Chapter 39: Wife Lost?
As soon as Lu Yuan said this, the sound of rain in the garden seemed to stop.
A stay-at-home order?!
He actually wants to confine that merchant's daughter to her home?!
Qi Lan could no longer maintain her pitiful demeanor; her voice was so shrill it almost pierced eardrums.
"Prime Minister."
"You...you're going to confine me? Just for such a small thing? Did Lan'er do something wrong?"
She struggled to move forward, but the sharp pain in her leg caused her and Lan Ying to stumble and fall into the mud. Her face, which she had just wiped clean, was once again splashed with mud.
She had no interest in tidying up; she just stared intently at Lu Yuan.
She hoped that the man would feel pity for her.
She simply forgot that Lu Yuan was a heartless man.
He didn't even twitch his eyebrows.
Turning to the side, her gaze swept over the plate of osmanthus cake on the table, which Ming Wu had eaten most of. A barely perceptible soft light flashed in her eyes, before she returned to her usual cold demeanor.
He calmly gave instructions to Xu Ming, who was standing dumbfounded to the side.
"Escort Miss Qi back to Lan Courtyard. No one is allowed to enter or leave without my order."
It seems the Prime Minister is truly going to confine Miss Qi to her quarters.
Xu Ming snapped to attention and immediately bowed, accepting the order: "Yes, Your Excellency."
"No! Your Excellency, you can't do this to me!"
Qi Lan panicked completely. She pushed away Lan Ying, who tried to help her, and practically crawled forward.
“I did it all for you. I did it all for you. This merchant’s daughter is not worthy of you at all. She will only disgrace the Prime Minister’s family…”
Those vicious words hissed like poisonous tongues in the grass.
Mingwu, who had already gotten up to leave, paused slightly upon hearing this. She turned half her face to look at Qi Lan, a very faint smile curving her lips.
See, they can't keep up the act anymore.
Lu Yuan's eyes suddenly darkened, and the air pressure around him instantly dropped, making it even more suffocating than the dark sky.
"Xu Ming, drag this person away right now! Do I need to teach you how to do things?"
Xu Ming broke out in a cold sweat and dared not delay any longer. He immediately signaled the two rough-looking old women to come forward.
Qi Lan panicked, realizing that she had said the wrong thing in her haste and angered him.
After all, even if she was unwilling to admit it, Ming was still his lawfully wedded wife. Husband and wife were one, and saying such a thing was a slap in his face.
Men care a lot about their reputation.
Qi Lan wished she could slap herself.
Once it's exported, it's like spilled water—there's no way to take it back.
When the two old women lifted her up, Qi Lan did not struggle. Instead, she used all her strength to look up at Lu Yuan.
"Prime Minister, have you forgotten?"
“When my family suffered a terrible misfortune, you saved me, took me in, and found a renowned doctor for me. You have been protecting me all these years.”
Lu Yuan finally lowered his eyes and looked directly at her.
But his gaze was icy cold.
“I’m saving you, I’m protecting you,” his voice was flat and clear to everyone, “all for the sake of my deceased brother.”
Qi Lan shuddered violently, and all the color drained from her face.
No!
impossible!
He was even willing to marry a woman he didn't like, surnamed Ming, for her sake. He even personally planted a Gu poison on Ming.
She needed the antidote to the Gu poison.
He clearly cares about her.
Lu Yuan's gaze swept over her pale face and landed in the void, as if looking through her at another person.
“In Lu’s heart, you will always be my brother’s betrothed wife, my sister-in-law.”
"You are the one he cherishes dearly, and the Prime Minister's residence will naturally protect you. But that's all."
Sister-in-law?
It turns out that his care for her was only because of the man who had been dead for more than ten years.
No wonder he always adhered to proper etiquette and never spent time alone with her. Most of the time, he would have servants relay his messages.
Qi Lan's face turned ashen, and she fainted from lack of breath. She was carried like a rag doll by the two old women.
