Lu Jinshu looked at the elegant ladies and gentlemen coming and going in front of the Lu family's door, and then looked at himself who was covered in dirt and rags. He felt ashamed of himself after hearing what the doorwoman said.
Lu Jinshu felt his stomach burning with hunger again. He looked at the magnificent plaque on the Lu family's door.
Separated by a wall, they lead two completely different lives.
Just when Lu Jinshu thought he was about to starve to death, the concierge pressed a bowl of rice into his hands. "Mr. Lu is kind-hearted and gave the leftovers to the servants. If no one eats them, they will end up in the slop bucket, so I brought them here for you. You, a beggar, are truly lucky today, to have benefited from Mr. Lu's birthday celebration."
Lu Jinshu kowtowed deeply to the old lady. He was so hungry that he didn't even pick up a spoon. He stuffed the rice into his mouth with his muddy hands.
He ate the leftovers and felt like he had eaten a full banquet.
That was the best meal he had ever had in his life.
At that time, he didn't know that many of the dishes on the tables of wealthy families had never been touched and were only put on the table to make the display look good.
The meals that the Lu family rewarded their servants were all of excellent quality.
The bowl he ate was leftovers that even the servants looked down upon.
Just as the old lady said, such things can only be thrown into the泔水袋 in the Lu family.
Lu Jinshu licked the bottom of the bowl until it was as white as new, without even a drop of grease left.
He was just about to return the bowl to the concierge.
At this time, a young man in sky-blue silk brocade clothes came out from the door. The man had a face exactly like his. It was Lu Jinan who came out to see off the guests.
Lu Jinan had a smile on his face until his eyes suddenly caught sight of Lu Jinshu, and his expression suddenly became extremely ugly.
Lu Jinshu's face was covered in dirt, so of course he didn't recognize Lu Jinshu. He was angry that on such a festive day as his birthday, a little beggar actually ate the Lu family's meal. Even if the meal was slop, it was unacceptable, as it was too unlucky.
Lu Jinan had the doorwoman beaten with a stick and sold out her entire family.
Two burly old servants surrounded Lu Jinshu and were about to beat him to death with sticks according to Lu Jinan's order.
Lu Jinshu was hit by two sticks head-on. He had no way to avoid them and could only frantically wipe the dirt off his face with his sleeves.
But his sleeves were also black and dirty, and wiping them only made his face look even dirtier.
Lu Jinshu was extremely desperate. He could only repeat over and over again, "I am the son of Master Lu, I am the son of Master Lu..."
As soon as Lu Jinshu said this, the face of one of the old servants changed drastically. He knocked the wooden stick out of the other old servant's hand, and without caring about Lu Jinan who was still standing beside him, he brought Lu Jinshu into the mansion through the back door.
The news that Taifu's wife gave birth to twins was kept secret by Taifu Lu.
The concierge was a marginal figure in the Lu family and didn't know the inside story. Like outsiders, she thought that the Lu family only had one eldest son, and this old servant was actually the confidant of the Grand Tutor's wife.
The old servant helped Lu Jinshu to wash and dress, changed him into clean clothes, and brought him to the Grand Tutor and his wife.
That was the first time Lu Jinshu met his mother and father.
He wanted to tell these two closest people in front of him about all the grievances in his heart.
However, Master Lu didn't even look at him and had him sent back to his farm in the countryside overnight.
That day was also his birthday.
However, he caught a cold on the way and fainted.
When he opened his eyes again, he was lying in the utility room of a farmer's house.
Those people refused to hire a doctor for him, and would not prescribe medicine for him. He survived the illness with a narrow escape, and then became a mute.
Lu Jinshu felt cold all over and was shivering.
He opened his mouth to make a sound, then his eyes snapped open.
Lu Jinshu saw Ling Shumo.
Ling Shumo placed her palm on his forehead and turned her head to look at the imperial physician beside her. "He's been running a fever all night. Is the medicine you prescribed working?"
The imperial physician bowed and replied, "Your Excellency has a high fever caused by excessive fear. The main cause of his illness is his unstable mind. The medicine I prescribe is only auxiliary. If you want a quick recovery, Your Highness must inquire about his condition and resolve his worries."
Shi Qi signaled to the imperial physician that he could leave, and she followed him to the door and locked it.
Ling Shumo asked Lu Jinshu, "What were you thinking about? You scared yourself to death."
Lu Jinshu's lips moved slightly, but he didn't say a word.
He didn't know where to start, how to say it, and he didn't know if he could tell Ling Shumo the truth about his worries.
Ling Shumo poured him a glass of warm water.
Although Lu Jinshu said nothing, his thoughts were not difficult to guess.
Jiufu had already removed the hairpins from Lu Jinshu's head. Ling Shumo gently stroked his smooth, black hair and said in a calm voice, "Lu Jinshu, there's no need to scare yourself. From beginning to end, have I ever said a word to blame you?"
Lu Jinshu clenched the teacup in his hand, his lips pressed into a line. His eyes flickered, and an uneasy look filled his entire face. "I told Your Highness in front of you that the child in Bai Lin's belly was innocent. The Queen and Your Majesty were worried about Your Highness's offspring, and I advised Your Highness to spare the child's life. Your Highness praised me for my thoughtfulness and consideration for the overall situation..."
Lu Jinshu lowered his eyes when he said this, not daring to look at Ling Shumo again. "But this minister did such a thing today. He said one thing to your face and another behind your back. If I were Your Highness, you would also hate a man like me who is so hypocritical and vicious. Whenever I thought that Your Highness would hate me, I became extremely panicked. I couldn't bear it for a while and fainted."
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