Chapter 55 Yu Nian's trump card
Chuntao knocked on the door for a long time before a servant-like man came out. Upon hearing that someone from the Prime Minister's residence had come, he quickly shook his head and said that the Minister's residence was not receiving guests today.
Despite being turned away right away, Yu Nian showed no sign of backing down.
At this hour, Minister Lu is definitely not at home; that must have been at Madam Lu's behest.
Yu Nian rode in the Prime Minister's carriage. Although Madam Lu did not show herself, she must have seen her. The only good thing was that Yu Nian and Yu Zhirou, both unmarried women, wore light veils and hats when they got out of the carriage, so Madam Lu probably did not know who from the Prime Minister's residence had come.
Minister Lu is a supporter of the Crown Prince's faction. Now that Yu Huaifeng's own daughter has been betrothed to the Crown Prince's mortal enemy, Madam Lu certainly doesn't want to get involved with Yu Nian.
After considering all this, Yu Nian felt it was time to pull out her trump card.
"Cousin, do you have any of His Highness the Crown Prince's tokens on you? May I borrow them?"
Yu Nian knew that Li Mingjin doted on Yu Zhirou so much that he would definitely give her something to rely on.
Yu Zhirou was taken aback, but then she understood what Yu Nian meant. She took out a pendant from her purse and handed it to Yu Nian.
"Chuntao, go knock on the door again."
Yu Nian never expected that one day she would be using her influence to bully the Crown Prince. After all, he was always causing trouble, so it wasn't too much to provoke him now.
As it turned out, the power of the Crown Prince's talisman was truly astonishing.
Not long after the items were handed in, Madam Lu's voice rang out from the doorway.
"These useless people, how come they can't even recognize the future Crown Princess? They must be blind."
Madam Lu was plump and her eyes were squeezed into slits when she smiled.
She knew that Yu Zhirou was currently living in the Prime Minister's residence, but she shouldn't be going out in the Prime Minister's carriage, let alone come here suddenly. She thought it was Yu Nian who had come, so she had someone block her way and say that she did not receive guests. She never expected that it was Yu Zhirou who came!
If she offends the Crown Prince because of this, then her reign as the mistress of the house will be over.
As she welcomed them into the courtyard, Madam Lu's smile gradually froze when she saw Yu Nian and Yu Zhirou remove their light veils and hats.
Why is Yu Nian here too?!
Moreover, the two of them were standing very close together, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
Madam Lu was completely bewildered, wondering how Yu Nian had gotten involved with the Crown Princess. Did the Crown Prince know about it?
Seeing the truly fascinating expression on Madam Lu's face, Yu Nian decided to continue her act of using someone else's power to her advantage. She quietly reached out and poked Yu Zhirou's hand, signaling her to speak first.
Yu Zhirou felt somewhat helpless, but since she was already there, it would be impolite to just stand there without saying a word.
“Madam Lu, the Crown Prince and I are not yet married, so please call me Zhirou. I apologize for disturbing you with my visit today. I heard that Lu Mingzhu is ill, so I have come to examine her pulse.”
Yu Zhirou's words went straight to the point, causing Madam Lu's eyes to freeze for a moment.
"Mingzhu's health has never been very good; it's all old ailments, so it's not good to trouble Zhirou with her worries."
Madam Lu answered with a smile, but doubts arose in her heart. How did they know that Lu Mingzhu was ill? She had clearly instructed the servants to keep the news a secret, and even Minister Lu did not know the truth.
Yu Nian sighed inwardly, thinking that Madam Lu's evasiveness must mean something was amiss.
“Madam Lu, my cousin canceled her appointment with the Crown Prince and came here with good intentions. We must see her to put our minds at ease.”
If it were just Yu Nian speaking, Madam Lu would naturally have a thousand reasons to stop her from seeing him, but since she was referring to Yu Zhirou and mentioning the Crown Prince, she couldn't very well refuse.
