Chapter 67 Assassination Plan
Zheng Chengyan paused when he heard this, with an expression of disbelief on his face: "She likes osmanthus?"
This question sounded more like he was asking himself, with a hint of confusion in his voice.
Yun Yi nodded again affirmatively: "Yes, Second Young Master. Second Young Madam often said that the fragrance of osmanthus can calm people's hearts."
Zheng Chengyan's eyes became complicated when he heard this. He stared at the osmanthus trees, as if trying to peek through them at his wife, who had slept in the same bed with him for many years but to whom he felt so unfamiliar.
He suddenly realized that his understanding of Su Wanyu was so limited.
From daily diet and clothing to the layout of the courtyard, he always arranged everything according to his own preferences and never really considered her feelings.
He preferred the coolness and purity of pear blossoms, so he planted pear trees all over the courtyard. Whenever the spring breeze blew, the pear blossoms were like snow, beautiful yet also chilly.
He only loved pure white clothes, so there was no other color in her wardrobe except white. Thinking about it now, that monotony was a silent protest.
As for Jiang Yingying, his preference forced her to give in, allowing the woman to become another color in this mansion, but he never thought about what all this meant to Su Wanyu.
Zheng Chengyan stood there, as if he had suddenly woken up from a long dream. His eyes unconsciously turned to the tightly closed door, and he murmured, "Wanyu... The daughter of the Jiang family is gone, can you stop blaming me..."
He felt distant from his wife during this time, but mistakenly attributed it to Jiang Yingying's presence.
Now that Jiang Yingying is gone, he longs to regain Su Wanyu's understanding and support, especially when he is facing the dilemma of being childless and his substitute writer Pei Sina has passed away unexpectedly, and the position of crown prince and the glory of the imperial examination have all become a bubble.
He needed Su Wanyu's financial resources, but he also needed an heir to consolidate his position in the family so that one day he could ascend to a high position in the court, escape from his father's shadow, and realize his own ambitions.
"Wanyu..." His voice trembled slightly.
In his heart, Su Wanyu was like a bird that he could easily control. With just a little tenderness and care, he could make her nestle under his wings again.
"Wanyu, I will come to your place every night from now on, okay? In the past, I was deceived by Jiang and lost my way, but from now on, I will only be sincere to you."
There was a certain familiarity in his words, as if these promises had been repeated countless times to appease other concubines.
He even suggested that if she didn't like the concubines, he could send them all away just in exchange for her smile.
Inside the house, Siqi and Ping's mother exchanged meaningful glances. They only felt disdain and sneer in their hearts for Zheng Chengyan's words.
Zheng Chengyan did not notice the reaction in the room. His words became more and more passionate. Every word seemed to be carefully crafted, trying to penetrate the tightly closed door and reach her heart.
"Wanyu, my heart is like the bright moon, I only wish to light the way forward for you and never let you down again."
Finally, he ended this monologue with satisfaction, left a message "Have a good rest, I'll come again tomorrow", and prepared to leave.
Yun Yi followed behind him, whispering farewell, but there was a hint of subtle sarcasm in her eyes.
Zheng Chengyan walked out of Jiaoyang Courtyard, looking refreshed. He hummed a little tune and strode towards the gate of Zheng Mansion with big strides.
Different from those playboys who indulged in romantic places, he preferred to drown his sorrows in alcohol. After leaving the house, he went straight to the tavern he often visited, and only staggered back home late at night.
At night, the streets are muddy and difficult to walk on after the rain.
The Regent's carriage jolted forward on the road and soon drove into the bustling city.
Inside the car, Su Wanyu gently lifted a corner of the curtain and looked at the familiar street scene. She thought to herself that this place was not far from Gu Linjun's residence, so it would not be appropriate to trouble the Regent to take a detour. She signaled to stop the car and said to the Regent, "Your Majesty, since we have entered the city, please let me go here."
She adjusted her headdress and was about to get off the carriage when it suddenly stopped. She heard guards scolding outside, and it was obvious that someone was blocking the Regent's way.
Then, a familiar and flustered voice sounded: "Your Majesty, spare me. I just had a few drinks and didn't notice it was your carriage."
Su Wanyu raised her eyebrows slightly and turned her head to look, only to see Zheng Chengyan standing outside the carriage with a red face, staggering, obviously drunk and unconscious.
During this period, Zheng Chengyan's life was not easy. He finally found a moment of relaxation, but almost caused a disaster because of drunkenness.
A complex emotion surged in her heart. She didn't expect to meet him under such circumstances, and her brows couldn't help but frowned slightly.
Upon seeing this, the Regent spoke calmly, with a subtle hint of meaning in his words: "Second Young Master Zheng should go home earlier, so as not to keep his wife waiting for too long."
His eyes lightly swept over Su Wanyu, as if observing her reaction.
Su Wanyu lowered her head and wrapped her cloak tighter, feeling mixed emotions.
At this moment, Zheng Chengyan was half-kneeling in front of the carriage, his cheeks flushed and his eyes blurred. He probably never imagined that the woman who had been so tender to him would now appear in someone else's carriage and meet him again in such an awkward way.
He was still immersed in fantasy, thinking that his wife at home was awaiting his return with great anticipation, but he didn't know that fate had already drawn a deep gap between them.
"Yes, Your Highness." There was an imperceptible tremor in Zheng Chengyan's voice. He stood up respectfully, and perhaps because of the alcohol, his steps were a little unsteady.
But in the next moment, as if he was awakened by cold water, he suddenly woke up, his eyes were like torches, and he fixed his eyes on the carriage that looked particularly abrupt: "My lord, shouldn't you have already set off for Jiangzhou?"
This assassination plan against the Regent had been carefully planned by Prince Liang and the Zheng family for a long time. Logically, Gu Linjun should have been on his way to Jiangzhou at this moment. However, as fate would have it, he unexpectedly appeared in front of Zheng Chengyan.
This sudden impact made Zheng Chengyan's heart feel as if it was hit by a heavy hammer. He staggered back two steps involuntarily and almost fell.
He tried his best to keep himself steady and calm the waves in his heart.
The car curtain swayed gently, and through the gap, the corners of Su Wanyu's mouth hidden under the black hood could be vaguely seen, outlining a barely perceptible smile.
She was always happy to see Zheng Chengyan looking so frustrated, as if he was telling her that in this life, he would never be able to help King Liang seize power, let alone become the powerful prime minister.
"Indeed, I originally planned to go to Jiangzhou, but things are unpredictable, and I encountered an emergency midway, so I had to return to the capital."
The regent spoke slowly, with a hint of elusive chill in his tone.