Chapter 301 A Lady of the Third Rank
The next morning.
The charcoal brazier burned all night, leaving only a little warmth.
Lu Zhaoruo curled up on the couch, clutching tightly in her hand a red winter coat that was almost finished being knitted for Abao.
Fingertips caressed the soft yarn.
I could hear Abao's anxious, weak voice from that day:
"Mother! That Lady Yunxiu is in cahoots with Lin Yingyu! The owner of 'Yingxiang Pavilion' is Lin Yingyu! She is backed by Yunxiu! They are determined to harm you, Mother!"
"They have a deadly poison called 'Five-Day Consumption'! It's said that Lin Yingyu found it on Guiyu Island overseas. It's a strange mineral, pale white like silk, and icy cold to the touch! They say that if you burn it continuously in a sealed room for five days, and let your mother inhale enough, the poison will be planted deep in her lungs like a seed. Even if you remove the incense, it will be too late to save her!"
"Those who are poisoned initially only feel shortness of breath, chest tightness, and incessant coughing; after a month, they will cough up blood, lose weight, and become emaciated; after two months, their lungs and internal organs will wither and decay. Even if Hua Tuo were to be reborn, he would only diagnose it as 'acute tuberculosis attacking the heart, and medicine is ineffective!'"
"Then Princess Yunxiu originally intended to imprison Mother in the water dungeon before attempting to poison her again... but the Grand Princess arrived! She listened to all their wicked schemes!"
"Who would have thought...who would have thought that the Grand Princess would change her mind! She said...she would invite Mother to 'Tingzhu Pavilion' as a distinguished guest, and treat her with the utmost hospitality. She even said in public that she admired Mother's talent and wished to learn embroidery from her..."
"Then... she ordered Lin Yingyu to light the poisonous incense... in the side room of Tingzhu Pavilion!"
"Mother! They all want to kill you! They all want to kill you!"
Hot tears fell, one after another, onto the bright red winter coat in her hand, leaving a dark, heartbreaking wet stain.
She clutched the little winter coat tightly to her chest.
The pain was unbearable.
Her Abao... her poor child! Just how badly was he injured that he was covered in blood, his four paws riddled with holes from repeated piercings, and large patches of his fur had fallen off from being scalded by boiling water!
Even in such excruciating pain and near death, it still struggled to muster its last strength to tell itself this insidious and deadly conspiracy, word by word, clearly!
She could understand why Lin Yingyu and Yunxiu wanted to kill her.
But.
Her Highness the Grand Princess... belongs to Linglang!
Who was she? She had weathered the storms of two dynasties, achieved remarkable feats, and her words and actions were exemplary for women of all ages. She was a figure who stood on a pedestal, revered by all!
Yet this very person... would actually lower herself to such a vicious scheme just to spoil her unruly daughter! She casually changed the "water dungeon" to "Listening Bamboo Pavilion," and disguised "imprisonment" as "the courtesy due to an honored guest," setting up the most deadly trap with the most elegant and luxurious demeanor!
Xiao Yeming's ten-step-one-strike torture, with flesh and blood flying everywhere and kneecaps shattered... this inhumanly cruel torture was also uttered by the Grand Princess!
She stood up unsteadily, wiping away the mess of tears on her face.
She whispered to herself, her voice hoarse, yet carrying a chilling calm: "I will collect this debt, one by one, with my own hands."
In the afternoon, the sun's shadow began to slant westward.
The Lu residence was completely silent, with a gloomy atmosphere hanging over every inch of the courtyard for days.
Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves outside the door stopped, and then the clear, distinctive voice of the eunuch pierced through the doorway: "Imperial edict has arrived—Lady Lu, receive the decree!"
Upon hearing the commotion, Lu Bohong, Sun Jing, Granny Wang, Dong Rou, Qiu Lü, and others immediately straightened their clothes, hurried to the courtyard, held their breath, and knelt to greet the guests, their eyes filled with worry as they looked towards the main house.
The dramatic changes of the past few days had already left Lu Zhaoruo emaciated, and this sudden imperial edict made everyone's hearts leap into their throats, fearing that this would be the last straw that broke her back.
However, the door opened slightly, and Lu Zhaoruo slowly stepped out.
Although her face was still pale and her figure was even thinner than usual, to everyone's surprise, her expression was unusually calm. She performed the proper rites, knelt to receive the imperial edict, and although her voice was hoarse, her words were clear: "Your subject, Lu Zhaoruo, respectfully listens to the imperial edict."
The eunuch unfurled the yellow scroll and announced loudly, "His Majesty has decreed that Lady Lu, a third-rank lady, be summoned to the palace immediately for an audience. So be it."
There was no explanation of the reason or the matter; it was simply a brief summons.
Lu Zhaoruo naturally knew why she had been summoned.
After the ceremony, she went straight back to her room and dismissed everyone else.