That damned, short-lived girl, I don't know how she got involved with Yu Zhirou.
"Then please wait here for a moment, and I will have a maid go and fetch Mingzhu."
Madam Lu calmed herself down. Fortunately, Lu Mingzhu was born with a weak constitution and was practically invisible in the mansion. Even if she were asked, Minister Lu would not hold her, the mistress of the house, accountable.
"No need, let's go by ourselves. Since Mingzhu isn't feeling well, it's not suitable for her to move around, right, cousin?"
Over time, Yu Nian realized that Madam Lu was wary of Yu Zhirou, so she used this protective charm to its fullest extent, completely controlling Madam Lu.
Madam Lu was furious, but dared not speak out. She could only watch; she couldn't see anything of interest anyway. After all, she was the absolute matriarch here.
The group walked towards the courtyard where Lu Mingzhu lived. When they arrived, Yu Nian was still a little dazed.
We've arrived?
This place is even more shabby than the side room where Chun Tao and the others live. It faces the shadiest west side, and after an autumn rain the day before yesterday, some of the corners have even developed mold.
“Mingzhu’s previous residence was under renovation, so she temporarily moved here.”
Seemingly sensing something amiss, Madam Lu explained with a smile, but in her heart she was thinking, "Where does a concubine's daughter without a mother expect to live? It's already quite lenient of her not to let her sleep in the woodshed."
Not wanting to waste words with Madam Lu in these places, Yu Nian lifted the curtain and entered the side room.
Upon entering the room, a musty smell hit you. The small room was cold and damp. It was only early autumn, but the room was already so cold that it made you shiver.
On a small bed in the room, Lu Mingzhu was resting with her eyes half-closed.
She is, after all, a young lady from the Minister's mansion, yet she falls ill and doesn't even have a maidservant by her side to take care of her.
"These servants are so lazy, I don't know where they've run off to. I'll definitely give them a good talking to later."
As Madam Lu spoke, she moved closer to Lu Mingzhu's bedside and shook Lu Mingzhu, whose body was as thin as a willow branch.
"Mingzhu, wake up! Look who's come to see you."
Yu Nian stepped forward and helped Lu Mingzhu sit up. She found it hard to believe that the weak and haggard woman in front of her was the lively girl who had made a wish by the pond that day.
How could someone change like this after only a few days?
"Cousin, thank you for your help."
Upon hearing the sound, Yu Zhirou also went over to take Lu Mingzhu's pulse.
"Sister Niannian, you're here."
When Lu Mingzhu opened her eyes and saw Yu Nian's face, a look of joy flashed in her eyes.
"I thought I'd never have a chance to see you again."
Illness strikes like a landslide. Lu Mingzhu is weak and bedridden, almost cut off from the outside world. Sometimes she even thinks that if her vertigo attacks last too long, she will never wake up again.
"Silly girl, what are you saying? You're so young, you have plenty of time to see me."
Yu Nian retorted, holding Lu Mingzhu's hand, yet she could truly feel Lu Mingzhu's fragility. Like a sheet of rice paper, it would shatter with a strong gust of wind.
"You were fine the last time I saw you, how come you've changed so much in just a few days!"
Lu Mingzhu wanted to answer, but before she could speak, she coughed violently twice.
At this moment, Yu Zhirou stopped and spoke softly, "Miss Lu is weak and has poor blood circulation. I'll send over some tonics to help her recover first."
With Madam Lu present, Yu Nian didn't ask any questions, but simply had Chun Tao feed Lu Mingzhu some of the food she had brought.
When Madam Lu wasn't looking, Yu Nian slipped Lu Mingzhu a packet of silver. Because of the money, the servants treated Lu Mingzhu a little better.
As dusk fell, Yu Nian and Yu Zhirou left Lu Mingzhu's room and exited the Minister's residence. Yu Nian asked Yu Zhirou a question with a solemn expression.
"Cousin, tell me the truth, what's really going on with Mingzhu?"
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