The Prime Minister's Deceitful Husband - Chapter 3

After the first lunar month, the weather gradually warmed. Luo Shuheng had moved a lounge chair into the courtyard to bask in the sun when an unwelcome guest kicked the door open.

 

“Still in the mood to soak up the sun? You’ve got some nerve… Oh, sorry, I forgot your face is ruined now… Tsk tsk tsk, so ugly that even a child would have nightmares. If the sun were alive, it would probably hide to avoid such a hideous thing like you.”

 

The newcomer was Luo Shuqing. He stood with his arms crossed, looking down at Luo Shuheng with arrogant disdain. “If I were you, I’d lock myself in my room and never show my face to anyone after becoming so disfigured.”

 

Luo Shuheng’s hand, hanging by his side, clenched into a fist. He slowly sat up, lowering his gaze to hide the flash of anger in his eyes. “Fourth Brother, did you grace me with your presence just to mock me?”

 

Luo Shuqing sneered, “Of course not. I’m here to take care of you.”

 

As soon as he spoke, he waved his hand. The servants behind him rushed forward, pinning Luo Shuheng down.

 

A flicker of panic crossed Luo Shuheng’s eyes. He instinctively struggled, but the servants only pressed down harder. “Fourth Brother, what are you doing?”

 

“Let me help you wash your face.”

 

A basin of cold water was dumped over his head. Luo Shuheng’s hair and clothes were instantly soaked through, and his body shuddered violently.

 

Just as he was about to speak, a servant covered his face with a cloth and scrubbed it so hard it stung, even flaying the skin. He clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms.

 

“Enough. Take the cloth away.”

 

Luo Shuqing reached out and grabbed Luo Shuheng’s chin, forcing him to look up. “It seems you’ve truly been disfigured.”

 

Luo Shuheng gritted his teeth. “Are you satisfied now?”

 

Luo Shuqing let go. “Very satisfied. Let’s go.”

 

The servants released him and followed Luo Shuqing out.

 

At the doorway, Luo Shuqing suddenly said, “My cousin’s face is too hideous. To avoid frightening others, you shouldn’t go out anymore.”

 

The cold on his skin was nothing compared to the chill in his heart. Luo Shuheng curled up, burying his head in his knees as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

 

Luo Shuheng fell ill again. This time, He Lin Yue only summoned a doctor to see him once before abandoning him entirely. Even his medicine was delivered sporadically, and his meals no longer arrived on schedule. It was as if she had given up on him, leaving him to fend for himself.

 

“Fifth Young Master, there’s been so much going on lately. The meal is late, and all we have left are a few steamed buns. Please don’t blame us,” the servant said, placing two rock-hard buns on the table. He gave a perfunctory bow and quickly hurried away.

 

Luo Shuheng stared blankly at the buns. The illusion he’d been clinging to shattered. He realized that once he lost his utility, those people would never let him live in peace.

 

*If I stay in the Luo Family, can I really survive long enough to find the evidence?*

 

He washed down the cold, hard buns with a sip of chilled water, then walked to the dressing table and sat down. Dipping a handkerchief into the white jar, he wiped the red spots from his face. As he looked at his reflection, seeing his skin restored to its original perfection, his mind raced with turmoil.

 

His face had actually healed long ago. To avoid being used as a pawn to curry favor with others, he had concealed his recovery, using a special liquid he’d collected at the temple fair to paint the red spots back on.

 

He had thought that if they believed his beauty was destroyed, Second Uncle’s family would give up on using him to climb the social ladder. That way, he could remain in the Luo Family and secretly search for evidence.

 

But he had been wrong. He couldn’t stay here any longer.

 

*Escape?* But he was penniless, and his household registration wasn’t in his hands. If he were caught as a vagrant, his fate would only be worse.

 

In his past life, he had already suffered the hardships of not having a household registration. It was truly too bitter…

 

Luo Shuheng’s gaze gradually steadied. He had to escape the Luo Family to truly have a chance at revenge. Right now, the most direct way to break this deadlock was to marry—to marry someone who could provide him with the necessary support. And among the people he knew, only one person had such power.

 

Xu Zeyan.

 

He had to find a way to marry this future Grand Secretary and then use the man’s hands to achieve his revenge.

 

But…

 

Luo Shuheng painted red spots on his face again, walked out of his room, and surveyed the towering courtyard walls.

 

How could he leave the Luo Family and go see Xu Zeyan?