Looking at her like this, Mingwu felt no joy at having avenged her great enemy. Instead, she felt a sense of desolation, as if they were both women, and that the death of a fellow woman was a shared sorrow.
Lu Yuan didn't even glance at Qi Lan again, and coldly gave the order.
“Send Miss Qi back. Once she wakes up, send her to a hot spring resort in the outskirts of the capital to recuperate. If nothing happens… there’s no need for her to return to the manor.”
This is to expel Qi Lan from the Prime Minister's residence.
Xu Ming's heart tightened, and he dared not hesitate for a moment longer. He signaled the old woman to quickly take Qi Lan away.
After finishing all this, Lu Yuan turned his head, his eyes filled with a hint of barely perceptible expectation, and looked at Ming Wu beside him as if seeking credit.
See, I've distanced myself from the people you hate.
Look, I have upheld "justice" for you.
I'm telling everyone so clearly that you're the one I care about.
However, Mingwu simply stood there quietly, her face showing no joy, no emotion, not even the slightest ripple.
It was as if the farce that had just happened had nothing to do with her.
Now that the play is over, it's time for her to leave.
The rain subsided.
The rain that had been pouring down was now gathered into fine, misty rain.
It was quietly falling.
The deafening noise subsided, leaving only a damp stillness in the world.
Rain dripped from the eaves, tapping softly on the bluestone slabs.
The expectation that had just risen in Lu Yuan's eyes vanished instantly, like a spark extinguished by cold water.
He lowered his eyes, suppressing the bitterness in his heart.
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the servants who were silent in the courtyard, before finally settling on Mingwu, his voice regaining its usual calm and steady tone.
"As the mistress of the Prime Minister's residence, if anyone dares to be disrespectful or spread rumors in the future, they will be severely punished."
These words were spoken to the servants, but even more so to Mingwu.
Without waiting for her reaction, he stepped forward, took the umbrella from her hand with perfect ease, and tilted the umbrella completely towards her.
"The rain hasn't stopped yet, I'll take you home."
Mingwu paused slightly, as if to say something.
But when her gaze met the undeniable refusal in his eyes, she swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
At this point, it's best not to provoke him any further.
Although it was unclear why he acted so unusually, not only failing to favor Qi Lan but also wanting to expel her from the manor.
But what does this have to do with me?
All I need to do is find the right opportunity to escape.
When I returned to the main courtyard, the rain had stopped.
The dark clouds in the sky had dispersed, and the sun had come out. A few rays of sunlight pierced through the leaves, creating a dazzling play of light and shadow on the wet cobblestone path.
Lu Yuan closed the umbrella.
Mingwu curtsied politely, but remained distant, saying, "Thank you, Prime Minister. I will take my leave now."
She turned around and went into the inner room without looking back.
"Ming Wu."
He suddenly called her by her full name.
There was never any "my Miss Qi".
“I saved her and protected her because of my deceased brother. She is my sister-in-law, but you are my wife, Lu Yuan’s wife.”
"Remember this."
Mingwu paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then continued walking inside.
She didn't respond, nor did she turn around.
All that remained was the string of jade beads on the curtain behind her, swaying and colliding violently, making a crisp sound.
This curtain wasn't originally from the East Courtyard; Lu Yuan had it brought over from the Left Courtyard last night. Just to put her mind at ease, he brought over almost all of her favorite old things.
Sunlight filters through the humid air, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Lu Yuan thought that by clarifying the misunderstanding and drawing a clear line, she would at least... have some reaction.
But she didn't.
An unprecedented sense of powerlessness gripped him.
The shrewd and cunning Prime Minister Lu was now helpless at the door of a young woman's heart.
,
After a long while, he finally looked away and turned to give instructions to the servant beside him.
"Go and fetch the Imperial Physician."
...
The inner room is just a step away.
Mingwu did not go far; she simply stood quietly behind the beaded curtain.