Inside the room, the newly bestowed third-rank lady's crown and robes were clearly visible, magnificent and dignified, yet she had not yet put them on.
She walked to the clothes rack, her fingertips slowly tracing the delicate gold embroidery on the dress, feeling its cool touch.
Then, she composed herself and put on her formal dress in accordance with the rules, finally placing the pearl crown that symbolized her status as an imperial consort on her head.
The person in the mirror had a face as pale as snow, yet his imposing crown and robes gave him a strange and unapproachable air of authority.
The door slowly opened.
Everyone looked over, and for a moment, they all held their breath.
Lu Zhaoruo was dressed in the official robes of a third-rank lady.
She wore a light blue silk robe with gold-embroidered cloud and phoenix patterns that shimmered in the light, a jade belt around her waist, and a shawl draped over her shoulders.
The solemn and magnificent attire did not conceal her elegant and exquisite beauty; on the contrary, it made her pale face appear like a jade figure carved from ice and snow. The broken yet resilient spirit between her brows, intertwined with the imposing and majestic aura of her clothing, created a breathtaking beauty that was both fragile and awe-inspiringly unapproachable.
Granny Wang was the first to have tears in her eyes, and hurriedly lowered her head.
Dongrou and Qiulu were stunned. They had never seen their mistress look like this before. She looked like a fairy who had stepped out of an ancient painting, suddenly draped in the glory and burdens of the mortal world.
Lu Bohong and Sun Jing exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and heartache in each other's eyes.
"Prepare the car."
Lu Zhaoruo's gaze swept calmly over the crowd, her voice hoarse yet clear and steady, "Enter the palace."
The driver headed towards the imperial city.
Although Lu Zhaoruo's carriage was not luxurious, the newly hung insignia on the carriage wall, indicating her status as a "Third-Rank Lady," was particularly eye-catching in the thin winter sunlight.
As the carriage traveled through the streets, there were many officials and their families coming and going.
Some sharp-eyed individuals recognized the carriage as belonging to the newly appointed Lady Lu, and couldn't help but slow down, gathering in small groups and whispering among themselves.
"Look, that's Lady Lu's carriage..."
"Hush! Now she should be called Lady Lu! It's unbelievable that just a few days ago she was... but today she has been granted an imperial title and has entered the palace."
"I heard that General Xiao stormed the Grand Princess's mansion for her sake, and he is still unconscious. This is truly... alas, a beautiful woman is a source of trouble."
"Be careful what you say! Haven't you seen the Emperor bestowing rewards upon her one after another? Who would dare to say a bad word about her now? The winds have definitely shifted."
The carriage arrived at the palace gate, and the imperial guards respectfully allowed it to pass after verifying the identification tokens.
When the wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs of the imperial road inside the palace, making a hollow echo, the chatter from the marketplace completely disappeared, replaced by a deeper and more oppressive silence within the palace walls.
The car was driven to the outside of the Donghua Gate of the palace.
The vermilion-lacquered, gold-studded palace gates stood majestically, with imperial guards standing solemnly on both sides, creating a somber atmosphere.
The carriage came to a smooth stop.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Lu Zhaoruo bowed and stepped down, her feet landing on the bluestone slabs outside the palace gate.
The eunuch who had been waiting there bowed to greet her and led her to a small sedan chair with a blue curtain prepared by the palace.
"Shuren, you can take a sedan chair to get around in the outer court area, but you will have to walk to get to the inner court."
The eunuch whispered a reminder.
Lu Zhaoruo nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.
She sat upright in the sedan chair, looking through the gauze curtain at the rows of palaces, red walls and yellow tiles that slowly passed by outside the window.
The sedan chair passed through several palace gates and finally stopped in a square near the inner court.
Eunuch Zhao personally led the way, guiding Lu Zhaoruo through the many palaces.
When encountering low-ranking palace maids and eunuchs on the road, upon seeing this elegant lady in her blue silk robes embroidered with gold and a shawl draped over her shoulders, they immediately bowed their heads and stood respectfully by the roadside, only daring to raise their heads after she had passed.
Along the way, a few low-ranking noblewomen or female officials recognized that this was the newly promoted third-rank lady, Lady Lu. Although a hint of surprise or inquiry flashed in their eyes, they did not lose their manners at all. They all slowly stepped aside and nodded slightly in greeting.
Lu Zhaoruo returned the gesture with a slight glance, without stopping.
In the past, when she entered the palace, she had to bow to people.
Today, wherever she goes, everyone must show her respect.
Eunuch Zhao turned slightly to the side and said in a low voice, "Lady, the Qinzhengzhai is just ahead."
Lu Zhaoruo gazed calmly at the solemn hall in front of her. The eaves and brackets cast a somber shadow under the thin winter sun, and the plaque "Qinzhengzhai" hung directly in front of her.
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