Chapter 155 Sisters

The rumors meticulously planned by Lu Xuan and his wife vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

Jiang Jinshu's phrase "seeing is believing" was like a gentle spring breeze, awakening the common people in the city.

In the teahouse, whenever someone tried to discuss the National Preceptor's merits or demerits, laughter immediately erupted from the audience.

"How dare you say something so baseless? Do you think we're three-year-olds?!"

The old woman selling tofu on West Street gestured shakily: "This old woman's bones were lifted up by the Imperial Preceptor himself."

The proprietress of the East Market Silk Shop slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed, "If it weren't for the Imperial Advisor's divination, I would still be being deceived by that heartless man!"

Enraged, Lu Xuan smashed the teacup to pieces, and Madam Lu's willow-leaf eyebrows twisted into an inverted V shape.

What angered them even more was that the rumors they had bribed with a large sum of money had not yet taken effect, and their own daughter, Lu Shu, undermined them at the Peony Festival.

That day, the garden was full of blooming peonies and purple chrysanthemums, and the noble ladies were discussing this strange tale.

Madam Lu gripped her fan tightly, planning to wait until everyone's emotions were stirred up before she tearfully spoke, putting on a good show of feigning injury.

Unexpectedly, Lu Shu suddenly stood up, her delicate voice resounding, her skirt sweeping up petals: "Please listen to me, everyone. That day when bandits robbed the road, and the Imperial Preceptor saved me..."

A strange light shone in her eyes: "How could rumors tarnish the heroic spirit of such a woman?"

Back home, Madam Lu pulled Lu Shu into the inner room and wept bitterly, covering her face.

“You child, Lu Yao is your own sister. But look at her, now that she’s become successful, she doesn’t even acknowledge her own parents. How can you speak up for such an ungrateful person?”

Lu Shu stood frozen in place, staring at her mother's distorted face, her voice trembling: "But if she really is my sister, why have I never heard my parents mention her from childhood to adulthood? I've always thought of myself as the eldest daughter of the family. Why did she end up living away from home, and how did she learn those amazing skills?"

Madam Lu was speechless for a moment, and stammered, "Back then... back then a Taoist priest said she was a cursed star, destined to bring misfortune to her family. We sent her to the Taoist temple for the sake of the whole family! As for her current abilities, that's her good fortune. In the end, she should thank us. If we hadn't sent her to the Taoist temple, she wouldn't have had this opportunity."

Lu Shu remained silent for a long time, her eyes filled with disappointment: "If that's the case, why have we never visited her at the Taoist temple all these years? Our family has never had any dealings with the Taoist temple, not even a penny or a gift... Are you really doing this for the good of the family, or do you just want to abandon her?"

Mrs. Lu's temples throbbed as she was bombarded with her daughter's barrage of questions.

"Shut up!" Lu Xuan kicked open the door and stormed in, his hand trembling as he pointed at his daughter. "Without us, where would you get your life of luxury? Now you've learned to side with outsiders?"

He swept the inkstone off the table, and the thick ink meandered like blood on the blue bricks. "From this day forward, you are not allowed to step out of the house even once!"

In the dead of night, the candlelight flickered in the draft of the Lu residence.

Madam Lu knelt in the Buddhist hall, frantically spinning prayer beads in front of the Guanyin statue: "It's all that little bitch's fault! As long as Lu Yao doesn't acknowledge her ancestors and return to her family, we'll never have a moment's peace..."

Despite their treacherous intentions, Lu Xuan and his wife became even more determined in the days that followed.

There are only two paths to take.

Either let Lu Yao return to their Lu family to acknowledge her ancestors, or let her die.

Otherwise, she will always be a stumbling block for the Lu family.

...

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the world is suffering from a severe drought.

The riverbed is cracked and the crops are withered.

The people knelt on the cracked ridges of the fields, gazing up at the cloudless sky, their eyes filled with despair.

The Lu Xuan couple finally got their chance.

Lu Yao severed her immortal bones to pray for rain, and finally, the heavens sent down sweet rain.

Inside the study of the Seventh Prince's residence, candlelight flickered.

Xiao Yuanxiu's strategist lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, the Imperial Preceptor's prayer for rain has depleted her vital energy. This is a golden opportunity. If we wait until she recovers her strength..."

Before he could finish speaking, a dark figure suddenly swooped down from the eaves, knelt on one knee, and whispered in Xiao Yuanxiu's ear.

“Father-in-law,” Xiao Yuanxiu’s expression changed drastically, “something unexpected has happened.”

With a gesture from him, two guards in black escorted a woman into the study.

The woman's hair was disheveled, and her pearl hairpin was broken in two, yet she still stubbornly held her head high.

It turned out to be Lu Shu, the concubine of the Seventh Prince.

"Shu'er?!" Lu Xuan jumped to his feet, the sandalwood chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. He stared at his daughter in disbelief. "How did you get here?"

Blood trickled from the corner of Lu Shu's mouth, but her eyes shone brightly like stars: "Father, stop! Don't make another mistake. My sister sacrificed her life for the rain, and you still want to take advantage of the situation?! If she hadn't summoned the heavenly thunder and rain, the world would be a pile of bones by now!"

Xiao Yuanxiu leaned down and lifted her chin, coaxing, "Shu'er, when I ascend the throne, you will be the Empress, the mother of the nation. Second only to the Emperor, above all others."

His voice was sweet.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan's cloudy eyes immediately lit up, and even his breathing became heavy.

Lu Shu tilted her head and spat out blood, staining his gold-trimmed sleeve: "I just want my sister to come back safely!"

"Insolence!" Lu Xuan slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups on it to rattle loudly.

His finger trembled as he pointed at Lu Shu: "You unfilial daughter! We've raised you for so many years, and you're not even as good as that witch? What kind of bewitching potion did she give you?"

Lu Shu raised her tearful eyes, her voice soft yet clear: "Daughter just... doesn't want to go against her conscience."

Lu Xuan's face turned ashen. He turned to Xiao Yuanxiu and cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Highness, this rebellious daughter has gone mad. It would be better to imprison her to prevent her from ruining everything."