 

In recent years, he had only a young servant by his side. But a few days ago, the servant had been sent back home as he had grown too old. Now, Luo Shuheng had no one he could rely on.

 

Luo Shuheng looked at the bare tree beside the wall, reached out to measure the distance, and then reluctantly gave up.

 

He planned to go outside the courtyard to see if he could sneak out, but as soon as he opened the gate, he was spotted by a servant.

 

“Fifth Young Master, why are you out?”

 

“Fifth Young Master, the wind is strong out here, and you haven’t fully recovered from your illness. It’s best for you to stay in the courtyard and recuperate.”

 

The two servants spoke politely, but their actions were firm as they forced Luo Shuheng back to his courtyard.

 

As the gate slammed shut, a wave of bitterness washed over him.

 

He returned to his room and curled up in bed, pulling the brocade quilt tight around him as if it could offer some semblance of security.

 

*Should I go to Grandmother?* he wondered. *But she’s already so frail. She can’t afford any stress or exhaustion. What if her condition worsens because of me? Besides, ever since she fell ill, Second Aunt has been running the household. It’s unlikely she’d listen to me anyway.*

 

Luo Shuheng sighed softly.

 

He tried to leave a few more times, but each attempt ended in failure. Eventually, he wasn’t even allowed to see his grandmother.

 

Just as he was debating whether to restore his appearance to regain his freedom, the maid who attended to his grandmother came to summon him.

 

Luo Shuheng donned a face veil and followed her to the courtyard where his grandmother resided.

 

The old lady was still confined to her bed, but her spirit seemed noticeably stronger. She beckoned him closer. “Heng’er, I dreamed of your grandfather and father recently. They must miss me. I want to return to our ancestral home for a while. Come with me.”

 

Luo Shuheng’s heart leaped with joy. “Yes, Grandmother.”

 

“Heng’er, why are you still wearing a veil indoors?”

 

Luo Shuheng replied, “Grandmother, I caught a cold a few days ago and haven’t fully recovered. I’m wearing the veil so I won’t pass the illness to you.”

 

“But have you seen a doctor? Have you taken your medicine?”

 

“I have, Grandmother. I’ve already seen the physician and filled the prescription.”

 

“Good, then I can rest easy.” The old woman reached out to smooth a loose strand of hair from Luo Shuheng’s forehead. “Go pack your things. We leave the day after tomorrow.”

 

“Yes, Grandmother.”

 

Back in his own courtyard, Luo Shuheng couldn’t hide the joy on his face.

 

The Luo family’s ancestral home was in Cloud Field Village, just twenty li away, the same village where Xu Zeyan lived.

 

On the day of their departure, Luo Shuheng packed two sets of his finest clothes and several pieces of beautiful jewelry, intending to dress up and leave a good impression on Xu Zeyan.

 

A warm breeze swept across the fields as the villagers of Cloud Field emerged from their homes. They worked the land with their farming tools, while a few mischievous children followed behind, plucking earthworms from the soil to use as fishing bait.

 

Amidst the bustle of the spring plowing, an unexpected event stirred the village, drawing the curious gaze of even the hardest-working farmers. Several horse-drawn carriages had just arrived.

 

“Could it be another marriage proposal for that Xu boy?” one villager wondered. “The procession looks quite grand this time.”

 

“What marriage proposal? That’s the Luo family returning!”

 

“Didn’t the Luo Family move to town after they struck it rich? They haven’t been back in over a decade, so why are they returning now?”

 

“You don’t know? This time it’s Old Madam Luo coming back, and I heard she’s here to recuperate from an illness.”

 

“How could the countryside possibly be better than the town for recuperating? Why would she come back here for that?”

 

“How are we supposed to understand the ways of the wealthy? It doesn’t affect us either way. Besides, they’re still from Cloud Field Village, so they can come back if they want.”

 

After Luo Shuheng’s father became successful, the Luo Family had rebuilt their ancestral home, constructing a two-courtyard residence with blue bricks. Though they rarely visited, they had hired a local villager to maintain it, so the house wasn’t dilapidated at all.

 

In fact, they had sent someone ahead to clean and change the bedding before their arrival, allowing them to settle in immediately.

 

Exhausted from the long journey, Old Madam Luo went to rest shortly after entering the courtyard.

 

Luo Shuheng, however, didn’t feel tired. After tidying his room, he found himself pacing, sometimes sitting at the table, other times standing by the window, gazing at the scenery.

 

He was about to see Xu Zeyan, and he was both anxious and thrilled.