The light streaming in from the window cast the shadows of the beads onto her turquoise dress, flickering in and out.
In the past, upon hearing these words, she would have been thrilled, feeling that she had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel.
But now... it's too late.
Her heart had already been set on that moment when she was bound and forced to give Qi Lan a blood transfusion; and when she learned that he had personally planted the separation curse in her.
He was already dead.
Mingwu slowly raised her hand and gently pressed it against her chest, where it was now eerily calm.
...
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Imperial Physician arrived in a hurry, carrying his medicine chest.
Lu Yuan changed into a dry, moon-white robe and stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back. His gaze fell on a clump of banana trees in the corner of the wall, which were exceptionally green after being washed by the rain.
"Prime Minister."
The imperial physician stepped forward and bowed in greeting.
Lu Yuan turned around and said in a calm tone, "My wife got caught in the rain and is not in good health. I would appreciate it if the imperial physician could examine her carefully and take care of her."
Such a polite tone made the imperial physician's heart skip a beat, and he quickly bowed even lower.
"Your Excellency is too kind. This is my duty, and I will certainly do my best."
Lu Yuan nodded slightly, said no more, and simply stepped aside to lead the way.
Inside the room, Mingwu sat quietly by the window, gazing at the clear sky after the rain.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around.
Upon seeing that it was the Imperial Physician who had followed Lu Yuan in, he frowned slightly, then fell silent.
The imperial physician dared not delay, holding his breath and focusing his attention as he gently touched Mingwu's fair wrist with his fingertips.
For a moment, the room was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.
Lu Yuan stood a little distance away, his gaze seemingly fixed on the wind chimes hanging from the window sill.
This was his usual room, always decorated in a cold, austere style. Now, with the addition of another person's preferences, it surprisingly felt harmonious.
After a long while, the imperial physician's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, and he slowly withdrew his hand.
He stood up, facing Lu Yuan, his expression showing some deliberation.
Lu Yuan got up and walked out, with the Imperial Physician silently following behind.
Mingwu lowered her eyes and turned her head to look out the window again. However, her right hand unconsciously gripped the inside of her left arm.
Since returning to the Prime Minister's residence, she hasn't felt any pain there. There's nothing unusual, everything is quiet, as if the scene of her fainting from the pain outside the city was just her imagination.
A short while later, Lu Yuan arrived again.
This time, he was holding a bowl of dark medicine, and the strong smell of medicine instantly filled the room.
Upon smelling the medicine, Mingwu instantly recalled the bowls of bitter and astringent contraceptive soup that he had once asked Granny Qin to bring him.
My stomach churned violently.
Those painful memories that had been forcibly suppressed have all awakened like ghosts.
She dug her fingertips into her palms, using all her strength to prevent herself from vomiting.
Lu Yuan handed the medicine to her: "Drink the medicine."
Seeing that her complexion was off, he explained, "This is medicine to regulate your body, to calm your mind and strengthen your constitution."
Mingwu turned her head away: "I'm already better, I don't need to take medicine."
Lu Yuan frowned almost imperceptibly: "Your face is still so pale, how could you be better? Listen to me, drink it."
That "be obedient" carried his usual domineering, controlling tone, completely igniting Mingwu's long-suppressed emotions.
She suddenly raised her hand and swung it at them.
"I told you I wouldn't drink."
The porcelain bowl shattered on the ground with a piercing sound.
The pitch-black medicine splattered everywhere, like splashed ink, staining her skirt and also splashing onto the hem of his moon-white robe.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Xu Ming and Chun Nan, who were outside the door, were so frightened by the noise that they held their breath and didn't dare to lift their heads.
Lu Yuan looked down at the few stains on the hem of his robe, then slowly raised his eyes to look at Ming Wu.
She sat there, her chest heaving with excitement, her face bearing a resolute determination.
Her pale cheeks were tinged with an unusual blush.
