Chapter 229 Li Nian'er lies on the ground
The inner courtyard of the Imperial Brother-in-law's residence.
The emperor's brother-in-law kicked open the door to Li Nian'er's room.
Night had fallen, and the flickering lanterns under the eaves cast shifting shadows on his gloomy face.
Recalling the embarrassment at the Xiao family banquet today, the anger in his chest burned up again.
He went into the room.
Li Nian'er was removing the last hairpin in front of the mirror.
The bronze mirror reflected the man's sinister face. Her fingertips trembled, and the hairpin fell to the dressing table with a "clatter".
"Master..."
She hurriedly stood up, her thin undergarment covering her trembling body. "You... why are you here at this hour..."
"Take it off."
The emperor's brother-in-law slammed the door shut behind him.
Li Nian'er's face turned deathly pale instantly.
She trembled as she untied her sash, and layers of silk garments fell to the ground.
The emperor's brother-in-law's cold gaze swept over the sandalwood shelf, where a black gold dog leash for tethering hunting dogs and a cowhide whip hung.
Li Nian'er trembled all over. Under that intimidating gaze, she finally crawled over and shakily fastened the cold dog collar around her neck.
Then he took the leather whip down and held it above his head; the bruises on his wrists were faintly visible in the candlelight.
"Please..."
Before she could finish speaking, the whip had already lashed out.
The whip struck his back, instantly reopening old scars and drawing blood.
She curled up in pain, her fingernails digging into the floor.
The whip fell one after another like a venomous snake. She dared not beg for mercy, but bit her lip tightly and stared at the swaying shadow on the wall amidst the smell of blood.
Those shadows gradually twisted into Lu Zhaoruo's composed features, Xiao Yeming's protective posture, and countless disdainful glances at the banquet.
Hatred gnawed at her heart like maggots.
Lu Zhaoruo...it's all your fault! It's all because of you!
If you hadn't pushed me into this beast's arms and closed the door, how could I have ended up in such a beastly state!
You have humiliated me so much, I, Li Nian'er, swear here and now that as long as I have a breath left, I will make you pay a hundredfold!
When the whipping stopped, she collapsed to the ground like a rag doll.
The emperor's brother-in-law threw down the whip and began to untie his jade belt.
Li Nian'er let the new humiliation crush her body.
Late at night, the heavy door creaked open and closed again.
The pale moonlight seeped into the luxurious room, illuminating only a huddled figure on the floor and the venomous, chilling light in her eyes.
The emperor's brother-in-law did not stay overnight, but went directly to the courtyard of his principal wife, Lady Han.
Lady Han was born into the Duke of Han's family. Although her maternal family was once prominent, it has now declined and relies entirely on the Duke's brother's family and the Empress Dowager in the palace to maintain its dignity.
Her personal nanny and maid had already whispered a report about the unsavory commotion that had just occurred in the side courtyard.
She felt a surge of disgust in her heart, but dared not show it on her face.
Just as she was feeling secretly annoyed, a maid announced that the emperor's brother-in-law had arrived.
She quickly composed herself and waved for the maids and nannies serving in the room to leave.
The emperor's brother-in-law entered the room, still reeking of alcohol, his clothes tinged with the ambiguous scent of perfume.
Han suppressed her annoyance, lowered her eyes, and respectfully greeted, "Master."
The emperor's brother-in-law sat down casually, glanced at her sideways, and ordered, "Tomorrow, find an excuse to send an invitation to that newly rewarded Lady Lu to come to the mansion for a chat."
Madam Han's heart tightened. She knew exactly what he was up to, but she dared not refuse. She could only reply in a low voice, "Yes, I will make the arrangements tomorrow."
She knew that she and her family were all tied to the emperor's brother-in-law, and no matter how unwilling she was, she had no choice but to obey.
The Lu residence.
Lu Zhaoruo recalled the fierce battles at the Xiao family banquet, the jealousy of the Lady Yunxiu, the contempt of the Imperial Uncle, and Xiao Yeming's protection... Scenes flashed through her mind.