 

In his past life, Xu Zeyan had never married, nor were there any rumors of him ever being involved with anyone. Luo Shuheng wasn’t confident he could persuade the man to marry him. What if he failed?

 

Luo Shuheng spent his first day in Cloud Field Village wrestling with these doubts.

 

On the second day back in the village, Wang Xiangyang, the village head of Cloud Field Village, came to pay his respects to Grandmother. Luo Shuheng joined her to receive the guest.

 

Wang Xiangyang’s family were the ones the Luo Family had entrusted to look after their property. They had always taken great care of it, and Grandmother praised them highly.

 

“Wang Xiangyang, just like his father, is a man of integrity and trustworthiness. We couldn’t have entrusted the old residence to a better family.”

 

After Wang Xiangyang left, Grandmother began to tell Luo Shuheng about the past. “The Luo Family once donated ten mu of public land to the village, so we still hold some standing here. Heng’er, you’ve rarely ventured out. If you ever feel bored, you’re welcome to wander through the village.”

 

“Yes, Grandmother,” Luo Shuheng replied, his heart leaping with joy.

 

*Talk about a stroke of luck,* he thought. *Now I don’t even have to make up an excuse to go out.*

 

Because Grandmother preferred a quiet environment, they hadn’t brought many servants with them. Among the ten guards, most were her long-time attendants. Only two had been assigned by Second Aunt, so they posed little threat.

 

Luo Shuheng savored this newfound freedom. He would spend his days chatting with Grandmother, and whenever she rested, he would slip away, dressed in inconspicuous clothes.

 

At first, the servants Second Aunt had arranged tried to follow him, but Mammy Xue, who stood by Grandmother, stopped them with a sharp reprimand. “There’s so much work to do in this house and so few hands. Are you trying to slack off? Get back to your duties this instant!”

 

After scolding them, Mammy Xue turned to Luo Shuheng, her tone softening. “Fifth Young Master, please be careful when you go out. You should take a guard with you.”

 

Luo Shuheng shook his head. “Mammy, I’d rather go alone.”

 

“Then please be cautious, Fifth Young Master, and return home early.”

 

Once he left the Luo Family’s old residence, he used homemade pigments to blacken his face, thicken his eyebrows, and add a few dark moles before heading into the village. If anyone asked, he would simply claim to be a servant of the Luo Family.

 

He spent several days wandering the village, managing to find out where Xu Zeyan lived, but he never ran into the man himself.

 

To gather more information, he walked to the center of the village and sat down beneath a tree next to a few *ge’er* and women chatting. Steelng himself, he asked, “Uncles, Aunts, I heard there’s a scholar in this village named Xu Zeyan. Do you know anything about him?”

 

Someone teased, “Could it be that the Luo Family wants to propose to young Xu?”

 

Luo Shuheng waved his hands dismissively. “No, no, not at all. I’m just curious what a young scholar looks like. I’ve been here for days and still haven’t seen him.”

 

“Oh, him? He’s probably been up in the mountains lately. He goes up there all the time, often staying for days at a time. Counting the days, he should be back today.”

 

Luo Shuheng was puzzled. “Isn’t he a scholar? What would he be doing in the mountains?”

 

A young man explained, “His parents died when he was a child. Later, he became an apprentice to an old hunter on the mountain and learned the art of hunting. Now, he makes a living that way. But it’s not hunting season, so he’s probably just visiting the old hunter.”

 

A woman with a sharp, mean-looking face curled her lip. “This Xu Zeyan might be poor, but his standards are sky-high. Many wealthy families have come to propose marriage, but he’s rejected them all. Who knows what kind of celestial maiden he’s waiting for?”

 

Another woman, whose features were kinder, countered, “That’s not fair. The Xu boy said his family is poor and he doesn’t want to drag anyone else down with him. He wants to establish himself before starting a family. Just because he rejected your family doesn’t mean you should badmouth him.”

 

The mean-looking woman snapped back, “What do you mean, ‘badmouth’? I’m just stating the facts! Ever since he became a Scholar, at least ten families have come to propose. All kinds of families, and he hasn’t agreed to a single one. If that’s not having high standards, what is?”

 

“That’s called… having a sense of responsibility. Yes, a sense of responsibility, not wanting to burden others.”

 

As the group was talking, a carriage rolled past.

 

“Oh, another carriage! It looks like it’s heading toward the Xu boy’s house. I bet someone else has come to propose.”

 

“Quick, let’s go see!”

 

After a moment’s thought, Luo Shuheng followed the crowd.