The gentle facade on Lu Yuan's face finally cracked.
Deep within his eyes, that cluster of orange-red flames flared up again, even more fiercely than yesterday.
The air inside suddenly became thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe.
Mingwu was prepared to face his thunderous wrath.
He might just strangle her.
He might imprison her in an even crueler way.
However, the expected storm did not arrive.
Lu Yuan just stared intently at her, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as if he was trying his best to suppress something.
His hands, hanging by his sides, were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through clenched teeth:
"……very good."
He twitched the corners of his mouth as if he were smiling, but there was no smile in his eyes.
"If you don't want to drink, then don't drink."
After saying that, he stopped looking at her, turned around, and strode away.
As he reached the door, Lu Yuan paused and glanced back into the room.
It was so quiet that there wasn't a sound.
The words of the Imperial Physician echoed in my ears once again.
"...The lady's pulse is weak and thready, suggesting that she has worries and anxieties weighing on her heart, and that her liver qi is not flowing smoothly..."
"Depression cannot be cured by medicine alone; it also requires... a broad and open-minded attitude."
Anxiety builds up in the heart, causing stagnation of liver qi.
Is she really that unwilling to go back to him?
Lu Yuan's eyes darkened.
"Go and brew another bowl of medicine, and bring it to Madam later."
"yes."
-
The study was brightly lit by candlelight.
Lu Yuan sat upright at the desk, his slender fingers holding a wolf-hair brush, writing on an open case file.
The orange candlelight reflected on his handsome profile, casting a warm glow on his hard features.
Xu Ming stood silently in the shadows, his hands at his sides, even his breathing was extremely soft.
After an unknown amount of time, Lu Yuan's wrist paused slightly, and the tip of his brush almost imperceptibly bleeds a small patch of ink at the last hook of the character "妩".
He stared at the abrupt ink dot, his eyes deep and intense.
"She...relieved herself?"
Xu Ming immediately stepped forward and bowed in response.
"Your Excellency, the lights in Madam's room have been turned off."
He paused, then added cautiously.
"Chunnan said... Madam ate very little for dinner, and the box of candied fruit was left untouched on the table."
Lu Yuan's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the pen.
He remained silent for a moment, then slowly crumpled the ink-stained paper into a ball and tossed it aside.
Unfold a new sheet of paper and pick up your pen again.
Outside the window, the night was deep and all was quiet.
A crescent moon hangs high in the sky, and faint starlight falls, enveloping the houses and trees.
Lu Yuan finally finished the last volume, put down his pen, and wearily pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What time is it?"
Xu Ming turned his head and glanced at the water clock.
"Your Excellency, it is already three-quarters past midnight."
Thinking of the Prime Minister's question about the Madam earlier, she couldn't help but boldly probe further.
"Prime Minister... are you going to the main courtyard now, or to rest in the east wing?"
Lu Yuan looked up and glanced over.
Xu Ming froze on the spot, his heart pounding. He was about to apologize when he heard him say in a deep voice.
"Go back to the main courtyard."
Xu Ming secretly wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead.
Fortunately, he made the right bet.
"yes."
As he reached the door, Lu Yuan suddenly stopped.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a low cabinet next to the table, on which was a brocade package.
It was clearly the one that Song Yan had given to Ming Wu, which he had snatched from her that day.
He turned and walked back.
The fingertips hovered above the package, hesitant to fall.
Until the candle flame on the candlestick suddenly popped and emitted a spark.
Lu Yuan's fingertips touched the brocade, and the icy touch crept up his fingertips little by little.
He paused for a moment, then untied the strap.
It is a document.
The paper was new and bore the official vermilion seal.
It is Mingwu's household registration document.
Lu Yuan's gaze swept quickly across the list, finally settling on the words "widowed".
His pupils contracted sharply, and he pressed his fingertip heavily on the two words, almost piercing the paper.
Okay, very good!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