Leaving aside the Emperor's brother-in-law, the Yunxiu County Princess and the Grand Princess behind her will definitely not let this go.
She frowned slightly, but her eyes showed no panic; instead, they became even clearer.
She will always remember General Xiao's kindness in protecting her today.
However, one should not rely on it for everything.
She knew that it was better to rely on herself than on others, and she had to quickly establish her own means of survival.
Having made up her mind, she turned and walked towards the study with steady steps.
She gestured for Dongrou to wait outside, and then lit the candle on her desk.
In the dim light, she opened a locked box containing the deeds to a mansion and records of gold and silver bestowed by the government.
She carefully checked the paper, her fingertips gently tracing its pages.
These were gifts personally bestowed by the Emperor, the foundation upon which she established herself in the capital, and her protective shield that no one dared to easily touch.
It must be kept safe and must not be lost.
Then she went to the central hall and summoned all the servants in the house. Although there were not many of them, they all looked solemn.
She calmly swept her gaze across the crowd: "At today's banquet, you have all likely heard some rumors. My Lu family is new to this place, and being cautious in our words and actions is of paramount importance. From tomorrow onwards, the doors will be kept tightly shut, and any visitor will be politely refused without my permission. If outsiders inquire, say that I am ill and need to rest and decline visitors. Furthermore, no matter concerning the household should be revealed to outsiders. I hope you will all abide by your duties and weather this difficult time with me."
The servants all bowed their heads and agreed.
She returned to her desk, pondered for a moment, and began grinding ink.
The Duchess of Di's status is extraordinary, and today she seems to be showing a protective attitude. This relationship should not be broken, but there should be limits to how far one can climb.
She picked up her pen and wrote a short note, her words respectful but not humble, thanking the lady for her kindness at the banquet today. She made no mention of her own predicament, but instead asked a couple of questions about the customs and products of the capital, to show her closeness.
He instructed Dongrou to prepare a set of homemade, unpretentious but meticulously crafted tea and snacks and send them over the next day.
Princess Yongfu is simple-minded, and her kindness is all the more precious, which needs to be maintained with a touch of humor.
She wrote a letter to Yongfu, in a slightly more lively tone, sharing some interesting things she had seen and heard in Kedah, and mentioning that if she found any new and interesting things in the future, she would definitely share them with her.
By the time I finished doing all this, it was already late at night.
Lu Zhaoruo pushed open the window, looked at the clear starry sky in the courtyard, and took a deep breath.
The waters of the capital are unfathomably deep.
The current priority is to remain calm and consolidate the foundation.
Once the hype has died down, we should cautiously introduce the silk business from Jizhou, so that it can truly take root.
She understands that true security ultimately comes from one's own strength and value.
She blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness, leaving only her calm eyes shining like stars.
The next day, early morning
Before dawn, Xiao Yeming was already dressed.
His gaze was calm, showing no signs of a hangover; his grandmother's scolding and the noise of the banquet the previous night had not affected him.
However, he did act impulsively at the banquet last night, causing Sister Lu to be in danger.
He must protect Sister Lu, and do so quickly, accurately, and steadily, giving his opponents no chance to breathe.
The palace gates were opened for the first time.
Xiao Yeming then used the pretext of reporting military affairs to go straight into the palace.
Inside the Imperial Study, the familiar scent of ink lingered.
After all the eunuchs left, the solemnity between the emperor and his subjects faded somewhat.
After briefly outlining the military situation, Xiao Yeming did not take his leave as readily as usual.
He paused for a moment, then lifted his robe as if to perform a grand salute.
Shu Heng, who was behind the imperial desk, raised his eyelids, gestured with a slight wave of his hand, and said in a teasing tone, "Alright, there are no outsiders here, don't give me that. Tell me, what trouble have you gotten into this time? Is it about what happened at your victory celebration banquet yesterday?"
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