Chapter 208 Princess Yongfu
The Empress Dowager gently lifted her half-closed eyelids and, for the first time, seriously examined the upright figure below the steps.
Then, without making a sound, he glanced at the Empress Dowager beside him.
Empress Fengyi sat upright, motionless, with only her hands, folded on her knees, slightly curled.
She naturally knew who Lu Zhaoruo was.
The "close friend" that Geng had mentioned to her several times in the past was the woman from Jizhou, surnamed Lu, who had been single for three years after her marriage and whose husband had died at the hands of pirates.
It was this experience that reminded her of her mother's hardships as a widow, and she felt pity for her, which is why she specially asked the officials to obtain a "chastity arch" for her.
She had already heard about the farce that happened at the Geng residence a few days ago.
It turns out that Geng had told herself a huge lie!
At her birthday banquet, Madam Geng invited Madam Lu in an attempt to curry favor with her, but she was exposed in public. Afterwards, she committed the shocking and shameful act of harming a maid and her unborn child!
But the young master of the Shen family did not die at all. He had divorced his wife and remarried, which is why the Lu family filed a lawsuit against him!
Geng's so-called "deep sisterly affection" was nothing more than an attempt to gain fame.
She had initially shown her favor because of a past relationship between her maternal family and the Geng family.
As a result, Lord Geng condoned his subordinates' collusion with Japanese pirates, which enraged the emperor.
As the empress, she naturally had to distance herself from him.
Upon learning of Geng's actions, she initially intended to blame her, but then she heard that Geng had been divorced and imprisoned.
They ended up in this predicament because they had brought it upon themselves.
And this Lu Zhaoruo...
The Empress's gaze calmly fell upon the upright figure below the steps.
To be able to break free from that quagmire requires not only courage but also great wisdom.
Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation...
The Empress Dowager's tricky question was easily resolved.
She immediately realized that this woman was no ordinary person; in the future, she would either be a great trouble in the palace or... an extremely rare ally.
Princess Yongfu obviously didn't think that much about it; she just found the scene more interesting than watching a play.
She blinked curiously, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Lu Zhaoruo and the Empress Dowager. She almost couldn't help but applaud Lu Zhaoruo's courage, but fortunately, the palace maid next to her quietly tugged at her sleeve, which made her barely restrain herself.
Madam Di, standing to the side, still wore her usual smiling expression, her gentle gaze fixed on Lu Zhaoruo.
She thought to herself: This child is handsome, with a personality that is both gentle and firm, and he handles things in a methodical and orderly manner. Although he has been married before, isn't my unconventional grandson Meng Xi the perfect match for her insightful and open-minded nature?
The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. Her smile deepened, and she slowly stirred her teacup, muttering to herself, "Hmm, neither arrogant nor humble, every word is reasonable. Such a clear-headed child is rare these days. No wonder he could do such a righteous thing; he has great courage."
Her words were spoken casually, as if it were just a casual compliment, but at the moment when the garden was quiet, they were clearly heard by several distinguished people nearby.
Meanwhile, Jiang, who was in the distance, had been looking forward to seeing Lu Zhaoruo in a sorry state.
Unexpectedly, the other party spoke eloquently in front of the Empress Dowager, not only unharmed but also holding his own in terms of momentum!
The difficulty Lu Zhaoruo presented was far beyond her expectations.
Li Nian'er was so angry that she trembled all over.
She couldn't understand the ramblings she was saying, but she noticed that the distinguished guests weren't angry; instead, they looked at her with admiration.
Why should I?!
What makes Lu Zhaoruo so special?!
At this moment.
After a moment of silence, the Empress Dowager slowly spoke, her voice so calm that it revealed no emotion whatsoever: "Alright, today was just a casual chat while appreciating chrysanthemums, merely one person's opinion, take it with a grain of salt."
"Having lived for so many years, I have seen too much in this palace. How can worldly matters be judged simply by the words 'right' and 'wrong'?"
Her gaze returned to Lu Zhaoruo, and her tone suddenly became more serious: "But there is one thing I see clearly—merit is merit, and fault is fault. Lu, you presented the map to defeat the Japanese pirates, which is a contribution to the country. This is the greatest 'right'. With this 'right', minor details can naturally be overlooked."
After speaking, a faint look of weariness appeared on her face. She raised her hand and gently pressed her temples, saying to the Empress, "Empress, I'll leave this place to you. I'm a little tired and will return to the palace to rest."
The Empress and the other noble ladies quickly rose to see her off, saying, "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, and with the help of Aunt Su, she stood up. Her gaze lingered on Lu Zhaoruo for a moment, and without saying anything more, she slowly left.
As soon as the Empress Dowager left, the atmosphere in the garden immediately relaxed a bit.
The Empress smiled and said to everyone, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is returning to the palace to rest. Please, everyone, do not stand on ceremony. Please continue to enjoy yourselves and have a good time."
Princess Yongfu walked briskly to Lu Zhaoruo with a smile, took her hand affectionately, and said in a clear, melodious voice, "Lady Lu, you were so amazing just now! Every word you said made perfect sense, and even the Empress Dowager and my sister-in-law nodded in agreement. You were just like those female warriors in operas who debated with a group of scholars!"
Lu Zhaoruo was slightly taken aback, not expecting the princess to be so enthusiastic and straightforward.
She did not pull her hand away, but instead gently squeezed it back, replying in a gentle voice, "Your Highness is too kind. I am merely stating the facts; I dare not conceal my thoughts in the slightest. It is Your Highness who is exceptionally intelligent, and in terms of insight and demeanor, you far surpass me by a thousand times."
Yongfu blinked her big eyes, her expression a mix of innocent grievance and sadness: "Really? My brother always makes fun of me, saying I'm really stupid!"
She changed the subject abruptly, her eyes instantly filled with undisguised envy: "Oh, right! I heard Brother Mengxi mention that you're really good at riding horses! I really envy you! I've been afraid of those tall horses since I was little, and no matter what my brother says, I don't dare to ride them."
She pouted and complained, "Even though Commander Gao of the Imperial Guard personally taught me, I still couldn't learn it. He's so fierce!"
Her face was full of longing: "But I always think about how awesome it would be to ride a horse around the track someday!"
She gently shook Lu Zhaoruo's hand, pleading sweetly, "Sister Lu, you're so brave and capable! The Xishan Garden is holding an autumn hunting banquet next month, it'll be so lively! You must come and teach me how to ride a horse, okay?"
She raised her hand and swore, "I promise I'll do whatever you say!"
Looking at the innocent and carefree Princess Yongfu before her, who was completely different from the deep-thinking elders she had just met, Lu Zhaoruo felt a warmth in her heart and replied respectfully and gently, "Your Highness is exceptionally intelligent. If you are truly willing to learn, you will surely master it quickly. I, Zhaoruo, will certainly do my best."
Yongfu immediately smiled, his eyes crinkling, then, as if remembering something important, leaned closer and whispered, "Then... if I scream in fear, you can't laugh at me!"
Lu Zhaoruo leaned forward slightly in response, lowering her voice with a hint of good-natured teasing: "Of course not. To be honest, Your Highness, when I first approached a horse, I was so scared that tears welled up in my eyes. I'm far less frightened than Your Highness."
Upon hearing this, Yongfu's eyes widened in surprise, then he couldn't help but burst into laughter, his silvery laughter echoing through the garden: "Really? Hahaha... Sister Lu, you're scared too! Then I'm much more relieved!"
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