely praised and then asked, "But I wonder if Miss Zhang has thought that if you reject me today, there will be other scholars like Scholar Wang and Scholar Li in the future. Are you going to reject them all like this?"
Zhang Lingyue had, of course, thought about this question. She slowly shook her head and said, "I know what you're saying. So, I've already made up my mind. As soon as the mourning period ends, I'll shave my head and become a nun in Ci'an Nunnery!"
"What?"
Maybe amused by the surprise on Scholar Luo's face, Zhang Lingyue let out a soft laugh before explaining, "You know that my father did too many wrong things during his lifetime. As his daughter, I can't do much. I can only atone for his sins in this way."
Not wanting to comment too much on her father in front of outsiders, she quickly brought the topic back. "So, Scholar Luo, what's your answer?"
"Since Miss Zhang has said so much, how can I go against your wishes? Please rest assured. I'll tell my mother when I get home that I have no intention of this marriage."
...
Having solved a major concern, Zhang Lingyue returned home feeling relieved.
Come to think of it, she was able to go out today thanks to Brother Zihan. Since he had just taken office, he had left Qinghe a few days ago to report to the prefectural yamen. Otherwise, Mrs. Zhang would never have allowed her daughter to go out.
Back in her room, she closed the door and sat in front of the dressing table, looking into the eyes of the woman in the mirror. Her appearance didn't seem to have changed much compared to a few years ago. She was just wearing a plain light - colored dress without any makeup.
Actually, her decision to become a nun wasn't a sudden impulse but a well - thought - out one.
She didn't want to get married. She wanted to atone for her father's sins.
She didn't want the Zhang family members to be pointed at because of her father when they went out. Maybe her becoming a nun wouldn't change much, but even if it could have the slightest effect, she thought it was worth it.
...
The next day, Mrs. Zhang went out with the only maid in the family.
Zhang Lingyue nervously hid in her room, embroidering a handkerchief haphazardly. Although Scholar Luo had promised her yesterday, she was still afraid that something might go wrong at the last minute.
Finally, at a quarter past nine o'clock, the front door of the house was pushed open forcefully.
She quickly put down the embroidery frame and rushed into the yard in a few steps. She saw her mother sitting on the stone bench in the yard, gasping for breath and looking extremely angry. Zhang Lingyue was overjoyed but didn't show it on her face.
She poured a glass of water and carefully stuffed it into Mrs. Zhang's hand. At the same time, she patted her mother on the back to help her calm down. "Mother, why are you so angry? Did something go wrong with the marriage?"
Mrs. Zhang didn't take the water her daughter offered. Instead, she gathered her emotions and stared coldly at her, as if looking at a stranger.
"Don't you know why I'm angry?"
"Where did you go yesterday? And who did you meet?"