Chapter 199 Rumors Spread Throughout High Society
The next day.
A shocking rumor about Lu Zhaoruo spread like wildfire among the ladies at tea parties and in the inner quarters.
The rumors were vivid and detailed, as if witnessed firsthand: "That Lady Lu who accompanied General Xiao to the capital, she seemed so elegant, but little did anyone know she had already married someone in Jizhou! Although she later divorced, once she entered the Shen family, she was a Shen family woman for life. And what do you think of her? After marrying into the family, she neither served her parents-in-law morning and evening nor managed the household affairs or upheld traditional wifely virtues. When her husband returned from his voyage, guess what? She showed no regard for their past relationship whatsoever, and filed a lawsuit against her husband's entire family! She relentlessly pursued them, using ruthless methods, ultimately driving her former uncle to his death by crashing into a pillar in court, her former aunt to prison, and even her former husband, Shen Rongzhi, was sentenced to exile two thousand miles away... Such a character is simply appalling!"
The ladies whispered amongst themselves, each word dripping with sarcasm:
"Although she gained fame by donating money, how can someone of such character be worthy of receiving the emperor's favor?"
"Tsk tsk, it's easy to draw a tiger's skin but hard to draw its bones! Look at her calm and serene appearance, who would have thought she's so vicious inside!"
"If he could drive even his former uncle to his death, what else wouldn't he do? General Xiao taking her back to his residence for a temporary stay is just inviting a wolf into the house!"
"Coming from a merchant background, he was ultimately petty and shameless!"
The Xiao residence, Chengrui Courtyard.
After angrily relaying the gossip outside, Dongrou looked at her wife with worry.
Lu Zhaoruo, however, sat quietly by the window, holding a book, her expression unchanging, as if she were only hearing someone else's story.
After a long while, she closed the book and looked out the window with clear eyes: "The rumors are so detailed, it's as if someone saw it with their own eyes."
She smiled slightly and asked softly, "Dongrou, who do you think is behind all this? Who's pulling the strings?"
After a moment of contemplation, Dong Rou tentatively asked, "Could it be... that Geng family?"
Lu Zhaoruo shook her head: "Geng has lost all face and reputation. She has been divorced and sent to a nunnery. She can barely protect herself, let alone reach that far, not to mention..."
She paused slightly, a cold glint in her eyes, "How could she, being so far away in the capital, know these details of the past?"
Dong Rou frowned and pondered for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Could it be... the eldest son of the Meng family?"
She immediately denied it herself: "Although he did take advantage of you, judging from what Chang Hong usually says, although he is cold-hearted, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would stoop to spreading such shady rumors."
She counted on her fingers: "Apart from Master Gu Xian, General Xiao, Mr. Sun Jing, Young Master Lu, you and me, there are only..."
She paused, then suddenly looked up: "Could it be Wan Wanning? Oh, should we call her Mother Wanning now?"
Lu Zhaoruo shook her head slightly: "Regardless of her current situation, even if she is stupid, she would never dare to spread this matter rashly at this moment."
Dongrou pondered deeply but could not find the answer, and murmured to herself, "Who could it be? Judging from this, they probably hate you to the core, my lady."
A knowing smile flickered across Lu Zhaoruo's lips: "I'm afraid it's Li Nian'er, who has already arrived in the capital."
Dong Rou suddenly realized: "That's it! Li Nian'er! Her aunt is in the capital, she must hate you terribly, Madam!"
Lu Zhaoruo did not speak again, but only looked out the window with a faint smile.
Xiao Mansion, inside Kangning Hall.
As Madam Xiao leaned against the couch with her eyes closed, resting, Madam He sat beside her, carefully massaging her legs, and recounted in detail the horrifying rumors about Lu Zhaoruo that had been circulating outside.
Without embellishing his words, he made the phrase "forced his elders to their deaths" remarkably clear.
Madam Xiao paused slightly in her hand holding the Buddhist prayer beads, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.
The old nanny Song, who was standing to the side, said in a low voice, "Last time she dealt with Wan Wanning, the old servant thought she was a sensible person. Who would have thought... she would be so despicable."
Madam He sighed softly, her tone carrying just the right amount of worry and fear: "When I heard about it, I was also terrified! To drive an elder to his death and to sue her husband's family—is this the behavior of a respectable woman? Such a ruthless nature makes one's spine tingle just to think about being in the same room with her."
She paused briefly, observing the old lady's expression, and continued, "Fortunately, Ming'er refused this marriage proposal back then. If she had listened to her cousin's advice and married her... the consequences for the Xiao family would have been unimaginable."
Seeing that the old lady's fingers had slowed down a bit more as she twirled the prayer beads, Madam He changed the subject, adding a touch of indignation: "At the banquet a few days ago, she spoke of her divorce so grandly, talking about 'severing ties' and 'being upright and honorable,' daring to contradict my aunt in public. Who knew that when she was a daughter-in-law in the Shen family, she was so unfilial, disrespectful, and utterly devoid of any wifely virtue!"
She deliberately lowered her voice: "Divorce is her own business, but she drove her former uncle to his death and sent her former aunt to prison... How vicious are these methods! If such a woman were to enter another family in the future, I'm afraid... she would be a menace."
Upon hearing this, Madam Xiao stopped completely from fiddling with her prayer beads.
She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze not directed at anyone, but calmly looking out the window. After a long while, she called out softly, "Granny Song."
Granny Song replied, "This old servant is here."
Madam Xiao continued, "When you came back last time, you said that you saw her deal with Wan Shi. She acted swiftly and spoke clearly, and you even praised her for her integrity."
Her tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Now it seems she is indeed a merchant's wife, lacking in common sense. Her integrity is a facade, her true nature is perverseness. To place personal grudges above the basic principles of human relations is a grave taboo."
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over Madam He: "I seem to have forgotten how she argued at that banquet a few days ago?"
Madam He hurriedly replied in a soft voice, "She...she was quite sharp in her words at the time, asking what 'clean reputation' meant? She said, 'Is it that a woman who establishes her own household and donates money to help the military and the country is not clean, or is it that she is upright and honest in her conduct?' Although I found her words audacious, I dared not say a word..."
"What a wonderful word, 'upright and honorable'!"
A cold smile curled at the corner of Madam Xiao's lips, carrying a mocking tone born of worldly experience. "She forced her elders to their deaths; does she even deserve the title of 'upright and honorable'?"
She gently placed the prayer beads on the table, making a soft yet clear sound, and the room immediately fell silent.
"My Xiao family, though not as noble as the royal family, has been loyal and virtuous for generations, and we value rules and regulations the most."
Her tone grew serious, indicating she had made up her mind. "This woman is ruthless, unchaste, and also cunning and manipulative. She is no good. Fortunately, Ming'er did not agree, otherwise, the reputation of my Xiao family would have been ruined."
She looked at Granny Song and instructed, "Pass down my message. From this day forward, since Madam Lu is now a guest of the Xiao family, the proper etiquette must not be disregarded. However, all her daily needs and expenses should be handled according to the usual guest protocol, without any special treatment. No one in the household should have any close contact with her."
After giving her instructions, she closed her eyes again and said softly, "You may all leave. I'm tired."
Madam He bowed respectfully and slowly withdrew from Kangning Hall.
Only after she turned and left, when no one could see her, did a relaxed smile slowly appear on her lips.
Therefore, Lu Zhaoruo would have absolutely no chance of ever entering the Xiao family again.
She wondered who else might have a grudge against her, someone she didn't even need to personally intervene.
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